Life, Really Blog

I keep falling behind on Annabelle’s monthly updates–each month goes by so fast! Annabelle was 13 months on April 27 and 14 months on May 27.

Annabelle is at such a fun age. She’s learning new things everyday, getting into everything, and will be walking any day now. But first things first…

Size

Annabelle is still wearing some 12-month clothes, but she’s mostly in 18-month clothes now (partly because they’re the warmer weather ones). She wears size 4 toddler shoes and size 4 diapers. The 12-month sunhat that we had for Emma at this age doesn’t fit her noggin though, so I had to buy her a 12-18 month size (and even that *just* fits).

Eating

Annabelle is still a good eater and I think she went through a growth spurt a few weeks ago because she was packing away the food. Her favorite foods right now are: avocado, banana, blueberries, puffs, toast, crackers, noodles, tomatoes, mandarin oranges/clementines, pears, peaches, pineapple, kiwi, and cheese. She has several other foods that she will eat a small amount of as well. But banana, avocado, cheese, and oranges are the mainstays of her diet.

Annabelle is still nursing, mostly because she has been getting teeth left and right! She now has all 4 molars (the 4th is halfway through the gum) and is getting the 4 canine teeth (between the incisors and molars) all at the same time. She’s been a little crabby, to say the least. She gets a dose of baby ibuprofen every night before bed, and that seems to keep the pain at bay during the night.

If Annabelle wakes up during the night (which she still does once on average, though some nights she sleeps straight through and some wacky nights she’s up 3-4 times), I nurse her. I also nurse her right away in the morning, and before her naps and bedtime. Otherwise, she’s just eating food and drinking water. She doesn’t drink cow’s milk really at all… I haven’t tried very hard to get her to, but she doesn’t seem to like it much. I’m not too worried about it at this point.

Sleeping

I really have no complaints about Annabelle’s sleeping habits. Would I like Annabelle to sleep through the night consistently? Of course. Will she eventually? I have no doubt. Am I going to try to sleep train while she’s cutting 5 teeth? Mmmm, no. Since she’s getting all of her teeth (minus the 2-year molars) right now, the end is in sight! And then I will work on weaning, which will hopefully mean her sleeping through the night too. Or maybe without teething pain, she’ll sleep through the night and kind of wean herself. **here’s hoping**

Annabelle waffles between one and two naps a day. I try to get the girls to take their afternoon naps together as much as possible (giving me a much-needed break) but some days, it just doesn’t work. I’d say it’s about 60-40 (nap together-nap separately). If I can see that the naps aren’t going to overlap, I have Emma watch her iPad in her room for 20-30 minutes while Annabelle is napping, so I at least get a teeny break.

Because she still nurses and won’t take a bottle, I still haven’t spent a night away from Annabelle since she was born. But! The weekend of our wedding anniversary (May 19), Travis’ parents watched both Emma and Annabelle for an entire day. Annabelle took a 3-hour nap without nursing. I did end up nursing her that afternoon (so that I didn’t have to pump, and we were back at the house getting the boat anyway), and before bed. But it was encouraging that she went down easily and took a good nap without me. Next up is trying a whole day and night without me… but that might be after she’s weaned. Can you tell that my approach is Less is More?

Development

Annabelle still isn’t walking but she’s oh.so.close. Similar to how long it took her to start crawling, I think she’s just being very conservative about things. She pulls herself up on everything and LOVES climbing (she’s gets very upset if she sees stairs and isn’t allowed to climb them right now). She has mastered the art of going down stairs too, and can turn around at the top to go down backward. That is also her strategy for going down the slide on our swing set. One of Annabelle’s very favorite things to do the past couple of months has been push her alligator clacker up and down the driveway. She can walk pretty fast doing it too!

Unlike her sister, Annabelle does not like swinging very much. She seems to enjoy it for about 5 minutes and then wants out. (Emma could swing all the day long.) She hasn’t been a huge fan of grass or sand so far, but each day she gets a little more adventurous. Just today she was crawling around on our driveway and the grass in front of our house (which means filthy pants for mommy to wash!).

