Amelia Jane - six months old

Little lady is half a year old already. Her baby months are going by wayyy too quickly.

This month has been pretty good (Both Josie and Audrey had a pretty great month at six months old too, must be a great time developmentally). We had a few rough weekends being out of town. She doesn't seem to like staying anywhere but home, whatever the reason is. We experimented while visiting hubby's family and it was a little better. My hypothesis is that she doesn't like when it is too humid, too dark (what? I know), or too quiet. She sleeps better in a pack n play than she does in the crib at my parents' house, too. Strange girl. 

Breastfeeding seems to be going strong. I had a few days where I thought she was starving and I wasn't producing enough, so I made some lactation oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and have had one or two a day (poor me, cookies all day, right?) and am still eating quite a balanced diet, and it seems as though she is getting more than enough, stopping before I feel like I'm empty and quite happy and content afterwards.

She's also eating foods like crazy. I started her on solids,mostly finger foods that she has to mush up (chew) before she swallows, right before she turned six months and she is rocking it. So far I haven't run across anything she doesn't like. She doesn't have the coordination to pick it up herself and actually get it in her mouth, but she eats it great if I help her get it there. We've tried chicken, salmon, pork, beef, eggs, all kinds of veggies, cheese, noodles, basically whatever we are eating. Happy, happy girl.

For a while, she was waking up 5-6 times a night. Hello, zombie mom. Once she started eating solids, it dropped back down to two, and the last one is after 5:00 AM so that just barely counts. It's so much better. I have more energy, she seems even happier somehow, and I don't risk stubbing my toe nearly as much. She rolls like crazy but does not sleep well if she's not totally snuggie wrapped, so she ends up awkwardly flipping around like a fish. Whatever works, I guess. The pacifier is only necessary right at bedtime. After eating in the middle of the night, she's tired enough to pretty much be asleep by the time she's laid back down. She's not nearly as attached to it as the other two were.

She still takes two naps in the morning and three naps in the afternoon before bed at 7 or 7:30. It's crazy how much more she sleeps than her sisters when you add it all up. She is still super easy to put down too. All I do is turn the sound machine on, wrap her up (she fusses for this part because she knows what is happening) and then give her the pacifier and she immediately turns away and zones out. Good bye, mom! I am out of there so fast and she hardly ever needs anything more than that.

There was a span of 4 days where she would not fall asleep at night until like 10 or 11:00, but she phased out of that just as fast as it came. I don't know what the deal was there. Since this is our third time around, we were way less 'let's figure this out what is happening she's going to be spoiled' and more 'I bet she outgrows this in a few days so let's just hang out with her for a while.' Ahh, the advantages to having experience. :)

She's still rolling all over and will end up 10 feet away from where she started if there's room. She can sit in the tripod pose if I help her get there but she doesn't have a lot of balance so I am not very far away at this point. She's held a lot more than her sisters, not all the time, but often, so I'm not too surprised she's a little slower at these bigger milestones. Girlie girl is grabbing at everything and it all goes into the mouth.

We haven't had her six month appointment yet so I have no idea how big she is or how long she has gotten. She has a few 0-3 month onesies she fits in (easily, so weird when she's so long) and she easily fits in 3-6 months clothes still. I pulled out the 6-9 summer clothes so we'd get a little use out of them. They don't really fit but I put her in them anyway.

She smiles all the time. Her smile lights up her whole face and the dimples are irresistible. It's a little ridiculous. I kiss her face and snuggle her close to me all day long and I still don't feel like I get enough of her. She draws the most attention our way, even more than before, more than either of her sisters did and I wouldn't be surprised if this continues the more she interacts with others.

So one huge change is that we've been at the gym almost every day during the week. She's been forced to be around other adults without me there, and she's doing surprisingly well. The first week or two were rough. They had to come get me two times. Now, though, they know her and have figured out a few tricks. She often gets wrapped tight and rocked to sleep. Some of them lightly cover her eyes from the light and she sleeps great like that. If she's not tired, they've learned to hold her facing out so she can watch the activity. I've even been told by a few that if they stay away from the entrance, she does better since she's right in the middle of the action. Whatever works! She's always more than happy to come to me when I come to pick them up (as is Audrey, although I think Josie could care less), but she isn't nearly as difficult as I thought she'd be overall.

