Heartbeat

Today we hear TBNL 2's heartbeat.  He/She is 6.3mm big and has a heartbeat of 120 bpm.  It had not seemed incredibly real quite yet.  The naseau and headaches started two days ago.  Today I figured that I didn't want to puke, so i'm going to try to keep my stomach full and happy. 

With Parker I didn't want to go over 200lbs.  I am way closer this time.  I stepped on the scale at the dr office today and it weighs 10 pounds more than our at home scale.  I don't want to get on that again.

We have one more appointment at the fertility center and then it's onto Dr. Siarezi.  She moved practices and is way up in Round Rock now (45-60 minutes away).  We can't imagine anyone else taking care of me and our little blob.  We will suck it up and hike up there.

Dr. Hansard at the fertility center said that she should be able to see on the 31st if the placenta is going to be a problem again.  Fingers crossed this one grows in the right place.  Dr. Siarezi may not be an option if there are going to be emergencies again.

I can't believe we're going to have another baby.  The personalized m&m's are at Mom's house in a box just waiting to be opened.  I wonder who will get it first. 


So far, it's much more difficult having a little one to take care of and have morning (bull, it's all day) sickness.  We're getting through it.  Fortunately, as long as i'm in the same room she can play by herself.  So I find a pillow and lie down and she plays right along.  I love that little munchkin.  Her world is about to get turned upside down in August.  If she loves her new sister or brother as much as she loves her baby doll, they will get tons o' love before she chucks them to the side to move onto the next toy.

Ironic Parenting

There's a little girl at Gymboree, she has to be under 16 months because that's what the class is for.  She walks really well, runs really well and apparently is being raised by her grandparents.  Her father is in a wheelchair and while that doesn't exclude him from proper parenting I think that her grandparents play a major role in her development.  Today, she walked over to Parker and took the toy that Parker had in her little hand.  This, to me, is expected.  They're little, tiny kids.  They need to learn.  It was when her grandmother came over, flicked her on the forehead and grabbed the toy back from her I realized what the real problem was.  Later, I overheard said grandmother asking the teacher when kids learn to "play better with others."  I wanted to answer and say "when their role models stop flicking them for learning!"  If you don't play well with others that are at least 50 years younger than you and your flesh and blood, how do you expect your granddaughter to know how to do it?

Also, this is the same family that I witnessed poor little girl's grandfather pick his nose and then eat it.  Didn't try to hide it or ANYTHING.  I'm going to vomit just typing this.  I changed days today after class.  I'd rather not witness anymore flicking of children or eating of boogers by the adults at the class.

Cake Smash

For Parker's birthday I had another photo shoot in mind.  It's the cake smash.  I think this has become popular throughout the last few years.  Putting your newly 1 year old in front of a pristine and delicious cake that they can do with what they want. 

I found a cake online and I was determined to figure out how to make this myself.  I went to Micheal's and got a pastry bag tip and pastry bags.  I got some pink vanilla frosting and a white cake mix.

Found cake online

I made a sheet cake and used a cookie cutter to make a 4" round

I stacked them to make them semi-level

The first attempt looked great

Sides are complete

Finished!

 

And here is our finished product:

Halloween Day

Halloween was on a Wednesday.  Parker and Jake were dressed as Amy and Bobby Bones from The Bobby Bones show here in Austin.  It is a syndicated radio show.  Christian and Parker had met Amy at the market and we live very near Mr. Bobby Bones. Christian LOVES the Bobby Bones Show.  We listen to it every morning.  I've grown to love it and wouldn't mind it so much if I didn't have to listen to the same songs every 5 minutes and if Lunchbox (another personality on the show) wasn't on there.

So Parker was to be Amy and Jake, Bobby.  Here are Bobby and Amy's photos.  The one of Bobby isn't all that great, but it's the only one I could find where he was in his white Lacoste hat.  Bobby is known to listeners to wear Lacoste hats, white v-neck t-shirts, love his dog Dusty and had really curly hair.  Amy is very sweet, loves Taylor Swift, funky pants and helping babies and goes on mission trips. 

