July 23, 2012 - 14 months

July 23, 2012 Fourteen months old You have fast become my world, my silly little girl! The love I have for you is nothing that I have ever felt before. I thought I knew love before you...unconditional love, but that was a joke. Before you came along, there were things that mattered to me then, that as I look back I wonder what the big deal was. It's funny, and a little crazy, how completely my world shifted when you came along. When we spent that first week in the hospital with you in Houston I never had time to stop and think about everything that was happening. I mean, I was worrying constantly about you, but the full weight of it all never set in. Once we were allowed to come home from the hospital, it all started to hit me, and I cried the entire way home. I was so scared that I had almost lost you. I was sad that I had lost a week of your life, because I had barely been able to hold you. I was scared that you wouldn't like me. I was scared that I would be a horrible mom. I was scared... :) And...a little emotional :) Hormones will do that to you :) I didn't want anyone to take you, hold you, sometimes even touch you because I wanted you for me and only me...so that I could protect you from anything and everything!!! Nothing was hurting my baby!!!! I was a little overprotective...but, I think I actually hid it well because many people came to visit you and I put on a brave face :) Thinking back now, I was just so emotional from the roller coaster of the week before...all of the people that came are WONDERFUL people who will be there for you NO MATTER WHAT as you grow older!!! Mimi and Em were there all the time! Abuelo and Abuela came by to see you (and brought Mommy and Daddy some food!!! Yum Yum!!!) Nini and Saki were constantly wanting to hold you and love on you!!! Gigi was so excited to hold you! Your Tias came for some cuddle time!!! Aunt Linda and Stephanie came to visit and were so excited to get to hold you too!!! There were so many friends and family that came to see YOU!!! :) Mommy and Daddy felt so blessed to be loved by so many, and to have those love you right away!!! :) As you have grown, you make me laugh everyday!!! You make the funniest faces!!! People come up to me all the time and say that you make the cutest, silliest faces :) You make faces when you eat, when you play, when you are just sitting...and especially if you can catch someones eyes..you silly! You found your belly button in the past few days, and sit there and poke yourself in the belly over and over. It makes me laugh. You love to play peek-a-boo and we usually sit there and play and giggle for a good while. Mommy loves to tickle you and listen to your giggles! And, Em used to pick on Mommy...aka pull her leg. Mommy picks on you sometimes...and you are starting to understand and will pick on Mommy and Daddy too :) Mommy will sometimes take you paci out of your mouth and then pretend to stick it back in your mouth, or then turn the other side around and put it in her mouth. You will then take it out and put it back in yours. You have gotten to the point now that if you know Mommy or Daddy are going to reach for something you will grab it and giggle and then give it to us...you are taking after your Em :D * Weight: not sure * Length: not sure * You wear Size 3 diapers * You wear mostly 12 months clothes. However, you are wearing some 18 months clothes because you are so tall. You are a very long baby! :) * You have 6 teeth now!!! And you are getting much better about chewing your food :) nom nom nom * You sleep in your play pen every night now. Although sometimes (because you are teething or not feeling well), you sleep with Mommy. She loves to cuddle with you, though sometimes you kick and punch her :) * You eat 3 times a day. But, also snack 2 times a day. You usually eat breakfast sometimes between 7:30 - 8:30. You usually eat a cereal bar or something of that nature along with some fruit. YOU LOVE FRUIT!!!! No more bottles for you, big girl!!! You drink milk from a sippy cup or straw! You have gotten really good at it over the past couple months! Snack around 9:30 - 10:00 usually consists of Cheerios, or something of that nature. Lunch is usually eaten