Brooklyn 4 Months

Brooklyn Paige 4 Months: 2/26/12-3/26/12

Is it really that time again?!? Another month has past-my baby girl is 4 months old! Wow!!

Brooklyn is a joy to be around every day! It is amazing how much she changes each day-she is growing up so fast! We went to the doctor on Tuesday for her 4 month appointment! She is as healthy as can be and growing wonderfully!!

4 Month Stats:

Weight: 14 pounds 10 ounces (75th percentile)

Length: 24 inches (43rd percentile) * 

Head Circumference: 16 inches (40th percentile)

*I personally think that Brooklyn is longer than what she measured at the doctors office.  While the nurse was measuring her, I don't think she had her legs fully straight (as it is difficult to do with Brooklyn's legs constantly moving).  My unofficial measurement for her length at home is 26 inches.  

Diapers: size 2

Pajamas:3-6 months, just bought some 6-9 month but they are a little big

Clothes: 3-6 month or 6 months.  Not many 3 month clothes fit anymore

Schedule: Wake 7:00am, eat 7:30am, 10:30am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm, 7:30pm and between 3-4am.  

She is awake for about an hour and a half and then she goes down for a nap.  Her naps range anywhere from 25 minutes to 2 hours. You never know what you are going to get! She is always keeping me on my toes.  

Brooklyn has NOT been sleeping well at night.  This has been going on for the past 6 weeks.  To say I am exhausted is an under-statement.  I am more sleep deprived now than I was when she was a newborn.  She is up almost every hour in the night and just wants to be rocked.  I only feed her once in the night, I know she is not hungry, she just wants mommy cuddle time and I am a sucker and give it to her. But, that is all changing tonight (3/30).  Tonight is the start to 'sleep training'.  Miss Brooklyn is going to hate her parents for a few nights, but Ben and I both know that it is going to be so worth it in the end.  The next few nights are going to be very rough but we will get through it and once I can get more than 45 minutes of sleep at once I will be a much happier person and happier momma!! We are also taking away the swaddle tonight cold turkey! She loves her hands so I am hoping she will such on her hands (once the paci falls out) to self soothe herself.  I am dreading tonight but Ben and I both have a plan and we are sticking with it.  We will do this!!

Brooklyn REFUSES to nurse! It breaks my heart.  The only time she will nurse is in the middle of the night.  Any other time I put her on the boob she will be on for 3-5 minutes and get real squirmy and start to cry.  My baby is lazy and wants the immediate gratification that a bottle gives her. So, what do I do all day? I pump!! Brooklyn eats 5 ounce bottles during the day and a 6 ounce bottle at night.  That is a total of 26 ounces I pump for her to eat during the day and I also pump 10 ounces a day to freeze! Yes, I am crazy! Yes, my freezer is full! Yes, that is a total of 36 ounces of milk I pump a day! Crazy to think about!!  The reason I am freezing so much milk is because I want Brooklyn to get breast milk for as long as possible (up to 1 year) but once she gets her first tooth I will not nurse her anymore-not that I am nursing her much now anyway.  

I spoke with lactation consultant at Brooklyn's 4 month check up and she pretty much told me that it is going to be a very difficult task to get Brooklyn to nurse regularly again-ugh! So, instead of trying and making both Brooklyn and myself mad and irritated I am just going to continue to pump, pump, pump! (Thank you Janet for my pump-I never thought I would get so much use out of it!)

We are going to start Brooklyn on rice cereal tonight.  We are going to give it to her in the mornings around 8:30am and then in the evenings around 6pm. We are going to Florida next month and once we get back from Florida we will start introducing fruits and veggies!! 

Now, some highlights from Brooklyn's 4 month (by the way-she has been sleeping for 1 hour 30 minutes without me having to go up and rock her or replace her paci-this is very uncommon and has only happened a few several times-maybe she knows we are starting sleep training tonight and she is trying to convince me not to...hmmm...I am not giving in missy!)

