A bit late on this one - I am going to blame the holiday! :)
A,
As I posted over the holiday weekend, what I think is one of the most adorable pictures of you, you are our little firecracker! Your personality is really shining through and I love watching you grow! You are also now officially a WALKER! You took you first steps on June 22, 2014. And the good little eater that you are, what got you to walk for your first time, was a plum! Which you really enjoyed :) You LOVE food, you could eat all day long if we let you! You eat almost everything we give you, the only thing I think you have thrown away was some chicken. But if it is a fruit, veggie, or carb, watch out, because you will eat it in a second!
You also have been using sign language a lot more this month! We have done the signs for you but this month you really started to use them. You now will do milk, more, and food. You also made up your own sign for come here which you use often! You also love to point. This is your main means of communication. You point, and make some noise to let us know what you want! It is pretty adorable :)
You are also talking a lot more. Most of it is still babble, that I know in your mind, you are telling us something! But, you also will say real words, your favorite at the moment is, uh oh! You make the cutest face when you say it as well. Though Daddy's favorite, is when he says, maniacal laugh, you will do a bahahaha laugh! Again, so adorable, but not sure we should have taught you a maniacal laugh!
This month we also got your photos done with Grandma (my mom). I have a picture of me when I was a baby with my Mom and Grandma, so I wanted to make sure you would have a similar picture. Grandma also came up and spent almost a whole week with you! You had a great time playing with her and Grandpa (my dad)! And got very spoiled every day :) You light up whenever you see your Grandma, and I am loving watching this relationship grow and see how much you guys love each other.
Sleep... we don't know what that is in our house! You still wake up 1-2 times a night. Daddy will get you the first wake up and rock you back to sleep, and I will get you on the second one to feed and rock you. You wake up anywhere from 5:30am-7am for the day. I know at some point you will sleep through the night, but you don't seem to inclined to do so at the moment. And that is ok, I will take my extra cuddles, because I know when they are gone, I will really miss them!
You also started to go poo on the potty this month! This makes Mommy VERY happy as it is one less diaper to clean! It is more elimination communication than potty training as you just make your "poo" face and I put you on the potty. But still, makes me happy and you seem to like sitting on the potty. I have a great picture I will use to embarrass you later in life of you sitting on the potty reading a book!
Your teachers at daycare are constantly telling me how smart you are! And you really are! I can just see your mind working and trying to figure out the world. When you see a problem, you just set your mind to it, and come up with a solution. Your latest, has been to use Daddy's chair to be your walker to help get where you want to go. You also have learned how to climb up on things, which means that Mommy and Daddy are in trouble as now you can walk and climb on anything!
You got 4 teeth this month as well! The middle four of your top teeth came in. Your smile just keeps getting cuter and cuter each day! They did not follow the normal patter coming in either. Normally, they come in middle two and then side two, but you got your far right tooth in first (right eye tooth), then middle right, then middle left, and the middle eye tooth just popped through last weekend!
We love you so much, and you continue to make us happier than we even thought possible. When you laugh, it is the most amazing sound I have ever heard, and I just want to do anything to make you laugh again. When you crawl up to me and hold on to my pant legs, I just love it! If I could, I would cuddle, hug, and kiss you all day long! Though now you are starting to want to cuddle less and explore more, which makes me sad and excited at the same time. We will love you always and forever!
Mommy
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Disney World Trip!
This past May, I went to DISNEYWORLD!! If you couldn't tell from the caps, I was pretty excited about. As a long time, Disney and Disneyland fan, I have always wanted to go to Disney World. So, when my friend and I saw that a conference was happening in Orlando, we made sure to put in a proposal to present so we could attend. Well, they accepted our proposal (because we are awesome) and suddenly my dreams of going were a reality!
I convinced my husband that this was a great opportunity and that we should turn it in to a family vacation. At first, he was hesitant, as he did not want to take our 9 month old daughter on a long plane ride. I got where he was coming from, but I could tell she would be a good traveler and thought we would be ok. So, he finally agreed and the planning began! Aurora did awesome the whole trip, I was so proud of what a good traveler she really is!! :)
We decided to stay on resort (helps that the conference hotel was sold out) and ended up going with the Fort Wilderness Cabins. We originally were going to stay at another hotel, but my Mom was also going to join us and felt a standard hotel room would be a bit cramped! So, she upgraded us to the Cabins!
The Fort Wilderness Resort was AWESOME! It did make more sense to be there with so many people as we had a full kitchen, a full bathroom, and my Mom had a cool murphy bed in the living room! That way, we each had our own space, and a night, we could put Aurora down in the bedroom, and we could still be up chatting and getting ready for the next day without bothering her. The resort also had an awesome restaurant, Trail's End, which had a wonderful dinner buffet. We liked it so much we went twice! We didn't leave ourselves any free days, so we did not get to utilize the resort as much as we would have liked. So, we will definitely be returning here someday!!
