Amazing Little Creature

Well I think Kaitlyn is amazing, in just a few short weeks she went from a whining, screaming, crying, frustrated child on her hands and knees to the Mistress of her Domain! She is so great at crawling now, not that she goes far, but she is exploring more of the room now and finding even more things to stand up with. She's mastered the standing up thing and she is starting to get even more confident with walking along the furniture and her toys. She's even starting to get into things she shouldn't be into! She's crawling over to the entertainment center now and getting a bit grabby and now she constantly heads for the wires hanging off my computer. I even got a picture of her yesterday "red handed" as she was grabbing the wires. Soon she will learn "No!" hehehe. Most of the time I do try to say "Please don't do that, Kaitlyn," but when it's something very important like the wires or something she will hurt herself with I have to say, "No!"

Kaitlyn has recently ventured into the kitchen and started "feeling" the cupboards. She hasn't tried to open them... probably becuase she never sees me open them, but she does scratch her hand on them. She loves to hear plastic bags too and she always plays with the ones on the floor that have stuff in them.

So, I forgot last week I decided to put away all of Kaitlyn's 3-6 month clothes. Most of it still fit her but I figured since she was 7 1/2 months old we should move her into the bigger stuff. SHe is now swimming in her 6-9 month stuff but the length is much better. She was getting a little tall for the 3-6month things. Jon says he likes these clothes because they are starting to look like real people clothes but miniture. Not that I dont love it too, but he said it! hehehe

Oh and Kaitlyn has decided that she would much rather have big people food than pureed baby food. So lately she has been getting waffles, mashed taters, and pretty much anything I'm eating. She was eating fried rice with me yesterday for lunch and some of my cheeseburger the other night and even some of my hamburger helper the night before that. I make it with ground turkey so it's not that fattening hahahaha! She's really enjoying the foods though so I let her eat them.

Well yesterday I finally got the chance to do something with Kaitlyn's hair. She's so cute and I call her my "Little Onion." She's just amazing and beautiful and so much fun! Even if she does things and I get frustrated or angry or whatever. She's not doing thing maliciously, I know, but in her frustration I become frustrated. It's so hard being a mother or even a parent but it is also the most rewarding thing to see her smile, hear her laugh or help her develop a new skill.

Jon and I were thinking back last night and remembering the first few weeks when Kaitlyn was born. When we were crying with Kaitlyn, severely sleep deprived and just feeling like the most horrible parents. I remember wondering if we made a mistake in choosing to have kids and feeling so incredibly inadequate. Wow did we soon realize that this was more meant to be than ever. It scares me and saddens me to think my hormones were so crazy those first few weeks that I could think that way! I guess when you dont get good sleep and your baby doesnt sleep or stop crying you tend to think and act a little crazy!

I wouldn't change anything for all the riches in the world. I think that first time parent experience is something every woman or man need to go through. Jon and I both know how hard it is now and though it will be just as hard next time, we'll know to expect it!

Anyway, I'm just so happy I get to share my life with the two most wonderful people in the world, Jon and Kaitlyn (and the worlds best cats, Toto and Max)! Alright, I'm done being sappy!

One Small Crawl For Baby...

I realize it's been a bit since I've updated, but with Kaitlyn getting so frustrated trying to crawl and wanting to stand everywhere on everything, I haven't had much time!

Jon and I went upstate for our Annual Wedding Anniversary Bed & Breakfast trip to Cornerstone Victorian (www.cornerstonevictorian.com) we just LOVE it there!! Doug and Louise (the innkeepers/owners) are amazing, wonderful, great people. Kaitlyn joined us, of course, and really enjoyed Doug and Louise and their smiling personalities! The B&B house is so wide open and there is a lot of space so Kaitlyn had all kinds of room to crawl around. Which over the last two weeks has really come along. She doesn't have as much room here to crawl around and she did much more there than she does here. Anyway, she finally crawls! However, she only crawls over to get to something she can stand up with/on. Ha Ha! She is getting so much stronger at standing and she thinks she is so great and funny when she stands there holding with one hand and looking at us like, "Hey, look what I can do, nah nah!" She's great and she's going to be walking around in no time. She's doing very well at walking along the furniture and she walks around her little activity table too.

Lately, Kaitlyn has been working on her consonants too. She sticks out her tongue and makes a "P" or "B" type sound a lot and then she will babble a bunch of other things too. Hopefully she will be saying something soon, anything... Mama would be great though! ha ha!

