6 Month Loves

Here is our list from this past month.

Blackout Curtains

 I have been meaning to get these (or something like them) for a while now.  It seems Olivia is sensitive to light.  Michael says that his eyes are sensitive because they are so light.  When I rock her to sleep, I have to cover her eyes with my hand....even if we have all the lights out.  I really wanted the roll shade that you just pull down, but our apartment already has really nice shades.  My cousin told me about the curtains at Target, so that's what we went with.  I got the $13 ones.  They work really well.  They are suppose to help with keeping the cold air out too.  She took an hour and ten minute nap in her crib the first day.  That's the longest crib nap we've ever got.  Unfortunately, she's back to her 30 minute naps.  I'm still happy to have the curtains though.  I think they will come in handy in the future.

Fisher Price 1-2-3 Crawl-Along Snail

I probably could have added this to the list a month or two ago, but right now this is one of her favorite toys.  It's one I registered for so we've had it since birth.  I've actually been using it with her since she was around 1 month old.  It lights up and plays music, which are her favorite things! :)  She's just started to look in the mirror too.  She'll knock it around.  Sometimes she hits herself in the head with it! :)  She tries to eat it too.  As long as she doesn't knock it over, she will lay on the floor and play with it for a good length of time.  I am learning that I really love Fisher Price!  We happen to have a lot of Fisher Price items--from our swing to all the rainforest stuff to small toys.  I didn't do it on purpose, but it seems that the Fisher Price items we have are some of her most favorite.

Manhattan Toy Winkle

I got this from a friend at my shower.  She said it was one of her girls most favorite toys.  I remember thinking "Really?  It looks kind of weird to me."  Once again, I started playing with this with Olivia when she was really small.  It's a rattle. I would shake it and talk to her about the colors.  It was one of the first toys she could hold (which is one of the reasons my friend said her girls liked it so much).  She plays with it, grabs it, pulls it, and puts it in her mouth. :)

 Sophie the Giraffe

Last month I told you that Olivia wasn't that interested in Sophie.  Well, that has changed.  She now holds her, gnaws on her, attacks her, licks her, and bites her.  It is one of her favorite teethers and it now goes with us in the diaper bag.  I remember seeing a friends kid with it a few years ago and thought "Who would pay $22 for a squeaky giraffe?!" Well, it was a shower gift, but I am the crazy one that registered for it.  Everyone raved about it.  Lots of people said it was their kids favorite item.  It is suppose to be made with food dye so that if any of the stuff comes off while being chewed on, it's not suppose to be harmful.  I guess that's why it's so expensive?  Either way, I'm happy to have it and so is Olivia.

Munchkin Arm and Hammer Disposable Bags

These are little bags that smell all nice and hide the poopy smell of dirty diapers.  Originally I got them for the diaper bag, but we use them all the time.  For example, when we are at someone's house (like life group) or at my bosses house, we can put the diaper in one of these.  I've even started using them at home.  Her diaper pail has started smelling awful.  (Darn dog food formula!)  They are also good for putting dirty clothes from a blow out in.

Primo's Eurobath

Some of you may think we are crazy, but we bought another bath tub.  This thing has saved bath time for us!  I loved having the tub we had for when she was young.  The sling worked out great and then we she outgrew it, we transitioned well to the next phase.  Then she grew... and grew... and grew.  Our tub is suppose to be for up to toddler too, but it was not working.  I almost wrote a whole post about it.  It was one of those things where I thought "Clearly we are missing something.  The solution has to be right in front of our face, but we are just too close to the problem."  The bathtub had a hump for her to sit on.  I'm sure you've seen it in my bath time pictures.  The problem was that her head was literally 2 inches above the top.  This led to a mess every time.  So we tried taking the hump out.  But... she can't sit on her own so she would slide, slide, slide.  We put the hump back in and tried washing her in the tub so that it wouldn't matter if the water went everywhere.  She hated it!  Plus, our tub is a garden tub and it makes it hard to bend down.  We don't have a sink big enough to bath her in.  I tried bathing with her at my grandma's. She screamed and screamed.  Then I read a post about "what tub do you use with big babies".  This tub was mentioned numerous times.  BRU had a sale so we got it.  It was well worth the $20!  Olivia loves it.  I think it's because it's comfortable and she fits!

