9 Months Old!

9 months old already??!!

Well, three quarters of Miss Moira's first year is over! What a difference just a month makes in this baby's life and development...

* cruises furniture

* takes off diaper

* climbs stairs

* nurses a lot still

* clicks her tongue to call the pets

* stands up without holding onto something

* shakes her head "no"

* snorts and growls when she is mad

* still has only 2 teeth

* loves to be read to and played with

* favorite toys are matchbox cars

* gets into EVERYTHING!!!

"I'm pretty sure that I have places to go and things to get into!"

 Moira's personality is really coming out. She has developed quite the temper and will get reaaaallllly upset if you take something away from her. She has also learned the word, "no" and will shake her head when you say it... although she laughs and continues to do what you don't want to do. =) I am pretty sure that she is going to be fully walking by next month!

Baby Medical Mystery

So I am calling out today to all you mamas with kids with allergies, mamas who have some experience with mysterious skin issues, namely-hives:

This is what it looks like at first, then they get bigger and redder, then they fade out...

 Poor Miss Moira has been getting hives very randomly for the last 5 days. We can't figure out a common trigger and there is no rhyme or reason to the time or severity. It is driving me NUTS!
They don't seem to bother her at all and most of the time disappear as fast as they come. What is crazy is that nothing in our daily life or diet has changed. No new foods, no new household products... nada. And it has happened when we were out at a museum, at the park, 10 mins after nursing, after playing on the floor, etc.... I thought at first that she got bit my something but there are no bites, just lots of hives. They usually start on her legs, then the arms, and face- never any on her stomach or back or under her hair.

I thought that maybe it was a reaction to me eating a ton of cherries and her eating cherry puffs, but I stopped that days ago to see if the hives would stop and they keep on coming strong.... AHHHHH!!!!
Poor kiddo looks like she has the plague when they are full force!

So..... any thoughts on how to figure out what is the root cause? I have been writing down every episode and there is no pattern to the hives, no linking factor. Help!!

Sorry for the bad pics, it was late and photo composition was definitely NOT on my mind!

8 Months!

(this is a few days late, Moira wasn't in a photo mood lately!)

Oh my goodness!
This little girl is such a sparkler...

she has a temper like none other and can go from happy to PISSED in a blink.

But she is sooooo happy and lively most of the time. 

Moira is not only crawling, but she pulls herself to standing a lot.

She is eating everything in sight and demands tastes, no matter what it is. 

She giggles at her sisters a lot, especially Gabby.

I have taken to calling her "Meep Meep" (think Roadrunner's voice)

because she moves so quick and is sorta goofy. =P

She is still nursing like a champ and has learned how to lift up my shirt when we are sleeping.

There is so much to this little one of mine...

Happy 8 months baby doll!

7 Months!

Miss Moira turned 7 months old a few days ago. She is such a delightful baby to watch and grow! Here are a few highlights from this month:

* She can pull herself to standing easily and using anything and everything to help, including my hair!

* Moira LOVES looking out the front windows and all the people

* She is getting not one but two teeth at once!

* Favorite foods include hummus, guacamole, and oatmeal

* Is definitely an active baby who needs little sleep to be happy

*Sits by herself and plays with cars while we cook

* Favorite toys are matchbox cars, tag blocks, and her Jumperoo

* First Words: My Mama! (YAY!)

All in all Moira is doing fabulous and everyone is so quick to play with her and make her laugh, which she does a lot of. She is trying to talk more and I am pretty sure that she is planning on skipping the crawling thing. We'll see! 

Happy 6 Months Baby Girl

Dear Miss Moira,
 You are now 6 months old and what a difference 6 very short months make! You have not only grown physically but you are figuring out this world faster than Mama and Daddy can keep up. All in one day you figured out how to roll both ways, scoot on your belly, and transfer things from one hand to another. Amazing!
  Your personality is really shining these days. With strangers you will maybe* flash a smile and then coyly hide your face. No one can really pick you up yet aside from us. But with your family you are one VERY happy baby. Gabby and AJ get the biggest smiles from you of all, you looooove your sisters! With mama you love to cuddle, pull hair, and of course nurse. (Your appetite is wonderful!)
  I love watching you take in this world, see you reach for the cats and dog, smile when Daddy comes home from work, and explore everything you can. You are especially sweet at night, when you wrap your fingers in my tee shirt, and cuddle close to snuggle. I never thought I would enjoy co-sleeping as much as this!
 Moira Marie, or Fuzz Head (as you have no hair) as Daddy calls you, you are a wonderfully perfect addition to our family and we are all so lucky to have you. I can't wait to see what these next 6 months bring!!!

