Music class

Here are a few pictures from the last two weeks. Kiley just loves the class and really enjoyed the drums last week.



Yep- I definitely bought her the Missoni blanket. Isn't it adorable?











Kiley was liking Charlie :)

UCC Weeks 3,4,5

Kiley is just loving UCC and so is mommy! She has been going for 5 weeks now (and I have only enjoyed 1 of the days to myself getting a manicure and pedicure-the rest of the mornings have been spent having committee meetings or volunteering). I am the room rep for Kileys class and am looking forward to planning gatherings for the babies and mommies. I am also on the committee for the UCC Holiday Bazaar coming up-super excited! Below are Kileys outfits and report cards for weeks 3,4 and 5.

 

Carrots

So we attempted to give Kiley carrots- not a complete fail but not a winner either. At least with carrots I can get her to eat them (unlike the squash she refused to swallow) but she gives me looks the whole time!

Making Baby Food

A few moms have asked me to post about making baby food so here goes what I did. So a few weekends back I set aside a Sunday afternoon and made Kiley her baby food. I loaded up at Sprouts since the produce is so inexpensive. I bought carrots, lima beans, edamanne, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, corn, yellow peppers, green beans, asparagus, plum, peaches and pears. I set up a pot of boiling and a pot for steaming and went to town! (After I made everything I realized that if she is allergic to something I may have to throw out some food since I used the same water for all the veggies for boiling and steaming) Anyhow, I peeled and chopped everything. I looked up online the times for each veggie (actually my hubby found me a handy dandy little chart that had everything on one page) and would just rotate. Once one was done on the stove, I would stick it in the food processor and blend/puree away. Some of the foods I would add in bmilk. After the food was a good consistency I poured into ice cube trays that were exactly 1 ounce each (make sure to measure you trays beforehand- some lie and say it holds 1 oz but it really doesnt) and froze over night (I learned to not take the things out of the freezer too early- the melt really quick upon trying to put into containers if they aren't ready).   The last step was to empty the cubes into containers labeled with the food item and date it was made (you can keep the food for up to 3 months). Whatever I decided to feed Kiley I pull out the night before and put it into a little container and into the fridge so its all ready and defrosted for the next day. I was so surprised how cheap and the amount some of the items made- I think  I spent around $7 and made over 100 ounces easily. I would love to try to give Kiley home made baby food all the time- but lets be realistic its not always possible so I decided to pick up some Plum organic pouches (got a great deal at Babies r Us-they were having a sale and I used a coupon). Happy food making!

Squash!

We gave Kiley her first real vegetable today- Squash! Lets just say it didn't go over to well, more like epic failure. She hated it!

And I am sure you noticed my new little editing device for pictures- pretty neat huh? Since squash went over so terribly- we gave her corn for the afternoon meal. Of course Lew immediately caved in and wanted to give her something else. I insisted we give her squash for 4 days- I lost.

Happy 5 Months!

Wow- 5 months already? My little priss just keeps getting bigger and bigger. This month has been full of being much more active and learning new tricks.The best part of this month was Kiley giggling with Lew. It was absolutely adorable! He had her belly laughing and laughing up a storm one night before bath time. We can officially find our pacifer in our crib and put it back in our mouth to fall back asleep-wow. I watched her do it on the monitor this afternoon and just sat in amazement and a little sadness. She is becoming more dependent and aware of everything and I love it (just continues to remind me that my itty bitty newborn is gone). She has such a cute little personality and is very happy. It melts my heart to get her from her crib in the morning because she gets the biggest smile when she sees me. So sweet! She loves to talk and blow bubbles with her lips. She is getting very close to sitting up by herself. She also enjoys grabbing her feet. Its so cute watching her roll like a rolly polly with her legs pulled up. She loves to play in her Baby Einstein and go in circles playing with all the different toys. Well, she doesn't "play" with them until she is done eating them! We are in a stage where everything goes directly to her mouth. She enjoys grabbing things- that includes Mommys hair and Daddys beard (I was hoping it would encourage the husband to shave but instead its encouraging me to cut my hair short). We still wear size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes. We eat 4 times a day and sleep from 7:30-8, and take 3 naps during the day. We are starting on foods tomorrow so this should be an interesting month. Since we started her on rice cereal she has gained 2 pounds in 3 weeks- little chunk! Guess she enjoys eating like her momma. Of course, Lady loves Kiley eating foods now because she gets to lick her clean. Overall, it has been a fun month with a much more active baby.

