Tags, Toes, and Theaters

I feel like I have been noticing some new things about little Olive, and just wanted to share them. They may seem like small things, but to her, everything is huge!!

I have been reading this awesome book called What's Going On in There  and in it they discuss everything from brain development, social development, to how the eye develops. It's pretty technical, but understandable. So, don't know why I mentioned that... where am I going...? (mama brain at its finest..)

Anyways, I've noticed that not only is the becoming a pro at grabbing things, she now transfers objects from one hand to another. This seems small, but I read about how important it is in that book. AH hah, thats probably why I brought up that book. Anyways, shes doing that now, and its really amazing to watch. Sometimes when she is laying on her play mat it just looks like shes laying there not doing much, but then you look closer and your like... "Wait... shes moving that ring from one hand to another". Day made. Shes so smart.

Also, It says that her eyes are developed enough that she can notice, and be interested in small details on things. Lately, its been TAGS. She can have this super cool, colorful, crinkly, fun, and awesome toy dangling in her face, and she will spend a long time just touching the tag. she stares at it, touches it gently, and strokes it with the tips of her fingers. I am, of course, fasinated.

What else.... OOh yes, I noticed this week that her Babinski reflex is gone. Its the one where if you stroke the bottom of her foot, newborns stretch out their toes. Adults, and older babies, curl their toes in. This reflex is there at birth and can be there for up to 2 years. She's so advanced. hahaha

Thank you to Grandma Sandy, we have her first (and amazingly pretty) HIGH CHAIR!!! She went in it today for the first time, and ate some squash, like a pro! I cant wait to make her next meal!! What should it be?? She loves grabbing the spoon from me, so I remembered the old 2 spoon swapparoo trick I learned when I worked with infants, which has come in handy.

We took Olive to "baby night" at a local movie theatre last night to see the new James Bond movie! THe theatre was crowded with babies! Most were very young though. Probably because babies Olives age actually have bedtimes and are affected by changes in their environments...... She did pretty well, considering. Next time we know, she has to fall asleep BEFORE we go. It was NOT easy putting her down for the night in a movie theatre. Note to self. We had a good time though once she was sleeping. She was WIDE awake when it started, and she was standing on my lap, facing the screen, shouting "OOOOOHHH!!!!" over and over. It was adorable.

Today she weighed in at 16 pounds!!

So Thankful

This year I have so much to be thankful for, and if you can't tell from reading my blog, being Olive's mommy is on the tippy top of my list. She is just exploding with growth, love, and personality! I can't put into words how much I love her, and how thankful I am for her life and her health.

This year my parents and my brother, John, came over for thanksgiving dinner. Why I agreed to cook a dinner feast is beyond me, but I actually really enjoyed it. It was so nice being with them and sharing Olive with them. She's going through a little touch of what they call "stranger anxiety" right now, which makes it hard to pass her off   SHARE her with the family. I'm sure she will grow out of it, and everything I read just says its a good sign that she's just bonded with mom and dad right now. After a while though, she was able to be held by them, and I think they enjoyed seeing her smiling and playing.

She ate her first "food". I was SOOO excited I could hardly contain myself. I made a whole process of it. I went to the farmers market, picked the best squash I could.... cut it up and cooked the "best" part.... Mashed it up... We practiced eating milk with the spoon for days before.... OOH and it was fun! She was like.. "what is this"?? Swallowed, then squealed for more. It was the cutest thing ever. Unfortunately, I broke the memory card for our camera and only ONE picture was saved. This is it. Boy doesn't she look red headed?

We also discovered that ripping paper is the FUNNIEST thing ever to her. go figure.
I could watch this all day and night.

Speaking of night. Our little angel has graduated to her own room now. We've been napping her in there for months now, but she has stayed in our room in her co-sleeper until last night. I know everyone does things differently and at different times, but this was our time. It was the right time. She is no longer waking up to be fed at night, she's getting too big for the co-sleeper, and we want our room back! I read in several different places that if your going to move them, do it before 6-8 months when they are more sensitive to changes like that. She didn't mind at all. WE minded. Our little baby seems so "grown up". Adam hooked up the video monitor to our TV so anytime we wanted we could make sure she was ok.




She is so used to Lucy and Mango and they are so used to her, but over Thanksgiving there were 2 MORE pugs at our house, and one of them would actually allow Olive to grab and pull  gently pet him. She LOVED it!!! Jack is such a sweet boy. He didnt mind at all. She was actually being very gentle. Check out the onesie by the way....

Gone are the days where she just sleeps in the car. Gone are the days where we can go out to eat and she just sleeps the whole time. I took her newborn insert out of her carseat and bathe her in the big tub. Hello days of sleeping well. Hello days of smiles and giggles! Growing up!

