9 Months!

I'm very, very behind on Campbell's 9 month post...but I guess it's better late than never, huh? Unfortunately, I wrote down very little in her baby book, so I don't remember a whole lot about my baby girl's 9th month of life. But I do know that it was full of love, giggles, and fun times...and that's what's important!

Sleeping Patterns: After about 3 months of waking up once or twice a night, Campbell is back to sleeping through the night. I am one happy momma about this fact! She wakes up every now and then, but usually it's just because she's lost her pacifier. David generally goes in to give it back to her, and she falls right back asleep. She's no trouble at all to get to sleep, which is definitely a blessing.

Eating Habits: Campbell is eating solids three times a day, and still nurses about 5 or 6 times. When we're home together, she nurses when she wakes up (around 6 or 7), at around 10:30, then at 2 or 3, then again at 5:30, and finally once before bedtime (about 7:45). If she nurses a sixth time, it's in the middle of the night...and those are pretty few and far between nowadays.

New Foods: She's started eating Cheerios, and the little puffs (which seem to me to be the equivalent of potato chips for babies, but I guess in moderation it's not too bad). She also loves fresh pineapple, but we've discovered that the acidity gives her a rash on her bottom, so she doesn't eat it too often.

Accomplishments: Campbell finally rolled from her belly to her back! David and I were both with her, playing, and all of a sudden she rolled right over. You would have thought we'd won the lottery, with as much noise as we made. She gave us a look like, "What? That? Oh, it was no big deal."

Baby Babbles: No new babbles this month. She's still saying da-da-da all the time, which is adorable. She loves to giggle, and her little belly laughs are absolutely the most wonderful thing I've ever heard. I think I'd do just about anything if I thought it would make her giggle.

8 Months!

If I had a nickel for every time I thought about writing Campbell's 8 month post, I could be a stay at home mom! It's just that when I've thought about writing it, I've never been able to do it...I was either in the shower, driving down the road, or doing something else at the moment. We all know that my memory is about a minute long, so when I had the time to write this post, I never remembered to. Anyway, Sunday afternoon, my sister said, "I haven't seen an 8 month post on your blog yet!" I figured I'd better get busy. The unfortunate thing is that I haven't done a very good job of keeping up with what's been going on with Campbell. This might be pretty short.

Sleeping Patterns: Before Christmas, Campbell was sleeping like a champ, all night long. Now, I can count on at least one wake up during the night, sometimes two. I don't really mind waking up with her; it's usually a simple routine, but one that takes about 30-45 minutes: snuggle, nurse, snuggle/rock, put her back in bed. The only thing I do mind is when she chooses to wake up at around 4am. That means the routine is finished is sometime between 4:30am and 4:45am...and my alarm goes off at 5am. Those mornings pretty much suck. I have noticed that since Campbell has started waking up more at night, that I'm much more tired. I was just thinking the other day that the fatigue of those newborn days of multiple wakings and high needs has nothing on the fatigue I feel now. But I know that this is just a season in life, and sometime, I'll get more sleep.

Eating Habits: Our girl really enjoys eating! She's eating breakfast and lunch (in addition to breastmilk) at the sitter, and we have her sit at the table with us during the evening for supper. Because I'm not sure that she's getting a lot of finger foods at the sitter's that's what we concentrate on at dinner. She has definitely figured out the association between her high chair and food! Not too long ago, I sat her in her high chair with me in the kitchen so I could get a few things done, and she let me know in no uncertain terms that she expected food on that tray, not toys! She's still nursing about 6 times a day in addition to her solids and the main reason for so many nursings is the nighttime waking.

New Foods: Once again, I've done a horrible job of keeping up with the new foods that Campbell has tried. We give her a little bit of everything that we eat at dinner, and she has never refused to try anything. She's still a little wary of green veggies, but always comes back to them on her tray. We did discover this month that the child loves red bell peppers! She's had them raw and cooked, and prefers them raw. She's learned that she can rake the flesh of the peppers along her bottom two teeth, and she is very purposeful about it! She's also had green beans, mashed potatoes, and a variety of other things that I just can't think of right now.