Our first day, we went to Epcot. I was like a child that morning as I was SO excited! When the bus pulled up that said Epcot, I literally squealed in excitement! We were on our way to our first park!! The bus was a pretty quick ride (the whole bus system is awesome and really makes staying on a resort worth it)! As soon as we pulled up, I saw the huge iconic ball, and was thrilled beyond belief! We got in pretty quickly and high tailed it to the World Showcase. I kept thinking, wow, it is so calm today, no one is here, this is amazing! Well, come to find out the World Showcase doesn't open until 11! No wonder no one was there yet! So, we made our way back to the front, and did the space ride (well Aurora and my Mom sat that one out!) and it was really fun. Then we walked over to the Nemo Ride with our fastpass. It was a fun ride which Aurora loved but what she really loved was the huge aquarium that you end at! I had no idea they had an aquarium! We saw rays, turtles, manatees, dolphins, and so many other fish. Aurora, was in love with the aquarium! I think she would have been happy there all day! But, it was now past 11, and I knew Princess Aurora was going to be in France and I needed my Aurora to meet the princess, so we hiked it over to the World Showcase! We spent the rest of the day here and LOVED it. All the countries, all the food, all the excitement! We also got to meet Mulan, who was so good with Aurora and spent a lot of time with her! We also did the ride in Norway which was similar to Pirates. We ended the night with their firework show which was really cool. Aurora again surprised me as she wasn't phased at all! It was SO loud, and if I didn't already know she could hear, I would worry she was deaf as she did not react at all to the noise! After the show, we made our way back to our cabin to get ready for the next day!
The Animal Kingdom was next. This became my Mom and Jon's favorite of the parks. I sadly was only there for a couple hours as I had to leave early to go present (you know, the whole reason we got to come here in the first place...!). I couldn't get a fastpass for the safari so we ran to that first as it was the one thing I really wanted to do! Luckily, it wasn't crowded again, and we got on in 15 minutes! It was a very cool ride! They actually drive you around their open park area where the animals are just chillin. The animals were actually really close to us and we saw a ton, the coolest being the elephants! After, we walked through one of the trails that they have to see more animals. We also then rushed to the Dinosaur area so we could ride the Dinosaur ride, which was really fun!
The next day, we actually went off Disney property and went to Universal Studios, Island of Adventure! Basically, we were going for one part of the park, Harry Potter!! And it was better than I imagined! They really have made the books and movie come to life there! The castle ride they have is probably one of the best rides I have ever taken (sorry, Disney!)! We loved it so much we rode it twice (and I really was trying for a third time!). Just walking down the street and seeing Honeydukes, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Express, eating lunch and drinking ButterBeer at the three broomsticks, was absolutely amazing. The only bummer was the that we missed the opening of Diagon Alley by 2 weeks! But that just means we will have to come back :)
Our last full day of our trip, we saved for the Magic Kingdom! I am glad we saved it for last because it was a FULL day! We met a ton of characters (Ariel, Tinkerbell, Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White, Belle, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and more I am forgetting!). I really liked the new Fantasyland that they have. Having all the castles there just makes it look so magical. I think my favorite ride though was the People Mover, because I loved that ride at Disneyland, and because Aurora LOVED it! She laughed and smiled the whole time! It was so cute! We also did Jungle Cruise, Pirates (totally not the same as Disneyland!), Ariel's ride, and I think others but now I am forgetting! We also did the Tiki Room, which was another big hit with Aurora! And my favorite, getting Dole Whip after! Then we watched their Castle and Firework show. The castle show, if very, very cool! They put all these images on the castle and it was amazing what they could do and they even made it appear as if it were moving at times! We kept meaning to leave, but, then would get caught up by something, like the shows, or buying presents, or seeing a sign for Snow White and "Princess" which I had to go see! So, we were there for a good 12 hours and I loved every minute! Oh, totally forgot to mention we also got to eat at Be Our Guest! This is the Beast's castle and they have three rooms decorated just like from the movie. It was again, amazing! Best part though was having dessert, I had - "try the gray stuff, its delicious!" and it really was! :)
Overall, this trip was better than I even imagined. I knew I would love it, but I loved it so much! I can't wait until we can plan our next trip out there as there is still so much to see!! :)
I convinced my husband that this was a great opportunity and that we should turn it in to a family vacation. At first, he was hesitant, as he did not want to take our 9 month old daughter on a long plane ride. I got where he was coming from, but I could tell she would be a good traveler and thought we would be ok. So, he finally agreed and the planning began! Aurora did awesome the whole trip, I was so proud of what a good traveler she really is!! :)
We decided to stay on resort (helps that the conference hotel was sold out) and ended up going with the Fort Wilderness Cabins. We originally were going to stay at another hotel, but my Mom was also going to join us and felt a standard hotel room would be a bit cramped! So, she upgraded us to the Cabins!