This has helped so much with her tolerance with other people holding her. Poor family members that just want to love her and interact with her always end up with a screaming baby, so any kind of improvement is awesome. If she's full, wide awake, and clean diapered, she usually will tolerate being held by someone else, even with me in the room, for a little while. If I talk nearby though, she'll sometimes remember that we are separated (the horror) and freak out. A work in progress, but definitely progressing.

She doesn't enjoy watching her sisters like I thought she would by now. I don't know if she can't tell what they are doing so she isn't interested, or if she is just that attached to me, but she doesn't just sit and watch them all that much. If they are playing near her, she does play better, but more of that stems from not liking to be alone more than actually wanting them around. I hope that changes down the road because I don't want her to always be excluded from the big girls.

Amelia hates being alone. Every single time I leave the room, she cries. If someone else is in the room, even a sister, and I leave, she panics a little, and if that person leaves the room, it's the end of the world for her. She just hates it. Thankfully, this does not apply at bed time, but all other times of the day are affected. She's old enough and strong enough for me to wear her on my back using my Beco wrap and it's amaaaazing how much more I can get done with a happy baby attached to me. I hang the laundry on the line outside, cook entire meals, unload groceries, etc. It's a game changer for sure.

Of course, she does love her sisters and smiles for them often. Both of them have gotten her to laugh by doing some crazy antics, and it's pretty fun to witness if I happen to have the chance to just stop and watch. Most of the time it's in the car since she sits in between her sisters.

This month's sister photos were poor in quality but better in quantity than last month. Audrey had juuuust gotten over being mad about something so she had a red blotchy face from crying. Amelia was hungry and d-o-n-e with pictures, but I was able to keep her at least not crying for most of them. Josie was on point with big smiles, but she makes some ca-razy faces sometimes. See for yourself.

And the comparison shot: Amelia has the biggest smile and scrawniest legs, Audrey has the biggest cheeks but is the smallest in size, and Josie has the most hair and hardly even looks like her here.

Man, we're blessed.

Amelia Jane - five months old

This month, Amelia's been busy rolling over, chomping on everything she can get her hands (and teeth) on, and losing her ability to sleep long lengths. It's been quite a month.

At her four month appointment (right after that post of course... never lines up to post it beforehand), she measured at 25 inches (95%) and 13.8 lbs (15%) which is NOT accurate. I don't know what the deal was with the scale at her appointment, but I weighed her again at home by standing on the scale and then holding her and weighing myself again, and she was 14 lb 7 oz, which puts her at 30%, much less alarming and much more realistic. She dropped down a little for the weight but she's growing fine and all of my babies do this so it's not a big deal.

She's still wearing 3-6 month with a few 0-3 month (and no, they aren't just the "big" clothes that were 0-3, they are really random). I just pulled out her 6-9 month summer clothes with hopes to get at least one wear out of each outfit, but I have a feeling she'll swim in them. Her feet have grown just enough to fit in the 0-3 month size shoes. They are so long and skinny, it's really not worth it other than for looks. They are pretty adorable, so I put her in them on special occasions. Most of the time, she's just barefoot.

No new teeth, although she drools a lot now (way more than Audrey, but not as much as Josie did) and wants to chew on everything. She still loves the pacifier, and I often use it as a distraction if she keeps trying to chew on something that isn't ok. I have also started saying "not food" when I don't want her to chew on something, in hopes that as she gets older, I can say that and she will actually get it. :)

The one downside to the pacifier is that she isn't as chatty. She happily sucks on it and doesn't spend as much time cooing. I take it out if she's clearly happy, but she fusses enough to get it back pretty often so that hasn't helped much.

Movement is coming. She has used her toes to scoot forward and has also done the Superman a few times to throw herself forward. She spins in circles and rolls around too. She hasn't gone more than about four feet, but she is able to explore a little which helps her stay happy longer. But, man, she does not tolerate being set down if she's not in the right mood. She loves to lay on the couch with me right next to her, keeping her from rolling off the couch like a good mom should do. I don't mind, but the floor works too, kiddo.

She doesn't seem close to sitting up, but this step always surprises me. I always forget to try or work on it, and then suddenly they can do it. I wouldn't be surprised if she is doing this by six months.