She even plays with her bath toys, kicks and slashes, and giggles when daddy uses the squirty toys.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

We love you!

At Home Christmas Shoot

People's signatures on the bump were slowly turning to pictures of their babies from at home Christmas photo shoots.  Apparently the idea came from pinterest.  They looked cute, so I figured I could give it a shot.  I've checked out pinterest a time or two, but haven't gotten the bug like so many.  I went and did a quick search to see what all the fuss was about. Then I bought a roll of wrapping paper that I thought would be a good back drop.  I actually hadn't purchased Olivia's Christmas dress yet, so I wasn't sure what to go with.  Thankfully it all went together just fine.

The shoot didn't go great (paper crinkling up, me sweating trying to maneuver everything, Olivia not getting my vision-lol!)........ but it didn't go awful either.  It was just Olivia being Olivia.  That's all you can ask of a baby! :)  I edited these with some different effects just for fun. Here's what we got.

I just love her!

"What is this?"

 "I don't know what it is, but I'm going to try to get it in my mouth!"

Then we tried out the tummy

Typical.

I tried sitting her up.  I thought maybe I could get a quick shot if she sat for just 5 seconds.  It wasn't working.  So then we just did some more laying down.

Isn't she so cute?  She's the best!  How can you not smile when you see that face? :)

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cards and Santa

We went to see Santa on Friday afternoon.  Since we are going to do the whole Santa thing, I figured getting an annual picture would be a fun tradition.  Plus, Michael really wanted to do it.  I wasn't sure how Olivia was going to do.  We tried to get there early to beat the crowd, but still ended up having to wait in line for about a half hour.  By the time it was our turn, itt was right around when she needed to take a nap.  My fingers were crossed.  I told Michael that even if she ended up crying and screaming, I was still going to buy the picture.  I've come to terms with the fact that she is her own little person.  So now, when things don't go as planned, we just look at each other and say "Well, that is Olivia!".  Thankfully, she did great.  She didn't cry or fuss or anything.  It took us a few takes to get a smile, but we were there a fraction of the time that some people were taking!  We got two shots that I think are adorable.

I decided to use the one on our Christmas card.  Since I didn't send out baby announcements (I know--slacker mom!), I figured a picture card was in order.  I have been using shutterfly for all of our picture needs recently.  Here is our card for this year.  (Most of you will be getting it in the mail in a few weeks.  You just get a sneak peek!)

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Shutterfly is giving me $10 off my next purchase for putting this in my blog.

Olivia's Christmas List Part 2

Olivia got her Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair from her Grandma (Pryor).  I had honestly been eyeing them since I was pregnant (and probably even before that).  They are so cute and I had a couple of friends who said their little one loved their chair.  I'm so happy to have one for her.

Her Grandma (Pryor) also got her:

This Elefun Busy Ball Popper

Ball poppers aren't anything new.  They are tons of fun for the kiddos and can get annoying for the parents.  It's just one of those toys where you have to suck it up and enjoy the fun! :)  I thought this elephant one was super cute.  I can't wait to see what she thinks about it!

A Shape Sorter--because every kid should have one

My First Mirror

I've read all sorts of places that babies should play with/look in mirrors.  I guess that's sort of common knowledge.  It's suppose to encourage social skills.  They don't realize at first that they are looking at themselves.  We have a few tiny mirrors on some of the toys she has, but nothing big enough to play with.  We do hold her in front of bathroom mirrors, but I wanted a safe one to use for play.  This one can fold up (as shown) for tummy time, or it can attach to the crib.

I already told you that she is getting Jacque the Peacock.  It has all sorts of fun colors, textures, and noises.

