8 Month baby Summary, Baby 5 {2 Nap Schedule BabyWise}

by Meghan // February 16, 2021 // Comments off

Yay! We finally made it to the 2 nap schedule, at about 7.5 months. Whew, that was hard work. ? This boy is a sleeper, so trying to change up his daytime sleep patterns (because they started getting messy anyway), was a challenge.

We have made it to 2 solid naps. Most days they go really well. The down side to 2 naps, is that if you miss one for errands or appointments, there is no catching a cat nap at the end of the day. Adding that cat nap will most likely disturb bedtime sleep, because along with total daytime sleep hours, you now also have to keep the end of last nap a good several hours (4) from bedtime.

Anyway, here is our current schedule:

730 DWT, nurse, bottle
- floor time while mama works out or reads aloud to everyone from Sunlight books
- 8:45- solids
930 ? nap 1
1100 Here baby usually wakes, I leave him until 11:15
- 11:15 up, snuggles
1130 nurse, bottle
- floor time with siblings or outside if weather permits (right now it certainly does not)
- 12:45 solids
2:00 ? nap 2
3:30 nurse, bottle
- outside play, snuggles, practicing all his new skills, read books, etc
5:30 I am nursing here. With my other babies I think I dropped this feed, but he is pretty fussy without it, even after solids. So we are leaving it in.
5:45 dinner with the family
7:00 nurse, bottle, bed for the night by 7:30pm

And that’s it! 2 naps is really a dream; the only time it is hard is when we miss one and have to do early bedtime. He still sleeps all night, but generally wakes at 7:00am instead of 7:30 on those days. During this time, and during this weather, most days we get in both naps.

Development

It’s crazy how babies are different from one to the other. My first was sitting up at 5 months, baby 5 is just now sitting up at 8 months, and still prefers rolling around from one place to another. He is practicing crawling, but hasn’t quite gotten everything synced up. He can do hands, or knees, or push, but not all at the same time. haha

He *loves* food. All food: nursing, bottles, solid, real table food. All of it! And boy does he need it- he is a growing boy in 12 month clothes, and has lots of sweet baby rolls.

Recently he started clapping when he wants me to sing pat a cake, twinkle twinkle is next.

Baby 5 loves being touched, he is very tactile already. He likes holding my hands whenever we are playing, but isn’t super interested in many toys yet. Still refuses to pick up his own food, he likes to be fed while holding your hand… Im pretty sure my 4th was feeding herself by now, but I think I was also complaining about the mess. So, whatever ?‍♀️ If I’ve learned anything in 5 babies, it’s that it does *not* matter when they do it, just that they do it.

We love every minute with him and often talk about how it is going by so quickly. He is still very much a baby, but to think he will be 1 in 4 months is just bittersweet.

He still has the sweetest and most calm disposition, only fussing when he’s really tired because we missed nap, or because he’s done sitting up and want to roll around. haha Being outdoors makes him so relaxed, and he loves being sung and read to. I can’t wait for spring to get here so he can enjoy being outside again.

Stay warm!

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Surviving Airplane Travel and Vacation with Small Children

by Meghan // June 12, 2015 // Comments off

As I write this post I am relaxing while my children take naps.
Our family (and I mean my husband’s ENTIRE family-18 of us) are all vacationing this week. It has been Ah-mazing, and has opened an opportunity for a good “how to survive…” post. If you’re not lucky enough to be able to hire a private jet with Jettly, read on!

So, here is it: How to Survive The Airport and Vacation with Small Children

1. Food- When all else fails FEED THEM. I packed a bazillion snacks for our plane ride. As a matter of fact, I carried an entire back pack full of snacks. Fussy? feed them. Ears hurt? Feed them. Tired but won’t sleep? Feed them. Bored? Feed them. Talking too loudly on a red eye flight? Feed them. (oh yea, if they’re hungry you should feed them too!)

2. Seating- On an airplane you can make sure your family’s seats are together by logging into your account online (or calling, I’m sure). Our planes had two rows of seats, 3 seats wide. So for us, with a family of 5, it was best to have: number 1 child at the window, number 2 next to number 1, then daddy on the aisle seat to help managed them, while mama sat across the aisle in the aisle seat, with baby. That way if we needed to hand/trade off we could. I could easily pass baby to daddy while I made her bottle/got her food out, etc. Also, brother (2.5yo) could come see me when he needed to. Also be sure to check your seating arrangements the day before you fly because they could have been changed without your knowledge!

