Halloween

Okay so I know I am behind a bit but I have to share some photo's from Adelyn's 1st Halloween.

Can you guess what I am???



Yes, I know a ewok is a little out of the ordinary, but we wanted a little something different. Plus you have to admit she is super cute!!!





We found the bear costume at a consignment shop for $3 and I made the head part myself for very cheap. All together I don't think we spent more than $10 on her costume and it turned out just like I invisoned. On Halloween we took Adelyn to my dad's and helped him give out candy to all the trick or treaters that he gets. We get very little in our neighborhood. We had planned to take adelyn trick-or-treating, but after two houses we decided it was not worth it lol. She is still too little to understand it anyways. Her favorite part of the night I think would have to be her first piece of candy. A sucker blueberry flavored.

She would not let us take it out of her mouth. Probably the longest he had sat still since she was really little. lol Over all we had a good time. I know your daddy enjoyed himself! :)

                                  Happy Halloween!!!

11 months

Dear Adelyn,

Where has the time gone? I can't believe that in just a few short weeks you will be a year old!

You took your first steps the other day on October 21st! Your Daddy and I were sitting on the couch watching you play. You pulled up on Sam and then saw something you wanted on the couch. You turned around and took two steps to the couch. Your Daddy and I just looked at each other. We couldn't believe it! You acted like it was no big deal at all, but I almost cried. Since then you have done it one more time. I know it won't be long before you are running all over the house. I can't imagine it since you already require my constant attention. Take my eye off you for two seconds and you are at Sam's water bowl playing in the water or in the kitchen cabinets.

 

You continue to develop a personality. You are really good at letting us know when you don't want something. You can say Da Da, Ma Ma, Na Na, and Hi when you want to, but won't say them on demand. You have also started doing this pointing thing where you point with one finger. It is super cute and you tell us what you want with it. Your favorite thing to point at are lights. In fact we can ask you "where is the light" and you will point right to it. Did I mention that I'm convinced you are a genius :) (as I am sure all parents are) You can wave bye bye and you clap after you do something you think is great. I love the little personality we see more and more each day.

You have started using your signs these past few weeks. I had almost given up on it but you sign milk and all done. I love it! Lets me know what you want. I really want to teach you some more signs to help save us from the whining. I know it is just because you can't tell us what you want yet.

I am concerned, however, that you are spending a little too much time playing with Sam. You have started barking back whenever you hear a dog bark. We noticed it the other week when we were at your grandma and grandpas house and baby was barking. You started barking back at her. It might be time to find you some human friends... lol

You have all your grandparents wrapped around your little finger. The other day we were in the store and you saw this stuffed monkey. You pointed your finger and grandma let you hold it. You immediately snuggled it to your face and that was it. Grandma proclaimed "I'll get it for her!" Lets just say that Mom and Dad don't stand a chance with so many Grandparents to spoil you. 

We are getting really excited about your fist Halloween. I won't give your costume away yet, but I have been working on it and you are going to be super cute! It will be your last first holiday! I really need to get working on your first birthday party. I send out invitations last week. Let me just say that I am glad they turned out okay becasue I had quite the time getting them. They were not exactly what I wanted, but I was pretty pleased with the final product. Here is a picture of the final product.

I can't believe we are already here planning your 1st birthday. I desperately want time to slow down! I know it won't but I can dream right?

9-10 months

Dear Adelyn,

My beautiful girl at 9 months

Please forgive me for not posting in a while. You keep me busy and with school being back in session I have zero free time! Any free time I do have goes all to you. You have grown so much in the past two months. Not only physically but mentally and your personality is really starting to show through. You are very mobile. You started crawling in early August and have not slowed down yet. You are into EVERYTHING! And you feel like you must be with me or daddy at all times because whenever one of us leaves the room you crawl after us crying the whole time. We can't even go to the bathroom without our little shadow following us.

 You got into Daddy's wallet and pulled out his credit cards... Combine that with your love of shopping and I think we are in trouble already :)

Your favorite thing to get into these days is Sam's food... I don't know what it is about it but you always go straight for it. I know it can't taste good! And there have been a few times I have had to dig a piece out of your mouth. (ewww!) Sam doesn't seem to mind though. I think you two have some kind of agreement becasue Nana said she caught you feeding him your pasta yesterday when she was not looking lol. You sure learn fast! Sam is such a good big brother to you and you two have really become buddies these past few months. He sure puts up with a lot letting you crawl all over him and pull on his ears, noise, fur, and anything else you get your hands on. He just lays there and lets you go to town and when he has had enough he gets up and moves away. He is such a protector.




















