Allie's 7 Months Old!

Time is flying by, but we're having so much fun with her right now and trying to enjoy every second.  As I've mentioned in recent posts, she's been sick a few times and it's thrown her off track with her eating and sleeping, but we're slowly getting back to normal.  Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and helpful advice.  She's been doing much better these past few days.  She's eating better, sleeping a little better, and seems to be much happier.  I took her to the Dr. last week after I had posted about her struggles, and we didn't get a whole lot of answers.  But I guess that's a good thing, nothing seemed to be wrong with her medically, they said it was just going to take time.  They did however put in her file that she's 'anorexic', which they assured me is just the technical term for refusing to eat foods, but no more calling my baby chunky...time to promote a healthy body image :)! I did a few things that they recommended to try and get her feeling better and they seemed to help a little.  And she cut one of her top teeth over the weekend, so that explains our recent sleeping issues.  


But despite everything, I couldn't ask for a happier or sweeter baby.  She's funny too, she has the cutest personality and she keeps us laughing all day.  She's still growing strong, and almost outgrowing her car seat weighing in at 19 pounds.  I guess it's time to start shopping for a big girl car seat...yikes!


She's going through a phase (which I hope she never grows out of) where she thinks her dad is the greatest thing on the planet.  I mean seriously, when he walks in the room she squeals like a teenager who just saw Justin Bieber.  And she continues to squeal every time he talks to her.  It's so adorable, and I know it makes him feel good, which makes my heart smile.


She finally rolled over from front to back, but she's only done it once.  And she tries every day to crawl, though I know that despite her ambition, it might be awhile before that happens.  She still loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  The two things that currently make her squeal with excitement are her Dad and the Mickey Mouse hot dog dance.  


Please excuse the quality of these pictures, they were taken with my iphone.

Allie's 6 month photo shoot

We had Allie's 6 month pictures taken back at the end of February.  She turned 7 months yesterday, and I'll be sharing some updated pictures of her later today, but I wanted to share these first.  All pictures taken by Ashley McDonough Photography (www.amcdonoughphotography.com).  Here are just a few of my favorites, but it was hard to choose!

Allie First - The Zoo

We took Allie to the Zoo yesterday with some friends of ours, we had a lot of fun, I think she enjoyed the people watching more than the animals though.  But it's ok, we became official proud members of the Nashville Zoo so she'll have plenty of time to warm up to the animals.  She was quite a trooper considering she had only had a 15 minute nap all day, and we very rudely interrupted her second nap in the car.  She was not happy, but it didn't take long for her to perk up.

Still a little ticked off, but warming up

Allie's friend Taylor Grace

There's my happy girl

Allie & Taylor Grace

The Vitucci's

Trying to see the birds with Daddy

More interested in the ground than the birds

M.E. & T.G.

Super cute Taylor Grace

Sunday Fun day's have changed quite a bit, but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.  

Good times!

Despite our recent struggles that I mentioned in my last post, we have had lots of fun times in the last couple of weeks.  Two weekends ago we took Allie for a walk through the park and she loved it. 

Her favorite thing is when Jeff and I stand far apart and push the stroller back and forth towards each other, she goes wild with excitement, it's the cutest thing in the world (she also loves doing this in her highchair, what we like to call highchair racing, but I don't know if I should mention that, for fear that someone will call the authorities on us).  


On St. Patrick's Day we took Allie in the backyard to search for her first 4 leaf clover.  Embarrassingly enough, our yard is filled with 90% clovers, and we still couldn't find a single 4 leaf clover.  But just when I was ready to throw in the towel, I found THREE!! The first one had lots of holes in it, so I wanted to find a better one, which I did, and then right next to it I found another.  It had 5 leaves, but I think it still counts, right?

Allie enjoyed it, and I'm pressing them so we can keep her first 4 leaf clovers.

Allie also had a new development this week, standing on her own!  Of course she has to be propped against something, and she can't actually pull herself up to standing, but she can stand all by herself. Her legs are so strong!

Help!!

Calling all moms, I need help!!  I know I mentioned in my last post that Allie hasn't been the same since our last stomach virus, but things seem to be getting worse instead of better.  She refuses to eat anything but formula.  She will eat the occasional baby fruit (apples & pears only and only a small amount) & she will eat a little bit of squash.  But anything other then those foods, she adamantly refuses to even open her mouth while shaking her head back and forth so that I can't even get near her mouth.  I'm beyond frustrated, I feel like I've taken 10 steps back.  She went from being an easy going food loving baby who would eat anything you presented her, to a tantrum throwing picky little girl who won't eat anything.  This last stomach virus seriously turned our world upside down.


Upon the advice of several friends, I tried giving her 'finger' foods last night.  I tried peas and carrots, which ended up smashed all over the highchair.  I tried the oat cereal bites, which ended up all over the floor.  I'm having no luck, and every day she seems to get more and more defiant when it comes to food.  


