...comes a little extra attention on my part! We're both learning, you see!
Specifically, last week Autumn started pulling up on things. The first couple of days were slow going, but she has officially become a master. She can pull up on just about anything now and she gets a huge smile of accomplishment each time she gets to a standing position.
The only problem that we've found is that she has not mastered the art of sitting back down once she's standing. This means that I need to be near her pretty much at all times, which is tiring! I am also learning that, while I want to capture all of these new things on video, I neeed to suffer the consequences when I do! Here's our latest example:
I want to add that the end of this video when you hear me say "oh sh.." you can just imagine what came out of my mouth next. What came out of Autumn was expected, she cried until I could distract her enough to make her realize that she wasn't hurt. She was fine! No bumps or bruises this time around. The kid needs to learn to sit down!
My new job this week is to show her each time she stands that she can drop to her bottom quite easily. Wish me luck.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Big Girl
This past week has been FULL of new accomplishments for my little girl. Not only is she dancing to every song she hears, waving to strangers, and getting to a sitting position by herself, but as of Tuesday, she can pull up to a standing position! All of which means that my days chasing and entertaining her are now officially nonstop. I am more and more amazed by her every day, and could go on for paragraphs about how much fun she is. So rather than bore you with every detail of each accomplishment, I'll just post my favorite pictures from our latest photoshoot that took place this afternoon. Thanks again, Aunt Kate!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Temper
I think that Autumn had her very first temper tantrum yesterday. She had eaten dinner, and I was giving her a bottle, and when it was done, she started screaming and full-on crying (red face and all). I picked her up out of her high chair and tried to distract her to take her mind off of the situation and she just got even more mad! She started flailing her arms around which was hitting my face, so I took her little arms and just gently pinned them to her side, which of course made her even more mad. I ended up just putting her in the baby jail and walking away for a minute. About 20 seconds later, she was fine, happy, and playing with her toys. Wow! I'm not sure that a temper tantrum at 9 months is a good sign, but I guess we're all learning in this process.
In happier news, Autumn is learning new things daily and it's a joy to watch her! She can stand up while holding on to things, but she can't quite get her balance, so I think walking is a ways off - thankfully! She is trying to wave and beat on things, but she's not all that coordinated, just like me, so she just flails her arms around and doesn't actually accomplish much. She is also saying da da da da da when she's really happy and playing and in the last 2 days has started saying ma ma ma ma ma only when she's terribly upset. I'm not quite sure that's fair, but oh well. Even though she's screaming when she does it, it's still wonderful to hear her say it! She's also dancing and singing along with the radio! She bobs her head to music and just makes noise with her voice whenever music is on. It's hilarious. We were in TJ Maxx today and she started dancing when she heard the music and she was totally cracking me up. She just gets this huge smile on her face like it's the best thing she's ever heard, no matter the song.
She now has 3 teeth. She has the 2 on the bottom center and then one little odd one on the top that I think came in out of order. It looks like it's the canine tooth, but it could be the one right between that one and the front tooth. I lovingly call it her snaggle tooth!
With all of these things going on, I guess a temper tantrum every once in a while is to be expected. I just hope that in the future (not including her teenage years, because I know they'll probably be daily at that point) that they are few and far between!
In happier news, Autumn is learning new things daily and it's a joy to watch her! She can stand up while holding on to things, but she can't quite get her balance, so I think walking is a ways off - thankfully! She is trying to wave and beat on things, but she's not all that coordinated, just like me, so she just flails her arms around and doesn't actually accomplish much. She is also saying da da da da da when she's really happy and playing and in the last 2 days has started saying ma ma ma ma ma only when she's terribly upset. I'm not quite sure that's fair, but oh well. Even though she's screaming when she does it, it's still wonderful to hear her say it! She's also dancing and singing along with the radio! She bobs her head to music and just makes noise with her voice whenever music is on. It's hilarious. We were in TJ Maxx today and she started dancing when she heard the music and she was totally cracking me up. She just gets this huge smile on her face like it's the best thing she's ever heard, no matter the song.
She now has 3 teeth. She has the 2 on the bottom center and then one little odd one on the top that I think came in out of order. It looks like it's the canine tooth, but it could be the one right between that one and the front tooth. I lovingly call it her snaggle tooth!
