6 mos!!

My baby is 6 months old...half a year has gone by and it seems so long ago. You know I never quite understood fully when people would tell me how fast this would go. I have to admit I would always just nod like I totally got it...but I didn't get it. I didn't understand that all of a sudden my baby will be 6 months old, grabbing at everything in sight, eating grown up foods (pureed x10), developing her own personality and basically communicating to me through sounds and eye contact. I feel like shes actually speaking to me and I can somehow understand her. So what have I been doing for half a year? Watching my little baby grow and learn and become this little person! She has a great, go with the flow kind of personality. A very low maintenance kinda girl who loves to smile :)

 Major milestones: EARRINGS! She now looks like a girl, no question, but a little grown up! She did a great job at her docs (who did the piercing) and only cried for a couple of minutes. Since then she hasn't tugged or touched her new accessories which is a great thing. We chose little pearls by the way...a classic look for our classy girl.

Vocals: Babbling is now gurgling. Playing and making noises with her spit is a new discovery. No words yet (at least on purpose) but the 'm' and 'ahh' sounds are there. :) Solids: Solids are a major and important part of our day! Kate loves to eat!!! What an understatement but hopefully this levels out a bit as she gets older...moderation is the key! ;) She gets so pumped when I put her in her high chair (a gift from her great grandma Mcguire!) because she knows she's about to get some yummy, yummy, yummy food! Favorites so far; brown rice cereal, sweet potatoes, peas, pears and carrots. She is ALWAYS a member of the clean plate club! Speaking of clean plate club...her stats are 18.2 lbs (90%) and 28 in (off the charts!). I'm thinking volleyball, basketball...or golf is always in the picture.

5 months!!...is almost half a YEAR!

Kate's 5 month birthday is today. 5 months ago today I was in the hospital recovering from a crazy short labor and trying to wrap my mind around what just happened to us. We had a baby. Thats what happened. I still get warm fuzzies whenever I think about the whole experience. What a great memory that is. B and I were just talking about how that moment will never be the same again. Sure the next baby will still be a great memory I'm sure, but the first one will always be very special. Now my baby is 5 months and all grown up ::sniff::...well not really.

Important milestones: She is doing great with sitting up by herself. She has very strong neck and back muscles and I contribute that to her sleeping on her tummy (shh dont tell my ped and dont call CPS on me please). On the flip side, she seems to have no interest in rolling over and tends to do the superman whenever she is placed on her tummy to play. So I'm not sure if crawling or scooting is in our near future. TEETH! I updated the last post with her two bottom teeth popping through and they are continuing to show their very white and very sharp faces (if they had faces). We are still nursing and haven't had any major issues with biting so that's all good...for me at least. She is still drooling like crazy, we go through about 5 bibs a day, and everything she gets her hands on ends up in her mouth. Vocals...still have a screamer. Although now her screaming has turned more into shrieking and usually happens when she's in a great mood and excited about something. It seems to have replaced her giggle...so hopefully this is just a phase. Babbling is also new. She was 'talking' before but now she is using her tongue more and blowing bubbles with her spit. Socialization: We have a couple mommy groups that we belong to and have gone out several times to meet up. She is a very good girl when we are in public and has made a couple little friends so far. Everyone just loves her!

4 months and a brand new year!

Happy New Year! (I actually wrote this on Jan 5 - don't know why it says Dec 10) We managed to survive the holidays although they went by in a flash. I can't believe my baby has had her first Thanksgiving, Christmas AND New Year already! Thanksgiving was a little out of the ordinary since we had to celebrate it a couple weeks early. I hope that doesnt do any long term damage to the baby! I'm sure she didn't notice anything. Bryan's cousin in Florida was married the day after Thanksgiving and Bryan and his whole family were there. Kate and I got to stay home since it was going to be a bunch of stress for us anyway. The family is dying to see her but that will have to wait until the next wedding in April.

December flew by. Usually I have my Christmas tree up and running the second Thanksgiving turns but this year I was a little preoccupied. It seems like I JUST put everything up and now I have to take it down?! I didnt notice much of anything this Christmas except that this is the first Christmas of the rest of our lives. Meaning I am no longer the child but the parent and will always be until the end of my days. That was a weird revelation...although it wasn't quite a FULL BLOWN Christmas Extravaganza being on the 'parent' side, we did get a little taste of it. Next year I'm sure will be a lot more fun...telling stories of Santa (whatever she can comprehend), leaving out cookies and having Kate unwrap her own gifts. That was sort of annoying having to unwrap a gift that I not only knew what it was but had wrapped myself. It was still a fun holiday from what I can remember. We had some family in town which included my Grandma (hi grandma!), my Nana, my cousin and my aunt/uncle all the way from Alaska. It was definitely nice to spend the holidays close to our loved ones. I know Kate liked meeting and hanging out with her Great grandma's!

