51 weeks!!

We have worked for several months with Anna using
some basic sign language.  Here, she is
signing "All Done" at the end of her breakfast.

Bath time. 

Super tired after swim lessons.

Now she's up!!

She spends  a lot of time playing with her jumper.

Now a pose for the camera

Crazy hair during bath time!!

Oh my goodness!!  I cannot believe we are in the final week of our 1st year with our little princess!!  It just seems like it can't be true!  But, we are SO blessed by our little princess. We can't imagine our lives, now without her.  I have laughed more, cried more, pondered more, sang more, laughed a lot more (again), done many things I have never thought I would do to entertain a sleepy baby, prayed more, taken more pictures, seen more family all because of our sweet little Anna!  What a blessing!!

We had a great week with our dear.  It was pretty busy.  I worked twice this week, like always, so she went to her grandparents houses.  We saw Aunt Jill & Uncle Dawson, we went to swim lessons, we went to Mastering Motherhood at church (where the little Angel had her halo held up by her horns.... aka... she got kicked out for lowering morale in her class.... she was crying too much.), and we got to play with some great friends!!  All in all, it was a great week, busy, but great! Our busyness has no end in sight until after the holidays, really.

Anna still only has 1 tooth.  However, there are 3 more teeth just about to break through.  It is very possible that she will have 4 teeth by her first birthday.  If not, I am enjoying her cheesy little 1-tooth smile. 

Anna is doing pretty well eating table food.  I'm hoping that when we see her doctor on the 20th, we'll be able to expand her food varieties to possibly include those foods they recommend NOT giving babies (due to allergies).  Some days, however, she does eat better than others.  She still likes those baby food pouches!!  But she really, REALLY likes when I make her some grilled cheese.  She loves cheese, and bread, so cheese with bread, is just an awesome idea!!  I still can't really get her to eat bananas by themselves, but she will eat banana flavored pouches.  (figure that one out!)

I have put most of Anna's 6-9 month clothes away, but there are a few I am still holding on to.  A lot of pants still have room to grow both in waist and in length.  So i imagine we'll be in 9-12 month pants for a while.  Although, like most women's clothing, it really does just depend on who makes it.  She's still in size 3 diapers, and size 2 shoes. 

Anna is still usually waking up once at night.  Most of the time this week she woke up between 12-1:30.  I'm not a fan of that, BUT the perk is that she then sleeps  from that time til 8  or 9.  So, I usually get to sleep for 6-8 hours straight.  Which, when I think of it that way, isn't really that bad.  So I'll take it!

Anyway, next week is going to be very busy for us.  I make no promises to have the blog updated on Anna's birthday... but we'll see!!  The day before her birthday we are having our families over for a celebration of our little princess!!  I can't believe she's almost 1.  That's pretty much what I find myself saying all the time.

I am so blessed, and humbled to have such an amazing daughter, and an amazing support system of family and friends.  I know that I could not have made it through this past year without your help and encouragement.  There were many sleepless nights that the encouraging words are what kept me sane.  So for that, I thank all of you!!

Thanks for checking in on us!!

50 weeks!

Oh. My. Goodness!  I love this baby!
Her smile!  Her belly... the whole package!
(she's getting ready for a night of feeding herself some yogurt...
hence the lack of clothes)

I was trying to get a picture for her uncle Todders
she spent most of the time trying to crawl on me.

I finally set her on my lap, and took a picture with her...she was so serious!

This is Wednesday night... her first yogurt experience.

see the video below, for more of the fun
(Then you can appreciate why I disrobed her for the next try)

She did have a lot of fun.

Any time the refrigerator opens it, she makes a mad dash to see whats in it
So naturally, I took a picture  (And for those of you concerned... I don't just let her play in the fridge)

We had to wait for something, so I was in the back of the car
playing with her... she was a hoot!
(See video)

 She also was helping me unload the dishwasher.
(See video above)

We wanted to give kisses this AM

We went shopping for a baby gate.  I happened to read the Babies R Us
ad, and saw that for $75+ you could get this free Minnie Mouse doll.
So I definitely took BRU up on their offer.  :-)  I think it will be a present
for the princess  (Shady, I know)

Last Saturday we had pictures taken with the family... here's a pic of Anna with her
cousins, and her Nana and Papa.

