Reality in Full Color!

It's almost my birthday! and you are still the best present i could have ever asked for! you are sweet and smart and beautiful and just perfect! about three days ago you discovered your feet, your favourite thing when you are really in a goofy mood is to show mommy how you can eat your own toes now, up until then you just thought it was really funny when i ate them! you have been eating about 1 tbsp of rice cereal for almost two weeks now and you love it, so today mommy will be introducing carrots (always mixed with breast milk pumped that day to make sure that any allergies are new) and we are going to see how you do and maybe add a cereal for supper (so far it's been around lunch) since you are getting hungrier and hungrier and have started occasionally waking up around 2 or 3 in the morning, you have been sleeping 6-9 hours a night for weeks and weeks, but you wake up hungry again even though you feed the same as any other night. i will try to remember to write how you do in a couple days. we were going to try sweet potato first but the veggie store was closed and i had to get carrots from the little store across the street and they don't sell that kind of stuff. in 1 or two weeks we will try you on either sweet potato or maybe a fruit, will have to see how things are going at the time. well lots to do while you nap a little this morning. love you always, mom!

you are asleep and i thought i would take the time to post a little update. carrots went well, not so much when mommy eats carrot cake with pineapple and has asparagus for dinner though, you are a little bunged up and have really stinky farts (mommy to though) so we will stick with cereal and booby for a bit longer. you do great with cereal though! i have found that drinking a cup of raspberry tea at bedtime really helps with the last feeding before you go to sleep, after a few sips you get a big let down and fall deep asleep (like you did before the last growth spurt!) plus mixed with a little french vanilla creamer tastes sooo good! you are sitting up so well now, you like to sit between mommy's knees and watch me type on the computer, or watch tv or just bounce around on my big exercise ball! we went swimming last week twice! you did awesome, the first day it was a bit of an adjustment from the tub but you did really well, daddy and i took turns warming up in the hot tub then holding you close to warm you up with our body heat, we played in the pool for 1/2 an hour. then the next day you did so well you were floating on your stomach holding your head up with mommy just supporting your chest and you were kicking your legs!!! first the frog kick then a straight leg swimmers kick, you have been doing this in the tub ever since! i am so proud! we signed you up for lessons for aug 16, it's a parent and tot class, starfish and duck for two weeks, i can't wait! we will have pics soon as mommy bought a disposable waterproof camera so next time we go we can start taking pictures to share with everyone! well it's been a long day and you tend to wake up when daddy gets up early for work (otherwise you sleep in) so i should go. love you always, mom!

