Almost a year...

As I sit here and type this I am overcome with emotion.  My baby girl will be a year old in a couple of weeks and I am just not handling it too well.  Don't get me wrong…I'm soooo excited to watch her grow and look forward to all the milestones ahead, but it's all so bittersweet.  My baby won't be a baby anymore.  My baby isn't a baby anymore.  Where have the past 11 months gone.  When they say the days are long but the years are short they really mean it.  I feel like it was literally yesterday that I was holding her for the first time...that dark head of hair and those chubby cheeks…and those eyes…oh those eyes.  -Sigh-

So…I will kick myself in the butt and move on to the important stuff!  Baby girl is walking!  It was so sudden and unexpected.  She went through a biting phase and still isn't completely out of it.  I was sitting on the floor with her and she flat out bit my arm…and hard.  I picked that darn girl up and sat her down away from me saying my usual "no bite".  Well, she wasn't having it.  Screaming ensued and she picked herself up and took 2 steps toward me.  I was astonished.  After she calmed down I put her in the middle of the floor to see if I had been hallucinating and sure enough she took 4 wobbly steps towards me.  Over the moon I tell ya…over the moon.  We immediately called Daddy and then Mimi and Pawpaw.  It still isn't her main source of moving around simply because crawling is so much faster but she is getting there.

Adelaide loves to clap and dance!  Her favorite song to dance to is the hot dog song on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!  She waves hi and bye but the Adelaide way.  She doesn't flap her little fingers like most kids do, instead she prefers to simply stick her hand out and hold it there…no movement! Haha.  Leave it to my kid to be different.  She enjoys throwing balls (and chasing after them) and loves to look through books.  She has now added "dog" to her vocabulary although it comes out "dug".  She said "Pawpaw" once but hasn't said it since.  She is so talkative and silly.  I could sit and watch her interact with her surroundings all day.  She is such a curious little girl and so determined.  She has mastered drinking from a cup although still needs some help with cups that don't have lids and she has almost mastered the spoon.  At the moment she dips the spoon into the food but doesn't exactly scoop it out yet.  She's so smart and we are so very proud of her.  Daddy taught her how to climb the stairs but is still working on teaching her to get down them safely.  I'll leave that task to him.  She loves to snuggle and we adore that about her.  Sometimes it's the best part of my day…Adelaide snuggles!  :)

My little bookworm

I love my snuggle time!

Enjoying her new toy!  Lots of rolling balls around now.  :)

There is one thing…she still doesn't sleep through the night…not even close.  We have had a few decent nights in the past 6 months but I can count them on one hand.  I know it will happen, I'm just wishing it would happen like yesterday perhaps.  Tired is an understatement in this house.

Adelaide visited her first pumpkin patch which she wasn't too fond of but I enjoyed taking a few pictures of her.  She also had her first Halloween.  Her Daddy wanted her to be something awesome…so a superhero she was!  We didn't go all out with the costume…didn't really feel a need to.  She was a cutie and she can wear the outfit again.  Win win if you ask me.

Headed to the pumpkin patch with my silly goose!

Not sure what to think about these things!

Trying out her first tractor with Daddy!

Our Super Girl on Halloween!

Her main food source is still breast milk although she does love fruit, yogurt and applesauce.  She still isn't a huge fan of veggies but likes meat pretty well.  I love nursing my little and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  To think…I was never going to breastfeed but Alex kept encouraging me to at least try it.  That's all he asked…try.  If it wasn't for his persistence and support I would have missed out on one of the most rewarding journeys of my life.  11 months strong and no end in sight.  I am so thankful for my supportive husband and so grateful for him sticking to his guns.  He will never know how much that means to me now.  Having a supportive husband who is also the world's best Dad is a blessing I can never thank God too much for.  Sometimes he leaves me speechless as I watch him interact with our baby girl.  10 years ago if you asked me if Alex Perez would have made a good father I probably would have laughed.  Even 5 years ago I probably had my doubts however that all went out the window when she arrived.  His love and support is endless!

Spaghetti monster!

So next time I sit down to write one of these…I will have a one year old!  Until next time…

My mischievous monkey!

Daddy brought home 100 pound pumpkins from work for target practice!

