My baby girl is five months old! I can't believe it!! The biggest privilege and greatest joy in my life right now is to watch her interact with and respond to the world around her. I love to see her reactions to each new sight, sound or sensation. I knew all these milestones were coming, but I never anticipated how much joy each one would bring me.
Beulah is super alert and always afraid she's going to miss something. She has a big personality and a big smile to match it (as you can see in the pictures)! My new favorite sound is the sound of her laughter (see video), which is more frequent every day, especially since we've discovered that she's ticklish! One thing that will make her laugh every time (even if she's fussy) is Pedro. She squeals and giggles at him every time she sees him. He is so good with her, and they "play" together all the time. She also enjoys seeing herself in the mirror. Put her in front of one, and you're guaranteed at least a smile.
We've recently discovered that Beulah LOVES books. She gets a free book each month from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and we try to read to her each night before bed. Last month she received a sweet cardboard book called Peekaboo Morning. Its illustrations are colorful and its language is simplistic. We read it to her one night, and she seemed to get really excited, squealing and kicking her feet. So, we decided to read it to her again the next night. When we pulled it out and she saw it, she got so excited, she started moving her whole body! The third night, when Andy showed it to her, she gasped and looked at him in the eyes as if to say, "Are you serious?! Thanks, dad!" Yay, books!
Beulah's favorite toys are hands and feet. Whether hers or someone else's, she loves to play with them. She especially loves looking at painted toe nails. I was SO excited when she started sucking her toes. Precious! She seems bored with all the real toys we have, and would much rather play with a cup, water bottle, or Tupperware lid. She prefers toys that hang so she can grab and bat at them. Be sure to check out the picture of her nursing the elephant's trunk. Hilarious! And, what a joy it was to watch her roll over for the first time! It's so amazing to watch a tiny, helpless human become more independent and mobile every day! We love it when she joins us for dinner, sitting in her Bumbo seat (which she loves!) on the table top. Cuteness!
It appears that Beulah will have quite a sense of humor. For about a week, she started talking in a funny voice that we labeled the "man voice". She would tuck her chin, looking at you out of the tops of her eyes, and talk in this deep, throaty voice. So funny! And, at night, when she's tired, she either gets really silly or really grumpy. If she's grumpy, WATCH-OUT! Especially if we're trying to put her in her car seat; she will stiffen her body so tight that we can't bend her to sit her down!
Beulah visited my parents' house for the first time in July, and Andy's parents' in August. She met her great-grandmother on her visit to FL. It was such a blessing to see her interact with that great woman, and get some pictures of them together. Beulah also got to go swimming for the first time in her Nana & Pop Pop's pool! She LOVED it, which was no surprise since she loves baths so much.
Last month, it was a big deal for baby AND mama when Beulah went to the church nursery for the first time! That morning, I felt very strongly that I needed to put her in the nursery. When I got there and saw that there were nursery workers who I loved and trusted and who knew Beulah, I felt comfortable leaving her with them. Sure, I had so many butterflies in my stomach that I could have thrown-up, but I didn't even check on her one time during service! And, when I went to pick her up, my sweet friend Kylie was holding Beulah the same way I hold her when she's in pain. I didn't even tell her! God orchestrated that for sure! It was very healing for me to be in worship again. I am so thankful that we have a safe place for our babies while we focus on the LORD.
We finally took the changing pad out of Beulah's crib! Sometimes, she would wake up and start playing with the mobile; batting at the animals. As she reached up, she pushed with her feet and would end up with her head off the end of the changing pad. So, we took it away to see what would happen. And, lo and behold, the child flipped over onto her belly and went to sleep! We put her down on her back, and every single time, she flips to her stomach to go to sleep. As you can imagine, this helps with the legs flying up in the air. :) So, she is now a stomach sleeper who only wakes up twice a night and takes hour and a half naps! Praise the LORD!!!
Life is good. :)
Showing posts with label pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pets. Show all posts
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Beulah's First 12 weeks
Beulah is 12 weeks old. I can't believe it! As I was putting away her newborn sized clothes, I was amazed at how TINY she was and how much she's grown! She's around 12 lbs now and growing!
