Jane: 8 Months

I can't believe Jane is already 8 months old. The months pass by so quickly. Just this morning, I was looking through pictures of her first month of life and it seems like ages ago. I love the little person she is becoming and she is so much fun! But every mother misses those first day when the newborn practically fits in the palm of your hand!

Here's a little bit about her life:

Weight: No idea! She won't be at the pediatrician's office for another month, so it will be a total surprise!

Eating Habits: What an exciting month with food! Jane has tried SO many new things and loved it all! We've moved on from making my own baby food to buying "Plum Organics"... so much easier to store and serve, and it's organic so totally just as good for her! Jane has tried such a wide variety this month: bananas, zucchini, amaranth (she's getting a bigger variety by me buying, too!), peaches, prunes, pears, apples, squash, and the list goes on. We started giving Jane some cereal puffs to get her used to mashing her food and chewing next. We are also starting to give her some of our food while we eat, which is turning into a great distraction while we're out to eat! She has eaten pita bread, rice, lemon, and a few other things. We are excited to move on to meat and poultry next month!

Sleeping Habits: Jane is still a champ at night, sleeping from 9:30-7:30. Naptime during the day is still all over the place, but if we stay home, she's napping pretty consistently 2-3 times for about an hour each.

Development: Baby girl is on the move! Jane is such a fast crawler and spends most of her time exploring. She goes from crawling to sitting to play, then back to crawling and makes it look so effortless! Jane is as happy as ever and lets us know by her constant smiles and laughter. She is a smart little cookie! My favorite "new" thing she does is reach out her arms when she wants to be picked up.

Favorite things to do: Jane is a busy little one, always getting into the most random things. She can be in a room full of toys and she will find the few things she ISN'T supposed to play with, like doorstoppers, paper, cords, or shoelaces. My house has definitely become a clean, spotless home in a matter of days because of her new interests! Jane also loves being in the water-- bath time, pool time, or just playing with water in the sink!

Here are a few of my favorites photos taking us from 7 to 8 months:

Her monthly "photo shoot" gets shorter and shorter because she will only lay on the ground long enough for me to snap a couple pictures, then she's up and eating paper!

Love my little rolly polly! She has so many beloved nick-names all thanks to those rolls!

Jane's first taste of lemon. Not only did she skip the pucker face, but she sucked all at the juice out of this slice and then another!

This little sleepy head brings us so much joy. I just love waking up next to her and the hubs... what more could a girl ask for?!?

We love our playmates! Tiffany and James invited us over for some fun in the sun and the kiddos enjoyed some pool time!

My little sunshine girl!

Here's an action shot of Jane crawling towards me (well, towards my iPhone, which she loves!)

Jane was supposed to be taking a nap and when I peaked through the door, this is how I found her! We're still having trouble getting her to nap in her crib :/

Kate and "Bay Jane" on Mother's Day... the two are so cute together! We are so blessed that we live close enough to Jane's cousins!

My sweet little lady getting ready for lunchtime in her high chair

Jane's first trip to Disneyland!! Nana and Great Aunt Jody took Jane and Kate to Disneyland! Jake and I enjoyed a round of golf during our baby-free afternoon! What a treat!!!

It's photos like these that keep me going when I'm at work. Just LOVE seeing the smiles between these two!

Jane loves to watch herself in the iPhone camera!

What a huge blessing it is to have been chosen for this amazing job of motherhood. I don't know why God had this plan for me, but I am SO grateful that He did!

Jane: 7 Months

 Weight: Somewhere around 20 pounds.

Eating Habits: Jane has joined the colorful world of solid foods! She still nurses every 2 hours during the day, and has solids once a day, usually about 2-3 ounces. So far, she has liked everything she's tried! We switch between peas, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes (her favorite!) and rice cereal. I wanted to hold off on fruit so that she doesn't get used to the sweetness and not take veggies later, but we have let her try bananas a couple times.

Sleeping Habits: I have learned the hard way that Jane needs to stick to a schedule. She naps around 10 or 11 and then again around 1 or 2, with a quick cat nap in the evening. If we are out and about, she will skip ALL her naps for the day and be a cranky little girl around 5 (and then it's a fight to get her down!). I was afraid she was skipping naps all together for good, but I made a big effort to stay home during the day for a couple weeks so I could understand her schedule. Now I think we are all happier!