Annabelle does love water like Emma does, though. She loves being in the pool and tub, and the one time we went to the beach so far this year, Annabelle walked in up to her diaper (I was not preparing for swimming). My parents bought Emma a water table for her birthday and Annabelle has really enjoyed that too.

Annabelle has a handful of words now–dada (dad), dawdee (doggy), uh oh, ma (more), uh (up), ah daw (all done)–and we can tell that she’s comprehending more too. The other night, we were playing in the bathroom and I asked Annabelle if she wanted to take a bath. She looked toward the bathtub, said some gibberish, and crawled over to the tub. She’s also learned the sign for “more” and has used that a handful of times to request more food. She also loves blowing raspberries, just with her mouth and also on my arm. One night, I was trying to put her down for bed, and she just kept blowing on my arm for almost 10 minutes. I was laughing pretty hard.

Annabelle still puts up with a lot of rough play from Emma. It is the most frustrating part of parenting right now. Seriously, the choices a toddler makes defy logic. The other night, we were playing with the big lego blocks while watching a movie. Emma took a stack of blocks and dropped it right on Annabelle’s head. WTH?!?! We’ve started using the 1-2-3 Magic discipline approach, but when Emma purposefully or even sometimes negligently hurts Annabelle, she immediately gets a timeout. Is it working? Who knows. Emma has a really hard time keeping her hands to herself. Poor Annabelle gets pushed, pulled, dragged, hit, bit, shoved, hair pulled, toys stolen, head covered with blankets–you name it. I think Emma views Annabelle as her life-size doll to play with. Annabelle also gets a decent amount of head bonks and bruises from her own exploring as well. Thankfully she hasn’t gotten seriously injured yet.

Right before Annabelle turned 14 months, she went on her third airplane ride, this time to Cleveland, Ohio. She did really well! I nursed her on the flight from MSP to Cleveland, and she slept most of the way. More details coming in a separate post about our trip…

And that’s Annabelle at 14 months!

Tags: 13 months, 14 months, Annabelle, baby

How is it time for another monthly update? Miss Annabelle was 10 months old yesterday on the 27th!

Size

Annabelle can still wear a few 9-month things but she’s mostly wearing 12-month clothes. She’s bursting at the seams of her snowsuit (it’s 6-9 months but runs big), so I’m guessing we’ll have to buy or borrow a bigger one for her before winter’s over.

I’m also thinking about going up to size 4 in diapers for her… will have to do a test run soon. It would make things easier because that’s the size Emma wears too!

Sleeping

This month was still rough in the sleep department, though it has gotten slightly better in the last couple of weeks — slightly better meaning her waking up only once or twice a night. It seems like Annabelle is perpetually sick or teething, which makes for some rough nights!

Annabelle has also started boycotting her morning nap. She’ll fall asleep nursing but then when I try to put her down, she wakes up and won’t go back to sleep. So then I either keep her up until Emma’s nap or she grabs a quick cat nap in the car running errands. She’s still in such a good mood even when her morning nap is short or nonexistent though so it’s not too bad.

Another change this past month is that Annabelle is not nursing to sleep as often as before. Sometimes she’ll let us rock her to sleep but other times, she just isn’t having it even though we know she’s tired. So then our only option is to put her in her crib with the vibration pad going and let her cry for 15-20 minutes. Most of the time, she’ll fall asleep on her own doing that, but occasionally we have to go back in and try getting her to sleep again. I feel bad when my girls cry themselves to sleep, but sometimes they just need to. I really appreciate having a video monitor during those times.

Eating

Annabelle got one more bottom tooth and has been working on another top tooth all month (slowest tooth ever!), which will bring her up to 8 teeth.

She’s been doing a LOT better with eating solid foods this month, though she still is a picky eater. Her favorite foods are puffs, fruity purees, applesauce, strawberry banana oatmeal cereal, apple, cheese, and toast. She dislikes yogurt, green beans, banana, avocado and especially mandarin oranges. Most days, Annabelle eats 2-3 meals. It’s a great way to keep her happy and occupied while I make food for the rest of us.