With all of these things going on, I guess a temper tantrum every once in a while is to be expected. I just hope that in the future (not including her teenage years, because I know they'll probably be daily at that point) that they are few and far between!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
My Happy Place
This last weekend we made an impromptu trip to Leakey for a much-needed getaway. I was literally bitching to Elizabeth on Thursday afternoon that I didn't have any plans for the Labor Day weekend and she said "Let's go to Leakey tomorrow" and I said OK! Jeremy wasn't hard to convince either. I guess we both needed a little time away from the house.
We packed up the car (you'd be surprised how much crap a Jetta can hold) and headed out Friday afternoon. We didn't go overboard with food like we normally do and packed the car with a couple of t-shirts, some shorts, some swimsuits, flip-flops, 3 chihuahuas, a whole lot of champers, and Autumn's entire room*. We got to Leakey at about 6pm and just relaxed!
The relaxing continued the entire weekend and the weather was incredible. It was not too hot and there was a nice breeze that even brought in a couple of sprinkle showers. Unfortunately that meant the Frio was even more frio than normal, so we didn't spend a lot of time in the river. We did, however, sit on the porch, gossip, take long walks with the girls, sleep in, and have a wonderful chill long weekend. Just what the doctor ordered!
As usual, we took a whole bunch of pictures which I've put on my Picasa album. It's far easier to just have them as a link you can go to and take a peek than to actually post them here! See, my laziness continues... We also got some video of the girls that we are going to cherish forever. The first 2 below are of Autumn and Felicia playing outside. Autumn loves the swing and Felicia loves to get in to everything so this set up was ideal.
The second was just a couple minutes after Felicia got tired of pushing Autie in the swing. She decided to run back to check on the situation and things got a little out of hand. Unfortunately I was sitting about 6 feet to the right of where I should have been sitting to caputure this moment properly, but you get the gist.
And finally, we took a lot of video of the girls in the bathtub together. Of the ones I took, this one's my favorite. Felicia splashes the crap outta Autumn, but Autumn just seems to take it all in stride. While she may not be able to splash her back now, I'm sure that it will come in the future.
We had so much fun and remembered what it's like to be without cell phones, tvs, internet, and civilization once again. Pure bliss if you ask me. While it's nice to come back to it, it sure is wonderful to be without every once in a while!
*Unfortunately I've learned that it's virtually impossible to travel light with a baby! The trouble of getting things to where you're going far outweighs the convenience of having things with you!
We packed up the car (you'd be surprised how much crap a Jetta can hold) and headed out Friday afternoon. We didn't go overboard with food like we normally do and packed the car with a couple of t-shirts, some shorts, some swimsuits, flip-flops, 3 chihuahuas, a whole lot of champers, and Autumn's entire room*. We got to Leakey at about 6pm and just relaxed!
The relaxing continued the entire weekend and the weather was incredible. It was not too hot and there was a nice breeze that even brought in a couple of sprinkle showers. Unfortunately that meant the Frio was even more frio than normal, so we didn't spend a lot of time in the river. We did, however, sit on the porch, gossip, take long walks with the girls, sleep in, and have a wonderful chill long weekend. Just what the doctor ordered!
As usual, we took a whole bunch of pictures which I've put on my Picasa album. It's far easier to just have them as a link you can go to and take a peek than to actually post them here! See, my laziness continues... We also got some video of the girls that we are going to cherish forever. The first 2 below are of Autumn and Felicia playing outside. Autumn loves the swing and Felicia loves to get in to everything so this set up was ideal.
The second was just a couple minutes after Felicia got tired of pushing Autie in the swing. She decided to run back to check on the situation and things got a little out of hand. Unfortunately I was sitting about 6 feet to the right of where I should have been sitting to caputure this moment properly, but you get the gist.
And finally, we took a lot of video of the girls in the bathtub together. Of the ones I took, this one's my favorite. Felicia splashes the crap outta Autumn, but Autumn just seems to take it all in stride. While she may not be able to splash her back now, I'm sure that it will come in the future.
We had so much fun and remembered what it's like to be without cell phones, tvs, internet, and civilization once again. Pure bliss if you ask me. While it's nice to come back to it, it sure is wonderful to be without every once in a while!
*Unfortunately I've learned that it's virtually impossible to travel light with a baby! The trouble of getting things to where you're going far outweighs the convenience of having things with you!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
I have become the person I always bitched about...
Here's what store managers need to realize: when you have a 20 pound baby in a cart that you've left in the car seat because cart germs freak you out, and you've failed to park near a cart return, a dilemma arises. You only have 2 options. Do you leave your baby in the car that you've had to turn on because it's 207 degrees in the shade in a lovely Texas summer to walk 5 cars away to be the good person and return the cart? Or do become "that guy" and leave the cart by the car? Folks, I've become "that guy". And what's worse is I don't feel all that bad about it.