• rolled over tummy to back 2/28
• 5 times in a row on 2/29
• took 2 hour nap in her crib 2/28
• gave mommy her first giggle 2/27
• blows bubbles/raspberries constantly
• slept in her crib at night for the first time on 3/2
• brings her hands above her head 
• we switched her reflux medicine from Zantac to Axid and it is really helping-she hardly spits up anymore! The one side effect she does have with the Axid is she burps all the time.  It could be 2 hours since she last ate and she will burp!
• went to the doctor at 15 weeks (to discuss reflux and switch medicine) and weighed 13 pounds 12 ounces (doctor was a little concerned that her weight had started to plateau, but at her 4 month check up she had gained almost a pound in 2 1/2 weeks.  I think her weight was plateauing because she was not nursing well)
• her fists and hands are in her mouth ALL of the time!
• she screams, squeals, sings (daddy thinks she is going to be a country singer!)
• starting to grab and reach for things
• drools constantly-teething??
• getting so close to finding her feet!

Loves:
being outside
her hands
being naked/diaper only
watching basketball on tv (Rock Chalk)
screaming (for fun!)
being on her changing table

Hates:
being alone
nursing
quiet rooms/places
being away from mommy :)

passed out after doctors appointment and shots

rock chalk jayhawk!! my girl loves basketball!

playing!

going for a walk-sitting in big girl stroller!

first time in jumperoo!!

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One Year Ago...

March 20, 2011 will always be a special day for me, Ben and our families!!!

It is the day we found out I was pregnant!!

I know I have probably blogged about that special day, but I am too lazy (and sleep deprived) to go back and find the story of that day, so I am going to recap it again here.  Wonder how much I remember....

...we started trying for a baby in September of 2010.  After several months of negative tests, then a month of no period, I made a visit to the doctor! My prolactin levels were high (you should only have high prolactin levels when you are breastfeeding), so that is why I was not having a period.  I took some medicine to induce a period (the most wicked, awful period EVER) and then we began trying again.  I wasn't going to get my hopes up, because I was tired of being let down or disappointed when there was not a 'positive' on the pregnancy pee stick.

On March 19, Ben and I decided to go shopping and have lunch.  We had a great day-we both got new clothes and enjoyed a nice lunch at Houston's.  All day Saturday when I would use the restroom I would have cramps.  I kept telling Ben that I knew I was going to start my period.  When we got home that evening I went to the restroom and my cramps were horrible, I just knew my period was coming.  I made the comment to Ben that it is weird that I am having all of this cramping without my period starting.  Mr. Google Ben, made a visit to his i-Pad and did some research.  He told me to take a pregnancy test in the morning (you know they say first morning urine is the best).

Sunday morning, I had plans to run with my mom in our neighborhood.  Mom was coming over around 8am (I think).  I woke up around 7am, grabbed the last pregnancy test out of the bottom drawer of the bathroom and went pee on the stick.  I had a lot of pee and a lot of nerves.  I laid the stick down on the floor, went to brush my teeth and went back to the stick 2 minutes later.  When I looked at the stick I couldn't believe what I was seeing-the view window was flooded with my urine (told you I was nervous and had a lot of pee), but behind all of that pee in the window I could make out two lines.  Wait, what?!? Two lines? Doesn't that mean I'm pregnant? I go to wake Ben up-we are both confused-don't know if we should believe it since I did flood the view window after all.  Damn! Why did that have to be my last pregnancy test?!

Hmmmm...what to do? My mom is going to be here in about 20 minutes.  I don't have time to run to the store to pick up more.  So, Ben says while we are running he will go and get some more tests.  Sounds great!