pool is still going great! aunty robin took us to a different pool last week, the water was warm and they had a river in it! we put you in the spring float for infants and floated around the river and then into the little pool for some swimming for an hour!
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we didn't get any good pics on this camera of you floating with mommy only holding your chest but there might be some on the disposable that i bought, just need to finish it off, develop it and then scan them in, wow that's a lot of work now that we have a digital! in the tub you are getting really good, you splash and if it's just the right depth you crawl! won't be long now until you are crawling on the floor! you roll over from back to front like a champ now and do full push ups as well as mini's and supermans' you seem to be having issues with rolling back the other way, but like everything else i know you will get it when you are ready, in the meantime mommy doesn't mind assisting. food is back to just cereal, we tried apples and that didn't work so well either so we stick with rice cereal. you can eat Mum-Mum baby rusks, we have banana and veg. you like them in your nibbler, also mommy crushes a couple with a rolling pin to add flavour to your cereal, they are made with rice too so there is very little difference in ingredients, you seem to like it and it likes you too. teething is trucking along as usual, lots of slobber, diarrhea, spitting up, low grade fever and chewing on everything and anything that you can get in your mouth! i can't wait till they break the surface so we can move on to something else! you found your voice the other day, talking away telling mommy stories! and you have the sweetest voice when you want too, and the best squeally laugh i've heard yet! even your cry isn't that bad, most ppl go 'aww' and think that you are just a little fussy until they see your face, then they can't believe that you are that upset and being that quiet! there are rare times when you can pierce the eardrums of any adult within a 10 block radius, but that is very rare and only for very good reasons, such as you are in major pain or frustrated and tired beyond anything that should be legal and stuck on your tummy (that combo only). daddy and i love you more and more every day and look forward to each new milestone and progress that you make, i try to tell you everyday how proud i am of you and how much i love you! it's not hard to remember! you can almost sit up all by your self, you need help getting to the sitting position but once there only the slightest of support is needed to stay there! you are standing so well, you often throughout the day demand to stand for long periods of time! we are watching how much weight you are allowed to put on you legs though as we don't want issues down the road. this works well with you being so tiny, the excersaucer is just the right height http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...e/DSC01582.jpghttp://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...e/DSC01584.jpg to let you stand but still be totally supported, you will play in that for an hour if i let you! you turn all around playing with each of the toys in turn. the cow trips you right out though! it's funny to watch you just stare at it with this bewildered look! you also love your tigger jumper
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also adjusted so that you can stand but there is limited pressure available for you, you will dance and turn and bounce in that for an hour too! it's a great way for you to have fun and mommy to do laundry, you hang in the bedroom door and mommy just folds clothes on the bed with the music on for dancing!
mommy has decided that it's time to get out and socialize us both, i signed up with two mommy groups in the city, one does walks and one does outings, so thursday we are going for a walk and friday we are going to go wading at the legislature grounds and mingle with other moms and their kids. the walking group is all one year and younger, so lots of lo's for you to play with, the other group is newborn to age ten! will have to keep you posted on how those go. well this has turned into quite the long entry, you are napping and laundry is in so i can't (otherwise mommy naps too!) love you always, mom!

almost 4 months old and i still can't believe it! you are so little and at the same time act so big that sometimes it's hard to fathom just how young you are. the other day you tried to walk. i was playing on the floor with you and we have been working on sitting up and playing and all of a sudden you kicked your legs out to stand, this is nothing really new, you've been doing since just a few weeks old, but then you started to move your hips and legs and you ended up walking from the blanket to the couch (you were after daddy!) which is about 4 feet away. mommy was holding you up and making sure that you didn't get to put too much pressure on your legs and knees as usual but you wanted to go and there was no stopping you (i tried, picked you up and you freaked out at me!) also you are getting really good at mimicking sounds, daddy and i say i love you lots around the house, to you and to each other, a couple of days ago you started mimicking it back to daddy! i got it sort of on video, much like the walking, by the time we got the camera you were more interested in something else, but it almost sounds like you tell daddy 'love you too' in this frustrated way (think teenager who's parents won't stop talking!)!! teething is moving along as per usual, cranky, annoying, painful, the usual stuff. waiting *cough* patiently for some of them to finally break through and give you some relief. there are a few trying, lately it has been the bottom back left again (you were born with four very distinct white buds top and bottom halfway back) i have a chart from the nurse that says when each should come in, i am adding it to the baby book and i'm going to mark on it when each actually come in, same with the back of it that shows falling out.
you had your 4 month shots on wed., what a fiasco, i wanted to deck the nurse that did it this time, but i held my own, was polite and didn't cause a scene but still got my way! first off she didn't want me to breast feed you while doing it, she claimed i can't get a good enough hold on your leg. um, i find it's a better hold because i'm not grabbing your leg i'm holding it and using my body to assist. so as she was babbling on about why she didn't like it i took out the boob and popped you on, there lady tell my daughter she has to get off so you can poke her with a needle! you did really well, she tried to distract you with shiny flashy things which annoyed me, back off lady and let me comfort my child. then she mentioned about the chicken pox and that i should be prepared to spread them out because it's 4 shots that time (um you still have others before then) and i mentioned that we don't want to do that one just yet. she started telling me about infant mortality rates and how awful it is and basically tried to scare me into changing my mind. HA i say, you have to try a lot harder than that to scare this momma! after all was said and done, you did great, we got out of there without any extra hair loss and i have your new measurements
height/length: 24 1/4 inches
weight: 11.02 lbs (5kg)
head: 39.6 cm (15.59 inches)
not bad at all, you are still staying right on your pattern (the chart actually has these lines that show good growth and you are right on a dark line and follow it consistently!) the nurse tried to tell me that i need to watch your growth as a decline could be rapid and severe but you seem healthy for now, oh and in the same breathe she 'scolded' me for giving you rice cereal so early! um the extra calories seem to be doing a good job, and you still get lots of bm, right now you are up to maybe 2 or 3 tbsp of mix (rice cereal with bm) so it's not like i'm changing out your food, just giving you a little something so you will stop screaming at me when i try to eat supper! well that's about it for today, swimming lessons start in a week and i can't wait! mommy groups are going well (i really like one of them!) night night, love always, mom!

