Comparison Shot

Lots of people say Miss M looks like her mommy so I wanted to do a little comparison shot for y’all!

Yes, we are both little cue balls… mommy didn’t have hair until she was a year!  Both have blue eyes and little ears that stick out.  But I think little miss definitely is the cuter of the two baby shots…I may just be a *bit* partial though! 

Happy Friday everyone!
(ps… anyone else notice the scary doll I was playing with?!?)

{Belated} Birthday Update: Seven Months!

Birth Deets: 21.5in, 8lbs 12oz 
6 month Deets: 16lbs 7oz, 26.5 inches
Height: no appt this month
Weight: no appt this month
Nicknames: Maddie, Miss Me, babydoll, Little Baby Wee, Silly Wee, Mads
Exciting Events: As we settled down from Christmas and New Year’s, we settled into the deep freeze that took over this winter. Brrr!   We got out of the house and went to a chocolate festival that benefitted the Make a Wish Foundation, took a weekend trip to Knoxville, and celebrated Maddie’s first Valentine’s Day.  Maddie and mommy baked a cake for Valentine’s day and daddy may or may not have let Maddie have a tiny little bit!  She’s tried quite a few other foods but still prefers her milk. Along with avocado, banana, and applesauce, we have tried… peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, pears, oatmeal.. and I’m sure I’m forgetting something in there.  She pretty much has decided she hates bananas but pears are where its at!  She also loooooves sweet potato!

What She Does: Maddie is still working on becoming mobile.  She will lean forward while sitting and stretch as far as her little body allows but her big noggin tends to pull her over before she can get anywhere.  She will roll and pull herself around her play quilt to get to her favorite toys and sometimes pulls herself up onto her knees but we’ve seen no actual crawling movement yet.  She can also pull herself up to a half standing position if you place something like a remote or cell phone just out of her reach!  She is definitely strong enough to hold herself up in a standing position and takes steps when holding on to your hands.  She still has a silly toothless grin but she faked us out with a tiny white bump that lasted about a day!  She still likes to teethe on anything she can put in her mouth but actually takes drinks from her sippy cup now.

Birthday Update: Six Months!

Birth Deets: 21.5in, 8lbs 12oz 
4 month Deets: 14lbs 2oz, 24.8 inches
Height: 26.5 inches
Weight: 16lbs 7oz
Nicknames: Maddie, Miss Me, Bay, babydoll, Little Wee, Silly Wee, Mads
Exciting Events: This month was really busy!  Besides marking half a year on this earth, Miss M was baptized, took a trip to Michigan and celebrated her very first Christmas!   While in Michigan, she met quite a few relatives for the first time – including great grandma and grandpa K!  She celebrated Christmas and loved opening presents.  Well… she really loved the wrapping paper that she tried to chew on.  She was blessed with way too many toys and more clothes than she can ever possibly wear in the upcoming months – but she will for sure try! It was a whirlwind week long trip and she left with her very first cold… that part wasn’t quite so fun or exciting.  I will say that Nosefrida The Snotsucker Nasal Aspirator was a complete and total lifesaver! Yes, there is a gross out factor involved but really, those little bulb suckers did nothing to help and this allowed her to breathe.  Maddie also took her first bites of real food this month… she’s not too keen on that quite yet though.  So far she’s tried avocadoes, bananas, and homemade applesauce.  Applesauce is her favorite by far!  She usually has 3-5 spoons and is done so her diet really hasn’t expanded past breastmilk all that much but we will be trying out more foods in the coming weeks!
What She Does: Miss M is an experienced sitter now!  She loves to sit and play on the floor and only occasionally topples to one side or the other while reaching for an object. She also loves to stand and will lean against items like footstools or the back of the couch and stand on her own for small stretches of time. She will even take steps across the room while we hold her arms!  Her toes are an endless source of entertainment and more often than not end up in her mouth – totally gross – and socks never last more than a few minutes at a time.  Yes, you can follow us around the grocery store by following the trail of baby socks!  Maddie loves music, and we have found that the piano and drum apps on our tablets are a fun distraction once in a while.  She still has no teeth but she acts like she's teething… oh joy!  She loves chewing on a sippy cup when her teeth really start to bother her.  So far she hasn’t really learned how to drink from the sippy cups but she does get some baby water out on her shirt!

To My Daughter on Her Half Birthday

To my dear sweet daughter....

Today is your six month birthday. I can't believe how much you've grown in such a short amount of time!

Six months ago you were a tiny ball of sleepy jello. You struggled to peep your eyes open at me and could do little more than cry and flail your arms about. I was amazed by your tiny little everything.

But today... Today we played on the floor. You were sitting up and reaching for toys all on your own. You were laughing and smiling and babbling at me.  You hammed it up for my camera and tried to take your own "selfies". You reacted to squeaks and rattles and got excited when we read Peek-a-boo Forest. You stood and walked toward me while hanging on to my fingers.

I'm in awe of the things you've learned in such a short time. Of the strength you have in your tiny little limbs. And most of all, of your ever growing personality. 

I am so lucky to be your mom. I am privileged to watch you grow and learn. I am excited to know that I get to help you discover this world.

You amaze me each and every day and I am so thankful for you, my perfect, precious gift from above.

Happy 6 month birthday my sweet Maddie-me. Mommy loves you so very much!
.

Birthday Update: Five Months!

Birth Deets: 21.5in, 8lbs 12oz 
4 month Deets: 14lbs 2oz, 24.8 inches
Height: ? (next appt 6mo)
Weight: ? (next appt 6mo)
Nicknames: Maddie, Miss Me, Bay, babydoll, Little Wee
Exciting Events: The very first Thanksgiving!! Little Miss attended a small gathering with her mom and dad at grandpa and grandma’s house because a snow and ice storm made the roads getting down from the mountain a bit too treacherous!   Santa came a little early to her house and left her an exersaucer '>(this one!).  She loves it!  Good thing Santa came early because this little contraption is a lifesaver when mommy needs to get things done! We also celebrated daddy’s 40th birthday with a cake we made. 
What She Does: She’s taken to waking up once during the night, generally around 3-4am since mommy started back to work.  That allows us 5-6 hours solid sleep and then a short 1-2hr nap before we wake up… guess that’s not too shabby?  We are waiting until 6months to start solids so for now, mommy will settle with waking just once a night. We hear that many EBF babies continue waking every 2hours and I definitely couldn’t do it! 

We are also still waiting for that first tooth to finally pop.  Poor thing has a chapped chin from all the drooling.  Its seemed to have stepped up a notch in the past few days so we are hopeful the tiny white monster will show soon.  And for those thinking EBF and teeth don’t mix… well she’s already bit because of the teething… not fun!  Miss Maddie is now able to sit unassisted for quite a few seconds!  She generally assumes a tripod like position when she does this but is getting better at balancing every day.  She grabs at most anything and attempts to put it in her mouth even if that thing is twice the size of her head.  Her current favorite toys are an octopus that grandma made out of a ping pong ball and some cotton yarn and an elephant that has 2 different fabrics, a bell inside and crinkly ears. She loves to nap with her '>angel dear owl blankie.  She laughs and squeals and says “mom” and “momma” quite frequently and although she hasn’t picked up on “dada” yet she did say “ohh bah mah” the other day!  Did I give birth to a tiny Dem? I guess only time will tell!