Heidi-Rae Update: 12 Months

Oh my goodness! Somebody catch me before I faint! 1 YEAR!!!! Just kidding, I'm not going to faint! That was quite dramatic. But, holy cow! This year was WAY. TO. FAST.
It goes by faster with each one. . .

Weight 

From what I can tell, Little Miss has not gained weight since her last check up. We don't have a scale, so that is based on me holding her! Who knows how accurate that is! She has an appointed at the end of the month. . . we'll see what he says. He was a bit concerned at the 9 month appointment because she hadn't gained weight since 6 months. I'm not that concerned. She's just a tiny one!

Health

Lawd Hammercy on us in the sickness department for the next few months! Please?? This month we had a bad cold of some sort followed the next week by a stomach bug! I'm trying to keep patient but, to be honest, it's wearing thin! At this moment in life, we are all healthy!!  I would love for it to stay this way!

Sleep

During the sickness we were getting up several times a night to nurse because she was so uncomfortable. Since that has passed, Heidi is sleeping from 8pm - 5am! This has really helped my patience!! Praise Jesus!! She naps in the morning from 10am-11am and then from 1:30pm-3:30pm. We just love this timing!

Clothes

I think we have pretty munch put away all the 6 month stuff. I am ready to put the 9 month time away and get 12 month just for variety! #firstworldproblems I know! That sounds terrible! Buuuut I know there are some CUTE 12 month clothes up there just waiting for us! She kinda swims in this size but that's ok, right?? Bobby thinks I'm crazy. . . You all might also. . . That's ok! :)

Social

Let's see this month. . . We had a fun visit from my Aunt Juli from Vermont, Daddy had the kids for an entire day while I went wedding dress shopping with my lovely cousin, we celebrated Kailyn's 1st birthday, and we went to a butterfly day at a nature center!
Whew! Although, all these events were SO fun. . . it's tiring to always be "on the go." The next few months my goal is to embrace the title "Stay at home Mom." I want to stay home much more and embrace watching my kids interact and love on each other. There is so much I can learn from them by watching them learn. I love that part of being a Mommy.

Brotherly/Sisterly Love

We'll start with Jeremy. . . He adores Heidi! He is there to help in any way needed, always asking what he can do for her, he loves to "help" her around. He has the funniest jokes that make her get a deep belly giggle! She just loves him!

Capri LOVES Heidi. . . sometimes a little too much! WE have to really watch how rough she is. WE talk with her often about being gentle and she says, "But I just love her so much and she is just so cute, I have to squeeze her." Yikes!! It's really sweet to watch them play with babies or their tea set together! Of course, Hedid is just tossing things around and chewing but Capri thinks she is a great participant! She carries on a conversation with her just as if the yard really having tea together! I love to think about what kind of sisterly relationship is in the works!

Diet

We finally got over our gagging problem. We still only give her small pieces on there tray but she loves to feed herself. She really loves fruit squeezes, tomatoes and eggs!  She is still nursing just about every 3 hours. At night before bed I pump 5 ounces. . . I assume that 's what she is eating during the day. The day I was gone, she only took two 6 ounce bottles and no food. But she nursed like crazy when I got home. I love her passion for breastfeeding, it matches mine! Ha!!

Milestones

Little bit is preferring walking over crawling these days. She says "Hi", "Mama" and "Dada." She signs milk (quite passionately) and please. We are to the point where she isn't putting everything in her mouth, somethings but not EVERYthing! Which allows her to be a little more independant. She loves to climb in and out of the car we have outside. She give wet, open mouth kisses, they melt my heart!

Personality

My little mama's girl still loves and prefers her mama over everyone. I adore this quality! She is a climber! I have to watch what we leave out, if she can get a foothold, she's going up! Heidi is a little aggressive when she doesn't get what she wants, like, oh, I don't know, the battery she is chewing on! I tell ya, the things she finds to chew on!! When I take it away she gets MAD! I have to stop her from hitting my often! She has found that she can change the pitch of her voice! She loves to sing! "Let it Go" is her favorite, by default thanks to big sister! And dance! I love to see her little body shaking to the beat.

Well, these posts will come to an end next month. We'll keep the monthly updates but they will be much more brief and more personality driven. Their personality really starts to enhance in the next few months! I can't wait to see what Heidi has in store for us!!

Happy Birthday my sweet girl!! 