My in-law family!
The families are split up by color.

We also took the chance to get a family picture.
(They will be better quality, except this one, I took a picture... of the picture on my computer.  It's not great
but it's not terrible either.  You get the idea...)

Well, this past week was a fun week.  We were constantly on the go.  I can't believe that in 2 weeks we will have a 1 year old.  I was looking at the pictures of Anna this week, and oh my goodness... it is so much fun to watch her grow, learn, and develop an awesome personality.  I am sooo blessed.  I know it was crazy for a time (and it still is...) and I know that it was rocky for a LONG, LONG time... but I love this little girl so much! 

Well, this week went enjoyed our swim lesson, as always.  We did a new first... we went under the water for the first time.  Let's just say she wasn't thrilled.  She didn't bawl, but she didn't love it, or even really like it.  But, she did do well with it.  Anna loves her swim lessons, and LOVES being in water, and playing with water... whether it's a bath, a bowl of water, a pool, a cup, or a puddle on the floor.  Anna loves to play with water!!

This week, she has done pretty well sleeping.  She has become very snuggly when she is tired... and I love that!!  I will take this snuggle business as long as it's around.  I think it's just a phase and it won't last, so I'm going to take it while I have it!  She can put herself to sleep with some crying usually, but she will do it in just a few minutes.  She goes to bed usually between 8-9 still, but a few times this week she went to bed a little closer to 9:30.... one night she went to bed a little later since she had 2 naps that day, and her one nap was a little bit later in the evening.  But that's ok.  She's a bunch of fun to play with, and when daddy's home to help me with some stuff, I can usually multi task and get dinner done, while mixing in some play time  (and since daddy is home... I don't have to worry about where she is and if I can see her because he'll have an eye on her for me-- Love him!)!  I mentioned Anna's naps.  She typically only takes 1 nap a day.  It's usually at least 2 hours, sometimes it's closer to 3 hours.  Which is nice because I have been able to do an exercise video, take a shower, and still get a short nap in all while she is napping.  So, that's a blessing!!

Anna has done better this week eating.  I keep trying to throw in a different variety of food.  It's so hard since we are keeping her on a wheat-free diet, til she's at least 1 years old, to find a good variety.  This week's new items were pesto chicken wrap (although, I didn't give her the wrap, just the inside which was chicken, pesto and some rice... delicious, I might add), egg yolk (no whites), and some quinoa.  She liked them all.  She especially liked the yolk when I put a little cheese with it.  Anna LOVES cheese!!  Loves it!!

This past week I put a bulk of Anna's 6-9 month clothes.  While her 12 month clothes are fairly large on her, I was tired of pulling down her shirt, and pulling down her pants because her ankles were showing.  So, I got her 12 month clothes out.  The pants are long.. and as long as they are stretchy pants, the bigger waist will stay up on her.  She has a pair of 12 month jeans, that kept falling down, so we'll have to wait a little bit longer for her to wear those.  She is still in size 2 shoes (she has itty bitty feet), and size 3 diapers.  I had her weighed this week, and she was 18 pounds 5 ounces.  So, I doubt she'll hit 19 by her first birthday... but we'll see. 

Anna likes to chat almost as much as I do.  She is developing her words.  Her favorite word this week is definitely "dada".  She wakes up saying "dada" even when she sees me!  Although, her dada tells me when he has her, that she says a lot of "mama" to him.  (But I think he's trying to make me feel better.)  I think it's cute that she's a daddy's girl!  She likes to also say "baby" a lot.  She will also say "papa", "baba" and "nana".  And will shake her head "no", especially if you've already told her no when she's doing something she shouldn't (like stand on a chair) or something like that.... it's kind of cute, but I wish she'd just obey, and not just repeat what we've told her.  Guess we have some areas to work.

