What Nellie Has Taught Me

When I became a mom the first time around I didn't think I knew EVERYTHING but I knew a lot, for sure. I had read many, MANY books on childrearing and I was set in my ways on how we would raise our firstborn.  Thankfully, everyone in our life followed our principles and rationales and Mila has developed into the model child. This is obviously a testament to the fact that we NAILED it and are perfect parents. Right? Right?

The second baby gets a bad rap; but I think it's this child that brings everything into focus and shows you what a real marriage and family is all about.  Even though I knew everything the first time around, Nellie has taught me more about parenting than I can ever imagine.

• I am stronger than I could have EVER possible imagined.
• Even if I don't want to I can get up at 5am and be up for the day, without being THAT grumpy
• I don't MEAN to spoil you but when you cry I just want to pick you up and snuggle you until you stop because I know it won't last for long
• You made our marriage so much stronger.  The second time around is no joke.  It's not as easy at all but it's so much easier that I think we are seasoned veterans.  Robert and I are so much more on fleek point for Nell Bell and our marriage is much stronger.  Having literally just realized this in the past two months, when you have a first baby your expectations of life have not changed.  You think you can do everything you did before and a baby will just fold into the mix. But when your husband wants to go to the gym after work and you planned on using that time to meet up with a friend it's quickly evident that things are not the same.  With the second baby you know what is expected of you and you are more of a team player.
• You don't need swim lessons, or classes, at 4 months old; you will have enough activities and be just fine with all of the people in your life that love you
• I now know I don't need to make you eat liver and you will still be super smart (this is mostly because, no matter how good it is for you, I just can't stomach cooking LIVER and then FEEDING it to you)
• I don't HAVE to make your baby food but, this time around, I enjoy it. It may (allegedly) not be any different than the all natural, organic food I can buy in the store but I love doing my part to give you the best, freshest food available 
• It's okay if I spend longer rocking you at night and put you down asleep (and not just drowsy) because you will still sleep through the night by the time you're in first grade
• I still live and die by Babywise, but it's just not the same with the second baby. You have shown me that, even if you aren't on MY schedule, you will follow your own and I will adapt
• Sadly, you have fallen off more items (bed, couch...) than I care to admit and you're absolutely fine! I now know babies aren't made of porcelain and you are no different than Mila, who lived in a bubble
• Your firsts are SO exciting (and SO sad) because they are our lasts
• Organic/non-GMO is best and I will continue to do everything I can to ensure this is all you have in that tiny little body of yours. I don't care if your formula is twice as expensive as last time 
• Breastfeeding for 7mo was EVERYTHING I ever dreamed it could be
• My body, all that it is, is so amazing and I am finally comfortable in front of a mirror
• We don't realize it's the last time until it never happens again
• You think after having one you could never love another so much (I may or may not have thought this after Roscoe and before Mila!) but it's just different and there's enough love to go around
• I will never be done having babies.  When I see the pregnant ladies at the doctor or the maternity clothes at the store or the stories of birth on TV or the friends having their own or the tiny little clothes or the new baby snuggles or the...  Eventually my body will be so old I can't have any more and then, and only then, will I know we are done.

Most of all Nellie has taught me that you can't plan for anything and everything will be the best.  You just don't get it when you are a first time mom. If you're only ever a first time mom you will get it eventually, extra babies just speed it up.  

And I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

We've Got a Crawler!!!

Just minutes after posting the 7 month update, Nellie crawled!!!!

Happy 7 Months, Nellie!

7 Month Stats

Weight: approx. 16.8lbs

Length: approx. 26in

Eating: you finished your last bottle of breastmilk last week which was a bittersweet moment for your mom.  I am very happy with my breastfeeding journey and I am so glad I made it past my goal of six months.  You are now drinking 26oz of formula, four times a day and one dream feed before we go to bed at night.  We also have started you on solids and you have tried applesauce, carrots, sweet potatoes, beet apple, prunes, bananas, peas and pears, which you're having at lunch and dinner.  As I did with your sister, I am making all of your baby food you just (luckily? unluckily?) don't get to try the crazy stuff like liver because I don't have THAT much time!

Bedtime: you are still going down at 7pm each night and are now sleeping through the night!  You also now take a pacifier (haaaaaaaaallelujah!), which maybe has something to do with it.  You wake up usually around 6am but sometimes as early at 5am.  I can't seem to get you to sleep without rocking or bouncing you so daddy has taken over and gets you down most nights.

Awake:  I saw it every month but you are always happy!  You have four little teeth now and you look so goofy and adorable when you smile it's ridiculous.  You generally stay away for about 2-3 hours in between naps but can something go as long as 5-6!  Shockingly, even when you are awake for this many hours you are almost never cranky. It's unbelievable how happy you are!

