I’M ONE YEAR OLD! Weight: 20.1 lbs. Height: 31 inches
This tall, sweet, giggly & adventurous little girl has been making us smile and laugh (and okay, some days pull our hair out) for one year now. Her smile is infectious, and she has this amazing personality already. I adore her sweet, free spirit.
Here’s some of the latest on Miss McKenna:
– She likes to go off furniture face first.
– She thinks her farts and burps are hilarious.
– She likes playing hide-and-seek and tag with me around the house (to clarify – she finds me and she tags me and giggles because obviously it’s funny).
– She’ll climb into your lap when she’s feeling cuddly.
– If she wants to read a book, she’ll bring one to you.
– So far, she doesn’t like frosting or raspberries.
– She gives high fives!
– She gives kisses! Sometimes they’re sweet, closed mouth kisses and other time’s they’re giggly, open mouth kisses… With tongue.
– She’s waving again. She initially started a couple months ago but stopped after a short while. Now it’s back and vigorous!
– She says, “Hi,” “Mama,” “Dada.” She’s even said “Hi Dada” a few times.
– She thinks feeding you is the funniest thing ever.
– She is very, VERY ticklish!
– She has 8 teeth and is working on more. Her top 4 front teeth 2 molars are in, as are her bottom front two teeth, with one coming in.
– And, she’s officially made the switch to cow’s milk.
Here is what we’re working on for the future:
– She is perfecting her walk. She is great at walking, but she gets a little ahead of herself and starts to “run,” and just eats it.
– She is practicing drinking from a cup and weaning off the bottle. She’s almost transitioned into the toddler room at daycare where they drink from small, 4 oz. cups. Not sippy cups or bottles. It’s a pretty wet experience so far.
– She is building up her vocabulary. We’ve almost got “dog.”
– She doesn’t know it yet, but she’ll soon get to practice eating with a spoon. I’m dreading this one (her hands work so well!). Keep me in your thoughts, ha.
This is likely to be one of the last regular blog posts for awhile. I would love to write one on our move (finally) and her first birthday party (this weekend) as well as our fast approaching wedding (next weekend), but I am looking forward to writing those posts on my terms, with no timeline in mind. xo
I’ll say it again – it is so hard to believe in less than a month (thanks to my procrastination on writing these blog posts), McKenna will be one year old. I used to think time went by quickly, but now with a mini in the picture it seems to do so much faster and right at the time I need it to slow down! In the last month, we moved from our 4-level, 1100 sq. ft. town home in South Tampa to a 2,700 sq. ft., 2-story home in Land O Lakes with a front and back yard, lots of friendly neighbors and a community playground, pool and sand volleyball court. We’re still settling in, so more on that later. All I have to say is that sometimes I really do have to pinch myself that we’re able to give McKenna (and future babies… still a few years down the road) a home like this to grow up in.
We’ve got a much toothier grin now. Her top four teeth took their time coming in, and I know they’re still not completely done, but you can see them peeking out from under her top lip now when she smiles. I thought the bottom two teeth were adorable, but this is pretty cute! (I’m sure I’ll think that of everything with her though.)
She hasn’t used real words yet, but lots of baby babble. She really tries to communicate with HER words, and there are a few I know she understands of ours, she just hasn’t repeated them yet. Occasionally when I point something out to her and tell her it what it is, she’ll repeat something back to me in syllables. I will say that she says “Mama or Mamamamama” a lot, but I’ve never heard her say it to me or yell it at me when she needs something. That’s probably just around the corner… I hope 🙂
She’s almost walking. And by almost, I mean we are… Sort of. McKenna can walk, I’ve seen her take 12-15 steps, but it’s like she realizes she’s doing it and drops to her hands and knees as if to say “you didn’t see that!” I’ve caught her taking a few steps in between pieces of furniture and then using them to guide her back and forth across the room. She’s got it in her 🙂 Update: In the one week that I procrastinated on this post, we started walking! Full fledged walking all by ourselves all around the house. It’s a whole new ball game!
She has become a master manipulator. I thought I’d never do it, but a few times lately we’ve had to put her to bed at night crying. I used to rescue her when she would do this – I wouldn’t take her out of her crib, but I would put her back down in her crib and rub her back or “Shhh” her until she fell asleep. All of that stopped when I went in one night to a baby standing up in her crib, screaming bloody murder… Until she saw me. Then she smiled. No way, Jose. When she will fall asleep on my chest I let her because I know I only have so many of those nights left. McKenna now falls asleep on her own. Sometimes with tears, sometimes not.
McKenna eats everything. There is very little she doesn’t eat right now (i.e., peanut butter, honey, cow’s milk, “junk food”), but otherwise she eats whatever Mike and I are eating. And let me tell you, this girl LOVES food. During a snack, if she’s not done (even though she should be because she’s eaten just as much as I have and I’m full), she will chase me around for the container that the food was in. For example, today we were sitting on the floor in the living room sharing cooled edamame (her vegetables are always baked or steamed and then refrigerated), and I decided we had enough. It wasn’t meant to be dinner, just a small snack to tide her over. I put the lid on the tupperware container and she gets this upset but determined look on her face. She then proceeds to dive and climb up and over my body to get this tupperware container.