Being silly with Daddy at the Holiday Market

Tutu I made for Adelaide's birthday party!

Kinda late...

Baby girl was 10 months old on October 10th!  I know I'm late...life has thrown some curve balls lately.  We have a very determined, vocal, silly girl on our hands!

My goofball!

Adelaide officially said "Dada" on September 27th!  She was trying so hard to say it while we were at the beach the previous week but wasn't quite getting it right.  Now...it's her favorite word!  If I ask her to say "Mama"...her answer is always "Dada"!  :)  She is constantly talking and babbling.  If you hand her a book while changing her diaper she simply looks at it and talks away as if she is reading it to me.  How I love to hear her voice!

She started using her push behind walker to walk around the living room some (as opposed to pushing it on her knees).  She also likes to walk around the kitchen pushing her high chair.  She is well on her way to walking on her own.  Her favorite toy is now her new cell phone.  Her friend Noah has one and she loved it so much we went and got her one.  She is simply in love with it.  Her new thing lately is scrunching her nose and blowing in and out!  We have no idea where she got it from, she simply started doing it one day.  She's such a ham.  She loves music more and more everyday it seems.  If a song comes on the TV she stops what she is doing and glues herself to it and occasionally dances along with it.  She is my musical baby!  She still loves chewing on everything...especially fabric and metal.  (Go figure on the metal...I'm constantly taking cords away from her...even hidden ones that she digs to find)

Baby girl and her phone!  ;)

We went to the beach in mid September which was of course her first time seeing the ocean.  She hated it at the beginning of the week but towards the end she was ok with it.  She also was skeptical of the sand until mid week when she discovered it was kinda neat.  She only tried to eat it a couple of times which was a relief.  She did so awesome that week; we were amazed!  She slept like a champ.  I have no idea why she can't sleep like that at home.  :(  It was so nice to be right on the ocean for a week and we had so much fun with great company!  Mimi went with us as well as our friends Matt, Kelly and their 18 month old Noah.  It was so cool to see Adelaide and Noah interact.  They were a sweet pair.  :)

First time feeling the ocean...this particular time with her Mimi

 

Snoozing to the sounds of the ocean! 

She slept through our entire dinner one night!

Finally exploring the sand

Seeing the sharks for the first time with her ocean loving Daddy!

And another because they were so cute!  Special moment

Nursing my love!

Headed home!  :)

Baby girl isn't really eating any more solids than she has been.  She went on a 2 week spurt where she devoured solids...and then...no more.  She picks at them and then just throws them off the highchair.  No worries for this Mama though because she still has her liquid gold!  She has 6 teeth now (4 on top and 2 on bottom) and it hasn't really changed her nursing at all.  If anything her latch has been better lately to my surprise.  She really does take teething like a champ!  However, she has been grinding her teeth here lately.  If we see or hear her doing it we always stop her and she seems to forget about it for a while.

She still has issues sleeping through the night but she is taking better naps.  She is generally waking up 3 times to nurse lately and other nights she wakes up fussing more often.  I'm a tired Mama, and my body is really starting to feel the lack of sleep for over a year now.  We pray daily for her to sleep through the night and I have faith it will happen soon.  For now I will just accept that she needs us through the night which isn't abnormal for kids her age at all.  

Adelaide is such a curious little girl.  She is so determined to accomplish things and so very smart.  I know we may be biased but some things she does simply amaze us for her age.  I am so excited to see how God uses this little miracle in the coming years to do great things for His kingdom.  We praise him everyday for giving us our precious gift.

Until next time...

Helping Mommy with diaper laundry!

My beauty!

9 Months Already!

Time sure has flown by!  Our baby girl is 9 months old.  I'm a little late on getting this up because we were on vacation last week.  Our little one has learned so much in the last month.  She weighed in at 18 lb. 11 oz. at her doctor appointment on the 23rd.  She was 28 inches and still has a big ole' head.  She is definitely not a chunky kid but still growing and healthy.  She must have her Daddy's metabolism...lucky girl!  She is so smart and learns so very quickly.  She is advanced in many areas and her doctor thinks she will be walking soon.  Yikes! 

 These monthly pictures are extremely hard to take now!!

