Happy 10 months, Olive!

Age: 10 months
Weight: 21 lbs. (69th percentile)
Height: ~28 1/2 inches (56th percentile)
Clothing: sizes 9 & 12 months
Head circumference: 18 inches (82nd percentile)
Sleeping: Her upper incisors are coming in so that has affected her sleep. Some nights she wakes once and some nights she sleeps right through until morning. She still naps in my arms. She takes 2-3 naps per day.
Eating habits: Nursing. Eating solids twice a day. She prefers eating what we do and doesn't care too much for pureed foods. She loves grapes!
Favorite activity: She loves to give her pups kisses, but sometimes she likes to kick them as she walk by. She enjoys kicking balls or plastic snap ware around the house. She likes throwing or rolling the ball to us. She loves trying on our shoes. She loves to make noise or "play music" by hitting two or more objects together. She loves to dance.
Cutest Moment of the Month: Walking really fast to the door when she hears Papa coming home and when she dances!
Milestones:

Goes from stomach to sitting position

• Sits by falling down
• Recovers balance easily while sitting
• Lifts one foot to take a step while standing
• Comprehends "bye-bye"
• Says "dada" or "mama" with meaning
• Says one other word beside "mama" and "dada" (hi, bye, no, go)
• Waves bye
• Object permanence begins to develop
• Repeats actions that attract attention
• Plays interactive games such a "pat-a-cake"
• Enjoys being read to and follows pictures in books

Firsts: She went to the library and storytime for the 1st time. She had her 1st cold. Taking more of your first unassisted steps!
Updates: Olive is crawling now! She started army crawling right at 9 months and then about a week ago she started crawling. She sometimes still picks up that one foot, but she is learning to get around any way she can. Her preferred method of movement is still walking assisted. She started saying Mama, Ma, Mum again and refers to Dad as Bah. She kisses when I ask for one. She hates being told "No" and when I try to redirect her from a No No area. She tries to bite me when I tell her "No" or pull her arm away from something she shouldn't be touching. She points a lot now. She dances and it's the best. She enjoys story time and it's a nice place for her to socialize with other babies. It's amazing how time flies and we're now planning a birthday party for our vivacious daughter.

Olive crawls & dances

Olive finally started crawling this past month. At times she still keeps one knee off the ground, but hey whatever works to get from point A to point B. I'm still so nervous she is going to bonk her head on the travertine floor on the 1st floor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdsLwD7Lv0c

And she dances too! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bISw4v-Kaus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf8vwyevO5I

Tired

I'm tired. This mommy business has been rough the past few days. I know, I know. This too shall pass, but it's hard to see that when you are in the thick of it. It's like a 9-month test, a test that measures if I'm really cut out for this. She consumes all of my time. I'm a stay-at-home mama. This is my job. But this is a job where I don't get to clock out, I don't get to leave. I feel like I'm doing most of the work. Is that normal? Is that a mom's role? Sure Dan helps out the best he can, but this kid only wants me and it drives me crazy sometimes. She looks for me when I step away, while in her dad's arms she stares at me until I acknowledge her, I'm the only one who can do bed time.

After a night of my kid not wanting to fall asleep until11:30 p.m., a failed attempt at CIO and then her waking at 6:00 a.m. and screaming her head off when I went to put her back in her crib, then trying to sleep on the glider with a very active sleeping infant I woke up this morning with the thought of wanting to run away. I must have hit that point that many parents do.

It's not just her. It's everything.

I'm tired of having a high-needs baby who only wants me all.the.time.
I'm tired of sleepless nights.
I'm tired of my unorganized home.
I'm tired of three-story living.
I'm tired of my husband's starving artist career.
I'm tired of the messy garage.
I'm tired of having a sore back and sore knees.
I'm tired of carrying a 21 lb. baby.
I'm tired of having to care for 2 geriatric dogs.
I'm tired of naps being taken in my arms.
I'm tired of not being able to clean house because naps are taken in my arms.
I'm tired of being the only one capable of cleaning the house.
I'm tired of only having 1 car.
I'm tired of having an unfinished nursery.
I'm tired of said nursery being in the open loft.
I'm tired of in-laws.
I'm tired of not having any "me" time.
I'm tired of rushing through showers.
I'm tired of not being able to fix my hair.
I'm tired of always having to entertain my child.
I'm tired of being a parent.
I'm tired of the responsibility.
I'm tired of having someone depend on me.
I'm just tired.