I’ll be the first to admit I do not feed McKenna the healthiest choices all the time. I had it in my mind that I wanted to make my own baby food when she started eating solids. And some days I still wish I had, especially now that I know she likes it all it would have been easier to make mass quantities and freeze it. But I quickly learned that my heart wasn’t in it. I’d rather spend that food prep time on the floor playing with McKenna than in the kitchen. Working 42 1/2 hours 5 days a week, I already feel like I miss out on so much, and I want to spend as much time with her as possible. McKenna eats Puffs and Veggie Straws and Yogurt Melts for snacks (never for full meals). She’s had the squeeze pouches and every level of pureed food out of jars and plastic containers. At the end of the day, she does still have adequate servings of formula, fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. In fact, she feeds herself broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, edamame, pasta, hamburger, taco meat, chicken, fish, strawberries, bananas, peaches, etc. Every mama has their own way of feeding their baby, but at the end of the day, what is most important is that our babies are getting fed and healthily! I am so grateful that McKenna is such a good eater.
McKenna’s latest favorites (besides food): pushing the kitchen table chairs back and forth across the kitchen, climbing the steps, walking!, drinking out of adult cups, opening & closing doors, swimming/bath time (still love the water), getting Rigby kisses… The list goes on and on.
This was honestly the best photo McKenna would let me get for her 10 month pictures before she tried jumping off the futon. I didn’t push it. I foresee this happening at the next few check-ins until we hit 1…
This past month was no different than the last 10… Busy and full of development! Every day I look at McKenna and can’t believe how much she’s growing! She’s growing from a baby into this little person… And we’re going to have a 1-year-old soon. It’s unreal.
She is working on 4 new teeth! We’ve had our two cute lower teeth for awhile now (approx. 4 months), but this last month the two top front teeth have started coming in, and behind them are the two neighboring teeth (lateral incisors). It’s obvious she knows it, too, because she takes bites out of her Puffs and freeze-dried yogurt bites. Too cute!
She stands on her own – no hands! At least for 10 seconds or so at a time. She prepares for it, too. She’ll climb my leg or a piece of furniture, concentrate on balancing herself, and then take her hands off. Then she gets this HUGE grin on her face as if she’s saying “Look at my new trick, Mom!” and knows what she’s doing is so cool! I have yet to catch it in action because normally I’m what she’s standing next to.
She continues to be adventurous. If you’ve heard our latest announcement, we’re moving! That will get a whole post of it’s own once it’s all said and done. That being said, our house is a packing zone. There are boxes everywhere in anticipation of the move, and McKenna views them as her jungle gym – obviously. It didn’t take her long at all to figure out how to make them into toys. She seems to do that with everything that isn’t her toy, actually…
She’s still push walking. Thanks to her “push walking” that started around 9 months and an inspirational trip to the Hanson’s (where Miss Ellie Jane has so many cool toys), I purchased McKenna this V-tech Sit to Stand Learning Walker. Not only is she fascinated with all of the bells and whistles on the front of this thing, but she pushes it all around the living room/kitchen in our townhouse.
M’s friend Leo helping her around
She still loves the outdoors! Always has, and I hope she always will. We go on our morning/afternoon walks with Rigby and try to eat on outdoor patios as often as possible whenever we get the chance to go out to eat.
She also loves baths. I tried the shower for the first time last night (I took her in with me), and that was a big no-go. But she’s always loved baths. She’ll kick and splash and just smile the whole time. She went in the pool for the third time ever this past weekend and, once over the initial shock of her new floatie, seemed to enjoy it. She especially enjoyed sticking her fingers in the water and licking them… Silly girl!
We’re moving this weekend, and I will try to remember to blog about that experience when it’s all done. Wish us luck!
I’M NINE MONTHS! Height: 29.25″ Weight: Measurements 18 lbs., 11 oz.
Our little bean just keeps getting longer and longer. I think this may have been the first month I noticed how much she really weighs. I’ve been doing a lot of hip carrying around the house and on short errands and my biceps are benefitting 😉 This month – while baby wearing on our weekend trip to downtown St. Augustine – we also tried the “back carrying” on for size, and my lower back is really thanking me.
The perfect view for walking around downtown St. Augustine.
Since our last check in I’ve celebrated my first birthday and Valentine’s Day as a mother. I will admit my birthday weekend was very anticlimactic (my own doing) as it was the first of many years where I realized how unimportant my birthday really is now that I have a little one… Or I guess how much more important other things/dates/holidays are. That may not come across right, but ultimately it just made me realize how really unglamorous birthdays will probably be going forward. Admittedly I was pretty upset in the morning, but in hindsight I don’t mind. If anything I look forward to the year (maybe next year!) when McKenna blows out my candles before I can get to them.
