Fiona Ashley

2 years old

2011-10-18T04:35:00.001-07:00

I really want to get back into blogging about my girl because I'm forgetting exactly when Fiona has started doing things :(. I'm going to really try & post again..even if it's just 1 line. I'm gonna try & update quickly...it might be all scattered.

At the moment Fiona is talking up a storm. She started a few months ago saying 2 or 3 words together & soon after she's saying sentences. She talks so much.
Around 22 months old she knew all the alphabet. You'd ask her what letter something was & she would know the letter.
She knows how to count things & count in general. I've heard her go to about 15 or 16.
She's got a great memory & remembers names.
She recognizes types of cars. She knows I have a Nissan, daddy a Ford, nana a Mercedies & Goggie a Volvo. If she sees the logo somewhere she'll say "daddy's car". An example is while watching the Yankee game the Ford logo will be on wall in back & she'll scream "daddy's car". Same with the Subway Sandwich logo.
She's very outgoing & friendly to other kids. We've started MyGym classes & she loves it. Anywhere we go she gets right in & starts to participate. Sometimes she gets shy but most of the time she responds. Like at My Gym classes we sit in a circle & when we go around the room the coach will ask her name in front of the group, she has no problem announcing her name in front of everyone.
It's pretty early & I can't think of anything else at the moment. As the day goes on she'll probably do something & it'll remind me to blog about it. Crossing fingers I'll remember to blog again

Word count at 16 months old

2010-12-11T06:52:00.000-08:00

Fiona started talking somewhat late (according to her doctor at her 12 month appointment because she didn't have 3 words at that appointment) but once she started, she started which was around 14 months old with 5 words (old post: http://fionaashley.blogspot.com/2010/09/first-words.html).

A thread was started on a July 2009 baby board on BabyCenter.com about how many words your little was was saying so it got me thinking. I voted 9-12 words but after started writing them down I got 12 in a matter of a few seconds and I knew there was a bunch more. Some of the words aren't completely clear but I heard somewhere that the words should be ones that the parents understand & I do understand.

So here's my list:

1. Mama
2. Dada
3. Shea (our dog)
4. Oso (Special Agent Oso)
5. Mouse (Mickey)
6. Cup (sippy)
7. Banana (sounds like nana)
8. Apple
8. Up
9. Puffs
10. Cheerios (sounds like Oh oo's)
11. Phone
12. Hello
13. No
14. Hat
15. Hot
16. Shoes
17. Socks
18. Cream (sounds like keem)
19. Binkey (key key)
20. Gum
21. Thank you (tha yee)
22. Keys
23. Ball
24. Pool (which she hasn't said lately b/c it's winter)
25. Elmo
26. Phone (sounds like fo fuf)
27. Yes
28. Uh oh

These are the words she says on her own. There are words she tries to repeat after I say them that I didn't include. I'm sure I'm missing a few but these are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. (As the day goes on & I think of others I'll be sure to add them)

Mama!

2010-11-14T10:07:00.000-08:00

Finally! Fiona is saying Mama! She's got a ton of other words which includes the dog's name & dada but she didn't say mama. Actually about a week ago she didn't even know who mama was! If you'd say a word she'd look at it (dada, Shea, ball, binkey, bed, tubby....) but say mama & she'd look around clueless. No one ever said it, not even me. The other day my husband tried to teach her. Then here & there the last few days we'd say it. Now she knows & when we ask her "who's that?" to me she says "mama". She's picking things up so quickly now. It's so exciting!

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Walking all over

2010-11-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

She's been walking all over the place for the last month. She still gets Early Intervention for low tone but she's getting stronger & stronger every day.

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Lots of steps

2010-09-25T04:54:00.000-07:00

Fiona has been taking a lot of steps these days. She'll go from 1 side of the room to the other but her preferred method of transportation is still to crawl (or the bunny hop which is what she does). She LOVES to stand up all by herself (which she does really well) in the middle of the room & walk to me. As she's standing up a huge smile goes on her face as she looks at me...the look is like 'Ok mommy, I'm gonna do the thing you get so happy about' haha. Most of the time she gets so excited with her arms in the air which makes her wobbly & she falls...but she gets back up in the same spot & will continue her walk. Then there's sometimes she's really cautious & she'll catch herself from falling.
I'll try & get a video asap.

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First words

2010-09-23T05:09:00.001-07:00

At Fiona's 12 month well baby visit the doctor was a bit concerned that she wasn't saying 3 words. I told her she was saying mamama & dada/daddy but not exactly to us. She told me to call her back in a month & see where she's at then. She's known what a lot of words mean for a while now & when you'd say them she'd go get them, but she wouldn't say them on her own. Last week it really started.
One morning I was walking past the kitchen table & she points & says "gom". I had no idea what she was saying. She's been saying the word "go" for a while so I thought that's what she meant. When I looked at what she was pointing to it was the gum, for some reason she loves my pack of gum. I thought it was so funny. She's also been saying ba for ball, poo for pool, tha tha or tha chew for thank you & tees for keys. She also tries to repeat a lot if things I say to her but so far those are the words she says on her own without even hearing me say it that day. I love it!

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Took a couple steps

2010-09-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

My girl took a couple steps today between me & my mom. I think having these Stride Rite walking shoes are really helping her with walking. The physical therapist from early intervention (for the "low-tone" in her legs/calves) takes her walking so I've been doing the same. Today she took about 3 steps all alone....not much but a big start! I'm so proud of my Fiona!

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Bye-Bye Baba

2010-09-03T05:52:00.001-07:00

Fiona is no longer using a bottle or drinking formula! She's all cow's milk in a sippy cup. It took almost a month but we did it. After I got a different sippy cup than the Avent one we had it made things much better. I'm not sure if it was because the Playtex and the Take & Toss ones have a hard plastic spout but she took to them very well.
I started by giving 1 sippy a day (the afternoon) until I saw she was drink it well. Then I started giving her a sippy at night before bed. The hardest one I thought was going to be the morning one. She seems to wake up really hungry & she's used to just biting down on the nipple & the formula pouring out, but with the sippy she has to work for it. Surprisingly she did well. It's been about 5 days & no bottle!
With the formula I started by giving 1/2 milk & 1/2 formula. After about a week I'd give her 1 afternoon sippy with just milk depending on how hungry she was. Every few days I would give 1oz more of milk than formula until we were down to only 2oz of formula in her morning bottle. For the last week the only reason I was giving it to her was because I wanted to finish what I had.
During all this I was trying to give her more solids. The pediatrician said to cut down on the milk so she'll eat more. Before starting all this she was taking about four 8oz bottles of formula. The pedi said to give her only about 16oz of milk. She's still taking about 20oz of milk but once she starts eating & liking table food I'll give her less. At the moment I'm trying to give her table food but she's just picking here & there...I still give her the jar baby food as her meals. I think at some point soon she'll start eating our table food but I'm not going to rush her into things.
So at 13 months old Fiona is bottle & formula free! That's my girl!