Olivia didn't have many soft plush toys, so I thought this would be a great add to her collection.  I'll be honest--since I knew Michael's mom wouldn't mind, we took it with us on our Indiana trip.  Again, my reasoning was that new toys might keep her attention in the car.  She really seems to like him.  I'm glad we have him and Olivia the owl! :)

Grandma (Hartman) got her:

My Pal Violet

You can hook it up to your computer and it learns your babies name.  You can add songs and other things that are babies favorite.  I'm not 100% sure how it all works yet since we haven't done anything to it.  It's suppose to grow with your child (ages 6 months to 36 months), so I think you can change the information as they grow.  I love leap frog toys, so I'm sure this will be an awesome (and educational) toy.

Grandma Hartman also got her some outfits and pajamas in the next size up.  Thankfully, I got to pick them out at Thanksgiving. ;)  All of the clothes that were given to me by my friend were for 9 months and under.  Olivia is in 6 to 9 month pajamas now--all of which are the hand me downs.  We needed to stock up on some size 12 months for when she needs to make the move.  This gift will be very helpful for us in the months to come!

Michael's sister Jenny wanted to get Olivia some books.  I have hundreds (and I do mean hundreds) of children's books.  Unfortunately, they are more geared for ages preschool to 2nd grade.  We have been slowly adding to our baby book collection.  We made an amazon wish list and Olivia is getting some AWESOME books!  I am so excited.

I am all about the library.  I've mentioned that on here many times.  I am not all about board books from the library.  Babies put those things in their mouth.  Then my daughter is going to shove it in her mouth?  I think not.  So we really wanted to get her some board books.

I love these bear books!  I stumbled upon them a few years ago at a library trip with Little Man.  Both he and I fell in love and we would pick them up often.

Olivia is getting Bear Snores On, Bear Wants More, Bear Feels Scared, and Bear Stays Up For Christmas.  There are a few more in the series, but they didn't come in board books.  I know they were Kohl's $5 books once, so I'm hoping they do that again.  I'd love to get the others.  Even if I have to get the hardcover instead of the board ones.  (Michael has already been reading some of these to her and every time he reads them he comments on how much he likes them.  We made a believer out of him too!)

We are also Llama Llama fans.  We already had two and she is getting 2 more.

She is also getting God Gave Us You, 2 of the My Very First books from Eric Carle, and a Rainbow Fish Cloth Book.  We read to her every day.  Most days she is read to on multiple occasions.  Both Michael and I are happy to add some new books to the mix. :)
(NOTE: Some of these books are from Michael's mom.  His sister and his mom bought together, so I don't know who got what.  I'm not trying to point out who got what here.  I'm just sharing my ideas for those who are interested.)

Overall I think she is getting a good mix--practical, fun, educational, and necessary.  She's blessed. :)

Olivia's Christmas List

There have been so many posts on the bump about "what are you getting your little one for Christmas?".  Then I had a friend say to me, "How do you know what to get Olivia for Christmas?".  She is wondering what to get her daughter and seems to think that I have some super knowledge on the topic. :)  My cousin was also asking me for a few ideas for her daughter.  I figured, with all the talk about "what to get your child", I'd share Olivia's list.  There may be a few of you out there that need an idea for a friend, niece/nephew, grandchild, etc.

I use to say that we weren't really going to do much for our child's first Christmas because they won't remember it anyway.  Why not save our money for when it counts?  Yeah, that was until I had a child! :)  So then I decided that we'd just get a few necessities.  We are on a tight budget and aren't even exchanging gifts ourselves.  Our list of who we are buying for is getting smaller and smaller this year.  My intent was to just get what we would need already.  Of course... I went a little above and beyond, but I don't think I went too out of control. :)

First, I got her an O ball.  People on the bump were raving about it.  It's suppose to be easy to hold, etc. Lots of moms said their little one (around the same age as Olivia) loved it.

