Anna Davis is 8 months!

so it looks like in the craziness of life, my blog has become a monthly update on the baby.  oh well, maybe in my next life i can be a fabulous writer that shares all that goes on in my heart day to day.  putting words to it is sometimes the hardest part.  anyways, anna davis is 8 months, in fact she is almost 10 months.  that's how far i am behind in even the monthly posts, ha.  needless to say, the start to the school year has been rather stressful.

this girl is the joy in my life right now.  she is such fun and i'm thankful everyday that i get to be her mama.

this month, i started back to work :(  august was a rough month.  we tried to soak up every minute of the summer before school started back.  we got to go to the park, take walks and grab dinners out on the town.  her little personality continues to bloom!

Social: she continues to love social interactions.  sometimes she is happier when we leave the house and go somewhere.  i can't blame her, i am the same way some days.  she has such a bright smile and eyes.  she gets compliments on her eyes all the time from strangers.  she laughs all the time and loves to be tickled. she loves music and being sang to.  i love playing patty cake with her.

Feeding: she takes 4 bottles right now and eats 3 meals a day.   she loves oatmeal/fruit for breakfast and usually eats whatever veggies/fruit i send with her to "mrs. abbey's house".  she likes about anything but hasn't been crazy about broccoli and a few other greens unless it's laced with applesauce, ha.

 

Anna Davis is 7 months!

Gosh, i love this girl!  her little personality has just been blooming lately.  she has such a sweet little spirit and is staying true to her "best baby in the world" title.  she still loves to play, sleep and has discovered her bows- which she promptly rips off and proceeds to chew.  we'll see how long i can keep those bows in her hair!  All of pics are pretty much blurry because she is always on the move these days.

She is finally sitting up!  kind of crazy how it just happens.  one day she is needing me to sit behind her and then the next she is basically sitting up herself.  we've had such a fun time together this summer and i can't believe it's almost over.  i know this fall will go by so quickly and i will be planning her first birthday before i know it!

Social: Still a social butterfly.  she loves being with people and loves interacting.  she gets bored easily if she is by herself but somedays she is able to entertain herself.  she has discovered her voice and loves to yell and vocalize really loudly, especially if we are in a restaurant!  it's getting to the point where it's harder to go out and keep her entertained.

Feeding: She loves eating!  We are still nursing twice a day (once in morning and once before bed) but I am trying to wean her before I go back to work. hooray for making it almost 8 months!!- i swear i never thought i would make it this long.  we are still at two meals a day.  she usually has oatmeal and some fruit for breakfast or yogurt and veggies for dinner.  we haven't introduced any meats yet, it kind of freaks me out really.  she does looove sweet potatoes, broccoli and apples, green beans and bananas.  she is starting to like carrots, prunes and avocados more.  she had some bites of baked potato and loved it.  i am trying to give her some more foods that she has to "gum" so she can move towards more finger foods.

Clothing: She is moving out of 6 month clothing and is wearing some of her 6-9 month and the bigger 6 month stuff.  We got some 9 month outfits but they are still a little big, which is good- hoping they fit for this fall!

In her pillow fort at Jpaw and Mimi's house, sitting up!

We love bath time with daddy.  she loves to play with the rubber toys and it is a special little routine for them.

We also got to travel to see my dad and stepmom, as well as my Nana and Papa!  It was my goal to get down to Spartanburg before i went back to school so we could spend some time with AD's great grandparents!  It was such a sweet time with them and it was so special to see them light up when she came in the room.  I don't think that I have seen my Papa light up like that in a while.  He was really interested in her this time and she loved sitting on his lap.

Jpaw and Mimi had fun helping with AD.  she was so curious about everything in their house and enjoyed getting fed by Jpaw and snuggling with Mimi!

Anna Davis is 6 months!

Well, i have not done a great job at blogging the past two months!  it has been so nice to be home for the summer.  we have been able to go to the beach, pool and travel some!  I definitely am not ready to go back to work but i know it will be here before i know it.  