As for McKenna’s updates…
She’s learned to clap. This has come about in the last few days. She started clapping when Mom & Dad would clap or say “Yay!” and now she claps when you simply say, “Clap, McKenna.” We’re working on waving hi & bye… She’s very close to “bye.”
Clapping!
She is quite the conversationalist. And with complete strangers. This little one is rarely shy with an unfamiliar face, which is great in one sense and very scary in another. Last night when we were sitting out on the patio at Carabba’s, McKenna had a full on conversation and giggle fest (for like 15 minutes!) with the young man and woman at the table across from us. I think it was mostly because she was interested in their golden retriever, but still.
She is a daredevil. This girl loves an adrenaline rush. She gets an instant smile from “Superman,” being tossed in the air, swung side-to-side and from hanging upside down. I am also convinced one of her top priorities is to go down the stairs. We don’t have a large living area, and every so I catch her staring at the stairs. This light goes off and she bolts (crawling) in that direction… And this chick is fast!
Of course we have a photo of her being a “Supergirl” and she doesn’t look slightly thrilled… Maybe that’s a testament to how much she loves the rush. This is just not exciting enough for her!
She is eating REAL solids. Not like pureed, not-formula/breastmilk solids, but REAL solids. We started on Puffs (cereal bites that dissolve in your mouth) and organic freeze-fried yogurt bites, and this weekend we moved on to chopped strawberries, sweet potato, pancakes and scrambled eggs… Yum! It’s fun being able to feed her bits and pieces of what we’re eating. She’s becoming less of a baby (always my baby, of course) and more of a little person!
Sunday breakfast. Scrambled eggs and pancakes.
She giggles a lot now! She loves to giggle. She’ll even have a giggle war with you. She’ll laugh a little, then you laugh, then she laughs. And some of her laughing is fake and completely intentional. It’s pretty hilarious.
McKenna and Mike at lunch in St. Augustine
We’re standing with one-hand assistance and “push walking.” She stands very confidently and gracefully only holding onto something with one hand. She also “walks around” by pushing an object around the room (i.e., Rigby’s food dish stand around the
kitchen) or by using the edges of furniture as guidance.
Helping Dad out in the kitchen.
It goes without saying that she gets into everything, and everything she gets into goes straight into her mouth. She definitely keeps us on our toes. I can’t imagine the adventure we’re in for when she’s walking in just a short while. It’s a constant struggle of “can wait/can’t wait,” but it’s exciting!
Oh, and we FINALLY got some decent family photos, thanks to my mom 🙂
McKenna is growing like a weed and is already encountering some of the problems I had to deal with in middle school and high school. Poor thing just keeps growing taller and taller (wonder where she gets that from) and is staying pretty thin (we have a few cute baby rolls, but she’s pretty lean) so we’re running into the problem of pants that fit are too short and pants that are long enough are too big. Poor girl. Welcome to #tallgirlproblems, Baby.
A lot has happened in the last month… Or at least it feels like it. And now I’m thinking I say that in every post. (I’m not willing to go back and look to see if I need to change that sentence to something more original, so we’ll go with it.) I’m pretty sure that’s how being a parent to a baby is. Time flies when you’re having fun… Or chasing a speedy crawling baby around the house. Or both.
In the last month McKenna celebrated her first Christmas (my favorite time of the year) and New Year. I kept telling myself to “Write a blog post about it, already!” but time got the best of me and here we are, 3 weeks past Christmas and it just doesn’t seem as important anymore.
So here is a brief (just kidding, not brief at all) synopsis for anyone who is curious:
Christmas Eve/Day: We were fortunate enough that my dad (who lives in Nebraska) was able to come down for a week during the holiday.
We visited Santa the night before Christmas Eve at Westshore Plaza. Luckily we arrived when he was due back from break, so we got in line before it got too long. It was still about a 30-45 minute wait time, but McKenna loves looking around and people watching, so she was entertained. The entire time we were in line Michael and I were planning a stealth mission of how we were going to sneak pictures of McKenna on Santa’s lap on our phones. You see, the information page they handed to us while we were in line asked that no personal photos were to be taken. Instead you could view your photos immediately after and pay $25.00 for 7 of them. Seven photos?! Uhm… No thanks. Anyways, we were fortunate enough the photo paper ran out just before it was our turn. Apparently it is a huge process to switch it out, so, since McKenna was starting to get antsy (it was feeding time), they let us discretely take some photos on our phones. Santa wasn’t happy about it, but I could care less because I have much better plans for my $25 than 7 photos of Santa. In the end, I was sort of hoping for the classic screaming baby photo, but McKenna could care less that she was on Santa’s lap (in fact, I don’t even know if she realized she was).
