Parker ~ 5 months

It's hard to believe our little girl is already 5 months! And let's be honest she's not so little any more. Baby girl loves to eat (as always) and with the addition of cereal and some other baby food thrown in there she is one happy baby.

Typically I would talk about all the fun changes we have seen in this little one since she turned 4 months. However, this month  I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about something that's been on my mind and heart lately.

As mothers (and parents) we see our children as perfect and rightfully so. They are our babies and we carried them with us for 9-10 months. During that time things like sitting up, crawling, talking, or the next milestone didn't matter. And honestly, we didn't even worry about those things; we just wanted our baby to be healthy.

But then our baby is born and we begin to compare (maybe not right away, but soon enough) and worry about all the things society tells us is normal. We hear things like, shouldn't she be sitting up by now? Why isn't he crawling yet? Are you sure there's nothing wrong? Or we are told we aren't doing something right or we did something wrong ... Why didn't you have a c-section? Why did you have a c-section? Why didn't you tell her pediatrician about that? And on and on... We sometimes feel like we are alone in our daily struggles and battles. We are afraid of being judged simply because our baby didn't walk by age one or our baby needs a helmet all because of something out of our control. Maybe all of these things make you feel alone and that no one understands how you feel. But from one mom to another, one parent to another I want you to know you are not alone and your baby IS perfect. Your child is normal; normal is what you make it; your child only needs you to be there, to show her the way. And sometimes as parents that is all we can do. Our children will love and respect us for being the best version of ourselves we can be. So hold your head high moms and dads you are doing a great job!



5 month photo dump....

We love you Parker! 

Three Months ~ Parker

It's pretty much a given that each month will be full of new changes and some milestones... so forgive me if I sound repetitive each month by saying I can't believe how much Parker has grown and changed!

•sleep. We are sleeping through the night and I say "WE" because anything Parker does means I do it too! She slowly started sleeping through he night shortly after she turned 2 months. Truth be told I really couldn't wait for this to happen.. don't we all feel this way?? She started off waking about an hour later than normal for her "middle of the night" feeding... going from 3:00 am to 4-4:30 am. Then I started to give her her pacifier when she would wake to see if she would go back to sleep sometimes she would go back to sleep other times not. Eventually she learned to sooth herself back to sleep and will now sleep until about 5:30-6am at which time she gets to lay in bed with mama and will sleep until about 8! I'd say it's still a work in progress but non the less she is sleeping through and I am one happy and semi-rested mama! She is still on and off in the nap category. Some days she will sleep very well and take at least two 2-3 hour naps other days she only naps in 30 minute increments. She does pretty well going to sleep on her own. I've been putting her in the crib while drowsy and while she does fuss for a few minutes she can usually go to sleep without me needing to rock her. 

•eat. We made the transition to formula this month and it was a rough decision for me but the best for Parker and our family. She still eats very very well and is eating 5 ounces around 6 times per day. Between 6 and 8 pm she thinks she needs to eat twice... I am sure this is her "witching" hour as this is typically the only time she is really "fussy". We are still working through her reflux with good days and bad. If she doesn't get her medicine twice a day we can really see a difference in feeding issues. 

•swaddle and cuddle. Little one still loves to be swaddled, all of the girls have loved to be swaddled but never this long, they outgrew the desire to be swaddled right around 2 months. But this one she just loves it; often it is really the only way she will go to sleep.

•play. Parker is really starting to take more interest in "playing" or what can be considered playing at 3 months old. She has discovered her hands and almost always has them up to her mouth. The last week I have noticed her really trying to focus on them while she pulls them up. She loves to look at the mobile on her mamaroo, I've even caught her smiling at it a few times. She also seems to be reaching for it and has hit it while swing her arm... I'm going with she is playing with it :) She has also started to grip her blanket and will hold onto a toy (given to her by big sisters of course) for a few seconds. She smiles all the time and the coos have started especially when we are talking to her... it's just the best! 

~other changes. 

We put Parker in the bumbo for the first time this past month and she was so cute! I think she likes it for sure but may need a few more weeks before she can be in it consistently. She is doing a great job holding her head up which is amazing to me give the fact that she really hates "tummy time". She only lasts about 2 minutes before she is upset and ready to stop.  I see bits of her personality emerging each day, she's very laid back and doesn't make much of a fuss unless of course she is hungry or tired. She also seems to be pretty sensitive to things she is unfamiliar with i.e. daddy making different noises at her or Bella (our dog) barking randomly that little bottom lip comes right out and I know the tears are soon to follow. 

I'm still coming to grips with Parker being our last baby, daughter, child... however we want to label it...she's the "last". I love to just stare at her and I find myself really trying to remember every single thing about her and I play things like her birth day and her first smile and noises over and over in my head so that I won't forget... With every first she has it is also a last for us. I am content in just letting her reach milestones on her own timeline because I know when they start coming there will be another one right around the corner. The love we have (all of us have) for this little one is beyond anything we ever expected.

Happy 3 Months Parker... we love you so

Two Month Update

Two Months ~ Parker

Holy cow! The last two months have just flown by! But don't they always when you want time to slow down? From one month to now Parker seems to have changed so much... Here is what's up.

