What Time Is It

You know when you hear a word that you're unfamiliar with, or maybe you just haven't heard it in a while, and then when you hear the word, it seems like you start to hear/see it everywhere? So weird how that happens. Well, something similar has happened to me. I was reading a few different articles about how to tell when a baby is ready for solid foods. A few people said that when your baby starts waking up in the middle of the night again, it may mean that they're no longer getting enough to eat, and might be ready for some solids during the day. Others warned that babies also go through another growth spurt between 4-6 months, and them waking up could just be them temporarily needing to nurse more often. 

Well, right after I read those articles (on Tuesday), Zoey started waking up again! Yesterday, she was up at 3:00am! This morning, it was 3:45! What the heck? Now, I know that not everything I read in an article is going to apply to Zoey, but it did get me thinking about her situation. Is she really ready for solids, but just doesn't like bananas? Maybe she's not ready and I've upset her tummy? Is she going through another growth spurt? (How often do they have these spurts? I'm gonna have a King Kong baby pretty soon! Ahh! ;) 

I don't know exactly what our next step will be or when we'll take it, but I do know that I'll be whispering a little extra prayer tonight that Zoey sleeps until the morning!

The following sequence happened multiple times today!

M: "Hi Baby Girl!"

Z: "Hi Mommy!"

M: "Uh oh..."

(check out her brows! Haha)

Z: (Sniff, sniff, whine, whine)

M: "What's the matter??"

Z: "Huh?"

M: "What's the mat...oh"

Z: "I'm getting sleeeeepy!"

M: "Ok, let's go take a nap"

Z: "No thanks, I can hold out for a little longer. Let's play!"

And she never holds out for much longer. The whimpering starts up again and I whisk her upstairs before it turns into a full on cry! Food...rocking....dozing....20 minute nap (in my arms)...eyes wide open, ready to go again! EXHAUSTING! 

Bananas

Dinner time got a lot more entertaining tonight, as Zoey had her very first taste of a solid (pureed) food! Because we aren't weening her off of breast milk, and she is still getting all of the nutrients she needs (for another month or so), we decided to skip rice cereal and go straight to giving bananas a try. 

Playing with Daddy while I pureed a banana

Kisses!

After getting Zoey strapped in and set up on the counter, we put on her bib, set up the video camera and prepared for a laugh!

I had read that babies who have a tendency to bat at everything, may need a toy to keep their hands busy while you try to feed them. She appeared to take the bait ;)

"Ready Zoe Zoe, open wide!"

Her second taste...

Hmm, I can't tell if she likes it? That expression is hard to read! LOL

Hahahaha!

"Mmmm, no thank you, Mom"

"Mom! I said NO THANK YOU!"

Oh my goodness! Michael and I were laughing so hard. Miss Zoey does not appear to be a fan of bananas. I was actually very surprised that she didn't at least want the spoon in her mouth. She is constantly tying to get our spoons in her mouth while we're eating, so I figured she'd be overjoyed to finally get her wish...

We decided to see if taking the activity tray away would make a difference. It may have been doing more harm than good; each time she turned away from the spoon, she would start to play.

It looked like she wanted to give it another go...

But once she let me get it on her tongue, she wasn't having any of it!

She'd move it around in her mouth and it looked like she was trying to push it out with her tongue (just like she does with her yucky Vitamin D).

The faces she was making were hilarious. You'd have thought we were giving her stinky brussel  sprouts, and not tasty bananas!

She was happy once it was all over :)

Well, her first solid food experience was a fun one, that's for sure. We plan to revisit bananas and see if it's just a matter of her getting used to them and the whole eating process. After a few days (to give time for any possible allergy to appear), we'll try something else. Maybe sweet potatoes? :)

5 Months Old

Zoey is 5 months old today!! I know I say this every month, but I cannot believe how quickly time is flying. She is getting smarter, prettier, more talented and, it seems, chunkier, everyday! I love my little girl to death and I know I speak for Michael too, when I say that she is my world and I am beyond honored to be her parent!

At 5 months Zoey:

-Is pushing up on her arms

-Is still "talking" up a storm

-Is still sleeping through the night

-Splashes around in her bathtub

-Has more and more "nap free" days :(

-Is trying hard to sit up on her own

-Is starting to draw her knees in, as if she's trying to crawl!!

-Can bring her toes/feet to her mouth (and does it any chance she gets!)