New Discoveries: This is where I've really fallen down on the record-keeping. This month I did notice that when eating, Campbell is obviously choosing what to pick up from her tray. It's so fun to see her determination to pick up a chunk of fruit, or to chase a green bean around her tray. Sometimes I find myself wanting to "rescue" her and hand her the food she's after, but I know that she's learning an important skill and I don't want to interfere! I've noticed that she's also become really adept at passing objects back and forth between her hands, and she's great at getting her pacifier into her mouth!

Her Accomplishments: I'm not sure if this is technically an accomplishment, but Campbell's first two teeth came in this month! In fact, less than 24 hours after she turned 7 months old, I felt the first tooth breaking through the skin! She didn't seem to have a terrible time with teething, but there were definitely a few loooooong nights when she was cutting those teeth. She's learning how to use them, but luckily, she hasn't practiced on me yet! Last month, I mentioned that it seemed like she's started giving kisses. Now, there's no doubt about it, she is definitely giving kisses! They're wet, messy, sloppy, kisses, but they're my favorite kind! She's a little aggressive with the kissing...she grabs our faces with both hands and leans in for those slobbery, openmouthed kisses. What a sweetie!

Places She Went: Honestly, I have no idea. I don't really think that we went anywhere or did anything too exciting. Family and friends, if I'm leaving something out, let me know!

Special Friends: I don't think Campbell made any special friends this month...things must've been slow around here!

Baby Babbles: She's still very consistent with the dah-dah-dah. She's also learned to whisper, which is absolutely adorable! She'll go from yelling dah-dah-dah to whispering it, and when I whisper back at her, she just cracks up.

February Photo A Day Project: Days 11 - 20

I'm still having fun with the February Photo a Day Project...and I can't believe I haven't missed a day yet! Here's what the second ten days have brought:

Day 11: Makes me happy (weekend snuggles with Campbell and David)




Day 12: Inside my closet




Day 13: Blue (my favorite sweatshirt, a handmedown from my husband)




Day 14: Heart (one of my favorite necklaces)



Day 15: Phone (my work phone)

Day 16: Something new (our new reclining couch)

Day 17: Time (It's quittin' time!)

Day 18: Drink (a strong cup of decaf after dinner with my inlaws)

Day 19: Something I hate to do (leaving my girl at the sitter's)

Day 20: Handwriting (the menu for the week)

Two Years

Two years ago today, David and I learned that we'd lost our first baby. There are still really very few days that go by that I don't think about that baby. I used to wonder what that child would have been like and who he or she would have looked like. Now, when I think about that child, I immediately think..."but we wouldn't have Campbell." I firmly believe that God is in every detail of our lives, and I believe wholeheartedly that Campbell was absolutely meant to be our first child here on earth. She has been an incredible blessing, and she's brought so much healing to my heart after our loss.
Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't be so acutely aware of February 25th (the day we found out that I'd miscarried) or September 18th (my due date), but those days were important turning points for me, and I've decided that I'll probably always mark them somehow. It may not always be in a public forum, but I'll always set aside a little time on those dates to remember that tiny life that taught me so much.
This poem was a part of the Louisville Walk to Remember promotional material that was sent out last October, and I thought it was a perfect way to remember our sweet little one today:

Still -

Heart from

My heart,

Body

From mine -

Dream:

Never awakening,

Held safely

In the cells

Of my body

In the light

Of my soul:

I feel you

Still little one,

Missing yet

Ever here.

--David Hiram Weller

Okay, Now I See It...

For the longest time, everyone has been telling me that Campbell looks so much like me. I've never been able to see it. Yes, she's got my (pale) complexion, but I just haven't been able to see that any of her features favor mine. But just yesterday I was looking through some pictures on my phone, and I can FINALLY see it! What do you think?