McKenna with Santa. Westshore Plaza, Tampa. 2014
Christmas Eve morning we woke up and Michael and I exchanged gifts. He worked Christmas Day and since he works 24 hours at a time, we decided to do everything on Christmas Eve. One of my favorite gifts was a collage photo throw blanket Michael got me covered with pictures of McKenna’s first 6 months. I started crying instantly… I’ve definitely got those mom hormones now.
We spent the rest of the day with my dad, Mike’s parents and my mom and her husband at Mike’s parents’ house in Bradenton. I’ve always had (large) family gatherings on Christmas Eve, so it was nice for that to continue. We had a great afternoon/evening and exchanged gifts – which McKenna napped through… Including her own!
Christmas Eve, 2014.McKenna drumming with Grandpa.Hanging with Grandpa
Christmas Day was spent relaxing at home with my dad and McKenna. It was totally a “do nothing and stay in your pajamas all day” kind of day. Very peaceful.
Reading her “Hello, Boston!” book her Aunt Stephanie bought her for Christmas while waiting on breakfast.Lounging on her new lamb chair from Grandpa.Napping with Grandpa.
New Years’ EveMike also worked New Year’s Eve (and got off at 8 a.m. New Year’s Day), so McKenna and I spent the day at home relaxing and were both in bed by 8:30 p.m. Something tells me this may be a recurring thing in the years to come…
Now that we’ve gotten the holidays out of the way, back to the world of child development…
Sleeping. We had a rough patch of about 3 weeks where McKenna was waking up 3-4 times a night. Most of it was resolved by re-situating her in her crib, giving her the WubbaNub (pacifier), and/or changing her. Of course, there were moments right around 4 a.m. where she absolutely would not go back to sleep, which is when we caved and put her in the bed with us. It wasn’t the most relaxing sleep for Mike or I, but it was still an extra 2-2 1/2 hours of quiet. Mike and I would sometimes complain of lack of sleep but were constantly reminding ourselves how lucky we’ve been with McKenna’s ability to sleep through the night. (Fortunately, that no sleep phase is over and we are back to sleeping through the night again. Woohoo!)
Always happy after just waking up from a nap.
Crawling/Standing. Girlfriend is ready to rock. She’s got the crawling thing down pat and has even worked her way up the stairs a few times (while being closely monitored, of course). When she pulls herself up on something to stand, she’s a big fan of taking one hand off to bend down and pick things up. A few times she’s decided she’d like to try to stand up on her own (taking both hands off of whatever she’s using for support/balance) and every time it results in a bump, fall and tears. Poor baby. My current favorite is when she’s trying to reach something in the middle of the ottoman or activity center and she gets up on her tippy toes to reach.
Tippy toes!
Finding our voice. McKenna still airs on the side of being quieter, but she’s definitely found her voice in very recent days. She’ll babble to me while I’m preparing her breakfast, changing her diaper, taking her daycare or on the way home in the evenings. It’s so cute, and we love to babble back!
Toys. Toys are cool and all, and McKenna really likes them part of the time… especially her Baby Einstein jumper & Fisher Price Scout dog. But when she’s not playing with toys she’s playing with other fun items around the household.
Like Rigby’s food or water bowl… Especially while he’s eating.Or her diapers. Nothing is more fun than those!
We (McKenna & I) did get a new “toy” for Christmas… This Schwinn jogging stroller! We’ve gotten to use it a few times when it’s not too cold, and we love it!
Straight chillin’
Teeth. We now have two (both bottom teeth), and Mom and Dad think they are the cutest little things! It seems like she is working on more, but we’ll see when they show up.
Just her two front teeth!And another one because she is just too cute!
The upcoming month is bound to bring lots of fun, excitement and adventure. We are finally getting our first round of (professional) family photos taken this Saturday, which have only been rescheduled about 5 times (they were originally supposed to be taken in November in time for holiday cards, but it just didn’t happen) so of course I’m excited about those!(Update: these were set to be “rescheduled” again the night before, so I decided to get a refund. Very frustrating. I am currently debating whether to seek out another professional or ask my mom to take them with her D-SLR. At least I can depend on her to keep the appointment!)
My birthday is next week (an excuse for a date night for me and Mike), lots of wedding prep is going down and Miss McKenna will be 3/4 of the way to a year old in a short amount of time. I know I’ve said this before – and everyone says it all the time – but I really can’t believe how quickly time is passing!
Couldn’t leave you without some bloopers from out “8 Month” photos. This happened about 1 minute in… Tell me how you really feel, McKenna.