You are not only crawling but also pulling up and climbing. I know it is only a matter of time until you are walking. Right now you can walk behind the cute little walker your Nanny bought you. I'm in no hurry for you to talk though! Honestly it makes me kinda sad to think about because I feel like once you start walking your no longer my baby anymore. I'm also not looking forward to all the chasing and messes that will follow lol.

The "stroller" walker your Nanny gave you

You are still not sleeping through the night again yet, but we do have 4 teeth! you are so cute right now with 2 on top and 2 on bottom. Daddy says you look like a little chipmunk lol. I don't know who told you that you need to cut them two at a time but that is how you have done it. Right now you have two more coming in! I think I have come to terms with the fact that you are not going to sleep though the night again until all your teeth are in. We have made some progress on the crib front though. Your sleeping in it more and more these days with less crying :)

Loot at those teeth!

You seem to demand my constant attention these days which is difficult with school in session. I try to give you as much as possible but you let me know when I am not giving you enough. Yes, you have already started throwing tantrums! You throw your little head back and start crying when we take you away from something or move something out of your way. You must get this from your daddy! We do our best to ignore your tantrums, but it is not easy! I hope this is not a sign of what is to come. :)

Mommy's Little Clemson Fan :)

Really most of the time you are sweet and curious and so smart! You have been able to patty cake and throw a ball for a while now. You can open drawers and figure out ways around barricades to keep you out of the kitchen. Just the other day you started picking up my phone and putting it to your ear and saying Hello! You also managed to climb on top of the dishwasher door yesterday. I swear it is amazing the things you learn form just observing.You are also fearless. You will just start crawling right off the couch or the bed. Its like you think if you go slow you will be okay... We have to really keep our eye on you!

Silly girl! :)

At your 9 month checkup you weighed 21 lbs making you in the 80th percentile for weight! Your already wearing 12 and some 18 month clothes. The other night we put a 12 month shirt on you and it was too tight! I don't even want to think about how you fit into a 2t shirt the other day. I can't believe how fast you are growing. I saw a newborn the other day and it was hard to remember you that small. It really is true about how fast babies grow. Everyone tells me how gorgeous and sweet you are. Of course I think that too. To me you are absolutely perfect!

Adelyn at 10 Months

Adelyn, I love you more than you will ever know. You make life so much sweeter and worthwhile. I cherish every moment I get with you. My favorite moment of the day is the one where I walk threw the door and see you light put and smile as your reach for me. As I start to plan your 1st birthday I can't help but reflect on how much of a miracle and blessing you are. Daddy and I love you so much sweetheart! We can't wait to see what the next few months have in store.

9 month photo session

8 months

Dear Adelyn,

I don't know where all the time has gone! I know it was just yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital and now you are 8 months old. Last night I was holding you and rocking you to sleep, you are teething and in so much pain all I could do was rock you and eventually you fell asleep. But I was rocking you and I remembered when you were a newborn and would sleep on my chest. Now your legs reach all the way down to my hips. You have grown so much! I am cherishing every minute I get with you right now. I know it will not be long before this stage is over and we are in toddlerhood. You amaze me everyday with what you are learning and how you grow. I swear if you wanted to crawl you could. You sure like to trick mommy into thinking you are going to at least. You will be on all fours rocking thinking about moving and then roll over at the last second. We are beginning to think you are doing it on purpose ;) Oh but boy can you get around! You use a combination of rolling and scooting and what your daddy likes to call wallering. All I know is that I look away for two seconds and you are five feet to the right and getting into something.

 

This is exactly what I am talking about. I went to the bathroom for a minute came back and found this... You had gotten into the magazines and were looking though a scrapbook. You love books and I think you liked this one because it has lots of cool textures in it. Luckily nothing was harmed and it wasn't too much of a mess. It just means Daddy and I need to get going with the baby proofing.