-Is starting to turn when you address her 

-Is very aware of various sights and sounds (to the point where feeding her anywhere outside of our room, has become a chore!)

-Smiles and laughs at the sight of herself and others in the mirror

-Is starting to whine when she can't have something she wants (i.e. our spoons, cups, food, a toy)

-Is starting to go bald in the back (Luckily, I can do a pretty mean comb-over :)

-Likes to kick her legs, all day long

-Is using her teethers, like a pro

And much, much more!...

The plan was for her to try her first solid food today, but it got too late and she was just too sleepy by the time we were ready. So, tomorrow, it's on! Look out bananas! 

She was a pretty pleasant girl today. 

She got lots of sleep, which usually makes for a good day.

Those waves on the left side of her head appear to be here to stay! 

Still waiting on her first official "curl" :)

Still loving her SuperSeat

I had been impatiently waiting for her to be big enough to fit into this onesie!

I love it; it's got baby "bling" on it! :)

So, it seems that with each passing day, I'm losing a little bit more of my mind! Last week, I couldn't figure out for the life of me, how to get back to my car that was parked somewhere in the mall parking garage! I was super embarrassed (and frustrated) and eventually, I just had to take a time out, breath deep and then try again. I ended up walking straight to it, but it felt like I was "losing it" for a while there!

Well, today, I was lucky that my brain fart didn't result in an emergency situation. I had to take the dogs to the groomer and was trying to figure out the best way to get everyone loaded into the car. I decided to put the dogs in first. So, I called them inside, put their leashes on, grabbed the kennel and the diaper bag, and headed for the door. After maneuvering everything through the door, I closed it behind me (as I always do because I don't want bugs flying into the house). Well, as I heard it slam, my heart sank! I immediately realized that the door was locked...I was without keys...and Zoey was still INSIDE!! 

Just to be sure, I jiggled the door handle and patted myself down, hoping to feel keys in either pocket. No such luck. At that moment, I got a visual of the sliding back door, and prayed that it was still open from when I called the dogs inside. I made a mad dash to the side of the house, barreled through the gate, and at that point I could hear Zoey screaming! My heart was breaking. As I arrived at the slider, I was relieved to find that it was wide open! Hallelujah! I was shouting out words of comfort to Zoey as I ran to her, but nothing felt even remotely okay, until she was in my arms! Phew! That could have been BAD.

I had been warned about "mommy brain" years before even becoming pregnant, but I always imagined things like putting salt in my coffee instead of sugar, or brushing my teeth with something other than toothpaste. I would take losing my car in the parking garage everyday, if it meant that I would never have to feel that scared again!

Foot In Mouth

Happy Labor Day! Michael was up early this morning, ready for a hike up Granite Mountain with his brother. Zoey and I, on the other hand, took our sweet time waking up and started our day with some computer time. I got to do some much needed catching up on the blog (and on Facebook), and I even had a little help :)

Banging...I mean "helping"...on the computer

Her newest trick!

It's a good thing she doesn't walk yet; her toes aren't that dirty :)

The only problem is that she likes to show off her new skill nearly EVERY time I try to change her. 

"Ok, Bug, I need you to put your legs down, please!"

Last night, in preparation for the hike, Michael went to Safeway and bought a giant sandwich and a case of root beer. He added avocado to the sandwich before cutting it up into lunch sized portions. When Mike hikes with his friends, they usually have a beer when they get to the summit, so I thought it was very sweet that he bought root "beer" for Joey :) He was also nice enough to leave me some of the sandwich and I really appreciated having a no fuss lunch, in the fridge, waiting for me. 

It's like I was there with them, but I didn't have to do any of the physical labor! ;)

She blows me away, this little one!

Mommy lesson of the day: Don't let Zoey nap with her headband on!

She must have been so confused when she woke up and couldn't see anything! Haha. And the noise of the camera definitely startled her. Poor Buggy!

I never could have anticipated all of the funny, silly, cute, strange things this little girl does daily. Hopefully all the laughing I do everyday will help keep me young! :)

A Terrible Beauty

Today was a pretty special day for us; our friend Sean is in town for the weekend and we got to have brunch with him, his girlfriend and his parents. Sean is in the military and has been away in Florida, going to school to learn how to detonate bombs! His parents flew up from California and his girlfriend, Katie, organized a brunch at A Terrible Beauty in Renton. 

We were behind schedule because I couldn't decide what Zoey and I should wear!

Three of the outfits I tried on her (size 6 month) were too small!