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Macy's catalog

2010-09-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

Not sure if I mentioned this on here before but I take Fiona on modeling auditions.
Here Fiona is the ladybug on the right. This was a catalog/circular for Macy's Labor Day sale. It's always exciting to see my boo in ads.

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Bottle to sippy & formula to milk

2010-08-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

Trying to stop the bottle & use a sippy cup instead is harder than I thought. I didn't think she cared about the bottle it self, I just thought she wanted what's inside & to not be hungry anymore. At her 12 month well baby visit the doctor told me to give regular milk & start using sippy instead of the bottles. As simple as that sounds it's not. I tried just giving the sippy cup & it wasn't working. I didn't really have a plan on how I was gonna do it, I was just going to give the sippy & that's it. Well, that didn't work well for me or her. Some feedings I gave her all milk, 1/4 milk, 2/3 milk, some would be bottles, other times sippy...I had no idea at the end of the what I did. Besides her not being happy, I was unorganized. After a few days of being unsuccessful I'm getting organized.
For 2 days I gave her 4 oz of milk & 4 oz of formula all in a bottle. In between I'd give her water & juice (the sippy cup in general is new to her too so she needs to just learn to use it). Now that she's realizing her formula is tasting a little different I've started taking away the 1pm bottle & put her 4oz milk & 4oz formula in just that 1 bottle. It's been about 5 days & she's doing awesome! The 1st day it took probably almost 2 hours to drink it! Good thing it was hot that day so we had the air conditioner on full blast. Each day got better & now she drinks practically the entire thing within 15 minutes! This morning I gave her 5oz of milk (took the chill out of it in the microwave this time since there's more milk) & 3 oz of formula in the bottle. I plan on doing this all day & tomorrow give the sippy cup for the 4pm bottle. I'll probably continue with the morning & bedtime bottle for another month until she's 100% on formula.
Being organized seems to make things go smoother. She's never had any kind of schedule with anything but now it seems like we need one now that she's getting older.
I'll continue to update on how things are going.

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12 month doctor visit

2010-08-10T05:58:00.000-07:00

Fiona had her 12 month doctor's visit yesterday. It seems like I can't leave there 100% relieved. At her 6 month is when she was diagnosed with tortillas and low tone & needed early intervention. Then 9 month they asked me to come back each month to remeasure her head because she wasn't following the growth chart curve. Of course I freaked because these are the months she's learning to pull up & move around so she's bumping her head more often. I'm thinking her head is swelling or something. Now it seems like she's back on track & on a different curve.
Now at this 12 month visit they're telling me she should be saying at least 3 words & they must mean something. She says "dada", "mama", "baba" and her new favorite word "go". She knows what the words mean along with binky, sippy cup & ball but she doesn't say it to get our attention. I've heard her say dada when he'd walk away or something but doesn't say dada or mama when she wants us. She doesn't say baba or binky when she wants it. This seems to be a problem to the doctor. She now wants me to really pay attention to this & call or go back in a month.
She did 2 shots (pneumococcal conjugate & varicella) & did well. They wanted to give her MMR but I asked to hold off for the moment until I read about it more...I was unprepared. I do plan to give her all her shots but since this is the one linked to autism I wanted to read up on it a little. When I go back next month for the 3 words update I'll most likely have them give it to her then.
Her height is 29.5", weight 18lbs 8oz & the (big) head measurement is 46.5cm.
She told me to start giving whole milk now & basically stop formula. I'm not gonna just stop like that so I'm giving half formula & half milk for a little while (even tho that means I have to buy another can of formula). She also said that she only needs 2-3 bottles of milk (instead of 4 of formula) so she'll start eating more food. That's gonna be tough because Fiona prefers a bottle but we shall see.

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More teeth!

2010-08-10T04:51:00.000-07:00

Fiona started getting her teeth at 4 months old & by 10 months she had 8 teeth. A month ago I noticed her back left 1st molar out when she opened her mouth. I'm just used to her always shoving things in her mouth so I never really check her mouth any more. Yesterday at the doctor's she was really trying to shove her hands in her mouth...I thought it was just a nervous thing since the doctor was talking to us. Well, last night I noticed a point on the bottom left canine so I decided to check her mouth. She's got the top 2 molars coming out too...she's got 3 teeth coming out at the same time!
So at the moment she's got top and bottom of the central & lateral incisors, bottom left canine, and three 1st molars to make it a total of 12 teeth! My little munchkin! She's so good about it all too!

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Sippy cup & climbing

2010-08-06T17:31:00.001-07:00

(I've totally skipped a few months & milestones so I'll have to update a post with all that....but since I haven't it's been screwing me up & I'm getting backed up even more. I'm gonna try & add from today on as it happens & hopefully go back & update the crawling, standing, cruising & stuff like that.)
She drank out of a sippy cup! I've tried giving it to her here & there but she never sucked. She's always Bern bottle fed so all she did/do is squeeze the nipple & formula comes out. Yesterday I gave it to her again after a long time of not & she did it right away! I was so happy.

Also yesterday as I was sitting on my iPhone not paying attention I looked up at her & she was standing on her table! I have no idea how she got on it but she was standing straight up! She must've used the play yard to pull on but what did she step on? There were no toys close by. I know she loves to climb stairs but this was shocking to me.

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Teeth 7 & 8

2010-05-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

Fiona's 7th & 8th teeth are finally through (one on top & one on bottom, to make 4 on top & 4 on the bottom). These 2 teeth have been the worst yet, they've really been bothering her. She's been drooling, cranky & chewing on her hands & everything else like crazy.
Even though they seem like they are all the way through the gums & they just have to grow out, she still seems like her gums are hurting her. I'm wondering if more teeth are coming through like a molar which according to some websites molars are supposed to come next before the canines. I was really hoping she'd get a little break but I'm not so sure.
Teething stinks!

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Army Crawl

2010-04-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

I've never been good with putting Fiona down for tummy time. As I mentioned before she hated it! As soon as she'd start crying (which was right away) I'd pick her up. For a little while I've been trying to put her down little by little to get her used to it but I wasn't being consistent. After reading that basically all babies her age are crawling I had to get on this! I went & got one of those puzzle blocks from Toys R Us that go on the floor so I can leave them in the living room. I kept putting her down more & more. The other day she rolled or hopped off the blocks & was on the hard wood floor. (I never let her on the bare floors because I'm a bit of a germaphobe & between us walking with shoes & the dogs it's gross to me. Lexi sheds a lot! I just ordered a cordless stick vacuum because I'm gonna have to vacuum every single day, maybe even twice!) I noticed she could slide so I put her on the bare floors more often during the day. She also liked being there, I guess it's a change to her. Once she noticed she can move easy she started doing this more & more. It hasn't even been a week yet & she's sliding all around the little area in the living room! (My living room isn't big & its filled with furniture but she has a spot.) She does her little army crawl to get her paci or a toy. She'll spin in a circle to follow Shea (our little dog). It's just amazing how fast she picked this up! If I would've put her down sooner she probably would've been crawling already. Now I really have to get a gate for the stairs! She's still pretty slow & I'm right there next to her but I need to get it before she does! I'll be at Toys R Us today!
I'll add a video asap!