Anyway, we just got home from upstate and we're all tired and Kaitlyn is cranky from the drive. I'll be sure to update more, now that she isn't going to be whining constantly from frustration.

First Official Fall

Well this morning was Kaitlyn's first official fall... right on her head! You see, Kaitlyn loves to hang over the front of the couch to play with the toys under the couch or on the floor. Usually I'm there to grab a leg if she starts to head over too far. This morning she had just finished her bottle at about 8:30am and I went to go get myself something to drink. I heard a clunk on the floor and looked over to see my daughter who landed right on top of her head and fell on the floor. She cried instantly so I guess I knew she was pretty much ok. I was very surprised at myself that I didnt freak out. I calmly went over and picked her up and made sure she was ok, checked her head and neck and she seemed fine. So I hugged her and told her it would be ok, I think she was more scared than anything. It's amazing... it only took her a minute or so to calm down because I was being very calm about it. I think had a freaked out she would have been much worse in calming. So thats was our fun this morning! The other thing she did this morning was remember where her books were and got them. The other night I was reading her books and I put them down in the little holder on the side of the couch. You can get to it from either side of the arm of the couch so she made her way over to the side of the couch and I thought she was just playing with toys. I looked over at her and she was pulling her books out from the side of the couch! There are other things in there too and she didnt touch those, just pulled out her books. She's so smart! I cant believe she remembered right where they were! YAY!

Anyway, the last couple days I've noticed Kaitlyn is getting herself back to sitting if she is on her back. She rolls over to her belly and gets on her hands and knees and she can get back sitting up by herself finally. Thats one thing she was having trouble with. She's still not crawling yet, and still getting mad as heck when she tries, but she's making progress... she just doesnt know it yet! She still gets around to get her toys since Mommy lets her whine on the floor instead of going and getting everything for her and moving her where she needs to go. I hate hearing her upset but I know that if she doesnt get upset she wont push herself to learn to do it. She does great scooting around on the floor but really doesnt notice because she wants to crawl or walk so bad. I noticed when I'm really not paying attention to her and she knows I'm not, she doesnt scream and whine, she just plays and moves around on her butt to get whatever she wants. So I let her spend time on the floor and go to the bathroom or get involved in something so she can concentrate on playing.

Oh Yesterday she did another thing to prove she has a good memory! I pulled out her table and set it in front of her with the Spoon (the only thing that comes off the table - it's a rattle too) on the opposite side from her. Well my smart little cookie leaned over the table and grabbed the spoon. She remembered that was the one that came off and she wanted it! Kids really are smarter and understand a lot more than we think!!

So everyday Kaitlyn is getting better and better at standing and pulling up. She loves to pull up on the white wire shelving we have in the bathroom (which means I need to get something to anchor it to the wall) and she does it great! She's also getting great at pulling up on her Exersaucer and this morning she actually pulled up on the couch! Usually she needs something to wrap her hand around but now she just used the couch to do it. Yesterday she had to prove mommy wrong too! She was standing next to her Exersaucer and playing (she doesnt like going in it anymore) and I kept telling her to "hold on" like I do constantly. Well she decided to show Mommy that she didnt need to hold on and she could stand there on her own. So she turned her little head to look at me across the room as I said "hold on, Baby" she lets go and holds her hands out to the side and stood there on her own for about 2-3 seconds and then smiled and grabbed the Exersaucer again. She's a smart ass already just like Mommy and Daddy! All that did was make me believe more and more that she will be walking in the next couple months!

Kaitlyn is done going for rides in her swing as well and it's time to put it away. Everytime she goes in it now she grabs the legs on the swing and stops herself so there is no point in that anymore. So we have a lot of stuff to store away before it starts to snow and get too cold out to put it in the garage.

Ohhhhhhh yeah! She's also getting GREAT at grabbing her little "puffs" and putting them in her mouth. Though I can only give her a couple at a time because she puts them all in her mouth! She's mostly using the "rake" method to get the food in her hand and then puts her entire hand in her mouth to get the food in there. She is getting more control of her arms though and once in a while gets then between her thumb and index finger. She's almost got it and everyday we practice, about three times a day. She started getting three meals a day on Monday and it's been working out great. She gets cereal w/apples in the morning, some Fruit and Veggies in the afternoon and then a "Dinner" at night. Last night she had Chicken & Rice dinner and she seemed to like it. Though I can pretty much put anything her her mouth and she eats it! She likes food, just like Mommy!