3. One Activity- For us, drawing and writing is infinitely interesting to our kids, most of the time. Whatever it is that occupies your kids at home (that isn’t huge or require a lot of little pieces), take it with you for the plane and long lay overs in the airport! **Don’t take a TON of things. Chances are your kids will be just as content (if not more) having only one or two things to focus on. However, if your kids are at the “throw down and lose everything/have mom pick it up” stage, skip this entirely and let them play with the magazines on the plane!

4. Personal Backpacks– If your kids are 2 years and older, chances are they can carry a small to medium sized backpack with ease through the airport. With most airlines, each person that has a seat/ticket on the plane gets to take a carry on bag. That means even children can “carry” a bag on the plane. Take advantage of this! My daughter (4yo) took her own small backpack that had her “planner,” pen, a favorite book, and lovey for sleeping. In her brother’s backpack we carried them both a change of clothes, extra diapers for him (for sleeping and to prevent frequent bathroom breaks), and his sleeping lovey. Bringing a backpack is especially useful for long haul flights. We’re thinking of taking a trip to England since we found some good deals on stratford hotels. I’ve always wanted to visit that area but we’ve always been put off going due to the long flight. I might just wait until the kids are a little older though.

5. Change of clothes– This is HUGE. I never would have thought to take a change of clothes for the plane (this is my husband’s tip). But if you are flying over night, or all day long, a change of clothes can go a long way for everyone! Putting kids into their pajamas at night when they would usually be getting ready for bed sends a sleep que to them, and can help them be comfortable and relaxed. Also, a change of clothes (undies, shirt/yoga pants, shorts, or dress) for mom and dad is also nice. After all the loading, moving/running through airports it is nice to be able to change just your shirt. Don’t carry an entire new wardrobe, just enough to help you feel refreshed/clean/better.

6. Wear Baby- I found that wearing baby was a life saver! I didn’t really know how much I would use my carrier, but it turned out to be awesome. Now, don’t go get a carrier the week of vacation; you will want plenty of time to use it and get comfortable using it with and without help. I wore #3 on my front for the plane, and on my back at the beach. I did need help getting her in the carrier for my back because without a bed to drop her on (accidentally) I am just not comfortable doing it blind. What carrier should you get? That’s up to you; I love love love my Baby Hawk Mei Tai. There is also the BabyHawk baby Carrier that snaps! I sorta wish I had seen that one when I bought my mei tai before #3 was born… snaps are fast and easy, though not as versatile. (Just make sure you read how to properly wear baby, please! High on your chest/back, no facing outward, etc)

7. Sleep!- Let them sleep! I know on vacation it is hard to stop all the fun and going/doing for naps. But, for us, everyone is much happier and can go and do much, much more if they are well-rested. If the kids are exhausted and can’t function, how can you have a good time?! So, take a few hours, go rest, then get up refreshed and ready to go! The best way to get refreshed and energized by a good nap is if you’re staying in a beautiful and welcoming hotel while vacationing, like Boutique Hotel Downtown San Jose. This way, you and your child can rest up with a comfy bed while staying in luxury!

8. This thing: Trust me, you need it! Leave the pack n play at home and carry this for travel sleeping arrangements; we LOVE ours
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What’s your favorite tip for traveling, flying, & vacationing with little ones?

8.5 month Baby Summary Update {ww37 and babywise schedule}

by Meghan // May 27, 2015 // Comments off

Well, here we are; somehow Ila is 8.5 months old! To think she is closer to 1 year old than a newborn baby … =( It is going by so quickly.

But God meant for healthy things to grow, and she is surely growing! She is a little over 20lbs and 28.5″ long; not as big as her siblings at this age, but that is okay.