The Fort Wilderness Resort was AWESOME! It did make more sense to be there with so many people as we had a full kitchen, a full bathroom, and my Mom had a cool murphy bed in the living room! That way, we each had our own space, and a night, we could put Aurora down in the bedroom, and we could still be up chatting and getting ready for the next day without bothering her. The resort also had an awesome restaurant, Trail's End, which had a wonderful dinner buffet. We liked it so much we went twice! We didn't leave ourselves any free days, so we did not get to utilize the resort as much as we would have liked. So, we will definitely be returning here someday!!
Our first day, we went to Epcot. I was like a child that morning as I was SO excited! When the bus pulled up that said Epcot, I literally squealed in excitement! We were on our way to our first park!! The bus was a pretty quick ride (the whole bus system is awesome and really makes staying on a resort worth it)! As soon as we pulled up, I saw the huge iconic ball, and was thrilled beyond belief! We got in pretty quickly and high tailed it to the World Showcase. I kept thinking, wow, it is so calm today, no one is here, this is amazing! Well, come to find out the World Showcase doesn't open until 11! No wonder no one was there yet! So, we made our way back to the front, and did the space ride (well Aurora and my Mom sat that one out!) and it was really fun. Then we walked over to the Nemo Ride with our fastpass. It was a fun ride which Aurora loved but what she really loved was the huge aquarium that you end at! I had no idea they had an aquarium! We saw rays, turtles, manatees, dolphins, and so many other fish. Aurora, was in love with the aquarium! I think she would have been happy there all day! But, it was now past 11, and I knew Princess Aurora was going to be in France and I needed my Aurora to meet the princess, so we hiked it over to the World Showcase! We spent the rest of the day here and LOVED it. All the countries, all the food, all the excitement! We also got to meet Mulan, who was so good with Aurora and spent a lot of time with her! We also did the ride in Norway which was similar to Pirates. We ended the night with their firework show which was really cool. Aurora again surprised me as she wasn't phased at all! It was SO loud, and if I didn't already know she could hear, I would worry she was deaf as she did not react at all to the noise! After the show, we made our way back to our cabin to get ready for the next day!
The Animal Kingdom was next. This became my Mom and Jon's favorite of the parks. I sadly was only there for a couple hours as I had to leave early to go present (you know, the whole reason we got to come here in the first place...!). I couldn't get a fastpass for the safari so we ran to that first as it was the one thing I really wanted to do! Luckily, it wasn't crowded again, and we got on in 15 minutes! It was a very cool ride! They actually drive you around their open park area where the animals are just chillin. The animals were actually really close to us and we saw a ton, the coolest being the elephants! After, we walked through one of the trails that they have to see more animals. We also then rushed to the Dinosaur area so we could ride the Dinosaur ride, which was really fun!
The next day, we actually went off Disney property and went to Universal Studios, Island of Adventure! Basically, we were going for one part of the park, Harry Potter!! And it was better than I imagined! They really have made the books and movie come to life there! The castle ride they have is probably one of the best rides I have ever taken (sorry, Disney!)! We loved it so much we rode it twice (and I really was trying for a third time!). Just walking down the street and seeing Honeydukes, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Express, eating lunch and drinking ButterBeer at the three broomsticks, was absolutely amazing. The only bummer was the that we missed the opening of Diagon Alley by 2 weeks! But that just means we will have to come back :)
Our last full day of our trip, we saved for the Magic Kingdom! I am glad we saved it for last because it was a FULL day! We met a ton of characters (Ariel, Tinkerbell, Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White, Belle, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and more I am forgetting!). I really liked the new Fantasyland that they have. Having all the castles there just makes it look so magical. I think my favorite ride though was the People Mover, because I loved that ride at Disneyland, and because Aurora LOVED it! She laughed and smiled the whole time! It was so cute! We also did Jungle Cruise, Pirates (totally not the same as Disneyland!), Ariel's ride, and I think others but now I am forgetting! We also did the Tiki Room, which was another big hit with Aurora! And my favorite, getting Dole Whip after! Then we watched their Castle and Firework show. The castle show, if very, very cool! They put all these images on the castle and it was amazing what they could do and they even made it appear as if it were moving at times! We kept meaning to leave, but, then would get caught up by something, like the shows, or buying presents, or seeing a sign for Snow White and "Princess" which I had to go see! So, we were there for a good 12 hours and I loved every minute! Oh, totally forgot to mention we also got to eat at Be Our Guest! This is the Beast's castle and they have three rooms decorated just like from the movie. It was again, amazing! Best part though was having dessert, I had - "try the gray stuff, its delicious!" and it really was! :)
Overall, this trip was better than I even imagined. I knew I would love it, but I loved it so much! I can't wait until we can plan our next trip out there as there is still so much to see!! :)
Monday, June 23, 2014
Walking!!
This deserves its own post! At 9 months old, on June 22, 2014, my little one took her first steps on her own!
She has been walking assisted for almost two months now, but she just wouldn't take those steps by herself. She would stand there and hold her hand up and wait until J or I gave her our hand, and then she would start walking. Or, she would find things she could walk along, or move along, to get her where she needed to go. But, yesterday, we found the motivating piece to get her to take steps on her own - PLUMS!