Lately you have not been my "perfect sleeper" not that I am complaining becasue you still sleep a lot more than some babies your age, but it has been different. I think it has to do with you teething and us trying to transition you to your crib. You have also gotten to be what can only be described as whiny. Again I think teething has a lot to do with this and also the fact that you can't communicate your needs to us yet. While we understand it has been difficult some days (especially the days you decide not to nap!) I have decided to try and teach you some sign language so you can tell us what you want. Your daddy thinks I am crazy, but we will see how it turns out. You haven't signed anything yet, but I am hopeful. I have read a lot about it and people say it works wonders. I guess we will see. 

You now weight 20 lbs! You are such a healthy girl, and boy do you love to eat. I have stopped giving you pureed baby food. I tried making some on my own for a while but I have found you really just prefer to feed yourself. Plus it is helping with your fine motor skills and makes it easier on mommy come meal time. I can sit you in the high chair give you some soft finger foods and eat my own meal while you feed yourself. It is all part of what is called baby led feeding and I am a huge fan of the idea. Some of your favorite foods are zucchini and squash, peaches, plums, blueberries (you love them frozen), bananas, broccoli, and of course you still love the puffs and yogurt melts. I keep trying to let you experience new things as often as I can. you had green beans for the first time last night and I think you really liked them. You make a huge mess but it is still totally worth is in my book.

Here you are eating plums. I think you really enjoyed them.

Just look at those fine motor skills. You amaze me!

You with a whole peach. You devoured this thing! I had to pry it from your hands so I would get the pit out.

You have really started to warm up to Sam recently. You find him fascinating and I can tell that you are going to be best buds. You haven't quiet gotten the whole being gentle thing yet but Sam is so good he lets you pull on his fur and scratch at this face and never even blinks an eye. You light up every time you see Sam and I just know he is going to be your best protector and friend.

We went to the park for the first time the other day. Daddy was in an interview for a job at the Sheriff's office and we were across the street from the park so I decided to take you out for a swing. You were not crazy about it at first as you can probably tell from the picture, but before long you were falling asleep. At this age the park is not the most exciting place, but I know it won't be long before we are going to the park regularly and you are all over everything.

You love shopping. You really are usually so great when we are out in public. You love to observe everything! Here you are at Target wearing Aunt Becky's sunglasses.

We are so proud of you. You grow and learn something new everyday. I love every second of being your mom even on the rough days, but especially in moments like this :)

July 4th/ 5th

I don't know about everywhere, but around here it has rained almost nonstop. I can't remember a rain-free day recently. The 4th of July was no acceptation. It was forecast to rain and storm all day. We had planned to spend the day with my parents hanging out in the back yard BBQing and just enjoying each others company. My parents decided to postpone the BBQ until the 5th where there was less of a chance of rain. So on the 4th we found ourselves with no plans. Lucky my friend Lindsay also had no plans so we decided to spend the evening together doing something. After looking at the weather we decided to just stay in and cook some burgers on the stove and hang out. It really didn't feel like a holiday without the usual cookout and activities but we had fun none the less.

Addie loved playing with Auntie Lindsay. Can't you tell? Mommy also enjoyed catching up with Lindsay. We ended up on the porch watching fireworks and talking till early in the morning. I am sad that Addie did not get to see any fireworks she was long gone by the time people started shooting them off. I guess that will be a special thing for next year.

Now on to July 5th the day we really celebrated. I mean like it is said we should celebrate our freedom everyday not just on the 4th. Here is Adelyn's outfit. Isn't it wonderful? I love it so much. It is my favorite outfit of hers right now. Ok, ok that is mostly becasue I made it, but I still think it's awesome. It turned out even cuter than I imagined. I took up sewing before Adelyn was born with the hope that I would be able to make some of Addie's clothes. This is the first thing I have actually been able to make and it was way easier than I ever imagined. This outfit only took me 2 days (really only a few hours of work total becasue I only worked during naps and after she went to bed). I also made the bow in her hair which was super easy as well. I used some tutorials I found on Pinterest the main one I found here http://www.itsgoodtobequeen.net/2012/02/pillowcase-dress-tutorial.html?m=1
I modified it a little bit by adding ribbon and a couple of my own touches. I think this was the perfect 4th of July dress and I can't wait to start my next project.