Adelaide is still getting 95% breast milk.  She is offered solids at lunch and dinner but it's up to her whether or not she eats them.  Some days she devours it and other days throws it all off the high chair.  She doesn't seem to really dislike anything except broccoli.  She never eats it no matter how it's prepared.  

Enjoying a breast milk popsicle!

Waiting on dinner with PawPaw

Devouring some of Daddy's homemade tomato soup!

She is so vocal and is always making new silly sounds!  Alex teaches her new stuff all the time and she catches on so fast.  She gives 5 now and loves to give kisses (mainly just to Mommy though).  Sometimes she stops nursing just to give me kisses and then goes back to eating.  She melts my heart.  She is trying to wave although mostly she just sticks her hand up with no motion yet.  Alex is also trying to teach her to clap.  She hasn't yet clapped her hands but will take his hands and clap them together.  Haha!  She is still all over the place and is super fast.  You can't blink or you will miss her leave the room.  She loves finding and playing with cords which includes sucking on the metal end.  I have no idea why she does this but it's a constant struggle with my stubborn girl.  She stands by herself pretty well and loves to climb!  She is a monkey just like her Daddy.  Everything still goes straight to the mouth.  She chews anything she can get her hands on!  She also likes to play peek-a-boo with the curtains in the living room.  She crawls over to them and covers her face until we say "where's Adelaide..." and then she shows herself with a huge smile on her face.  She's a hoot.

Adelaide is an extremely curious child and loves exploring.  We vary rarely confine her to a single space so she roams around exploring and learning all at the same time.  She loves going into the kitchen and sliding whatever she can get her hands on all over the floor.  She gets a kick out of it and it's so funny to watch.  She is such a goofy kid. We adore watching her silly personality blossom.

She still has sleeping through the night issues.  We have tried just about everything but I guess she simply needs to wake up and know we are there throughout the night.  Some nights she does ok and others are simply horrible and we end up holding her in our bed the rest of the night.  It's not ideal but when you have a kid who doesn't sleep well you do whatever you have to do to get some rest yourself so you can take care of her.  She still loves holding her blanket while sleeping on her side but generally rolls to her stomach for most of the night now.  

Napping...I love taking pictures of her sleeping.  :)

She loves snuggling at night with her Daddy

This is how it normally ends up after snuggles...Daddy asleep and Adelaide in some weird position snoozing away!

We decided to go ahead and get her a new car seat because of a really awesome deal going on at Babies R Us.  She loves the new seat.  I think she is more comfy in it.  

Like my new big girl car seat?!?!

She also has 4 top teeth coming in all at once right now and she is a trooper.  They rarely seem to bother her and I sincerely believe that her amber necklace is doing it's job.  

Adelaide is such a fun baby with a spunky spirit!  I love being able to stay at home with her.  

Until next time...

My sweet girl and her silly smile

Chewing on a blanket...doesn't everyone?!!

Taking a walk with Mommy!

Helping Daddy cook dinner!

8 Months!

Our baby girl is 8 months old!  Honestly this past month is the first month that has gone by slow.  I actually had to look in her baby book to make sure I didn't forget 7 months!!!! Haha!

Baby girl is all over the place!  She is so quick it's hard to keep up with her because she is sooooo busy busy busy!  She pulls up on anything she can reach, whether it's a table, window seal, or your leg!  She can stand by herself for a short little bit and she can do it for a longer period of time with each passing day.  She is absolutely amazing!

Loving some Disney Jr  (Thankfully this TV is now mounted on the wall!)

2nd time in the pack-n-play...trying to get out already!

She is such a talkative little girl and we adore hearing her sweet voice.  She is so hard to get to laugh.  Of course she giggles all the time but that true belly laugh is still hard to pull out of her.  They best at that is Daddy for sure.  :)

Her new thing is shaking her head "No".  Ironically it's normally on point.  I ask her if she wants more food and she shakes her head "No", etc.  Whether she knows what she is doing or not, it's hilarious!

We are still going full force with breastfeeding and loving it.  It's such an adventure and I adore being able to feed my baby girl all she needs.  She gets solids at lunch and dinner but she doesn't always eat them.  It truly depends on the day as to whether she is interested in the solids or not.  Some days she can down 2 peach slices and a little chunk of cheese and toast and the next day she nibbles on a steamed carrot and doesn't touch anything else.  Either way she always gets breast first so I know she is getting all she needs!! One funny thing about her eating habits is that she loves fresh peaches  but not the skin.  She always eats the peach slice and spits out the skin still in tact!  It's wild what babies will do if you simply allow them to explore and learn on their own with food.  We simply love baby led weaning!