We've decided that she has her daddy's facial features with my facial muscle structure and shape. She is very expressive, like me, crinkling her eye brows and nose. As you can see from the pictures and video below, she's got such a happy disposition and a smile that will melt your heart. The only time she's not smiling is when she has gas pain. Seriously, she even smiles in her sleep (see pics)! And, in the middle of the night when I change her diaper and put her back down, she's always flashing smiles. I think it's her way of trying to get me to stay up and play...tempting!
Speaking of playtime, she loves her floor gym, especially the hanging monkey. She laughs at him, the hanging bumblebee on her swing, and the ceiling fans. I caught her having a riveting conversation with the bee the other day. Too cute! She doesn't like tummy time too much, but loves her daily anatomy lesson. I start at her toes, and with my silly voices I tickle and name her body parts. As soon as I start, she starts grinning. We also say our ABCs and count while I work her legs doing the bicycle. This helps with her gas too. Fun and functional!
Beulah loves baths. One night she was pretty fussy, but needed a bath. The minute we put her in the warm water, she stopped fussing and started smiling! Bingo! Now we know! We've recently discovered that she has another comfort (besides baths, nursing or the paci), her snugglie. It's a miniature blanket with the silk edges that we all loved as kids. Her "Aunt" Carrie sent it for her, and we're so glad she did! It says "Miracle" on it. :) She loves to hug it and sometimes chew on it when she's tired. Personally, I'm hoping she'll find her thumb soon so that she won't keep waking herself up when the paci falls out of her mouth.
Recently we've been trying to work her towards a manageable schedule. She is super alert and doesn't like to nap. So, I've been trying to be diligent about having her nap in her crib with the lights low and the sound machine on like at night. But, I haven't quite been able to put her down awake and let her put herself to sleep yet. I am much more of a wimp than I thought I would be! Ugh! We try to include books and a song in our routine. I've heard that if you sing the same song each time it will trigger her sleep memory, so I have altered the words to the old church song "Beulah Land" to say, "Beulah Grace, I'm thankful for you. And through life, I'll hold your hand. Child, my love shall be eternal. Beulah Grace, sweet Beulah Grace."
She has the funniest sleepy time routine. First, she starts talking. (I wonder if this will continue when she gets older!) Then, she'll do the best Stevie Wonder impression you've ever seen, at which time we sing "Isn't She Lovely" or "I Just Called To Say I Love You." As she turns her head from side to side, with her chin slightly raised for effect, the back of her head rubs whatever she's leaning against, which explains the bald spot. However, the hair just below it has been well preserved, which makes for a classic rat tail. Nice.
She's sleeping pretty well at night. One night she slept 9 hours! The next night she slept 7 hours. Ever since then, she gets up once in the night, usually because of gas, and then goes right back to sleep. She's only up for about 30 minutes total. She's been sleeping in her carseat (at the recommendation of the pediatric nurse), to help with reflux and gas. She sleeps much better on an incline, but we'll need to make the transition to the crib soon, so pray for that! She would much rather sleep on daddy or while nursing on mommy. :)
Beulah has gotten to know our doctors pretty well. Besides her one month check-up, we've taken her to the pediatrician for "excessive" weight loss (1 week old), gas, reflux, congestion, and baby acne. Sheesh! We've kept them in business! Lately, however, we've been taking her to a chiropractor for adjustments. She went four or five days without a BM, and her gas was unbearable. After a week of being adjusted, she has had multiple dirty diapers EVERY day! And yes, one of them covered most everything in the nursery. Let's just say I took the diaper off a second too soon and she went straight to the bath afterwards. :) But, since then, her gas pain has been MUCH more bearable than before, and her bouts of pain are more sparse. We could not be more grateful. We've also been able to take her off the Zantac that the pediatrician prescribed! We're happy to have found Dr. Bagwell's help when we did! I think we've found our new "pediatrician"!
At 11 weeks, Beulah discovered that she can touch things with her hands and feet. She's not super coordinated yet, but she's having a blast figuring it out, and it's fun to watch! She spends a lot of time looking at her hands and feet, and you can just see the wheels turning. What's next?!