Well, I think that's about it for now!  The countdown has begun to her birthday!  Can't wait! 

Thanks for checking in on us!!

49 weeks old

Love these toothy smiles!

She's really showing off the tooth here!

Who me?

Such a cute pose.

We installed a baby gate separating our dining room from our kitchen...
yay, baby jail!

This picture was taken a half hour before she was supposed to have pictures taken.

I was trying to decide if she should have the headband
or not... we did some of each.

We met Santa this week.
(Without the headband)

(With the headband)

Santa read "The Night Before Christmas" to her. 
She loved it!

Happy Thanksgiving!!
(don't mind the red chin, she bumped her chin on the crib in the morning)

We stopped at Grandma and Grandpa's house on in the evening on Thanksgiving
There were a lot of older people, so it was really hot.
Mommy let me take my dress off.
No pants Thursday!!

 

I love to sit on Aunt Kimmee's lap.
Here, I was playing with Grandpa, making faces or something like that.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  We have so much to be thankful for!  I am so thankful for my wonderful family... both my little family of 3, and also my parents, grandparents,sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, an entire set of in-law family, pseudo relatives.... I am grateful for each one of them.  They have invested in our lives in such an amazing way.  It is such a blessing to think about these people that the Lord has brought into my life.  We hope you had a great Thanksgiving with family and loved ones.

This week we have started to get full swing in the Christmas mood... well, at least as full swing as I ever get.  Anna got to meet Santa Claus and had her picture taken with him.  He was very good with her.  I was impressed.  (Thank you JC Penny for having Santa there.  It was a good first experience.)  Anna especially liked when he read the book to her.  :-)

We had a marvelous Thanksgiving.  We got to see both sides of the family.... and it was fairly warm here too, so at both homes Anna got dressed down to her skivvies.... and loved it!  That girl HATES to be hot!  She also got her first dose of grandma mercy... what do I mean?  We were talking around the table, my mom, my aunt, my cousin and myself... and we looked over only to see Miss Anna playing in what now was a puddle on the floor, that used to be the dog's water bowl.  She was soaked, the floor was soaked... but in the words of grandma "she had a good time."  (And did look pretty cute splashing in her mess...  But even still).

Anna also did well today when we went out shopping... usually I boycott Black Friday shopping, but for some reason this year, I was in the mood to just get it done!  So, we went out.  We practically bought out the Babies R Us store when it came to diapers and wipes.  We went to the the Christian Bookstore... then ran into Grandma & Grandpa Leeper & Aunt Launi... so then we had lunch.  I brought Anna and Jer back so Anna could get a nap, then I braved the mall.  YIKES!!  All in all, it was fine... and I'm pretty sure I'm done other than some odds and ends, and some online gifts that still need to arrive.  Busy, busy, busy.

It's hard to believe that in about 3 weeks Anna will be 1!!  Crazy time... all in the middle of the Christmas season.  December is going to FLY by!!

Anyway, here's the stats.

Anna is roughly 18 pounds... although she hasn't been weighed in 2 weeks.  (maybe 3).  She is still in 6-9 months, or 12 months depending on the clothes.  And continues to wear size 3 diapers (and will continue to do so since we bought a whole bunch of size 3 today!!)

She slept through the night once this week!  Glorious!!  But has yet to repeat it since.  But, she's still just getting up once... although one night this week she got up twice.  (That was not appreciated, baby girl!).

She continues to eat well.  I'm trying to cut back a little on the nursing... but she's a hard sell.  I think we'll get there...Anna still LOVES to eat from those baby food pouches.  Although, this week we've really started to see her little ornery self... as she tries to clear her high chair tray regularly.  (This is met by stern opposition by daddy... and mommy.)