Ila has 5 teeth and is working on one or two more. She gave up nursing around the beginning of April, and though I was devastated and continued trying to get her to nurse, she was completely done by the third week of April. Trying to nurse had become a battle that stressed us both out. I really thougth she was going to nurse for the long haul; she was my best nurser out of my three babies. But just like the others, once she realized the milk in the bottle came out faster, with less work involved for her, (even though it was the smallest size Tommie Tippee nipple), she was done with mama. =(

She still has a head full of hair, and that is the first thing people notice about her. The second thing they mention is how happy she is. And she is happy. The happiest baby ever; I know I say that on all of her summaries, but really. She doesn’t get upset over much, she has never spit up a day in her life (which I attribute to not getting dairy protein through nursing or her formula), and the only time she has a hard time with sleep or not feeling well is during wonder weeks; she is even pretty happy while teething, with only one or two rough days. I know this won’t last forever, at some point she will become a tiny tantrum on two feet, but for now, it is bliss!

Eating At 8 Months

Ila is eating every 4 hours … sorta? =/ She is eating solids LIKE CRAZY. If we are eating, she wants a bite of it. Which means that she has been eating: burger meat, steak, meat loaf, rotisserie chicken, fried chicken, spaghetti, cooked carrots, cooked green beans, sautéed zucchini and onion, grapes, apple sauce, pears, banana, eggs … and really the list goes on (though no processed foods). Basically if it is soft enough for her to chew, and homemade with real ingredients, she gets it. I did give her some BBQ from a local restaurant the other night, and she liked that too. =)

So at 3 of her 4 feedings she eats solids, then takes her bottle. She refuses her bottle before she eats real food, and she won’t take it right after she eats … so a little after she has eaten she is ready for her bottle. Oh- and if she hasn’t had a poopy diaper she won’t take a bottle, so basically her life revolves around when she poops! haha But I am working on not letting her eat as much food before her bottle, since that should still be her primary form of nourishment right now.

Schedule

Ila has moved seamlessly to a 2 nap schedule. I knew it was time to drop the cat nap because her naps were being interrupted, but she was still tired after waking and about 20 minutes later she would go back to sleep. Also, the third nap just seemed to be messing with her night sleep and first morning nap. So … we dropped to a 2-3-4 schedule (loosely) and it has been working great. Really it is more like a 2-2.5-4 hour schedule. She hasn’t quite worked up to 3 hours at that second nap yet, but it won’t be long. I imagine after this wonder week (ww37) she will be ready.

So at 8.5 months, her schedule looks like this:

7am wake, bottle, solids
9 down
10:30 usually wakes, rest until 11
11 up, lunch, bottle
1 down for nap #2
2:30-3 wake, solids, bottle
5:30 dinner, bath
6:30 bottle, bed
Asleep by 7pm

Development

Ila is doing new things every day! Since my lsat summary, she has started sitting up, scooting on her belly, rolling all over the place to get to things she wants, clapping, and signing. She likes to roll around on the floor and is really trying to crawl; she is thiiiiiis close to crawling! But honestly, with the move, and rent house, etc. I am not a huge fan of her crawling too soon anyway!

She has started signing for milk and more. I think she started signing for milk about a month ago, but I wasn’t 100% certain. Then she began signing for more, and it was pretty obvious what she was wanting! haha The baby is covered with fat rolls and loves to eat, what can I say?

The other day at the rent house Ila was in the floor with Scout (the singing talking dog). It was singing a song and she started DANCING. It was possibly the cutest thing ever. So now, she just bounces and dances when it plays music.

Ila is working on grasping small pieces of food, and while she can usually pick them up, she has a hard time getting them into her mouth. She has also discovered throwing things .. including her water cup! NOT FUN. Ugh. But our little Mister is so sweet and gets it for her every. single. time she “drops” it. haha He is helping create a monster. =)

Big brother and sister adore her. I mean … just smother her to death adore her. Including Mister- she is his “sweet baby girl Ila.” I love that he is (usually) so gentle and good with her. And big sister is mama’s BIG helper. She is also in love with Ila and is always teaching her new things (works on signing with her) and cheering her on! Did I mention Charlie loves her, too?

As far as the WW is going … there is some fussing at sleep time and all around weirdness going on, but in the nest 3 weeks that should end. *whew*

That is all of Ila’s 8month update I think … I *love* this stage! (minus the wonder week!)

What is your favorite “baby stage?”

Simple Woman’s Daybook {13}

by Meghan // May 11, 2015 // Comments off

Outside my Window …
It is beautiful and breezy. We have had a lot of rain here the last few weeks, so we are thankful for the sunshine!

I am thinking…
Is it June yet?

I am thankful…
for Fit2B.

In the kitchen…
Everything is still a mess from dinner.