*sigh* what a week! things are going really well. you swim like a fishy!!! monday was the first day of swimming lessons. it was supposed to be one week of starfish then one week of duck. it turns out that starfish is 4-18months introduction to the water. then duck 18-30 months and you learn floats, using floatation devices (boards and jackets) to help float and blowing bubbles and such. there is only one other kid/mom in the class and you both have experience in the pool so the instructor has had you both working on floats, boards, kick your toys away then go get them, games and songs and going down the slide and all of that is supposed to be way outside your age group! the other kid is 19 months. the thought is that he has adapted the course to the students and you are both doing really well. you fuss most days about half way through but you finish the class and are all giggles and grins before and after and when we talk about it at home, you love showing daddy the games you play when you have your bath later in the day, and the other mom doesn't mind your fusses and her boy (Kinder) asks for 'baby' in the morning when he asks for 'swim' thought that was pretty cute! so we have one more week of that and then next year we will probably repeat this class, new instructor, new way of looking at the world and it's more about the pool than the lessons at this point in your life! the next level is supposed to be for 30-36 months and learn
1 Practise kicking on front using a floating object for support.
2 Learn to jump into chest-deep water safely – after getting permission from a parent or Instructor.
3 Explore under the water by holding his or her breath and blowing bubbles underwater – one of the first steps in learning to swim.
4 Begin learning the basics of the front swim.
5 Learn how to stay safe in, on and around the water.
hmm well you are already doing 1, 2, 3 (sort of, blow bubbles and dunk under water) and the rest are just happening!
on other points, your talking is getting quite verbal, babbling up a storm, b and g and m are there now along with a, e, i, o, ooo. you want to walk soo bad! you love to 'dance' along with the tv show 'so you think you can dance' and will wiggle on my lap for two hours watching all the ppl dancing. i don't like you watching that much tv but it is things that you won't get at home and it's getting you moving and seeing what styles of dance you might want to do. right now you are with daddy petting the cats! learning to be gentle with them! food is good, you now eat oatmeal consistency rice cereal, carrots, sweet potatoes, mum-mum rusks by your self! and *warning bad parent moment* okay the experts say not to do stuff like this but you are very ahead of the game with food so i followed your signs (banging, screaming, chewing and making it quite obvious what you wanted) mommy made pancakes this morning and you smelled it and went from giggles to fuss, then you saw me take a bite and freaked out! so clean pan, no butter or anything and i made you a little pancake, cut it up into finger bites, cooled it off and sat with you in your high chair while you fed yourself 1/4 of a 4inch diameter pancake happy as a clam! no bad reactions yet, you never show issues when i eat it so thinking it's all good, still no teeth so this will not be routine for a while yet, but they 'melt' pretty easy in your mouth and you enjoyed it and mommy got to eat in peace! sort makes sense you have been eating solids for over two months now, from puree to mush to finger foods is the progression. you stand soo well now and are learning to sit better, you seem to want to skip a few steps, we are working with you on these steps so you don't miss out on important things like balance control! you sit in your high chair now, still don't have straps for it because i can't find them and you are too little but the is a big blanket that sits behind you to pad you in the side, legs and back so you sit nicely there now. wow you are doing so much now, teething is still chugging along slowly but surely, you continue to grow and learn and make me sooooo proud everyday. daddy and love you and each other more and deeper everyday and life is darn near perfect (okay there are bad days i won't kid you but the good days totally out way the bad and tempers still remain in check at all times without effort!). love always, mom!