Shes doing great! Another tooth is on the way...... oh boy.

5 Months Already!?

Well I have come to realize today that my baby is growing up! Today was her 5 month milestone, but I feel like this past week she had so many new things happen. It's just happening so fast! I look at pictures of her months ago and I just think... "was she REALLY that small?"... "shes so SKINNY!"

I feel like in the past couple weeks Olive has woken up a little bit. She so aware of so many things. Before, she would just kinda lay there quietly watching everything. Lots of watching.... Then, some grabbing... But now she has wants. She gets mad when you take something away from her. When your holding something, she wants it. She waits for you to kiss her and really screams in delight when you tickle her.

I discovered this week that she LOVES the story The Three Little Kittens. She loves it SO much that she can be in FULL cry, and I just start saying it, and BAM she's quiet. It's like a magic potion.... You can imagine though, now she wants to hear it ALL the time. I stop, she fusses! hahaha I think its adorable.

Today I was all prepared to move her into her crib at night. I've been preparing for this whole month. Then, during her afternoon nap. I hear her wake and scream. I run in there, and she actually managed to roll on to her belly WHILE swaddled. This takes an enormous effort, but she is super strong. This means though that swaddle weaning time is here. We have really loved swaddling her every single day since she was born. It has calmed her, soothed her, and made it possible for her to sleep so long so early I think. Tonight we swaddled one arm, and she was not happy about it, but shes sleeping now. In a few nights, the swaddle will be history. My baby is growing up...

Teething sucks. Anyone who has an "easy teether" consider yourself lucky. Olive HATED getting teeth in, and she got 2 back to back, which meant she was pretty fussy all month. Shes generally a happy baby, so it was rough when she was so unhappy. More teeth will come, but I am hoping for a little break. For all of us.... Now though she has 2 of the cutest teeth ever. growing up...

She's really such a joy. I am thankful everyday for her and the love I feel for her. I just feel like I am the luckiest lady alive somedays. When she looks up at me with that toothy smile, big chubby cheeks, and huge blue eyes, I literally gasp sometimes. She makes all the work, heartache, and despair of years of infertility totally and completely worth it. If only I could go back in time to that Mimi laying in bed, surrounded by tissues, feeling completely broken . I would hold her and tell her that its going to be over soon, and in the end she would have this perfect little girl. I would tell her its worth it.

Totally worth it.

Voting Day!

Adam was out of town this week, so I got to spend every waking second of the day with my darling baby girl. It wasn't easy, but I think we had a good week! I am so thankful that she's a "good" sleeper! We are in the process of moving her to her own bedroom at night now, and I know it will be harder on me than her. I heard that its easier on them if you do it before 6 months, so.... Adam hooked up the baby monitor so I can watch her sleeping on the big screen. I'll probably have to turn off the sound though....

Anyways, on election day Olive wore this cute outfit that I intended her to wear on the 4th of July, but it was too big then. It's a 0-3 month, but still fits her. She's just petite I guess. Who would have known I would have a blue-eyed petite baby!?

Lately, new things include:
- grabbing for the pugs
- grabbing my face
- scratching everything
- really grabbing things well and putting them in her mouth
- doing that raspberry thing with her mouth
- trying to drink water from my cup
- trying to sit up

Playing

Today Olive and I were out, and we got our first "She's so BIG" comment, from a stranger! She's always been on the little side because she was born early. My reaction SHOULD have been "oh great! It means shes healthy and growing", but in my head I was like... "are you calling my baby fat"? I got all defensive, but I guess this was a compliment.... Oh, motherhood.

She's back to front seat on the fuss bus the past few days. I can see tooth #2 just below the surface, and it better come through quick. She's just not happy all day long. There is only so much Tylenol...

Meanwhile, in efforts to "make her happy", I've already started trying to buy her happiness. I went and bought this activity "jumper" for her to enjoy. Because she has horrible acid reflux, she doesnt love being on the ground, and I need somewhere to put her every now and then, so here it is. So far, shes only happy in there for 5 min at a time, but I will take what I can. She seems to really like it, and shes super cute in there.

Look how much learning happens in there!!! I love watching her learn!!!

Judge-y people, dont cast your judgement here. I no longer care about doing everything "right", and now care about finding what will work for us. If she watches a few minutes of TV, I dont care. If this contraption puts her in an "un-natural" position, don't care. If she's happy, I'm happy. :) 
I think Ive decided that the best thing I can actually do for her is to calm down and stop worrying about whats "right"or what I'm "supposed", and just be a happy normal person. :)

Yeah!