Nursing Adie

Determination

She's a rocking!

Sophia is up on her knees rocking almost every single time she has tummy time. I predict she'll be crawling within the next month. If I'm recalling correctly, Annabelle started crawling 1 day before her 8 month birthday. I think Sophia may beat her. But, Sophia has had a lot more tummy time and a little less snuggle time than Annabelle.

She's enjoying her rice cereal, but she's trying to get a feel for how to eat it. She LOVES for us to pretend that an airplane is flying into her mouth. She just giggles. Annabelle never really got much of a kick out of that game.

She smiles a lot now. Very much different than even just a few weeks ago. I really thought she was going to be my solemn child, but I'm not so sure that is the case. She's such a happy girl now. I love my sweet baby!

I had been suffering through a cold or sinus infection for most of October, shortly after we went to Six Flags. During this time I lost my voice. It is finally back to normal. Since I didn't have much of a voice, and I was trying to save it to discipline the oldest child, I didn't always sing to Sophia while rocking her to sleep at night. Instead, she sang to me! It was as if she was saying, "Hey mom, you are supposed to be singing to me right now!" When she did sing to me, I sang back to her, and she stopped singing. I think she really just wanted to hear me sing.

She slept through the night last night for the first time in a very long time (at least a month, but probably closer to two months)! Through the night meaning 10 hours! Before then, she was back to waking every 3-4 hours. I suspect that poor baby really needed her some solids. And to think I was punishing myself too!

Solids at last!

She's been ready, for quite awhile. I just wasn't. I didn't have everything perfectly set up to document these precious memories, so I made my sweet child wait on me. Selfish of me? Probably. Actually, I'm going to be honest. Yes, most definitely very selfish of me! I watched Sophia this morning while we ate breakfast and realized just how inhumane I was being. It looked as if she were thinking, "Why can't I have some Honey Nut Cheerios and milk? Why does she [Annabelle] get to eat that and not me?" And oddly enough I swore my second child would have solids when he/she was ready instead of going by that magical 6 month mark (which is no longer valid according to the pediatrician).

So I gave in. Even though nothing was perfect about the timing or situation. I still have not figured out this newest camera and that brings much angst to me. My pictures just are not what they used to be with the old Canon 30D. I cannot seem to get the white balance right ever and the flash always seems to be an issue.

So after a power struggle as to who was going to take pictures and who was going to feed the newest addition to the family, Sophia got her first taste of rice cereal using her Granddaddy's baby spoon and wearing a bib that was a baby shower gift for Annabelle that never got used that says "Sweet Pea" with peas in a pea pod imprinted on it. I love that spoon! But, I swear, my Grandmother must have thought that my Daddy was certain to be a girl. Does that spoon not look girly with all of those flowers on it? He was the first son, and she was blessed two more times with two more boys!


And after a little drama from the drama queen in the family, Annabelle got to feed Sophia a few more bites of rice cereal. I offered to let Annabelle feed Sophia just as Sophia grabbed the bowl and dumped it all over the high chair and herself. Annabelle melted immediately! "She dumped it all out, and I wanted to feed her!" Annabelle cried. After I persuaded her that it was alright because we could make another bowl of rice cereal very easily, she cheered up and joined in on the fun. I'd post pictures of Annabelle feeding Sophia if blogger would stop acting up this evening. That is when I realized that I shouldn't have been so selfish, and I should have let Annabelle feed Sophia her very first bite. Besides Annabelle stuffing the entire spoon into Sophia's mouth, she was rather gentle with her. Perhaps going forward I will let Annabelle feed her so I can take pictures of each new taste.

Sophia was definitely ready! I'm not sure by the look on her face how much she really enjoyed rice cereal, but she definitely seemed to know what to do with the spoon. And considering that she grabbed my BBQ sandwich at our Sunday School Class BBQ this evening and took it instantly to her mouth, she definitely knows now that food is coming her way!

Here is to hoping she'll start sleeping through the night again! This waking every three to four hours is really starting to wear on me!

Grandmama, are you happy now?

4th Birthday Party

We held Annabelle a 4th birthday party today at Thrasher Park in Norcross at 2:00 p.m. I think the last time we visited this park was a few days before Sophia was born. I was very much pregnant!