 love to grab my feet

 so happy :)

and we are done

Some First this month:
-We attended our First Friends birthday parties- Charlie and Emme Cate! They were so much fun. We are so blessed to have great baby friends and wonderful mommy friends.
- Barley cereal
- Prunes (I used the organic Plum brand- and it definitely works)
-Dove hunt out at SOR
- First fall out of bed
- First belly laugh giggling
- Meeting her Great Grandmother from New Jersery- GG. Kiley just loved her!


We are still loving UCC and TCU music class. I'm trying to slow down our schedule a little bit because I definitely had been getting us involved and doing way too much each day. I know try and limit us to one activity a day. Monday or Fridays are for lunch dates (but try for us to stay home one of these days), Tuesday- UCC, Wednesday- Music Class, Thursday- Playdates. Since we are really trying to nail down the nap times, I am trying to be home when its time to put her down so she can get a good nap in her crib. So far so good! Hopefully next month goes just as great! Thank you Lord for allowing me to be Kileys mommy and giving me such a perfect blessing.

Slacking on the blog.....

Wow....I've been a slacker lately on blogging- and it's definitely not because nothings been going on! We have been busy bee's lately and I'm exhausted. This blog post is going to be all over the place.

-Last week I decided to make home made baby food! I made a complete mess of the kitchen but definitely have tons of food for Miss Priss. (I will do a whole blog on that in a few days).

- Football season has begun and I'm so excited. We take our football serious around here and wear purple even more (I know some of you are probably laughing because that's all you think our family wears). On game day- We only use purple spoons and bowls to feed, purple blankets to play on, purple bibs and burp cloths, of course TCU outfits, purple pjs to wake up in and go to sleep in, and Lew definitely draws in purple marker on Kileys diapers on game day :)

-kiley has been doing a new trick: blowing bubbles with her lips/mouth. It's too funny and she loves doing it- not so funny when she is eating. Speaking of eating, we gave Kiley prunes last few days mixed in barley cereal. She enjoyed it and it definitely did the trick we were looking for.....Kiley is also getting very close to sitting up by herself. She can sit for a little bit but tumbles over. I can't believe how fast she is growing :( I love her little personality but loved when she was itty bitty (although I feel like I can barely remember).

-Kileys schedule is
wake 7:45,
feed 8 (3 scoops cereal, 8ozs bm)
nap 9-10:30
feed at 11:30 (6-8 ozs)
nap 1-3
Feed 3:30 (6-8ozs)
Cat nap 5-5:45
Feed 6:30 (3 scoops cereal, 8ozs bm)
Bath time followed by bed 7:30

Now when we put kiley in her crib at night she likes to grab onto the bumpers and pull them. It's hilarious to watch on the monitor.

Very exciting and special- We had Kileys dedication on August 28th and it would just wonderful! (I will do another post on that as well)

Okay so most of these will be followed up by detailed blog posts but needed to update everyone a little.....


Also, Happy 5 months to munchkin tomorrow and Happy Birthday week to me :)

Remembering....

50 rules for Dads of Daughters

Love this!
http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters

Here are some of my favorite of Lew with Kiley :)



















Here are the 50 rules for Dads of Daughters in case the link doesn't work.

1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.

2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.

3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.

4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.

9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.

10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”

12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.

13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.

15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.

16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.

17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.

19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.

20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.

22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.

23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.

24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.

25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.

27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.

28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.

29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.

34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.

35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.

40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.

41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.

42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.

45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.

47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.

Might have a thumb sucker....

Kiley has found her thumb! She doesn't completely always suck on it....sometimes she chews on it. I'm wondering if she will be a thumb sucker?