Happy 6 months baby girl!

Love,
 Mama

My lil girl...

Words can't describe how much I love this little girl...

She is obsessed with my hair, and even though it hurts,

I wear it down so that she can play with it and pat it.

At night, she twines her fingers in my shirt and reaches for me,

making sure that I am near, 

and snuggles closer until we are one.

5 Months Old!

This is a couple days late thanks to a crazy schedule and Mother's Day, but Miss Moira is now 5 months old! Oh my how the time is flying by!

Moira's personality is so cheerful, calm, and watchful. She has started reaching for things she wants, Spooky being her favorite target of love. She looooooves food and has fingertips tastes of just about everything we eat from avocado to pasta sauce.

An interesting thing about Miss Moira is that she discovered how to scoot off her floor bed. I heard her wake up at about 3 in the morning one night. I looked down and saw her laying there... in the hallway! She managed to get all the way out of her room before babbling for me! Moira doesn't really cry too much so it was quite a surprise. =)

Moira is learning who everyone is in the family and smiles the biggest for her sisters, especially Gabby. Whenever we want smiley pictures of Moira we get Gabby to make her laugh!

I could go on and on about this little girl because she is pretty much my world. Let's just say that everyday I thank my lucky stars for this little girl, her kisses, smiles, and love!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.For more moments, visit SouleMama

All of 4 Months!

Already 4 months have gone by...

Days filled with smiles, giggles, and chubby cheeks!

At 4 months old Moira is developing her own little personality

and finding her place in this family.

Already she knows her name,

just discovered her toes,

and sings herself a song to go to sleep.

She loves to have her photos taken,

prefers to sleep with mommy more than anyone,

and splashes in the bathtub tons!

Moira is worn everywhere so she sees everything.

In the car she stares at her mirror in facination

and started grabbing her toes to take off her socks.

Her personality is sweet and calm,

more watchful than active,

 and just now she is beginning to use her voice,

(mostly to protest nap times!!)

This baby of ours is growing so fast,

cherished by everyone around her.

Happy 4 months little one!

New Baby Bed

Well, this was a good weekend all in all. Poor Klint got the big "snip, snip" and was on the couch playing video games most weekend, the girls and I went to the zoo with some awesome friends, and Miss Moira got a bedroom makeover.

It seems that Moira does not care to sleep in a crib... at all. Yet the little toot will sleep through the night on our bed next to me and even naps like a champ on our platform bed by herself. So the logical thing for us to do is take down her crib and set up a floor bed, Montessorri-esque style. And lucky for us she loves it!!!

Her room is pretty warm and to combat the hardwood floor in her room, we set a rug and her sheepskin rug next to the mattress just in case Moira decided to roll off. Seriously, she is about an inch and a half off the ground so I am not too concerned. The only thing left to do is to lower her birdie mobile so that it isn't so far up. Instead of putting a mirror along the wall for her to look at, for now I took some decals from AJ and Gabby's room and made a little woodland nook for Moira to look at. The tree is tall enough that she looks up and then she can see her mobile. When we set her down she laughed and looked very happy... then proceeded to go to sleep!! Love it!

3 Months Old!

 

This little ham is 3 months old!

She is a smiley, happy girl who rarely cries.

Moira loves to wrap her hands in my clothes while she sleeps next to me,

as well as when she is nursing.

She is definitely a mama's girl!!

Moira Marie (as I like to call her) has started really laughing,

sleeps through the night pretty consistently,

and has taken an interest in watching the girls play.

She makes everyone around her smile and is awake a lot more these days.