Parker HATES anything on her head except her barrettes.  Odd, really.  Ironically, Amy is known to cry a lot so the picture of Parker crying seems to be appropriate.

We also tried, after Halloween, to put Parker into the pumpkin again.  She really does despise it.  Even sitting on top of it.  Poor little girl...

Secrets Are No Fun!!!

Yesterday (11.6.12) we went to our fertility doctor to talk about starting our process of having another kid!  We aren't telling anyone what we're doing because it was so hard for us having to tell everyone that we weren't pregnant.  So, this go round, we're just keeping it to ourselves, but I need someplace to vent.  So here I am, on our blog.  Once we tell everyone I will be able to post them all and you can see my neurosis and processing thorough all of this.

So we went to the doctor just to get a starting point.  She said, alright, let's start on the Clomid and i'll see you back here on the 14th.  Get your vials to the clinic and we'll see you on Wednesday.  So what we originally thought would be a January starting cycle has become NOVEMBER!!!  A week away. 

It was weird enough going to the clinic, much less leaving with an egg fertilizer prescription.  That's what I call the Clomid.  Essentially, that's what it is!

I'm nervous and excited all at the same time.  I hope my pregnancy isn't as stressful as the last one.  But I would do it all over again to get an awesome daughter like Parker.  She has brought so much happiness to our family and I wouldn't trade that for the world, or months of bed rest.

As I was leaving for my errands I realized that mom is going to be here on Wednesday.  So we're going to have to lie/fib to her (sorry Mom, we really didn't have a lawyer meeting).  I want to tell everyone, but it will be easier on us this way.  Plus, Jill doesn't want to know, so it works out well for everyone involved.  Plus, if we were straight, we wouldn't be announcing to the world that we were trying each time! That'd just be gross.

Halloween Part I

For Parker's 1st Halloween I had envisioned many cool new things.  Mostly, since she's still little, a cute costume and some fun pictures.

For her costume, after much consideration and anxiety about picking the "perfect" costume, I got her a little bee outfit.  It was super cute and 40% off. Perfect! She hated it.  Mostly the hat, then the skirt, then just being a bee. 

Pumpkins make everything ok

Then it was off to the Spaw's for pumpkin carving.  

Ethan loves Parker.  They have married Parker off to Ethan already.  He was playing with her and putting her binky back in her mouth when she lost it.  She also wanted to know why she wasn't listening to him.  Already seems like they're married!

She loved playing in the guts from the pumpkins.  She tried to eat it and pulled it all out of the bowl.  Our messy girl.

Here is my inspirational photograph I found online...

Inspirational Halloween Photograph

Isn't this cute!?! Sweet little girl in the pumpkin.  Little toes curled up, smiling.  So we went to the pumpkin patch and got a nice big pumpkin.  Then, it was off to the Spaw's for some carving.  Doug cut a hole in the top, I scooped out the guts and then Doug cut two round holes for her legs with his drill.  It was time and the pumpkin was ready for baby.

Parker HATING Wearing A Pumpkin

 

Absolutely HATED!

I will post about actual Halloween night in another post.  There were more tears.  Stay tuned...

Gymboree

It takes moving a mountain to get me to do anything new, especially when I know there will be acting a fool involved.  Today was our first class at Gymboree.  I was the first one there, of course, and they handed me a name tag that said "Welcome Kim!" and so she wouldn't feel left out, Parker had one too.  All of the kids had name tags and a few of the other parents, but mine said "welcome..." making mine different.  I hate being different in a very anti-trendy way.

Parker was VERY excited which made things better.  We walked in and her arms started going and her legs started kicking.  Eventually, as time grew near, more and more parents and kids started showing up.  It's a 10 month - 16 month class, so there were bigger kids too, walkers.

It was all good until we were sitting in the circle and probably singing some horrific song when the woman next to me looked at Parker and said "so, did she get her cowlick from you or her dad?" My immediate, anxiety ridden response was that I had one and she probably got it from me.  Then I noticed the woman staring at my hairline.  Sweat immediately started pouring from every inch of my body and I don't even remember looking at her or what I did next.  Oh wait, nevermind, it got worse...

