Kennedy's 30 Week Check In

Uncle Mikey is here to visit!!!  He came up Friday evening to spend the weekend with Kennedy and we are so excited to have him.  He hasn't seen Kennedy since Thanksgiving and he agrees that she is growing way too fast.  He also brought his puppy, Apollo, with him and it is official.  Kennedy loves all puppies.  :)

  How Big Is Baby?

• Kennedy is probably nearing 16 1/2 pounds.  She is growing so big and tall.
• She is flying through her 6 month wardrobe very quickly and starting to fill out her 9 month outfits already.
• Full time cloth diapering. We are out one snap on each side and one snap on the rise on all of her dipes.

Development & Milestones

• BLW is still going great!  Her grasp and coordination continues to improve.  She is doing much better with smaller pieces of food, like her puffs, but she prefers larger spears still.
• Her two bottom teeth are very visible now (and very sharp!!)
• As far as crawling goes, baby girl is still having some directional problems.  She can scoot backwards across the floor in no time, but going forward is just not happening yet.  She can get up real high on her hands and knees and rock, but when it's time to move she just flops down and kicks her legs.  It's pretty funny.  :)
• We had another first this week!!  2 actually... first, on Thursday morning, when I laid her down on her changing table, I got my very first "ma ma"... it was the sweetest thing ever!!  I was stunned at first... then I laughed and clapped and told her what a big girl she was.  She must have been very proud of herself, because she has been "ma ma"ing non-stop ever since.  I absolutely LOVE it!!
• Also, she apparently didn't want daddy to feel left out in the milestone department, so she decided to pull herself up from sitting to standing, using her Zany Zoo on Thursday night.  She now does that frequently as well.  I can't believe our little girl can pull herself up!!  I'm not quite ready for this yet, but at the same time so excited for her development!!
• Still not much forward progress in the crawling department, but going backwards must be the new going forward.  :)  I'm starting to wonder if we will have a walker before a crawler.

 

Diet/Nursing

• Nursing is going great!!
• Pumping at work was much better this week.  I actually have a 3 day weekend, so my pump and I will get to part ways for a few days.  A break from pumping is always nice.  I really commend mamas who pump exclusively.  I can't even imagine.  I do love my pump... but I love nursing my baby more and any break I get from that boobie squashing contraption is very much welcomed.
• BLW is great!!  Baby girl had meatballs, mac-n-cheese (homemade, of course), pancakes, coconut, kiwi, biscuits with homemade blackberry jam, steamed carrots, broccoli, snap peas, green beans, chicken and a few other treats this week.  It is so much fun to watch her explore food and eat.

Sleep

• Slow progress in the crib transition.  Daddy had a rough time with bed time this week, but he is sticking it out.  I am so proud of him.  It is taking up to 2-3 hours to get her to fall asleep in her crib, but he stays there, patiently, replacing her Nuk, patting her back and rolling her over for as long as it takes.  He is such an amazing, patient father.
• Sleep-wise, things are still the same.  a 1am feeding, a 5-6am feeding and then she is up for good at about 9am... although last night she decided to wake up and hang out with Uncle Mikey from 10pm-midnight.  I think I have a night owl on my hands.
• Naps have been ok.  In the crib, she naps for about 30-45 minutes.  I am trying to increase that to at least an hour, ideally two.

 
PP Mommy Check In

• Up a pound or two this weekend.  I blame my brother and all of the super salty, not-so-healthy food we have been enjoying with him around.  Last night was meatballs, home made mac-n-cheese and stuffed jalapenos.  Everything was so delicious that I decided I needed to eat more around midnight.  Bad move.  I see an extra mile (or 5) in my near future.
• Right now I am about 124 lbs.  
• *For reference, my highest pregnancy weight was 162, my pre-pregnancy weight was 130 and my goal weight is 125* 

How Is Daddy?

• Kevin had a bit of a rough week as far as bed time goes.  I could tell he was getting burnt out and frustrated by the end of the week.  Working second shift, all of the bed-time burden falls on him most of the week.  I am hoping this week goes better.

Any appointments, visitors or outings?  Anything else new?

• No appointments, nothing new really other than another awesome visit from Uncle Mike and a few amazing milestones.
•  Cloth diapering is still going great!! 

  Product Rave: 

• This week, I am a big fan of Kennedy's Zany Zoo that Great Grandma Rose sent for Christmas.  When we first got it, Kennedy just kind of batted and swatted at everything, but now she is learning how to open the doors, flip the tiles and move the toys around.  It is a really sturdy, wooden toy that is holding up very well.

 
Any upcoming developments, milestones?  What's next?

