5 months!

Whew!  April was crazy, and May is about to be even crazier!  We were busy every weekend in April including: Stephen's parents visiting, a trip to see my parents + me and B staying there for a week, our staff training in Tulsa...then on to May!  We spent several days in Fayetteville visiting friends, then back to Lawrence for a week, Stephen took a day trip to Omaha, and we leave tomorrow for Blakely to meet her great-grandmothers in Newport, AR, then to Memphis for a couple days, then on to Gulf Shores, AL for 7 weeks!  Good thing we bought a minivan!  :)

I seriously never thought I could be so excited about a minivan.  It is so great though.  I can walk back and sit by B easily if she needs some company, nursing is a breeze on the road, plus there is so much room for ALL her stuff!  I feel like a true mom with a minivan. 

Oh!  AAAAAND...Blakely turned 5 months old! 
As she gets older, it gets harder and harder to get a good picture out of her! 

I'm not sure how much Blakely weighs...but I would guess around 13lbs.
She rolls over in either direction occasionally, but not regularly.  I'm not entirely sure that it's ever on purpose.
She can sit up, supported by the boppy and momentarily unsupported.  
She is still drooling like crazy, but no teeth in sight.
She has started reaching for things...everything.  Here's proof:

We call her arm the "flapper" because it seems like she just flaps it constantly now.  No real coordination just flapping everything within her reach.  It's pretty hilarious.

We took a break on cereal, because she took a nursing hiatus.  Then we were back at it.  Now we are taking a break again because it seems to be messing her tummy up.  So we are going to wait until 6 months.


Blakely is still a terrible napper and is not sleeping all night.  She is so unpredictable.  Sometimes she will sleep until 5am, and sometimes she is up at 2.  Will I ever get a full nights sleep again???  But I'm not complaining or anything...

Currently I am making my most desperate attempt to get her on a tight schedule.  It kills me to fight with her, but I am forcing her to nap, even if it means I put her pacifier in 20 times in an hour.  (yes, I did this yesterday.)

Along with reaching for and grabbing everything, she also wants to put everything in her mouth.  This is her trying to eat the camera as I take her picture.  

And just because I think this picture is hilarious: 

two things:

First.  We were fortunate enough to have some 80 degree weather here this past week.  I heard that most eye damage occurs in the first 5 years of life so I made sure she was protected. 

 Second.  We started real food for Blakely tonight.  So I sent Stephen to the store to get "rice cereal" for her, and this is what he came back with:

Hilarious.  So, of course, he went back for a second trip to the store.  Good news- the real rice cereal was a hit and we couldn't shovel it in fast enough. 

4 MONTHS!

Blakester weighed in at 11 pounds 13 oz. in the 11th%, and 23 and 1/2 inches long in the 20th%.  Since she is still on the small side, we are suppose to try cereal soon.  I am not really looking forward to it, but hopefully it will beef her up, make her a little more content, and maybe even sleep better!   After the fiasco with her 2 month vaccinations I made Stephen come to this one.  Blakely and I both cried still, but it was at least better than last time.

She started laughing a few weeks ago!  Nothing is ever funny twice though, so we are constantly trying to figure out what will make her laugh.  It is the greatest sound! 

She has started occasionally playing by herself.  Last night she woke up at 9pm, 4am, and 7am to play and talk to herself for about 30 minutes each time.  Hilarious.

She goes to bed around 6:30- I know, crazy, right?!- and has slept all the way through the night 3 or 4 times.  I mean, who could blame the girl for getting hungry at 4am when she's been asleep for almost 10 hours?  Terrible napper.  So if she takes a few good naps, it might be later, but usually I have to fight her to get one, maybe two, hour long naps a day- so 6:30 couldn't come sooner.  For either of us. 

If I could change anything about Blakerino it would only be the unbelievable amount of saliva she produces.  Holy moly.  Please appreciate this picture.  And you can't even see the wetness that covers most of her onesie (or my shirt...)  But I wouldn't change anything else about this pretty girl. 

