Toothy Smiles

CAR SWINGS!

Sleeping...mid jump

This time last year, we were starting to buy pink clothes.  We learned that we were expecting a pink, not blue bundle of joy.  I was so convinced she was a he.  Hubs, on the other hand, knew for certain that I was carrying his daughter.

 I guess he can be right once.

In K-Mac land today, things are moving a lot faster.  I felt like I was pregnant for two years and here we are.  She is already eight months old!  So, I guess it wasn't very age appropriate, but we took her to go pumpkin picking this past weekend anyway.

The Horse we attacked.

The lovely Autumn Acres, to be exact.  While we were there, we got to pet the animals and go on a tractor ride to find a pumpkin.  She couldn't be bothered with the chickens or rabbits.  K-Mac wanted the horse.  My heart smiled.  The problem with her wanting something is that she typically growls at it and smacks it in her excitement.  This reaction holds solid for everything from toys to food to people.

So my kid punched a horse in the face at a petting zoo.

Tractor Rides

Yeah, we left to go on a hay ride before PETA showed up.  We sat in the front and her eyes were glued to the big ol' wheels the whole time.  When it was time to get off and get a pumpkin, we kind of just held her up and waited until she growled at one.  Lucky us, she wanted a small one.  THANK YOU LORD.

I think I failed to mention, she's a candy corn

Needless to say, it was a long afternoon for her and she was asleep in hub's arms before we even got back into the car.

In other news, I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but she has TWO TEETH.  Her bottom two teeth are finally in and all sorts of tiny and adorable.  With her new found teeth, she has been exploring a wider variety of finger foods.  She enjoys yogurt covered cheerios and banana shaped cookies.  It disturbs me that all of the cookies she tears apart have faces on them.

Mostly Asleep

Speaking of tearing apart cookies...We were finishing lunch the other day when I cleaned her up and took her into my office to watch me do some work.  She didn't want to lay down though so I put her up on my lap.  She started laughing and I asked her what was so funny.  She SCREAMS and slams a cookie into my shoulder, exploding crumbs everywhere.  Yes.  This really happened.

Wouldn't change a thing.

Eight Months and Counting

Yesterday, K-Mac turned eight months old.  She's been getting into any and everything possible and has quite the personality these days.

First off though, I want to put out the two photos at our sides.  This is slave labor.  Daddy was feeling sore and stiff and K-Mac was feeling sorry for him.  She was hitting his back and scratching it.  Massages!  It was adorable and when I caught her and took her picture from in front of her, she seemed stunned.

K-Mac is also on mommy's best buddies list.  She has (finally) started to say momma!  It was one of the best feelings ever the first time I heard it.  Yes, she usually only says it when she's mad or wants to be picked up but the point is, she is calling for ME.

Little Peanut is also eating big kid food!  She eats little cookies, finger foods, cereal puffs, wagon wheel cookies, and dried yogurt.  This comes in handy when we are food shopping or when she wants a little snack while I'm busy.  It makes me sad though when she turns her head when I try to feed her a cookie and then promptly picks it up and eats it on her own.  She's growing up so fast!

I'm also starting to think about her first birthday!  I've been considering a few different themes.  I like sock monkey, hungry caterpillar, animal prints, and elephants.  Now to narrow it down.  This is going to take some serious thought.

Six Months

Our sweet little peanut is growing up so fast.

On Sunday, K-Mac turned 6 months old and today she had her six month appointment.  It was a nice appointment because for the second time ever, daddy went with us.  She's pretty blunt about picking him over me (ie; not crying when daddy gives her a bath, refusing nap time unless daddy puts her down, staying up to see him when he gets off of work at super-dark o'clock, etc) but I'm not offended.  In fact, I love it and it makes me want to cry.  But that's beside the point.

I know, I know, you guys want some measurements.
Birth:  7 lbs 4 oz       +   20.25 inches
Now:  14 lbs 15 oz   +  25 inches

At her four month and this appointment, I filled out "surveys" on what K-Mac can do, sometimes does, and never attempts.  Last time we were concerned that she clearly favored one hand and leg but that worry is long gone.  At this particular appointment we didn't have any worries.  Yes, she doesn't exactly get on all fours and certainly isn't crawling but that's okay.  At this stage, babies are very different.  I walked at 8 1/2 months while hubs didn't even crawl at that age.  It doesn't matter because now we are both running and hardly fall down while walking.

Haha.  I've got jokes.

But, for those of you who want to know what most doctors expect from the six month social butterfly stage, we will break it down and enlighten.  Red means we don't do this (yet!).