We went for a walk to the park to check out a potential birthday site (that is coming up WAY to quickly!), and J had brought a plum for a snack. He was eating and she seemed really interested in it so we have her a bite. Well, she LOVED it. So, I said, let's put her down, maybe she will walk to it. I was totally joking as I did not think she would do it at all. But, I put her down and J held the plum out, AND SHE WALKED TO IT! I was in shock! Granted, it was only three steps, but still three steps, by herself! I was SO proud! She did it!! Of course, once the plum was gone, she didn't do it again. Clearly, we need to go buy more plums!
I am one very proud mama today! :)
She has been walking assisted for almost two months now, but she just wouldn't take those steps by herself. She would stand there and hold her hand up and wait until J or I gave her our hand, and then she would start walking. Or, she would find things she could walk along, or move along, to get her where she needed to go. But, yesterday, we found the motivating piece to get her to take steps on her own - PLUMS!
We went for a walk to the park to check out a potential birthday site (that is coming up WAY to quickly!), and J had brought a plum for a snack. He was eating and she seemed really interested in it so we have her a bite. Well, she LOVED it. So, I said, let's put her down, maybe she will walk to it. I was totally joking as I did not think she would do it at all. But, I put her down and J held the plum out, AND SHE WALKED TO IT! I was in shock! Granted, it was only three steps, but still three steps, by herself! I was SO proud! She did it!! Of course, once the plum was gone, she didn't do it again. Clearly, we need to go buy more plums!
I am one very proud mama today! :)
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
9 Months!
A,
Another month has flown by! And this month you went on your very first airplane ride! :) This was a very busy month for you!
You are eating more and more food! You LOVE your food! You also are already very independent and want to feed yourself as well! We just got a new spoon for you that seems to be working a bit better. Now you take one bite with you spoon and then one bite with your whole hand. It is messy, but so great to see you having fun and enjoying yourself! There is plenty of time to work on proper eating etiquette later in life! You seem to really enjoy bananas, I think because they mush between your fingers and you can play with it! And of course, your puffs, you just light up when you see the puff container! The purple carrot ones are your favorite flavor. You have also used a sippy cup with water a couple of times. You are slowly getting the hang of it! You have tried lots of different foods, but sweet potatoes seem to be the thing you have the most of, I think you will be like me and be a potato girl! :)
You are our little curious girl as well. You just love to see everything and want to know everything going on around you. You now point at things and make this "oo" sound. It is adorable! Or, my favorite, is you will fling your head back and make this OOO sound and the cutest face with it. You also keep Daddy and I on our toes as you are very active! You crawl everywhere and into everything! You also immediately crawl to anything that you can find that you can stand up on and then try to stand. This usually works out fine and you will stand and then walk around holding onto things, but occasionally, you find something wobbly and we have to run and catch you! Which means, you have had a few things tumble on you, but you always just keep trooping on to the next thing and try and stand right back up! You have also stood up now on your own quite a few times! I always get really excited when you do that! And while you haven't walked unassisted yet, you walk really well when you are holding on to someones hand or something solid and I see you thinking about taking a step and know it will happen any day now!
You totally have your own language as well. You babble away and carry on conversations with us. You have said a few words, Mama, of course being my favorite word you say :) But you have also said Dada, Hi, and Tag (this one really shocked us because you pointed at a tag and said tag!), and then some other words that you have made up that we know mean something, we just haven't translated yet!
This month was our big DisneyWorld vacation! You did SO amazing! You did awesome on the both flights and just loved waving at everyone and laughing! You liked crawling between me, grandma (my mom), and daddy and seeing all the different things you could see. At all the theme parks (Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Universal) you had a blast meetings characters, watching the parades (your favorite!), and even riding some rides (People Mover was your favorite I think!). It was so fun to experience these theme parks with you and see what got you excited and seeing the joy on your face. You had so much fun that you did not want to take naps, so I would just put you in the Ergo Carrier and you would pass out for your nap! You even took some rides that way! I know you won't remember this vacation, but I took plenty of pictures to show you when you are older! It looks like you are going to be a great traveler, I see many trips in our future!
Each month, you amaze me more and more each day and each day I am filled with more love and pride for you. I am so excited that I get to be your Mommy and when I see your smiling face each day, it just makes me happier than anything! I love you more than words can say, always and forever!
Mommy
Another month has flown by! And this month you went on your very first airplane ride! :) This was a very busy month for you!
