6 Months Old-March 9, 2012

Happy Half-Year Birthday our Princess Maribelle!  Where is the time going?  It seems just like yesterday you were born and now, you are half a year old!  We are having so much fun with you and just cannot get enough of you! 

Aside from your pneumonia sickness, this past month has been great!  We have had a lot of down time due to your sickness!  I have become a germ-a-phobic!  I won't let anyone in the house that has been sick, looks sick or has been around someone that is sick.  I know I can't keep every germ from entering, but I am trying my best to keep most of them out!  It's been cold so we haven't been able to go outside any, no sweat since you've been sick anyway!  Needless to say you haven't been back to daycare.  I refuse to take you and you get sick again.  I just can't do it.  I know day cares do their best to keep stuff clean, but as babies, when everything goes straight in the mouth, that just isn't possible.  So your Daddy and I have decided that we are keeping you out of daycare until at least the end of summer.  I just can't risk you being that sick again! 

We have had a great few weeks of snuggling and spending time with you!  You are sitting up on your own wonderfully and rolling everywhere now!  You finally figured out how to roll on the other side.  I'm not sure when you figured this out.  I left the room to do some laundry one day and you were on your stomach and when I came back, you were on your back.....little monkey!  There truly is no stopping you now!  You just roll wherever you want to go! 

Highlights of this month:

• You are rolling EVERYWHERE!!!

• We moved you back into your crib at the beginning of March.  You sleep in there for about half the night and then you end up with us.  I am choosing not to fight this battle right now.  I like my sleep so whatever works for us all getting sleep is the attitude I'm taking right now.  As long as you will sleep in there some, I am content. 
• You are still sitting up on your own wonderfull!  You look all grown up when you sit there and play!
• You are started crying when I leave the room.  Not bad but just a little whimper.  You don't do this with anyone else and I think it's cute!
• We both enjoy taking our naps together everyday!  That's my special snuggle time with you.  That's another battle I don't fight, you taking naps in your crib.....we will cross that bridge when we get there.
• EVERYTHING is still going in your mouth!  It's so bad.  It doesn't matter what it is, you're going to chew on it.....yet you STILL have no teeth!
• You still LOVE bath time.  You would lay in there all night if I would let you.
• You talk and jabber all day long....until you see a camera come out and then you hush!  It's like you know what the camera does and you are bound and determined that you aren't going to be caught doing anything.
• Same thing with smiling....you smile and grin all the time until you see us get the camera and then you stop. 
• You can be very serious at time.  You have these moments when you could stare a hole in someone you are so serious.  I think it's adorable!
• You have become obsessed with the dogs.  You think they are so funny when they jump on the back of the couch or in the chair.  Although they ignore you.  Occassionally one of them will walk by and give you a kiss on the cheek....(yes, this wigs some people out, but it doesn't bother me!) I figure they are showing that they love you when they give you a little lick so I try not to fuss at them unless needed.  I don't want them growing up to hate you and me have to deal with that.
• You love your bouncer.  You are now on the lowest level and we've removed the box underneath.  You are so funny in it and just talk when you are jumping. 
• You also love your walker we borrowed from Aunt Meghan.  You can only go one way and that's backwards right now.  And you are very slow at that but you like playing in it!
• You like to be read to, however, the whole time I'm reading you are trying to eat the book so reading only lasts about page before I just hand over the book.
• You are now going 5 hours inbetween nursing and won't eat not even 5 minutes early most times.  You are PICKY!

We are having so much fun wathing you learn and grow!  You are our little princess and we often times find it hard to imagine what our lives were like before you were in them!  You keep us on our toes and are the reason we strive to be better people!  We wake up every morning looking at you and go to bed every night watching you sleep on the monitor.  You are our angel and we are grateful to God for him allowing us to be your Mommy and Daddy!  We cannot wait to continue to watch you grow.  We love you to the moon and back and all the space in between! 

This is what you think of the bow....

This is what you think of pictures and we aren't even close to being done!

Beautiful!

 

Eating Oatmeal the first time-February 28, 2012

After a few nights of eating rice cereal, you didn't like it anymore. So I tried oatmeal and you LOVE IT!  You don't prefer plain but LOVE LOVE LOVE the banana! 

Happy Valentine's Day-February 14, 2012

Happy First Valentine's Day sweet pea!  Your Daddy and I have never been ones to celebrate Valentines Day. We may do a nice dinner but we have never really done presents.  I've always felt I didn't need a day set aside for your Daddy to tell me he loves me....we should be doing that every day.  We enjoyed a nice, quiet evening at home together with you!  Your Daddy cooked steaks for dinner and I prepared baked potatoes and a salad.  We took a few pictures of you this afternoon and then we spent the rest of the evening snuggling on the couch with you! We did get you a few little presents and one small thing for each other this year.  I did have fun taking your pictures and making your cute little Valentine's Day cards!

5 Months Old-February 9, 2011

5 Months Old

February 9, 2011

Happy 5 month birthday to our little princess!  We can't believe how much you've grown this month!  I was looking back and organizing some pictures earlier this week from when you were born!  You were so tiny and little and while I would love for you to be that little again, I am enjoying seeing you grow and learn each and every day! 

This past month has been wonderful being home with you!  I do miss my children at school, but that is the only thing I miss.  I do not miss all the extra stuff that goes along with teaching.  I LOVE spending all day, everyday with you.  We have our little routine down and I love you being on a schedule still! 