UCC- 1st and 2nd week

Kiley goes to a Mothers Day out one day a week on Tuesday from 9-12. The first day I was "that mother" who was 20 mins late. Oops. I had a strict schedule that morning and clearly the hubby didn't follow it-haha! The second week I was early-woohoo! Kiley just loves it and always falls asleep when I pick her up because she is worn out.

First day!






1st week report card



2nd week


2nd week report card

4 month update!

At your 4 month appointment!










4 months!

Happy 4 months sweet Kiley! Every month your little personality comes out more and more and I just love to watch you grow. I will admit it makes me sad you are getting so big, so quickly. You are much more alert and love to grab at things. You have always somewhat grabbed but this month you know exactly what you want and how it works. You can spin items, press certain buttons to make the music play- it's amazing. You have quite the grip and love to grab hair and hold on tight. I have resorted to wearing a ponytail most of the time now so I don't continue to lose my hair. Now that you know how to grab things, You love to pull your pacifier out- mommy doesn't like you doing this because you haven't mastered putting it back in yet. You are trying really hard but just can't seem to figure it out completely. Hopefully soon! This month you having been making all kinds of silly noises but the best is your little gremlin noise- it's almost like you are growling. You especially love to do it after you nurse. It's so funny!

This month your drooling has started and everything goes into your mouth! The pediatrician checked you and you dont seem to be teething. Everything at the appointment looked great!

Weight- 13.8 pounds (45% percentile)
Height- 24 inches (45%)
head- 16 1/4 (60%)

You are eating about 8 ounces four times a day- 8am,12,4 and 8pm. Tonight we start you on rice cereal. I'm a little sad you are no longer an itty bitty baby who needs only milk. (update: we pushed up you last feeding to around 7)

At night you like to be rocked and sung to before you close your eyes.I know I'm totally spoiling you but you are just so small for a short time and I love you cuddling with me. Every once in a while you will let someone else put you to bed but usually 9 out of 10 times, you want your mommy to. You are sleeping from around 9-8- you still will wake up some nights because you lost your pacifier but usually fall right back asleep once I put it in. This is coming to an end because your doctor said to let you cry it out. Sorry baby, it's the doctors orders :) (update: since I posted this after her 4 months she now goes to sleep around 8 and I put her down awake and she sleeps through the night. We only cried for about 10mins a few times but doesn't do that anymore- we had a fabulous cry it out compared to most mommies)

You still wear 3 months and I have started to put you in some 6 month clothes. Your footed PJs in 3 months are too short now. At 4 months we switched you to size 2 diapers.

You are a little mover and very strong! You like to be sitting up, standing, or rolling along- being stationary for too long makes you mad. We bought you an activity jumper and you just love it! You are still small for it and cant touch the ground, so we put a pillow under it to help you bounce.

You can be quit the drama queen when you want to be. You will throw a fit and scream and cry and certain times when others are holding you (you do this mostly at night) and you won't calm down. As soon as I come and hold you, you automatically stop crying. It's too funny! You are vocal and let's us know when you are bored. (she did these little fits for about 2 weeks but doesn't do them anymore)

You love the Baby Ensitein cd we listen to in the car. Mommy and Daddy know every word to every song, and it drives us nuts! But you love to listen to it, so of course it's always on



Likes-
-You still love your bath time
- being naked! It's so funny
-Your hands! You stick your whole fist in there
-Everything goes into your mouth now- no matter what and you try to chew on the item, Your daddy and I laugh and call you a little vampire. Every time out hand gets near your face you quickly grab it and start knawing at it.
-your diaper off- you get such a big smile when I change you and kick your little legs
-chewing on everything and everything


Dislikes-
- getting bored
- being over tired

Some first:

We had a group play date (normally we play with only one baby at a time) the other day and it was so fun! The older kids loved your pacifier and the girls enjoyed pulling each others bows out. It was cute

You attended your first birthday party! It was for your sweet cousin Charlottes 1st birthday. You even got party favors- rice cereal and cute ruffle socks.

This month is going to be an exciting month with you going to a mothers day out on Tuesdays and a TCU music class on Wednesdays.

(Another update: Rice Cereral. You have just loved it! We started making it very thick and you seem to enjoy it much more and it's easier for you to eat. We are getting better and not making such a major mess)