I am behind on Anna Davis' 6 month post because honestly, she is almost 8 months but I wanted to get it written down so I will remember!  

She is such a joy around here.  she brings so many smiles and laughter.  it is so fun to watch the world through her eyes.  she is seriously such a good baby.  i am afraid to that our next child will not be this easy but we're so thankful that she has eased us into parenthood.  i will say that she is going to have a little independent spirit and probably a little streak of stubbornness- but with me as her mom, you wouldn't guess that, right?

Social: She loves people.  she loves being nosy still and has to be in the know.  she fights falling asleep now, for fear of missing something.  it's so funny to watch her because you can tell she seriously does not want to miss.one.thing.  I call her Noselle all the time.  She is smiling all the time but will definitely give you the "what in the world is going on" face when she is in a new environment.  she is curious and takes everything in when we arrive somewhere new.  she still goes to less familiar people but is starting to be more hesitant.  we just love her sweet spirit!

Feeding: She is still taking 4-5 bottles a day (6 oz) and eating some solids.  She has eaten lots of new veggies this month like spinach, pumpkin and squash.  She of course loves her fruits and has tried apricots, apples, peaches.  Her fav still is the green bean/pear and sweet potato/apple.

Clothing: She is in 6 month clothing and has been pretty true to size with clothing.  I think she is going to have shorter legs and  tiny feet!

Baby Gear: We have loved her walker for short periods of time when we need to sit her down.  She will occasionally lay and play on her mat but likes to be up, however she isn't sitting up independently so she likes the walker to be able to see.

Sleeping: Still sleeping like a champ!  She goes down about 8:30 and wakes up around 7:30.  Now that i am out for the summer, I have let her sleep in a little and i swear the girl likes her sleep.

We took swim lessons at Porters Neck Country Club with Georgia, Tripp, Quinn and Griffin!  They were so fun.  It was just a mommy and me class that introduces them to the water-although we fully expect that she will be swimming laps soon.  I mean, when can we get this girl on the swim team, she was a rockstar and even went under the water!

First time walking down to the beach during our annual Fourth of July staycation with the Chidesters!

We also had Anna Davis dedicated at PC3, the end of June.  it was so fun to have all of our family in town and to celebrate and mark the occasion of dedicating our sweet girl to the Lord.  i can't wait to watch her grow-i pray she finds Him early in life so that she can experience His love and grace during all those challenging and awkward years of adolescence.

life lately

Life lately has been rather hectic.  The days come and go and I feel like I am just trying to make it to the weekend to be able to reset and prepare for the next week.  I know this is not a healthy way to live, nor the way I want to approach life but i know for now, it's just a season and i am trying to be present in these last 2 weeks of school to finish my duties while taking care of my husband and little girl.

We have had some fun times recently.  We have taken a few strolls on the beach- I mean how lucky are those of us that LIVE here.  I absolutely love being able to unwind a long day with a walk on the beach.  AD has been a few times but this picture captures so much.  She was totally taken this time with the noises and sound of the waves- it was precious.

We got to travel to charlotte for Memorial Weekend to hang out with wonderful friends.  It was so relaxing and the Chids were amazing hosts, as always.  For starters, I got to meet Sutton- the yates sweet little thing. She is the chillest baby and so sweet.  I can't wait for our babies to grow up together.  They were really sweet together and AD had so much interest in her.  I also got some sweet time with Em and Sara.  Always good to see them!  

Before I left Charlotte, I had to run by Case's house and meet sweet Porter.  He was so scrumptious I could have eaten him alive!  I love the stage AD is in but when I get around a newborn, I am smitten.  I also got to get by the Milani's and squeeze in a quick visit with C and her husband.  I didn't get to see Hazel because she was napping but can't wait for AD and her to hang out as well because they are only about a month apart!

Oh sweet muffin- I can't wait to spend the summer with you!  We are currently enrolled in "swim lessons" and our last class was so fun!  It's more of a mommy and me class where they are getting acclimated to the water but it will be something fun for us over the summer.  I hope to get to a few more kindermusik classes as well!