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5th tooth!

2010-04-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Lately Fiona has just been so miserable! She's always been such a happy baby until lately. At first I figured it was because she was getting her top teeth but then the bitching didn't stop & the top teeth where all the way through the gums....
Today I looked in her mouth again & a 5th tooth is coming through. It's on the top on the left & only a speck is through so far. My poor little baby! She got her bottom teeth fast at 4 months old, then went 4 months with no more teeth & now bam! 3 more teeth in a row...2 came in at once & those aren't even fully grown & a 5th has to come! Even though it's nice to just get them over with, it would've been nice for her to get some break.

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Top teeth

2010-04-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Fiona's top teeth are coming. The other day I did notice a tiny speck on top where her top-middle-left tooth was coming. I looked this morning and both top teeth are coming out. She gives me a really hard time when I try to look so I'm most likely not gonna get pictures for this milestone. I am able to get a quick look at them and I can feel them tho. Other than having moments of being cranky you'd never know she's teething. She's not drooling, her cheeks or chin aren't rashy and she's not putting things in her mouth any differently than she usually does, no runny nose. When she got her bottom teeth she had all those signs & symptoms. Both top teeth look like they're completely through the gums, they just have to grow.
It just goes to show you how all babies are different. She had her first 2 teeth by 4 months old. About a week or two of seeing her 1st tooth her 2nd bottom popped up. Now its 4 months later & we're just getting the top 2 and they're coming at the same time.
My little munchkin is gonna have 4 teeth!

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Playing in the Grass

2010-04-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was beautiful! It hit 87 degrees here in New York and it's only the beginning of April! We have a small patch of grass in front of our apartment (that's in a private house) so I put her down and had to grab the camera. She really liked it. She'd rip it out & dump it on her head or try & put it in her mouth....

Then I had to get in on a shot with her & she had to stick her little tongue out

3rd tooth

2010-04-04T06:31:00.000-07:00

Her 3rd tooth is now poking through - it seems like it took so long even though I know she was just really early getting the other 2. The first 2 bottom teeth came so fast when she was only 4 months old so I was kind of thinking the top would've came sooner. I look often & about 2 days ago I noticed the smallest white speck on her top gum. When I felt for it I could just barely feel it, but I guess since it wasn't through much yet it wasn't sharp. When I felt her other teeth when they were first coming through they felt like razor blades. Today you can now feel it & it's getting sharp. She didn't have the symptoms she had the last time (drooling like crazy or red cheeks & chin) but since I noticed it really early they still may come. So far the crabbiness has started. She's just been so unhappy the past 3 days. I try giving her cold teethers & Tylenol but they don't always help. I feel so bad.
I'll will try & get a picture when it comes through more.

8 Months Old

2010-04-04T05:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't done a post in a while! Actually, yeah I can. I hate writing long blog posts because I hate reading long posts (and I usually don't start reading them if they are long) but since it's been a while I think this will be pretty long....
Fiona turned 8 months a couple days ago (on the 31st) & I can now say the time is going pretty fast! I always hear people say "enjoy her, the time goes by so fast" & a couple months ago I thought it was actually going by slowly. Now I hear what they're saying! I guess because she's doing things now where as before she was just there. I haven't blogged in a while so i guess this will be for both her 7th and 8th month....
She grabs everything! If something is put down anywhere close to her she'll reach where her entire body will stretch grabs for it & it goes straight into the mouth. I'm such a germaphobe so this drives me nuts & I'm cleaning her toys all the time between throwing them in washing machine or wiping down with Lysol wipes (then plain water after of course).

She has her moments with strangers. If a stranger talks to her she'll sometimes cry. If I'm in the supermarket & she doesn't see me when a stranger comes to talk to her, she starts crying. I'm not crazy about it but it does show that she's learning faces & people. Other than that she's great with family even if she doesn't see them much with is the most important.
She's getting better with tummy time. She'll definitely last longer these days but she still hates it. I can maybe get her to lay on her tummy for maybe 10 minutes before she gets frustrated & that's really good for her. Her arms lift her upper body pretty well so that's a start.

She's still not crawling but maybe she'll just skip over crawling. I have been noticing that when she's sitting she'll lean all the way forward & put her hands on the floor. Or when she's on her belly her legs bend like she's trying to crawl.

She has been standing well with support. At Christmas time we got her a jumper thinking that will help strengthen her legs but it actually screwed things up so we took it apart & put it away. I remember at her well visits in the beginning the pediatrician would check if she would "stand" if you put weight on her legs. It seemed like she would do this until we got her the jumper. Once we got the jumper she'd jump every time we would stand her. When Early Intervention (this is another story which I need to post) came for an evaluation she said a lot of doctors tell parents to not get jumpers because of this very reason. She said the exersaucers are better for this. So the next day I went onto Craigslist & found one for $15.

The thing I liked about it was there were no toys on it so cleaning it was easy (germaphobe thinking) & we can put our own toys. It was really old but in very good condition. Once we got the thing cleaned & set up I noticed she was able to jump somewhat. It wasn't anywhere close to the jumper but there where springs. What's great about paying $15 you don't mind if it breaks so my husband took the springs out. At first she tried jumping but now she'll actually stand when you put her on her legs. We'll give her back the 1st jumper when she starts cruising but for now no jumper. After about 3 weeks she will stand supported & not jump like a nut! She only did this for a second but it's a start!

I got her a new bath tub. I hated her 1st tub since the beginning but now now she's bigger and can sit by herself so I needed a new tub. She loves it! She's loved getting a bath since the beginning so I give them to her very often, sometimes every day. This blow up duck tub is great.

Because we have hardwood floors, a small apartment with basically no large open spaces & 2 dogs it's hard for me to put her down and let her play on her own. Before she'd be either in her Bumbo, swing or I would hold her. When Early Intervention came she told me how important it was for her to explore on her own. This was the main reason she doesn't turn much or any other milestones that would come because she's never really given the chance. Now I got her the puzzle blocks for the floor & let her play in the Pack & Play - that way if she's sitting up & falls over she won't get hurt. This really got her sitting alone very strong to where she rarely tips over and she's reaching in all directions to get her toys.