Note: The link and picture are from Amazon, but I got it at Target. I couldn't find it on the Target website, but I paid under $5--not the $8.99 listed.

I also got these baby flashcards, which I think are a-dor-able!  They've already come in the mail and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed.

Since Olivia will be turning 6 months two days before Christmas, we got some of her eating items.  We may not use these right away, but I used them for Little Man and loved the suction cups on the bottom. 

Spoons

and Mesh Feeders are going in her stocking.

 (Again, I bought these items at Target, but was having problems finding some of them on their website.  I just linked up to Amazon.)


Traditions--I am all about traditions, so there were a few things I wanted to do.  One, was get Christmas pajamas every year and open them on Christmas eve night.  Then she can wear them that night and have them on Christmas morning when she opens presents.  We stopped in a local second hand store a few weeks ago and I happened to stumble upon Christmas pajamas in Olivia's size (with the tags still on!!!) for $4. Score!  I couldn't find the link, but it's the Carters one that says "I love Santa" and has a reindeer on the butt.


I also had to get her a "Baby's First Christmas" ornament.  I want to get her a new ornament each year.  I found this Hallmark one for 40% off at Kohl's.  I love it!  The ribbon says "Babies First Christmas".  Then on the front of the carriage is the year.  It's simple and classy. Timeless.

 We are thinking of doing another tradition where she gets a Disney DVD each year.  We figured we need to start the collection now.  We haven't gotten it yet, but we are thinking of getting The Lion King this year.


That was going to be it.  Not bad, considering half our list is under $5.  But... then Michael got a job and we had a good after Thanksgiving day coupon, so we ended up getting one (sort of) big gift.


This activity table is going to be from Santa. ;)

That's all from us.  My mom and Michael's mom and sister have already shopped for her.  I'll share that list tomorrow.  It's probably more exciting! :)

This and That Thursday

Don't you know that as soon as I put on here that Olivia can't quite roll over yet...she rolls over! :)

Last Friday she was playing on her play mat and I was messing around in the kitchen.  I could see her and kept talking to her while I busied myself with dirty bottles, a snack, and cutting some fruit.  I looked at her, said something, turned to put something in the fridge, grabbed my water and went to sit by her and this is what I saw:

It took a second to register, then I shouted "Oh my goodness, you rolled over!"

Since Michael wasn't home, I quick grabbed the camera and took a few shots.  Then I sent him a text and told him.  I said not to be sad that he missed it, because I missed it too! ha!

She rolled from tummy to back almost two months ago.  She's only done it a handful of times though.  Either she wasn't interested or she forgot what she was suppose to do.  Not this time.  Now that she can roll from back to tummy, she is a rolling machine.  Unfortunately, this means at night too.  I would be fine with it if she would actually just sleep on her stomach.  Instead she wakes up and gets mad that she's on her stomach.  Hopefully she'll either get use to it and just fall asleep, or she'll remember how to turn herself over.  This momma is tired!

She is also not going to make it a month in her 3 to 6 months clothes like I had predicted.  I don't know what happened there either.  She seemed to be fitting in them just fine.  Some even had some room to grow.  She must have had an over the weekend growth spurt or something, because twice this week I have tried to put something on her that is too small.  Most of the issue seems to be in height.  Two pair of pants were literally like an inch too short.  I seriously laughed out loud after I put one pair on.  I couldn't believe how short they were.  I busted out a pair of 6 to 9 month jeans and they fit perfect.  It appears we may be slowly moving our way up to the next size sooner rather than later.