Anna Davis is 5 months!

Well, I guess I didn't blog much this month considering my last post was "anna davis is 4 months" ha.  One reason is that I went back to work this month.  whomp whomp.  It has been difficult in every sense of the word and being a working mom is much tougher that I ever thought.  I certainly admire all the moms that work outside the home and have multiple kids.  I don't know how they do it and I'm not sure how I will do it but I guess you just hunker down and trudge through.

I feel like AD is growing so fast.  Every one says that and it really is true.  This is some of my favorite stages in a babies life- I absolutely love the 5-6 month age because they are becoming so active and engaged.  I am thankful that I am going to be out of school in june and can spend some time with her this summer.  Right now I constantly feel like I don't hardly see her at all.  I am still working on finding the balance of social life and baby life.  It is so hard to get anywhere during the week and then get home to feed, bath and put her to bed- but I also need and crave time with adults because my job certainly lacks in this area.  I feel like the weekends are simply to "reset" for the next week and by friday sometimes I feel like life is spinning out of control.  Some weeks are better than others and I hope to work on the balance.  Taking time to rest and be intentional with my husband and baby is a big goal for me.  Not letting life just spin by without savoring memorable moments with the ones I love the most.

Anna Davis you are the light of my life.  You have brought so much joy in the 5 months you have been in my life and I still can't believe how much I love you for simply being you. I got to celebrate being a momma this month for Mother's Day!  You are the best baby I could have asked for.  You are so calm and laid back- until it's time to eat!  You are smiling so much these days, it is such a sweet smile.  It is so fun to watch you interact with things and people around you.  You are still easy going when it comes to letting others hold you. You don't like to be held like a "baby" anymore unless you are really tired.  You like to be up and able to see everyone.  I like to call you nosey because you are always so observant and curious about what's going on around you.  You tried sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, peas and prunes this month.  You seem to really like having real food.  You still spit up like it's your job!  I have to always have burp cloths all around me and give everyone "fair warning".  You don't mind tummy time and I try to squeeze it in at home whenever I can.  It's easier for you to prop yourself up on your arms now and you have rolled over a few times!  Your little legs are getting so strong and you always stiffen them when I am trying to change your diaper.  You don't seem to mind the bows momma puts on you- although daddy always give me a hard time.  I absolutely love watching you grow and I can't wait for our sweet time this summer :)

Social: She is so social!  She loves seeing people and going out and about.  She still doesn't mind for others to  hold her and she likes to see everything that is going on!

Feeding: We are still doing breastmilk, supplemented with formula.  I am pumping at work, which is so hard but worth it for the little one.  We tried baby food this month because I felt like she was starring us down while we were eating.  She has tried sweet potatoes, carrots, prunes, peas and pears.  I have only dabbled in making the food and plan to make some batches soon!

Clothing: She is moving out of  3 month clothing and wearing a lot of 3-6 month stuff.  It is still a little big on her but I can't wait for her to fit in all of her cute summer bubbles this summer!

Baby Gear: We are still loving our BOB!  I love being able to go where ever in that thing!  We are planning on getting in some pool time Memorial Day weekend and just ordered this pool float!

Sleeping: She is still sleeping like a champ.  We put her down around 8:30 and she sleeps until 7:00 when I get her up to nurse!

Anna Davis is 4 months!

This sweet girl is 4 months!  Actually, more like 4.5 months because I am always so late with her monthly posts but I'm hoping to one day have all of her info in one spot.  She literally is the best baby.  She is so easy going, hello her daddy, and such a daddy's girl.  Actually someone at Chickfila stopped the other day to comment on her googly eyes as she watched her daddy.  It really is the sweetest thing.  She loves to be social and doesn't want to miss a beat.  Her smiles are contagious and I just love her more each day.

