Savannah's Eight Month Update

Our little elf is eight months old!

Savannah has become pretty darn mobile this month! Scooting and rolling all over the place and right as she turned 8 months old she decided to see what this whole forward movement thing was all about and crawl! Mom and Dad were super excited and clapped and cheered....then quickly realized...we need to baby proof!! So that's currently at the very top of our "To Do" list.

"I'm so excited to take my monthly picture!"

Savannah enjoyed a weekend visit from her Memere this month (we made a fun trip to the local craft fair) as well as her first Thanksgiving which we spent at the lake with Grammie, Grandan, Aunt De, Don Al and lots of other family. Savannah loved all the people and attention and "went hard" when she was awake which meant come nap or bedtime she crashed so we all got some good rest.

Snuggles with Memere

Thanksgiving is awesome

We attended Savannah's first George Mason basketball game this month too! Our little music fan was totally in awe of the Green Machine (Mason's band) and did really well at the game. Mason even ended up winning with a game winning shot (which we missed because our little one was basically falling asleep on my lap). Oh well, at least she brought them good luck!

Pink ear plugs for the win 

Fun with Grandan at the GMU game

Savannah's been eating three meals of solids a day in addition to 6 nursing sessions/bottles a day! She tried a lot of new foods this month including greek yogurt, cauliflower, watermelon, turkey, hummus, blueberries and wild rice soup from Panera! She loved them all!

A few of Savannah's Thanksgiving "art projects" from school

Cutest little turkey

This month we've learned....

• Brownie is hilarious (see video below).
• We need a new Christmas tree skirt since Savannah thinks the shiny rhinestones on our current one are good for teething.
• Savannah gets angry if we don't feed her fast enough.

Savannah's Seven Month Update

I'm a few weeks late posting this update but we have a lot to cover!

This month we dove right in to eating solids! The hubs and I weren't sure if Savannah would ever learn to eat the first week or so. She was very skeptical about food and most of it was ending up on her hands or bib. But things quickly turned in the other direction and we have a good eater on our hands now! Some of her favorite foods are peas, sweet potato, mango and pears!

On the other side of things, she's not loving butternut squash and banana and avocado are hit or miss. For the first two weeks we fed her solids at dinnertime then added food at lunch and another two weeks later we added breakfast too. She's still taking in the same amount of milk in addition to all this food!

Learning to eat is messy! 

Savannah's seventh month also coincided with Mom's first trip away from Savannah. I was honored to be a bridesmaid in my friend Kim's beautiful wedding in Arkansas. We had debated taking Savannah but decided the quick trip south would be a bit much for everyone so the hubs stayed home with Savannah and single-parented like a champ!!! I missed my baby (and Ray too) but I made sure to check-in several times a day by text or phone and even got to Facetime with my little monkey a couple times. It was definitely hard being away but thankfully I was busy with lots of wedding related activities which helped keep my mind off how much I was missing my little girl. I was beyond happy to be reunited with my little family on Sunday and think overall it was a good first trip away for all of us.

First swing ride October 25th

We took a road-trip to Ohio last month (minus Brownie who stayed with Grammie and Grandan) to visit Ray's buddies from high school as well as their wives and kids. It was a lot of driving but Savannah did really well in the car and we had a great time at the Byers' Buckeye Bash!

Savannah's first sick day

Savannah got sick for the first time this month on Halloween of all days! We woke up to get her ready for her Halloween parade at school and noticed she felt warm. A temperature check told us she had a 102 degree fever which meant our little owl would miss her parade! Day 1 wasn't bad. We treated the fever with some baby pain reliever and aside from being less hungry and a little less energetic she was pretty much herself. Day 2 on the other hand...the cold came on full force! Our baby was all congested and had a really difficult time sleeping. We ran the humidifier, used saline drops and suctioned out her nose but it wasn't providing much relief. The only time Savannah would sleep was if she was being held. The second we'd go to lay her in her crib she'd wake up crying. Safe to say no one slept well that weekend. By Tuesday she was feeling and sleeping much better though. The hubs and I agreed seeing your baby sick is horrible. We are hoping we can keep her as healthy as possible this winter!

 Dressed up in her Halloween costume at Friendsgiving

Finally, we have a tooth!! Savannah was chomping away on Grandan's finger during a visit on November 8th when he felt something sharp. Sure enough, baby girl had her first tooth poking through on the bottom. That night she woke up 4 times -- I think because she was in pain from the tooth -- so we gave her some pain reliever and she slept till her normal wake-up around 6am. A few days later we noticed the other front bottom tooth poking through as well. We haven't been able to get a good picture of her little chompers yet but hopefully soon!