around 11:30. Again, big people food it is!!! You don't want none of that baby stuff! ;) If fact, no you usually want what's on Mommy or Daddy's plate. Dinner is around 5:30. Right before bedtime you usually have another sippy cup of milk while Mommy reads you a few stories. * You have gotten a little bit more picky about what you eat; however, you are still a good eater. Without a doubt, fruit is your favorite food! You would eat fruit, and only fruit, all day long if Mommy would let you! Foods that you don't like: Ravioli, eggs, meat sometimes, pears (The only fruit I have found that you are not too fond of). * We still have you sleep in pj's that have pants. No matter how cold it is, you will NOT sleep with covers. Mommy usually leave the covers off of you when she lays you down. Then when she goes to sleep, and you are in a deeper sleep, she will cover you up. However, usually within 30 minutes to an hour you have kicked the covers off. * You will usually sleep for 8-12 hours every night * You usually take one nap a day. Usually right after lunch I will lay you down. You sleep for about 2 hours everytime. (Sometimes Mommy will lay down and take a nap with you too...Shhhh! Don't tell anybody!!! ;)) * Mommy had surgery on her foot on March 23, 2012. As a result, she has been home with you since then. Mommy has loved getting to spend that time with you!!! School will start in the next month, and Mommy wishes she could take you with her because she doesn't want to leave you!!! * You love to play!!! You do not crawl still! You scoot on your little bottom and can get places faster than Mommy can blink! Sometimes, Mommy will pick on you and come rushing up behind you while you are scooting, and you start moving so fast that you end up on all fours and crawl JUST A BIT, but not often. You love to sit on the floor and play with your other toys. Your favorites at home are your Fisher Price Ferris Wheel (like Weeble Wobbles), you love balls, and Mommy just got you anew drum set that you are liking too. * You talk all the time now, although Mommy can only understand some of it. You like to yell sometimes too (especially in restuarants). Mommy is working on teaching you sign language so that you can communicate better, even before you learn to talk well. You have "more" and "all done" down to a t. We are working on "eat," "please," and "thank you." * You wave bye bye sometimes, although you are not consistent :) You usually just smile when someone says bye, and then wave as we or they are walking away. * You have started showing separation anxiety, and sometimes only want to be held by Mommy. * You are really ticklish below your chin, on your ribs, and under your arms and Mommy can usually get you giggling non-stop when she starts tickling you there :) * You took swimming lessons the past two weeks. During the lessons we eventually built up to the point where you were going underwater for up to 5 seconds. Your little eyes would get so big under the water :( You were so scared! That scared Mommy too! But, today we were swimming, and you accidentally flipped your float over. You were underwater for about 5 seconds, and when I picked you up, you weren't choking or anything. The lessons served their purpose! We wanted to make sure that if you ever did fall in to the water accidentally or anything that you would have a fighting chance at saving yourself. Of course, at 1 year, you will not be able to save yourself. But, teaching you how to hold your breath, like those lessons did, will give an adult some extra time to get to you. And, they give you a good base for more lessons to come...and so that eventually you can swim and could save yourself if you fell in! Mommy loves the water, and loves to swim! She wants to pass that on to you!!! She wants you to love the water, but also respect it and understand that too much of it is not a good thing! Chrissly - I need to say again: This past year has been the best year of my life! I have never felt more loved and blessed! I believe that God puts every person on this earth for a reason, and I believe the reason I am here is to be your mom. Thank you for being the best little girl a mother could ask for! I love you with all of my being!!!!