We were sitting there and she says, "Does she look more like you or your husband?" "Me, definitely me." Being that I don't have a husband that seemed like the obvious answer.  I didn't really feel as though I needed to delve any deeper.  We were sitting in some circle about to sing some song with clapping and high pitched voices and I couldn't make my compulsive, anxiety ridden self calm down enough.  What should I say? "Oh, well, she looks like the donor too, but mostly like me." Or, "I don't have a husband, my girlfriend and I are her mothers." Seriously? Did she not pay attention to me in my cargo shorts and Adidas socks before she opened her mouth?  Then I was going to clear things up after class, but she was surrounded by her Gymboree click and of course I grabbed my stuff and left.

Fortunately, I didn't actually lie at any point of that conversation.  Parker does look very much like me and I don't have a husband.

So aside from all of that and the gross strands of hair Parker picks up while she crawls around on the floor, Gymboree was fun! We signed up for more classes.  Now, I just need to learn the songs so I can join in on all of the fun!!!

::singing:: pick up, pick up, every-bo-dy, everywhere, pick up, pick up, every-bo-dy do your share ::end singing::

PRESCHOOL? ALREADY?!?!

We're having to start looking into preschool options for our little one.  18 months she can start! Holy crap.  Hoping to get to one of the schools on Wednesday for an open house.  She's not old enough for this yet!

So, to start off easy, we are going to sign up for Gymboree classes.  I first have to work on my anxiety of going to new places and doing incredibly ridiculous things in front of strangers.  I'm not worried.  Going to shoot for next Thursday. 

Swimming and Stuff

Yesterday we took Parker swimming at the Spaw's.  She LOVES the water.  She chilled in her float for a good 30 minutes.  She splashed and kicked and then later she tried to drown herself, but that's beside the point.  Good news, she didn't succeed!

She's sitting up now without our help.  She's crawling short distances and eating whole goldfish and parts of Mini Nilla Wafers.  It seems like she's growing leaps and bounds in the last week. 

She's almost 10 months old and that doesn't even seem possible. 

Update

We went over to the Spaw's yesterday.  We saw Shelby.  She is doing amazing.   It's incredible how her body has healed just a week after her accident.  She is scabby and healing.  Her nose is healing where they sewed it back together and her eye seems to be healing too.  She had a patch over it so I did not see it, but everyone says it looks pretty good.  She actually went to school on Friday.  Amazing.

Parker was a little nervous about the patch, but warmed up to her rather quickly. She even let Shelby hold her.  Which, says a lot, because this kid doesn't let just anyone hold her.

Heavy Heart, Busy Mind

Yesterday Vanessa called me to tell me that her sister-in-law (17), Doug's sister, had been in a car accident.  When I was talking to her it didn't seem like that big of a deal.  Nothing ever really does at first I suppose.  Then the facts started coming in.

She was in her car, in the back seat, with a blood alcohol level double the legal limit.  She had gone to a party at a friend's house where the parents were home and allowing the drinking to happen.  These "parents" allowed an 18 year old boy and his girlfriend to drive Doug's sister's car to take her where they needed to be.  He was going 120 mph and was being followed by a police officer.  When the police lights went on, the car hit a median and although the facts about what happened to the car are fuzzy to me, they ended up flipping the vehicle. 

Doug's sister was not in a seat belt.  She was thrown 50 feet from where the car landed.  Normally when you hear these things, the ending isn't a good one.  I still can't figure out how, but the only thing that happened to her was that her orbital bone was broken, the tip of her nose needed to be attached and she has some very severe road rash.  She was taken on the StarFlight helicopter to the hospital.  The believers would say there was an angel or something protecting her.  I'm still not sure how she survived, but i'm so relieved that she did. 

Christian has known this family for almost 20 years.  She was there when Shelby (the sister) was born.  She has watched her grow up and more recently we have become incredibly close to Doug and Vanessa.  They are all great people and I am fortunate to have met them and have them in my life. 

