A Spring Day

It has been unseasonably warm this spring and so we have been to be found with the windows open, bare feet and time being spent outside.  This particular day was no different.  Abby loves being outside.  Not only is it a great opportunity to feel the grass on your feet and fingers, there's something new to look at besides the interior four walls of our house. 

Abby is sitting up by herself!  Did I forget to mention that?  I feel like one day she wasn't sitting and the next day she was sitting without any assistance. 

5 months

Abigail Jean is 5 months old!  Crazy how time is flying by so quickly.  Things that have happened since last update:

• We had thought that Abby was teething since she was constantly drooling, sometimes chewing on her pacifier, not eating as much and well, it could be that time for teething.  However, after 2 rough nights of sleeping and one absolute sleepless night for everyone in the house (even Lacey was wide awake!), we took Abby to the pediatrician.  The nurse diagnosed her with a double ear infection.  I had a mixed reaction.  First I was estatic that there was medicine to cure my over tired, cranky baby, but then I was sad.  She wasn't even 5 months old and she has a double ear infection?  Isn't breastfeeding supposed to prevent these things?  What's the future to bring?  I immediatley jumped to her needing to get PE (pressure equalization) tubes at a young age.  I almost cried in the doctor's office, but quickly pulled it together - I mean it was ONLY an ear infection.  After one dose of the bubble gum medicine (amoxicillin) we could already see a change in Abby.  Since Abby didn't like sleeping on a flat surface, we were advised to have her sleep propped up.  So her bouncy chair went into her crib and that's where she slept for 3 nights until we felt it was fine for her to sleep flat on her back again.  Now we know the signs and we won't wait so long to go to the pediatrician's office! 
• Still not rolling over on purpose, but she is getting so close!  She continues to do the "torticolis turn", but won't get her hip over to complete the roll.  I guess she is content just turning and looking.  We keep encouraging her however. 
• Vocalizing up a storm!  She just coos all the time.  I've been listening for a variety of consonants and vowels (Obsessed SLP here!).  So far I've heard, "ah", "agoo", "oo" and a bunch of glottal sounds.  She will make this funny sigh/glottal sound every now and then.  It's just funny, but I imitate her and she just looks at me and smiles. 
• Breastfeeding is more challenging as she's getting distracted.  I like to play on my Kindle Fire while she's nursing, but I've learned I can't do that as easily, if at all.  Abby will constantly want to lean back and reach towards my Fire (oftentimes "clicking" on things or turning the pages in my book!). 
• She hasn't gone back to sleeping through the night yet.  I keep waiting.  In the meantime, she's waking up 1-2 times at night.  Brent and I are not afraid of the cry it out method (Brent may disagree about my willingness!), but when she cries at night, I can tell that it's not a cry that is going to settle any time soon.  So I go in to feed her.  Am I creating a monster by feeding her?  Don't know.  Perhaps.  Does she quiet down and fall back to sleep?  Yes. 
• Everything is going in her mouth.  She grasps onto a toy, finger, clothing, whatever is close and in the mouth it goes. 
• Still no solid foods yet.  We're holding off as best as we can to as close to 6 months as possible.  So far, Abby hasn't shown us the "readines" signs so we're just keeping on the path we're going.  Research has shown that holding off until 6 months  for solid foods can:
• reduce food allergies and thus allowing for an easier time when we do start solids
• allow time for digestive maturity
• have greater protection from illness
• protect baby from iron deficiency anemia
• prevent future obesity
• maintain my milk supply

Next month, Abby will be a half a year old!  Oh my! 

Irish Baby

If you're on facebook, you've seen this picture before, but if you're not, then it's new to you!  Aunt Megan/Uncle Kevin and Natalie gave this shirt (and matching socks) to Abby.  We've got to get use out of it before St. Patrick's day! 

Abby and Lacey

The quality isn't that great as it was taken from my Blackberry (WHAT?! not a Driod or IPhone?? - nope.)  and I'm not sure where the audio went, but when you watch, you'll realize there isn't a need for audio. 

Preview to Easter

New Development!

Look at Abby's new skill she's working on!  This is a new development in the past few days.  I noticed this in the bathtub the other day as the angle and configuration of the tub made it perfect to allow Abby to sit up with little assistance from me.  My baby is growing up! 

In these photos, you'll see the blanket Heather Dlugosz gave, the boppy Aunt Mary Gronas gave and the stacking rings that I received from the Middletown team at my work shower. 

Birthday Party Part 2

So, we tried to get a picture of the birthday kids together.  This is the best shot I got.  So, needless to say, getting a picture with all 4 kids (Ethan, Lily, Carter and Abby) wasn't going to happen. 

Instead, Bethany and Andy showed us how to do a photo shoot.

And now....cake time!   

The calm before the storm...

Here is Ethan.  Ethan dove right in not hesitating to make a mess! 




Here is Lily.  She took a neater and more systematic approach.  She picked off all the green dots and ate them before being shown to dig into her cake.  







Birthday Party Part 1

Two weekends ago, the Cullen family went to a First Birthday Party for Ethan and Lily.  Ethan and Lily are practicallyl 2 weeks apart and they had a combined par-tay. 

Ethan likes other kids and to express his affection, he climbs all over them.  Here, Abby is getting some of that affection. 

Carter, Ethan and Lily had fun with the cars on the TV stand. It made for a photo moment.

Birthday Girl Lilian - look at those blue eyes!

Gift Mayhem! Actually, it was a quick and dirty gift session. 



While gifts were going on, Abby was quite content bouncing in Ethan's jumperoo.  She loves it!