Development

Annabelle doesn’t like the jumperoo as much as she used to, and since she’s still not mobile in any way, she’s pretty much limited to playing with toys that we give her. We have been trying to be more intentional with helping her have tummy time (even though she’s not a fan), stand up and kneel, as well as get some time on her hands and knees (which she also does not enjoy). For most of her 10th month, Annabelle was still pretty tippy sitting up but in the past week, I have noticed that she is a lot more stable, and she is even starting to pivot a little when she’s on her belly, so that’s something!

We discovered this past month that Annabelle loves being pulled in a sled and pushed in a laundry basket. Emma pulled Annabelle in her sled up and down our driveway all by herself.

Annabelle’s favorite “word” by far is “Dada” and it is the. cutest. noise. ever. Her cuteness is out of control.

Poor girl also gets lots of rough affection from Emma — lots of sideways hugs (like she’s going to give her a noogie), pulling, pushing and general rough-housing. Annabelle takes it like a champ though — it takes a lot for her to get mad. 

Tags: 10 months, Annabelle, baby

Little Miss Annabelle was 7 months (30.5 weeks) back on October 27.

Annabelle is still wearing 6-9 month clothes and size 3 diapers. I only used cloth diapers for about 3 weeks before getting frustrated that they kept soaking through her clothes. Maybe I’ll try again but for now, we’re doing 100% disposable.

In the past month, Annabelle:

* Got her first two teeth — the ones in the bottom middle
* Started sitting up on her own, still with lots of supervision because she tips over a lot
* Went on her first (and second) airplane rides with mommy and big sis to visit her cousins in Evansville, Indiana (post coming soon)
* Hit her head for the first time 😦
* Got her first cold with a runny nose and cough 😦
* Started eating solid foods 1-2 times a day (new foods she tried this month were oatmeal cereal, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, apple blueberry and grape banana plum purees, and banana Baby Mum Mums — she’s liked everything but I did mix some of the veggies with applesauce)

Annabelle likes:

* Jumping in her jumperoo
* Sitting up and playing with toys
* Eating and nursing
* Watching big sister’s antics (she laughs at her often, which makes my mommy heart swoon)
* Taking baths
* Playing peekaboo
* Grabbing everything she can get her hands on (we call her Grabby McGrabberton)
* Playing with my hair and face while nursing
* Sucking on everything, including her toes (it seems like it took her longer to develop this habit than Emma but she’s definitely there now!)
* Smiling and sticking her tongue out

Annabelle does not like:

* Getting her sleep sack put on when she’s hungry and/or tired
* Sleeping in her crib (she’s still in her swing folks)
* Going to sleep sometimes (I think might be a result of teething and/or being sick)
* Getting her face/nose/hands wiped
* Sleeping through the night (she almost always wakes up once now to nurse, sometimes twice — ugh)

Annabelle is a favorite at the church nursery and MOPS because she is so easygoing and smiley. Such a little sweetheart. We love her to pieces!

My favorite moment this past month was when Emma was playing in Annabelle’s crib and Annabelle was playing in her swing (also in her room). I ran to the kitchen to jot something down but could still hear them. Emma said “Baby look” and then did something that made Annabelle totally crack up. It was the first time they had bonded without me present and it was so sweet!

Tags: 7 months, Annabelle, baby

Our sweet little Annabelle is already 6 months old (back on September 27)!

It’s hard to believe that much time has gone by already. At her doctor appointment today, she was a little over 27 weeks, 19 lbs 5 oz (91%), 26 inches long (50%) with a head circumference of 17.76 inches (98%). She’s wearing 6-9 month clothes, and has been wearing 9 month sleepers and shirts for about a month already. She has a long torso and short little legs!