Heidi-Rae Update: 11 Months

Ok, seriously!! This is my last post within the first year??? I can't even type that without getting all weepy feeling! This is insane. Why does the last have to feel like it's flying by even faster?? Alrighty, let's not dwell on that too much and talk about how much this girl's personality has come out since the last post!

Weight 

Trying so hard to drink Daddy's coffee after she got a little taste of BLACK coffee!

Little miss is still 17 pounds! She is a tiny little thing. But she makes sure we know she doesn't have a tiny voice and will not be left behind or forgotten!

Health

The cough came back with a vengeance. We had to give a few breathing treatments so Heidi could catch her breath. It makes a Mommy's (and Daddy's) heart break when we hear that terrible cough and see her itty bitty body in pain. It last for quite a while! Including while we were visiting a friend in Arizona! But. . . Praise Jesus, the kids are all healthy!

Sleep

Morning naps are stating to fade. She still goes in at 10 but sometimes she just plays or talks. She doesn't cry or protest. She falls in line with the others where she gets really fussy, appreciates her alone time and comes out with such a happy demeanor. She still goes to bed at 8, wakes at midnight for milk (last night she skipped the 3am feeding, are we setting trend?), wakes again at 6 for milk and goes back to sleep until 8am. her big nap is still from 1:30pm - 3:30pm.

Clothes

No change since last month: a few 6 month and mostly 9 month clothes.

Social

The biggest event to write about is. . . a road trip to Arizona! She did fabulous! We had to stop a few times for milk and to give the carseat a break! But we planned to drive during nap times and planned for long stops when she woke up! We made one stop on the way to see my sister and her kids. We also attended a birthday party, where Heidi mastered going up and down the stairs!

Brotherly/Sisterly Love

This picture is so precious to me!
It's the office of my OB, where each one of these precious kids
were being watched while they grew!

It's so sweet to watch the genuine love for Heidi grow! She is able to interact more with the kids. She plays alongside them and wants to be involved. She loves being on the trampoline and riding in the John Deer jeep with Jeremy. She crake up watching them and follows them all over the house! But the time she has crawled to where they are, they are off to another place and she follows again!

Diet

We are still primarily Breastmilk. BUT we have make great progress with foods! She loves the fruit pouches. She takes bites of just about everything we are eating. Tiny bites.  . . She still gags like crazy but, nonetheless, is stating to ask and enjoy food.

Milestones 

We have a few steps!! 5 at a time, that is! She thinks she can do more and gets ahead of herself, collapsing and laughing at herself! It's really cute!!
She love to sing and do the and motions for "I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee." Heidi is a  CLIMBER! On anything she can reach! Scares me a little when I find her balancing on  the rocking chair and rocking. . . while STANDING! My little adventurous girl!

We got her ears pierced!

She loves to do a crab crawl!

Personality

Our girl's personality has sprung out this month: adventurous, playful, patient, caring and concerned, doesn't hide her excitement or discontent, she has this siren cry! While it's cute, it's also loud! She knows how to use her pitch and does!

She loves hanging on me!
Loe my Mommy's girl!

Heidi-Rae Update: 10 Months

She loves the trampoline!
See her litte bitty hand? That's a GrenBay tatoo!

Weight 

6 teeth!

Heidi is keeping a steady weight of 18 pounds. e had her 9 month appoint this month! He said she isn't steadily climbing the scale. She is in the 25th percentile but not gradually climbing up. He's not concerned, just said it was worth mentioning and keeping an eye on.

Health

"What that wasn't me, it was the other baby in the house!"

We have been healthy since the last post! We struggled through that sickness and lingering cough! Impetigo is completely gone.

Sleep

Not much change here. She has started to wake up around midnight, again. She wants milk most of the time. On nights Daddy is home he is usually able to get her back to sleep.

Clothes

Since she isn't growing too rapidly, we have 6 month sleepers and onesies she still fits. We borrowed a friend's 9 month clothes since our bin is MIA.

Social

We continue to be on the go! Heidi went down the kiddie slope on skis with GiGi! And we got together with the all the babies born in the fire department last year! There were 12! WOW!

Brotherly/Sisterly Love

Capri is still quite rough with Heidi. She just loves her so much she is overwhelming and forgets to be gentle. Sadly, it results in Heidi being upset. We are working through this! Jeremy is pretty much the opposite! He is very gentle. He sits next to her in the car and is ever so sweet and patient when she is not happy in the car!