No food this last month, although that changed a little right after she turned five months old. She nurses great. So great, that she ends up eating at least every two hours. I really don't mind. Seriously. Except at night. I would love to sleep for more than two hours at a time! I had hoped it'd be better but it actually got worse. I'd say that at least one third of the nights, she had one stretch that would only last 1 1/2 hours. That means I'm getting up 4-5 times a night. Yuck. So sometimes I doze while she naps in the afternoon, while the big girls have quiet time, and then all is well (enough). Soon, though, soon it will get a little better, right?

She still is all about being outside. We have been biking (strap her carseat in the Burley trailer - works like a charm), walking, spending time at parks, going to a pond to swim (she sat in the water and of course loved it) and she is like a different baby. She hardly fusses at all. Sometimes she'll nap, sometimes she doesn't, but she still stays happy. I love it so much. Keep this forever, baby girl.

I have noticed that she gets pretty cranky when her naps have been all over the place too much. I've been trying a little harder to have a solid afternoon nap at home, but sometimes it doesn't last as long as it should. Introducing: the second afternoon nap. Seriously. She naps from 1-3, wakes up to eat, gets insanely angry suddenly, and sleeps for another hour. It's the weirdest thing, but I'm going with it. Sometimes, if she goes down for her main nap earlier, she'll even sneak in a third nap again before bed at like 5:00 or 6:00. And let's not forget that she naps at least twice in the morning if we are out and about, usually for like 45 minutes each. So weird. It's no wonder, though, since she is probably tired from not sleeping all night. How much energy do I want to put in to get more of a schedule? Answer: None. It's actually working fine like this. We have a lot of flexibility and I don't think she'd sleep more at night since she wakes up hungry and eats well enough to make it worth it.

Amelia's been a little better about being held by other people. She's still not that comfortable with hubby, which is unfortunate. My mom is the best with her so far, mostly because she capitalizes on her short attention span and constantly changes scenery and positions. I also started taking the kids to the gym childcare and she's done okay. When I go in the morning, she cries a little, sleeps a little, cries a little, and watches the other kids all while being held. When I go in the afternoon, they usually come and get me because she's too upset for too long. Poor thing. I can only imagine what she's thinking, since she's never away from me and then I'm gone for a whole hour which must feel like forever to a baby. Thankfully, it's a pretty big part of our routine, so she is getting more and more used to it and the people are often the same too. It's so good for her, to be around other people. I just feel bad for the workers that get stuck with the screaming baby...

Her finger and hand control has improved drastically. She grips on to me as tight as she can when I pick her up (love that) and reaches for my face every single time she can. She intentionally reaches for toys, her pacifier, and her sisters all the time. They love it too, and delight in taking away toys and giving her new toys. I'm sure she'll love that as she gets older... Part of this lovely new trick is grabbing at whatever I am doing, most often being my food on a plate or papers I'm trying to read. We have a lot of crumpled up mail laying around and she doesn't get to "help" me in the kitchen as much anymore, much to her dismay.

This little lady is quite the drama queen. She goes from 0 to 60 faster than I can blink and bounces between laughing and crying enough to confuse anyone. Trust me, I don't indulge it, she's just naturally like this. Many a day, I get to cook a meal with the sounds of her screams in the background. I try to get her happily playing right next to me on a blanket in the kitchen, but she is on to me and my tricks. It rarely works. I'm just not going to risk burning her by wearing her in the front or holding her with one hand while I try to stir something on the stove with my other hand. Cooking has to be fast lately and I still have to do it while she screams. Soon enough I will be able to wear her on my back, but she's just not close enough to sitting up to do that yet. I also think she'll enjoy sitting in the high chair munching on food when we get to that point, but it's still a ways off.

Josie and Audrey still kiss her often, trade her toys (always in their favor of course) and call her all the nicknames (current favorites: Mil mil, Millie moo moo, Milbert, Mila girl). They are used to her loud shrieks and screams and don't seem too bothered by them. Sometimes they block it out so much that they don't "help" when they could. It's kind of funny, actually, how she can be screaming right next to them just wanting her pacifier or a toy and they won't even notice. Other times they notice immediately and help her, so it just depends on what they are doing.

This month, the sisters were all about the group pictures at the end of her little photo session. Enjoy. :)

Amelia was over it, the big girls...not so much.

I told them to make her feel better... pat pat pat.