i know i'm missing a few things but i need a nap so just a swimming update today. YOU PASSED! you are now a starfish level swimmer. you did great with the duck too but we are repeating next year so the instructor left it blank so the next instructor can fill it out.
your report card:
play games and songs
mommy stuff
active supervision
shallow water entries and exits
show how to stay warm
when and how to get help
chocking prevention
you
getting wet
supports and hold techniques for caregiver
submersion (whole body and head underwater)
breathing
bouyancy and movement
front position
back position
vertical position
move forward (dog paddle)
move backward
arm movement
comments
super work jade
your bubbles are awesome!
great job doing your bobs!
keep up the fantastic work!

you did so great the last two weeks and i'm soo proud of you sweet heart! at 4 1/2 months you were keeping up with a 19 month old doing the duck stuff too (18-36 month work!) can't wait till next year when you can do more unassisted! love always, mom!

wow it's been a while this time! you have been doing so great and up to so much! still not much on the crawling but you do travel quite a bit in your little belly crawl way! you are starting to reject mommies hands when you walk, even though you still need the extra support! you're favourite past time is playing on the coffee table with the coasters, you stand there and bang and play 'fetch' with us for a long time. you are eating all sorts of foods now, still on the puree style foods but we are working more and more flavours, to date: carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, plums, peaches, pears (although these seemed to make you spit up a bit more the next day so will be waiting a bit more), bananas, apples, and i just bought butternut squash to try in a little bit. you are eating rice cereal with or without banana (powdered) you love it when i mix real fruit into the mix, this morning we had oat cereal and i have a box of wheat and mixed fruit for you to try. next we will be adding the meats, starting with chicken. you are doing great and love to eat, you seem to quite enjoy it when mommy has a 'play' moment and just pours the rest out on the tray of your highchair and lets you feed yourself (you haven't quite figured out how to get it out of your bowls as they have narrow spaces). you can feed yourself the mum-mum rusks without any problems and our sunday ritual (okay not every sunday but it always seems to be on a sunday!) is cartoons and pancakes! you love to just suck on them, not really sure how much of it you're eating but you have fun! yesterday you said your first word! a very clear and intentional Ma-Ma, daddy was holding you while i ate my supper and you had spent most of the day with him and were showing signs of mommy withdrawal! sooo happy that you let daddy hear that the first time, keep that up, with him working that's his biggest regret right now is how many firsts he might miss. we are doing playgroups on wednesday now and having a lot of fun so far. i am really enjoying my momstown group and highly recommend finding a group when you have a baby if you aren't surrounded with new babies and moms already. mommy is doing a biggest loser challenge and having a lot of fun with it, we are both learning about healthier eating and exercise and trying to teach you how to enjoy a healthy lifestyle instead of cramming it down your throat (not that my mom did but sometimes that's what it felt like), learning how to work in the treats so that you still get them and still have fun without wanting to binge. hoping that my doc can get things sorted out with the pcos symptoms and see if that helps with the weight loss, i want more than anything to be healthy and in shape to keep up with you and make you proud that i am your momma (appearance wise that is, i hope you are proud of me regardless!). flights are booked and you are going to get to see your grandma (my mom) at the end of october!!! we are going back to victoria to see aunty fuchsia and grandma for halloween and spend a week visiting. there will be lots of pics and i know we are all excited for the trip! let me see, food, walking, words, happy healthy baby, loving adoring parents, OH YEAH, mommy and daddy went out on a date for our 6 year anniversary on sept 14 and papa watched you for almost two hours!! you did great and only fussed after you woke up from your nap but settled down after 5 min. mommy did great and didn't call home check on you and just enjoyed dinner! okay i called to tell papa we were on our way home but that was more because we were running later than i had said, but he didn't care he was having fun with you and loves the honour of being your first babysitter! not that i feel ready to leave you with others just yet but it was nice to get out, cell phones were all charged and we were only a five minute walk down the road, and you love papa! i entered you in a photo contest for zellers, should know by october 16 if you won, placed or anything. you would be the flyer baby for their jan. sale and get a big resp and all kinds of good stuff. you are such a beautiful baby i had to try for that resp, something daddy and i might not be able to provide for you the was we want so this would be great! okay i think that's it for now. love you always, mom!