HEB, for example, has wonderul "people with baby" parking. But what is the point of having that baby parking if there's no cart return right next to it to put your baby in? And do you want to know who the worse store offender is? Babies R Us in Austin! No kidding. In the parking lot, there are about 3 cart return areas. Where are they? At the back of the parking lot! It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, now does it?
So next time you see a lone cart in the middle of the parking lot, please don't cuss the person that did it. Just think that there's a good chance that there's acutally logical explaination for it.
HEB, for example, has wonderul "people with baby" parking. But what is the point of having that baby parking if there's no cart return right next to it to put your baby in? And do you want to know who the worse store offender is? Babies R Us in Austin! No kidding. In the parking lot, there are about 3 cart return areas. Where are they? At the back of the parking lot! It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, now does it?
So next time you see a lone cart in the middle of the parking lot, please don't cuss the person that did it. Just think that there's a good chance that there's acutally logical explaination for it.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
9 Month Doctor Appointment!
The last couple of weeks have absolutely flown by. Autumn keeps me constantly occupied and by the end of the night, I sit and think... Hmm, I really should update my blog. And as we all know, that never happened.
This past week has been challenging to say the least. Autumn is officially teething (again). The last time the 2 bottom teeth came in, we never even knew that it was happening. She didn't even give us reason to think that they were on their way and one day, they just appeared! This round, however, I think she's making up for it. Since Autumn is such a good baby normally, fussiness in this household is so frustrating! I haven't been able to keep her happy for long periods of time, she's wanted constant attention, and for the last couple of days has run a low fever. A couple of days ago, I saw the first hint of a new tooth (the little tooth to the left of one of her 2 front teeth) and thought the end was near. There was no luck in that department, as even after the tooth was cut, the symptoms continued. I feel so helpless sometimes since I know she doesn't understand why her mouth hurts. I've just tried to keep her a little closer and cuddle a little more these days.
I had it in my mind that her 9 month appointment was this Thursday for some reason, and planned my week around it. I couldn't remember the time of the appointment, so I called the Pediatritian's office this morning to check. They couldn't find Autumn's name on Thursday, and just started to look for her this week. The woman on the end of the line informed me that the appointment was today! Thankfully my boss is very understanding and we headed off to the doctor's office!
When we arrived, Autumn charmed everyone with her smiles and personality as usual! We got her new stats when we got in to our exam room! Autumn now weighs 20 pounds 15 ounces (a long way away from her original 6lb 7oz!) which puts her in the 85th percentile. She's 27 3/4 inches long and is in the 65th percentile for height. The shocking number is that her head circumference is 45.8cm which puts her in the 90th percentile (it's got to be all those brains in there)! My interpretation of these numbers supports what I see, that I have a little butterball :)
I was asked the normal questions about Autumn's development. I happily reported the things about her that I love the most. She laughs constantly, she plays peek-a-boo, she crawls (kind-of), she's very curious, she says "da da" (but no ma ma, dang-it), she repeats noises that you make, she's trying to pull up on everything but can't quite make it yet, and she changes every single day. I also happily reported that she loves to sing, and even though she may not be on key yet, the doctor informed me that singing was a very advanced still for a 9 month old.
We went through our feeding schedule and I learned about what's to come. Basically, she's no longer needs "baby" food and she can eat almost anything. I'm very excited to introduce her to some of the things that I love most! I can't help but wonder what her favorite foods will be and what she's going to refuse to eat (anyone want to introduce Autumn to seafood for me?).
We talked about teeth and I told her about all of the recent fussiness. She asked me if she could look in her mouth and I warned her that Autumn wasn't going to like that very much! While I literally pinned her arms to her side and her head to my chest, the doctor was able to take a peek. She told me that not only was the one tooth coming in, but she saw the front two teeth that should be making their appearance shortly! I can't even imagine what Autumn is going to look like with all of these teeth!
At the end of the appointment, she was cheerfully playing with me and lying on the table when the mean nurse stuck 2 huge needles in her chubby little thighs. This ain't my first rodeo and I've been very proud of how Autumn has handled shots in the past. With all of her changes, has come one very big one. SHE DOESN'T LIKE SHOTS. Autumn cried a cry that I have never heard before. I'm not sure that she's ever heard the screams that came out of her perfect little lips. I was so shocked by these noises that I had to show her to the nurses to make sure she wasn't having some sort of allergic reaction to the shots. They just pouted their lips and said "awww, her little face is so red!".