I am wearing…
Yoga pants and a tshirt… I am creating…
a custom camo & blaze orange blanket order.I am going…
to my baby’s first violin recital Saturday! I am so proud and excited.I am wondering…
when it will be warm and sunny enough again to lay out- craving some vitamin D.

I am reading…
a few toddler books and my devotional.

I am hoping…
the house sale, moving, and our future travels all go smoothly. Likely, something will go wrong!

I am looking forward to…
Mid June, when we will move.

I am learning…
that I really need to focus.

Around the house…
Well, we sold the house so we aren’t showing it anymore. Which means … I am back to relaxing on the house work until cleaning day! (which is tomorrow …) I’ve never been so thankful for a dusty, messy house.

I am pondering…
What God has planned for us; where we will move/buy in Wichita. I am anxiously awaiting that decision.

A favorite quote for today…
yep. I’ve got nothing … did I mention I need some inspiration?!

One of my favorite things…
Fit2B. For the first time since Lexie was born, I no longer wet my pants when I sneeze, cough, or laugh; and I owe it ALL to the amazing women running Fit2B. I am still working on healing my DR, but I can already tell a huge difference, after 5 months! (did I mention I no longer wet my pants when I sneeze?! Fellow mamas, you know what I’m talking about!)

I will probably never drop my subscription ($10 a month?!)- I have used Fit2B to completely change my body, my posture (which was HORRIBLE after nursing 3 babies and being pregnant non stop for over 5 years). Even if you don’t have a diastasis recti, I highly recommend trying Fit2B for ONE month; I have never, ever had a program do for me what it has don and I thank God for it!

A few plans for the rest of the week:
Cleaning Day, finish our Sonlight Core for the year, make lists for vacation and our week in Kansas, make a dessert for the violin recital, finish a few sewing orders, maybe work on dresses for the girls’ for Hawaii and a few gifts I have going, call to get moving quotes, and schedule Charlie for boarding while we are gone. …. that probably won’t all get done!

A peek into my day… (This is really from yesterday … but I mean, the cuteness?!)

sweet snuggles {Simple Woman's Daybook 12}

Baby Summary Weeks 35-36

by Meghan // May 21, 2013 // Comments off

Max hit the 37 week mark yesterday, so this is a post for the last two weeks of his life.

To say Max ha started eating is an understatement. The boy is devouring finger foods. Everything from dried blueberries and apples to sausage and sauerkraut! He ate the sauerkraut like it was running away from him! This weekend he enjoyed my cucumber and tomato salad in oil and vinegar … with garlic! We still do pureed foods just because sometimes I don’t have a meal made that doesn’t have dairy in it, but he is eating a LOT more finger foods. I can’t wait for him to try watermelon and cantaloupe this summer.

We still only have two teeth, but I think he is working on the top two. They’re a little white but not puffy yet. He has been napping great! Most days are 2 1.5 hour naps, sometimes a cat nap at 4:30 if he is really tired. But we usually just do early bedtime at 6:30pm instead.

Crawling … well, he is moving about 2 feet at a time before he falls on his belly and decides to roll over. So yes, he is crawling, but not for long distances. He rolls and scoots around a LOT more than he does crawl. **EDIT: he crawled all the way across the living room floor today! I know, it’s a 37 week update, but had to add it! YAY MAX!**

He enjoys being outside, and playing in the water. We have had beautiful, warm weather as of late. So Mama has been laying out while the kids play. He sits in the baby blow up bath tub and Lexie plays in her kiddie pool. Speaking of which, they are finishing our fence! Woo hoo! I am so excited. It should be complete tomorrow morning. They did most of it today. Lexie is so excited, she has been waiting on her fence for a very long 3 months.

Helping mama make the salad …

Last weekend was Mother’s day; we went to church at the Methodist church (which I liked a lot, surprisingly, coming from a full gospel girl. It was really homey). JTom got me a bread maker for Mother’s day- woo hoo! We have already used it several times and LOVE it. way better than doing it by hand, any day.

This past weekend we stayed home and worked around the house. JTom and Lexie got the garden in and JTom got the sprinklers set up in the flower bed. He cut into the sprinkler system and put little sprayers in the flower beds. They’re really cute. Our garden this year is just: tomatoes (roma, big beef, early girl, burly boys, and cherry), red and green bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and butternut squash. We put the bed in on the south side of the house, where they dug out for flower beds. It’s the perfect spot, and J.Tom may cut in some sprayers for the garden as well. I sure hope so.