• Next up will be another visit to the pedi for the flu shot booster, fun times.
• Hopefully we will have some forward motion in the crawling department soon.  :)

 
Picture Time:

 

Kennedy with Uncle Mike

Kennedy's 29 Week Check In

First Valentine's Day has come and gone without a boy in sight.  Whew!!  Now, only about 34 more Valentine's Days to go before she can have someone other than daddy for her Valentine.  :)  So says daddy at least.  This has been another wonderful week of growing, learning, playing and loving.

 

How Big Is Baby?

• Kennedy feels like she has put on a little weight this week.  I have noticed that she is starting to feel really heavy in her ring sling after a trip to the grocery store.  I used ot be able to carry her around all day with no problem... no my little chunka munka is breaking my back after an hour or so.  :)  I wouldn't have it any other way though.
• Last week's Operation Retire All of the Cute Little Bitty Clothes is complete.  :(  I can't bear to part with them completely (and I'm hoping we will get to use them again soon anyway) so they are packed away in storage boxes for now.  But either way, they are not fitting Kennedy anymore, so away they go!!
• Full time cloth diapering. We are out one snap on each side and one snap on the rise on all of her dipes.

Development & Milestones

• BLW is still going great!  Her pincer grasp is improving a little each day.  I have been putting a few rice puffs on her tray st the start of meals, so she can work on her grasp and hand/eye and hand to mouth coordination.  She is doing great!
• Her two bottom teeth are very visible now (and very sharp!!)
• As far as crawling goes, baby girl is still having some directional problems.  She can scoot backwards across the floor in no time, but going forward is just not happening yet.  She can get up real high on her hands and knees and rock, but when it's time to move she just flops down and kicks her legs.  It's pretty funny.  :)

 

Diet/Nursing

• Nursing is going great!!
• Pumping at work is also going well, but I am noticing my supply starting to drop ever so slightly.  I had a stretch of a few days where I was unable to pump at all during my shift and I'm not sure if this is to blame or if baby girl is taking less during each nursing session because she is eating more solids.  Either way, I have noticed a small difference and I am kind of torn about this.  Part of me is ok with it because I know that the less I nurse/pump the sooner that we will be able to start trying for baby number 2, which we would like to do soon.  On the other hand, I really really love nursing and will be sad if this stops any time soon.  I guess we will just have to see how it goes.
• BLW is still going well.  This week she had toast, kiwi, meatball, chicken, cucumber, pears, baked potato (which she promptly turned into mashed potato), broccoli, pancakes and waffles.

Sleep

• Still working on the crib transition.  Some nights are great, some nights not so great.  I am not a fan of cry-it-out, so I try to comfort or soothe her when she fusses and if it is just not working I bring her back in our room.  At some point, I always end up putting her in our room.  Eventually, before she goes to college I hope, she will end up sleeping a full night in her own room, but for now I am ok with having her close.
• Sleep-wise, things are still the same.  a 1am feeding, a 5-6am feeding and then she is up for good at about 9am.
• Naps have been ok.  I have napped with her a few times and she will sleep for 2 hours... but naps alone in her crib have had a max of 45 minutes... usually closer to 30.
• I'm learning that this little girl is a snuggle muffin and just doesn't sleep as well when she isn't super close to someone.  Many people say this is a bad habit, and I'm hoping in time she will sleep better on her own, in her crib... but for right now, at this age, if having us close gives her comfort, then so be it.  To be truthful, having her close gives me comfort too.  I think I need her just as much as she needs me.

 
PP Mommy Check In

• Same old, same old.  I'm still really torn on the gym thing.  I really really want to join the YMCA, but I'm just astounded by their prices.  I have made a pros/cons list comparing the Y with Golds and I am really just stuck.  I think eventually, I am just going to say "the heck with it" and go to Golds... but for now, the debate continues.
• Right now I am about 122 lbs.  
• *For reference, my highest pregnancy weight was 162, my pre-pregnancy weight was 130 and my goal weight is 125* 

How Is Daddy?

• Kevin is doing awesome!!  He is the master of bath time, story time and bed time.  The past few nights I have come home from work and baby girl has been asleep in her own room!!  I know this hasn't been an easy task for him, but he is doing really great!!

Any appointments, visitors or outings?  Anything else new?

• No appointments, nothing new really other than a first Valentine's Day.
•  Cloth diapering is still going great!! 

  Product Rave: 

• This week, I am loving our new knee high socks.  Baby socks are ridiculous and this girl can wiggle out of her in 3 seconds.  Knee high socks at least last a solid 3 minutes. 

 
Any upcoming developments, milestones?  What's next?

• Next up will be another visit to the pedi for the flu shot booster, fun times.
• Hopefully we will have some forward motion in the crawling department soon.  :)

   
Picture Time:

 Lucy was all over Kennedy for these pictures.  She is such a camera hog, lol.