Anna is very active.  She crawls everywhere!  She's gotten fairly fast when she wants to, and can mosey when she wants to as well.  She just takes it all in stride, and loves to call the shots.  Anna is also very silly, and very giggly when she plays.  It makes for a very, very fun day when I get her all day to myself!!  hahaha!!  Giggles are my favorite thing to hear.  Her belly laugh is infectious!

Anyway, I'm cutting this short because tomorrow is family pictures!!!  And I need my beauty rest!  (Besides, the boring stats are really for my future needs anyway... )

Thanks for checking in on us!!

48 weeks!

I said to her, this morning "Smile for the camera!" and this is what I got!!

We tried to wish Uncle Kurty a happy birthday, and this is what I got...
she's such a ham!!  She kept giggling as I tried to get her to sit back on
the couch.  such a silly girl!!

The tooth made an appearance on this 11 month  birthday!!

We went for  walk one day this week.
This is the view I get... she LOVES walks.

Showing her support for her OSU teams...AND teething!

We had a visit from Aunt Kelly last week.

Our silly little girl!  When daddy opened the car door, this is what he saw.
(Of course, Mommy had to take a picture!)

Silly Mommy!  This is mommy's "hillbilly wagon".  It's a
laundry basket with wheels, and a belt!  LOADS of fun!

Happy 11 Month Birthday, Baby Girl!!!

This week has flown by!  We have been pretty busy each day. So busy that when I went to put pictures on here, I was saddened by how many I didn't have.

This week has been pretty good in the sleep department.  Anna has slept in her crib for both naps and bedtime.  Most of this week she has gone to bed between 8-9, but it seems that she is finding a way to get us to make it later and later.  (GRRRR!)  I will probably be playing with her naptimes to make sure we get her in bed between 8-9 still.  I liked it.  (One day this week, she went to bed at 8:30.  It was crazy how much time Jer and I had together!  Also, I found that I went to bed earlier when she went to bed earlier.  So, it's good for us all around!)  Anna still continues to get up once a night... eventually we'll work on that... but for now... I can handle once.

Anna continues to do well eating.  She still continues to like the baby food pouches, as well as anything she can feed herself on her own.  I don't think we've tried anything new this week.  So, it's still the same old, same old.  Cheese still continues to be her favorite food.

This week, Anna has worn more 12 month clothes.  She still fits in most 6-9 month clothes.  I may start fading out the 6-9 months soon... but I have a hard time with it because there are soooo many cute ones that I absolutely love!!  We're still in size 3 diapers too.  She wasn't weighed, so I couldn't even begin to guess how much she weighs.

Do the Ducky Dance!!

While Auntie Katie was up in mid-October for a visit... she babysat Anna for us while we were at our Sunday night small group.  Auntie Katie also took a video of Anna doing her little dance that she does to music.  I LOVE IT!  It's so precious!  Whenever she hears music she insists on wiggling.  Makes me laugh every time... and Auntie was able to catch it perfectly on video.  So... enjoy!!

47 weeks old

I got to see my Great-Gram on Saturday

Every kid sleeps with a snot-sucker at one point or another, right?

Fun time with my Nana
(Please note:  Aunt Jill re-dressed me after she changed my diaper.
It's hard to tell, but she put my onesie on the outside...)

Having a serious talk with my cousin Ella

Smile!

Having lunch... or maybe it was breakfast...

Love the squinty little eyes in the morning.

Hey Mom!

Yummy lunch!

I think.....

Yeah, it was ok...

Love this little wet face from her bath...

She was looking really hard for a toy that she wanted.

This week, our little sweetie graduated to the bathtub without a bath ring.

Mommy insists on putting this hat on me... I look SOO cute, don't I?!
(at least that's what she says to me after she puts it on me.)

 Anna has had a great week.  Although, I've come to determine that all our weeks are great, and continue to improve in their greatness because she is sleeping so much better!!  Praise the Lord.  Who knew acid reflux could be such a terrible, terrible problem.