She's sat up on her own for a few seconds, too.  I am working hard on this skill.  I have never been one to wish away my child's days.  I am trying to enjoy each and every phase (whereas Michael is ready for her to walk and talk.  I don't think he knows what that really is going to mean! lol).  However, I would love if she could just sit unassisted.  That's all I'm asking.  She doesn't have to crawl for months.  I'd be alright with that.  I just need her to sit.  It would open so many new doors for us--grocery carts, high chairs, the floor at work (and at home)... you get my point.  Needless to say, those few seconds she sat up on her own were super exciting for me! :)

Michael started his new job.  I hate it.  Hate. It.  Don't get me wrong--I am thrilled to have another pay check coming it.  That is the only thing I am happy about though.  The schedule sucks.  Just like at AT&T, the time you are suppose to get off means nothing.  The norm is 60 to 70 hours.  Yeah, I'm not OK with that--no matter how much money it would bring in.  Not only that, but he's dealing with lead and acid and all sorts of big scary machines.  It's just not good.  He's not too thrilled about it either, but it could get our debt paid off fast and give us a nice down payment on a house.  I'm not sure how long he's going to try to stick it out, but I am looking online every day for a new job for him! :)

Wordless Wednesday

To My Husband (and all other dads with little girls)

This article is so sweet. Except number 11.  Feel free to skip number 11.  I mean, you can say yes... just not about a puppy! :)

5 Month Loves

Olivia has made lots of changes in the last month.  She is holding items.  She is more into playing with toys.  She has great head control and likes to be in the upright position.  That has led us to many new "loves".

First, she really likes her jumperoo.  We started using it with her when she was little over 3 and a half months.  She enjoyed it then, but she has really gotten into it in the last month.  She knows just what to do.  Sometimes she likes to bounce like crazy.  Sometimes she plays with and inspects the toys in front of her.  Sometimes she just sits there, enjoys being upright, and checks out her surroundings.  We like to use it because it's somewhere to put her where she can be squirmy (which she is all the time), see what's going on (which she loves), and give our arms a break! :)

Summer Infant Video Monitor

I've mentioned on here before how a video monitor was a must in my book.  We are still using one with Little Man, and I plan to get years of use out of the one we have.  Thankfully, because of a gift, we were able to get a nice one.  Now that Olivia is sleeping in her crib, it has become an every day used item.  The big screen is a 7 inch LCD screen that we have set up in our living room.  It's nice because she goes to bed so much earlier than us.  We can take a quick glance at the monitor from any position in the living room/kitchen and see what's going on.  I keep the little one by my bed.

Bright Starts Rattle Teether

Olivia is wanting anything and everything to go into her mouth.  She sucks on her hands.  She chews on her bibs and burp clothes.  She tries to stick almost any toy she can hold on to into her mouth.  My mom got her this toy at Thanksgiving and it is one of her new favorites.  It's easy for her to hold and she really likes chewing/sucking on the the lollipop side.  She practically sticks the whole thing in her mouth!  She also enjoys this hand and foot teether.  She's not really into them being chilled yet.  I assume that will come with the full on teething hits.  She is just getting into Sophie as well, but doesn't love it as much as everyone said she would.

Olivia the Owl

I really enjoy all the developmental and educational toys that Lamaze puts out.  That is why I put Jacques the Peacock on her Christmas list (for her grandma).  I happened to stumble upon a clearance bin at Kohl's a few days before Thanksgiving. I figured I'd take a peek and see if there was anything we could use for the trip.  My thought being that a "new" toy may hold her attention in the car.  What did I find?!  An educational toy (my favorite).... that was an owl (hello, awesome!)... whose name was Olivia. Must Have! The bonus was that it was on sale.  Even better, she really likes it!

Lamaze Cloth Book

Speaking of Lamaze, she really likes this cloth book.  She enjoys being read to in general, but she likes this one because it has crinkle pages.  It's one of the only soft books she has, so we play with it often and it's easy to shove in the diaper bag too.

Baby Einstein Take-Along Tunes Toy

Ok, I know I changed the title to "loves" instead of "must haves", but this one really is a must have in my book.  Olivia loves it.  We've been using it since soon after birth, but it has recently become a staple in our diaper bag.  She can be full on crying in her car seat or getting fussy when we are sitting at Tae Kwon Do....I put the music on and she immediately stops.  Sometimes she watches the lights and sometimes she just likes to listen to the music.  It's just the right size to take along with us too.  Plus, it's cheap.  I call it her baby ipod. :)  (Ours looks a little different.  It's an older model that I bought on sale while I was still pregnant.  It's basically the same thing though.)