And the comparison shot. Darn that lack of hair, it makes it so hard to see the similarities. Look how long her torso is compared to the other two. Her smile is also huge, and it's not just in these pictures, it really is bigger than the other two's ever were. Looking at these pictures of all three girls at this age... makes me just lose it. They are so cuddly and adorable. I have the best memories of each of them. This stage is the best (I'll say that again next month, and the next, and the next...)

Amelia Jane - four months old

We've got a happy baby on our hands this month. She spent the whole month charming everyone who even glanced her way. I have never gotten so many comments on my baby like I have this month. The dimples and huge eyes draw everyone, but the real winner is her huge smile. Her little soul is making quite the appearance and we are all eager to interact with her.

I don't feel like a lot has changed this month. She's definitely grown longer but not filled out hardly at all. All of that growing only goes one direction I guess. When next to an older baby, she always seems to be the same size only leaner. She's wearing 3-6 month clothes and a few 0-3 month items still like pajamas, onesies, and rompers. No way are the 0-3 month pants fitting at this point. Summer weather makes it easy to fudge sizes a little since the length isn't as important. I wouldn't be surprised if we skip a size once winter clothes make an appearance.

This month, Amelia got two teeth at just 3m1w old (3 weeks sooner than her big sisters). It was incredibly shocking to discover. What was even more incredible was that within twenty minutes of discovering the first tooth, she rolled over for the first time (on the deep freeze while I was putting on the Moby wrap - no baby was harmed in this alarming story). My heart could barely handle all of the milestones that day, but thankfully they haven't kept up at that pace since then. She now rolls all directions and will not sleep on her back. I lay her down swaddled with one arm in and one arm out and she rolls over to her tummy for the rest of the night.

Another huge development - she's a pacifier lover! After all of the teething, she really started to chew on any and everything. On a whim one day, I stuck one in her mouth and she loved it. She won't sleep without it now and it has really helped in those in between times when she could sleep or eat but isn't quite needing it yet. I admit it fully - I love having the pacifier as a crutch. Plus, the big girls can help put it back in her mouth in the car or if she's fussing while I'm finishing cooking or whatever job I'm stuck doing. Church is so much more manageable now that I can wrap her up tight and mute her with the pacifier. She has slept through more services this month than the first few combined.

bubble blower

Just this week she started blowing bubbles. She's making constant sounds, mostly sticking to one drawn out ahhhhh as loud as she can. She's never been afraid of her voice, this one. I got one belly laugh out of her by tickling her lightly and kissing her cheek/neck area, but mostly she just coos and offers huge smiles.

She also sits in the exersaucer (with blankets stuffed behind her for support), although she's always very aware when I'm sticking her in there to distract her while I try to get something done. It seems at those moments that she only screams and doesn't play. If I'm not doing much and put her in there, she's as happy as can be. She's a smart little lady and keeps me on my toes daily.

We haven't spent too much time in the bumbo chair but she loves it too with the same criteria as above. When we are outside, she will lay on a blanket peacefully looking around. Stroller rides or being worn by me are also almost always successful when we are outside. She just loves being outdoors. It's a huge relief since it's good for all of us to get fresh air and the older two girls need to be able to run around. I don't know what we'd do if we were stuck inside all day.

We have been so busy this month with activities out of the house almost every day and she just rolls with it amazingly. Her naps are pretty haphazard, usually taking two random naps either on the go in her carseat or worn on me. She also falls asleep in my arms if she's wrapped up tight with the pacifier. It's so wonderful to have that flexibility. She gets a good 2 - 3 hour nap most afternoons unless she has a long morning nap, then it's a bit shorter. Bedtime is still around 7:30 even if she takes a third nap right before. That happens a few times a week too.

For how much noise she's constantly surrounded with, she can be over sensitive when it comes to loud screams or shouts when she's eating. We're just getting to the stage where she unlatches constantly if she gets distracted. She likes to kick her feet and if there is something within reach, she'll kick so hard she can't stay latched so sometimes we end up in a bit of a wrestling match. This is especially fun at night (note the sarcasm). She hasn't used those two sharp teeth to bite down yet (thankyouJesusforreal) but I'm kind of waiting for it any day now. 

The sister picture went well.