Naps: after a rough couple of weeks where there were no afternoon naps (but this was the start of you sleeping through the night so I'm not reeeeeally going to complain...), you have started napping twice a day again and are going down for about 1.5-2 hours each time.

Diapers: You are still in the size 2 diapers, which fit you much better now.  You HATE pooping and want the dirty diaper off immediately. 

Clothes: We have got our all of your 6 month and 6-9 month clothes so you are just wearing a mix of all of those.  All of the pant outfits are too short for you so I am thinking you are longer/taller than the average babe.

Favorites: You LOVE LOVE LOVE jumping in your Exersaucer and go absolutely bonkers every time you are in it. You will literally stay in it for hours and when you aren't in it you scootch all the way over to it and sit right beside it until someone puts you in.  Your sister still tops your favorites list and you have started laughing at her on your own, without her laughing at you first.

Development: you are thisclose to crawling, getting up on your arms and knees, rocking and doing baby pushups every time you are on your stomach.  You seem to get so frustrated when you can go anywhere and flop down on your stomach for a minute before getting up and trying again.  It's only a very small matter of time before you are going to be crawling all over the house and I have to remember how to babyproof our house.  You are jibber jabbering more this month than last month and love to laugh and squeal.  After you cut your four teeth you seem to be taking a break and we haven't had anymore pop up just yet. You can hold your bottle, rake toys near you and just recently started clapping!!!

Little Nellie Bell,

Happy 7 months pretty little girl.  You are such a delight and we are so blessed to have you in our lives.  You wake up happy every single day and are SO excited for the day, we should all be so lucky.  You are a growing little girl and seems to be so much bigger now than you were even a month ago. You have two upper teeth and two lower teeth now and have such a cheesy little grin.  You love talking to anyone that will listen and laugh so hard at pretty much anything.

Aunt Sissy and Uncle Bret came to visit us this month and they had so much fun with you. You enjoyed the extra attention and I know they couldn't get enough of loving on you.  This month they announced that Sissy is pregnant, due just one day before you were born, so if you wanted a brand new little cousin for your birthday then, don't worry, they've arranged for that.

We celebrated 4th of July and took you to the parade, which I actually think you enjoyed.  You loved watching all of the people and seeing all the bright colors and hearing the loud noises.  I loved an excuse to dress you and your sister up in matching outfits, sure to be the first of many, MANY outfits.

Tori always comments on how advanced you are and how strong you are getting.  You can now hold your own bottle and we've started feeding you solids.  You seem to like all of the food so far but it's funny how your taste buds seem to change day to day; some days you like pears or beet apple and the next day I can't get you to take even a bite! Your appetite is much heartier now and you are sleeping long, I think you must be growing growing growing.

You are sitting up all the time now and can move from a sit into a crawling position, although you have yet to take off.  You start in a seated position but within a matter of minutes you have switched over to your hip and down onto your stomach so you can get up and rock on your hands and knees.  You look most determined when a coveted toy is almost within your reach, getting frustrated when you can't quite get to it. It's like your brain is telling your body to move and it's just not listening!

You are obsessed with your Exersaucer and we can't keep you out of the thing; you can spend hours in it and when you're not in it you scoot your way over to it and pat it until someone will pick you up and put you in.

You love it so much you don't even stop jumping even when you are sleeping!

When I came home from work last Friday I walked into the room and said "Mommy's home!" and you immediately started clapping, which is the first time you've ever done that. Talk about melting mommy's heart into a giant little puddle!!!

You have started reaching out for people to pick you up and I absolutely love it.  We adore you so much baby girl!

Love, Mommy

6 Month Dr. Appt - Nellie

Nellie's doctor appointment today went great! Nellie is now 26 inches long and weighs 16.3lbs; her weight is back on the upswing and the doctor was very happy with the progress.  She sat pretty much the whole time Dr. Brouwer was in the room and this, along with her raking and hand/eye coordination,  was a sign that Nellie's gross motor skills were very advanced; most babies this age are still pretty floppy and not too coordinated.  She asked what Nellie had been saying and I said she started jibber jabbering much more lately and was squealing a lot.  She said that was great to hear because sometimes babies that were advanced in gross motor skills weren't too interested in language so they liked to keep an eye on it; the fact that Nellie is doing both is great.

We talked about food and she said to stick with fruits, vegetables and cereals for now and we could add more after her 9 month appointment.  Dr. Brouwer was happy to hear we are giving Nellie formula and said I can choose to wean anytime I want; she is just happy that we made it through the winter season with nursing.  She had one oral and two shot vaccinations and was a champ and cried for maybe five seconds before jabbering and smiling at the nurse.  Her next appointment will be at 9 months and she will get one shot then.