Five Months!

Olivia Grace, you are five months old!

(Ok, so I'm a week late.  Forgive me!)

 

What have you been up to?

*Well, for starters, you were totally in to this months photo shoot.  It went so fast, you cooperated, and I got some great pictures.  I swear, you even posed yourself for a few.  I was thrilled!  Finally! :)

*You are still wearing size 3 to 6 month clothing.  I don't quite understand it since you are in the 98th percentile.  It seems you should be in bigger clothes, but not yet.  I think you'll be making the switch to the next size in about a month.  You have such a great wardrobe for this size.  I hope you stay in it a while longer! :)

*You have moved to size 6 to 9 months for pajamas though.  You are too long for the smaller size.

*You moved to size 3 diapers right before our trip.  We probably should have moved you a week or two sooner, but we were trying to use up the rest of the 2's.

*You are using your hands MUCH more now.  You will grab for toys and hold items for good lengths of time.

*You haven't rolled from your back to your belly on your own yet, but you are *this* close.  Your one arm always seems to get in the way.

*You've decreased your formula intake.  You now take anywhere from 4 to 6 ounces per bottle.  Your norm is 6 bottles, but every once in a while a small seventh bottle is thrown in.  Either way you take between 30 and 34 ounces a day.

*Apparently you are a fast eater (like your mommy!).  We sort of already knew this, but it was confirmed by the large number of people who commented on it during our trip to Indiana.  You average about an ounce a minute.

(This picture cracks me up!)

*As seen above, you have personality! :)

*You have started to giggle and laugh more regularly, which makes me happy!

 

*You are still the little talker.  You've added some squeals and throat gurgles to the mix.

*You have a constant fountain coming from your mouth.  A bib is generally soaked (and I do mean soaked) within a half hour.  You are constantly shoving everything in your mouth as well.  There are still no signs of teeth coming through though yet.

*I'm happy to announce that your cradle cap is gone--with the help of some olive oil and a baby brush!

*Unfortunately, you started losing your hair.  You've been losing large amounts of it for the past 3 to 4 weeks. Thankfully it's starting to grow back in quickly.

*Despite losing a lot of hair, you still have a ton and it's super long in parts.  It's to the bottom of your ears on the sides.  Its also pretty long in the back when straightened out.  If you were a boy, you would have already had your first hair cut!

*We officially made the switch from the car seat carrier to the convertible car seat.  We figured the more room you had for the trip, the better.

*You are not sitting up on your own yet, but we are working on it.  It would be oh so helpful now that you are in a convertible car seat instead of the carrier.  (Sitting in the chair does help her sit up some, so it does appear that she can do it.  She can't without support and even then she topples over a lot.)

*You have gotten much better at lifting your head when on your tummy.  Yay!

*Your sleeping is a MESS.  I have tried everything I can think of.  I have read and read and done what the books said.  Nothing seems to be working.  You fight sleep like it's your job!  You hardly nap and since our trip, you have begun waking up more often in the night.  Ugh!

*I'm not sure how it is, but I think you are getting cuter by the day!

*We adjusted some things at bath time and it seems to be getting better.  (Except at my grandma's house where you had to take a bath in the big tub and you screamed bloody murder the entire time!)

(Yep, the swing is still around.)

*Your favorite things right now are: your jumperoo, Olivia the owl plush, your fingers in your mouth, watching daddy move about the kitchen doing dishes, mommy holding you, and anything music related.

*Your least favorite things right now are: SLEEP!,  NAPS!, and getting buckled into your car seat.

HAPPY FIVE MONTHS BABY GIRL!

WE LOVE YOU!

A few more... for the grandparents, of course.

Ok, so I like them too. :)