People have been asking how Pedro (our 7 year old Boxer) has been with her. He totally loves her! He's been really good about not licking her with his abnormally large, stinky tongue, even though it's obvious he wants to. He walks past and sniffs her, and she just watches him and grins. When we go for walks, he walks right beside the stroller, turns when it turns, and looks in at her every 10 seconds. It's going to be fun watching them as she grows. I have a feeling they're going to adore each other.
Some of these pictures you've seen, some are new, so check them out! The video is an example of the joy I feel with her every day. I am so thankful for this time with this precious little angel.
We've decided that she has her daddy's facial features with my facial muscle structure and shape. She is very expressive, like me, crinkling her eye brows and nose. As you can see from the pictures and video below, she's got such a happy disposition and a smile that will melt your heart. The only time she's not smiling is when she has gas pain. Seriously, she even smiles in her sleep (see pics)! And, in the middle of the night when I change her diaper and put her back down, she's always flashing smiles. I think it's her way of trying to get me to stay up and play...tempting!
Speaking of playtime, she loves her floor gym, especially the hanging monkey. She laughs at him, the hanging bumblebee on her swing, and the ceiling fans. I caught her having a riveting conversation with the bee the other day. Too cute! She doesn't like tummy time too much, but loves her daily anatomy lesson. I start at her toes, and with my silly voices I tickle and name her body parts. As soon as I start, she starts grinning. We also say our ABCs and count while I work her legs doing the bicycle. This helps with her gas too. Fun and functional!
Beulah loves baths. One night she was pretty fussy, but needed a bath. The minute we put her in the warm water, she stopped fussing and started smiling! Bingo! Now we know! We've recently discovered that she has another comfort (besides baths, nursing or the paci), her snugglie. It's a miniature blanket with the silk edges that we all loved as kids. Her "Aunt" Carrie sent it for her, and we're so glad she did! It says "Miracle" on it. :) She loves to hug it and sometimes chew on it when she's tired. Personally, I'm hoping she'll find her thumb soon so that she won't keep waking herself up when the paci falls out of her mouth.
Recently we've been trying to work her towards a manageable schedule. She is super alert and doesn't like to nap. So, I've been trying to be diligent about having her nap in her crib with the lights low and the sound machine on like at night. But, I haven't quite been able to put her down awake and let her put herself to sleep yet. I am much more of a wimp than I thought I would be! Ugh! We try to include books and a song in our routine. I've heard that if you sing the same song each time it will trigger her sleep memory, so I have altered the words to the old church song "Beulah Land" to say, "Beulah Grace, I'm thankful for you. And through life, I'll hold your hand. Child, my love shall be eternal. Beulah Grace, sweet Beulah Grace."
She has the funniest sleepy time routine. First, she starts talking. (I wonder if this will continue when she gets older!) Then, she'll do the best Stevie Wonder impression you've ever seen, at which time we sing "Isn't She Lovely" or "I Just Called To Say I Love You." As she turns her head from side to side, with her chin slightly raised for effect, the back of her head rubs whatever she's leaning against, which explains the bald spot. However, the hair just below it has been well preserved, which makes for a classic rat tail. Nice.
She's sleeping pretty well at night. One night she slept 9 hours! The next night she slept 7 hours. Ever since then, she gets up once in the night, usually because of gas, and then goes right back to sleep. She's only up for about 30 minutes total. She's been sleeping in her carseat (at the recommendation of the pediatric nurse), to help with reflux and gas. She sleeps much better on an incline, but we'll need to make the transition to the crib soon, so pray for that! She would much rather sleep on daddy or while nursing on mommy. :)
Beulah has gotten to know our doctors pretty well. Besides her one month check-up, we've taken her to the pediatrician for "excessive" weight loss (1 week old), gas, reflux, congestion, and baby acne. Sheesh! We've kept them in business! Lately, however, we've been taking her to a chiropractor for adjustments. She went four or five days without a BM, and her gas was unbearable. After a week of being adjusted, she has had multiple dirty diapers EVERY day! And yes, one of them covered most everything in the nursery. Let's just say I took the diaper off a second too soon and she went straight to the bath afterwards. :) But, since then, her gas pain has been MUCH more bearable than before, and her bouts of pain are more sparse. We could not be more grateful. We've also been able to take her off the Zantac that the pediatrician prescribed! We're happy to have found Dr. Bagwell's help when we did! I think we've found our new "pediatrician"!