As I pouted over this outfit being too tight to snap up, Michael said "Babe, just take a picture of her in it and move on!"

Pretty good advice, actually ;)

When we got there, Sean all but ran up to us and was all smiles as he reached out for a hug! We were super excited to see him, too!

Sean and Katie

Sean Sandwich! :)

After all of the hugs and hellos were out of the way, the attention shifted onto Zoey (as it usually does). It took Sean a minute to get over the fact that his friends had a baby and she's a real, live, adorable little girl. 

Anita and Tim, enjoying Zoey.

Tim was protecting his mustache from Zoey's grabby hands!

Remembering what it's like to hold a squirmy baby!

Our food was delicious; Michael and I both had Eggs Benedict and potatoes (his with salmon, mine with corned beef. Yumm!) A Terrible Beauty is an Irish Pub (there is also one in West Seattle) and apparently it has a pretty good bar scene in the evenings. I could definitely tell that the night crowd was their main focus, due to the fact that not only were they lacking a family restroom, but there wasn't even a changing table in the regular restroom (that should be against the law!). Oh well, I laid Zoey down on an unused booth and made it work.

Brunch was pretty quick because they all had to get downtown in time for the Underground Tour. It was sad saying goodbye, but December will be here before we know it! We had some errands to run and it was kinda nice that we still had most of the day ahead of us. Our next stop was Target. I had my eye on a new seat for Zoey and when we got home it was...

bye-bye Bumbo and hello SuperSeat! 

Made by Summer, the SuperSeat is a support seat, activity seat and booster seat, all in one! So far, I love it and Zoey does too! 

The activity tray has toys on 3/4 of it and two cup holders and a snack tray on the last 1/4.

Zoey immediately started going from one toy to another, and back again!

Must keep a hand on a toy at all times, LOL

So glad to see her having so much fun. Hopefully she continues to like it and we get lots of use out of the it.

I love how the tray spins; if she can't reach the toy she wants, I can turn it and there it is!

Bremerton Fun

Today was a fun family day out in Bremerton. It started with our nephew Jacob's birthday party. He is turning 4 in a few days and had a Spiderman themed celebration. His mom went all out with fun spider decorations, a spider pinata, crafts and even a surprise guest!

Cute family photo :)

Visiting with Grandpa

There was a knock at the door, and when Jacob answered it, there was Spiderman! My brother-in-law Joey was so sweet and donned the rented costume so Spiderman could make a cameo at the party. He did a great job too. He told the kids, "You kids be good now. I don't want to see you on the streets!" Haha. Before leaving to continue "fighting the Green Goblin", Spiderman even posed for pictures. 

All of the kids were so excited to take their picture with Spiderman! 

(Except for the boy who was so terrified, he hit behind his parents and refused to go outside!)

These two stole the show at the "after party" :)

As the party was winding down, we put Zoey and Ryan on the floor together, and put a toy between them. Zoey immediately leaned in and tried to get her mouth on it. Eventually, she picked it up and started thrashing it around! Fortunately, Ryan was great at sharing and didn't really seem phased by the fact that Zoey was taking over! They looked so sweet "playing" together; we can't wait for them to start having play dates and birthday parties!

Ryan also let Zoey try out his Johnny Jump Up.

She really seemed to like it; she hung out in it for a good while.

Proud Aunt & Uncle/Mommy & Daddy

After the party, we decided to check out the Blackberry Festival that was going on in Downtown Bremerton. Michael's parents and brother also came, and they brought Jacob along, too. Michael's dad is the Bremerton City Attorney, so he gave us a fun walking tour from the parking garage at his building, down to the festival.  

Cool sculptures

Taking in the sights down on the waterfront, by the ferry terminal

The weather was fantastic, and Zoey did a great job in the stroller!

"Hurry, let's get the ferry in the background!"

After walking the length of the festival; sampling fudge, dips and coffee; listening to music and debating whether or not to try a deep fried Twinkie (I decided against it!), we stopped at Cold Stone before saying our goodbyes. 

On the way home, we rented The Hunger Games, but before we could watch it, Zoey needed a bath. I love bath night and it's even more fun now that Zoey enjoys it too. She splashes around and kicks her feet, all while smiling and trying to eat her rubber ducky :)

My clean princess

Anytime you go in for a kiss, she opens her mouth wide, as if she's gonna eat your face!

I love that girl, so much! :) 

What a fun family day!