I was up the majority of the night last night thinking about the what ifs.  What if she hadn't been bought a BMW.  What if it had been a little car.  Would all three of the kids still be alive?  What if they had hit the tree that they missed by a narrow margin.  What if the "parents" that were allowing all of this to happen had taken all the car keys to protect these kids.

The 18 year old that was driving is in jail.  The other girl that was in the front seat is also in the ICU.  She was in a seat belt, but needed stitches on her face and has sporadic bruising I think from the seat belt. 

Walking into the ICU room took my breath away.  I had to hold back the tears as I looked at this little girl that has her whole life ahead of her but how it could've been taken away in an instant.  

I can't imagine what it would be like to get that call.  The middle of the night call that changes your life. 

How do we get these kids to listen to what is right?  How do we get them to realize that the people you hang around do have an influence on you and could change your life forever?  How do we keep them safe?

Galveston

I have slacked, yet again, on this blog.  I don't think there is any catching up, so we'll start anew.

This last weekend we packed up, what seemed to be, the entire house into the Denali and trucked it on down to Galveston.  We went with Doug and Vanessa.  Christian calls us her entourage.

Christian's Entourage

Doug wasn't feeling too well (ie he was hungover) and Jake and Vanessa just chatted away in the back of the car.  Parker did really well too.  She talked, slept and talked some more.  Vanessa kept her entertained when needed.

We arrived around 1, knew our room wasn't supposed to be ready until 3 so we went to grab some lunch.  After lunch, we headed to Wal-Mart.  I hate Wal-Mart and this trip was not the exception.  It was testing my patience.  But, we had time to kill.  We ended up with a boogie board for Jake and the rest were necessities.

We finally made it to our overpriced and now, overly gross condo.  Did NOT look like the pictures they posted online.  And "newly renovated" had a half inch of mold in our shower and the crappiest of crappy sheets and towels.  Our sheets didn't even fit the bed and the first night Christian got up to go to the bathroom and when she got back in bed, she slept under the fitted sheet.  She was only a little grossed out.  

The first day at the beach was great! Parker loved it, tried to eat sand and seaweed and was entertained for a good 20 minutes, maybe more.  She didn't like the sand in her diaper or the rinsing off in the shower.

After the 1st Day

Jake and Doug spent a lot of time together.  They threw sand at each other, chased each other and body surfed.  They also explored and pulled little creatures out of the ocean.  They found a stringy looking starfish, snails and other mollusks.

Playful Boys

 Vanessa had a pinterest idea.  We attempted it, but looking at it, i'm realizing they were too far away from the camera.  Oh well, it was fun.

Pinterest Photo

Parker really enjoyed the water.  We all took turns making sure she didn't drown.  Vanessa and Doug sure do love our little Parker. Parker wouldn't admit it, but she loves them too.

Parker and her Ti Tia (pronounced Cha-Chia)

Parker and Uncle Doug

The goal of Doug's for the trip was to build a ginormous sand castle.  Turns out, it was the hit of the beach.  Everyone stopped and looked at it.  They spent almost the entire day on it.  Building moats, lakes/ponds, and fixing turrets that collapsed.  Jake liked the "rustic" look of them, but Doug wanted perfection!

The Sand Masters

 Fortunately, Saturday was our first/last long day at the beach.  Sunday came and so did thousands of dead fish.  Turns out, there was some red tide, i'm assuming further out in the ocean.  It stank and we were all glad it was time to go home.  Mostly because we needed to shower to get the funk off of us.  You just can't get clean at the beach. 

One of the main reasons we went was for our boy.  He loves the beach.  Although he said he didn't have enough time, I think he had fun.  He was definitely fun to be around.  

RIP Simon the Glofish

Today, we lost Simon, the Glofish.  He was the  yellow fish that made up the "fishmunks" as Jake has come to call them.  This morning I saw him struggling to swim.  I knew it was the end.  The next time I checked on him the other fish were circling and I think I saved him just in time.  Jake and I took him to the front yard, dug him a little hole, said a few words and covered him up. 