I got some petunias for the back porch and filled the hanging baskets for the front, like I do every year. Lexie and I planted some giant impatience in a big pot for the front porch; they smell SO good. (I love having a front door that we use to come into the house)

JTom also got some new burners for the inside of his grill, so we can get back to grilling again soon.

Overall it has been a low key couple of weeks. Some how things have seemed really busy, but in all honesty we haven’t been super busy.

How have you spent your last few weeks? Anything exciting happening?

water play

she couldn’t resist; we didn’t have a kiddie pool yet

Mmm blueberries

Our record heat one day last week- 100 degrees here in lil ole York (we had snow on the ground the week before …)

Daddy and Mister

Reading a gymnastics books while waiting on class to start.

My morning Yoga

Mmmm Cucumber!

My Mister’s curls

wearing Daddy’s hat and looking like my cousin Wesley’s twin when he was this age. Like, if she didn’t have on the lace night gown, she would look exactly like him.

wearing daddy’s hat

Learning this week: Winnie the Pooh, coloring, and playdough

by Meghan // May 10, 2013 // Comments off

I am starting a new weekly/bi weekly update series on what specifically we have done this week in our homeschool or learning in general. Fun crafts and things will usually have their own posts, depending on the time and energy I have to blog them.

This week, Lexie is 4 months away from her third birthday! Oh em gee. I really cant believe my baby, my brilliant, strong willed, determined first born is almost three. (Remind me of this when she is turning 13, and 23….).

Last week we started reading our first chapter book- none other than A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh!

How appropriate, seeing how as a child my Memaw video taped every. single. episode. of Winnie the pooh (the new adventures mind you, not these ridiculous computerized versions… And long before Tigger or piglet had their own movies! I had the real deal, let me tell you).

Lexie loves to read, and she absolutely loves to pretend to read serious, big word books. Her little (formerly my own) Precious Moments Bible is so worn, because she brings it to me and says, “what’s this say?” Then I will read it to her, and she goes off and “reads” it to her dolls or the engines. (Yes, the engines are part of our family now …)

Her devotional is literally falling apart. The cover is falling off, the pages are creased and crinkled. She has most of the pages memorized up to this date. It is by far her favorite book in the house.

We’ve had it since CHRISTMAS! It is 5 months old.

You must appreciate her passion for God and reading though…

So anyway, I thought with all these things combined, she would enjoy a chapter book read aloud.

Wow. To say the least.

I have to distract her ~~bribe her~~ so I can stop reading, or we would have the book read in a day. She likes to take the book and pretend she is reading it. What she recites is a mixture of Winnie the Pooh, meets The Little Red Hen, meets the Bible… Quite eclectic, and entertaining.

Lexie has started coloring inside the lines! I know coloring books aren’t developmentally appropriate and hinder creativity. I know. I know.

But she refused to draw! She is my little perfectionist, type A, right brained baby, and drawing pictures is not her thing. Two weeks ago she would shove a blank piece of paper across the table, crying and panicking, refusing to color! “No mommeeeeeee! You show me, you do it! Essie doesn’t know how!”

But give her a coloring sheet and she will color in the lines, draw pictures on top of it, make numbers and letters all over it … So maybe she has a blank paper phobia? (No, that’s not funny because it is a huge possibility.) But I understand her thought process; she doesn’t know how to draw a picture like she sees in books, and therefore doesn’t want to do it. Obviously I want to teacher her to do things out of her comfort zone, or things she doesn’t think she can do really well. Slowly she has started coloring on some blank spots on her papers, so I am going to try blank paper again and see what happens.

Last week we played outside a lot, so I don’t have many pictures of learning activities… But we did manage to squeeze in a little bit of intentional inside learning fun.

We used playdoh to create letters. Then we talked about the letter sounds, and different words that had that beginning and ending sound. It was fun and she loved it. We also cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and worked on her fine motor skills. She had a lot of fun!

We decided Max needed some “playdoh,” but since he obviously puts everything in his mouth, we had to be creative. Another mama online told me about shaving cream in a baggie. I had a really hard time keeping the bag taped to his tray; and eventually he chewed a hole in it… but he had a lot of fun! I added some non toxic paint in the baggie and let him squish it all around.