My mom gets to our house, we go running! I don't say a word to my mom about the events that took place in my bathroom before she arrived.  I didn't want to get my hopes up, or her hopes up and I didn't want to think about it.  We see Ben drive by-mom asks where he is going.  I tell her I think he is going to get his car washed.  We keep running.  10 minutes later we see Ben drive by again-mom says to me, I don't think the car wash was open! ( I just laughed-didn't know what to say-ha!).  Mom and I get back from running.  Mom is talking my head off and just hanging out with Ben and I.  I see the Wal-Greens bag on the counter and through the bag I see a package of pregnancy tests.  The entire time I am thinking, hurry up and leave mom!!

Finally! Mom leaves!! I quickly open the package of tests and run upstairs.  Ben follows.  I sit down, I pee, slowly! We wait.....1 minute....2 minutes....we look....IT'S POSITIVE!!! We hug, we kiss, we smile, we cry!

 *Yes, I took about 5 pictures of the positive pregnancy test! The bottom one is a picture of the test on the bathroom floor and then I moved it up to shelf in the bathroom! ha!*

I call my mom, she can tell I am a little emotional.  Before I can tell her the news she says "OMG Katy, I just had a thought that you were going to call me and tell me you were pregnant!"  I said "Mom I AM!!"  She didn't know what to say!! (How weird is that, that she thought that! Crazy!).

What a great and wonderful day!!

A year ago today I couldn't imagine having a beautiful, fun, loving almost 4 month old baby girl! How my heart just melts when I look at her!!

What a difference a year makes, but I wouldn't trade it for a thing!! I love my life!!

Brooklyn 3 Months

Month 3:1/26-2/26

3 Month Stats (unofficial):

Weight: 13.5 pounds

Clothes: Size 3 months mainly, but some 3-6 months

Pajamas: 3 months and 3-6 months

Diapers: Size 1

Wow!! 3 months already!?!? Where is the time going! I know every mom says it, but time needs to slow down!

It was a bit more difficult this month to get a good picture! Brooklyn loves her hands!! She is wearing her KU bow in these pictures-Rock Chalk!!

•  Brooklyn is starting to do better at tummy time! yeah!!
  

• She loves to be outside and go for walks!!
  

•  Brooklyn traveled to St. Joe for the first time.  I sat in back with her to entertain her on the 45 minute drive! She looks bald in the picture below-but she really isn't-her hair is getting longer on top each day!

•  Brooklyn is changing so much every day! I can't wait for the morning to see her big smile and to start the day with her and see what new things she will learn or do! 
• Miss Brooklyn is developing quite the personality-she is a little dramatic!!
• She talks and coos all the time, they are such sweet sounds to listen to!
• When laying down and being propped up she will do her baby sit-ups-pretty cute and funny!
• When we got back from our trip to Alabama she started sleeping in her pack n' play in our room.
• She started taking naps in her crib in her room on 2/20.

First nap in her crib!

•  Some firsts for Brooklyn this month:
• first plane ride (to Alabama)-2/8
• first giggle ever (at daddy-mommy was jealous!)-2/8
• first trip to St. Joe, where her daddy grew up

modeling her swimsuit.  I bought this swimsuit end of last summer thinking Brooklyn could wear it to Florida this April-well as you can see it's just about the perfect fit now so I don't know if she will be able to fit in it come April.

• Brooklyn's belly button is getting better every day! Those baby sit ups are helping to pull the umbilical hernia in! So happy!
• She still loves to be naked/diaper only.  This is when she talks and coo's the most! So sweet!

watching mommy cook dinner!

• Brooklyn loves her hands and tries to put her entire fist in her mouth! 
• She is very predictable during the day.  She will be awake for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes and then it is nap time again.  She is slowly getting better at naps!

• Everyone says that Brooklyn loves her mommy (duh!), but Brooklyn is going through a phase where she will only let mommy hold her.  If I am in the room she will cry if I am not holding her.  The minute I hold her she stops crying.  Isn't this a little young for separation anxiety? 
• Brooklyn is getting the infamous bald spot on the back of her head! 
• Her eyes change from blue to green throughout the day.  For the most part they are blue, but every now and then they are green! 

Mom?! Do I have to wear this hat and swimsuit?

My big, long, chubby baby!

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