Jake thinks in thousands of years when the house has fallen down and people are digging around they will find hundreds of fish bones.  Because we've lost hundreds of fish...

Simon "The Glofish" Gribble - 5/31/12 - 6/5/12

My Fish Tank

So Jake wanted fish.  We all know what that means.  So, I have taken over this tank.  It's in his room and he likes to pretend that he feeds them, but they are constantly swimming around like they are starving and if there weren't a top to the tank i'm pretty sure they'd leap into my arms when I walked by.  They love me.

We had two little algae eaters.  They aren't scientifically named that, it's what I called them.  They have disappeared.  Gone.  No remnants at all.  So, yesterday I went to the store and bought some more fish. It was Thursday so I knew my selection was going to be great.  That's how much I love this tank.  I have become knowledgeable as to when Petsmart gets their fish shipments.  Sad, really.

So I got three Glofish.  I think they're some kind of hybrid radioactive fish.  They are bright colors.  I picked a pink, yellow and orange one.  On the way home I thought about names.  Three fish, need three names.  I thought of Larry, Mo and Curly, but that was stupid.  Then I came up with Alvin, Simon and Theodore.  Genius!  Mostly because I also got a hass of an algae eater that affectionately became known as Dave.  I have to admit that I had to look it up online because for the life of me I couldn't remember the guys name that lived with the chipmunks. 

The guy at the pet store told me that Dave will grow really fast and that he really needs a 55+ gallon tank.  Our ten gallon tank hasn't exactly been the fountain of youth.  It's more like the place fish go to die.  I'm taking my chances that poor Dave won't live to his 55+ gallon aquarium size.  BUT, if he does make it, apparently you can take him to some local fish stores and they'll want him.  Who knew there was such a market for ginormous algae eaters named Dave.

Alvin, Simon and Theodore are too spastic to take a picture.

Dave

"Jake's" Fish Tank

6 Months

Our little girl is growing into a person before my very eyes.  It's amazing how it seems like yesterday that she was born, yet I can't remember her being a lump around the house.  She's so busy now.  She sits in her exersaucer and plays.  She grabs at things, yanks at things, moves things and wants things to play back with her.  She's happiest when you are carrying her around doing errands, chores or just walking.  She makes raspberries constantly and yesterday when I went to give her a spoonful of peas she shook her head "no."  Then she smirked at me as if to say, "i'm too cute for you to be mad at me for not wanting any more of those peas."  She was right.  She loves learning.  She has started enjoying me reading books to her and when she's bored she'll let you know it. 

So far, she LOVES bananas, isn't a fan of sweet potatoes, carrots or pears.  She's taking a liking to peas.  At least I got one veggie in her!  A girl after my own heart, only liking fruits.  The pear was from the fridge.  I think the cold bugged her more than the flavor.  That's what i'm banking on.

Her 6 month check up had her at 14 lbs 9 oz and 24.25 inches long.  The doctor says that she's evening out on her percentages.  At her 4 month check up she was super long and skinny.  Now her height has slowed and her weight is catching up.  She's still in the 30% percentile for most things.  Except the size of her head.  I think that was higher.  Lots of brains.

Jakeism

1.
This morning we were in the car listening to Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger." Jake mentioned that he likes this song.  A few moments later he talks about how it is a confidence booster.  Then, he says, "it's so much better than those depressing country songs.  The ones with the low voices."

2.
Also, leaving the neighborhood this morning he asked me when papers came to the house.  I told him that it depended on what the people wanted and that it could come everyday or every Sunday.  He then says, "those people must have been gone for two days, two weeks or they're ignorant of their paper on the driveway."  I still haven't figured out if he used the word ignorant properly, but the fact that he is 10 and used the word ignorant made me smile.

Week 23

Today is our little one's 23rd week.  I can't believe how fast it's all going.  She is focusing across the room, standing on her little bow legged legs and grabbing at things.  She still hates tummy time and screams bloody murder when she's doing it.  She then buries her head into the ground and does this until someone picks her up.  She's onto me.