Wow! It has been a jam-packed, fast-paced month. I think the holidays always tend to make you feel that way. It’s like once Halloween arrives and it over, Thanksgiving flies by and then it’s suddenly Christmas. This is by far my favorite time of the year (Join the club, right?), and I can’t wait until McKenna is old enough to understand some of the magic of the holidays – apart from just how fun it is to bang on and climb all over the presents under the tree. McKenna has grown from 6-months to 10-years-old over night. Okay, so she really hasn’t aged that much, but all of the milestones we’ve hit in the last 4 weeks has made it feel like it! She passed the 7-month mark on Sunday, Dec. 14 and has lots to fill everyone in on!… We had our first Thanksgiving. And our first bites (or finger-fulls) of mashed potatoes. (Naturally, we loved them.) And our first turkey coma. We’ve learned how to tell someone we’re hungry. This fussing bit normally starts when she knows she’s about to eat (aka she sees you preparing her food) but is her way of telling you you’re not going fast enough. Some people might think my “teasing” is mean in this video, but I can assure you she is – already – totally faking and cracks smiles in between those fusses constantly because she thinks she is so funny (which, she is because she’s so cute). When she’s not fussing for her food, she’ll often kick her feet and pant like a dog in anticipation. Somebody has her dad’s appetite.
We can’t tell Rigby’s toys from our own. (An issue we expected to have with Rigby – and don’t.) We’re lucky Rigs is good at sharing. We’ve started pulling ourselves up and standing. It used to be that I couldn’t get her to sit still in her jumper or highchair without fussing because all she wanted to do was crawl. Now I can’t get her to crawl because all she wants to do is pull herself up onto… Well, anything really. From the ottoman or couch to her storage bench and even the wall (I’m not kidding, we’ve got a Spidergirl on our hands), nothing is off limits. Of course, what goes up, must come down, and when she doesn’t settle down nicely (she’s still working on mastering that technique) she often takes a pretty quick Boom! to the butt or back. She always takes it like a trooper though… I haven’t seen her cry yet! This girl has no fear. (In fact, sometimes I think she does it for the thrill… Adrenaline junkie like her parents.)
Look, Mom! One hand!
With our runny nose and mild fever last week came our first tooth! I have been waiting for this tooth for 5 months. McKenna started drooling incessantly at such a young age that I thought for sure she was following in my footsteps and would start teething at 4 months. But here she was, getting her first tooth 2 days before she turns 7 months old, and reminding me that she can do things at her own pace and to stop rushing things. We were also in our first parade. We represented the company I work for, a Green Pro Certified pest control company in Tampa, in the Rough Riders Holiday Parade through downtown Tampa. It was a beautiful, cool day and McKenna and I rode in the bed of the truck with the other kids and tossed out candy and beads. Tampanians love their beads. McKenna is still the happiest of babies (with a few tears of course… It wouldn’t be normal without them). Often times she’s quiet and observant – but never too good to crack a smile – which makes me think she’s an old soul. We’ll see if I’m right. On other days, however, we get this super goofy, shrieking (in a good way), giggly baby girl… Those moments I love!
I am in no way deeming myself an expert with this list, and, depending on personal parenting choices, I have left some very important items out. For example, if you choose to breastfeed, you will need a good breast pump. I left this out because a) I personally was only able to breast feed McKenna for 10 weeks and b) I received a free breast pump through my insurance company, that actually turned out to work really well (Ameda Purely Yours if you’re really curious). Below are the items that worked well for us and for McKenna over the last 6 months.
1. WubbaNub. These things are everywhere! As Mike likes to (defeatedly) say, “Somebody is getting rich off the idea of connecting a stuffed animal to a pacifier.” It’s totally one of those “Why didn’t I think of this?” products, but they really are adorable. So adorable that it’s hard not to buy every single one. We started out with one for McKenna, and eventually got 2 so that we could leave one in her crib at daycare. I would recommend two because, trust me, these things are gold. And if you lose one – you better have a back up ready. It’s a great pacifier and the animal helps it to not get lost. Plus, once your child’s older, you can cut the pacifier off and – boom! – they have a stuffed animal. Be careful when you’re shopping for these because some boutique stores really raise the price. Retail $14.00 (Amazon.com).
2. Inch Bug Labels. These are for all your mamas whose babies go to daycare or some form of school (or maybe even for mamas with more than one baby!). These customizable rubber labels are great for putting around bottles, sippy cups, etc. This site also has stick-on labels for baby’s blankets, spare clothes, spoons, etc. that you may have to provide at daycare. We went this route versus writing McKenna’s name on everything because I know one day I will either be donating these items or reusing them for another baby (way down the road), and I don’t want them marked up. These are available at inchbug.com. Prices vary depending on product.
3. Infant activity/play mat. This isn’t the exact one that we have, but they’re all pretty similar. Most are obnoxiously colored (ours is!), but that’s part of the “entertainment” for babies. The many colors and patterns keep baby stimulated and entertained. We went through two different types of swings (one was the ever-popular MamaRoo at $230.00) and one bouncer – all of which McKenna hated – until she took to the play mat. Retail average $40.00.
4. Avent Classic Feeding Bottles.This is a personal preference really. Some babies only take to certain nipples or bottles. McKenna loves food so much, I’m pretty sure she’d take to anything. We tried these out first and they worked! I do love the design and the ability to change nipple sizes as she gets older. Retail $19.00.