Then there was the New Year...it came and went just like that...and now it's 2012. Bryan and I didn't make it past 9:30 that night...How embarrassing. Well, who really should be embarrassed is Kate who barely made it to 7:00p. Oh well, the world still revolves whether we stay up or not. And revolve it will since 2012 will definitely be an exciting year to experience. People turning the big 3-0 (myself included...ugggh), other people getting married (a much anticipated event abroad), and still many more firsts for my baby girl including her very 1st birthday! Can't wait until it's all here and yet I don't want it to go by too fast. Hopefully I can catch more than a glimpse!

UPDATE: I was so focused on the holidays that I forgot to mention anything about the evolution of my now 4 month old! Here they are:

Strength - this girl has muscles! Her thighs are like meaty drumsticks and she kicks them all around every chance she gets. Her back and neck are also becoming very sturdy. She got some new toys for Christmas that will help take her to the next stage of crawling/sitting so she's pumped I'm sure (although she doesn't know it yet!)

Vocals - we have a screamer...in a good way if there is such a thing. She's discovered her 'voice' and practices multiple times a day on the full spectrum of pitches. Her new fav is the highest she can currently go...with a smile on her face of course!

Motor skills - her hand/eye coordination is improving greatly. She has no trouble touching or picking something up with one hand but is now working on grasping things with both hands. You can tell she's really focused when she's got something in front of her, both hands have it and she almost cross eyed staring it down. She also pushes out her lips like a little duck...super cute. Shes also mastered taking out her pacifier but still cant get it back in...which is becoming a very old trick in my opinion. Her hands are still her favorite snack and I'll catch her just staring at her hand while she moves it and rotates it around ever so slightly...can we say obsess much? LOL Jk.

Height/weight - height: 25.5 inches (90%), weight: 15.5 lbs (80%), head: Idk exactly but she's about 50% which is a lot better than 20%! She als

o got shots :( and verbiage on how to introduce solid foods next month! Yay! Also wasn't sure if she was legitimately teething but now I know she has been since her little gums are swollen and I THINK I can feel teeth under there! So I'm not sure how long they will take to show but we're in the process.



UPDATE!!!! We have teeth! I noticed them around Jan 13th which would have made her about 4 months and 1 week old...such an over achiever!! :)

2 months...my little lady

Well here we are...2 months already! Thinking about the hospital experience seems more and more like a distant dream. I'm starting to forget the details of those couple of days...and I'm sure pretty soon I'll just forget it all (right!). Sort of like, 'where did this baby come from?...she seems to have fallen from the sky.'

Kate is growing like a weed, not like one of those ugly, annoying ones...but a pretty, delicate one. We went to her 2 month check up and she is 11lbs 15 oz and 25 inches. She's in the 95% for weight, 75%-90% for height and 10%-25% for head circumference...so she has a small head, so what?! Her hair is turning a brownish-auburn (in the sun) just like her mama's and she's smiling more and more everyday. Daddy makes her smile the most, but I'm a close second I'm sure. He's got those big, bushy eyebrows that I can't compete with!



Little girl trying to sleep off her ear infection.

She had her first ear infection, currently has it actually. The doc confirmed it. She had been a little stuffy and her eyes seemed a little puffy and watery this past weekend. She wasn't all that fussy but was actually pretty subdued which was probably a 'not so good' sign. She's on antibiotics now and is taking baby Tylenol when it gets bad. She's been a champ though...the worst seems to be when she needs to take the medicine. She HATES the taste and tells me so! She's also up for her 2 month vaccinations which I'm not happy about...5 total vaccines. I talked with her doc and he agreed to split them up into two sessions. So instead of getting a boat load of toxins at once, she will only get a handful of toxins at once...boy do I feel better. Yes I know its for the best and is necessary to prevent the actual sicknesses...but it still makes me cringe.

Everyday she seems to become more mature. Just becoming aware of her surroundings and of us. I can tell just by looking at her that things are starting to register. A sort of familiarity or routine is beginning to take shape...not that we are in any sort of routine or schedule...(what the heck is a schedule)...but it seems to be not so surprising anymore. Baths, for example, seem to be anticipated once the familiar motions start...as well as eating of course. There's an understanding that when mommy puts her in her bouncy chair and positions her in front of the shower, it means mommy is about to TAKE a shower which means baby will sit content until mommy is done...and that she does! She's also started to make her little noises, her 'conversation' skills are forming they say. So I try to have a conversation with her every chance I get...its usually just me saying 'yeah?, uh huh and 'tell me more baby girl'. Also her hands have become her most favorite snack. I don't know what all the hype is about but apparently they taste really good since she can't keep them out of her mouth!