She loves to watch the dogs play & loves being outside (but doesn't like to be hot).  This is going to pose a problem being that we live in Texas and it's already been 95 degrees in April.  Hope she likes the pool as much as her bath!

She babbles quite often and lately has fallen in love with Jake.  She was fussy yesterday in the car and he leaned over so she could see him and she instantly stopped crying.  He makes faces and now has an outlet for his nonsense songs he likes to sing.

Growing Up

I packed away the Pack and Play this weekend.  I didn't expect to be so sad about it.  It is where our little one slept for almost 3.5 months of her life.  Right next to my side of the bed.  We could hear her breathing and sighing and all of her nightly noises.  Watching her grow up and hit different milestones is amazing and fun and sad all at the same time.  Our little 5 pound baby is almost 13 pounds now and sleeping in her crib, all by herself.

First it's sleeping in the crib, then it's going off to college.  Too fast...

March 29 - (Posting in April because I forgot to hit "publish")

A year ago today we found out that we were going to have a baby.  This was our fourth try and we were getting discouraged.  It was hard to go to the doctor, get excited, wait two weeks, then find out it didn't take.  I know people go through this for years, but for us, just the four times was starting to weigh on us.

We waited all day to test.  I was nervous and ready for a negative.  I think Christian was too.  I tested and put the strip away.  I didn't want to know.  Christian eventually looked and told me it was positive.  It was one of the greatest moments of my life.  Who knew at that moment that we would end up with the greatest little girl anyone could ask for.

Dream

Our boy goes to school right down the street from where the kids I used to know (helped raise) live.  I see that boy on occasion.  He's in his dad's car most of the time.  I normally don't react and keep on driving.  Today they were turning and I was sitting.  I waved.  It wasn't an enthusiastic wave, just a wave of my hand.  His dad waved back, lacking the same enthusiasm.  We never really did get along. 

It's like i'm living in a dream.  Things slow down, he's right there but I can't talk to him or hug him.  I can't imagine losing one of my own children, but I have to say this is possibly pretty close.  Lately i've been thinking a lot about him.  I'm cleaning off my computer and I think the pictures are spurring the thoughts.  Before it was every few days.  Lately, it's every day.  I miss him.  I miss his sister too.  It's been two and a half years since I hung out with him. 

I wouldn't change my life as it is right now for anything.  Not even to get to spend time with him.  My life is wonderful.  My daughter, stepson and love of my life are more awesome than I could've imagined.  It's just hard to be the one that wanted to protect the kids and wanted to tell them the reality and their own mother wouldn't.  It's aggravating that that is his story, that he won't ever know the real reasons that i'm gone and out of his life.  I was miserable.  The kids were the only reason life was ok.  The kids are the reason I stayed for so long.  I fought for those kids for a VERY long time.

Just miss him.

Cadbury Eggs

We did an egg hunt for Jake today.  We slacked off yesterday not thinking he would care too much about it.  We were wrong.  So today, we had a hunt.  First, the boy couldn't find a neon pink elephant in a black room.  Second, I rock at egg hunts.

While going through his loot he found some mini Cadbury eggs.  Christian commented on how the mini Cadbury eggs were better than the big ones because the ratio of chocolate to creme was better.  He thought a minute and said, "how are these different?"  Christian replied with the fact that they are smaller and he said "oh, I thought I had just grown a lot!"

Our sweet little man...

Oh yeah, also, he had some Krackel in his easter eggs.  He was reading it and said "Krackel, made with crisp-ped rice."  He still has some learning to do. :)

Cupcakes and Blood

Monday will be the first time i've played softball since December 2010!  I can't believe it's finally here.  Between the shoulder surgery and the pregnancy, softball was only something I got to watch.  Monday, I play.

The team made new shirts this season and to make sure that Parker matched, I got some iron-on transfer paper and created her Cupcakes and Blood onesie.

Carrots

This weekend we attempted giving Parker carrots.  She always seems hungry and we thought that some solid food may fill up her little belly better.  She also stares down whatever is on our plates.  It seemed she may be ready. 