Development: It seems as if Jane has changed SO much this past month! Roling is no longer her mode of transportation- we have a crawler! Jane is also very quick to go from laying to sitting up all on her own and now prefers to play sitting up rather than laying down. She can now say:

baba

mama

yeah yeah

guh gah

dada

and some J's!

She seems to be hitting all of the developmental milestones much sooner than average. It is so much fun watching our little girl grow before our eyes!

Favorite things to do: Jane loves to hold her sippy cup and drink from it. She has a few favorite toys that she seems to play with every day. Jane loves to be scared and she loves to be tickled! Hearing her giggle is the greatest sound EVER! Jane likes her "alone time" to play with her toys, but she also loves to be held by anyone and everyone. She is a super happy girl and loves attention.

Here are a few photos taking us from 6 to 7 months old:

 Easter Sunday

 My little "Haribo" trying to snatch my eggs!

 Janes loves to suck on frozen washcloths! Here she is playing in her new exersaucer!

 Jake and I spent a beautiful day at the park with our little girl!

 Love when we get to take naps together :) There is nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby.

Uncle Joel playing with Jane at the fountain!

Jane: 6 Months

It's hard to believe that my litte Jane is already 6 months old! Half a year- wow! Here's a little bit about her life:

Weight: Our big girl weighs 19 pounds, 8 ounces. She is in the 96th percentile for her age

Eating Habits: Jane still nurses every 2 hours during the day. She is a very healthy eater, as you can tell by her weight! She had her first taste of "solids" the week before she turned 6 months old. She LOVES her rice cereal! I am so grateful that we exclusively breastfed for this length of time.

Sleeping Habits: Jane takes small cat naps throughout the day, usually with one hour-long nap. She goes to bed pretty consistently between 9:30-10pm each night and sleeps until 7 or 8am! We are a well-rested family :)

Development: Our growing girl is constantly amazing us with everything she learns. She is rolling around all over the place and commando crawling. When we put her in a sitting up position, she can hold herself up for a few minutes and play with toys. My greatest JOY was when I heard her say "MAMA" for the first time! She has no clue of the connection between that word and who I am, but it is still the sweetest sound I have ever heard. She says "mama" and "baba" alot... we're workin on her "D"'s next!

Favorite Things to do: Our living room has been transformed. There is no longer a coffee table or entertainment center packed with DVD's. Now the room is full of blankets covering the hard wood floor so Jane can easily play without getting hurt. She has lots of fun toys and seems to have her favorites that she goes for whenever they're out. It is so fun to watch her play and learn how things work. Jane is still a big fan of walks. I think if she could live outdoors, she would!

Here are a few photos taking us from 5 to 6 months old!

 Jane lookin stylish and just lounging before heading to the Mom's Connection at YLFC. It was Jane's first time in a childcare environment and she did great! The workers reported that she was all-smiles!

 Mary Jane's very first solid foods! She looks a little terrified in this picture, but she LOVED rice cereal! Jake and I are such typical first-time parents. After feeding her, we changed her and noticed a rash developing all over her tummy. We took her to Urgent Care, worried she was having an allergic reaction to the food! We were very nicely reminded that rice cereal is the least allegenic food out there and learned that she simply had a heat rash and dry skin. Oops! We had a good chat with the Pediatrician there who recommended some better bath products for Jane's dry skin. We were also able to ask a few questions about Jane's 6-month vaccinations scheduled a couple days later. Since her 4-month shots were a horrible ordeal, we learned of new ways to relieve fever without meds. Luckily, we didn't need to worry about that because her shots went SO much better this time around!

 My sweet girl always has a smile on her face!

(and look at those leg and arm rolls!)

 I now only have a few seconds to snap a monthly photo of Jane and her Kitty stuffed animal. She is all over the place! Her smile here reminds me of my cousin, Tim, when he was a baby. Funny to see little resemblances like that!

Baby Fever

Yup, I said it. I have a 5 month old and I already have baby fever again! I find myself daydreaming about my time in the hospital (?!?! Who likes that time ?!?!) and wanting that whole experience again. I want a teeny tiny baby who loves to cuddle up on my chest while snoozing. I want the excitement of friends and family meeting baby for the first time. I can't wait to be cute and pregnant and enjoy the anticipation of finding out the sex of the baby.