You are eating more and more food! You LOVE your food! You also are already very independent and want to feed yourself as well! We just got a new spoon for you that seems to be working a bit better. Now you take one bite with you spoon and then one bite with your whole hand. It is messy, but so great to see you having fun and enjoying yourself! There is plenty of time to work on proper eating etiquette later in life! You seem to really enjoy bananas, I think because they mush between your fingers and you can play with it! And of course, your puffs, you just light up when you see the puff container! The purple carrot ones are your favorite flavor. You have also used a sippy cup with water a couple of times. You are slowly getting the hang of it! You have tried lots of different foods, but sweet potatoes seem to be the thing you have the most of, I think you will be like me and be a potato girl! :)
You are our little curious girl as well. You just love to see everything and want to know everything going on around you. You now point at things and make this "oo" sound. It is adorable! Or, my favorite, is you will fling your head back and make this OOO sound and the cutest face with it. You also keep Daddy and I on our toes as you are very active! You crawl everywhere and into everything! You also immediately crawl to anything that you can find that you can stand up on and then try to stand. This usually works out fine and you will stand and then walk around holding onto things, but occasionally, you find something wobbly and we have to run and catch you! Which means, you have had a few things tumble on you, but you always just keep trooping on to the next thing and try and stand right back up! You have also stood up now on your own quite a few times! I always get really excited when you do that! And while you haven't walked unassisted yet, you walk really well when you are holding on to someones hand or something solid and I see you thinking about taking a step and know it will happen any day now!
You totally have your own language as well. You babble away and carry on conversations with us. You have said a few words, Mama, of course being my favorite word you say :) But you have also said Dada, Hi, and Tag (this one really shocked us because you pointed at a tag and said tag!), and then some other words that you have made up that we know mean something, we just haven't translated yet!
This month was our big DisneyWorld vacation! You did SO amazing! You did awesome on the both flights and just loved waving at everyone and laughing! You liked crawling between me, grandma (my mom), and daddy and seeing all the different things you could see. At all the theme parks (Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Universal) you had a blast meetings characters, watching the parades (your favorite!), and even riding some rides (People Mover was your favorite I think!). It was so fun to experience these theme parks with you and see what got you excited and seeing the joy on your face. You had so much fun that you did not want to take naps, so I would just put you in the Ergo Carrier and you would pass out for your nap! You even took some rides that way! I know you won't remember this vacation, but I took plenty of pictures to show you when you are older! It looks like you are going to be a great traveler, I see many trips in our future!
Each month, you amaze me more and more each day and each day I am filled with more love and pride for you. I am so excited that I get to be your Mommy and when I see your smiling face each day, it just makes me happier than anything! I love you more than words can say, always and forever!
Mommy
Monday, May 5, 2014
8 months!
I have been a serious blog slacker! But this is my craziest busy season so just need to make it 3 more weeks and then life should get back to normal. And I then I will have a super fun post in June on our trip to DISNEYWORLD!!! But for now, just jumping on to do my monthly letter (trying to at least keep up with these since I can't keep up weekly!)
A,
Eight Months, my goodness! You have grown SO much this past month! You really are starting to look like a little girl now and not like a baby anymore. It makes me a bit sad to see the baby go away but at the same time it is so exciting to see you grow and see your personality continue to shine and show us who you are! :)
This month you got TWO teeth! Your first tooth came in on April 15th and your second tooth followed very quickly on the 20th. I was getting very nervous about teeth as I have heard horror stories about teething but you seemed to do okay! Hopefully, all your teeth are that easy :)
This month you got Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease. Actually, your whole class at daycare got it! It started with a fever and you were not a happy camper while you had the fever. But once the fever broke, even though you had the spots still on your body, you were in good spirits! Mommy and Daddy took turns staying home with you as you had to be home all week from daycare. We were sad you were sick but enjoyed the extra time with you!
You are still our little mover! You are an expert crawler now and can get across the room SO fast! We have to keep our eye on you at all times as you love to beeline for the dogs crates or their food! Playing under the dining room table is also one of your favorite places to go. You also have gotten really good at pulling yourself up to a standing position and have even started to walk around while holding on to things. You just started very recently to reach out and take steps to things away from you, so I know walking is in your very near future! I wouldn't be surprised if in next months letter, I am talking about how you walk everywhere! :)
This month was your first Easter! You had a ball!!! We went to Good Friday service which you did not seem to like and fussed the whole time! Saturday, Grandma and Grandpa (my parents) came up and we went and saw the Easter Bunny! You were not to sure of him but you did good and didn't cry! Then on Easter Sunday we went to church and Grandma held you during the service and everyone commented on your beautiful dress (that Grandma bought you and was so excited to see you in it). After church, we went home and you got to open your Easter Basket. You really loved the stacking cups and Grandma snuck in candy and you would not let go of a Kit Kat bar! It was so funny. Luckily, you couldn't figure out how to open it as you are still too little for chocolate! We also took you outside with some eggs for you to crawl around and "find". You loved being out on the grass (though the grass tore up your legs, sadly you have mommy's sensitive skin!) and searching and picking up the eggs, clapping with the eggs, and even put one back in your basket!
You have started to eat a lot more this month as well! At daycare you usually get oatmeal, one or two baby bullet sized foods, and puffs! So far you have had apples, pears, peaches, zucchini, sweet potatoes, mangoes, pumpkin biscuit, spinach/kale/apple biscuit, bananas, and more that I have lost track of what else! So far, you have loved everything we have given you! You love your food and you love to feed yourself as well! :)
We love you SO much and love watching your personality shine! You are the best thing to ever happen to us!
