7 months

E turned 7 months on the 17th of December.

She is wearing 6-9 month clothes (although I need to do the swap-a-roo to 9 months when I can find time because things are a little "snug") and size 3 Huggies diapers. 

E is still nursing every 3-4 hours.  New foods she tried were: yams, spinach, carrots, zucchini, butternut squash & sweet potato puffs. E has loved EVERYTHING thus far! We've been feeding her purees once a day, but she finishes the bowl every time, so we may increase that to twice a day soon.  

I didn't make baby food for CJ, but my best friend convinced me that I could do it for E. So with the help of our steamer and our Vitamix, it actually is easy! Pumpkin & Yams! 

Sleep is still great. For the most part E takes a morning and afternoon nap and sleeps 12-14 hours at night. There have been a few nights this month that she'll get up and "party" with Mommy & Daddy before they go to bed. We think she is teething, but maybe she's just wanting some alone time with us? Ha ha!

This month E learned how to sit. Now when we put her in a sitting position she is able to play for a bit before falling over. And her "push up flop" has graduated to a better patterned "army crawl". 

E rolls onto her side and sits in a "model pose". It is so cute. She'll pose and figure out what she wants to get into next. She gets stronger everyday. 

Her new babble is "ba ba ba". I've been working hard on "ma ma" (HA HA!). We began using a little baby sign language this month to her, and CJ is helping too, HA! 

This month we went to Perris, CA and your first road trip to Merced, CA. This was your first overnight away from home and you did great! We also went to: Sea World, your first trip to Disneyland!, San Diego Zoo and Daddy's work Christmas party. You and CJ also took your first bath together! You BOTH love it! He loves splashing you and believe it or not, you LOVE being splashed! I think you just think everything he does is awesome! 

We were so THANKFUL for you this Thanksgiving, little E and are so excited to spend our first Christmas with you as a family of four. We love you baby girl!

6 months

E turned 6 months old on the 17th of November. A half a year already?! TOO FAST!!

At her 6 month well check on November 27th, E was 15 lbs, 16 oz and 26 inches long.

She is wearing 6-9 month clothes and size 3 Huggies diapers.

E is still nursing every 3-4 hours. We started solids on her 6 month birthday. Her first food was avocado and she LOVED it!

We're getting into a better napping pattern. E usually naps once in the morning and takes a long nap (approx 2 hours) in the afternoon. Sometimes she'll take a catnap before her 6pm bedtime. She loves her nighttime sleep and wakes up between 6-7am the next morning.

This month E got really good at getting her knees up under her. She does a push up with her arms, and then pushes forward with her legs and flops down. She'll rock back and forth on all fours and CJ says "E is dancing!" Ha ha! Not yet, son, but she'll be crawling any second now. So between rolling her "push up flop" E is very mobile. 

This month was also fun for us because E seemed to REALLY "come out of her shell". Remember how I had described her personality as serious?! Now our sweet girl is smiley almost ALL the time! And the way she crinkles her nose is adorable! :)

E LOVES her big bro, and I'm so glad that CJ is starting to enjoy having a little sister. E watches everything CJ does and really likes playing trains and trucks with him. 

This month you went to the Pediatrician for a cold, MOPS childcare, the Aquarium, Zoo, Safari Park and Sea World. I wish I could put this next half of a year into "slow motion". Everyday I try to think to myself that "this is the youngest my children will ever be" because everyday you do something new! We love you E!

5 months

E turned 5 months old on October 17th!

At her 4 month well check on October 1st, she weighed 14 lbs, 8 oz  & was 24.75 inches long.

This month E is wearing 6 month clothes. She is in size 3 Huggies diapers, and a size 3 overnight. 

She is drinking breastmilk exclusively. She eats every 3-4 hours during the day. I decided to wait for solids until 6 months for two reasons. #1. Selfishly, I already have to fight one child every meal time and wanted to postpone the mess and fights with another for as long as possible. ;) & #2. She still isn't sitting unsupported, and her Dr. said it was okay to wait; so we'll start on her 6 month birthday. 

Her daytime sleep is sporadic and unpredictable, but usually at least 2 naps that range from anywhere from 20 mins to 2 hours. E is still a great nighttime sleeper though: 10-14 hours a night! And, she is SO happy right after she wakes up!

E started sucking her thumb this month. It is one of her biggest cues that she is tired...when she pops her thumb in her mouth. I think it's cute, and I like that she is able to self soothe, but her dentist daddy is already griping about future orthodontist bills. Ha ha! 

She is rolling, rolling, rolling!! Little girl can move so much now, and with purpose! E will see a toy and figure out a way to roll and turn herself to get to it. She's trying to get her legs underneath and push, but then her arms get stuck. I think E will be scooting/army crawling very soon.

When CJ was a baby, we had what we laughingly called the "Baby Cage" or "Baby Jail". Since we don't want CJ repeating that (can you imagine him going to school telling his teacher we put baby sister in a cage?! Ha!), we now call it the "Baby Area". This space is just for E, to keep her out of trouble and safe, and CJ is only allowed inside under supervision. 

