6 months old!!!!

happy half birthday to my sweet bowie rae!!!  i can't even believe half a year has gone by and how much growing and learning she is doing! it also happens that she had her 6 month well baby check up today and here are her stats...

height = 27.2 inches (93%)
weight = 18 pounds 4.5 ounces (89%)
head = 17 inches (73%)

bowie milestones...

~can roll in all directions and both sides, she can get from one side of the room to the other
~super close to crawling, but still working on it, and getting frustrated in the meantime
~has tried avocado a couple of times but is still not showing an interest in food
~in size 6 month clothing (not for much longer though) and size 3 diapers
~one bottom tooth
~can sign "all done" and "daddy"
~loves playing with blocks and loves her hippo rattle
~is sleeping much better, goes down to bed around 7:30pm, wakes up 1-2 times to feed, and sleeps until about 5-7am (it differs on the day/night, but it is much better than it was when we were dealing with 4 month sleep regression)
~eats about 35-38 ounces a day of milk/formula
~loves staring at trees (like her daddy)
~loves watching and interacting with older babies/children
~her favorite song is "itsy bitsy spider"
~can stand with assistance
~shows interest in her reflection in the mirror
~starting to recognize her name
~facing outwards in the ergo
~eyes are starting to look green

mommy milestones...

~stopped breastfeeding and pumping last week, just shy of the 6 month mark!
~tomorrow we are taking our first family vacation and heading home!  yay!  this will be bowie's first plane flight and she will get to meet lots of family and friends!
~mommy and daddy bought a house!  and we move in the day after we get back from california!!!
~the creative juices are flowing!  i am excited to have our own home to decorate and finally get to really nest!

teething tabs and baby talk...

here are a couple of videos from last week, i could watch them a million times (i probably already have) but they make me smile each time...

september visitors!!!

last week was a busy one for us!  we had lots of company starting with our dear friends dave, kate and their one year old son.  the boys did lots of riding, the girls did lots of shopping and we shared lots of good meals together.  they used to live in washington and recently moved back east.  we sure do miss them and love when they come and visit, already looking forward to their next trip in january!

they left and i had just enough time to throw the sheets in the wash before my best friend meghan came for the weekend!  we saw snoqualamie falls, went to woodinville and pike place!  it had been too long since we have had a girls weekend together, but we never skip a beat.  and it means so much that she came all this way to be with us and meet bowie and be away from her own family!  love my soul sister!

RIP

i wasn't sure when this day was going to come, but i knew it would be a bittersweet one.  today is the day i pack away my pump and end our struggle with breastfeeding and pumping.  during this journey i have done a lot of wondering...

~i wonder what i could have done differently?
~i wonder if i am doing my daughter a disservice?
~i wonder what people think of our choices (although i know this doesn't matter)?
~i wonder if i gave up too easily or if i could have done more?
~i wonder if the benefits outweigh all the the pain and suffering i went through for as long as i did?
~i wonder if i should continue to pump even though i am hardly producing much at all?
~i wonder if bowie will miss it as much as i will?

but today i put all the wondering behind me and feel confident that i did my VERY best for her and although it was cut short, we were still successful in a way that worked for us.  my initial goal was to exclusively breast feed for a year, then i quickly realized that with all of our struggles i would be happy to make it to 6 months.  although it has not been exclusive, we are just about a week shy of the 6 month mark!  so for that i am thankful that she has benefited from my hard work and will continue to do so from the small stock pile of milk i have in the freezer.

so today is the day i give my boobs and the pump a break!

RIP pump
RIP flanges, tubing and membranes
RIP nursing bra and pads
RIP nipple shield and nipple cream
RIP milk storage bags and bottles

may you rest comfortably until baby #2.  i hope our relationship the second time around is a more positive one and  filled with an abundance of milk!

mt. rainier national park...

we are taking advantage of the last bit of summer in the pacific northwest and decided to take a last minute adventure (the best kind) over the weekend.  it was the perfect day for a beautiful drive to get up close and personal with mt. rainier.  it is my most favorite view in this new home of ours, and one that never gets old.

if you are not familiar with mt. rainier, it is an active volcanoe covered in glacial ice.  you can read more here

the quote on the stairs to the trails at the visitors center pretty much sums it up "...the most luxuriant and the most extravagantly beautiful of all the alpine gardens i ever beheld in all my mountain top wanderings." john muir 1889 

happy national grandparents day!!!

a day late, but bowie wants to wish all her favorites a happy grandparents day, we love you!

grandparents hold such a special place in a child's heart (and as adults) and i have been lucky to have close relationships with all my grandparents.  although most are not with us anymore, i think of them daily and keep their memories alive in my own family by passing on their wisdom and keeping traditions alive. 

5.5 month update!!!

we are just shy of being 2 weeks away from 6 months old and so much is happening with bowie, i can't wait that long for a monthly update!  the funny part to me is that some of these changes literally happen overnight, for example...

~last week she discovered she can roll from tummy to back.  she had not been practicing this, it just happened and she immediately mastered this new skill.  now she can roll from one side of the room clear to the other side.
~she was sporting a major comb over style for a while, but all of the sudden her hair growth is coming in like a chia pet (not to mention her lashes!)