Love,
Mommy
A,
Eight Months, my goodness! You have grown SO much this past month! You really are starting to look like a little girl now and not like a baby anymore. It makes me a bit sad to see the baby go away but at the same time it is so exciting to see you grow and see your personality continue to shine and show us who you are! :)
This month you got TWO teeth! Your first tooth came in on April 15th and your second tooth followed very quickly on the 20th. I was getting very nervous about teeth as I have heard horror stories about teething but you seemed to do okay! Hopefully, all your teeth are that easy :)
This month you got Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease. Actually, your whole class at daycare got it! It started with a fever and you were not a happy camper while you had the fever. But once the fever broke, even though you had the spots still on your body, you were in good spirits! Mommy and Daddy took turns staying home with you as you had to be home all week from daycare. We were sad you were sick but enjoyed the extra time with you!
You are still our little mover! You are an expert crawler now and can get across the room SO fast! We have to keep our eye on you at all times as you love to beeline for the dogs crates or their food! Playing under the dining room table is also one of your favorite places to go. You also have gotten really good at pulling yourself up to a standing position and have even started to walk around while holding on to things. You just started very recently to reach out and take steps to things away from you, so I know walking is in your very near future! I wouldn't be surprised if in next months letter, I am talking about how you walk everywhere! :)
This month was your first Easter! You had a ball!!! We went to Good Friday service which you did not seem to like and fussed the whole time! Saturday, Grandma and Grandpa (my parents) came up and we went and saw the Easter Bunny! You were not to sure of him but you did good and didn't cry! Then on Easter Sunday we went to church and Grandma held you during the service and everyone commented on your beautiful dress (that Grandma bought you and was so excited to see you in it). After church, we went home and you got to open your Easter Basket. You really loved the stacking cups and Grandma snuck in candy and you would not let go of a Kit Kat bar! It was so funny. Luckily, you couldn't figure out how to open it as you are still too little for chocolate! We also took you outside with some eggs for you to crawl around and "find". You loved being out on the grass (though the grass tore up your legs, sadly you have mommy's sensitive skin!) and searching and picking up the eggs, clapping with the eggs, and even put one back in your basket!
You have started to eat a lot more this month as well! At daycare you usually get oatmeal, one or two baby bullet sized foods, and puffs! So far you have had apples, pears, peaches, zucchini, sweet potatoes, mangoes, pumpkin biscuit, spinach/kale/apple biscuit, bananas, and more that I have lost track of what else! So far, you have loved everything we have given you! You love your food and you love to feed yourself as well! :)
We love you SO much and love watching your personality shine! You are the best thing to ever happen to us!
Love,
Mommy
Friday, April 4, 2014
7 Months!
A,
I know I have said this every month, but my goodness is time flying! I can't believe you are already 7 months old! You are really coming into your own now and your personality is shining! It is so amazing to watch as you grow more and more each day. You are really keeping your daddy and I on our toes with how active you are! This month you learned how to clap your hands, which I must say is one of the cutest things ever. You also are now a pro at crawling and you also decided that crawling was not enough for you and can now stand! As soon as we put you on the ground you immediately crawl over to something that you can climb and use to stand up. You love to stand in your crib now, too. Which can be really cute unless it is bedtime! You are "talking" more and more as well, and I think I may have even heard your first "ma" noise! I know it is not in relation to me yet but it is still nice to hear. You have also started eating real food this month! So far you have had: Avocado (slight rash), apples, peaches, pears, and sweet potato. We need to start adding some more veggies into you diet! You have been a great eater though and love everything we have given you so far and always want more!
We took your 6 month photos and they came out so amazing! They really did a great job of capturing all aspects of you! I can't wait to print them and put them up on our wall!
Your are such a happy girl (unless it is bedtime :)) and when I pick you up at the end of the day and you give me that big grin and laugh of yours, it just makes me day! You have the best smile! You don't have any teeth yet and I think I will be a bit sad when you do finally get teeth as I love your little gummy smile that you have! You just have the biggest grin and your whole face lights up, and if you are really happy, your whole body will shake too! It is the best thing to see!
You did not sleep super well this past month. You used to sleep until 5am but this past month I was lucky if you would make it until 3am! Some nights you woke multiple times or would wake early and not go back down and just cry. It has been a bit tough, but I just remind myself in these moments that these moments will pass so quickly and I just try and enjoy these midnight snuggles with you. Besides, who really needs sleep anyways! :)
You had your first St. Patrick's Day this month and wore a super cute four leaf clover outfit. Not too much else for this holiday but wearing green is pretty good!
We have done a couple hikes which you still love and this month, I carried you on my back for the first time! You really loved that! You could see better and just looked around at everything, and then when you got tired, you just laid your head on my back and went to sleep. It was a great hike and I loved having you so close to me! :)
I love you my baby girl, more than I could ever imagine loving someone. You truly are my sunshine and brighten my day, everyday! Daddy and I are so thankful that you are in our lives and that we get to be your parents. Until next month! Love always and forever!