Back to the 5th- We started out the day at my parents for the BBQ we had to postpone. The weather cooperated with us long enough to get the food cooked, but as soon as we pulled it off a storm hit and we all had to rush inside. We ate inside and before long the rain died down and we were able to go back and sit under the canopy and enjoy each others company. A few of the guys even played horse shoes in the mud... I guess we were pretty desperate for some entertainment. Addie got to sample some new foods baked beans, potato salad, and she gnawed on a chicken bone for a little while. I imagine it felt good on her gums :) Can you guess what her favorite food was though???

That's right! Blueberry pie. She loved it and made a royal mess in the process, but who could deny this face?

After spending a few hours at my parents we headed over to Michael's dads where his side had gathered. We spent time with them chatting and watching Jayden and Adelyn play. Of course Adelyn got to show off her outfit there too. We had a great day with family and friends, but by the end we were all exhausted. Addie was asleep before we pulled out of the neighborhood. All in all the rain didn't ruin our celebrations. I will look forward to next year when Addie can see some fireworks :)

Adelyn's New Ride

We decided to go ahead and move Adelyn out of her baby carrier and into a new car seat. Mainly becasue it seemed she was outgrowing it, wanting to be upright and see things legs poking out the back ect. Even though those seats say up until 30 lbs I don't see how. Addie was 18 and pushing it! We made the decision to "upgrade" to a seat that can be both rear facing and will eventually turn to be front facing after she reaches 20 lbs. We went to our favorite place to go for car seats and baby gear Buy Buy Baby. We love them becasue they are so knowledgeable. They can tell you all the features of every seat and make good recommendations based on the products and personal experience. We were really impressed with them when we registered for our infant carrier and so we knew we wanted to go back for the new step. The guy we talked to was really helpful he recommend a couple different brands and walked us though all the features. He was even really patient with us as we asked all kinds of questions. After much deliberation we went with the Recaro brand for several reasons.

1. The safety standards are higher than in other brands becasue it is a European company
2. The straps are easily adjustable with just the turn of a knob (no retreading!)
3. The seat goes up to 70lbs with means that it will have a long life
4. It had all the features of the Britax high brand for the mid-brand price
5. They have made racing seats for a long time- I figure if they can keep race car drivers safe in high speed crashes they must have this safety thing figured out.

We are really happy with the choice. Adelyn seems to like it a little better than the carrier. I'm thinking she will really like it once she can be turned around. I think the meme says it all lol

I think I kinda go sidetracked becasue what I really wanted to talk about it Addie's new stroller. I started with the seat becasue once she moved to a new car seat my old stroller which was just a stroller frame for our carrier became obsolete. We needed a new stroller so on our trip to Buy Buy Baby we also looked at strollers. Now I am not that big into all the features I really just wanted something lightweight, easy to fold and carry, and something that would fit in my trunk. I told this to the guy and he said well you want this one then and walked me over to the City Micro stroller. He showed me how to collapse it with one hand pulling up on a handle and I was hooked. I knew it was the one for me.

I did not however like the price tag. A whopping $250! I have never understood why strollers are so expensive... but that is another story. Strollers are something I have no qualms about buying second hand. I would never buy a car seat second hand but a stroller I think is a perfectly acceptable thing to get used. I decided to find one cheaper second hand or online. Really this was my original plan to go to the store find the one I wanted and then find it cheaper online or at a consignment shop. As it turns out I am so glad I did.

A few days later I was at my parents house showing off Addie's new car seat and we started talking about the stroller we found. I decided to search the web while Addie was getting some grandma time in. I went to Amazon usually my first stop for things like this and saw to my great surprise a new City Micro in gray for $130. I couldn't hardly believe it I clicked and read the fine print just in case. I checked to see that it was the lowest on Amazon and then we jumped on it. I usually shop around more before but that was a deal. All together including shipping it was about $150 that is still $100 off the original and it was brand new!

I was a little worried while I was waiting for it to arrive at the house thinking maybe it was too good to be true, but it came in a band new box never even opened. I had to assemble it and everything. We got it in gray the only color they had. I wasn't crazy about it in the pictures online but I really like it in person. Plus its an added bonus that it is gender neutral for any other babies we might have in the future.

This is all you have to do to fold it. Isn't this the most brilliant thing ever!

