6 Months

So my baby turned 6 months old!  When did that happen?!



Stats:

-21 lbs 7 oz
-27.5" long
-Wears 12 month clothes





She sits up on her own pretty well, but has ZERO interest in crawling.  She likes to "stand up" with help.  I wonder if she will skip crawling altogether and just get up and walk one day.  She is a great eater!  She readily accepts any food I give her!  She loves songs! Especially "The Wheels on the Bus."  She loves to go for walks.  She loves our Baby n' Me class we go to every week.  She is very alert, observant and curious.  She wants to be a big girl.  She drinks from a straw like a champ.  She says "Mamamamamamama-mom-mamamamamama" all day and night.  She also growls on a regular basis.  Yes, a full blown orc growl.  Its very unladylike and makes everyone laugh.

She is such a beautiful and happy baby, which is a good thing since she no longer sleeps through the night.  I love bath time because she's such a chubby rollie pollie!  She inherited her dad's beautiful blue eyes. We are constantly bombarded everywhere we go by old lady admirers who tell us to "enjoy these years"  and strangers who touch babies.

Love my beautiful, snuggly, sweet baby girl!

A "quick" errand

Let me set the scene.  Baby and I have just been out with friends and an adventure to the Farmer's Market.  On my way home, I think I'll just stop at the grocery store for 3 quick things before dinner and baby's next feeding.  I actually had the thought that it would be quick, easy and painless.  (Sometimes I still forget that babies can complicate the easiest of tasks.)

On the way to the store, baby fell asleep.  I wanted to make sure she got a good nap, so I sat in the grocery store parking lot for a while, thus already eliminating the quickness of the errand.  Once she was awake, I thought, "Great!  I can still just run in with the baby and my wallet and be back home before she needs her bottle."  Except, as I'm pulling her out of her car seat, I'm realizing she has a poopy diaper.  Now I am committed into bringing my ginormous diaper bag into the store.  We find the changing table and fix our issue, but then, baby needs her bottle.  Well, I cannot bottle feed a baby AND push a cart, so I have to go back out to the car and retrieve the stroller so she can recline and feed herself.  At this point, I've decided I might as well do some more serious grocery shopping to make these efforts worthwhile.  So I'm shopping in a handheld basket and pushing my stroller.  Halfway through the trip, baby decides she needs to be held.  Immediately and no other distractions will suffice.  Ok, so swap baby out of stroller and groceries into stroller.

Then, enter checkout line.  Swap baby back into stroller and groceries onto belt.  Swipe card, start arranging groceries back into stroller.  "Oh wait, your card didn't swipe right."  (Why do they always wait to tell you after your put your wallet away?)  Make it back to the car and load everyone up, just to drive home and unload again.  Man, just telling this story is making me tired.

Anyways, I just want to get it through my stubborn brain to never expect things to go according to my quick, easy plans or else I will get taught a lesson!  

Torn

Oh hello there, you neglected blog, you.  I have so much I need to catch up on like....how my baby turned 3...4...and 5 months!  And how we went apple picking in Oak Glen and started taking Mommy n Me classes, but all that will have to wait because I have something on my mind.

I try to seek inspiration from the Lord on life decisions.  I figure He knows what's up.  I can distinctly recall the feelings to pursue a nursing degree.  I can distinctly recall the feeling to start our little family.  Now that both of those have been accomplished, I'm feeling a little lost.  I feel very strongly about being a full-time mom.  I want my baby to wake up knowing I'll be there to take care of her.  I want her to trust this, to have me to comfort her, meet her needs and help her learn and grow.  I love being home with her, more than I ever thought I would.  I revel in every baby smile and snuggle.  I live to kiss every chunky baby roll!

I also feel the need to be a nurse.  I don't know why.  I have tried and tried to ignore this feeling because I just want to be a mom.  But it creeps up and nags.  Oh how it nags. Many of my nursing school friends are landing amazing new jobs in hospitals.  I'm so excited for them!  Part of me wants to be announcing that I've landed some awesome new job too, but the thought of being away from my baby for 12 hour shifts just makes me feel like I've got rocks in my stomach and a broken heart.

I guess all I can do is pray and seek inspiration.  To keep looking for the right situation so I can find that happy medium where I'm not nagged about neglecting my nursing or have rocks in my innards about leaving my sweet babe.  But for the moment I'm feeling incredibly torn.

Life is uncertain

I got the news last weekend that someone I went to high school with passed away.  My heart has been very heavy with this news.  I am surprised at my own reaction because I haven't been in contact with this person since high school, but we were in the same ward, seminary class and drama club during school. Since I am a nurse (and a Mormon who believes in life after death,) I thought I had a pretty good handle on death, but this news kind of threw me for a loop.  I've been thinking about it and most of my experience with death at the hospital has been an end to suffering or the result of poor lifestyle choices. Unfortunately, this person was in a work related accident that was pretty tragic. I am sad for his family and for the way that he died.