Behavioral

• Begins to play social games (K-Mac loves peek-a-boo, dancing, and so big)
• Establishes routines (we're so blessed that she made her own and stuck to it so far)
• Has a special blanket or toy for self-soothing (we don't have this yet- she clearly likes toys that play music or are soft to cuddle but she'll take anything)
• Plays with toys: banging, dropping, swinging

Development

• Begins to speak single consonants (we get ababa and maaaaa and dadadadada but I don't think they *mean* anything yet)
• Rolls over both ways (not all of the time, she still struggles)
• Looks for dropped toys
• Begins to "tripod" when sitting (that's when they put their hands out front to support themselves)
• Gets on all fours (it's very rare and I think it is an accident when she does it)
• Transfers objects from hand to hand
• Rakes at small objects with fingers
• Shows displeasure with loss of toy (Um, more like gets super pissed)
• Recognizes parents and shows stranger anxiety (she'll bury her head in my chest but smiles at strangers)
• Attempts to feed self
• Smiles, laughs, squeals (we squeal hardcore)
• Puts weight on legs

Feeding

• Eats routine meals
• Eats solids
• Uses sippy cup
• Drinks 4 oz of juice a day (Guess we'll start this for real now)
• Drinks water (fluoridated)
• Gnaws (On everythingggggg)

Sleeping

• Consoles themselves when put in bed awake (Yeah, but sometimes we just cry-it-out- sue me.)
• Decrease naps (unfortunately)
• Sleeps through most nights :)

So that sums that up!  Now quickly, I'm going to run through some likes and dislikes of our six month world.

Likes

1. daddy, daddy, and....oh yeah, daddy
2. spinning in circles with momma
3. momma pretending to drop K-Mac (my kid is twisted)
4. her stupid cat and the dogs
5. the high chair and the freedom it provides
6. trucks
7. when people pretend to eat her feet
8. watching momma cook
9. BEING OUTSIDE
10. the stroller and momma's baby backpack

Dislikes

1. socks
2. green beans
3. napping for more than 30 minutes a day
4. bath time
5. having shirts put over her head
6. when she smacks herself in the face with a toy
7. getting changed in a public restroom and someone flushes (OMG)
8. when momma stops her from eating grass/dirt/bugs/leaves/twigs/multicam
9. sitting still
10. SHOTS, like the 3 we had today, although we still love that oral rotavirus thing.  YUM.

So there you have it!  Half way to her first birthday and already such a little character.  It's been a great 6 months and we can't wait to see where else K-Mac and our adventures will take us!



Big Girl!



Sippy Cup Adventures

K-Mac is growing up too fast.



Ignore my dirty kitchen please.

 On August second, she drank out of a sippy cup for the first time.  She actually enjoyed it.  Bye bye bottles.  It's a Nuk Learner Cup but really operates like a "real" sippy cup.  She holds the little handles and drinks from a little spout.

Also, I don't know if I mentioned it lately, but K-Mac hasn't taken a bink (paci, nipple, or whatever you call it where you are from) in months.  HEART BREAKING.  Although I'm glad that I won't have to break her of that habit in a mad panic before she starts preschool, she is still a baby, and I want her to BE a baby. 



Shade twins!

 She's not fighting anymore when I put shades on her.  She used to try to take them off, so I'd let her, and try again later.  Now she rocks them.  I'm probably annoying with this but I want her to wear them and protect her eyes.  Those eyes are too pretty for cataract surgery right now.

K-Mac also met ALL OF HER COUSINS!  It's important to me that she's close to them.  I love my cousins.  They're really like siblings who live in another house sometimes.  I feel sorry for people who don't have cousins they're close to. 

Now for a fun story!



So Proud!

 So, K-Mac's youngest uncle spends his summer days and after school time here with us.  He's actually a big help for a nine year old in fifth grade.  He helps me clean up around the house, hands me wipes while I change K-Mac, entertains her while I'm busy, etc, etc.  He decided he's ready to help me feed her baby food.  This is a big step.  He thinks she's gross when she eats but this is his only niece and he wants to help.  RIGHT ON.  So I tell him to pick out a food and get a spoon and get all set while I fix my hair.  He picks out carrots and a yellow spoon....then he gets bored and leaves her with the OPEN container in front of her in the high chair.  Now, he doesn't leave her, he just starts watching some game on the tv right next to her.  But when I come out of the bathroom, K-Mac has dumped the whole thing of carrots on her tray and is splashing in it and feeding herself with her fists.  I let her continue but let me tell you what...never again.

Carrots. A Love Story.

We gave her a choice and she grabbed carrots first.

She regretted her decision at first.



But mommy was there...



...so it wasn't TOO bad.



We even licked up every drop that fell!



And daddy fed me, so that was fun!

Daddy doesn't like his photo taken though....

...and neither do I.

Four Months!

Last week we had out big four month appointment!  I still can't believe she's already that old.  I feel like she's so big, but as the doctor told me she's actually smaller than the average baby.  She now weighs twelve pounds and fifteen ounces and is twenty three and an eighth inches long. 

The doctor also told us that she's healthy and ready for baby cereal and baby food!  We wanted to wait until daddy (finally) got home from AT.  We also had to get two shots and an oral vaccine.  K-Mac talked to the nurses the whole time and only cried (briefly, thank God) after her second shot. 

Recently, we bought a jumperoo for K-Mac!  It was love at first bounce.  When she wiggles the whole thing jumps with her, blasting music/jungle noises and lights up.  It's adorable and she loves it.

But the real reason I'm updating is to talk about food!  We started K-Mac on cereal this past Monday (6/20).  Yeah, she isn't feeling it.  She'll open her mouth and doesn't have a problem with pushing her tongue around or eating off the spoon, it's just so blah!  The cereal doesn't interest her.  So we devised a plan.  When we mix it with little dots of baby applesauce it suddenly becomes her new fave.  Today we tried straight baby applesauce and she loved it. Next week, we're going to give some veggies a shot.  I'm thinking carrots. 

Any suggestions?



You want me to eat what?