If she's sitting or laying down in her pack & play, crib, Bumbo or anywhere else and you go to pick her up she'll put her arms up to you so you can grab her. Even if some one's holding her & you put your hands to take her she'll lean towards you with both arms wide open.
She drops stuff on purpose. This drives me CRAZY! You hand it to her then 2 seconds later she'll drop it. If you don't give it to her she'll start whimpering until you do...grrrr.
All part of being a baby I guess and I love her like crazy. No matter how annoying she can be I look at her & I'm so thankful to have this beautiful little girl!

At the moment that's all I can think of. As the day goes by & she does something I'll think "oh yeah I forgot about that. I need to add that to my blog post" and I'll probably forget.

Where's Shea?

2010-02-27T05:22:00.001-08:00

Fiona knows our little dog Shea by name. No matter what's she's doing, even if she's crying and you say to her "Where's Shea?" she'll look around for her. She knows where Shea is the most & will look there. If you're holding her she'll lean over & look on the floor. If she's in her Bumbo she'll look over on the couch then on the floor.
My husband noticed it last week when we were at a restaurant & she was having a bad day (she's always happy so we were almost unsure what to do that day). He was holding her in the lobby & he says "Where's Shea?", she stopped crying and looked to the ground. Now I do it all the time & she looks. I showed my dad yesterday & he was so surprised.
Now I'm doing it all the time with my husband.... "Where's Dada?"

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6 months & 3 weeks old

2010-02-24T05:22:00.000-08:00

I would normally blog when she's 7 months but since I'm so bad at blogging I might as well do it now since I can. She's a week away from 7 months & growing so fast.
Here are some things she's doing now...
While shes having her bottle she likes watching her hand & moving it around, closing & opening it.
Saying Mama & Dada but not to us yet. It's funny because when she does her fake cry (and a real cry) she says "Mama Mama" while she whines.

Sitting really good now. Before she'd sit on the couch or another really soft spot but now she can sit good on a hard surface. I wouldn't let her do it unattended yet but she lasts a good while & catches herself from falling.
Eating Gerber Stage 1 organic food good & rice cereal really good. Basically everything I've given her so far she's liked: Rice Cereal, Sweet Potato, Applesauce, Peas, Peaches, Prunes & Carrots. We're doing 1 new food every 3 days of the Stage 1. She has her normal bottles during the day & eats 3 times a day, usually 1 hour after a bottle. I started with 1/2 tub/jar of food daily, then twice a day & now a full tub twice a day. She has fruit in morning & veggie in afternoon. At night before bed she has the cereal (and sometimes in the morning) because I noticed if I gave her food at 8pm she'd wake up during the night.
She's making all sorts of noises & makes funny faces. My last blog post is a video of her doing it.
Has been playing with toys for a while now but she really enjoys them now. If she drops it she'll try & reach to get it. If it's a little too far but she can reach it with the tips of fingers she'll try & tap it towards herself until it's grab-able.
She reaches for you to pick her up.
She's always grabbing for my phone or the remote control. If there are 2 new bright fun looking toys and the plain boring remote control sitting in front of her, she'll grab the remote. I had to take my necklace off because when I would pick her up she would move my shirt out of the way to pull on it.

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Noisy Baby

2010-02-23T16:33:00.000-08:00

She's been saying Dada for a while but not to him. Lately she's been saying mama a lot but not to me.
She's one noisy baby & it's so cute!!

6 months old

2010-02-01T05:03:00.000-08:00

Been a while since blogging but that's mainly because there haven't been any major milestones to blog about until now...
She's eating food. I started giving her Gerber Rice Cereal. Her doctor said that at her 6 month appointment we'd start her on it. Well her appointment is only a couple days away on Monday so we had started a week early. The reason we started was because she was ready. When she watched us eat her mouth would be moving with us as we ate like she could taste what we were eating. Also when I was eating ice cream or (the milk from my) Raisen Bran cereal, I'd give her a very tiny taste on tip of the spoon. She'd open her mouth & knew just what to do so I knew she was ready. We figured her appointment was only a week away so why not.
She's doing a great job. She'll open her mouth & swallows most of it. I've only been feeding her once or twice a day & only takes about 1 to 1.5 oz (of the 2 oz formula with 2 tbs of cereal mixture) but it's a start.

Even though I'm terrible with laying her down on her activity mat or anywhere else she did roll over once. As I mentioned before she's either in her Bumbo, swing, jumper, sitting on the arm of the rocking chair with me or sometimes on the Boppy pillow. There aren't a crazy amount if times she's laying down except at night when she's sleeping. The past few days I am putting her on the activity mat & last weekend she rolled from her back to her belly. I didn't get to see her actually do it but she did. She has been almost rolling over but she's usually laying on her belly on her arm so she'll turn back.

There haven't really been any other major milestones yet but the things she was doing before got better/stronger in the past 2 months since I last blogged...
She loves playing with her toys. She has a swing that have 2 stuffed animals hanging off by Velcro & as soon as I put her in the swing she pulls them right off. She twiddles & spins the things on her jumper. Anything you hand towards her she will grab. She will also grab everything that's close by like my glasses, my cell phone, the remote control & even pulling my hair. Everything goes in her mouth & I'm wondering if she's teething. She's so close to sitting unattended. She can sit on my lap without me holding her but not good on a straight surface. She makes this high pitched noise & if you do it back she will have a "conversation" with you. She's a little better with tummy time especially when I use the Boppy pillow.

She has a great schedule. We always woke her up to feed her because in the beginning the doctor told us she must eat every 3 hours & can have one 5 hour stretch. Even after we stopped doing that I always woke her at 10pm to feed her before putting her to bed. Since 6 weeks old she's slept through the night.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fiona's Best Friend

2010-01-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

Fiona loves my little Yorkie Shea (my big dog Lexi & Fiona don't pay any attention to each other). Shea is like a 2nd pacifier to Fiona, if Fiona is in a bad mood just put Shea right in front of her & she'll make her happy. Fiona will be in her jumper & when Shea walks past her Fiona will just laugh & laugh, it's so adorable! I was actually very worried about how Shea was going to react to Fiona when we brought her home from the hospital because Shea acted like she owned me & I treated her like a baby. Shea was great with her. At first she was curious, always following & sniffing her but didn't do anything bad. Now Shea doesn't do that anymore & doesn't pay too much attention to Fiona but seems to understand she's a baby. If Fiona is kicking her legs & kicks Shea, Shea will turn to see what's hitting her, sniff Fiona's foot, lick her foot & will just stay right there being kicked. I have a feeling Fiona & Shea will be buddies.