February Photo A Day Project

Last month, while browsing my Instagram feed, I noticed several people participating in the January Photo A Day project, created by Fat Mum Slim. I didn't realize what was going on until about the middle of January, and I figured it would be too late to join in. I was on the ball in February, though, and I've been participating all month. The principle is simple...each month, Chantelle (Fat Mum Slim) generates a list of things we're supposed to photograph. We snap the photo and upload to Instagram and/or Twitter with the hashtag #febphotoaday. All of the photos are lumped together, and you can look through thousands of photos of other folks all over the world who are participating. It's been a lot of fun, and I've enjoyed looking at the various interpretations of the photo suggestions. Here are my photos from the first ten days of the challenge:

Day 1: My View Today (This is what I see when I look out my backdoor.)

Day 2: Words (from Radical, by David Platt. This book has really been working on me.)

Day 3: Hands (Sweet Campbell's hands as we get ready for bed.)

Day 4: A Stranger (This guy stopped by the house to see if we're interested in leasing any land for planting corn.)

Day 5: 10am (Last Sunday, Campbell and I had the nursery all to ourselves during Sunday School.)

Day 6: Dinner (Lasanga soup)

Day 7: Buttons (from my favorite dress, last worn October 2010 on our cruise...I was 7 weeks pregnant)

Day 8: Sun (it was a cloudy, overcast day with no sun to be found...but I thought this printable was pretty sunny)

Day 9: Front Door (I'm thinking of painting it black or red. The dead geraniums are a nice touch, no?)

Day 10: Self-Portrait (Can you tell I'm glad it's Friday?!)



I've really enjoyed participating in the February Photo A Day project, and I'm looking forward to participating the rest of the year. It only takes a minute, and I enjoy trying to decide what to take a picture of. And it forces me to take pictures of the everday stuff, which is fun. If you're interested in seeing what else we'll be photographing this month, here's the list:

Seven Months!

 My sweet baby girl turned seven months old a couple of weeks ago! It’s hard for my brain to comprehend just how close we are to that ONE YEAR mark. When I’m on Pinterest, I see the inspiration boards of friends who have kiddos a bit younger than me, and they’re pinning ideas for first year birthday parties. I think I have been in denial about the fact that my baby is growing up! But it’s happening whether I want it to or not…so I just need to embrace it, I suppose. Seven months is a good age…she is so.much.fun. Her little personality comes out more and more every day! Can’t you tell?

A lot has happened (developmentally) over the last two weeks, so I’m going to try very hard to remember to only include in this post the things that Campbell was doing between 6 and 7 months. But the 7 to 8 month post is going to be exciting!

Sleeping Patterns: Campbell’s sleeping patterns are definitely changing. Christmas must have really messed with her, because she’s not the sleeper that she used to be. We’ve had a LOOOOONG string of nights without any waking, but that’s not happening so much any more. I think she’s working on getting teeth, and that’s got to be uncomfortable for her. We usually start the bedtime routine at around 7 or 7:30, depending on whether or not she’s getting a bath. If she’s not getting a bath, we put on her “sleepy lotion”, change into pj’s, read a story, nurse, and then I put her in her crib. She almost always nurses to sleep, and the transfer from my arms to the crib is pretty seamless. It’s the rare occasion that she wakes up during that transfer, but when it happens, it usually doesn’t take her long to drift back off to sleep. She still seems to be taking good naps at Ms. Gayle’s house, but not so much at home. I’m not sure what that’s about, but she’ll really only stay asleep if someone is holding her for a nap. I can’t understand it, because that’s not how she sleeps at the sitters, and we have ZERO trouble putting her to bed in her crib at night. For naps at home during the day, I follow the same routine (minus bath, sleepy lotion, and story), but as soon as she touches the mattress, her eyes fly open and she’s ready to play. Oh well…we’re working on it.

Eating Habits: Campbell LOVES to eat. We’re doing our best to include her in mealtimes with us, and I think she thoroughly enjoys it. We’re still working toward the baby-led weaning (BLW) concept, and it’s going okay. It works great at home, but not so much with the sitter. Ms. Gayle doesn’t like it, and unfortunately, she doesn’t follow it, even though I’ve asked her to on many occasions. It’s incredibly frustrating to know that my sitter isn’t following through on what I ask her to do (and I don’t think that anything we ask of her is any big deal), but I guess I’m beginning to just expect it. We just try to do BLW at home and hope that it’s enough to encourage her to eat and explore on her own. So far it seems to be going okay…I would just like to have consistency throughout her day.