We spend our days playing and just enjoying being together!  You are developing the sweetest little personality! You are awake most of the day now.  We get up every morning, have breakfast, play, nap together in the chair, play some more, get supper started, nap again in the chair together, and then Daddy comes home!  When he gets home you light up!  You love him to pieces and the feeling is mutual! We spend our evenings in the floor playing with you.  You have bathtime still between 8-8:30 and then bedtime around 9!  You are still in our bedroom in your pack n play.  I plan to move you to your crib next week so we will see how that goes.  I like having you near me at night, however, I just think you are ready for your crib.  The pack n play seems a little unsturdy now that you are getting bigger. 

We have been traveling a lot this month.  We spent the last week of January in Walhalla.  We had so much fun seeing all of my family.  They just adore seeing you and spending time with you! I do wish we all lived closer, but I have to say that you get good quality time with them when we go to Walhalla and for that I am so thankful! 

You went on your first trip other than to Walhalla this past month.  We went with Daddy to a farm show in Raleigh NC with some of his students.  I was a little anxious on how you would do in the car and being off your routine, but I have to say, you did GREAT!  The only time you got fussy was at the mall that night.  We had dinner at the cheesecake factory and then walked around the mall for a while.  It was getting close to your bedtime, and you don't play around with that.  We were waiting on the kids to meet back up with us and you got quite anxious.  We got you in the car and were pulling out of the mall parking lot and you decided that you wanted to pitch a MAJOR fit.  You were screaming so bad.  You could have heard a pin drop in the rental van.  The kids were silent!  I'm sure you scared them to death!  Needless to say, the only way you would be quiet for the rest of the ride was for me to hold you.  I know that is a huge NO NO riding donw the interstate holding you, but it was either that or continue to let you lose your breath screaming and I wasn't going to do that.  Your Daddy just drove extra careful.  That is by far the worst fit you have ever pitched and I hope you never do it again! 

We had a great time!

The BIGGEST highlight of this past month came when we got home from our little trip.  Daddy and I were laying in the floor with you.  You had been trying to roll over several times but I would either stop you because your Daddy wasn't there or you wouldn't completely roll yourself....BUT, only Friday, February 3, 2012 at around 5pm, you rolled over from your back to your stomach for the FIRST TIME!  We were so excited!  And I am so happy we were both there to catch you on camera!  You wanted to roll so bad last week while we were in Walhalla, but I would stop you.  I had promised your Daddy I would make sure he was there....and he was!   You were so excited when you rolled over....and a little stunned, like you didn't quite know what to do then!  I wanted to cry!  You are growing WAY too fast!  I am so glad that you are happy and healthy, however, I wish time would slow down just a little!  Most babies I've read, roll from their stomach to their backs first, but you wanted to be different!  And, you will only roll one way, to your left.  You are such a little monkey!

A few other monthly highlights:

• You still LOVE eating your toes and playing with your feet.  You don't keep your fingers in your mouth as much...thank goodness! 
• You had another cold on February 4.  You had coughed a few times the week before but we though you had just learned to do that and were fake coughing...however, I got up Saturday morning, February 4 and you were running a temp so I took you to the doctor.  They said you had bronchilitis and sent me home and said to let it run it's course.  Your temp was low grade and never got over 100. 
• You are reaching for things like crazy and are determined to get what you want when it's in view.

We hope you continue to grow and stay healthy baby girl!  We love you to the moon and back and everything in between!

It was cold out today, so we enjoyed your 5 month birthday snuggled up inside! You did get to try one new thing today....your walker!  Actually it's a borrowed walker but none the less, you seemed to enjoy a different view of life!  You couldn't figure out what all the toys were or why you were standing upright.  After about 20 minutes in it,  you manged to move backwards but havne't mastered moving forwards yet.  I'm sure that's coming!  You were so cute in it! We ended the day snuggled in the den with Daddy and I got one of the best bedtime kisses ever!  Slobber and all!!

Rolling Over-February 3, 2012

You have been trying to roll over for about a week or more now.  You'll get your head turned all the way around and then, nothing!  You have no desire to roll from your tummy to your back, but you are all about rolling from your back to your tummy, which I've heard is harder to do!  Go my princess!

We have been in Raleigh with your Daddy and some of his FFA students for a farm show a few days this week and we got home this afternoon.  Your Daddy and I were laying with you in the floor you playing.  You tried rolling over several times and didn't succeed.  We were trying to persuade you but nothing seemed to be working so we just enjoyed relaxing and spending some down time with you. 

After a few minutes, I guess you decided you were going to prove us wrong.  You tried a few more times and never quite made it.  Then, you gave one last kick and over you went!  We were cheering for you and I am so glad I was there with the camera!  You were so excited and stunned at the same time!

We can't believe our little bitty baby is growing so fast!  We are enjoying watching you grow and seeing you learn new things so much! 
We love you to the moon and back and all the stars in between!

First Hotel Trip-February 2, 2012

We went with Daddy for a one night trip to a farm show in Raleigh NC.  I was a little skeptical how you would do being off schedule all day and how you would do sleeping in a hotel bed, but you did great!  We had a fun time!

Rice Cereal-February 1, 2012

I have been putting off starting you on rice cereal or oatmeal or any other baby food for that matter.  I just haven't wanted to do that yet. I guess I was afraid you wouldn't nurse anymore.  However, you've been showing interest in eating when your Daddy and I eat dinner for a while now, so tonight, I decided to give rice cereal a try. 

You were quite funny.  You were so unsure about a spoon at first and about the taste, which I have to admit was VERY bland, but after several bites, you were hooked! You were grabbing for the spoon towards the end!  And...by the end, you were VERY messy! We'll have to work on being neat and eating a little better!

I am so proud of you and sad at the same time!  You are growing up sooo quick!  I love you to the moon and back and all the stars in between my princess!!!