Rubbing Eyes

2010-01-01T05:38:00.000-08:00

Fiona's been rubbing her eye while she eats. I don't know why she does this. You'd think it was because she's tired but she just woke up 45 minutes ago. Who knows, it's cute anyway. It's a good thing I was her hands with antibacterial soap in the sink a couple times a day...yeah, I'm a bit of a germaphobe.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tummy Time

2009-12-31T12:58:00.000-08:00

When we were at Fiona's 4 month doctor's appointment I mentioned to the doctor how terrible I am at putting Fiona down for tummy time. I told the doctor how much she hates it so I don't do it. While talking she suggested I put something under her chest to keep her up. So when we got home I gave it a try with our Boppy pillow & it worked great for longer than normal....but it seemed like her back was arched up too much.
While shopping for her Christmas gifts I saw a Boppy activity mat on Amazon so I got it. The past couple days I haven't had much time to *really* put her on it until today. I got the small area rug (that I put in the was with the new bathroom mats so all the lint got all over it) & put on the Boppy activity mat. She played on it for about 10 minutes....this is very good for her. She was grabbing at the toys, making her new high pitched noise/laugh & really seemed happy. This is really great & after time we can turn that 10 minutes to 15 minutes to 20 minutes & on. Knowing she's happy will get me to do tummy time more often.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monkeying Around

2009-12-30T06:23:00.000-08:00

For a while I've noticed the monkey was always either on her lap or on the floor but I actually never saw her do it. This morning I was watching her try to grab it so I grabbed my iPhone's video recorder (called Cycorder which is not Apple's recorder since I don't have the 3Gs so fast moving is pretty bad). Once she gets a good grip on it she just pulls. It's just so amazing how fast they grow.

Almost 5 months old

2009-12-28T07:58:00.000-08:00

2nd tooth

2009-12-15T21:20:00.000-08:00

Last week I found Fiona's first tooth. Then a couple days later I noticed a 2nd tooth poking through right next to it. This is crazy that it's happening so soon. I was not ready for this. I had to run out to Babies R Us to get her some teethers to put in the freezer because we didn't have anything. But I have to say she's been a great little baby even with these razor blades ripping through her gums...my poor baby

Laughing

2009-12-10T21:01:00.001-08:00

About 2 weeks ago I posted how Fiona had giggled a couple times. These days it's a lot more often and I got a video of it....it's amazing how much babies change in just a few days.

4 month Dr Appt & 1st cold

2009-12-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

Today Fiona & I went for her 4 month doctor appointment. I was upset that the only appointment I was able to get was on a day when my husband wasn't off so I had to go alone. I just feel so bad having to hold her still when she has to get the shots. Today she was really good though, she only cried for a second after each of them. It was much better this time than last time at her 2 month shots.
She measured & weighed normal - her head was 41.5 cm (16.3") & weight 13 lbs 7 oz which is in the 50th percentile. Her height is above at 25.5" which is in the 90th percentile....that's why when she outgrows something it's always in length. Both her parents are tall so what can I expect - I'm 5'8" & he's 6'1".

This past week she's had a runny nose. It was strange the way it would come & go through out the day. She'd be fine all day, not a sniffle & nose completely clear....then later on in the evening she's be all stuffed up or have a runny nose. The mucous was clear so it's not an infection, I called the doctor last week when I noticed it first & they said to to watch her. I just thought it was her first cold so I tried keeping her in the house all week. Then 2 days ago Tuesday I noticed a tooth which I thought was the cause of this on & off runny nose....until yesterday, when I started with a runny/stuffy nose. The doctor today said her lungs were clear & it could be just a cold. I've been using that bulb sucker to try & get it out which she hates. Last night it seemed to have gotten a tad bit worse. She's acting normal but felt a little warm. I checked her temp & it was normal but I was glad we had a doctor's appointment today. Last night while she slept I kept checking her, I set my cell phone's alarm clock to wake up just to check her. I will be doing that again tonight especially since she got those shots. I'm kinda thinking we should have waited until she was better to get the shots but the doctor said it was ok. This afternoon she started having a cough. It's a dry cough like she has a tickle in her throat. I really hate that my poor baby has this annoying cold. It's a very very slight cold, but it's lingering on forever.

1st Tooth

2009-12-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

Today I noticed Fiona's very first tooth starting to come through. As of today (according to my lilypie counter) Fiona is 4 months, 1 week & 1 day old today. For a while she's been drooling & putting everything in her mouth but I just figured it was baby stuff. My husband kept saying "she's got to be teething" but since she's been basically acting the same I didn't think it was teething. Well today she grabbed my hand & stuck my finger in her mouth. I don't normally let her do this because hands can be very dirty (no matter how often you wash them) but since I had just washed them I let her. Since my finger was in there I thought it was a good time to feel around her gums....and that's when I felt it...a sharp tiny little hard thing poking up from the bottom. When I looked I saw this tiny little white point. I touched it again to make sure it wasn't formula or something & it wasn't, it's a tooth! I couldn't believe it. I called my husband right away & told him. Then I called my mom of course.
I tried getting pictures, maybe I'll get a better one later. She moves around a lot & that tongue goes crazy so it's a tough one...

Nikon D5000 Pictures

2009-12-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

I got a new camera (early Christmas gift from my husband)! Here are some pictures of Fiona using it. I hope to look back at this post in a few months thinking to myself "wow, what a long way I've come in such a short period of time". These pictures look pretty darn good but I know after I actually learn how to use it I can get some awesome pictures with it.
Here's my girl at 4 months old:

My favorite outfit.

4 months old

2009-12-01T06:02:00.000-08:00

I've been so bad with blogging & Fiona is growing so fast....I REALLY wish there was a good blogger iPhone app like Wordpress has (if there is let me know). So what's been going on? My baby girl is now 4 months old (17 weeks old). Hope I can remember some things she's been doing the last few weeks as I type this. These are in no specific order....
Fiona giggled a few times. I can't get her to do it on demand but so far she has done it about 5 times. When she's in the laughing mood she'll do it multiple times. It's so adorable & I love it so much. She did the 1st giggle to her daddy. I did hear it but I was in the other room & only heard it a little bit. The 2nd time was to my father. He came to visit when he was leaving he was saying good-bye in a high pitched voice while he tickled her arms...she loved it! He was able to get her to do it a few times before he left. Then there were random times while she was laying on her changing table....she loves that changing table.

She found her feet a few weeks ago. At 1st it was just by accident that she would grab them but now when she's laying down she grabs a hold of them. She has also started taking off her socks, pretty soon those toes will be in her mouth. Since we're really bad with laying her down she hasn't had the chance to do a lot of the things babies do when they're laying down. Most of the time she's in her Bumbo seat, on the Boppy Pillow or sitting up on my lap on the rocking chair.

She loves sucking on her 2 fingers, the pointer & middle. Sometimes more does in but those are her 2 favorite. She'll sometime gag herself, I hate that.

She really reaches out & grabs at things. I did a blog post with a video over a month ago but now the grabbing is at everything.

She tries getting out of the Bumbo seat by turning her body. (I love the sneaky look)

She can sit up pretty good with little support.