5. Fisher-Price Newborn Rock-N-Play Sleeper. We used this Rock-N-Play Sleeper as McKenna’s basinet from the time we brought her home to the hospital until she literally, physically outgrew it (around 8 weeks). It keeps the baby in an elevated position with the sleeper portion like a hammock that keeps them cozy. It also has a vibration setting that helps to soothe baby. Retail $74.99.
6. Tula Ergonomic Baby Carrier. I wasn’t sure how much baby wearing I would do, but I knew I wanted the option. We started out with an inexpensive Infantino carrier from Target, which was suitable for when McKenna got smaller, but I knew that it wasn’t supportive enough for either of us. As McKenna got bigger, I could tell my lower back was not digging this carrier. One day she fell asleep in the carrier when I was at a co-worker’s house for a work event, and her poor legs started losing circulation. I ordered the Tula Ergonomic Baby Carrier than and haven’t put her in the other one since. This carrier is 100x more supportive for both of us, and I can wear McKenna on either my front or my back (when she gets bigger). If I were still breastfeeding, this carrier allows for concealed, easy breastfeeding, too. It doesn’t allow for baby to face forward, but that is arguably not the best position for baby’s hip development anyways. Did I mention the Tula comes in lots of fun colors and patterns? Note: We also use the Boba Wrap, but it was too hot most of the time. (Boba Wrap + Florida summer = Not good) Retail $149.00.
7. Boppy Nursing Pillow. Whether you decide to nurse or not, a Boppy pillow is a great thing to have for you and the baby. Even after I stopped nursing McKenna, I still used the Boppy to help hold her when I bottle fed. It also helps during different stages of development such as tummy time and sitting up. Retail $39.99.
8. Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair. We had originally registered (and been given) a standard high chair. But once that box came, I was so reluctant to set it up. The box was HUGE, and I knew that there would be some assembly required, making the high chair even bigger. Living in a 1,040 sq. ft., 4-level town home doesn’t give us much room for “things,” so after seeing the Space Saver High Chair, we knew the real one had to go. The Space Saver buckles securely onto an existing dining room chair. The seat cover (which comes in different pattern/color options) is easily removable for washing. This thing is awesome! I’ve even packed it in the car (without disassembly) for a weekend getaway. Retail $49.99.
9. Dr. Smith’s Premium Blend Diaper Ointment. We had been given a few different types of diaper rash creams/ointments at our baby shower. McKenna didn’t have a really bad diaper rash until her first cold, and it was unbelievable! She would flinch when we wiped her, and I felt so terrible. Between the butt paste and the A&D ointment we had on hand, it didn’t seem like anything was working… At least no fast enough. I had gotten some samples of Dr. Smith’s at the doctor’s office, and I started seeing a difference in one diaper change! I swear by it now, and don’t use anything else. It’s a little on the pricier side, but you can almost always find manufacturer’s coupons somewhere. Retail $10.99.
10. Aden & Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets. I’ll be honest… McKenna only let us swaddle her for about the first two weeks. She absolutely hated having her arms pinned, and she actually slept okay outside of a swaddle, so I let her win that battle. However, when we were swaddling her, these blankets were the best! I had the velcro style swaddles, but McKenna definitely got the tightest, coziest swaddle from the Aden & Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets. And the patterns are so cute! Retail $50.00 (4-pack).
11. Evenflo Exersaucer Doorway Jumper. After we realized the swings and bouncers didn’t work, all McKenna had “play-wise” was her play mat. She always showed a love for standing up (us holding her up, really) and “pretend walking,” so we went on the hunt for a doorway jumper. It was perfect for when I was cleaning/organizing her room or putting her laundry away – and so affordable! Retail $20.00.
12. OXO Tot Silicone Feeding Spoon. We got two of these spoons (with the travel case) as items in our swag bags at the Bump, Baby, & Beyond event sponsored by the Tampa Bay Moms Blog. McKenna had been eating solids for about a month so far, and we had previously been using the Munchkin 6-pack Soft Top Infant Spoons. Nothing at all against those spoons, as I am sure they will come in handy when McKenna is a bit older, but they were tons messier than the OXO Tot Silicone Feeding Spoon. The silicone feeding spoons have less of a “cup” at the end, so you don’t have to maneuver them around inside baby’s mouth as much to empty the spoon. Since McKenna has a bit of a tongue-tie, this was huge for us. During her first feeding I noticed a huge difference in how much food was actually staying in her mouth vs. ending up on her bib. Even Mike will feed her solids now (still with some reluctance) because it’s just easier. I could go on and on about infant feeding spoons (this is what life is like with a baby – you could talk about spoons for hours), but I’ll just say – they’re seriously great. And leave it at that. Retail $6.99 (2-pack).
Since we were just getting over a cold, we got to do this shoot in our pj’s… The cold never stops us from being wiggly/goofy though!