12 months = 1 YEAR!!!!!

1 YEAR!!!! My how quickly time has passed!!! Chrissly's 1 year Birthday!!! Chrissly at 12 months --- May 23, 2012 * Weight: 20.8 lbs. (you are in the 47th percentile for your weight) * Length: 30.5 inches (you are in the 88th percentile for your height!!!) * You wear Size 3 diapers * You wear mostly 12 months clothes. However, you are wearing some 18 months clothes because you are so tall. You are a very long baby! :) * You sleep in your play pen every night now. Although sometimes (because you are teething or not feeling well), you sleep with Mommy. She loves to cuddle with you, though sometimes you kick and punch her :) * You eat 3 times a day. But, also snack 2 times a day. You usually eat breakfast sometimes between 7:30 - 8:30. You usually eat a cereal bar or something of that nature along with some fruit. You have a bottle of MILK (that's right, we have switched you to regular milk) as a snack around 9:30 - 10:00. Lunch is usually eaten around 11:30. Again, big people food it is!!! You don't want none of that baby stuff! ;) It's usually snack time again (aka bottle time) around 2 - 3:30 so you have another bottle. Dinner is around 5:30, and you have a bottle right at bedtime at around 7:30 - 8:30. * You have gotten a little bit more picky about what you eat; however, you are still a good eater. Without a doubt, fruit is your favorite food! You would eat fruit, and only fruit, all day long if Mommy would let you! Foods that you don't like: Ravioli, eggs, meat sometimes. * You have started to use a sippy cup at meal times instead of a bottle all the time. Dr. Tomlin said that we really needed to wean you off of a bottle at any time, by the time you are 18 months. Momma has that information tucked in the back of her head and continues to get you to work on drinking out of a sippy cup more and a bottle less. * We still have you sleep in pj's that have pants, and then also put socks on you because you will kick and kick until you kick the covers right off. One night you woke up this week crying...Mommy thinks it was because you were cold. But, Mommy woke up many times and covered you up, but you kicked the covers off still. Eventually I had to just pick you up and put you in bed with me so I could make sure you stayed covered. * You will usually sleep for 8-12 hours every night * You usually take one nap a day. Usually right after lunch I will lay you down. You sleep for about 2 hours everytime. (Sometimes Mommy will lay down and take a nap with you too...Shhhh! Don't tell anybody!!! ;)) * Mommy had surgery on her foot on March 23, 2012. As a result, she has been home with you since then. Mommy has loved getting to spend that time with you!!! * You love to play!!! You are not so fond of your jumperoo and walker anymore. You don't like to be tied down anywhere for too long! You want to be scootin' along! (You do not crawl! You scoot on your little bottom and can get places faster than Mommy can blink!) You love to sit on the floor and play with your other toys. Your favorites at home are your Cruise and Crawl Fisher Price Play n' Go, Ball Bounce Dino, Dunk n' Cheer Basketball goal, and your Little Einstein Stand and Play table. * You say all kinds of things now, although Mommy can only understand some of them. Mommy is working on teaching you sign language so that you can communicate better, even before you learn to talk well. * You wave bye bye sometimes, although you are not consistent :) * You have started showing separation anxiety, and sometimes only want to be held by Mommy. * You are really ticklish below your chin, on your ribs, and under your arms and Mommy can usually get you giggling non-stop when she starts tickling you there :) Chrissly - This past year has been the best year of my life! I have never felt more loved and blessed! I believe that God puts every person on this earth for a reason, and I believe the reason I am here is to be your mom. Thank you for being the best little girl a mother could ask for! I love you with all of my being!!!!

Chrissly's 6 Month Birthday!!!!!!!

Half a year old....WOW! I cannot get over it!!! You have grown so much baby!!! You are truly the sweetest and most precious little girl I have ever laid eyes on! I cannot get over how much love I feel for you! Every time I look at you my heart swells with pride!!!!! YOU ARE AMAZING!!!! This month you have really gotten more vocal and shown more personality :) You started giggling out loud alot and trying to stick everything you can reach in your mouth :O You cannot sit up yet, but you are nearly there! If I hold you sitting up, I can remove my hands and you will stay like that for a few seconds but then start to fall over.

Chrissly at 6 months --- November 23, 2011

* Weight:
* Length:
* You wear Size 1 diapers..We are switching to size 2; but Mommy and Daddy got a little crazy buying size 1 diapers! They have a ton of them and were trying to go through them all before going up to the size 2 diapers; but you are growing too fast :) We will have to retire the size 1 diapers and move on to the 2's
* You wear mostly 6-9 months clothes. You are wearing some sleepers during the day (the pj's with the feeties) to stay warm. You have definitely had a growth spurt recently...it seems like one day you were wearing 3 months clothing, and then the next day you were wearing 6-9 months...GROWING SO FAST!!!!!
* You sleep best in your pack n' play. Right now it is on Mommy's side of the bed so that if you start to cry she can get to you quickly because Mommy's feet hurt her every night because of her plantar fascitis.
* You usually eat three meals a day, plus a little snack (bottle) at night before you go to sleep. In the morning you just have a bottle to eat, but for lunch and dinner you eat some rice, and maybe some fruit or vegetable. So far we haven't found anything that you don't like...although, today Mommy fed you peas and you didn't seem like you were a big fan. So far, you have had sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, applesauce, peas, and I think peaches (I need to ask Mimi about that one.)
* You usually eat 5-6.5 oz.
* At bedtime, Mommy get a bottle ready. She takes you in the back and we read a story together, then she gives you your bottle and rocks you to sleep. Once you are almost asleep she lays you down in your pack n' play. You usually wake up a little, but will lay, fuss a little, and then fall asleep again.
* We have you sleep in the pj's with the feeties because you will kick and kick until you kick the covers right off; so, to make sure you stay warm we have to have you sleep in the pj's with the long sleeves and feeties. You are still a kicker! :) We will have to sign you up for soccer when you are old enough. In fact, usually they way you wake Mommy up in the morning is not by crying, but by kicking the sides of your pack n' play. :)
* You will usually sleep for 8-12 hours every night
* Mimi has really been working to get you to take more naps during the day. Mommy read an article about how important it is for you to get in your naps. You usually take a short (30 minutes or so) nap in the morning; right after lunch you take another nap (usually the longest one, lasting about 1-2 hours); then in the late afternoon/early evening you take one more short nap.
* Mommy is working full time and STILL wants to stay home with you badly!!! She misses all her cuddle time with you!!!! She dreams of the day when she can stay at home and be "Super Mom" to you~~~
* You can sit in your Bumbo now, without any help.
* You will also sit in your excersaucer and play. Mommy doesn't have to prop you up anymore :) You have mastered sitting in it and playing!!! You like playing in your saucer and will play for about an hour before you get bored and want a change of pace.