Annabelle has rolled over from her belly to her back a half dozen times but a week will pass between rolls, and she hasn’t done it at all for the past 3 weeks. It’s like she forgets that she knows how to do it. (Our doctor said that she is probably just choosing to not do it, and that we won’t worry about it until 9 months.) She has good neck control during tummy time though and is getting close to being able to sit up on her own. She’s also stronger standing up. No attempts at rolling from back to belly, though she does roll onto her side quite a bit.

The best part about the past month is that her personality has really started coming out.

Things she loves:

* Making funny noises with her mouth — squawking, gurgling, sighing, spitting, farting
* Hearing other people make fake fart noises — one of the things that has made her laugh the most so far was the air being let out of a partially inflated balloon. We did it over and over to hear that cute giggle.
* Watching big sister’s antics
* Having raspberries blown on her belly and (almost nonexistent) neck — this also makes her laugh, but only sometimes
* Hanging upside down
* Swinging and stroller rides
* Taking baths — she splashes herself in the face because she’s so excited
* Nursing
* Chewing on rubber/plastic spatulas and spoons
* Jumping in her jumperoo — it took probably 3 weeks but she’s finally doing some jumping!
* Sitting in the Bumbo or bouncy seat watching mommy do stuff in the kitchen
* Playing with toys that jingle and/or are a good thing to chew/suck on — she’s gotten good at seeing toys she wants and reaching for them. One of her favorite toys is a jingly blue and yellow ball that reminds me of a cat toy.

Helping mommy with laundry

Annabelle does NOT like:
* Being put down when she’s tired or hungry (she’ll be fine being held for a while though)
* Solid foods — so far, we’ve tried rice cereal mixed with breastmilk, banana, avocado, applesauce and rice rusks. 99% of it came right back out but she really liked the applesauce. We’ll keep trying! Next up will be probably sweet potatoes or butternut squash.
* Bottles — still won’t take one. I’ve pretty much given up on that — we’re going straight to a sippy cup instead!
* Sleeping flat — she will now sleep without vibration so we have made some progress (though I do still revert to vibration on occasion because she definitely sleeps better/longer with it on)!

Annabelle is still such a happy, easygoing sweetheart. It takes a lot for her to get worked up and when she’s starting to get upset, her pitiful little whimper just pulls at my heartstrings! There have been a handful of times when she was tired and hungry as we were driving home after eating dinner at a restaurant. She would cry for about 5 minutes and then just fall asleep. In contrast, Emma at that age would’ve screamed harder and harder and harder all the way home, falling asleep right as we were pulling in the driveway. 😉

She takes 2 good naps a day, and sometimes a third catnap in the evening. I can almost always time her afternoon nap for when Emma is taking hers so I get a glorious break! She had been sleeping through the night up until about 3 weeks ago, but now she wakes up hungry between 3:30 and 4:30. She goes right back down after nursing though. She also might be teething (who knows?) because she’s had a few nights of waking up 3-4 times and being unhappy (which is unlike her). She still squawks instead of crying 90% of the time. When she actually does cry, you know she has HAD IT and needs to nurse/sleep NOW. What a sweetheart.

Annabelle likes stroller rides!

Annabelle fell asleep with me holding her during dinner one night. We didn’t realize it until Emma looked over and said “Baby’s sleeping!”

Annabelle’s passport photo attempts (for our trip to Mexico this coming Feb) — the top one was the winner.

And that’s Annabelle at 6 months!

Tags: 6 months, Annabelle, baby

Annabelle was 5 months (22 weeks) on August 27. At her well-child visit on August 11, she was 17 lbs 2 oz (90th percentile) and 25 inches (59th percentile), with a head circumference of 17 inches (99th percentile!). To compare, at 6 months, Emma was only 16 lbs 6 oz and 26 inches. Annabelle is a cuddly little chubbers!

This little girl is so smiley and happy. It seems like she loves everyone, though if a bunch of toddler strangers surround her carseat, she’s not afraid to voice her disapproval!