At 11 weeks, Beulah discovered that she can touch things with her hands and feet. She's not super coordinated yet, but she's having a blast figuring it out, and it's fun to watch! She spends a lot of time looking at her hands and feet, and you can just see the wheels turning. What's next?!
People have been asking how Pedro (our 7 year old Boxer) has been with her. He totally loves her! He's been really good about not licking her with his abnormally large, stinky tongue, even though it's obvious he wants to. He walks past and sniffs her, and she just watches him and grins. When we go for walks, he walks right beside the stroller, turns when it turns, and looks in at her every 10 seconds. It's going to be fun watching them as she grows. I have a feeling they're going to adore each other.
Some of these pictures you've seen, some are new, so check them out! The video is an example of the joy I feel with her every day. I am so thankful for this time with this precious little angel.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Things I didn't know about pregnancy
First of all, I have to thank all of my friends and family who talked candidly to me over the past several years about their pregnancy and birth experiences. While not everyone wants to hear all of the stories, I typically ask to hear them because I like to be as informed as possible. Of course, there are things you shouldn't say to a pregnant woman under any circumstance...but that's a different post. :) For now I'll just say that the knowledge I gained from hearing other women's experiences helped prepare me so much that there wasn't much I hadn't already heard. However, here are a few things that slipped by me.
I didn't know...
1. that your hips start spreading early in pregnancy. I went to the gym one day and couldn't fit into the pants I had worn the week before! I had to leave and go home!
2. that your feet grow at least a half size. From what I hear, they stay that way! I guess when we think of buying maternity clothes we can't leave out shoes! But, I have found that Dr. Scholls inserts help big time with arch support!
3. how flakey and dry my skin would be. It doesn't matter how much lotion I put on! I should just start wearing oil.
4. how bad "mommy mush brain" can actually be. I can send an e-mail reminding someone of something and forget it myself by the next day!
5. about "pregnancy miseries". As our high risk doctor said, "It's not intended to be a funny name. The pains are very real and can be intense. But, fortunately, they're typically not harmful."
6. that it's hard to talk to people about your birth plans because they have their own experiences (or know someone who...) that have permanently colored their beliefs.
7. that the dog I've had for 6 years, the one I used to think of as my baby, would absolutely drive me crazy during pregnancy! He has become the most needy creature. He sits across the room and just stares at me without moving. It's very unnerving. Apparently it's pretty common for pets to change their behavior because they sense you are changing.
8. that being a passenger in a car would be the most stressful event in my life. I KNOW I'm overreacting, but I can't help it! Whoever is driving never stops soon enough and all other cars are WAY too close to me.
9. about "placenta lakes" or that they can be "normal".
I didn't know...
1. that your hips start spreading early in pregnancy. I went to the gym one day and couldn't fit into the pants I had worn the week before! I had to leave and go home!
2. that your feet grow at least a half size. From what I hear, they stay that way! I guess when we think of buying maternity clothes we can't leave out shoes! But, I have found that Dr. Scholls inserts help big time with arch support!
3. how flakey and dry my skin would be. It doesn't matter how much lotion I put on! I should just start wearing oil.
4. how bad "mommy mush brain" can actually be. I can send an e-mail reminding someone of something and forget it myself by the next day!
5. about "pregnancy miseries". As our high risk doctor said, "It's not intended to be a funny name. The pains are very real and can be intense. But, fortunately, they're typically not harmful."
6. that it's hard to talk to people about your birth plans because they have their own experiences (or know someone who...) that have permanently colored their beliefs.
7. that the dog I've had for 6 years, the one I used to think of as my baby, would absolutely drive me crazy during pregnancy! He has become the most needy creature. He sits across the room and just stares at me without moving. It's very unnerving. Apparently it's pretty common for pets to change their behavior because they sense you are changing.
8. that being a passenger in a car would be the most stressful event in my life. I KNOW I'm overreacting, but I can't help it! Whoever is driving never stops soon enough and all other cars are WAY too close to me.
9. about "placenta lakes" or that they can be "normal".
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