She's been making this nasty growling noise while she's fake crying. It's a real nasty noise & she does it if you don't do what she wants ASAP. She's a really good baby so I don't hear that often, she smiles all the time.

I'm sure there are a bunch of things I'm forgetting so I'll try & add them as I think of them. All the other things she was doing before have gotten much stronger/better (like following you or turning towards a voice).

We got her ears pierced. My entire life I always said that if I ever had a baby girl I'd definitely get her ears pierced. Then after I had her I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to put my precious little girl through unnecessary pain. I did want to do it but I didn't, I was on the fence. Both my husband's sister's had their daughters ears pierced & his moth said that if we get Fiona's ears pierced she wanted to buy her her 1st pair of diamond earrings...I ain't arguing with that! At her christening my husband's parents did give her diamond studs so yesterday we went to Claire's & got them done. She cried for a second & the lady did it so quick. The only problem we had was we had to use their earrings & they have regular backs on them. The earrings my mother in law got have shorter posts & the backing covered the pointy part that was sticking into Fiona's neck. When we got home I changed out the backs put our backs on, so much better. Claire's really should have "baby piercing earrings". So far she's fine she hasn't shown any discomfort & she slept all night last night like she always does (knock on wood).

I also got a new baby carrier, a Mei Tai which I love! I did have a bit of trouble at first using it at first but we got the hang of it within a few days. Fiona is used to having her legs hanging out but when I did it in the Mei Tai it would dig in her thighs. I tried the "frog legs" but she hated that. My mistake was her knees/legs should be higher than her butt so she sitting on her butt. With our other carrier she was hanging so all the weight went on her groin. After a few days of practice we got it & LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Gonna put my Jeep carrier up on Craigslist :)

First Photo Session

2009-11-13T03:32:00.001-08:00

I can't believe I didn't blog about our very first photo session at Sears...

We went for Fiona's very first (of many to come) photo session. I kept meaning to go but didn't. I'm really kicking myself for not getting pictures done when she was 1st born & still had her belly button stump...I love those photos where the baby is laying on their tummy on the father's arm sleeping (in black & white) or when they put her on a shelf on top of towels in the bathroom. Then blow it up, frame it & hang it on the wall...but I didn't. I've loved those kind of pictures from before having my own baby. Oh well next time I will for sure, by then I hope to be a decent photographer myself so I can do it.

So about 2 weeks ago we went to Sears. I was up at my parents so me & my mom went over to have them done. When I got there I remembered all the coupons I had at home which was 45 minutes away. I get Sears photo coupons all the time, they usually pile up with some other mail then eventually go in the garbage. When I was there I remembered the coupon had a no sitting fee which is $15 but that's all I remembered. My mom didn't care & said she'll pay for the sitting fee & her pictures, and I buy what I want. Each page is $9 and they didn't have any packages. I thought it was all a bit steep but this was my 1st time so I didn't know. I ordered 2 pages for now & if I wanted more I would order them. My mom also ordered 2 pages and she wanted hers printed on the spot (which is why we went there & not Walmart), $4 per page extra so the total came out to like $80. When I got home I wanted to scream...and loud. Those Sears coupons are very good. If you don't have a coupon I would not go to Sears to have pictures done. We could have gotten more than what we ordered for $7.99 TOTAL! No sitting fee PLUS they have packages if you have a coupon. If I knew this and actually read the coupons I get in the mail I would have NEVER, in a million years had them done unless I had a coupon.
Anyway the pictures came out great. She was in a great mood and kept smiling & smiling. The photographer had even said "How old is she?" "She smiles a lot for her age". I put her in 3 different poses & backgrounds: casual wear, her christening dress & a pumpkin outfit. The pumpkin ones didn't come out the greatest so I didn't order those. I did take a screenshot from the Sears website so the photo's are small but these are all of them-

We picked this christening one:

The only reason I have the baptism one is because my mom had the printing done on the spot. Once I get the casual one I'll scan it & add it to this post.
Even though it was really expensive (when it didn't have to be) it was a great first photo session, Fiona did great!

Fiona's Bumbo Ride

2009-11-09T11:12:00.001-08:00

We saw this idea from youtube & thought it was great! We keep saying how we need to get some videos of Fiona (real videos, other than using my iPhone) so my husband gave it a try. I think it came out great! Especially for someone that's just learning how to use a video editing software. He plans on doing more videos like this one so stay tuned....

Fiona starting to "talk"

2009-11-06T07:18:00.001-08:00

Lately Fiona has been trying to "talk" & when you talk to her she makes noises back...it was random & not very loud but really cute. For about 3 days now she is definitely talking back. She's been really loud & the excitement in her face as she's doing this is the best. She acts like she is really talking back to you. I think this is my favorite milestone so far. The other milestones are great, especially the smiling, but there is something about this babbling that I really love. Her voice gets high pitched while she smiles & jumps around. Her eyes get wide open & she looks so happy. It's like she's really communicating with me.

(3 months & 5 days old)

Trying to roll over

2009-11-06T05:22:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I am TERRIBLE when it comes to Fiona's tummy time. I know how important it is for strengthening her upper torso & neck muscles...but she hates it! Since she hates it I hate making her do it. She gets so frustrated when she's on her tummy & I always feel so bad. I do try & do it a couple times a week but it doesn't normally happen & if it does it will only be for about 1 minute or 2.
The other day we put her down for the first time in a while. While I'm watching her (huff & puff) I see her actually trying to roll over. She barely ever does tummy time but yet she knows exactly what she's supposed to do. She puts her left arm completely straight & pulls it against her body. Then with her right hand/arm she ties to push her body over. It was so crazy to watch her do this because she knows what she is supposed to do...that it won't be an accident when she rolls over. I really have to put her for tummy time, it will be so exciting to see her roll over..I hope I can get a video of it.

(3 months old)

Grabbing at toys

2009-10-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

Fiona started grabbing at toys. Last evening I had her on the changing table & put one of her toys in front of her sitting on her belly & she started grabbing it & pulling it towards her. This was the 1st time trying so who knows when it started (I just assumed she was too young). She will be 3 months in 5 days on July 31st.

(don't mind us talking)

Did it again today-

First Temper Tantrum

2009-10-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

My little girl at only 2 months (and almost 2 weeks) old has her very first temper tantrum. Fiona takes between 3 & 4 ounces of formula every 3 hours during the day. Most of the time by 3 hours she's hungry. I start feeding her & she's happy while she's eating. After a couple minutes she slows down & just chews on the nipple which means she needs to burp....this is where she throws a fit! When I sit her up to burp she starts crying & throwing her body. It's not a normal cry it's more of a screaming, high pitched, mean cry while her body is jumping all around. This goes on until a burp finally comes out & she can lay back down to eat again. I just wish she would realize that when she does this it takes longer for the burp to come up. This only happens with the first burp because it's after she has only had between 1-2 ounces so she's still hungry. It's crazy that this little girl at only 10 weeks old is ALREADY has a temper.
I'm gonna try & get a video of it when it happens ;)

2 month Dr Appt

2009-10-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

Fiona had her 2 month check up on Monday which means her first set of shots. They weighed her & she was 10 lbs & 12 oz which was good and she was 23 1/4" long which she said was above average.