Happy 6 Months, Nellie!

6 Month Stats

Weight: 16lbs, 3oz

Length: 26in

Eating: you're still averaging about a bottle of formula per day and I think it's helping your overall weight gain since my milk.  You moved up to 6oz bottles this month and will likely need more soon because we're having to give you a third "snack" bottle during the day.  The good news is that I am now pumping more than I ever have before so that's great news!  You had your first taste of real food this month and I'm sad to say you fell victim to "second child syndrome!"  Mila's first food was an organic avocado slice....your first food (while Mom was in the bathroom!) was a french fry!  I've yet to decide what we are going to do with breastfeeding but I think we may start weaning.  You just began your 6mo growth spurt, however, so we will have to wait to get through that since you are waking up every couple of hours again to eat.

Bedtime: you go down at night around 7pm and I am happy to report that you are in the same room as Mila every night.  Most of the time you sleep through the night now (hooray!) but you have started getting into this horrible habit of waking up, just blabbering and talking to yourself, at 5am every morning.  I love you more than the world itself, but that's a little rough, my darling. Especially since you go back to sleep after your milk snack and I have to get up for the day!

Awake:  you are such a happy baby and love to be around people.  You are able to stay awake for two hours at a time so it makes venturing out of the house to run errands so much easier. You have started squealing and "talking" all the time.  You are in awe of your sister and love to watch her.

Naps: just like Mila, you hit 5 months and hit the nap wall and are suddenly a horrible napper.  Right now a good nap for you lasts about an hour when it should be two.  However, if we CAN get you down sometimes you will sleep for three hours. Doesn't really make sense, does it?  You have started taking a pacifier for me, but not for Robert or Tori.  

Diapers: Costco switched it up on me and separated the 1-2 diapers so I went with the size 2 and they are entirely too big.

Clothes: you are such a tiny little peanut I haven't even put you in your 3-6mo clothes yet and I hope they still fit!  I finally realized it's time to move up because none of your pants fit and your long sleeves end at your elbows.  I guess your clothes will never get too tight in your middle (at least for now!).   

Favorites: you prefer to sit up now and if we put you on your back you will roll over to your stomach and push up so you can see.  You have started talking on walks and prefer to be around people.  You will listen when Mila and I read books but you're not too into them.  You are now able to bounch in your Exersaucer and will spend hours in it!  Weirdly, the only way I can get you to sleep is by "shhh"ing to the tune of "Jingle Bells."  I don't know why it works but every time I do it I am able to get you to sleep.

Development: you have two teeth!  The middle bottom two have poked their little white caps through and will be full on teeth any time.  You don't take well to teething and the amber necklace isn't working as well as it did with Mila.  You chew so hard on your little hands that you have bite marks :(  and you're fairly fussy.  You also bit me while nursing and I almost lost my mind and threw you up in the air out of shock it hurt so bad.  Also, after that one roll from your back to your stomach last month you never did it again...until this week and now we can't keep you on your back. You haven't done a complete rollover yet but I know it's coming.  You can sit on your own now and rarely fall over; you can also lean forward to grab something and then pull it back towards you. 

Little Nell Bell,

Happy half birthday!!!!!  What a difference a month makes! Look at how much bigger you look from 5 months to 6 months!  You are probably the happiest baby I have ever see and you just keep getting happier! You are squealing and talking so much lately, it's so fun to see and hear.  

It's so cute to see you and Andi together.  I love that Mila had Kira to spend her days with and you have Andi.  Tori is still as fantastic as ever and loves you girls so much, not to mentioning having the patience of a saint.

Mila, however, is still your best friend.  You cannot get enough of her are in constant awe of her. She is almost as equally as obsessed with you except when you try to take some of her toys (and it begins...).  Sometimes I have flashes into the future and I get so excited for the bond the two of you will share and the fun times our family will have.

We introduced you to solid foods this month and so far you have tried a french fry, an avocado and a banana.  Of course you mainly loved the french fry, the other two you were unsure of.

In other extremely important news, I was able to get your hair up into a little ponytail and it was absolutely adorable.  Side pony!!!!

You love being at the beach and, unlike your mom, love playing in the sand.  I am always worried that you are going to get a sunburn since you are so fair skinned but I don't think we are ever going to be able to contain you indoors.

We love you so much baby doll and can't believe how fast time in flying.  I just want to bottle up everything about you and save it forever.  Good thing we have so many other things to look forward to with you.

Love,
Mommy