•sleep. Parker still sleeps pretty well, especially at night. She isn't quite sleeping through the night yet but is sleeping for longer periods. She usually has her last feeding between 8 and 9 then goes to sleep around 10 and sleeps until 3 or 4. Naps are hit or miss and I'm really working on some "light" sleep training. She falls asleep pretty easily when being held (of course!) but when laid down wakes up within a few minutes ... Unless it's bed time. I am trying to lay her down when she starts to show signs of being tired so that she can learn to fall asleep on her own. We've had some success but I do realize she's only 8 weeks so I'm not pushing it too hard... Just practice. She almost always takes one really good nap each day lasting around 3 hours and then takes several 10-30 minute cat naps. On good days she takes at least 2 long naps and one shorter 30-60 minute nap. We are definitely still learning in this department. 

•eat. She is an amazing eater and I am pretty sure if we let her she would eat all day. She is still taking breast milk and formula and doing well with both. We've had some issues with reflux that we've had to start giving her some Zantac and it seems to be working for her. Feeding has been difficult for me given my desire to nurse. I've been all over the place with what to do as far as nursing and formula feeding goes. I talked about this in detail here. I'm sure I'll have an update on our plan (as soon as I figure it out myself) going forward soon. But at the end of the day she is happy, healthy, and fed and that is all that matters. 

•swaddle and cuddle. Parker absolutely loves to be swaddled. If she is fussy or tired just wrapping her up almost immediately soothes her and helps her fall asleep. She is probably our most cuddly baby she absolutely loves it and often this is the only way she will fall asleep... Swaddled and cuddled.

•play. Of course there's not a ton of play happening right now but her big sisters certainly LOVE to play with her. The twins are always trying to give her toys while the bigger sisters can usually be seen making faces and talking to her in those little baby voices. She is doing really well at responding to our voices and almost always smiles when we talk to her. She's not a huge fan of tummy time and would really rather hold her head up on her own while being burped. 

~other changes. 

When you have more than one child you tend to compare each one to the previous one or one to another. I have to say Parker is very much her own little girl. She is different from any of the other girls. She's more sensitive and doesn't handle things not going her way very well. Her tired and hungry cries are almost exactly the same ... I think she does it on purpose.. To get more food! I love that she is very much her own person and I can't wait to see how this continues to grow with her. 

Weight:
Birth 7 pounds 7 ounces
2 months 10 pounds 12 ounces

Length:
Birth 19 inches
2 months 23 3/4 inches

The past two months have been nothing short of wonderful with Parker in our lives I know she is only going to continue bless us so very much. 

We love you Parker!

One Month ~ Parker

How? How is she one month already? Please, some one tell my why it goes so fast and how I can slow it down! This tiny little girl has already brought so much joy to our lives... and all she does is eat and sleep! I can only imagine what's to come having her in our lives.

Here's what she's been up too in her 4 short weeks of life:

• she loves to cuddle ... Not just lay on your chest and sleep ... I mean full on cuddle! She knows how to nuzzle right into any crevice available to her. If you lay her next to you on the bed she always finds a way to get her body right up close to you ... Cuddles for days and we don't want it to ever end!

•swaddle... She also loves to be swaddled but you better leave those arms out. All of the girls were that way, they love to have their arms out usually up by their heads.

•food... Errrrr Milk? She loves to eat and mostly eats every 2-2.5 hours during the day, with one longer 4ish hour stretch. She sleeps 4-5 hours at night after her evening feeding usually between 9 and 10 and wakes once to eat then up between 6 and 7. We are mostly breast feeding with some supplementing 2-3 times (sometimes 4 times) per day, she takes about 2oz each time we give her formula. She lost nearly a pound after leaving the hospital so our pediatrician recommend supplementing. I cried right there in her office... I really wanted to NOT have to do that this time. It was so sad to me that once again my body just couldn't make enough to support my child. But I quickly realized I wasn't being asked to STOP breast feeding I just needed to help her and at the end of the day that is my one and only job ... Take care of this little girl by any means possible. What we are doing is working for now... Eventually I would love to stop supplementing but we will see.

•this one is a great sleeper... Thank you lord! She sleeps so well and She has even fallen asleep on her own in her pack n' play. To me this is huge that she can already fall asleep without her swing or being held. She is starting to be awake more during the day and is usually awake for a good hour at least twice a day. Sometimes the awake time keeps us up a little later than mama would like but it's so worth it.

•play... There's not much play going on right now but since she is starting to be awake more her big sisters are always talking to her and giving her toys to "play" with. No doubt she will be the center of the twins play when she gets a bit older.

~ other changes 

•loves to hold her head up when she is being burped 

• starting to get her chubby cheeks and double chin back that she was born with
•even though she was born with a bunch of hair she is getting more!

•wears newborn diapers and newborn clothes. Although she won't be able to wear newborn sleepers much longer! 

Weight: 

Birth - 7lbs 7ounces

One Month - 8lbs 12ounces

Length:

Birth- 19 inches 

One Month - 21 3/4 inches

We knew from the moment we found out I was pregnant that we would love this little person so very much. We couldn't have dreamed to have more than Parker has given to us already. We can't wait to see what is to come with this little one. We love you so much Parker Elaine.