Chrissly's 9 month Birthday!!!

Chrissly's 9 month Birthday!!!

Chrissly at 9 months --- February 23, 2012

* Weight: Not sure...did not go to the pediatrician this month
* Length: again not sure
* You wear Size 2 diapers; but we are about to switch you to size 3 diapers
* You wear mostly 9 months clothes. However, you are wearing some 6-9 months clothes too. You are a very long baby! :)
* You sleep best in between Mommy and Daddy. Mommy has not tried getting you to sleep in your crib, because it made you cry so much and Mommy didn't feel like it was a good thing to stress you and her out every night. As everyone says, "You can't love a baby too much." So, Mommy is enjoying being kicked by you when you are sleeping between her and Daddy :) Sometimes you literally kick Mommy out of the bed because Mommy can't sleep when you keep kicking her, so she goes to sleep on the couch. :) Every morning when you are ready to wake up, you turn towards Daddy and start talking to him and kicking him (Mommy is usually already on her way to work when you wake up) :)
* You eat 3 times a day. You have gotten on a schedule and eat when the big people eat. You do have a bottle as a snack in between though. You usually eat breakfast sometimes between 7:30 - 8:30. You have a bottle as a snack around 9:30 - 10:00. Lunch is usually eaten around 11:30. It's usually snack time again around 2 - 3:30 so you have another bottle. Dinner is around 5:30, and you have a bottle right at bedtime at around 7:30 - 8:30.
* You usually eat pretty much anything. However, you don't really like meats. No one can blame you, baby food meat is pretty gross!!!! You love fruits, veggies, yogart, etc.
* This month you started eating finger foods. Gerber makes these little puff stars that you like. Mommy is proud of you because you use your little pincer grip to pick them up and put them in your mouth! Such a big girl!!! :)
* We still have you sleep in the pj's with the feeties because you will kick and kick until you kick the covers right off; so, to make sure you stay warm we have to have you sleep in the pj's with the long sleeves and feeties.
* You will usually sleep for 8-12 hours every night
* You and Mimi have gotten a schedule where you take one nap a day. You usually go to sleep around 1:15 and will sleep for 45 min. - 1:30. Every once in a while you will take a nap that is a couple hours long or longer :)
* Mommy is still working full time and wants to stay home with you badly!!! She misses all her cuddle time with you!!!! She dreams of the day when she can stay at home and be "Super Mom" to you~~~
* You can sit in your Bumbo now, without any help. Mommy and Daddy have now brought out your high chair though, and let you sit in there to eat so that you can also eat your little finger foods too.
* You love to play!!! You love to play in your jumperoo and walker. You also love to sit on the floor and play with your other toys. Your favorites at home are your Cruise and Crawl Fisher Price Play n' Go, Ball Bounce Dino, and Dunk n' Cheer Basketball goal.
* You started babbling alot this month. You say Mom Mom Mom Mom and Da Da Da Da. Towards the end of the month when you say Mom Mom Mom you would look at me and Da Da Da and you would look at Daddy.
* You have also started to wiggle your fingers like you are trying to wave when someone says Bye Bye. :) Such a cutie!!!
* You are really ticklish below your chin and Mommy can usually get you giggling non-stop when she starts tickling you there :)

Last time we went to Houston was back in November. The doctor said that your cyst is still getting smaller and we should just keep waiting because hopefully it will just go away on its own! :) We are so glad that are little one is growing up so happy and healthy! You are our JOY and LOVE!!!! You make us smile so many times each day!!!! What did we do before you?