Mommy
I know I have said this every month, but my goodness is time flying! I can't believe you are already 7 months old! You are really coming into your own now and your personality is shining! It is so amazing to watch as you grow more and more each day. You are really keeping your daddy and I on our toes with how active you are! This month you learned how to clap your hands, which I must say is one of the cutest things ever. You also are now a pro at crawling and you also decided that crawling was not enough for you and can now stand! As soon as we put you on the ground you immediately crawl over to something that you can climb and use to stand up. You love to stand in your crib now, too. Which can be really cute unless it is bedtime! You are "talking" more and more as well, and I think I may have even heard your first "ma" noise! I know it is not in relation to me yet but it is still nice to hear. You have also started eating real food this month! So far you have had: Avocado (slight rash), apples, peaches, pears, and sweet potato. We need to start adding some more veggies into you diet! You have been a great eater though and love everything we have given you so far and always want more!
We took your 6 month photos and they came out so amazing! They really did a great job of capturing all aspects of you! I can't wait to print them and put them up on our wall!
Your are such a happy girl (unless it is bedtime :)) and when I pick you up at the end of the day and you give me that big grin and laugh of yours, it just makes me day! You have the best smile! You don't have any teeth yet and I think I will be a bit sad when you do finally get teeth as I love your little gummy smile that you have! You just have the biggest grin and your whole face lights up, and if you are really happy, your whole body will shake too! It is the best thing to see!
You did not sleep super well this past month. You used to sleep until 5am but this past month I was lucky if you would make it until 3am! Some nights you woke multiple times or would wake early and not go back down and just cry. It has been a bit tough, but I just remind myself in these moments that these moments will pass so quickly and I just try and enjoy these midnight snuggles with you. Besides, who really needs sleep anyways! :)
You had your first St. Patrick's Day this month and wore a super cute four leaf clover outfit. Not too much else for this holiday but wearing green is pretty good!
We have done a couple hikes which you still love and this month, I carried you on my back for the first time! You really loved that! You could see better and just looked around at everything, and then when you got tired, you just laid your head on my back and went to sleep. It was a great hike and I loved having you so close to me! :)
I love you my baby girl, more than I could ever imagine loving someone. You truly are my sunshine and brighten my day, everyday! Daddy and I are so thankful that you are in our lives and that we get to be your parents. Until next month! Love always and forever!
Mommy
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
GroVia Cloth Diaper Review
I have mentioned the GroVia diapers a in a previous post about using cloth diapers at daycare. We are now 6 months in of cloth diapering and GroVia are by far my favorites! I love them so much!
They are an All in Two product which means they have a cover and an insert that snaps in (awesome!). I like these systems the best as you can reuse the covers multiple times! I have used their covers, prefolds, biosoakers, stay dry soaker pads, and organic cotton soaker pads. So, a lot of their products! Here is a breakdown of each item:
Covers: These are my favorite covers (ok I will stop saying favorite as it will get redundant!). I love the prints they have as they are so adorable. Drift and Poppy are probably the cutest of a very cute bunch! I don't have the older prints and really want to find some to add to my stash. I also like how easy they fit on A. One of the fastest covers I have to put on. And as A has hit her very wriggly, I want to roll all over the place, phase, having a cover that I can easily close (aplix) is fantastic. I also like the mesh lining covering the TPU. I find that they breathe better than my covers that have exposed PUL or TPU. I usually only need 1-2 covers a day as well!
Stay dry soaker pads: The stay dry part is super soft! I find that these also hold a lot and are very trim. The fact that they just snap right into the covers is so amazing and again make those changes much faster and easier. These also tend to dry a bit faster than the organic cotton soaker pads. And they do not seem to stain as easily.
Organic Cotton Soaker Pads: I love these one the best. Just like the stay dry they fit right into the covers. I like that they are organic cotton against her skin. They do stain easiest out of all my diapers but I just put them in the sun to dry and like magic, the stains are gone! They do also take longer than others to dry but again the sun helps with that. I also feel that these hold a lot more in them than other inserts that i have. The gussets also help keep any of her poos from getting out (stay dry also has gussets).
Bamboo Prefolds: I had a service for the beginning of our cloth diaper adventure (where I fell in love with the GroVia covers) so when we decided to go it ourselves I wanted to try GroVia prefolds, too. I only have a handful as we only use at home (daycare does not like prefolds) but they are so great! They are softer than the cotton prefolds we used with the service. They seem to hold a TON! I can padfold them into the covers when I need to do a quick change, or do the jelly roll fold and snappi it shut when she is calmer and will sit still enough for that! I got size 3 (Infant Long) which was just above her weight but wanted to use them longer and haven't had any issues with them being a bit bigger. I just fold the back down a bit and we are good to go!
Biosoakers: These are the disposable inserts that you can use in a cover when needed. We don't use these often as it is so easy to just use an actual soaker pad but when we have used them they worked great. My only suggestion is to not pull the sticky part off and just lay it in the cover. I didn't have any issues with it moving around by not be attached and the sticky part was too sticky in my opinion. We are taking a vacation this summer where we will be flying across country so planning to use these for our trip!