After a quick breakfast & potty break, I was able to see past the rough days/nights and smile at and laugh with my daughter. I know I'll have these moments. I know it's normal. It sucks to feel all of this, but it feels good to get it all out too. It's hard not letting the little things get to me.

I'm always telling mommies to be sure to take time for themselves. It looks like I need to take my own advice. And maybe I won't run away just yet, but I just might have to rethink having another. ;-)

Olive being Olive

I just wanted to share 2 videos of my girl.

The first was taken a few weeks ago and it is her reaction to her new car seat. I just love that high-pitched sound she makes. It's kind of her thing. She does it all the time and it makes everyone laugh.

And the second is just Olive being Olive and her amazing laughter. :)

Happy 9 months, Olive!

Age: 9 months

Weight: 21 lbs. (84th percentile)

Height: 27.75 inches (57th percentile)
Clothing: sizes 9 & 12 months and some 6 month onesies.

Head circumference: 17.91 inches (88th percentile)

Sleeping: Again, many nights this month have been spent on the glider. I think her teeth have been irritating her and she wakes up screaming in the middle of the night. Naps are still taken in mama's arms and kind of off schedule. I used to know when nap time would be, but now they are kind of all over the place.

Eating habits: Nursing. She is eating solids twice a day (lunch & dinner) with snacks in between. Right now she prefers fruit over vegetables and prefers cut up fruits/vegetables over pureed food. I don't blame her.

Favorite activity: She loves "walking" around the house, biting on everything and her stackable cups. She enjoys playing in her PNP. She loves Murray from Sesame Street and Po from Kung Fu Panda. She enjoys petting (a little too hard sometimes) her siblings and chasing them around the house.

Cutest Moment of the Month: Walking and seeing her face light up when she takes those steps. Fake coughing to get attention from somebody and laughing out loud because she thinks it's funny. And when she pulls my shirt out and looks inside or bites the outside of my shirt to let me know she wants to nurse. :)

Milestones:

Begins crawling

Pulls up to standing position from sitting

Sits for a prolonged time (10minutes)

May develop a preference for use of one hand

Uses thumb and index finger to pick up objects

Responds to simple verbal commands

Comprehends "no no"

Increased interest in pleasing parents

Puts arms in front of face to avoid having it washed

Firsts: She got her 1st tooth at about 8.5 months and the 2nd bottom one came out today. She fell asleep on her Papa for the 1st time and has done it a few times now. And you took your 1st unassisted steps last night, but we didn't get it on camera. Next time! She pulled herself up to the ottoman and is continuing to practice pulling herself up on things.

Updates: Olive is a talker. I think she's going to be a lot like her daddy and will enjoy making me laugh. :) She started cruising this month and actually took her 1st unassisted steps last night (1 day before her 9 month birthday!). She stands unassisted for a few seconds. Thanks to the help of her mama, her dinosaur walker, her walking wings and Olive's determination I think she'll be walking really soon. Aaaah! My anxiety level went up a ton. Now that she knows she can get around by "walking" she absolutely hates her RNP which is where I used to have her sit while I bathed. I think it's the reclined position that she hates which is one reason we switched her to a convertible car seat. She prefers it over her infant car seat right now. She is beginning to sit up from a lying down position. She still has not crawled, but has begun putting one knee up kind of like in a frog pose if that makes sense. My mom said I didn't like putting my knees on the ground when I was a baby and Olive is the same way. She started clapping and dancing and it is absolutely adorable. She waves hi/bye. She loves to cough to get our attention and when we respond with a cough she just cracks up. Her laughter is amazing and contagious. She's a mama's girl. Even though it wears me out at times I kind of love it because I know that one day all she'll want is daddy. I'll enjoy this moment while it lasts. I just love this little girl and can't imagine my life without her. It's amazing how much she has changed in just one month!

Olive & her great grandma

Olive only has 1 living great grandmother.

Olive has visited with her two times since she has been born.

Olive loves her Ouida. :)

It is so rare for Olive to be comfortable around others so we found it funny how much she enjoys visiting with her great grandmother.

They have a special relationship. :)

I love this picture.