10.10.09

Happy 5th anniversary to my wonderful hubs!

The last five years have been quite the ride and I'm so glad to be on this journey with you. You are an amazing husband, loving father, and great friend. I'm so lucky to have you.  I look forward to many more years of happiness together and lots of wonderful memories!!   XOXO

Savannah's Six Month Update

Half way to one year old! How is this possible??!

Savannah had her six month check-up Tuesday and weighed in at 14 lbs. 14 oz. (25th percentile) and measured 26 1/2 inches long (85th percentile). Very healthy said the doctor! Our little monkey had to get two shots and they were the toughest yet partly because she was hungry and tired at the time. We (Mom, Dad & Sav) all got through it though and the doctor gave us the go-ahead to start solids so Savannah tried butternut squash for the first time that night. She wasn't too sure about it and most of it wound up on her face or bib but I know she'll get the hang of this eating thing soon. After a few more days of squash we plan to try avocado and sweet potato!

Making messes

Trying food for the first time

This month Savannah took her first beach trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina for a family wedding. She really liked sticking her toes in the sand and staring out at the ocean! We stayed in a house with her Grammie, Grandan, Aunt De and Don Al and I think it's safe to say everyone was happy to have a few days of "baby time."

Storytime with Aunt De

Loves to stand especially with a little help from Grandan

Savannah has settled into a really great schedule at daycare over the last month. She wakes up in the morning between 6 - 6:30am. I drop her at daycare just before 8am and she takes a bottle at 9am, noon, and 3pm. She's taking three naps a day -- one from 9-10:30am, another from 12:15-2pm, and a catnap from 4:30-5pm. I pick her up around 5:45pm and then nurse her in the evening before bed at 7:30pm.

Love visits from Grammie

Family pic in Outer Banks

Nighttime sleep has been great this month! Savannah isn't waking nearly as often if at all. I think part of it has to do with the fact that's she's started rolling onto her stomach at night and sleeping on her belly. Every once in awhile she'll wake-up fussing and she wants to be rolled back on her back or side but otherwise everyone is getting some good shuteye these days! Also, Savannah has been working on sitting both at home and at school and Mom and Dad think it's fun to watch her wobble a little from side-to-side as she practices this new skill.

Finally, Savannah walked "strolled" with her Mom and Dad in her first 5k this month in support of Prevent Cancer Foundation. After the walk which took place at Nats Park, we got to go down on the field and check out the batting cages inside the stadium!

Nats Park. First baseball field visited.

This month we've learned....

• 5+ hour car rides with a baby aren't so bad when you take turns entertaining your little munchkin in the backseat.
• Grandan can't be trusted with vanilla ice cream.
• A sweet little baby face is even more adorable when covered with butternut squash.
• You will slightly panic when you wake-up in the morning and see your little one asleep on her stomach for the first time. 

Savannah's Five Month Update

What a big month for Savannah!

Our little girl took her first plane ride this month as we ventured up to Maine to visit family and friends for a week. She loved the airport and was busy taking in all the new sights and sounds. She tried to sleep on our flight to Maine but a couple of rowdy little boys directly behind us kept screaming at the top of their lungs. With each scream Savannah's sleepy eyes would pop open and dart around.

Waiting patiently at DCA for our flight to PWM

When we landed in Portland, our little monkey was both over-stimulated and over-tired which led to a VERY fussy ride to my mom's house. It took a few days to adjust to her new surroundings and sleeping arrangement but we ended up having a great trip and got to spend a lot of time with family!

This month Savannah officially started "school" (i.e. daycare) at Merritt Academy. The hubs and I thought she'd enjoy it because she likes to be around other babies and boy were we right! Her teachers tell us almost every day that she's happy, energetic and very talkative! She's always telling the other babies and teachers stories and she loves to go on buggy rides on nice days. She's also becoming a total champion at tummy time while at school since there are so many other babies to watch -- one day she did 40 minutes in a row! She doesn't nap as much at school as she does at home so she comes home exhausted from all the fun but she's still happy.

Excited for football season! 