Diet

We are still on an every 3 hour nursing pattern. We have tried to introduce foods but she gags on just about everything! Anything not milk or water with probiotics she gags, sometimes to the point of vomiting! Drama queen! We are going to wait and try again next month. She doesn't NEED food at thins point, it's just for her pallet.

Milestones 

We have a stander! She is quite good at balancing on her own! She loves to be "walked." She no longer ikea her walker or jumper. She knows she can move on her own and does not like to be put in something that doesn't allow her freedom!

Personality

I love to watch her little mind think. She finds something that moves or she can move and she focuses on it. I often wonder what she is thinking, what she is learning.

Heidi-Rae Update: 8 & 9 Months

 I have to do 2 months together again! December was crazy busy AND full of sickness :(. It's so sad to watch my babies fight off sickness! Here goes. . .

Weight 

Contrary to that picture, Little Love is keeping a steady 18 pounds. She has a a thin build, like Jeremy.

Health

Impetigo

We battle a cold in early December. The cough still lingers. I'm thankful that her first real cold was at 8 months! Breastmilk for the WIN! Right around Christmas Heidi developed a rash on her skin. I thought it was an allergic reaction to some supplements I'm taking for increased milk supply (I'm trying to increase my supply to help a friend out.). Turns out it was Impetigo, basically a bacterial skin infection. it didn't bother her, she wasn't scratching. Just a little fussier then normal, which come to find out she was cutting 2 teeth! My poor girl! It was a bad combo! And her teething necklace needed to be replaced. Cheers to a healthy January!

Sleep

We hold strong to our 10am and 1:30pm naps. Bedtime is around 8pm, with feedings at 3am and 6am. She is usually up for the day around 7am. She is sleeping in her room, at the end of the hall! EKK! That was really hard for me to  do. In fact, I did it by accident, the first time. I was putting the older 2 to bed and out Heidi in the crib to play while I rallied Jeremy and Capri. I went get Heidi for our Bible story. . . she was asleep! And she slept until 6am! Sigh. . . I still bring her in bed with us in the morning for her feeding.

She has developed a love for tags!

Clothes

Hanging out at church in Mommy's favorite outfit!

Most of the 6 month clothes are put away. And I am struggling to find my 9 month bin from Capri! Arg! We have one that was 6-9. I am making that work but I am going to borrow from a friend!

Sleeping on Daddy's chest!!

Social

Visiting Daddy's station!

This little girl is proving to be a social butterfly, just like her siblings! Although, she loves to go places she usually only wants Mommy and Daddy! She really doesn't like to be help by anybody else. Well, most of the time she lets her Gigi hold her if I am around. I am not complaining ONE BIT! I LOVE having a Mama's girl!! The other 2 are very PRO Daddy! I am keeping my baby attached as long as possible!

Annual Christmas Eve party!

Brotherly/Sisterly Love

The love these 3 share is immeasurable! We love to sit back and just watch them interact. Jeremy and Capri can make Heidi laugh like nobody else can!!

Diet

My little girl LOVES to nurse!! I love it! She is so easy  going about it! Generally, she eats about every 3 hours. But, if I won't be around at he 3 hour mark, she'll go early or later. She just goes with the flow! We have given her a few things to chew on as teething toys: Jicima, carrots, celery, apples. I have given her apples in the fruit net thing. She doesn't like it! I have also tried smashed and chucked bananas. . . NOPE! We'll stick with breastmilk for now!

Milestones 

WHEW! Since my last post she has started SO much!! Where is all the time with my last baby going? It's flying by leaving a mama in the dust!!

• Crawling!
• Pulling to standing and walking along furniture
• Waving and clapping
• She loves her walker! 
• Mimicking more sounds: Mama, Dada, Hi 
• She got her toes painted!

Cutest little baby toes! Painted teal by my nail lady!

Personality

Easy going is the best way to describe Heidi-Rae. She doesn't mind going places or eating whenever I can get to it. She smiles at everybody! She LOVES to watch her brother and sister perform for her. She wants to be right next to Mama.

Post Pardum

I have decided to take this portion out. I just can't get back to the shape I want right now. And each month I come to it. it weights on me (no pun intended). At this point, I need to be content with the way my body is for my kids. I am able to keep up with them, most days I don't sit down until nap time and then bedtime. This is the body God has given me for this time in my life. Sure, I would pay for a gym membership and figure out a time frame that works with naps and all but at what cost? Missing time with my kids and paying an additional fee and stress of finding someone to watch them? It's just not worth it.