I love tickling her toes which always gets a giggle,

watching her smile at her bird mobile (she looooves it!),

and hearing her snore- girlfriend has some sound to her sleep!

All in all, she is growing and changing but remains our ever cheerful baby!!

HAPPY 3 MONTHS DOLL BABY! 

Today...

I got to sleep in thanks to the hubby,

I went to the library and picked up a long awaited book,

Made some new mommy friends,

Had a very yummy fish sandwich for lunch,

Worked with Gabby on her homeschool items... we are learning about states of matter, money, plural nouns, Ireland, Mars, habitats, homonyms, and poetry!

Taught ballet and tap,

Thanks to a friend, learned how to get the van to turn on when the anti-theft system tries to take over!

Ate a truly tasty dinner with two lovely ladies- Angelo's pizza is amazing!

Started thinking about this weeks Project: Simplify assignment,

Spent some cuddle time with my baby,

and did lots of other fun mommy things! Those are the highlights though.... man, am I tired!

Well Hello!

This is about as much romance as I get these days!
(photo from here!)

Hey there! Is anyone else feeling the romance in the air? Hearts, red, and lots of chocolate everywhere... Speaking of romance... one thing they forget to mention when you are having a baby is the utter lack of opportunities for romance once your little one arrives. And forget it when you have more than one! Trying to find some grownup snuggle time is akin to finding a good time to repaint my walls... I don't think that having a hubby who works third shift helps the problem either. By the end of the day I am beat, he is snoozing before work, and sure enough one of the kids needs something. Ack!

Today Miss Moira had her 2 month old doctor's appointment. The general thought is that she is cute as a button and perfect as pie. Although she has a pretty bad case of cradle cap on her face and hair line (yuck) as well as some eczema on her arms... thank goodness for Photoshop and Picnik... She wakes up looking like a little scaly dragon-baby hybrid. The only cream that seems to help is this wonderful cream by Weleda.

Homeschooling is going well with Gabby. We are tackling Dolch's Sight Words, reading comprehension, vertebrates and invertebrates, pictographs, and the great state of Ohio. I read a great article today over at Simple Homeschooling that really put the whole thing into perspective though... the most important thing I have to do with her today is just love her. Simple as that. Seriously, go here and read the article... you will feel all warm inside after!

I got an interesting email today from a fellow Etsian, asking me if I want to participate in a craft show in June. I have never done a craft show and have no clue what would sell there...  I make a lot of things... how do I choose? Do I sell a little bit of everything or just concentrate on just one or two things that people really like? Ahhh! Any advice would be welcome! Obviously if you visit here a lot you see all of my craftiness, which my kids love. But what would actually sell? I am thinking of making a whole bunch of really girly things like some pom pom tutus, fairy doors, and spoolie dolls that match hair clips.... who knows though!

2 months today!

Today my little one is 2 months old.

So much about her has changed...

Moira smiles when you tell her how pretty she is,

she also loves to hear that she is funny!

She prefers to snuggle next to me in bed,

although she will lay in her crib while I shower.

Miss Mimi (as her sisters call her) hardly ever cries,

as long as mommy does not eat buffalo chicken sandwiches!

She is finally growing out of her newborn clothes,

and has been able to roll over to sleep on her side for quite a few weeks now.

This little one of mine has completely captured our hearts...

she is a wonder to have and a pleasure to hold.

Such a strong love in such a short amount of time!

Happy 2 months, my little love!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. (from SouleMama)

1 Month

(Month stickers were bought from this Etsy store!

Miss Moira,
 Today you are 1 month old and it seems like you have always been here but at the same time are still so new. I cannot believe how seamlessly you slipped into our lives, making this momma very thankful. I have bypassed most of the new mama exhaustion thanks to your easy nature, love of nursing, and all around mellowness. You are a champ at eating and are definitely sporting the multiple chin thing, which I find adorable of course! I find it funny that everyone calls you something different... Daddy calls you Nugget, the girls call you Mimi, and I call you Moira Marie or Chipmunk. (You love to store milk in your cheeks for later!)
 In this one month time I have gotten to know your personality and am already seeing some tiny changes in your eye color... I think you are going to be another Brown Eyed Girl, little love! You still have all your dark pretty hair and no bald spots since you prefer to sleep on your side. You love to look around at the kitties and make wonderful eye contact, which makes everyone smile, which makes you smile. =)
 I am 100% smitten with you my Chipmunk and can't wait to see what this month brings!