Sleeping at night has been a little wonky this month. About a week before we went to Maine Savannah started to wake up around 3am and wouldn't go back down unless I nursed her. This continued while in Maine but once we got home (and she started daycare) she dropped that feeding after one night of tough love from Mom. I knew it had become a habit in those two weeks and that she didn't need to eat so one night I rocked her and let her cry for 5 or 10 loooooong minutes and she fell asleep without nursing and we haven't looked back since! (knock on wood) Also during these two weeks Savannah was waking up 3 or 4 times a night in general and just making noises/fussing a little. I think a lot of it may have been related to our vacation and starting daycare because things have been much better over the last week so hopefully we are turning a corner and she's settling into this new routine.

Enjoying a play date at Meadownlark Gardens in Vienna

Last month I mentioned that Savannah was really close to rolling from her back to belly and I'm happy to announce she did it for Mom and Dad on August 24th! Ray and I both cheered like crazy persons!

This month we've learned...

• Navigating airport security and travel with a baby isn't as hard as you might think...
• But our days of not checking any bags when we fly are DEFINITELY over! 
• Sophie the Giraffe wins this month's award for favorite toy.
• Peek-a-boo is the best game ever. 
• Seriously, why babble when you can scream! 

Savannah's Four Month Update

A few days late but another month has flown by!

At her four month appointment Thursday Savannah weighed 13 lbs 4 ounces (still 50th percentile) and measured 25.5 inches long (holding strong at 98th percentile)! She's wearing size two diapers and outgrowing most of her 3 month clothes as we speak! She got two shots the other day and one oral vaccine. She snoozed most of the day and was a little fussy. Thankfully mom was working from home so there was time for snuggles.

So what happened this month?? We hit the 4 month sleep regression a little early -- about mid way through the month. Savannah would go down, sleep for 30-40 minutes, then wake up crying and need to be rocked again. We'd usually go through this cycle two or three times before she would stay down for the night. I think it lasted about 10 days but then we rounded the corner and things have been MUCH better.

Arms outstretched is Sav's standard sleep position these days

Savannah is sleeping in her crib unswaddled (we transitioned slowly from both arms in, to one arm out, to both arms out) through the night with the exception of needing mom or dad to give her paci usually once or twice a night but then it's quickly back to dreamland. She's got her nap and sleep routine mostly down to a "T" and it takes just a few minutes of rocking for her to get nice and drowsy and then it's time to lay down in her crib. Like her momma, Savannah is proving to be schedule-oriented. She eats about very 4 hours and is ready to go down for a nap after 2 hours of wake time. Her morning nap is consistently 2 hours long and after that naps are 1-1.5 hours long. Bedtime is 7:30/8pm and she usually gets up around 6:30/7am.

Baby feet...cute and delicious! 

While she mastered the belly to back roll last month, our little girl is super close to rolling over from back to belly but hasn't quite made it yet. She spends a lot of time on her side and she also found her feet this month so she loves to kick them up in the air and grab her toes! So entertaining for us all! Savannah also started to teeth this month. We had a few days where she was kinda fussy and it was obvious her gums were bothering her because she was only happy when she had something in the lower right side of her mouth to chew on and also the DROOL. No signs of a tooth yet though and I think she's getting used to the sensation of teething because she isn't really fussing much about it. Other than that, Savannah is getting really good at using her hands and reaching for objects.

Fingers in mouth all the time

Four generations

Savannah got to see her Memere again this month and also was lucky enough to meet her Gran Mem too!! My Madre and Memere came down for almost a week and took over nanny duties for a few days while they were here. Savannah was definitely spoiled with lots of attention from "the Memere's" as we referred to them.

This month we've learned....

• Dad can put Savannah to bed too (for awhile she was demanding only Mom).
• We've got a screamer on our hands!
• Savannah doesn't like to be distracted when nursing.
• "Hail to the Redskins" is one of Savannah's favorite songs especially when Dad sings it.
• Two hours of Baby Play Group will result in 2+ hour naps!

Savannah's Three Month Update

What a month it's been for our little girl!

This month Savannah transitioned from sleeping in the bassinet next to our bed to the crib in her room like a champ! Her first night in the crib was June 12th and while the first few nights she woke up once in the middle of the night to eat (she'd been sleeping through the night before) she quickly adjusted to her new sleeping quarters and resumed sleeping through the night. She's been going to bed around 7:30/8pm and sleeping till around 5:30am. Every so often she wakes in the middle of the night but our little monkey just requires her paci to be popped back in her month and she's back to sleep.