We spoke with the doctor about how things were going & which little milestones she's reached (like lifting her head, following with her eyes). Then the nurse came in with the shots. I'm so glad I scheduled the appointment on a day he was off because I'm not sure I'd be able to hold her while she was crying. First the nurse gave the oral liquid stuff which Fiona took with no problem. Then the shots....and there were 3 of them. Frank said that when the nurse did the 1st one he was looking at Fiona in the face & she looked shocked right before she started screaming crying. Then she gave the 2nd & the 3rd shot. Fiona was screaming crying with each shot but after the last one she stopped crying like a minute later. After we left the office & put her in the stroller she was out like a light.

Fussy Fiona

2009-10-03T21:51:00.001-07:00

53/365 Cranky
Originally uploaded by JT Stitches

For about 6 days now Fiona has been a cranky little girl. In the morning up until 11am she's good but afterward she's pretty cranky & I don't know why. She's been sleeping well (knock on wood) going into bed at 11pm & sleeps until 6am or 7am. Then after 11am or 12pm she's fussy. Unless she's asleep (which isn't that often anymore) she's whining. Pretty much the only thing that will help is walking around with her. I just don't know what's going on & I REALLY hope it's just a phase.

Spit Bubbles & Fist in Mouth

2009-10-03T21:07:00.001-07:00

Fiona is now 2 months old & I've noticed her blowing spit bubbles. The last week or so I've been noticing these bubbles on her lips. I Googled it like I do with everything (I asked my mom how she survived back when me & my sister were babies without Google) & found this on Yahoo Answers. It's really strange that something like that would be considered a "milestone".
She has also been sticking her right fist in her mouth. I'm wondering if that will mean she'll be a righty. My husband writes with his left hand & I write with my right so it will be interesting to see if this will mean she favors her right hand.

1st Walmart Trip

2009-10-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

Being I'm not working & I really don't want to "have" to go back I'm really trying to be better at finding deals & not paying a lot/full price for things. I started using coupons & I gonna make a list of things I can get at Walmart. Walmart isn't close to me here in NYC, it's about 30 mins on the highway so I have to need a lot of stuff to make the trip worth it. Yesterday Fiona & I made our first trip there & it was my very first time going major shopping with her. I've never been to this Walmart so it was definitely a learning experience & will make my future trips much easier. First I parked in the lot across the street & paid for 3 hours thinking I would go to the Galleria Mall that's down the street afterward. While I'm in the store filling up my cart, after having my cart filled with a lot of stuff, I realized I wouldn't be able to take my cart over to that parking lot where my car is. I asked someone in the store & they said "oh you didn't park in the lot upstairs? It's free parking for Walmart customers". Isn't that just lovely?! Anyway I continued to fill up my cart because I figured if the manager sees the amount of money I will be spending they wouldn't mind holding my cart so I could go get my car & bring it upstairs. Ok so I went, got my car & finished my shopping. After I was done I got in the elevator to go to my car. Not realizing there are about 4 flights of parking I totally forgot to see what floor I was on! I've never done this before. So here I am going floor to floor trying to find my car. I have Fiona crying because she's hungry. I'm freaking because it's cold, I'm starving, she's crying because she's starving & I have no idea where my car is. Finally the last floor I checked was my floor. Got to the car & threw all the stuff in as fast as I could so I could now feed my starving baby. Got her fed, burped, changed & headed home. My first mistake was leaving the house hungry myself. My plan was to go to Walmart, then to Baby Gap to return something then food shopping. I was so hungry I decided I'd just go home & eat then go food shopping...I'll do Baby Gap another day. It was definitely a crazy day but next time will be much better. Fiona was an angel! I had her in the car seat on top of the cart & in the beginning she would fuss if the cart wasn't moving. I would just rock the cart & she was fine. She fell asleep about 15 minutes into my shopping & didn't wake up until I was about to leave. I will not mind doing that again, I just have to make sure I have eaten!

Good luck charm

2009-09-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

Fiona is our little good luck charm!! This past weekend we put on the outfit when the team was playing and the team won. Sunday both teams were playing at the same time so we had the Giants outfit on. After that game ended (which they won) we put the Yankees game on and they were losing. I ran inside to get a Yankees bib I had and put that on. As soon as I put it on they started winning AND they clinched the American League East division (they're going to the play offs). A coincidence? I'm sure. But it was pretty funny & I will continue to test it all the way to the World Series & the Super Bowl where both teams will WIN!!

Reading my book

2009-09-26T14:37:00.001-07:00

I'm not a book reader & I never was but since I got pregnant I bought pregnancy books. I've done this in the past when I get interested in something like sewing, embroidery, building websites/HTML (which was very short lived). Now I'm reading motherhood books & the one at the moment is "Jenny McCarthy's Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth About The First Year of Mommyhood". I liked her pregnancy book, it really made me laugh & I was able to relate to almost everything she said. I got this mommyhood book & felt the same way, she really cracks me up. Lately Fi really wants attention. I'm not able to watch TV or sit on my laptop, she wants to be talked to. I don't mind at all, I love it but there's so much you can say to a newborn so today while she was laying on her Boppy I put the book behind her head & read out loud. I felt real funny at first & not sure why because no one was here. After a few pages I got real comfortable. While I read, I'd smile at her, look at her, make the high pitched sound while I read, give her kisses every so often. She loved it! I was able to finish my book & it made her happy. It might have not been the best book to read but she doesn't understand yet. All she cared about was that I was talking to her.

Cleaning

2009-09-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

One thing I'm still finding very difficult doing is house cleaning. I got an ok way to vacuum and that's by using my baby carrier. By the time I'm finished my back is killing me, but hey the floors are clean. My entire apartment is hardwood except the bathroom & kitchen which are tile. I use a vacuum instead of Swiffer because I have a Rottweiler mix that sheds a lot.