She is, no doubt, the cutest drama queen I know. 

bouncer

blakely's new favorite thing to do is bounce!  i apologize for when i turned the camera sideways...not sure what i was thinking there. 

cloth diapers part 2

the last time i blogged about cloth diapers i was still pregnant.  so i thought i would do a follow up post since i have been at it for 3 1/2 months now.  i have several friends that are considering it, and in my infinite (ha) wisdom, i thought this might help.  i wish i knew (or sortof knew...) someone that used cloth diapers, rather than just read about it from people in colorado i didn't know at all.  so for those of you that aren't interested in cloth diapers- this is a dull post. 

what i like about it: 1. it really is sortof like a hobby.  i can't explain this any other way, it's just fun.  and it's much easier than i thought it would be (even for stephen!) 2. environmentally friendly- this honestly wasn't a factor when i was deciding but i like that our diaper trash is minimal.  3. money- we have probably spent a total of $500 on cloth and i could spend more if i want, but i don't have to.  i'm pretty sure i would have spent close to that by now on disposables.  4. they are cute. 5. B has only had diaper rash when she was in disposables. 6. she can go longer between changes- i like to change as frequently as she needs, but if she poops in a disposable i have to change it immediately, but in cloth she will be ok.  this is especially helpful at night.

what i don't like: 1. we have a front loader washer.  top loaders are better for cloth. but nbd.  2. cleaning them- this is also nbd, it would be a perfect world if you didn't have to clean them.  3. i have to stay on top of laundry- if i don't, no diapers.  i do diaper laundry about every other day. 4. the smell.  this was my BIGGEST concern when deciding if i wanted to do it.  i won't lie like some people and say there is no smell.  there is.  we keep all our dirty diapers in a hanging cloth diaper pail in our bathroom in the basement.  because this is also where we clean and wash the dipes, the room has a little funk to it.  BUT when i light a candle, you really can't smell a thing.  AND it's still not the funk you get with poop+disposables.  5. not everyone can change her diaper.  we just make sure we have disposables for when someone else might change her.  6. out of town trips- when we go to my parents i still use them, but anywhere else i just use disposables so i am not toting around dirty diapers.  those are the cons- but honestly, none of them are as big of a deal as i thought they would be. 

what i use(ed):
Rumparooz G2 one size pocket- like it
bumGenius 4.0 one size pocket- love it
thirsties duo- like it
bumGenius all in one one size- don't like it but i am glad i have a few
flips diaper by bumGenius- like it

bumGenius 3.0 size xs- loved it, but it is about to be too small

lil joeys by rumparooz- they were ok, wouldn't recommend them.

kissaluvs fitted size xs- dislike. 
prefolds- dislike
fuzzibunz one size pocket- dislike- this one might be better when she gets bigger
fuzzibunz size small pocket- dislike- ditto

velcro is easier, but snaps last longer- snaps are nbd once you get use to them.  most diapers come in both.

if i had to do it over i would have bought one of each kind/brand i was considering and used them for a week or two and made my decision from there.  i would however recommend having a variety and not just go with one brand- i think my favs will continue to change as she grows. 

who should do cloth?  anyone who wants to.  if you don't think you'll enjoy it, i don't think it's worth it unless you need to do it to save money.  but if you think you might enjoy it then you probably will. 

any questions?  :)

me A-Z

 These are silly, but bring me back to my immature days of forwarded emails about 15 years ago.  Ha! 
A. Age: 26
B. Bed size: queen
C. Chore you dislike: dishes.  PTL my husband does them for me 99% of the time.  I know, I know....lucky girl. 
D. Dogs: I have been begging Stephen for 3 1/2 years and will continue to do so until we have a furry little friend. 
E. Essential start to your day: i'm not a routine kinda person.  each day is different for me.  i do put my hair in a bun first thing in the morning though. 
F. Favorite color: green
G. Gold or silver: i like both.  my rings are all silver/white gold, but i love me some big yellow gold jewelry as well. 
H. Height: 5'9. 
I. Instruments you play(ed): mandatory violin in elementary school.  a little known fact, though, is that my husband has incredible guitar skills. 
J. Job title: wife, mom.
K. Kids: Blakely Lynn- 3 1/2 months
L. Live: Lawrence, KS
M. Mom’s name: Theresa/Teri
N. Nicknames: sary.  i won't divulge the many ridiculous things my husband calls me.
O. Overnight hospital stays: blood clot junior year of high school, and B's birth
P. Pet peeves: piles. 
Q. Quote from a movie: "you think i don't know a buttload of crap about the gospel.  but i dooo."  -any guesses?
R. Righty or lefty: Righty
S. Siblings: Joe- 28, Micah- 23
T. Time you wake up: 7ish.
U. Underwear: Yes.
V. Vegetables you don’t like: green beans.  i'll eat them but i never want them. 
W.What makes you run late: blakely
X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth, broken arm in 6th grade
Y. Yummy food you make: I love to cook.  i'd like to think it's all yummy. :)
Z. Zoo animal favorites: gorillas! 

tummy time

blakely screams through every bit of tummy time.  i fear for her developmentally because i do it so infrequently because she just hates it so much.  well, today i discovered how to peacefully get in a little tummy time: march madness. 

she will now crane her neck to see the tv.  it's hilarious.  i fear we are just feeding the monster.