Thoughts:
Cost: The covers are around $17 and the soaker pads are between $17-19 for two of them. So, they are a bit pricey but the covers can last for more than one change which helps with the cost. The ease of use also makes it worth while for me!
Trimness: I find these to be very trim! The only item that I would consider bulky would be the prefolds and that is because I got the bigger size. If I am using either of the Soaker Pads, they are one of my trimmest diapers. She is able to fit in clothes no problem and I have not had to go up a size because of these diapers.
Ease of Use: I feel I covered this already, but these are super easy to use! Snap in the Soaker Pad, and put on baby! I can do this one even with all her flipping and wriggling!
Overall: I think the GroVia system is the best one. My daycare also loves them which just adds to my love for them. In fact, the first day I brought the soaker pads in rather than prefolds, when I picked up A, they sought me out to say how much they LOVE the new diapers. And then another day, I overheard them telling a mom whose son has bad diaper rash to consider my diapers! Such a big change from our first days diapering with them! I would highly recommend this diapering system!
Update 1.10.15 - Now 16 months into cloth diapering and GroVia is still our number one go to diaper! I have also added Grovia's Kiwi Pie fitted and wool to my stash and they are also amazing! And my daycare still enjoys them as well :) End Update
They are an All in Two product which means they have a cover and an insert that snaps in (awesome!). I like these systems the best as you can reuse the covers multiple times! I have used their covers, prefolds, biosoakers, stay dry soaker pads, and organic cotton soaker pads. So, a lot of their products! Here is a breakdown of each item:
Covers: These are my favorite covers (ok I will stop saying favorite as it will get redundant!). I love the prints they have as they are so adorable. Drift and Poppy are probably the cutest of a very cute bunch! I don't have the older prints and really want to find some to add to my stash. I also like how easy they fit on A. One of the fastest covers I have to put on. And as A has hit her very wriggly, I want to roll all over the place, phase, having a cover that I can easily close (aplix) is fantastic. I also like the mesh lining covering the TPU. I find that they breathe better than my covers that have exposed PUL or TPU. I usually only need 1-2 covers a day as well!
 |
| Poppy, Drift, and Pudge Prints! |
Organic Cotton Soaker Pads: I love these one the best. Just like the stay dry they fit right into the covers. I like that they are organic cotton against her skin. They do stain easiest out of all my diapers but I just put them in the sun to dry and like magic, the stains are gone! They do also take longer than others to dry but again the sun helps with that. I also feel that these hold a lot more in them than other inserts that i have. The gussets also help keep any of her poos from getting out (stay dry also has gussets).
Bamboo Prefolds: I had a service for the beginning of our cloth diaper adventure (where I fell in love with the GroVia covers) so when we decided to go it ourselves I wanted to try GroVia prefolds, too. I only have a handful as we only use at home (daycare does not like prefolds) but they are so great! They are softer than the cotton prefolds we used with the service. They seem to hold a TON! I can padfold them into the covers when I need to do a quick change, or do the jelly roll fold and snappi it shut when she is calmer and will sit still enough for that! I got size 3 (Infant Long) which was just above her weight but wanted to use them longer and haven't had any issues with them being a bit bigger. I just fold the back down a bit and we are good to go!
Biosoakers: These are the disposable inserts that you can use in a cover when needed. We don't use these often as it is so easy to just use an actual soaker pad but when we have used them they worked great. My only suggestion is to not pull the sticky part off and just lay it in the cover. I didn't have any issues with it moving around by not be attached and the sticky part was too sticky in my opinion. We are taking a vacation this summer where we will be flying across country so planning to use these for our trip!
Thoughts:
Cost: The covers are around $17 and the soaker pads are between $17-19 for two of them. So, they are a bit pricey but the covers can last for more than one change which helps with the cost. The ease of use also makes it worth while for me!
Trimness: I find these to be very trim! The only item that I would consider bulky would be the prefolds and that is because I got the bigger size. If I am using either of the Soaker Pads, they are one of my trimmest diapers. She is able to fit in clothes no problem and I have not had to go up a size because of these diapers.
Ease of Use: I feel I covered this already, but these are super easy to use! Snap in the Soaker Pad, and put on baby! I can do this one even with all her flipping and wriggling!
Overall: I think the GroVia system is the best one. My daycare also loves them which just adds to my love for them. In fact, the first day I brought the soaker pads in rather than prefolds, when I picked up A, they sought me out to say how much they LOVE the new diapers. And then another day, I overheard them telling a mom whose son has bad diaper rash to consider my diapers! Such a big change from our first days diapering with them! I would highly recommend this diapering system!
Update 1.10.15 - Now 16 months into cloth diapering and GroVia is still our number one go to diaper! I have also added Grovia's Kiwi Pie fitted and wool to my stash and they are also amazing! And my daycare still enjoys them as well :) End Update
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