We had a lot of fun this week.  We were pretty busy... Monday, Anna went to play with her Grandma & Grandpa Leeper while I went to work.  That is pretty much our day... she usually is sleeping when I get there, and we don't leave until she wakes up and I feed her.  (Sometimes we stay and play a little bit too.)  Tuesday we had our swim lessons!!  We still love them!  On Tuesday evening we had an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner with Aunt Jill and Uncle Dawson.  (Aunt Jill has pictures.. but mommy couldn't find them on facebook... so you'll have to take her word for it.)  Wednesday, Anna played with Grandpa C while I was at work... and once again that pretty much eats up our day.  We went out to dinner at TGI Fridays where I was winning over the table next to me with my petite body, and my unsurpassed charm!  :-)  Thursday was Mastering Motherhood at church, and then lunch with Christine from work... home for naps... and well.. that was our day.  Friday is normally our day to take a breather from the busy week, before a busy weekend.  Soo... that's our week in a nutshell.

Here's the normal stats...

We'll start with sleep.  SLEEP has been great!  Anna adjusted well to the time change.  She slept in til "9" even though the clock said it was 8.  hahaha... Another perk to daylight savings ending is that Anna used to go to bed between 9-10... well, she now goes to bed between 8-9.  It's GLORIOUS to have an hour or 2 to hang out, and chill with Jeremy before we go to bed.   I think I'm going to keep this bedtime for the near foreseeable future. Also, since last Thursday we have been setting her in her crib usually awake, and she has been putting herself to sleep.  THAT is wonderful as well.  We aren't fighting with her, trying to get her to settle down any more. She does usually cry, but I think the longest is about 3 or 4 minutes.  This also works well for nap time also.  I love that too.... because she hasn't taken any naps in her swing this week!!  And, she's been putting herself to sleep.  This means that if I take a nap, that I can sleep in my own bed!  It's WONDERFUL folks!!  So as you can see... week 47 has been great in the area of sleep.  Anna still wakes up once a night... but, every now and then she will surprise me with sleeping through the night.

Anna is also doing very well eating solids.  She still likes to eat anything she can put in her mouth, and she's not too keen on eating anything with a spoon.  Although, tonight I did manage to get 4 or 5 bites of yogurt in her mouth... but then she lost interest.  Anna still really likes the baby food pouches, as well as cheese, gluten free bread, turkey, veggie/sweet potato/strawberry puffs, and yogurt melts.  Anna eats 3 meals a day in her high chair, and some days a snack or two.  She still is nursing and/or getting bottles, but those are limited to about 4-6 a day usually.   (Which is a good thing, in my opinion.)

I did not have the princess weighed this week, but I'm sure it's only an ounce or two... in a months time she gained one pound, so.... she has definitely slowed down in the weigh gain department.  Anna is in 6-9 month clothes, but I'm finding a few of the pants to be a little short... or at least ones that ride up too easily when she is being carried.  So, I'm transitioning her to 12 month clothes... they're a lot longer, but it works well if I cuff them.  :-)  As far as diapers go... still size 3.  And, she's still in size 2 shoes (and there's still room to grow!)

Anna is getting stronger and stronger each day/week.  She has been pulling herself up like crazy.  If she sees something she wants, and it requires standing up to get to it... she has no problem.  Anna does a little bit of furniture walking, and a lot of crawling.  Anna isn't a big fan of me trying to get her to stand by herself, and DEFINITELY does not like it when she falls on her little tush.  (Which makes me laugh usually because as I tell her, there will be lots more butt falls over the next weeks/months/years to come... not to mention.. she has a diaper on... this is the time in her life when it will have the most padding!!)  I think it will still be a while before she is walking... and I don't expect it any time before her first birthday... which is 5 weeks away!!  AHHHHHHH!!!

I think that's about it as far as updates go on our little munchkin.  She is the joy of our hearts!  Her daddy and I have a lot of fun with her... she makes me laugh SO much, I regularly have tears in my eyes!  I love her fun personality, and how much she's such a ham!!

Anyway, thanks for checking in on us!!