Lexi & Shea

If I were to use a Swiffer I'd go through probably 10 cloths in 1 day. My little stick vacuum works great except it's kind of low so vacuuming while carrying her can get painful sometimes. This is one thing that should be done every day but that's not easy, I do try & do it every other day. We do have a fence up so she's only allowed in the living room & our bedroom. For Christmas I'm going to ask someone to get me a new super-duper stick vacuum, I gotta find a good one. I love my Swiffer Wet Jet, makes me not hate mopping especially since I have to mop the entire apartment. My major problem is the actual cleaning & scrubbing, especially in the bathroom & kitchen. Once I spray everything down with Lysol & let it sit for 5-10 minutes so it disinfects she'll sometimes wake up & cry. Or I'll be in the middle of wiping everything down, she'll wake up & cry so I got chemicals all over my hands.
Once I start cleaning I want to finish. I also have to be in a certain mood to clean & for some reason it's always when my husband isn't home. Now that I have a baby I really have to try & find a way to make this work. Keeping the apartment clean is more important now than ever.
Today I got lucky! She's napping in her Boppy pillow. Of course I felt like cleaning & my husband is at work for a half a day. I figured I'd just do at least the bathroom. Sprayed everything down with Lysol. I came into the living room to dust while it was sitting then went back in to scrub the bathroom. Got those 2 rooms done, went to the bedroom then the kitchen, then the computer/sewing room then the baby's room....yay, I got everything done in an hour & a half and she's still sleeping. I am gonna leave the floors until either she's awake or my husband comes home. If I continue to do this 2 times a week instead of weekly I'm hoping I can get a flow going.

If anyone has any great cleaning tips for when you have a 2 month old I'd love to hear them.

Outings....finally

2009-09-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

I'd have to say that I am finally comfortable going out with Fiona. She is exactly 8 weeks old today and I've realized like this for maybe a week or so (maybe 2). I don't know if it's because she's gotten better, I've gotten better or if I just *know* her better but I don't feel nervous taking her out in public. Before I wouldn't want to go anywhere because I was "afraid" she would start to cry. If I wanted to go to the supermarket or a retail store I'd make sure my husband was home or my mom come over, it was never a thought to actually take her with me. If I did HAVE to take her with me I would make sure she was fed immediately before I left even if that made me late for something (I would say "or early" but I'm never early for anything). I would still prefer her eat before we go somewhere but if it just isn't time I'll go about my business. I think a lot has to do with the fact she's used to her stroller and her carrier. It took a while for her to get used to them. When she was finally big enough for the Jeep carrier (which was 8 lbs) I would put her in it as much as I could. I really wanted her to like it because it really makes my life a lot easier especially since I have 2 dogs I have to walk in the afternoon while my husband is at work.

Her stroller is her car seat in a snap-n-go. I think she started liking it because of the 45 minute drives from my parents house. I would feed her right before I left so she would be full & maybe sleep during the ride. After a bunch of times doing that she got used to it. That same car seat goes in the snap-n-go so she's perfectly content.

At the diner for the 1st time since she's born.

I have to add that she's "perfectly content" in these 2 things as long as they are moving, god forbid I stop for a second! She starts fussing & as soon as I start moving she stops, it's so funny.
Maybe it has to do with the fact she's getting older, who knows? All that matters is it's nice to be able to go out with my baby girl :)

Almost 2 months old!

2009-09-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Fiona is almost 2 months old! You don't realize how big she's gotten until you look back at pictures & I have taken a ton of those!!

Here is a picture of her when we were leaving the hospital a few days old--

and here is one now--

In the beginning everyone said she looked like her father but now everyone says me. I really don't see it. Maybe when she gets a bit older she'll look like us a bit more.
I've really gotten to know my baby girl in the past 7.5 weeks. Her different kinds of cries, especially the fake one...that fake cry is so cute & so funny. She likes laying in her Boppy pillow but doesn't like her swing or the bouncer. I'm thinking one of these days she'll start liking them (fingers crossed). She hates laying on her belly! I'm trying to get her used to it because I read that it helps with strengthening her neck muscles. So I've been putting her onto her gym mat for a minute or 2 (as long as I can get before she starts fussing) to get her used to it.

She is on a pretty good schedule. She eats every 3-ish hours (give or take) during the day & takes from 3 to 5 ounces of formula (usually 3.5 to 4). Since about week 6 (2 weeks ago) she's been sleeping through the night!! Yay!! In the beginning she'd sleep & wake up every 3 hours, eat then go right back to sleep. Now she eats at around 10:30pm, goes to sleep around 11:30pm and wakes around 6:30am. I'm still having to wake her at 10:30pm to eat because it seems like after 8pm is when she'd like her long sleep period to be. That's not gonna work for me because that would mean she'd wake up at 4am so I gotta get her used to 10:30pm.

So far she had learned to smile & give a slight laugh. She can follow me when I'm walking around the room & if she hears my voice she'll try & find it. At first she didn't like the Jeep carrier I have for her but after a few rides in it she loves it! It really makes everything a lot easier! If you don't have a carrier then get one!

She still isn't really liking the stroller but she does like the car ride now. At first she would cry the entire time but now she will usually fall asleep. When we took her home from the hospital in the middle of the hot summer we stopped swaddling her because of the heat. Once the cooler air came I tried swaddling her again. She was not having that & would try to fight her arms out. I hate when she wake up her hands being cold so before she goes to sleep I swaddle her with her arms out & when she falls asleep I just stick her arms in (I use the Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe). I also started doing this 2 weeks ago so I'm thinking this might also be helping out with her sleeping all night.
These past 7 weeks have been amazing!! I have such a great little baby & I love her like crazy!! Come on look at this face!!

Fiona Ashley was born

2009-09-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

July 31, 2009 Fiona Ashley Davoli was born. Actually she was kicked out.....

Thursday morning July 30th I went to the hospital to be induced. It was 1 week after my due date & I really wanted my OB/GYN to deliver her. She would be going away the following week & she was covering the L&D unit Thursday, Friday & Saturday so I knew I would have her there. When we got there at 6:30am they put me in a crappy room where the TV didn't work. Frank asked if they could give us one of the really nice rooms if it was available (there's only 2 of them) & they did!
Here is a run down how the next 24 hours of labor went:
8am: The doctor checked me before starting anything & I was 1cm dilated, -2 station & cervix was still thick.
10Am: IV started.
11am: Cervidil was put in to soften my cervix.
3pm: I started feeling VERY slight contractions so they gave me another dose of Cervidil-- still only 1-2 cm dilated but 50-80% effaced (2 dif drs checked w/ dif results).
9pm: Pitosin started which made the contractions more painful & closer together.
1am: get the Epidural. A dream medication!
1:30am: the doctor broke my water.
3am: I was still only 3cm dilated, 50% effaced & 0 station.
5am: Still only 3cm
7am: Finally 4cm....

This is when things changed...I started puking. She had said that I should dilate a cm per hour so we were hoping to have a baby by 2pm-ish.

9am: I was ready to push! Of course Frank had stepped out of the room a few minutes before so he had no idea. He had been with me the entire time & of course when it was time he was gone! Thank god for cell phones. I called him & said get your butt up here ASAP it's time!! He was shocked & ran his butt upstairs
9:15am-ish: started pushing & Fiona Ashley was born at 10:16am!!

First picture taken of Fiona.
She was 7 lbs. 14 oz. and 20" long.