Good morning!

1 month...growing baby!

It's been 1 whole month already! The days and nights have all blurred together...mainly because there is no rules in the newborn world involving what happens in the days and nights. Sleep? So overrated...not really. The whole hospital experience is still a very surreal dream according to both Bryan and I. Every time I think about it, it literally feels like some weird, chaotic dream...but makes my heart feel warm and fuzzy at the same time.

The first couple weeks were definitely rough. Not going to lie about that at all. Breast feeding was difficult and painful and I remember vaguely thinking this one night (groggy headed from severe lack of sleep) "how am I possibly going to keep this up?" The formula answer popped in my head for a millisecond but then I squashed that quick...but the pain was starting to get so bad that every time it was time for her to eat, I almost wanted to shed an "ouch it hurts so bad" tear. Top that off with only sleeping 1-2 hours at a time back to back (to back)...and you have yourself classic new mom syndrome...mopey-ness, loss of appetite, disheveled look, the exhausted "distant stare"...

BUT, then we started evolving...getting into an erratic routine (oxymoron?? jumbo shrimp?). Ok not so much routine, but just getting used to each other and what we needed each person to do. She needed to eat, sleep and get her diaper changed...and I needed to provide all of those things. I'd like to say that now at this point of my baby being 1 month old, I am getting way more sleep, interpreting her cries and occasionally doing personal things (i.e. writing a new post in my blog). Daddy has been helping out when he can. He is a hard working man, providing for his family you know..but he has definitely done his share of poppy diapers.

The breast feeding perseverance paid off. At her 1 month check up she has grown 2 inches (now 22 1/2 inches long; in the 90th percentile...maybe basketball or volleyball?) and she is now 9lbs 13 oz! That is compared to 7lbs 4 oz at birth...thicky-thick girl. She is definitely starting to fill out in a cute chubby baby way. Not Michelin Man style...yet...but rolling that way. She has done a couple 5 hr sleep sessions (YAY!) and is starting to be content laying down by herself (while still awake)...although I have noticed that she likes to be with somebody more than being on her own. It really melts my heart when I can tell that she recognizes me. I don't exactly know how to describe it, but her caressing my arm when I'm holding her as she tries to go to sleep or when she buries her face in my chest and holds on to me tight. Maybe thats just regular newborn mannerisms, but it still feels good.


"WHERE'S THE MILK MAMA?!"

We've done a few outings and she has done great for the most part. I definitely chalk it up to being prepared...so, go me. We had our first successful trip to the grocery store which I think is a major accomplishment...and I'm not talking little dinky Fresh and Easy, few item trip. I'm talking full blown Safeway $100+ big grocery, almost every isle, extravaganza! I purchased a Moby Wrap (a sling thing) that she seems to love. I just wrap her up in that, sling her on the front of me, and I go hands free grocery shopping (or whatever). Great hippy invention.

Before we know it she will be 2 months, and then 6 months...and then 18 years. Time has been flying by which everyone says happens. I'm glad we are in the technological time when I can snap a pic on my phone and download it to the internet in minutes...never to be lost or forgotten again.

39 weeks...and SHE'S HERE!!!

 So little Kate (Katherine after her mama) came very fast! I had a doc appt on Tuesday morning (Sept 6th) when he said I was a tight 3 cm dilated and about 70-80% effaced which is a BIG change from the previous week of 1 cm and zero effacement. So he stripped my membranes (just a quick sweep of the cervix to help things along) and told me to keep active the next few days and "we'll see what happens". So that day my sis-in-law and I walked the mall, went to lunch, Target...just out and about pretty much all day. I was getting periodic cramps that were a little stronger than regular Braxton Hicks but nothing too steady. I did notice that they may have gotten a little stronger as the day went on but nothing too bad. Then around 7:30 that night they started to get stronger and more rhythmic. We probably tracked them for 2 hours or so and they ended up being around a minute long and between 3-8 minutes apart. We finally thought that this may be it and we should maybe go to the hospital (Bryan was running around the house grabbing items, making last minute lists, etc) ...but there was still a little bit of doubt in me that I wouldn't be far enough along or whatever and they'd end up sending us home but we went anyway.

So we get there and get placed in triage to check in. By this time they are getting more intense and closer together although we stopped actually timing since I was hooked up to the monitors so I don't know what the rhythm was but apparently it wasn't too impressive to the nurses since it took FOREVER in triage...like 2 hours or something. So anyway, she checks me when we arrive and I'm about 4-5 cm at this point (so basically I've progressed a cm or so since my doc appt that morning) but before they can give us a straight answer (whether I'm far enough along to stay) she tells us to go walk the halls to see if I keep progressing. By this time the contractions are pretty strong. Bryan's wondering why the heck we need to walk the halls at this point (I'm clearly progressing) but I was like "no it's ok I've seen this on tv, it's normal)...so I thought. So we walk the halls and about 30 minutes later she checks me and I'm already at 6 cm! So we can stay (YAY) but by this point I'm done with the pain. I give in and request for the epi...terrible I know but I told myself I tried my best and that was that...I mean the pain was bad but if I was only 6 cm at that point, I got a little nervous of how it was going to be later on so I gave in.