Its also gotten me thinking about how uncertain life can be.  I know we are all a work in progress, but I've felt a stronger sense of urgency on working on my flaws and living life to the fullest.  I want to appreciate all the good in my life for as long as I have it. Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Life is to be enjoyed, not endured.” I think I forget that sometimes with all the hustle and bustle of life and I have a tendency toward a negative attitude.  I love my husband and my baby and I'm so grateful for the time we get to spend together. I'm trying to be a better person.  And really, nothing else matters.

2 months

My darling angel, you sleep through the night!  And are so happy to see your mom in the mornings.  You are a little joy to be around.  Even strangers at the grocery store gush at your cuteness. You did a lot for a 2 month old!


First, your dark brown hair started falling out turning you into a baldy! Don't worry, you are still adorable.

Baldy

We went to your cousin's baby blessing and took "matchy-matchy" photos (I'm pretty sure we will have a lot of those over the years because who doesn't love matching 2 darling little girls?)

3 weeks apart and future besties

You were given a name and a blessing on July 7th in your mother's blessing dress.  It was a very special and lovely day.  You were surrounded by family and friends who love you.  Even Great Grandma Low was there in a way because you were wrapped in a blanket that she quilted.

We celebrated your first 4th of July!

It was so fun we had to wear 2 festive outfits!

Baby Yoda...just because your parents love to torment you!

You also got your first round of vaccinations.  Your Dad held you because your Mom could not watch you cry!  But afterwards we wrapped you up and you fell right asleep for the whole day!  What a trooper!

Life is tough!

1 month!

I cannot believe that my baby is a month old!! I want to remember every little bit of her and I'm sure in my sleep deprived state some of the details will escape me someday...but that's why I blog!

Well baby, there was a lot of sadness in the land for the first 2 weeks of your life.  Don't get me wrong, we were crazy in love with youI had hoped to exclusively breastfeed you, but you were not gaining weight despite my feeding you for an hour every other hour.  You pretty much cried anytime that you weren't attached to me.  It made for one sad baby and one sad mommy.  Even though it broke my heart a little bit to give you a bottle with formula, you became a much happier baby!! You slept!! You stopped crying all the time! You were just one hungry little girl!

Here are some cute (and not so cute) things you do: (Please allow my first-time mom self to gush!)

-You have expert timing when it comes to peeing.  Doing it during a diaper change seems to be your favorite.  Its very exciting.

-You can't hold your milk.  After you take a bottle, your eyes roll back into your head and you get these silly grins on your face.  It's hilariously cute.

-When you take a bottle and you haven't had enough, you will scream bloody murder until more milk is given to you.  When you take a bottle and you are full, you will smack your lips ever so satisfied.

-You clench your tiny fists when eating like you are ready to fight anyone who takes away your bottle!

-Much to your mother's delight, you started smiling at 4 weeks!  The best thing ever!

Happy 1 month!! You survived us as parents.  Congratulations.

What I wish I had known: First Time Mom

In my last trimester of pregnancy, I spent a ton of time scouring the internet for lists on what I needed to take with me to the hospital and to have ready to be prepared to care for my baby. Luckily, there are a ton of mommy bloggers that have great lists, but I just wanted to add my two cents to the interwebs on what I wish I had ready or what I would have not wasted my time with.

Hospital bags:

1.) Bring food!! A lot of it!  You will be HUNGRY! Like a whole new kind of hunger you've never experienced before.  Normally, I'm a 2 slice of pizza kind of a girl.  After giving birth, I ate 5 slices of pizza!!! Don't judge me, you'll do it too.  Plus the hospital food is Gross with a capital G and they won't feed your husband.

2.) Lanolin. Put this stuff on your nips every night a week before you deliver and then after every feeding.  No cracking or bleeding for this girl!

3.) PJs.  I found it awkward to breastfeed in a hospital gown.  2 piece pjs worked for me.

4.) Boppy pillow. I found it useful to learn how to breastfeed in the early days.  Have the nurses or lactation consultants help you with your holds and latch.  If they don't offer...ASK!!

To have ready at home:

1.) Clean house and freezer meals.  I felt a little crazy stocking my freezer with a zillion lasagna roll ups and muffins, but I am so glad I did!! It was 6 weeks before I could even think about putting my baby down to make some food or clean house.

2.) Cookies.  A newborn is a stressful thing.  You will need lots of cookies.

3.) Trash TV. You will be spending a lot of time awake. Best to do so in the company of the cast of Grey's Anatomy or the Kardashians.

4.) Swaddle options.  We tried swaddling with a few different blankets and not swaddling.  We ended up liking some by Summer Infant. It was trial and error. For us swaddling = more sleep which everyone desperately needs!