I’m SIX months old! Weight: 15 lbs., 11.5 oz. (45th percentile) Height: 27.4 inches (95th percentile)
Teething: I thought by now I would see a few, only because I’ve seen the pockets where her two bottom ones are going to cut through – those weren’t visible a week or so ago. Yesterday it looked like the pockets had disappeared, which the pediatrician said is common with these baby teeth – they can recede a little before cutting through all the way. We’ll see how McKenna handles it… Shouldn’t be too long.
“Solid” Foods: She’s been doing very well. She regressed recently a bit, I suspect because of the cold she caught at daycare (read all about our first few weeks there).
Crawling: We’re there! See the video below. The first few tries were not very graceful, as was expected, but within 2 days she had it down pat and was moving right along. I catch myself having to remind myself that she can do that now. I’ll be cleaning her room or putting her crib sheet on her bed (heck, even going to the restroom!), and suddenly I can’t see her out of the corner of my eye anymore. This little girl’s fast (I’m sure they all say that) and is on a mission!
Sleeping Through the Night: Alright, I admit it (and in a completely non-bragging way). We were completely BLESSED with a baby who sleeps through the night. I like to think she is wise beyond her years and understands the importance of sleep (even though I know that’s not the case). Even when she didn’t sleep through the night completely, she was never awake longer than to eat and be changed. That being said, McKenna – although sleeping through the night still – has decided that instead of waking up between 6 and 6:30 a.m., she is going to wake up between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. This makes for one tired mama and dad. Wish us luck in getting over this current battle! (I know, I know – it could be worse!)
Her Interests: McKenna is still fascinated with being outside. I don’t think you get her attention outside if you wanted to. She’s too intrigued by the trees, the sky and the breeze to pay any attention to any one else. The best thing that she’s started really getting into is animals. Her eyes follow the birds and the squirrels when we’re outside. When she’s sitting in her highchair at home she loves looking at Rigby sitting at the top of the steps, and she gets a kick out of watching him play fetch. It’s so cute!
Just playing with Rigby.
It’s crazy to think that 6 months have already gone by. I remember when I was pregnant wondering if it was ever going to end (the pregnancy, of course), but now it feels like days just fly by, and I can never get enough time with her. Sure, you look forward to when they can walk and talk and do other “big kid” things, but at the same time you just wish they could stay this little forever. It’s moments like those where I find myself thinking I could have like, 1,000 kids (not something I ever thought I’d feel/say) because they’re just so great! Thankfully I’ve got Mike around to bring me back to reality and keep me more grounded on that one.
And of course, below are a few photos from our 6 month “shoot” (since I just can’t resist!):
“Arghhh, matey!”I “just can’t” with these faces!Alright, Mom. We’re done.
Before McKenna was born, my mom offered/agreed to watch her on the days Mike and I were both working for the first year. This was a huge help to us both financially and for peace of mind, knowing McKenna would be with her grandma during the day. It was also a big labor of love for my mom, who would drive up from North Port, FL (about an hour and a half away) in the wee hours of the morning, watch McKenna during the day, stay the night and leave the next morning when Mike got home from his shift. We could have started daycare right away – or once I went back to work from maternity leave – but with Mike being a firefighter and working a 24-on/48-off schedule, it made more sense to have my mom watch her. Or so we thought.
It didn’t take long for all of us to realize how exhausting this schedule was for my mom – and who could blame her?! When Mike got a new job with the City of Lakeland, we found out he would be training for 10-12 hours/day for 3 weeks, and we knew we would have to start McKenna in daycare.
When it came to researching daycares, I already had a few in mind based off friends’ experiences. We didn’t have much time, so we researched a few different facilities and settled on two to tour. Both of which were relatively close to downtown, which is the route I use on my way home from work.
Primrose School of South Tampa: It’s no wonder this school had a 1-2 year wait list (crazy, right?!). I knew that going in, but I still wanted to tour it. It’s a beautiful, brand new, highly secured facility. I was immediately drawn to all of the windows throughout the building (so much natural light! Perfect for babies who love to look outside, like McKenna). At Primrose they have a scheduled day for all ages, including infants, and encourage reading, singing and physical development – like crawling and tummy time. They also utilize American Sign Language to encourage communication. Something you don’t realize you have to think about when shopping for daycares is supplies; Primrose supplied crib sheets (which they washed every night) and fresh food prepared on site once they started eating solids. One of my favorite things about Primrose that Carlton didn’t offer for babies was a chance to go outside during the day. Primrose had double strollers the teachers put the babies in when the weather was nice to get them out of the building for short periods at a time.
Pros: great location, dedicated schedule/curriculum, natural light, brand new & highly secured facility, supplied sheets and solid food, use of ASL, outside excursions for infants Cons: 1-2 year wait list, pricier (approx. $15 more per week)
Carlton Academy Day School: Carlton Academy Day School is located in downtown Tampa off Brush St., just a few blocks north of Amalie Arena. It is an older building but still highly secured facility, and you even have the ability to log in to a webcam portal to watch your child in their classroom during the day (Bonus!). Carlton Academy had a comparable schedule/curriculum to the infants’ schedule at Primrose. They read, sing and use ASL with the infants, as well as encourage tummy time, crawling and playtime with the other babies in the room. One plus to Carlton Academy was that many of the teachers are bilingual and will sing or speak to the kids in Spanish. You have to supply your own crib sheets and solid foods, but the cost per week is a bit cheaper and with available enrollment.
