Random Christmas Pics from Nana's Camera

 

11 Months

My baby is 11 months old.  How in the world to I almost have a one year old?  It is like we blinked and my newborn baby is almost a toddler.  I am so thankful that we have a healthy growing baby girl, but I wish the time would slow down. 

Our many attempts at getting an 11 month picture with a sign. 

Some updates from this month:

Eating...continues to be a struggle. The child won't eat unless she's hungry. She tightens those lips so that nothing can enter! When she is in the mood to eat, she'll eat anything that we are eating. Her favorites are Eggo waffles, grapes, breakfast casserole, cheerios, and yogurt. She is still getting milk four times a day, between 4-6 ounces. Her middle of the day milk is in a sippy cup, but the morning and nighttime feeding are from a bottle. We will try to break her of that this month. She is also feeding herself these days, but still prefers for her mommy to hand feed her. I let her go at it for 20-30 minutes then I help her finish up.

Feeding herself can get pretty messy.  In these pictures, she has tomatoes and bananas in her hair.  Before each bite entered her mouth, it had a run through her hair.  Yummy!!  But how can you be upset with that sweet angel face??  We just take a lot more baths these days. 

Sleeping-As I write this post, my sweet husband is in that sweet Haisley's room rocking her to sleep. It is 8:35. I started the going to bed process at 7:01. After 1 1/2 hours, it is Daddy's turn to give it a go. Is that any indication of how sleeping is going? She is taking two naps a day now. Sometimes they are thirty minutes, sometimes two hours. I never know. Sleeping at night has been terrible since she has started walking around her crib. It is not all her fault. I am the one that goes and gets her in the night instead of letting her cry. What can I say? She won't be a baby forever. I try to treasure the fact that she wants her mommy during the night.

Teeth-Still just two. They are the cutest teeth I've ever seen.

Tricks-My sweet angel is so close to walking. She's taken a few steps here and there, but nothing consistant. I don't think it'll be long. She still loves clapping for herself, and is starting to give high fives. I have noticed in the past week that she is more independent when she's crawling. She doesn't mind leaving the room that I am in to explore another room. She has gotten into the kitchen cabinets several times. Amanda gave her a baby doll stroller for Christmas and she is all over the house with that thing.

Talking-She is saying Dada to the appropriate parent, star when we point to it in a certain book, cow, dog, she said "Tank you" twice but hasn't said it since. She has said Hutch several times just last night. We are having problems getting her to say the endings of words. Last night I was practicing Hutch with her and was really over saying the "tch" part of it. She started saying Hu....ch. It was so precious.  She still hasn't said mommy.  My mom says that she never has to say it because I am always right by her side.  Sad, but probably true. 

Size-She is still wearing size three diapers and mostly 6/9 month clothes.  I weighed her in at the hospital the other day and she was 17 lb, 5 oz. 

 

This little angel is such a precious blessing in our lives.  She brings such joy to everyday.  Her sweet smile can light up a room!  She is such a sweet snuggle bunny and we just adore her!  I LOVE that she is a mommy's girl.  My arms might get tired of holding her all the time but my heart doesn't!  She won't want to be held forever!  She loves playing with Hutch, taking baths, sitting on her mommy's hip, drinking water out of my cup (and I let her even though it makes a big mess...great parenting I know), reading, and opening the kitchen cabinet doors to see what is inside.  She does NOT love getting her diaper changed, going to sleep, being strapped in her car seat, eating in her high chair, and being away from her mommy.

Christmas

Haisley's first Christmas was so exciting!  We spent the weekend with Mark's family in Jackson.  We came home on the day before Christmas eve so that she could spend her first Christmas at home.  We went to Amanda's on Christmas eve and everybody came to our house Christmas day for breakfast. 


After Santa came:

Playing with new toys in Jackson

Getting ready for a golf cart ride in Jackson

 



 Pop playing on Christmas morning

 

Sweet Cousins

Some of the Christmas loot!  Santa was good this year!

Christmas Festivities

Christmas is much fun, and different then what it used to be, with a baby.  This is sweet Haisley's first Christmas, and so I am trying to pack as much Christmas cheer in as possible.  To start, we got a real Christmas tree this year.  I hate to admit that Mark and I haven't even put a tree up since we've been married.  Sad isn't it?  I had the image in my head of our family of three going to a Christmas tree farm and picking the perfect tree for Mark to cut down.  Well, it didn't go exactly like that.  We did get a real tree but it was purchased from the old K-Mart parking lot.  We can always shoot for next year!  We wondered around the lot for a few minutes before finding the perfect tree.  It was quite a process getting the tree in, strung with lights, and decorated.  It took about two days with the little one into everything.  Some pictures of our tree:

 

Mark was testing the lights to see if they still worked.  She was doing more of a taste test. 