5 months

8 months

As we're walking out Olive placed a hand on her. So sweet.

Olive's 1st Fourth of July

Olive spent her 1st Independence Day at the farmhouse.

this pic was taken when we returned from Houston

Just me and my girl

There was a fire ban so no fireworks this year, but maybe next year.

Happy 8 months, Olive!

Age: 8 months

Weight: 20 lbs. 10 oz. (80th percentile)

Height: 27 1/2 inches (59th percentile)
Clothing: sizes 6, 9 & 12 months.

Head circumference: ~17 inches (33rd percentile)

Sleeping: Many nights this month were spent on the glider, but for the most part she wakes once a night. Sometimes I'm able to put her back in her crib without her crying and other times I find myself co-sleeping on the glider the next morning. We're still battling nap time. She still sleeps on me. :-/ She wakes and screams a lot as soon as I put her in her crib or PNP for nap time. And once she is awake and screaming there is no calming her without picking her up. So I either hold her and have nap or attempt to put her in her crib for naps and she wakes up and is missing her nap time. Ugh. I've tried to let her CIO (cry it out) for nap time, but it didn't work for either of us.

Eating habits: Nursing. Sometimes she has milk from a bottle when I'm away or we are out and about (we don't NIP). She is eating solids once a day. I'm thinking about offering her solids twice a day.

Favorite activity: She is a chatty one...just like Papa. She enjoys bath time and playing with her toys and wash cloths. She likes her stackable cups, reading her books and chewing on about every hard object she can find.

Cutest Moment of the Month: "Riding" the horse at the store, Mimicking when I scratched and tapped the block and trying to put a shape in her shape sorter.

Milestones:

Sits well without support

Bears weight on legs and may stand holding on to furniture

Adjusts posture to reach an object

Picks up objects using index, fourth, and fifth finger against thumb

Able to release objects

Pulls string to obtain object

Reaches for toys that are out of reach

Listens selectively to familiar words

Begins combining syllables like "mama" and "dada" but does not attach a meaning

Understands the word no (but does not always obey it!)

Dislikes diaper change and being dressed

Firsts: She enjoyed her first dip in Nana & PohPoh's pool. She has waved. She says "Mama" more, "Da" and "BahBah" when she sees Baby Dan or Sissy (we call Baby Dan "Bubba"). She began mimicking me with action and words. She enjoyed her first "pony ride" on a quarter machine at the store. :)

Updates: She sits better unassisted, but I'm still not comfortable leaving her by herself. She has been standing unassisted and loves to "walk". She holds onto our fingers or we hold onto her and she takes steps. Now that she knows she can get around with our assistance she doesn't want to sit for long. She has found a way to get off the couch. She'll sit on my lap, lean her body forward until she is facing the couch and slide down. She is easily frustrated like her Papa and she is stubborn like her Mama. She has been getting these red bumps on her arms and legs. For the longest time I thought they were mosquito bites, a heat rash or maybe an allergic reaction to detergent. We took her to the pediatrician and he said they are viral hives and nothing to worry about & they are not contagious. Hives occur when the body releases histamine, it's the bodies way of reacting when it thinks there is an allergy. Although they look awful at times she doesn't seem bothered by them.

Father's Day 2012

For Dan's first Father's Day Olive and I made him a coffee mug. It has pictures of just the two of them from the day she was born up until maybe she was 6.5 months old. It reads Papa and Olive. :) He loves it.

I captured these pics of Olive for Dan. It was hard work trying to get her to pose with these letters. I just love the way it turned out! I love her expression and how she is holding the "D" in the 3rd pic.

I wish I had thought about doing a MOM pic for Mother's Day. There's always next year. :)

Just a sweet moment between Papa and Olive.

She never does this. :)

Melts my heart.

Happy Father's Day to a wonderful Dad.

We all love you!

What Olive has been up to

Olive has been a busy little girl.

She took a dip for the first time in Nana and Poh Poh's pool.

She started waving a few weeks ago.

Olive waves

And when she was tired of waving she shooed me away. LOL

No more waving

She has been chatting up a storm.

She is moving backwards on her play mat, but not crawling yet.

She copies Mama.

Olive mimics Mama

She enjoys a good book every now and then. :)

And she still makes time to enjoy horseback riding. :)