That has pretty much been our week. We haven’t done any Before Five in a Row in a week or two. I have ordered a printer and am waiting on it so we can do our lapbook/memory book activities to go with the books. Today she found and picked up The Big Green Pocket Book off the shelf downstairs, so we read it. Five times. In a row. Needless to say, that will be the next book we row! haha

What have you been doing with your children this week?

34-36 Weeks Baby Summary

by Meghan // May 10, 2013 // Comments off

*I have been building this post all week, so “today” isn’t actually today ….*

Max has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 5 days! He suddenly went for a bitty baby to a big boy! He is almost crawling (edit: AAAAh! He crawled 2 knees worth today!), waving hi, giving wide, slobbery, open mouthed kisses, and laughing more than ever. Tonight for bedtime was the first time he put his head on my shoulder and his arms around me while we sang for night night. I usually hold him like a baby while he sucks his thumb and winds down. He’s such a sweet bear. Today, he also went from the crawling position to sitting position for the first time.

…. see, lots of firsts!

He said Mama while we were playing downstairs, hiding out from the rain. I was so excited. He is trying really hard to talk. A lot. The past few days I have had the living room fan, he is mesmerized; and I know all babies love fans. But this boy like instantly smiles and is hypnotized by the fan! He likes to play games now, like throwing his head back so you will hold him upside down, and putting his chin up so you can tickle his neck. It’s so funny. These are all things Lexie was doing long before 8 months. But it’s like he just decided, “Hey, I think I’m ready to move and have fun!” Before, he was so lazy and laid back. He is still laid back, just enjoys moving around now.

He gets so excited and is so proud that he can get up and rock on his knees, push up on his toes, and crawl backwards sometimes. He will be crawling more by the weekend, we are sure! Lexie gets very excited with him. She likes to show him how to do it.

He really enjoys playing in the grass. One of the great things about having a real lawn, is he can play and feel the grass without the fear of stickers.

I have him his first asparagus this week. He loved it! He also likes dill pickles (did I mention that last time?) and blueberries.

Lexie has been the sweetest most affectionate two year old ever this last two weeks. She is constantly telling me how much she loves me, hugging my neck tight, kissing me, playing and teasing, loving on her bubby even more, and just growing more kind and loving every day. Lexie has a tender heart; she doesn’t like for other people to be hurt or upset, but has had her share of not being so nice (like a typical two year old)… Pushing, chasing the dog, hitting Max … terrorizing the chickens comes to mind too.

But lately she has been so affectionate. Last night we were doing bedtime routine, and she just wrapped her arms around my neck, hugged me and said, “i love you more than this much!”

I’m sure my monster toddler will return soon, but until then i will take all these loves i can get! Her new favorite *obsessive* topics to talk about are the things that make God happy, and being grateful. It’s wonderful to see Christ in your child’s life, even before they completely understand the implications of their relationship with Him.

sweet Mister Bear

reading her Bible outside

talking to her buddy

I can do it, I can do it!

Heh

She is crazy about her umbrella!

Mmmm Blueberries!

Yes, I like them!

monkey girl

Mama, look where I can climb!

I’m doing it!

Did you see me?!?!

Mommy and Lexie

water play!

No nap time for Lou Bug!

by Meghan // May 24, 2011 // Comments off

Such a smart girl

Happy girl

I can stand on my own!

Love bath time, but out growing my wash tub!

Oooh, happy days!

by Meghan // May 17, 2011 // Comments off

Graduation Party

The party was a HUGE hit. J.Tom did a wonderful job putting everything together and making it a special day for us. The only complaint is really the BBQ we got from Sams-TERRIBLE! The brisket was really good, but the BBQ was not. I feel really bad for the people that ate the bbq.. ick! Mama’s beans and pasta salad were good and of course the cookiecake from Sams was delectable. =)

Lexie officially has 2 new teeth; through all the ear pulling, crying, fussiness, not eat/nursing well, diaper rashes, and drooling came the top two middle teeth! She has such a terrible time teething and these last 2 were the worst so far. We still have so many to go, but I sure hope we get more then a few weeks break this time.

Mrs. Susie brought the walker from her house for Lexie to play with outside during the party-SHE LOVES IT! She goes backwards, forwards, side ways, EVERYways! haha We are keeping it for a while. We are probably going to play with it outside this afternoon, it is so nice out there!