So far I really like it. It was super easy to assemble (I did it all by myself!) and Addie seems to like it pretty well. We have taken it out a few times for rides around the neighborhood at night when it cools off. She fell asleep the first night. It rides smooth and is easy to turn and control. Most of all I love that I can open and close it with one hand and that it fits in my trunk so easily. It folds up even smaller than our stroller frame did. I am really happy with our new investment and I think Adelyn is enjoying her new ride too.

Must Have Baby Items- Prospective from a New Mom

If you have registered for baby products recently then you probably know the huge variety and selection that is available. I remember going to the local buy buy baby and babies r us and registering. They give you a checklist of all the things they say you "need" a scanner gun and let you loose. I remember feeling so overwhelmed. I knew then that I needed to do a little more research on what a baby really needs. I came a cross a few blogs with advice from moms who have been there that were really helpful. Now that I have been there too I thought I would offer up my new mom expertise (lol like that really exists). No really I am no expert on baby items below is a list of things what we personally would not have lived without during our daughters first 7 months of life. I am sure you will find people that felt the exact opposite but this is our experience, but here it goes.

1. Rock and Play sleeper-

This this has been one of the most valuable and used items we got from our registry. She still sleeps in this thing most nights. (we are transiting to crib-but that's another story) This thing is great! It is lightweight and portable fits right beside your bed so baby can stay in the room with you good for those late night feedings.  It is in a reclined position so it keeps the baby on her back slightly elevated. She sleeps so well in it I am dreading the day she outgrows it. It is around $80 but well worth it in my book and a cheaper alternative to a pack and play as it can travel very easily.

2. Gripe water- This is not normally something you see on one of these lists but it was a God send for us especially in the beginning. Gripe water is a homeopathic remedy for gas and other stomach problems in case you didn't know. Addie had such a problem with gas from the beginning, and I just felt awful for her we tried gas drops but they did nothing. A friend recommended gripe water and it was awesome! It really seemed to give her relief and it is all natural an added bonus in my book :) I have had friends say it didn't work for their babies and gas drops did Addie was the exact opposite. My advice is to get both and try them separately. Trust me you will want something when your poor baby is screaming from gas pain.

3. Nursing tanks- Ok I know this isn't really a baby item, but as you will see several of my must haves are items for mom that help take care of babies. If you are breastfeeding (and you really should if you are able) these are must haves. They are super confortable at a time when wearing a bra (even a nearsing bra) is supper uncomfortable if not down right painful. They are a simple one click access to feed baby (you only need one hand which is great!). I lived in these the first few weeks. I even sent my husband to target to get more a few days after we got home from the hospital. I got all mine at target they have good prices and are just as good as the more expensive brands. Stock up!

4. Nursing pads-  I don't know if I am just weird or what but I went through at least a thousand of these. Trust me you will need them once your milk comes in. I prefered the Lansinoh brand and the disposible ones. I bought a pair of washable ones but they were aweful! I don't see how people stand that. Also stock up on nipple cream while your at it that is anothr necessity you will need but I wont make a seprate post for.
 

5. Baby Swing- This is probably a controversial one because some babies don't like them, but my husband especially says this one is invaluable. Addie loved to swing and it would put her to sleep when nothing else would. We were lucky and someone gave us ours so we didn't have to front the hefty price tag for this one, but if we did I think this would have been a good investment. We used it that much. I will say try to burrow one and see if your baby likes it before you make the investment or buy second hand. I also recommend one that plugs into the wall. Ours ran off batteries and it cost us a fortune in D batteries, but we kept buying them because we loved it that much.

6. Boppy- I still use this for feedings. It comes in handy and I love that the pillow cases can be removed and washed. I recommend getting two cases if you can so you can always have one to put on while the other is washing. Regular pillows can work, but this thing is just so handy I would definitely put it on my list especially if you plan to breastfeed.

7. Medela Brest Pump- If you are going to have to go back to work like I did after 7 weeks, and you want to breast feed this is a must. I have totally gotten my money out of this one. It was an over $300 investment, but when I did the math it paid for its self in three months by avoiding formula costs not to mention I was giving my baby way better nutrition than formula can offer. Considering I am still using it I think it was well worth the investment. This is great for working moms who breastfeed. If you are staying home full time you night be able to get by with just a manual pump. I also recommend waiting to buy this until after you have established breast feeding and are sure you will use it. I mean I have heard stories of women spending $300 or more and only using it once. This is not something you can return so keep that in mind. I bought mine a couple weeks before I returned to work after I had gotten the hang of breastfeeding and knew I was going to stick with it.