Ok, ok, ok... even I have to stop myself here! There was nothing glamorous about my pregnancy- the words cute and pregnant should never belong in a sentence when talking about myself. I was sick or miserable most of those 9 long months. When I was in the hopital recovering from a c-section, it was the last place I wanted to be. BUT, I am so excited for baby #2 and know that it will happen in God's time. Jane's birth brought so many sweet memories and because it was such an amazing time, I can't help but want more of it!

I always knew I wanted to be a mommy, but I never ever ever anticipated loving it THIS MUCH. Every day with my girl is such a huge blessing. Praise God for lending her life to me and allowing Jacob and I to be parents!

Jane: 5 Months

Jane is now 5 months old! Here is a little bit about her life:

Weight: We haven't had a doctor's appointment this month, but I'm guessing somewhere around 19 pounds!

Eating Habits: Still nursing every 2-3 hours during the day. She is getting more and more interested in what mommy is eating. I may not be able to put off starting her on solids for much longer!

Sleeping Habits: I joke that Jane is my little toddler- she only takes one hour long nap during the day and then one or two little 15 minute cat naps in the evening. She goes down for the night between 9 and 10pm and is now sleeping all the way until 6 or 7am without waking up! She nurses and then is back to sleep quickly, then wakes up for the day between 8 and 9.

Development: Baby Jane is constantly surprising us with her smarts. It seems like once she tries something, she is a pro! Jane is now rolling from back to belly, and belly to back! She makes her way around the room rolling around the room. I didn't realize she could do this and I set her on the activity mat while I got dressed in the other room. I came back a minute later and she was ten feet away with a little grin on her face! I had no idea how she got there until I saw her roll right on back. She has great coordination and can get anything within arms reach...and it usually makes its way right into her mouth.

Favorite Things to do: Janes LOVES being outside! We take a walk, or two, or ten, every single day. She is never fussy when she is outdoors. She loves to watch cars with Grumpa- it is their special little thing they do together!

I continue to feel so blessed with my little family. We have had a rough couple weeks tackling a pretty big family issue and I have felt a bit down. I find myself crying and then I just glance at Jane and all that pain so quickly falls away. This little ball of joy! Life seems so simple when she's around. I can't wait to see the little girl she will grow to be and to experience this little one making decisions, talking, and making friends!

Jane: 4 Months

Baby Jane is now 4 months old! Here is a little bit about her life:

Weight: A whopping 17 pounds, 3 ounces! Jane is in the 98th percentile for her weight

Eating Habits: Baby girl eats every 2-3 hour during the day. I am very pleased to say that we have been succesful at breastfeeding exclusively!

Sleeping Habits: Jane naps throughout the day and usually goes down for the night around 10pm. She wakes up once or twice during the night to eat and is back down right away. We have a great little sleeper!

Development: Jane is such a strong little girl! She is rolling from back to belly and can push her chest up for long periods of time. She can grasp her toys and pass them from hand to hand. My smart little girl understands routine... she lays on her back and I count "one" and grab her hands, "two" and she pulls herself to a sitting position, and "three" and she pushes herself into a standing position. Her legs are so strong!

Favorite things to do: Jane loves her bathtime and kicks her feet and splashes around in her little blue whale tub. She also spends alot of time on her activity mat, batting at all the toys hanging above her.

Jane had her 4-month checkup and is growing well! The doctor began the conversation about starting her on solid food and I am hesitant, to say the least! He said we are in no rush because of her size, and we can discuss it again at 6 months. Because of being succesful with breastfeeding, I am being a bit selfish and am not ready for Jane to need anything other than me! I am slowly getting used to the idea of solids, but we have a ways to go. Baby girl had a ROUGH time with her immunizations. About 7 hours after her shots, we noticed a small rash developing on her belly. After a phone call to her pediatrician, we headed to Urgent Care. We were relieved to hear it was simply a fever rash. It took Jane a little over a week to get back to her normal self. She was very irritable and cranky because of not feeling well. It really makes me wonder if these little infants are ready for such intense immunizations. I know the risk of all the diseases are much greater than these small side effects of the shots, but it just seems so harsh to put a little baby through that! Not looking forward to the 6 month immunizations, to say the least!

Jane had her first out-of-state trip! We headed to Vegas for a couple days to celebrate Joel's 22nd birthday. We hit the slots and walked away pretty much even- which I consider a success in Vegas!

Jane's first time in Vegas! She's loving the hotel bed as much as her mommy!My happy little girl!

Growing!