I’m stuck! (she does this a lot)

Look who’s got me!

She knows patty cake now-when I sing it she starts to clap and bounce. She said MAMA this morning, but only repeated it, didn’t say it on her own… but at least she is saying it now. We are working through some “mini fits”-AKA baby tantrums. Meal time is really a challenge which is strange, because Lexie LOVES to eat. But lately she is refusing food; sometimes it is all food, sometimes it is just the homemade foods I do, sometimes it is just green stuff… you just never know. But I am HOPING and praying this is either A) teething or B) a phase or possibly both. But I’m not sure and it is so frustrating and worrying not knowing what it is!

I did not know I could be this happy-it is amazing, really. It is exhausting, yet so rewarding. I love being a stay at home wife and mom. I fix J.Tom’s lunch each day, which usually looks something like this:

It’s not really as much as it first appears to be; sandwich, veggies with dip, oranges, and some laughing cow cheese. Yum Yum!

I have a schedule of things to do and what needs to be done. Each day I do a different chore, and then once a week I deep clean. It is all about time management. If you manage your time SOME days you have time to play online, blog, or just rest. I am usually up and about though.

Did I mention the car wash took off my car panel? Yes, that is right-your $40,000 vehicles are put together using… wait for it… DOUBLE SIDED STICKY TAPE! So, I have to go this week and get that put back on. We also have to run errands to return a few things and get my necklace chain fixed, I feel naky without it. Anyways, that is what we’ve been up to around here =)

Yay For Being a Stay at Home Mommy (for the summer)!

by Meghan // May 9, 2011 // Comments off

Well, we are home-on a M O N D A Y!!!! It is the best Mother’s Day gift ever! We are going to make some more baby foods this afternoon-I think we will do apples and bananas today and see how those go. We are going to try cinnamon, too! Very exciting.

Lexie is doing wonderfully on her new routine! She gets up about 6:30 (usually because she is poopy) and then we play until 7:00, which is when she eats. AND (this is BIG!) We think she is SIGNING “MILK!!!” When she wakes up and snuggles she immediately starts doing the sign for milk; I was mistaking it for her wave “Hi” that she does. But no-we are pretty sure it is milk. WOO HOO I knew we had a genius baby 😉 So anyways, she eats at 7:00am, plays in her pack n play for 30+ minutes while I do some chores and get things ready for the day. When she gets tired of the pack n play, we play on the floor and have mommy/baby time. Then about 9:30am she goes down for a nap, which lasts until about 11:00am. Then she wakes up and eats again, plays for while, goes down for a nap between 100-1:30pm, and wakes about 3:00. Then she eats and we begin again! Finally at 6:00pm she has dinner and is asleep by 7:00pm. Then Daddy and I have the rest of the evening to do whatever we need to get done-eat dinner, chores outside or inside that we didn’t get finished. We could not ask for a better, sweeter baby! (well, maybe the next 2 or 3 could be just as sweet?) I am thinking we will have 3 kids.. unless the first 3 aren’t boys then we will probably have 4. =)

Lexie has always been a happy baby, but there were many days when she was so cranky. SHE WAS TIRED. At school she could not nap well, once she woke up at the end of a sleep cycle, they got her up. So she sometimes had a 45 minute nap. This usually rolled over to our weekends together too, because she was not used to getting good rest and only knew to wake up. NOW, she is taking 1.5-2 hour naps twice a day. We have dropped the 3rd nap all together, because she is no longer exhausted in the afternoons! It is amazing how much better we all feel when we get rest!

I went to Bryant Saturday afternoon and picked up Lexie a “like new” activity table-she loves it! I have to hot glue some drawer liner to the bottom of the legs so it doesn’t slide around on her (with hard floors it could get pretty dangerous). We went to our friends’ Bo and Jessica’s house and they had one for their little boy; I’d been wanting to get Lexie one and after seeing her play on their’s it was a definite-she needed one! =) Here are some pics of her playing on it.

Next I want to get her a baby swing for the yard. Fun fun!

Today, my friend Whitney and I are taking the kids to Arkadelphia to get our caps and gowns and then to the park. =) I cannot believe we graduate in 4 days. It is just surreal.. I still don’t think it has hit and I am fairly certain Friday will involve tears of joy.