~she is learning how to unzip her sleep suit and this morning she had taken off one side of her diaper!
~we have been practicing sleep training and she is learning how to self soothe herself to sleep and especially loves the comfort of her "lovey"
~she continues to work on crawling and is getting frustrated.  she is working the legs and uses her arms to grab the blanket or carpet and try to pull herself forward.  i know it will only be a matter of days or a couple of weeks, she is so close!
~and i am saving the best for last!  since about 3 months old we have been using sign language to teach her how to communicate "diaper change," "bottle," and "all done."  yesterday while getting her dressed after her bath she clearly and purposefully did the sign for "all done."  since she has not shown any attempts at signing, i wasn't sure what to think.  i told jarad, but didn't make much of it.  that night while feeding her a bedtime bottle, she did the sign for "all done" again and again!  i could not believe it!  she must have done it about a half a dozen times.  then as if i was not excited enough she did the hand gesture for "itsy bitsy spider," which is her favorite song.  at this point my mind was blown!!!  it is amazing to see them soak in everything and watch the learning process!  this morning i decided to introduce two new signs to her; mommy and daddy.  immediately she copied me and signed back "daddy."  of course!  this was one proud mama!!!  excuse the dark video (it was right before bedtime, but you can see her in action)

registry must haves...clothes

this is one thing you don't have to register for because people LOVE to get cute baby clothes!  it can get excessive!  i was so lucky that my sister in law sent us a lot of hand me down clothing for bowie from newborn to 6 months.  unfortunately most people don't think of sizes or seasons when they can't resist a cute outfit.  it gets annoying trying to take it all back!  here are some of my tips for dealing with the overload of clothes...

~organize them into bins by size (newborn, 0-3 month, 3-6 month, 9 month +)
~wash what you think you will need and take the rest back, you will use the credit for clothes down the road, diapers, etc.
~carters is my favorite!  their sizes are consistent, clothes are cute, material is soft and outfits are interchangeable
~you cannot have enough onsies! 
~babies don't wear shoes!  but they will need socks in winter
~i don't get fancy with our outfits, remember they get spit up on, peed on and pooped on!  often times they only get worn once.
~if you are having a baby shower you can politely ask your guests in a fun way to get the clothes you think you will need.  for example if your last name is between A-M please consider summer outfits in a 6-9 month size, if your last name is between N-Z please consider winter outfits 9-12 month size.
~i wash all of our clothes together using a free and clear (no fragrance no dye) detergent.  almost any brand of detergent will make this kind, so no need for the expensive "dreft" brand that is advertised for baby use.
~to avoid stains, i always soak or put detergent on soiled clothes right away
~footie pajamas don't last long for us, bowie is too long and grows too fast.  i prefer pajamas without the closed toe.  however, we don't really need much in the way of pajamas because all we use is the merlin magic sleep suit.
~i got a ton of sleep sacks!  i did not use a single one of them.  i tried, i hated them, i am stuck with a bunch.  if you get a lot of one item, take them back!
~consider doing a clothes swap with your friends or family members
~keep in mind that if you have a big baby they may not fit into newborn clothing.  so don't have an abundance off newborn clothes or diapers, they will be in them for a very short period of time.

registry must haves...misc.

bumbo - this is great when they turn around 4 months old, maybe earlier.  but she can sit up in it and we also use it when we feed her.  they retail for around $40, make sure to get a newer model with a feeding tray.

ergo carrier - we have the 360, so she can face inwards, outwards, to the side and on the back.  we use it when out and about and even hiking.  you must get the newborn insert, which we used until she was about 5 months old.  these retail for about $160.  it's also good to know they clean up well.  we recently had a blowout in it, and it washes like a dream!  i will say this can be tricky to put on yourself without help, but you eventually get the hang of it.

baby wrap - there are all different brands, and i have 2 of them.  one is the "happy" brand and the other is the "sleepy wrap."  i used the "happy" wrap more, because it was light weight and very breathable fabric, and jarad used the "sleepy wrap" more, which is more sturdy.  we used these for the first couple of months and then she began to get too heavy so i felt like it was not enough support.  i liked having this, but i would if you can not do both, i would recommend a carrier over a wrap.  the "happy" wrap retails for around $50.

activity mat - this is a great investment, and they are not cheap.  they are great for tummy time, and for the baby to lay on their back and play with the toys hanging above them.  the mat itself is washable and we began using it around 5-6 weeks and still use it.  they retail for around $60

books!!! - i love building bowie's library.  so i always enjoy getting books from others.

lovey - she really didn't start using this until around 5 months, but a lovey is a small blanket like item that they use for comfort.  they come in all shapes, sizes and designs.  her two favorite ones are a fox and a lion.  we bring the fox with us when going out and the lion is for her crib.

merlin magic sleep suit!!!!  this is our very favorite new parent product!!!  i have given a couple of our friends and i hope they work as well for them as they have for us.  this can be used as early as 3 months.  they make two different sizes 3-6 months and 6-9 months and they come in fleece and cotton.  when your baby becomes too big to be swaddled this is the perfect sleep transition tool.  they feel warm, cozy and safe in the suit and sleep great! however, they do have to sleep on their back.  we put bowie in this for naps and night time and you really need 2 of them!  when one gets dirty, you have to have a back up!  they retail for $40 and are worth every penny!!!  i also love this because there are no feet on it.  bowie is very tall and outgrows the footie pajamas very quickly.  this suit takes the place of pajamas for us.  if it is hot then she will wear it with only a diaper underneath.  if it is cold i will put her in a long sleeve onsie and socks. 

jumperoo - we started using this when bowie started to roll over (around 4 months).  she absolutely loves this and has built incredible leg strength from it as well.  there are so many cool things to keep them entertained and they love to bounce and jump in it.  they retail anywhere from $70-$130.

***my tip with any of these products is if you can or are open to it, see if you can buy them used.  babies out grow them so quickly and if you can find a gently used one at a garage sale or kids consignment store it is worth it!  clean it up and it is good as new!***

baby's best friend...

love the love between these two...

jumperoo...

watch bowie's favorite past time in the jumperoo...best investment ever!  also check out her firsst tooth coming in!!!