Getting Readjusted...

Today my little one is exactly 3 weeks old and while in some ways I have needed more time to adjust to this new routine, in many ways life just continued on as normal. My own children to care for, other children to care for (a new family started the week that I came home from the hospital!), pets to be looked after, laundry... it is all there. I am enjoying this new person in my life though... she is definitely an easy, mellow baby, who already heard the sounds in the sometimes chaotic house, therefore, when I have to raise my voice or there is nuttiness going on she can sleep right through it all. Thank goodness!

Moira definitely has a personality already. She is calm and likes to push away from me to look around her environment. She will fuss if I don't nurse her as quickly as she wants and man oh man is she a messy eater! Most days I have at least a couple outfit changes for me and her as she somehow gets milk on my arms, legs, her whole upper body, lol! I have started wedging a small washcloth between her chin and me to catch all the run off... but at least I know she is eating well. Well enough, in fact, that she gained a whole pound and then some in the first two weeks of her life!

But aside from the baby, most normalcy has returned. There are still some things we need to fix, like getting a bigger vehicle, but all in all... I am getting readjusted quite well!

Oh.... and I just bought these for Miss Moira's monthly photos.... aren't they genius?! The seller has tons of fun designs and they are way cheaper than actually making onesies with the design on it!

Favorite Baby App for the Droid!

One of the hardest things for me to get used to about having a brand new baby around is keeping track of all the nursing and body function details... which side Moira nursed on last time, when she pooped last, how long ago did she eat, etc.... Well thank goodness for my Motorola Droid!!! Now I have some easy to use and FREE tools to help me adjust easier to our new family member.

Personally I am a huge fan of an app called Baby Care. It is really easy to use, is detailed enough for me to keep track of whether she ate on one side or both, for how long, and how much time passes in between. It also keeps a history so when the pediatrician asks I can just pull up all the information. The app also keeps track of diaper changes, sleeping, other details, and has a diary function. Love it!!

Even though taking care of a baby is pretty basic, it is nice to have some modern things to make the job a bit easier!!

Top 10 Reasons Why I Loved Being Pregnant!

Klint took this of me when I reached our due date and I love it! Even though my bump is just a memory and there will be no more future bumps, I can honestly look back on this pregnancy with a lot of fondness.... Here are my Top 10 Reasons Why I Loved Being Pregnant (this time!)

10. Minimal Weight Gain- Don't know how I managed to gain as little as I did without puking my brains out everyday, but I definitely enjoyed not wearing maternity clothes and feeling good about myself in general.

9. I Rocked Out the Bikini- Something I never dared to do with either of my other two pregnancies! It may not have been the Swim Suit photo of the year, but I felt pretty good about myself in my Speedo bikini!

8. I got to paint my belly like a pumpkin! (A goal of mine since we got married!)

7. Hardly any nausea and throwing up.... thank goodness!

6. No Swelling- not even in the last trimester!

5. I Got Informed! If it wasn't for this pregnancy I would not have stood up for my birthing rights and would have remained woefully ignorant to the blatant wrongness of our modern medical OB system. I learned so much and have become so much stronger for it. I got to really look at my first two births and see that I was manipulated by an OB who did not have my best interests at heart and that there was something I could do about it!

4. No one called me fat, asked if I was having twins, and only one stranger rubbed my belly- a new record for me!

3. No food aversions- I escaped this pregnancy loving all the foods that I started out loving.... thank goodness!

2. I got to meet awesome women who shared my journey with me, found a doula who is awesome, and now have an OB that I trust and would recommend to anyone I know!

1. My marriage is so much stronger than what it was when we started out this adventure. I got to fall in love with my husband all over again and know that he feels the same way. Even though physically there were some rough times for me, it was so nice to know that my partner was there to hold my hand and support me.

And that my friends, is why I loved being pregnant this time!