E is starting to giggle and smile more, which is so fun! :-) 

We took you to Julian, CA. This month we also went to Music Together Class, the pumpkin patch, the Aquarium & Safari Park. 

E, the more we get to know you, the more we love you. You ADORE your big brother very much, and I am so happy to see your sibling relationship developing more and more. You are always going to be our "Baby E" so please stop growing SO fast! ;) 

4 months

E is now 4 months old! How on earth can that be?!

This was a big month for Miss E! 

E is wearing some 3-6 month & some 6 month clothes. She is in size 2 Huggies diapers. 

She is drinking breastmilk exclusively. She eats every 2.5-3 hours during the day.

This month E "graduated" to her crib and we no longer swaddle her. She sleeps great: 10-12 hours a night!

Her babbles include "ahhh", "Raaar" & "eeeee-oooo". 

She rolled from back to tummy for the first time. And now she loves to do it. Unfortunately, sometimes she'll roll over and then get "stuck" on her tummy and she doesn't like that.

E found her feet this month. She loves to grab them and roll back and forth. 

And she laughed for the first time this month. It was just once. For the most part E serious. I think she likes to study the world around her. But she smiles REALLY big when she thinks something is funny or she is happy.

We went to Sea World again, and E went to the Safari Park for the first time. 

E, you are such a blessing to our family. I can't wait to see what next month holds for you! 

I'm back!

One year ago today I found out we were expecting baby #2. Talk about a shock!! I thought I would commemorate this anniversary, with the relaunch of my blog. I know all two of my readers have really missed me, so I'm back!

Where to begin?! You'd think as a military family we'd be used to change...but the addition of a family member has been an major adjustment for us all. Even now, almost four months later, we're still trying to get the hang of our new life.

I'll eventually post about E's birth, but it was great! We had trouble with breastfeeding at first which was challenging for both of us, but after several lactation consultations, we got it figured out! 

She was a little jaundiced when we came home from the hospital so she was a glow worm for her first week of life. E is a beautiful girl.

For the most part E is sweet tempered, except when she needs something she will LET YOU KNOW. E nurses every 2.5-3 hours during the day and sleeps 10-12 hours at night.

She is very flexible with naps, probably because she has to be with a noisy big brother and us always being on the go.

I can't believe how quickly she's growing up!

 

After being the center of attention for 2.5 years, the transition to "big brother" wasn't and still isn't easy for CJ, but everyday gets a little better. I'll eventually do a separate post about this as well. I know once E gets bigger and becomes more "fun" they'll have a great time playing together!

CJ started preschool, two half days a week. It is nice for him to have his own thing, and he LOVES it!

CJ also loves trains and puzzles right now. He no longer takes naps, so we do a "quiet time" when we're at home.

We attempted potty training, but CJ wasn't quite ready yet, so we'll wait a little while longer.

JT is an awesome Dad to his two kids. The biggest adjustment for him has been at work. Shortly after E was born, he was officially made the OIC (officer in charge) for the dental clinic. This is a big responsibility for someone of his rank (he is commanding approximately 60 people, some ranked above him too!).

The US. Navy Dental Corps celebrated 100 years this year and we got to go to a ball on the USS Midway.  JT is doing such a great job juggling everything at work and then coming home and helping me and playing with and loving on our kids!

When he walks in the door, CJ still runs exuberantly into his arms yelling "Dada!" Highlight of the day for both of them I think.

E has a special bond with her daddy too. There are times where she gets so worked up, but she'll instantly melt and calm down in JT's arms.

And then there's me. Honestly, I'm still in survival mode. Hence the lack of posts...still trying to figure out how to meet everyone's needs and time manage everything. I'll expand upon all that in upcoming blog posts. I've had a few health issues post delivery, from a kidney infection that landed me in the ER to chronic back pain. In my spare time (ha ha!) I've been jumping through hoops with the doctors office, referrals and insurance company trying to figure out what's wrong and how to get better. Since resting isn't an option, I'll be starting Physical Therapy at the end of the month.

We've had a few visitors come out to help us and meet our new little bundle, so that has been fun and SO nice!

Nana came to meet her newest grandchild and stayed for 2 weeks. CJ misses playing with her and I miss her cooking and company! 

Then my friends S & K came out for an extended weekend, which was so generous of them to sacrifice time away from their lives, and so nice for the three of us to have that rare time together! 

My grandmother "Gigi" came and stayed with us for 3 weeks. Coming out here wasn't an easy task for an 85-year-old, and her visit was irreplaceable. I'll cherish the memories of her getting to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time, and meeting E and spending time with her great-grandkids my entire life. I'm so excited because my little sister and her husband will be here next week; I can't wait!!

I think that's about it for now...I will try to do much better about posting, but in all reality it won't likely be as frequent as it was pre-E. ;)