8. Carters or other soft blanket- OK this blanket is the softest one I have ever felt. She loves this thing heck I want one in an adult size. Addie was born in November and so this thing was great to put in her car seat went we took her out and really to snuggle her anytime. I think any baby would love it. Addie got tons and tons of blankets but this one was by far her favorite and pretty much the only one we use.

 

9. Stroller frame- We were given a car seat and travel system from Michael's dad and step mom. We were so grateful we would not have to fork out the big buck for that investment, but the stroller would not fit in my trunk and plus it was burly and hard to get in and out. I knew I needed something I could operate easily. I found the answer in a stroller frame. This thing was super easy to get in and out of the car very lightweight. The car seat simply snaps right just like a travel system but much easier for a momma on the go. 
 
10. Bottles- Even if you are planning on breastfeeding you will still likely need bottles at some point. Mainly for when you pump or can't be with baby. We orignally bought Dr. Browns bottles. Mainly becasue I loved how they were glass and had the device that kept lots of air from getting to the baby.  I never really used the bottles too much becasue when I am with her she obviously breastfeeds so I am going mostly off what my husband says. He liked these alright but did not like the fact that they were glass making them heavy and impossible for Addie to hold even once she got to the point she could hold other bottles. (Can you tell my husband is all for independant feeding lol) I really like a brand my mom bought for us called breastflow by the first years. I think its the fact that the nipple looks more like a breast and it also has a airflow system. Addie would take these bottles when she wouldn't take any other kind. Did I mention she did not like bottle feeding? She has always known the difference between the real thing and a cheap substitute. Anyways that is why they were my pick but Michael did not like them becasue it was had if not impossible to get all the milk out of these. Over all we tried lots of different types of bottles. These were the only two types we liked enough to mention. Maybe I will do a separate post on bottles later. Bottom line you will probably need them so pick up a few. I recommend buying a small pack in case your baby doesn't like them. That way you don't waist a lot of money on one kind.

11. Diapers and wipes- This is a no brainier everyone knows you will need tons of these. You can not have enough diapers or wipes trust me, and walmart will exchange unopened packs of diapers for a bigger size if necessary so stock up! We loved papers swaddlers when she was newborn. They have this great indicator that turns blue when she is wet and are super soft. Papers are still our favorite but we have tried and liked lots of other cheaper brands. Luvs, huggies, and target brand work just about as well and so we usually just get what is on sale or a have a coupon for. The only brand we have not liked is walmats generic. You could tell they were very cheaply made (they felt like plastic) and they leaked several times. Targets generic on the other hand are great my 2nd favorite and considering the fact that they are a lot cheaper most of the time they might be my new favorite :) As far as wipes go I really have no preference I buy a different kind every time and they are all about the same to me.

12. changing pad and cover- So you could probably get by without this one but we have loved it. Makes changing time easy and comfortable. We have two of the covers so when one gets dirty we change it out for the other while we wash the first one. I honestly thought about buying three, and there were some days when it would have been handy to have another.

13. Nail clippers- now if anyone finds a good easy to use pair of these for a baby let me know. The ones I bought are terrible, but they are necessary. We use them all the time, and even as a newborn they have fingernails and will scratch their face. You probably want to invest in a pair or two of those mittens for newborns as well becasue if you are like me your probably going to be too scared to clip your newborn baby's fingernails. Here is a hit I got from a friend though- when they are really little their finger nails are paper thin so you can basically tear them down to size. Much easier than clipping! 

14. sleepers- these are great for newborns becasue you don't have to put anything over their head (which is quite a feat early on). Adelyn wore these all the time. I especially liked the fleece ones becasue it was winter time and they kept her warm and were so soft. Of all the cute clothes Addie got she got the most use out of these in her first few months. I would buy a few of these in all different sizes.


That's all I can think of for now, but  I am sure there are things that I am missing or forgot about. What would you add?

stay tuned in for my next post on Baby Items to Leave Off the Registry.