So at 6 cm I request the epi...we are STILL in triage and continue to be there for, in my opinion, an unnecessary amount of time...who really knows how long, I just know that I'm In pain, Ive requested an epi and these people aren't moving fast enough! So they finally come to move us to a labor room (by this point I've had some MAJOR pain contractions and am getting to a breaking point). They tell me I should walk to the labor room (reminder getting MAJOR contractions at this point) and Bryan just looks at them and tells them to get a wheelchair. She says "but this may be your last chance to walk around"....again, enough talk-y more get-y the wheelchair lady. They finally come with the wheelchair, like 10 minutes later, after realizing that I can only take 2 steps and practically become paralyzed from pain. Once in the labor room I start severely asking what is taking so long with the epi. By this point the contractions are ridiculous but for some reason everyone is just taking their sweet time. Now I've actually gotten to the point where I am starting to push uncontrollably during my contractions and am freaking out because I swear I can feel her head coming down. Then there is a point where Bryan and I have been left alone in the room. I tell him I can feel her head and can't control this pushing through my contractions (I'm am soooo trying hard not to push but my body is taking over). So Bryan runs to grab someone, the nurse checks me again and what am I at?? 9 CM!!!! NOW people are finally starting to move! Its like my progression was in fast forward and everyone had been in slow motion. At this point the only thing I can remember thinking is the sheer terror I felt when I thought that I was going to run out of time and have to do this all natural. So epi doc comes in, AFTER they tell me I have to drain a bag of saline via IV first before he can start...at least the nurse was squeezing the bag as hard as she could. The epi doc attempts to do his thing in the teeny amount of window time I now have between intense contractions and 10 mins later THANK GOD I finally feel relief!! But no rest yet since by this point I'm 10 cm and 100% I am the real pushing stage...so here we go and bam 20 mins later she's out and WOW I'm in shock! I think Bryan's in shock too since it all happened so fast we didn't really have time to react. So a majorly fast labor of 4 1/2 hours...20 minutes of which was pushing time.

Well because of my quick progression, I did have some issues with blood loss afterwards which was scary. I was told when the uterus goes through a quick and intense labor like that, it sort of sends it into shock because its working so hard in a short window time that it will sometimes have problems with clotting properly and contracting afterwards. I ended up losing a lot of blood via clots and ended up fainting a couple times and feeling EXTREMELY weak for the remainder of the day/night and into the next day. They were having trouble getting it under control and were talking about doing a uterus scrape (?) and then a blood transfusion if that didn't work. Yikes! It was pretty scary there for a bit but luckily (and finally) I recovered and didn't need either of those.

Ahh but its all ok and all worth it now! My little girl I swear gets cuter and cuter every time I look at her! Its so crazy and surreal when I try to wrap my brain around everything. I could just stare at her forever! Baby Kate born on 9/7/11 weighing 7lb 4 oz (THANK GOD no 9+ baby for me!!!!) and measuring in at 20 1/2 inches. Wooo!

37 weeks...Effacements and Dilations

I went in for my weekly doc appointment today and I am 1 cm dilated but with no effacement (I think, or maybe very minimal)...I don't really know, he said my cervix is still long. BUT 1 cm is SOMETHING! Right? I had been having some very mild crampiness for a couple days. It felt like mild period cramps from my lower back and abdomen. Maybe that was the dilation process? Here's to continued progress!

So 37 weeks (tomorrow technically) which gives me only 3 more weeks left. It is sort of crazy how fast this last trimester has gone. When I think back on where I was back at 12 weeks or 20 weeks it seems so far away but I feel like these last few weeks are flying!

This is also my last week of work before my leave. My last day is actually on Saturday but I get Friday off for a comp day (short week!). Friday is the day of my prenatal massage (YAY!) which I am very excited about and am in desperate need of. I heard this girl is great too which is very promising.

The nursery is still looking the same (sad to say) but I haven't had my shopping partner (sister) to go out with so I havent gotten anything done. All of the necessities are there (clothes, diapers, etc) but just the room doesn't look like much so sadly no pictures yet. Who wants to look at a bare walled, no decoration room? Along with that, because I haven't seen my sister, I also haven't seen the shower pictures either to be able to proof and upload! I'm a slacker...not usually...but definitely slacking on this. Hopefully I get them up before the baby actually gets here!