And to add insult to injury, we're also having sleeping issues, that I also mentioned in my last post.  She constantly wakes up screaming throughout the night.  The first few times, I can soothe her with a paci and a back rub and she's back to sleep.  But after about the 3rd time she wakes up, she will scream until I pick her up.  I know she's exhausted because as soon as I pick her up, she's passed out on my chest in seconds.  I just don't know what's going on with her and I'm not sure how to get my happy baby back.  It feels like someone kidnapped my sweet little happy 6 month old and replaced her with a colicy newborn.  (I've tried motrin, oragel, & teething tablets and none of them seem to help, so I don't think teething is to blame, but I'm hoping I'm wrong) HELP!!!!  


Don't get me wrong, she's still a sweet angel 90% of the time.  It's just during eating and sleeping time that the claws come out.   


On a more positive note, here are some recent pics of my SWEET little girl!

30...no so bad

Well it's official, I am no longer a twenty something.  It's kind of a weird feeling, but 30 really isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I don't know why but I always feared 30, but there really wasn't anything to fear.  I can honestly say that life is so much better at 30 then it was at 20.  Yes I had a blast in my 20's, but I am at such a happy and peaceful place right now that there is no way I would ever want to look back. 


Naturally, Allie was the first one to wish me a happy birthday.  At around midnight, when she decided to wake up screaming until I held her (my mom followed close behind at about 12:20, not really sure what she was doing up at midnight though).  I guess Allie just wanted to spend my birthday with me, but sleeping all night with a twenty pound weight on your chest is extremely exhausting.  I don't know what happened to the days of her sleeping 12 hours in her crib without making a peep, but she's been extremely restless lately, and it's about to drive me insane.  I blamed it on teething at first, but it's been going on for about two months now and no more teeth have come through.  If anyone has any advice on sleep training a 6 month old, please feel free to pass along...I'm desperate.


On a better note though, we are slowly getting her back to normal.  Allie hasn't been the same since the stomach virus that turned our home upside down two weeks ago.  She quit eating, which if you've been following my blog you know that is VERY worrisome for my little food obsessed chunky monkey.  After about a week I had her back on a formula schedule where she was eating normal amounts again, but she was still refusing baby foods.  Last night was the first night I got her to eat a full thing of baby food, and this morning she finished her baby food as well.  So it looks like we're on the right track back to normalcy, thank you God for answered prayers!


Ok, time to get out and enjoy this beautiful day with the best birthday present I could ever receive.  

p.s. Beware the Ides of March!

Passport

Raise your hand if you knew that babies needed passports.  If your hand is raised, you're one step ahead of me. I had no clue.  We are going to Mexico at the end of this month and I was planning on heading to the airport with nothing more then her birth certificate and maybe her social security card.  Thank you Ashley Roback for saving me from humiliation and extreme frustration.  It turns out you have to make an appointment to even apply for passport for a baby and both parents have to be present, and they were booked through the middle of march.  We're leaving March 30th.  This stresses me out.  


But no fear, her passport photo turned out fabulous.

Ok, so it's not the best picture she's ever taken.  But it's still better then my passport photo, which doesn't say much, but still.  Jeff thinks it looks like her mug shot.  Please God let this be the closest thing Allie ever has to a mug shot. 


I woke up at 10:45 last night to Allie crying on the monitor so I walked in there to put her paci in her mouth, which usually does the trick since she's been teething.  But instead, I walked in to find a baby and a crib completely covered in vomit.  Sorry for those with a weak stomach, but imagine how I felt, especially since she's on solid foods now.  It wasn't pretty.  Needless to say it was a very long night around here and I could really use a nap right about now.  She seems to be doing much better today, but I just pray that it was something food related and not a virus that will rock our house again, I don't know if I can handle that.

Is it Spring?

I wanted to take advantage of this beautiful day so I took Allie & Kiki on a walk around the neighborhood and stopped by the playground to have a little extra fun.  We also stopped by the pool and did a little day dreaming about splashing around on a hot summer day.  I don't know why but I've been getting so excited lately when I think about taking Allie to the pool and the beach for the first time.  I seriously can't wait.  She's all ready with her 7 bathing suits, coverups, sunglasses, hats, and floats...bring on summer time! But in the meantime, I just pray for the weather to stay this beautiful.


Here are a few pics from our fun time at the playground today.

All that fun was exhausting, she was falling asleep in the stroller on the way home, and as soon as I laid her down she was out like a light.

Chuck E. Cheese

Allie had her first trip to Chuck E. Cheese last week for her cousin Jayson's birthday.  She wasn't really a fan of the real life Chuck E., but I think she enjoyed the atmosphere...maybe.   Some of you may not know but I started my career at Chuck E. Cheese.  It was my first job in high school.  You're probably thinking "that's really embarrassing, I can't believe she's admitting that to the world on the internet,"  but I'm not ashamed.  I bet you don't know the Chuck E. Cheese song & dance, and MY kid is gonna be super impressed one day that her mom does. Ok she might be more embarrassed then impressed, but still I'm not ashamed.  I'm not.  I swear.


It was really fun watching Jayson explore every last inch of that place and I really hope he had a wonderful 2nd birthday!! 

We also got to spend the night with Papa & Granny while we were in Knoxville, it was a great weekend with family and Allie had a blast.