I suppose I should mention that we've hit that lovely four month sleep regression stage. She used to only wake once at night and now it's a solid three times every night. I'm mostly used to it and just have an extra cup of coffee in the afternoons. I will take a nap maybe once a week for about twenty minutes and don't seem to be over tired, but I definitely wouldn't mind getting more solid sleep. Thankfully, she eats and goes right back to sleep most of the time so it doesn't take more than fifteen minutes. I fall back asleep quickly too, so my complaining is minimal. I know it's short lived and that soon enough she'll be like the big girls and not need me so often. I do enjoy the sweet baby snuggles while I can get them.

One other sweet little "Amelia" thing... when I pick her up post nap or if she has been crying, she buries her head in my shoulder so hard that she can't breathe and then comes up for air suddenly like she just couldn't tear herself away from me. It's the sweetest thing, and I haven't seen her do it to anyone else. That's about the extent I get for cuddling. She loves to be held, but not in a cuddly way. I fully expect her to take off away from me (or anyone holding her) once she becomes mobile.

Here are the girls all lined up. Amelia, Audrey, then Josie. I've heard so many times that Amelia looks just like Audrey but I still can't see it. I don't feel like Josie looks like herself in this picture, so I definitely do see any resemblance here. What do you think?

The fun is just getting started with miss Millie girl. :) Even though the newborn newness has worn off, we are all still enamored by her all the time. So thankful she has joined our family.

Amelia Jane - Three months old

Another month has quickly passed by with this little lady. We have a wonderful routine down now and each day is a lot more peaceful and enjoyed (as much as can be with three girls under four). Amelia is a happy little baby, no longer a newborn yet not even close to toddler (thank the Lord, Mama isn't ready for that kind of talk yet).

  

We had her two month check up this month (a week late, so the stats never made it to her two month post). She weighed 12 lbs 5 oz and was 25 inches long. That put her at just over 50% for weight and a whopping 97% for height. I wasn't a bit surprised by this. Her 0-3 month clothes still fit fine (which does surprise me), since she is long but not filling them out at all width-wise. Well, they were fitting fine until this week. I'm slowly putting away outfits here and there but we aren't jumping right into the next size. Most of it is very summery and the rainy, cool weather gives us a chance to get one last wear out of a lot of her winter clothes. A friend gave us a bunch of hair bows that she had made and never sold, so now we have a ridiculous amount to choose from and dressing her is still ridiculously fun.

She's eating well. Breastfeeding continues on painlessly and efficiently. She is faster now that she's a little older and there is a lot less over-production so that helps keep it quick and with less mess. I'm not sad that I don't have to have two or more burp cloths around at all times! I do get paranoid about my supply since it isn't as obvious. She also sometimes just seems to want to nurse for comfort even when she isn't hungry anymore. It's hard for me to not worry and try to "fix it" because when I look back at my time breastfeeding Audrey, there were signs that it wasn't quite right and things I could have done differently to prolong milk production.

Amelia still has a lot of dirty diapers and is growing just fine, so I just need to chill out. She just went through a growth spurt when she wanted to eat more often, but my body adjusted and now it doesn't seem to be an issue. Each kid is different and so far it's going fine. She has started to play with my shirt as she eats and I've been enamored with watching her little eyes light up when she takes in the textures and colors. I'm so thankful for this part of being her mom.

There has not been any rolling or even hints of rolling yet. So far, she has been happy alternating between tummy time and back time by me turning her. She doesn't get upset on her tummy now that she is strong enough to look around. If she can see her sisters, she is entertained for at least four times as long. If nobody is around she will only hang out for a few minutes before getting worked up. It isn't the easiest to get chores done if the big girls aren't around to keep her attention. She get to "help" in the kitchen a lot by being in a sling or having me wear her with the Moby wrap.

The car seat is no longer a problem. Each month has gotten better and now she'll happily sit in there and look around even if she's not moving. I've learned to leave her in there as long as she is happy. Then, once she starts to fuss, I take her out and hold her. Again, once she fusses, she gets moved to the floor on her tummy, then her back. This little routine gives me about an hour to do whatever (visit with someone, sit in church, etc). I do like predictable patterns like this that I can count on.

She still won't take a pacifier (I've given up trying) and switching positions is the best way to soothe her when she is fussy.