I think that about sums up the week... it seems like a lot happens in a little time lately. It's amazing how fast she catches on with things! I just love her and her accomplishments, she makes me the happiest person alive!

Stand, Stand, Stand... Busy, Busy, Busy

Well it amazes me at how just in the last couple days Kaitlyn has gone from trying to crawl to wanting to stand ALL the time and walk (with our help of course). She's already standing up by herself (pulling up on the couch and us) and she makes us walk her around... she cruised around Olive Garden yesterday afternoon. She keeps pushing off of us if we are holding her because she wants to stand on the floor and walk around.
Last night she was standing up next to me chewing on my couch cushions. She's nuts... she stands up in her crib now, even if I put her in there for only a minute! She's only 6 months old... she needs to chill, I still want her to be a baby not a 7 month old toddler! She HATES being on her hands and knees and SCREAMS bloody murder when she is and cant go anywhere... she doesnt mind kneeling which she does a lot too but she really wants to stand!



Well I really think that in the next few months she will be walking. She really is busy busy busy lately and has to be standing or having me walk her around. She wont even sit to play with me for very long anymore. If we sit and try to play with toys she just reaches out and grabs my shirt or arm or leg or anything to pull herself up with. Then she stands there holding on to me with one hand and trying to lean down and play... like that works! Ha! ha! She ends up falling on her booty most of the time.

Yesterday while we went out shopping, she sat in the back seat and "talked" the whole drive. It took us about a half hour to get where we were going and she just practiced talking the whole way there. It was great... but I'm still waiting to hear Mama! Anyway, we did go get her her big girl car seat yesterday. We got a Britax Marathon and it is a rear and forward facing car seat and goes to 65lbs! It will last awhile, which is great! Jon and I had bought a car seat a long time ago (before she was born) and thought it was a rear and forward facing one but apparently when we got it out recently we realized it was only a forward facing one that goes from car seat to booster seat (up to 100lbs). So we are going to hang on to it and if/when we have another baby we will use the Britax we just bought for the new baby and the booster one for Kaitlyn. Seeing is she will definitely be a year old and 20lbs (I hope) by the time we have another one.

Anyway, I guess I'll write again if she starts doing anything else like running a marathon or something!

Pulling Up

Well for the last week Kaitlyn has decided she would rather stand than crawl. She is still working on crawling and getting very very frustrated in the process. I feel bad for her but I know she needs to learn on her own. She's getting there though. She pulls up now on anything she can, especially the crib which, even though she doesnt spend much time in there, needs to be lowered because she loves that she can hold on and pull herself up. She kneels (stands on her knees) great now and does it all the time. She's getting so big and she's still so tiny.

Kaitlyn definitely knows some Baby Signs now, she does Daddy all the time and she can wave Hi but still working on mastering the opening and closing of her fingers. She knows Up and she lifts her arms to be picked up. She also seems to be doing a "come here" type sign. It looks like she is doing the same thing I do when I hold my palms up and open and close my hands and tell her to "come here" when she is working on crawling. When she sees something she wants she does the "come here" thing. It's cute and I like that she is actually using some of the signs we are teaching her. I really think it will help when she is a toddler and cant express herself well enough.

So Kaitlyn had her first New Years and she almost stayed up with us to watch the ball drop but she fell asleep and actually slept in her crib for about two hours before she started screaming and I went up to get her and brought her down to sleep with us. Thats where she has been sleeping for awhile now since she is too big to sleep in her bassinet anymore. I always said I would never co-sleep (in the same bed) because I was so worried about her suffocating but it's actually been great. She sleeps better and rarely wakes up with the little screams she used to wake up with. I'm slowly giving her a chance to sleep in her crib everynight but I'm not pushing it. I figure over the next few months we can work on her being in her crib. Right now, this is easier for all of us and we all get the sleep we need. She still wakes up about 3 or 4 times a night but thats a lot better than the 6 or 7 it was. She isnt waking long and mainly just needs her pacifier and a little pat from me and she goes right back to sleep so it doesnt distrub me to have her next to me. I think it would be worse if I had to run up and down the stairs 4 times a night just to give her a pacifier. This works for now and we'll work it out over the next few months.

I have no idea what to expect from this new year, Kaitlyn is going to grow up at lightening speed and I know it's going to be amazing to watch. I'm so excited that soon she will be crawling, walking and talking. I'm dying to hear her say "Mama."