so we are all doing pretty great around here. you have one tooth with a second almost ready to stay up, it's broken through but recedes still, today should be the day it stays up. you have already bitten your foot, my boob and my finger. the finger was my own fault i should have known better than to stick my finger in your mouth with banana on it! you certainly love banana! you now eat all kinds of fruits and veggies, and pancakes, and chicken and turkey and hot dog! we have added meats to help with added protein and start you getting larger textures, most of the time i keep the meat separate from the veggies so you can taste it then mix it up to finish off the meal. you love to feed yourself, although only about half of it ends up in your mouth!
six month stats
height: 25.7 inches
weight: 12lbs 10oz
head: 40.9 cm
the nurse wants us to talk with the doc when we see him on tues just to make sure that what she saw was the case, you are too active for your current calorie intake!! lol! you wouldn't sit still for your shots and just wanted to walk around (with mommy fingers) love you soo much my little bug! love always, mommy!

Beef - we tried beef again with success!!! you had no reaction at all to mommy eating beef last night! looks like life is good again, not sure why it didn't sit well with you before but it seems to be over now so it's all good. next stop... caesar salad!

good morning my love! cake making is going well, you are doing great, two teeth in (front bottom two) and raring to go for more! doc check up was good, he was so happy with your progress. the only thing we are watching is your belly button, it seems that it hasn't healed all the way yet and if it doesn't it can herniate so over the next six months we hope that finishes otherwise he will have to do something about it. your development is going great, you can feed yourself finger foods now like rice puffs and the other day you discovered that sticky cereal fingers make it easier to grab lots of rice puffs at once! you are currently playing in your 'tent'. at aunty fuchsia's suggestion i wrapped a big sheet around your play gym, put toys inside and clipped the front open. you seem to like it! you are almost crawling! you have the position right now you just need to work on forward momentum! we figure you'll be crawling by this time next week no problem. mommy made venison stew the other night and you loved it so there is now a bunch in the freezer for to go along with all the fruits and veggies that i have already made and you are munching your way through. looks like by the time you exhaust that stash you should be ready for bigger finger foods and then on to whatever daddy and i are eating, no more separate meals for baby girl! your nickname officially is 'bug'! not sure how that came out fully but it started because you are the cutest little bug and your were teething and bugging me so it became a term of endearment to keep my cool while you fussed. so proud of you every day and love you more and more all the time. you didn't make it in the zellers contest, very disappointed but at least i tried. two more weeks and we will be in victoria to see aunty fuchsia and grandma! can't wait for that trip! costumes are almost all done for halloween, the peter pan theme is turning out really well this year. mommy is getting a little nervous, there may be a little brother or sister in the works although we are really hoping not, my af is a week late, crossing fingers that it is just because mommy started eating beef again and it seems to have amped up the milk supply, you will learn these things when mommy teaches you all about babies and where they come from when you are older. upscale, i am still breastfeeding, it's been over 6 months now and things seem to be going well! well that would be you with the hiccups, i should go rescue you from the tent and see what we can do about them! Love you always, mom!