Campbell is still nursing well. She averages somewhere between 5 and 6 nursings (including bottles at the sitters) per day. The addition to solids has been a little bit difficult for me, because I want to be certain that the majority of her calories/nutrition comes from breastmilk, and I’m not sure how to be sure that’s happening. I’ve got no less than 5 breastfeeding books, and I’ve read them all. They all do a fantastic job of addressing the establishment of a robust milk supply in those first few days/weeks/months, but I think they all do a poor job of working through the introduction of solids while continuing to nurse. It seems like they all pretty much say, “Well, you’ve made it this far with breastfeeding your baby, so you’ll figure this one out. Good luck!” Not good enough for me. So…I’m on a quest to get more info on nursing and solids. Any advice you can give is appreciated!

New Foods: It’s horrible, but I can’t really keep up with the new foods that Campbell has had. I know lots of the literature says that a new food should only be introduced once every 3 -5 days to rule out allergies, but we (I) don’t really follow that. Food allergies don’t run in either side of our family, so I figure we’re in pretty good shape, and so far, so good. I do know that she’s had apples, pears, bananas, sweet potatoes, cucumber, and carrots. She also had some pasta (both plain and with marinara sauce) and a meatball. I’m sure we’ve introduced other foods, but I can’t remember them! For the most part, we give her a bit of whatever we’re having, and she loves to dig in! We put small amounts of a few foods on her tray, and let her choose what and how much to eat. I’ve really started to notice that she’s picking certain foods, instead of just grabbing whatever is closest. It’s so much fun to watch her figure out the whole “eating” thing!

New Discoveries: The first thing that comes to mind is that she’s now really seeming to enjoy her baths. For the longest time, it seemed like she just tolerated her baths in the baby tub. Then, it started to become really obvious that she was outgrowing it, and finally she started sitting up when the baby tub got tight. Now that she’s in the big tub (with toys!), she’s having so much fun. She loves to chase her rings and other tub toys around, and she’s learning to splash. David usually gives her a bath (because really, I don’t like doing bath time…it stresses me out), and I love hearing them play together. David usually takes his phone in and they listen to something on Pandora…it’s generally either the Kentucky Sports Radio show or some bluegrass station. They play and splash and laugh, and I love it. I know Campbell enjoys that time with her Daddy, and I think it might have something to do with the fact that he lets her have more water in the tub than I do. J

Her Accomplishments: Campbell is growing and learning every day! She’s STILL not rolling, which honestly kind of bugs me. It’s not that she can’t; she just doesn’t want to! But she’s sitting up great, and she can bear her entire weight on her legs. I just think she’d have more fun if she would roll. My favorite accomplishment of Campbell’s this month is that she’s started to give kisses! They’re pretty hit or miss right now, and sometimes I’m not sure if it’s really a kiss or not, but I’ll take ‘em. She’s gotten enough kisses over the last 7 months that she knows what they are, that’s for sure!

Places She Went: Christmas fell during this month, so she’s done lots of local travel. I think the only new place she’s been this month is to my step-sister’s home. Michele and her husband, Denny, have two kids: Clint is 5 and Lia is 9 months old. It was so much fun to see Campbell playing with Lia…I hope they’ll grow up to be good friends.

Special Friends: This wasn’t the first time that Campbell met Lia, but I think it’s the first time she was ever aware of her! Campbell was amazed at all of the things Lia can do: roll, crawl, scoot, pull up, cruise. I’m hoping that it might light a fire under Campbell and get her going!

Baby Babbles: Oh, my! Our girl is really chattering now! One night I had to work late, so David picked Campbell up from Ms. Gayle’s. When I got home, he said, “When I got there, I was sure that there was another kid there because of all the talking going on!” But nope…it was just Campbell. That day, she started to really babble, instead of what I would consider cooing. Now she’s saying “dah-dah-dah-dah-dah” pretty consistently.

And now, a few lot of pictures of my sweet baby girl. Oh, how l love this girl!