Cheese and toast!

Adventures in feeding herself yogurt!  So much fun!

Some of her favorites are...pulling hair, playing with paper and water bottles, her activity table and of course she is still a paci monster.  She is always bouncing and jumping.  Everyone always makes the comment that she makes their arms so tired.  That's my crazy girl! She absolutely adores music and she still has to hold on to a blanket when she sleeps just like her Mommy! Although I hold on to a body pillow!  ;)

I really wish I knew how much she weighed but we don't have a scale and don't go back to her Dr until her 9 month check up.  So I guess I will just keep wondering.  She has all the normal output so I know she is growing.

Adelaide is such a happy baby.  She always wakes up smiling and that makes me so happy!  We love her to pieces.

Until next time...enjoy the cuteness!  ;)

Crazy child...aka...Alex Jr.

3rd time at Yum Yums!  She was even given a quarter by a stranger!  :)

7...7...7...

7 Months...yes that is correct, baby girl is 7 months old!  WOW!  It almost slipped by me actually.  I woke up on the 10th and did all the normal stuff, and then while she was in her bouncer I remembered what the date was!  Gosh...my brain.

P.S.  Warning...this blog post contains a picture of Adelaide breastfeeding!  Nothing is showing but if you have a problem with it now would be the time to click the X at the top of your screen for this blog is not your cup of tea!

Such a helper!  ;)

Our little love bug has gone wild...she is mobile and loving it!  She is crawling all over the place and getting into everything!  She is pulling up on anything she can get her hands on, which includes a lot of falling and bumping her noggin!

On the move!

Exploring!

She loves the pool!  She enjoys lounging in her float and chewing on toys!  She also loves to be pulled around the pool so she can kick her legs!  She is a natural.  :)

My Heart!

Silly time with Daddy

Laughing at Mommy

She is always offered food at dinner, but only eats it occasionally.  Some nights she likes to suck on them but not swallow, other nights she manages to actually eat it, and then there are the nights where she wants nothing to do with it.  All a normal part of baby led weaning!  As long as she still has her good ole' boobie milk as we call it she is good to go.  She has become a funny little nurser.  She enjoys sitting on my lap and eating while bouncing.  I suppose she likes to make milk shakes!  She is so sweet to watch and I adore the bonding time we share.

Nursing my love to sleep!  <3

She had her first 4th of July!  We didn't do too much which was nice.  We went and had breakfast at my Dad's work, visited with Kelly and Noah for a couple of hours while Matt was at work, went swimming, and went out to eat for dinner with my Mom and Dad!  It was a nice day and our girl looked beautiful!  :)

Happy Independence Day!

She has such a silly personality!  Her Daddy likes to scare her and she thinks it's the funniest thing.  I love to hear them "yell" back and forth at each other.  It's a hoot and they can go on forever.  She is so so so vocal and I simply adore hearing her precious voice.

She still loves to be worn in her Boba or ring sling and we love to wear her so it's a win win for all of us.  Alex wears her mostly when we are out in the Boba unless she wants to eat and then I get to wear her for a little bit while she is nursing.  I love that he loves to wear her so I don't mind at all!  They have such a cool relationship and I love watching them together.  I have probably said that before and I will say it a million more times.  It's amazing and I just sit back, watch them and smile.

Trying on hats at JC Penny!  ;)

The only thing I wish the little one would work on is sleeping.  We are exhausted parents and have tried just about everything.  7 months of little sleep is wearing us down.  She wakes up often because she wants her paci, and lately just wakes up crying.  She wants to be in the bed with us but our bed arrangement simply isn't safe for the 3 of us.  So last night we decided to side car her crib on my side of the bed.  It's never anything I had ever intended to do with my children but I have to meet her needs as her Mother and she needs to be close to me when she sleeps.  If that is what she needs that is what we shall give her.  Night 1 went ok...hoping that it only gets better from here.  :)


 Until next time...

Swinging for the first time at Mimi's house!