Kennedy's 28 Week Check In

I thought the first 6 months flew by... well time sure isn't slowing down any time soon.  This has been such a fun week watching baby girl continue to learn and grow.  I love love LOVE being a mommy.
 

 How Big Is Baby?

• Kennedy is 16 pounds and really tall/long for her age/weight.  Long and lean!
• Tonight, daddy and I will be going through her clothes again.  We will likely be retiring any random pieces of 3 month clothing that are left and even putting away some of her 6 month sleepers since they are starting to become too short.  So sad!!
• Full time cloth diapering. We are out one snap on each side and one snap on the rise on all of her dipes.

Development & Milestones

• BLW is still going great!  Her grasp is getting better as is her hand-to-mouth coordination.
• Her two bottom teeth are about 1/2 way up.  They are so cute (and sharp!!).  I feel a top tooth below the surface, but I think it will be a while before they poke through.
• Kennedy can crawl backwards at light speed.  She pushes herself up in a push up, slides back then repeats.  She can get all the way across the room doing this.  It's really funny.  She still can't quite go forward yet, but she can scooch around backwards like it's nobody's business.

 

Diet/Nursing

• Nursing is going great!!  I have really come to enjoy my nursing time with Kennedy and it has really started to hit me that I am going to be very sad when it's time to wean.  I have enough milk stored to last her for a long long LONG while (I may even need to donate some), but it's the special closeness, the bond that we share when I hold her close and nurse her that I am going to miss so much.  I am not planning to wean any time soon... I'm hoping to be able to do it on her schedule, when she is ready.
• Pumping at work is also going well.
• Another great week for eating.  She has tried so many new things that it is hard to remember what is new this week.  Some things she has enjoyed: chicken, mango, red pepper hummus, apples, pears, bananas, sweet potatoes and today at Chili's a little taste of salsa and a french fry.

Sleep

• As I type this, baby girl is sleeping in her crib, at night, for the first time.  We have done lots of naps in there, but when it's time to put her down for the night, I always chicken out and bring her into our room in the pack and play.  Her room (right next to ours, literally) just seems so far away.  I just didn't feel ready yet.  To be honest, I'm not sure if I will ever feel ready, but I thought tonight was a good night to at least try.
• Sleep-wise, things are about the same.  She seems to wake up consistently at about 1am (he time that I get home from work) and at about 5-6am (the time that Kevin leaves for work) and then is up for good around 8:30-9am.  I might sound completely crazy, but I really don't mind the middle of the night wake up calls and feedings.  Some day, likely very soon, she won't need me like that any more, so I am trying to savor and enjoy these moments.
• Naps have been so-so this week.  The 2-3-4 schedule works great... when it fits into our schedule.  This week should be better, fingers crossed.

 
PP Mommy Check In

• Same weight, nothing new there.  Kevin and I researched a few different gyms in the area and have decided to enroll in a program through our health insurance.  This program will give us the option to use several different gyms in our area.  I NEED to start working out again.  For myself, for my body, for my energy level, for my baby.  
• Right now I am about 122 lbs.  
• *For reference, my highest pregnancy weight was 162, my pre-pregnancy weight was 130 and my goal weight is 125* 

How Is Daddy?

• Kevin is doing great as always.  We were able to enjoy a great weekend together as a family.

Any appointments, visitors or outings?  Anything else new?

• Another great week full of growing, learning and loving.  Nothing particularly exciting, but at the same time, every day is a new adventure.
•  Cloth diapering is still going great!! 

  Product Rave: 

• This week I am falling back in love with our Aiden and Anais swaddles.  After a couple of rough nap days, I have retreated back to swaddling the babe.  Hey, it works.  :)

 
Any upcoming developments, milestones?  What's next?

• Nothing new on the horizon as far as appointments go.
• Milestones, we are waiting for her to start moving forward, but she is much more interested in scooting around backwards at the moment.  :)

 
Picture Time:

 This girl LOVES her Lucy.  :)

Recipe x2: Super Bowl Dishes

I won't be enjoying much of the Super Bowl this year since I have to work... but my wonderful evening crew is having a party anyway.  I originally offered to bring in some Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar Monkey Bread, since I saw an awesome sounding recipe the other day for this... but then a recipe for Loaded Apple Nachos caught my eye.  I really couldn't decide, so this morning... with Kevin's help... I made both!  Problem solved.  :)

Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar Monkey Bread

• 2 cans of biscuits (refrigerated section), quartered
• 1 brick of cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 brick of pepperjack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup of bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 cup of chopped fresh jalapeno
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toss 1/3 of the biscuit quarters in the melted butter.  Spread them in a layer in the bottom of a 9x13 deep pan or glass dish.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese, bacon and jalapeno on top.  Repeat with another layer of biscuits then toppings, then a third layer.  Bake at 350 for approx 40-45 minutes or until top layer is golden brown.  Serve with ranch for dipping.  Yum!!