I pureed some carrots in my  new Baby Bullet (see previous post) and we got her ready.  High chair, bib, little rubber spoon and some mashed up, yummy, carrots.

It started out ok.  She wasn't too upset.  She also didn't get ANY of it down.  It all came back out with her little tongue reflex.  After a little bit, the newness wore off and she was just mad.  Then, after we stopped with the carrots she reverted to, normal, happy baby.

Very 1st Bite

Thinking About It

Not Too Sure

Momma and Parker

Carrots are Gross

Where's My Milk?

No More Carrots!? YAY!

Attempt 1

Parker doesn't sleep and she eats every two hours.  We're thinking she's just hungry and that's waking her up.  It's not just that she's comforting herself...she's really hungry!  So I went and bought a Baby Bullet.  It was a little set of stuff and essentially just a small blender with cutesy containers to store the food. 

We had carrots in our fridge so I steamed em up.  I pureed them and packed them up very neatly.  Now, we wait.  Parker is sleeping, but as soon as she wakes up, it's CARROT TIME!!!

Carrots and a little water.  It seems so healthy that I even thought of eating the mashed up goodness.  We'll see how this all works out.  I think once I get the hang of things it will definitely save some money and be super healthy for our little one.

Zoey

This past weekend I noticed Zoey had a sore on her side.  It progressively got worse because she sat there and licked at it.  I had an appointment for her yesterday and they couldn't do anything.  She wouldn't let them.  I could hear her screeching and howling from the back of the vet office.  SO, today I took her back so that they could sedate her and do everything they needed to.  They were also vaccinating her while she was under and because of her age, doing blood work.  Apparently she's of "mature" age.  Thinking about it, she's about 12 years old.

They said she'll be ready around 4:30 or 5p this afternoon.  She looked pretty pathetic in her cone of shame last night, but I had to keep her off of it.  I think the worst part for her was she couldn't eat.  

Cone of Shame - Kitty Style

4 Month Dr. Visit

What do you get when you take a baby that is overly tired, has stranger danger, two shots and having to be naked in a cold room?  Parker.

Today was our 4 month check up.  She's growing well.  Coming in at a whopping 12 pounds she rounds out the 16% of babies her age.  They say that her 24.5 inches in length is the 56% but our dr. didn't seem too impressed and said that a flexed foot could be the difference in half an inch. 

After some real tears and screaming and a mini nap in mommy's arms we were finished.  The verdict is that at 13 pounds babies start sleeping through the night.  So, my goal is to feed her the entire time she is awake.  Put weight on this girl!

They also said that we can begin foods anytime we want, but that there isn't a rush.  Rice or orange vegetables. 

I'm thinking of making my own baby food.  How hard can it be, really?  One ingredient, blended, packaged. We'll see.  Christian's all for it, but is a bit skeptical.  I don't blame her.  I have a hard time planning meals for us.

4 Months Old!

I can't believe it's already been four months since our little one arrived.  It seems like just yesterday.  That could be from the lack of sleep though.

Parker is a fun little girl.  She really enjoys being outside.  She tries to giggle when the wind blows and her hair goes with it.  This girl has some hair.  It's mostly on the top and if you comb it just right she looks like a 70 year old man trying to keep each strand of hair on his head. 

She's been making more noises and talks to her little bugs hanging from her car seat.  She loves it when you sing to her and fortunately she doesn't understand tone yet. 

Sleep is still hiding from us.  She's not eating as much throughout the night but she manages to escape from her swaddle and that makes her mad.  So a re-swaddle will typically get her back to dreamland. 

She's been sleeping in her very own room in her crib.  The first few nights we missed her tremendously.  Now, it seems normal.  She sleeps really well in her crib and we're able to watch tv in bed and not worry about lights or making noise. 

Tomorrow is her 4 month dr. checkup.  We'll see if she's ready for some sleep training or if we should wait a bit longer.  We tried some cry-it-out methods and neither one of us could last very long.  She got REALLY upset.  Trial and error...