This past month, Annabelle had a few ‘rough’ evenings of not wanting to go to sleep. She usually nurses to sleep for naps and bedtime (I think it’s mostly just a comfort thing because she nurses plenty of other times too) and every once in a while lately, she is too squirmy or distracted to nurse. I chalk some of it up to her age and just being more interested in what’s around her. But other times, it seems like something’s bothering her. I remember one night, I couldn’t get her to nurse anywhere except when I sat on the floor, so I thought maybe she didn’t like feeling cramped. But the next day, she seemed fine with nursing in a chair where her feet touch the side, and has seemed fine since then, so who knows.

Speaking of nursing to sleep, that’s the main way she likes to go to sleep. Emma wouldn’t fall asleep nursing to save her life, but Annabelle prefers it over bouncing, rocking, anything. She doesn’t have to nurse to fall asleep, but does about 90% of the time. Proof that the child’s personality and temperament really make a difference!

I am slightly embarrassed to admit, though, that Annabelle still sleeps in her swing with the vibration on for her naps and bedtime. My plan had been to get her used to sleeping in the swing without the vibration first and then transition her to the crib, but she hasn’t liked that idea much. Plan B was buying a vibration pad to put under her crib mattress to see if we could get her to transition that way, but she hasn’t been a fan of that either (she’ll wake up after only 15-30 minutes). We’re going to keep trying because I just think she’s too old to still sleep in a swing. Seems like she might be missing out on some developmental benefits or something. She has ditched the swaddle, so at least there’s that. (It helps when they find their hands.)

These days, Annabelle usually wakes up around 7, takes an hour nap around 8:30, take a longer afternoon nap (1.5 – 3 hours) around 1, sometimes takes a short catnap in the evening (depending on how long her afternoon nap was), and goes to bed around 8:30. She sleeps straight through the night 99% of the time. A few times, I’ve had to nurse her around 5 am, but that’s not typical. I have appreciated her going to bed earlier because that means I can get her to bed and then focus on getting Emma to bed. Putting them both down at the same time is usually a disaster!

Annabelle has gotten better at tummy time — she can hold her head, neck and shoulders off the floor — but has only rolled over from belly to back once. She hasn’t rolled the other way (back to belly) at all. I’m trying to be more intentional with mat time but it’s hard with a toddler! That’s another reason I want to move her out of the swing.

We like to joke about how mild Annabelle’s crying is. She just has the cutest, most pitiful little cry, and it takes a LOT for her to get worked up. She’ll be woken up from a nap early, kept up an hour past bedtime, wait 45 minutes to eat, play by herself while I chase Emma for a diaper or clothes change, chill in the Bumbo watching me make dinner, swing in the infant swingset swing while we go down the slide with Emma and just take it all in. She squawks a lot (especially when she’s getting tired), laughs and coos at Emma’s antics, and reacts with surprised disgust when anything plastic or rubber goes in her mouth…

Which means she won’t take a bottle. Her only flaw. We’ve tried a handful of times now with a few different bottles — no luck. Since I stay home full-time and she’s on the verge of starting solid foods, I’m not too worried about it. I gave Annabelle a taste of mashed banana while making banana bread one day and she revolted. So I might try baby cereal mixed with breastmilk in a few weeks.

One other notable thing, we finally bought an Ergobaby. Zulily had them for half off, which motivated us to pull the trigger. So far, I love it. It’s comfortable to wear (no more hurting shoulders!) and Annabelle seems to like it fine. It’s a little tricky to get on by myself, but I think I’ve figured it out. I didn’t get the 360 version because I didn’t think that being able to wear her on the front facing forward was a big enough reason for me to pay more (the Classic still has 3 different positions).

At 5 months, Annabelle:

LIKES
* Watching Emma and the dogs
* Swimming / taking baths
* Sleeping in her swing with vibration, or in the baby carrier
* Sticking her tongue out
* Squawking and cooing
* Grabbing whatever’s in her reach
* Sucking on her fingers
* Drooling

DISLIKES
* Spending very much time in her carseat
* Being left alone (in a safe place) for very long
* Getting her feet tickled, nails trimmed or face/neck washed
* Tummy time, for longer than a few minutes
* Sleeping flat on her back

Tags: 5 months, Annabelle, baby