She is still reminding me of Josie with her behavior, always looking around with huge eyes, taking it all in. She will try to look around me if I try to make eye contact with her when she's getting tired or is really fascinated by her surroundings. Josie did this all the time too. She also loves to stand and has really strong legs already. All three of the girls did this so young...something in our genes I guess! I wouldn't be surprised if she starts sitting up or standing before she rolls over...

She happily shares her dimply smile with anyone and everyone now, and even tolerates others holding her for longer stretches of time. She will get in moods where she is just chatty and will coo and grin at me while we "talk" to each other. I haven't seen her do this too much with others yet, although Josie has gotten her to do it a few times. Jo has a lot more patience than Audrey so she gets the results. ;)

Just last week (right before she turned three months), we started having her sleep in her room. It's gone great! She just coos or grunts a little when she wakes up to eat (still just once around 4-5:30) and falls back asleep quickly when I sneak out of the room. My favorite part is that now when she wakes up, she just looks out the window, plays with her hands and Snuggie (if she gets her hand/s free which is more often the case than not), and talks to herself. I can hear her and tell that she's happy so I have time to get a few morning things done, usually getting the big kids ready or at least on the path to getting ready. It has helped our morning routine tremendously. When I go in to get her, she's still happy and I get the biggest grin of the whole day. She is so happy when she wakes up. I'm always excited to go get her instead of hubby doing it because I love seeing that huge grin.

She is still in the smallest size for her cloth diapers but they are working great. She doesn't have many rashes and they don't leak very often. She did have a ridiculous blowout the other day but that hardly ever seems to happen so it really sticks out in my memory. We are exclusively using the Flip diapers unless we are doing laundry. I just don't like the old pocket diapers we started with. They are stretched out and always end up leaking.

These three girls are so fun to watch. When Amelia is on the floor, the big girls will take turns playing with her, giving her toys and kisses like crazy. 90% of the time, they are gentle and sweet. I still like to be watching just in case, but usually the roughness I see isn't intentional and doesn't actually upset Millie. I'm just worried that it will escalate. Josie continues to be such a great helper with her and will lay the blanket out or get toys for her to reach for (she doesn't really yet, but that's the goal) all the time.

We added a few more nicknames this month. We often call her Millie McGee, Mila girl (my favorite), Mildred, Malificent, Milbert (daddy's favorite), and Boppy baby (Josie's favorite). Audrey still prefers A-Mee-lee-a all sounded out when you ask her what her name is. We also still call her Millie Vanillie, Amelia Bedelia, and our family version, Amelia Be-deyle. Ridiculous amount of nicknames, I know.

 As far as naps go, she still take four naps (the other girls never ever took this many naps!) and it's working out well for us. One around 8-9, another from 10:30-11:30, a long one from 1-3:30, and a shorter nap from 5-6. There is wiggle room with all of them, which is why it works so well. As long as we are within a half hour or so of each of those, she's happy all day. If we push it (like skip the last one which happens when we go to Missional Community on Tuesdays or Sunday mornings when she skips one of the morning naps) she will be pretty fussy and fights sleep a lot more. Part of that is because it's hard for her to fall asleep in our arms instead of wrapped up in her bed, but she still does okay with it. I think she's getting more adaptable as she gets older, which is a little surprising. I didn't expect her to do that, but I'll take it!

I usually wrap her up, start the mobile music, turn on the sound machine, lay her down even if she's fussing or crying and then leave the room. She usually stops crying in under two minutes. If she doesn't, I sometimes go back in to feed her (once in a while she's just still hungry) or change her diaper (once in a while she is fussing because she just filled her diaper) but most of the time, she just looks around before going to sleep. I'm so thankful for this simple routine! I can't imagine having a longer more drawn out routine with having big kids that need me too.

Here is the comparison picture of all three girls. Amelia first, then Audrey, then Josie. Audrey and Josie still had long dark hair at this point and you can't see Amelia's hair in the front, so she looks quite different. In these pictures especially, I think Amelia and Audrey share the same smile. She's still pretty close in size with Josie. Notice how long her legs are, though, even all curled up! Her skin tone also seems more like Josie's than Audrey's (who always had such white/pink skin).

Amelia is so good for my heart. She is truly a huge blessing to our family. I wish I could express how much joy she brings each of us every day, but you'll just have to take my word for it. It's a lot. :)