 

Helping Daddy string the lights. 

We're getting there!  Now just the ornaments!  

 

 

 

 

She was over taking pictures. 

 

We also went to the Christmas parade this year.  I haven't been to the parade since I was in it about 20 years ago.  Haisley enjoyed it!
She waited patiently for it to begin!

 

And played with a baby doll that sweet Payton brought.

 

I thought this picture was hysterical!  Literally every child is looking a different direction.  Haisley is apparently shocked to see something.  Payton's expression is priceless. 

 

Here is our Christmas card picture this year, the first one we've ever sent out!

 

A few other random pictures.

 

Looks safe, right?

 

10 Months, DC, and Birthday Boy!

 

Is it just me or are these months FLYING by?!  We celebrated Haisley's 10 month birthday in Washington DC.  We have lots of updates this month!

 

Eating:  No baby food.  The child won't eat any baby food.  Who can blame her, i've tasted it and i'd rather eat big girl food too!  The protest started in DC and we haven't gone back.  She is like a little bird, she'll open her mouth for anything that is fed to her by hand.  She doesn't love eating from a spoon.  I know...feeding her by hand....the start of a great habit.  She is starting to do a little better feeding herself these days too.  Whenever she gets food in her mouth we clap for her, and now she claps anytime we feed her too.  Most of meal time is spent clapping.  A few interesting things that she's tried include, brushetta with balsamic vinegar, tomatoes with basil, goat cheese, lamb, chicken, roasted parsnips, spinach leaves, and olives.  She loves greek yogurt!  She is getting four 6oz bottles a day. 

*I've edited this post about 12 times because I keep remembering stuff that I want to add.  I just read through a few other posts and realized that I write "time is flying by" in every one.  Sorry for being redundent for the two people that read this.  Also, We are not doing a sippy cup yet and I'm pretty sure that we should be. 

 

Size:  I haven't weighed her lately, but she is still in size three diapers and size 6 month clothes. 

 

Tricks:  As I mentioned earlier, she is getting really good at clapping.  She can wave bye bye, and gives kisses when she's in the right mood.  She has taken one step here and there, but nothing consistant.  She really enjoys the freedom that comes with being able to crawl.  She's into everything!  She loves cruising on furniture!

 

Talking:  Haisley Grace might look like her daddy, but talks up a storm like her mommy.  We can't make out what she says, but she is definately trying to tell us something.  She is pretty consistantly saying "dada" and "dog."  She also says "cow" when we tell her to repeat it and "star" when we point to it in a book.  We've practiced mama, but she hasn't even attempted it.  I can't wait for "mama!" 

 

Sleeping:  Not going well.  She goes to sleep about 6:30 ish.  The rest of the night is up and down.  I'm pretty sure that she'll never sleep through the night.  I'm enjoying it while it last, she won't want to cuddle with me in the night forever!  She is, on the other hand, taking two consistant naps a day!

 

She has grown another tooth!  Two total. 

 

I never knew the love that I could have for another person until I had a child.  I love this sweet girl more than she'll ever know...until she has a child of her own.  You are our precious angel, baby girl!  We love you to pieces!

 

We have been in DC the last week.  Mark had to go for work and we tagged along.  We drove!  It was an 11 hour drive, and she did great for the most part.  Our AWESOME Aunt Ashley let us borrow her DVD player for the car and she watched more TV than she every has in her life.  Did I mention that Aunt Ashley has let us borrow everything she owns?!?  We are so blessed to have such a sweet generous friend! 

 

We started our DC trip by going to the National Zoo.  

 

This is Haisley upon our arrival:

 

 About twenty minutes in:

 

 

 

 A few minutes after that:

 

 

The zoo was having special Christmas lights, but little bit basically slept through the whole thing.  Most of the animals had been put up for the night, so she didn't miss much!  She woke up in the ape exhibit.

 

 

So much fun!  We enjoyed our time in DC!  At some points it reminded me of National Lampoon's Vacation, but fun was had by all!

 

 

 

Haisley's sweet Daddy, and my sweet Hubby celebrates his 30th birthday tomorrow.  I keep telling him that he is really old, I guess to make my 26 year old self feel better.  Lots has happened in his last year, a baby and a new house.  We love you daddy and are blessed that you are ours!