Telling stories during our photo session

Unimpressed with the photographer

Other exciting happenings this month -- Savannah rolled over from tummy to back for the first time! We were at our last New Mom Group on June 25th and sitting next to a mom and her tiny 6 week old little boy. Savannah was on her blanket doing tummy time but she was really interested in the little guy next to us who was fussing a bit. She was craning her neck backwards to try and look at him and before I could grab my phone to capture it on video she had rolled over! She had bug eyes when it first happened as I think it scared her a bit but her attention quickly went to the fussy baby next to us. I sorta thought it was a fluke but later that night she rolled over again for the hubs when he got home from work and it's been happening on a regular basis ever since!

Other big happenings this month include her first swim (she loved it -- check out the video below) and her first boat ride on July 4th at her Grammie and Grandan's!

Not sure exactly on Savannah's stats right now since she doesn't go back to the doctor till she's 4 months old but she was 12 lbs when I weighed her at our last New Moms Group last week and it's safe to say she's been growing like crazy. She hit her three month growth spurt almost exactly at three months and has been eating an extra bottle a day while Mom and Dad are at work.

Reading with Grandan

Mommy's big girl

This month we've learned....

• Baby babble is incredibly adorable and brings a smile to Mom and Dad's faces no matter what.
• Savannah loves water.
• Leaving your baby with the nanny for the first time is quite possibly one of, if not the most, stressful situations you will ever be in.
• Just when you think you've seen the biggest diaper blowout ever, your little one surprises you with something that could only come out of a movie!
• As a new mom, pack a box of tissues when you return to work. 

Savannah's Two Month Update

I'll probably end up saying this every month, but seriously, I cannot believe our baby is already two months old! Where is the time going?!

Savannah has done a ton of growing this past month and she's no longer the sleepy and fragile newborn she was just a few weeks ago. At the doctor's this morning we saw a 3 day old baby that weighed just over 7 lbs and I can hardly remember when our little girl was that little. It seems so long ago but also just like it was yesterday.

Not impressed about being propped-up next to her elephant

 "What the heck is this thing stuck on my belly?"

...and she's done! 

As for her two months stats, she weighed 11 lbs. 5 oz. (holding steady at 50th percentile) and measured 23.75 inches long (98th percentile) today! The hubs was pumped when I told him how long she was and promptly got to googling. If she remains in the 98th percentile she'll be 5'10'' as an adult. The doctor said Savannah looked good and strong and we agree!

Next up were the shots. Baby girl got stuck with three needles and had one vaccine given orally. I was dreading this part of the appointment but aside from immediately crying when they gave the shots, once I scooped our little monkey up in my arms and gave her her paci she stopped crying. Relief. Since we got home from the doctor's she has been napping for the most part and hasn't been too fussy. Still, we plan to lay low today and take it easy after such a traumatic morning (for both mom and baby).

Superhero and Spiderman band-aids for her boo boos :(

Hard at work during tummy time

Over the last month we've been doing a lot more tummy time which is definitely helping our baby girl get stronger by the day.  Savannah is also much more aware of her surroundings and really noticing her body parts like her hands and feet too. It's so amazing to watch her notice a nearby toy or picture on the wall and zone in on it. Also this month Savannah has been smiling up a storm which is pretty much the best thing in the world and she's finding her voice and making lots of coos and ahhhs.

Savannah has been consistently (knock on wood) sleeping through the night which makes me and the hubs very happy! She typically goes down around 8pm and gets up around 5am -- we'll take it! During the day, she typically takes short 30-45 minute naps and eats about every 3 hours. She's awake for much longer stretches now which equates to long walks with mom and Brownie and lots of playtime and singing.  Our little monkey is still sleeping in the bassinet next to our bed but we have plans this week to transition her to her crib...wish us luck!

It was a very busy month filled with her Aunt De and Don Al's gorgeous wedding, a wonderful visit from her Zia Jenny and her first trip to the zoo! We've packed away just about all the newborn clothes and are solidly in 0-3 month clothing and size 1 diapers.

This month we've learned....

• Nursing under the nursing cover may as well be considered torture to our little monkey.
• Never leave home without a change of clothes for baby in the diaper bag.
• Amazon Prime is the best thing that ever happened for new parents.
• Bath time must be strategically timed between feedings and naps.
• Packing up newborn clothes will make you shed a few tears.
• Nothing is more rewarding than a gummy baby smile.