I took my little one home and just cuddled with her a little bit extra tonight because she just plain needed it. That's one thing in the world that's never going to change. She need me and I need her. Forever. And while I have no idea what kind of woman she's going to be, I know that I will always need her and I will always be there for her.
Everyone tells you that when you have a baby, the love that you immediately feel for that little one is indescribable. What they didn't tell me is that this indescribable love grows exponentially every single day. I absolutely adore this new-found love and have no idea how my heart is going to hold all of this love, but I can't wait to find out!
This past week has been challenging to say the least. Autumn is officially teething (again). The last time the 2 bottom teeth came in, we never even knew that it was happening. She didn't even give us reason to think that they were on their way and one day, they just appeared! This round, however, I think she's making up for it. Since Autumn is such a good baby normally, fussiness in this household is so frustrating! I haven't been able to keep her happy for long periods of time, she's wanted constant attention, and for the last couple of days has run a low fever. A couple of days ago, I saw the first hint of a new tooth (the little tooth to the left of one of her 2 front teeth) and thought the end was near. There was no luck in that department, as even after the tooth was cut, the symptoms continued. I feel so helpless sometimes since I know she doesn't understand why her mouth hurts. I've just tried to keep her a little closer and cuddle a little more these days.
I had it in my mind that her 9 month appointment was this Thursday for some reason, and planned my week around it. I couldn't remember the time of the appointment, so I called the Pediatritian's office this morning to check. They couldn't find Autumn's name on Thursday, and just started to look for her this week. The woman on the end of the line informed me that the appointment was today! Thankfully my boss is very understanding and we headed off to the doctor's office!
When we arrived, Autumn charmed everyone with her smiles and personality as usual! We got her new stats when we got in to our exam room! Autumn now weighs 20 pounds 15 ounces (a long way away from her original 6lb 7oz!) which puts her in the 85th percentile. She's 27 3/4 inches long and is in the 65th percentile for height. The shocking number is that her head circumference is 45.8cm which puts her in the 90th percentile (it's got to be all those brains in there)! My interpretation of these numbers supports what I see, that I have a little butterball :)
I was asked the normal questions about Autumn's development. I happily reported the things about her that I love the most. She laughs constantly, she plays peek-a-boo, she crawls (kind-of), she's very curious, she says "da da" (but no ma ma, dang-it), she repeats noises that you make, she's trying to pull up on everything but can't quite make it yet, and she changes every single day. I also happily reported that she loves to sing, and even though she may not be on key yet, the doctor informed me that singing was a very advanced still for a 9 month old.
We went through our feeding schedule and I learned about what's to come. Basically, she's no longer needs "baby" food and she can eat almost anything. I'm very excited to introduce her to some of the things that I love most! I can't help but wonder what her favorite foods will be and what she's going to refuse to eat (anyone want to introduce Autumn to seafood for me?).
We talked about teeth and I told her about all of the recent fussiness. She asked me if she could look in her mouth and I warned her that Autumn wasn't going to like that very much! While I literally pinned her arms to her side and her head to my chest, the doctor was able to take a peek. She told me that not only was the one tooth coming in, but she saw the front two teeth that should be making their appearance shortly! I can't even imagine what Autumn is going to look like with all of these teeth!
At the end of the appointment, she was cheerfully playing with me and lying on the table when the mean nurse stuck 2 huge needles in her chubby little thighs. This ain't my first rodeo and I've been very proud of how Autumn has handled shots in the past. With all of her changes, has come one very big one. SHE DOESN'T LIKE SHOTS. Autumn cried a cry that I have never heard before. I'm not sure that she's ever heard the screams that came out of her perfect little lips. I was so shocked by these noises that I had to show her to the nurses to make sure she wasn't having some sort of allergic reaction to the shots. They just pouted their lips and said "awww, her little face is so red!".
I took my little one home and just cuddled with her a little bit extra tonight because she just plain needed it. That's one thing in the world that's never going to change. She need me and I need her. Forever. And while I have no idea what kind of woman she's going to be, I know that I will always need her and I will always be there for her.
Everyone tells you that when you have a baby, the love that you immediately feel for that little one is indescribable. What they didn't tell me is that this indescribable love grows exponentially every single day. I absolutely adore this new-found love and have no idea how my heart is going to hold all of this love, but I can't wait to find out!
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