Pros: great location, affordable, dedicated schedule/curriculum, highly secured facility, ability to tune in to child’s classroom during the day, use of ASL & Spanish, available enrollment Cons: not much natural light in interior classrooms, infants don’t have outdoor access, sheets and solid foods not included
Given the wait list at Primrose, it is no doubt that we went with Carlton Academy Day School. We may revisit Primrose again when McKenna gets a bit older, but with such comparable infant programs, Carlton was a great fit. The staff was friendly, inviting and very helpful getting us prepared for McKenna’s first day. She started on November 4, and when I dropped her off I was a wreck. You would think that since I had already been back to work for nearly 4 months I would have been fine, but I started crying before I even left the house! I thought I had gotten it together, but when the office staff walked me back to her classroom and asked excitedly, “Are you ready?” I lost it and just said, “No not really!” through my tears. This little girl has made me a huge mush, I’ll tell ya.
I got easier day by day. Since she was just two weeks away (and getting ready to crawl any minute), they moved McKenna into the 6-12 month room right away. When I picked McKenna up after the second or third day, her main teacher talked to me about why I might be seeing McKenna in her crib more than the other babies at first. “She seems happier in there,” her teacher said. “It’s a little overwhelming for her in the play area right now, so when she gets really upset I put her in there and she watches from afar.” It was no surprise to me that McKenna was probably very overstimulated. She had never been around so many little babies, let alone ones who were crawling and pulling themselves up. By the end of week two (just this last week) she has almost completely adjusted and is on a great eating and napping routine (Yay! Thanks, teachers!). She has caught the daycare cold, which was expected, but she’s such a trooper when she’s sick you wouldn’t even know.
So far we’re very happy with our decision. Her teachers are lovely and helpful in her development. It’s reassuring to know she’s safe during the day (I have to check her in and out with my fingerprint), and when I miss her during the day I love being able to check in on her via the webcam and see what she’s doing.
Two weeks ago (yes, time has gotten away me from lately!) McKenna and I had our first full weekend away from home and with Mike. Mike’s best friend had offered him a ticket to the Michigan State vs. Michigan game in East Lansing that weekend and, having not been to a game at his alma mater (MSU) in 5 years, he went. I had a few vacation days saved, so I took that Friday off and McKenna and I headed down to Fort Myers, FL – where I did most of my growing up – to stay with my best friend and her family. With Mike being a firefighter, he works 24 hours on and has 48 hours off, so we’re used to spending a night or so without him. We sure did miss him that weekend, but he had lots of “guy time” fun, and we had plenty of fun ourselves! (Although I do think loading/unloading the car would have been much easier if he was there!)
It was quite the weekend! Kim, Kirby & Lexi played amazing hosts (though I wouldn’t expect any less) and spoiled us with food, fun and a trip to the zoo! McKenna wasn’t as interested in the monkeys or giraffes as she was of the trees and bushes (Nature lover this one, I’m tellin’ ya!), but it was a beautiful day outside regardless, spent doing one of her favorite things (walking around).
Below is my recommended packing list for a short road trip out of town. With road trips (and larger cars) you have the liberty of taking a little more with you and not having to worry about improvises once you get there.
2 outfits per day: You never know what the weather will be like or whether or not baby will ruin their outfit! (This includes socks.)
Pak-n-Play: I set this up in my room and McKenna slept in it at night. Of course we had
Fitted Sheet: for the Pak-n-Play and a
Long-sleeved, footie pajamas: My obsession. I packed 1 pair per night just in case there was a diaper leak in the middle of the night.
Play mat: Okay, so in hindsight I probably didn’t need to bring this. We were so busy all weekend McKenna maybe spent 2 hours on it tops over 3 days. It was nice in the morning when we were all getting ready though.
Fisher Price Space Saver Seat: This thing makes me top must-haves list for the first 6-months (and beyond! But that post will be next week). With McKenna on solids twice a day, I really didn’t want to get her out of her routine for 3 days. So I packed this seat to feed her in along with…
Bibs (1 per meal)
Baby cereal: I packed the entire container, but in hindsight I should have measured it out beforehand in Tupperware to save room.
Pureed fruits/veggies (1 per day)
Stroller
Baby carrier (optional)
Of course we had the diaper bag which contained other essentials like diaper cream, burp rags, bottles, etc. I always have one bottle in her diaper bag, but I packed an extra so that I wasn’t constantly washing the same one. I also picked up a new container of wipes and a new package of diapers for the road so that I didn’t have to worry about whether or not her diaper bag was well stocked. I knew we’d use the extras!
Our Little "Whoops!" 