Social: She is smiling and vocalizing all the time now.  She loves being social with others and can be so nosy.  I love that she enjoys being with people, just like her mama and daddy.  She is soo expressive and I can't wait for her to start talking because I bet she will have a lot to say.  Her facial expressions crack me up all the time.  She just started the pouty lip this month too.

Feeding: We are still breast feeding!  Hooray!  Almost to my 6 month goal.  I am back at work so I am pumping during the day and feeding her in the mornings.  It is so tough though.  I want to give up the pumping, like all the time.  I'm trying to make it to 6 months and then I can re-evaluate.  We haven't started her on any solids yet.  I am probably going to skip the whole rice cereal thing and just go for the fruits and veggies at 6 months.  She is taking 6 oz in each of her bottles and we have been doing a little formula (we're loving Earth's best!)

Clothing: She is still in 3 month clothing.  All of her 0-3 is mostly too small but the 3-6 is still a little big so we are at a lull with the clothing.  I can not wait for the summer because she has so many cute 6 month bubbles and smocked stuff.  can not wait. oh and she hates getting dressed or changed.  is this just a baby thing or is that not the norm, ha? She wore her first little Easter smocked dress to church on Easter!

Baby Gear:  We were fortunate enough to have the best grandma and papa (kyles parents) ever who bought us our very own BOB.  Yall know I was on the hunt for one of these for real and never thought I would own a new one!  We have had so much fun going for walks and to the loop.

Likes: She loves to be in the center of what's going on.  She likes the bumbo for like a min and then she's done.  She loves to lay on her activity mat and she is learning to like the bath.  She did fall asleep on me this week and I soaked up every ounce because she rarely does this anymore.  She likes to face the action.  She loves to meet new people and loves to interact.  We had our first play date this month and she loved it!

Dislikes: She doesn't like to be left alone for long.  She doesn't love the bumbo yet and doesn't like for you to be late with her dinner.  She tears up that bottle when its time to eat at night.

stitch fix #2

So! I got my second fix last week and let me tell you, I am really enjoying it. You're probably thinking, well Lauren you just wrote a post on "stuff"?  and to that I would say yes I did and let me tell you how stitch fix has been a part of the solution :)

Discipline has been my word for the past few weeks. when I see something while we are out and about or online I'm stopping. I'm stopping to ask myself two questions. Does it have function? and if so, does it have a place? 

You see, our house is perfect and I love it but space is a commodity. Since the little lady came into our lives, we have had a policy where if you haven't worn or used it in a year, it needs to go! I've learned we don't really "need" too much. 

Now, I say stitch fix is on the way and you might really like something. I usually only pick one item to keep per box but it is fun to see what they pick out.

I actually got this shipment about a month ago and forgot to post about it but nonetheless here it is.  I was pretty pleased with this box and feel like they took my suggestions.  Most of the tops were pretty flowy, which can be bad or good on me.  I forgot the names of all the tops already ha!

Top #1: I really liked it out of the box.  I liked the black and white stripes with red detailing.  When I tried it on, I wasn't too impressed with the fit.  I just didn't feel like it was flattering from the back and sides.

Top #2: This was a really great color even though my picture doesn't show it.  It was a really pretty bright berry.  I loved the color, didn't love the fit and neckline.  I just couldn't get it to lay right and it was su-per clingy which is a no-go after a baby!

Top #3: The Winner!  As soon as I saw this shirt I knew I would love it.  It was a great heathered gray and the material was super soft.  I tried it on and loved the fit!  I loved that it was flowy but still fitted at the waist so I didn't look like moo moo Mr. Cow.  I was so excited about this find and I can't remember the exact price but it was around $38 which wasn't breaking the bank. If you have seen me lately, you have probably seen me in this shirt haha.

Even pairs with shorts for the summer!

I also got one more top that I somehow didn't picture.  I didn't really love it out of the box and the fit wasn't super great either.  It was a key hole aqua colored top, which just wasn't working with the whole nursing tank thing I got going on.  Anyways, that was my second fix!