 Loaded Apple Nachos

• 4 large apples
• caramel
• chocolate
• coconut
• pecans
• any other toppings that suit your fancy

Thinly slice (or use a peeler/slicer to save some time) your apples (I always toss in a little lemon juice to prevent browning) and arrange them in a thin layer.  Top with caramel, chocolate and other toppings.  Place another layer on top and repeat as many times as you'd like.  

Obviously, NOBODY wants to work through the Super Bowl... but if you have to, having some yummy food around to enjoy makes it a little easier.  :) 

Kennedy's 27 Week Check In

You know... when I first started doing these weekly check ins, I wasn't sure how long it would last.  When your baby is very new, you count their age in weeks.  After a certain point, you start counting in months (because people give you the deer-in-headlights look when they ask "how old" and you respond "17 weeks").  I thought maybe I would do weekly ones until she turned 6 months and then I would switch to monthly... but I'm just not ready yet.  And, to be honest, it feels sometimes like so much happens in one week that I don't want to forget.  So, here we are.  6 months old and another weekly check in.  They really do grow so fast, I want to be sure to cherish, celebrate and remember every magical moment.

How Big Is Baby?

• Kennedy weighed 15lb 15oz at her check up on Wednesday.  I'm sure, by now, she has packed on that extra ounce and is 16 pounds!!  
• She was 28.5 inches long on Wednesday.
• % wise, she is still >97% for length and around 50ish for weight.  Baby girl is long and lean, just like her mama.  
• Almost all of her 3 month clothes have been retired, onesies and pants included now.  She can still wear some of her 3 month dresses, mostly as tunics though with pants underneath.  For the most part, she is in 6 and 6-9 month clothes.
• Full time cloth diapering. One size and smalls with two medium fleece soakers. We are starting to move out and snap and have gone up one row in rise in all of the diapers.

Development & Milestones

• Well I think a half birthday is a pretty fabulous milestone!!  
• We have 2 teeth now.  Two bottom teeth.  They are just barely through, but they are there!
• BLW is still going great, see also below for details.
• K is working really hard on crawling.  She has the mini-push up down, she rocks back and forth sometimes and she can even go backwards... but forward crawling... notsomuch. 

 

Diet/Nursing

• Nursing is still going great!  
• Pumping at work has been so-so this week.  There were a few days where I couldn't pump at all which was misery!!  Thankfully, my supply is strong enough that it has not been affected.  I am still able to pump about 15oz at a time when I do pump.
• This week has been a great week for BLW.  Baby girl ate broccoli at her half birthday dinner and LOVED it.  She also tried an apple slice, zucchini and squash.

Sleep

• Night time sleep has been pretty good.  She is waking up on her own around 8:30 or 9am and we take our time in the morning (biggest benefit to me working evenings).
• Naps have been pretty good too.  I have been trying to stick to the 2-3-4 schedule and she seems to do well with it, although she would much rather snuggle and nap with me then in her crib.  I have noticed that when I let her nap with me or even just in my bed, she will sleep for 2+ hours... in her crib, it;s about 30 minutes.  I have to work on this, for sure.

 
PP Mommy Check In

• Holding steady at my weight.  I started looking into gyms this week and am hoping to decide on a gym with Kevin next weekend.  I really miss working out and really really miss running.  Since the weather is just not condusive to my favorite outdoor activities, I need to change to indoors.
• Right now I am about 122 lbs.  
• *For reference, my highest pregnancy weight was 162, my pre-pregnancy weight was 130 and my goal weight is 125* 

How Is Daddy?

• Kevin had a great week.  He has the hang of dinner, bath and bed time.  I am so very lucky to have such a wonderful husband and father to our little girl.  He rocks!

Any appointments, visitors or outings?  Anything else new?

• Kennedy's 6 month appointment on Wednesday went great!!  The doctor said she is growing beautifully and that her development is right on track, even ahead in some areas like sitting!!  This, of course, makes my daughter a genius.  lol.  Shots went as good as can be expected.  She cried for a minute or two, but was back to her cute and curious self before the nurse left the room.
•  Cloth diapering is going great!  I have been experimenting more with fitteds and they are growing on me.  I have also switched to cloth wipes, which I love!!

  Product Rave: 

• My super cute custom burp cloths from Lou Bugs Boutique on Etsy.  I picked out the fabric and sent it in to have them made.  They turned out pretty adorable if I do say so myself.

 
Any upcoming developments, milestones?  What's next?

• Baby girl will have a full day with the sitter on Tuesday.  It's been a while since she spent a full day with Miss Nicole, but I'm sure she will do awesome!

  
Picture Time!!