4 months & a bit

Where do I start with my Elsie Lou!! She is learning new things everyday and is growing up so fast. Elsie's favorite things are reading stories with me, sitting in her bumbo with us at the dinner table like a big girl, and ROLLING!! She will not stop rolling. She will try to roll when you put her in her car seat, on the changing table, on your knees to play... rolling is her favorite. I try to hold her back right after she has eaten, because it ends up being a giant spit up fest, but the girl is strong and there isn't much stopping her.  She rolled tummy to back first, but seems to have forgotten that bit. She can fully push herself up with her little arms. When she gets her legs underneath her we are going to be in trouble. The girl wants to go! She gets her little legs moving so fast. I put her toys just out of her reach like I am encouraging this or something. She likes to hold my fingers and sit up and then stand up from there. Her standing skills are impressive and she loves it, but she has no interest in sitting up. Why sit when you can stand (?).. She loves to scream like a pterodactyl ( it really is the best way to describe it) and is a sweet smiley girl. She will laugh when I kiss attack her tummy or munch her fingers (which she always tries to put in my mouth). She laughed her first real laugh the day after Elliott and I's third anniversary and I am pretty sure I teared up. It was the cutest thing!

I bought her a johnny jump up for her 4 month birthday, because EVERY baby loves a jump up, right? False. Els hated it! I thought with her love for standing/jumping in my arms she would love it. I keep trying though and she will now tolerate swaying around in it for a few minutes at a time as long as I sit there and encourage her. She loves hanging out in her k'tan with me. I discovered a new sling hold, where she is basically sitting up& criss-cross applesauce in there. I narrate what I am up to and she likes to observe the world close to mom. We go on walks around the farm and chat about what we see. She likes to watch the pigs and likes watch the cat when we feed him. I prep dinner with her in there and let her touch and smell different ingredients.

It has probably been the best bit and the hardest bit as far as mommyhood has gone for me lately. She went through a phase where she became a very picky eater and got to distracted to nurse during the day. Which means I was up 2 or 3 times a night nursing her. I tried everything. I would nurse her in her sleep, try walking around nursing her... It really stressed me out that my baby wasn't getting enough to eat. One night she was so sad but wouldn't settle to nurse so I just made up a bottle with formula and out of no where I had a bottle taker. Now she will take a pumped bottle and it has been fantastic ( and a little sad, too). We have both been under the weather the last few days, but her appetite has gotten a lot better and I couldn't be more relieved. She hasn't had her 4 month visit yet, it's tomorrow (dr. office frustrations for another post) , but when I took her in for her cough she was 14 pounds 8 oz, which I am ok with considering feeding her has been SO HARD the last month.

I have considered starting her on solids since she was struggling with nursing, but I tried and she choked a lot. I will reconsider at 5 months, but in my heart of hearts I want to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. She shows a lot of interest in food, and grabs at plates and my spoon on it's way to my mouth : )  She loves her binky, and in the car I watch her take it out of her mouth and hold it out and an arms length and marvel at it like it's the best thing in the world. She can put it back in better now, and likes to grab it with both hands and chew on every part of it.

I am phasing out swaddling since she is a roller, and I really feel like she has outgrown it. I can rock her to sleep on my chest and then just lay her down and she sleeps just fine. I usually lay her down on my bed to fall asleep and then move her into her crib when I go to bed ( and she is oblivious).

I love my sweet girl so much and am loving watching her learn and grow!! I hope we get feeling better soon.

"You bring me here and you give me no sushi!?"

  Tolerating the jumpy.

 Chatting with momma

 "All my toys, please! And wipe my face."

Putting together a soup in the crock pot

Share on Facebook| Share on Twitter| Share on Pinterest

3 month update

Elsie Lou at 3 months.

She loves to play with her stuffed animal giraffe, whom we have affectionately named "Raff", because that guy has become a permanent fixture in our lives. She loves to try to stuff things in her mouth- especially her hands, Raff, my hair, blankets, you name it, she wants to try to eat it! She has death grip. She can turn the fingers of unsuspecting victims blue.  She likes to grab at her blankets and clothes and she ends up pulling them over her head. I hope this amounts to peek- a- boo soon.

She is a binky girl. That stinkin' binkin. I told Elliott that I only give it to her when it is time to sleep. And then I realized I also let her have it in the car, while we run errands, at church, whenever anyone but me is holding her, and when she is fussy for no apparent reason... so basically she has it a lot. And she loves it!! She is getting to wear she can pull it out and (sometimes) put it back. If it falls out at night she tries to creep her little pudgy hands out of her swaddle to put it back. It is one of the cutest things I have ever seen!!

 She likes to talk., especially when she is tired. It sounds like she is really trying to explain things to me in quiet coos and different little noises. Sometimes she looks at me and I think... this girl is way beyond her 3 months in knowledge and life wisdom. And then it's bedtime and she cries and I am reminded, yes, still just a little bitty baby.

She can roll over from her tummy to her back now. It still surprises her and her lower lip will go out and she cries a little. She is realllyyy working on back to tummy, and is over on her side a lot trying to kick her legs over.

She is fascinated by her books and mom's (terrible) singing-  especially by the song itsy bitsy spider with associated hand motions. She gets reallllyyy excited and is in awe when my spider hands crawl up the imaginary spout.

She is getting so strong! Her head control is pretty good and she likes to hold my hands and practice sitting up on my lap. I feel like her little life is a series of stations- reading books and singing little songs with me, playing independently on her toy mat, tummy time, hanging in her bouncy chair, and being toted around in the k'tan while I get things done. Then nap. She is always so ready for her nap by the time she gets done playing.

Things that save me right now are TUMMY MASSAGE and the "Double Swaddle"!! How does a girl that tiny get so gassy!? I have not a clue. But I do know that 5 minutes of tummy massage will empty that poor girl out in a hurry. The standard swaddle is no match for the Els, the double swaddle keeps her in and secure all night. Both can be you tubed, there are lots of different methods!!

Elsie gets up to eat 2-3 times a night now. At one and two months she slept through the night, and it's like she just discovered that it's a 24 hour restaurant, and she wants to make up for lost time. She is an astounding night eater. Her appetite increases like tenfold I swear to you. I  can pick her up, feed her, change her diaper and she wakes up for exactly NONE of it.

I could rant literally forever. But in summation the girl's motor skills and hand eye coordination are increasing sooo rapidly , I am crazy crazy in love with her, she is slightly more of a grumpist these days, and everyone comments on her huge blue eyes. They are beautiful!

My biggest parenting question at this point is do I hold rock her for 10 minutes since she falls asleep better in my arms, or set her down when she is drowsy even if it literally takes and hour for her to go to sleep that way. With crying. ...? #runonsentenceprobs. But yes. And second parenting question I have is how to I get this girl to take a bottle once and a while. And that is all.

As for myself I am busy to an extreme. Good thing I slept so much in my teenage years. I am now a Lularoe Consultant! Check them out here... SO CUTE. And I have better prices. Plus the girls at the GWG blog are always rocking the dresses and I die over them. It's just a chance to do some math and feel a little like a business lady a few hours a week while els naps that doesn't detract from being a momma. I will always put my family and home first. Plus it is some sort of badge of stay at home momness to join a multi level marketing company at some point it seems. I am also the owner of a giant watermelon/canteloup/pumpkin patch on top of our big garden. And housework. And cooking. And mothering the crap out of the cutest baby ever. You know?

xo,
farmwife

Share on Facebook| Share on Twitter| Share on Pinterest