Grandmama, Granddaddy, Uncle Matt, Aunt Meredith, Adam, Molly, Kelley, Wade, Pierce, Adie, Michelle (our next door neighbor) and her son Brandon joined us. It was quite a turnout considering I just sent out the invite Thursday night at 10 p.m. The kiddos played for awhile before we celebrated with cookie cake and cookie dough ice cream.


Unfortunately, Annabelle fell while climbing a ladder. The rung of the ladder went right between her crotch. She was in a lot of pain, but she sucked it up pretty well until everyone had left. We applied ice to her crotch while we were there. I was hoping no one was watching! She cried the entire way home, and she was afraid it would hurt to go tee tee on the potty. Then she couldn't hold it any longer and tee teed all over the floor at home. She was upset about it, but she realized it didn't hurt that bad after all so it made using the potty this evening a little easier. Her front bottom is turning black and blue though. Bless her heart! I'm not liking that we have her 4 year wellness checkup in a little over a week as I don't want anyone to think we're abusing our child!

She was not a big fan of her cookie cake at all. She only ate a few bites. Everyone else just about demolished their serving. I figured it had something to do with how she felt. But then we offered her some more this evening and she only ate a small piece. She asked for seconds but decided she would save that piece for tomorrow. I suspect now that it may have actually been a little rich for her liking. Nor was she very enthusiastic while opening presents. That is not like Annabelle at all.

For her 4th birthday party she received the following gifts: Disney princess fishing pole (from her Daddy), two pairs of crocs (from her Mommy), the 2009 version of the 50's Barbie (from Grandmama and Granddaddy), a pink bucket with her name on it, Legos, and a Kid's First Cookbook (from Uncle Matt, Aunt Meredith, Adam and Molly), and a Leap Frog Scribble & Write (from Kelley, Wade, Pierce and Adie).

Birthday Party Highlights:

1. I asked Annabelle this morning what she wanted to wear to her birthday party today. She said, "The shirt with the balloons on it." She immediately ran to her room to find it. She pulled out the birthday dress she wore for her 2nd birthday that still fits. I told her that it wasn't really appropriate for the playground. She seemed disappointed, so I mentioned to her that we could take it and she could wear it when we had cake and opened presents. Hence the smocked balloon dress in the above picture.

2. Annabelle wanted to open Grandmama and Granddaddy's present more than any others for some reason.

3. All a girl ever needs and wants in life is a new pair of shoes because the Crocs were a hit! She was more excited about her new shoes than anything.

4. "Daddy is going to take me fishing!" she told Molly while showing Molly her new fishing pole.

5. The Leap Frog Scribble & Write gained her attention by the end of the party. She told me later that was her favorite gift. Of course, she hasn't opened anything else, so that is sure to change!

Sleepover

I must be out of my mind! Planning Annabelle's first sleepover at our house the night before her 4th birthday! Guess who kept who up this evening? The one and only!

Annabelle! She was so excited to have her cousin Molly spend the night. She would NOT stop talking at bedtime even after I threatened that she would sleep in a different room.

Daddy decided to be the "cool parent" as he just told me. He told them they could whisper. "Daddy said we could whisper," Annabelle said. "They weren't supposed to tell you that," he just told me after I asked him, "you told them they could whisper?" I finally left Annabelle's room for the last time at 11:05 p.m. Here is to hoping they are finally asleep.

I am questioning now why I offered sippee cups of water at bedtime. Annabelle always gets a little water to sip on at bedtime, but I can tell that is not the case for Molly as she completely downed hers within minutes. I suspect I'll be up in the middle of the night for a few potty breaks. What was I thinking?

Then as we were turning out the lights, Molly said, "I cannot sleep with it pitch dark in here." Hubby and I just looked at each other as if to say, "What are we going to do." Then Molly piped in that she needed a little green or red light like you see from a t.v. that is turned off. Hubby improvised and grabbed a phone charger that set off the tiniest green light. Apparently, it did the trick.

And then Annabelle remembered that Molly hadn't gotten that stuff on her lips at bedtime. Annabelle has had a fever blister since late August that just won't go away. Molly decided she needed some on her lip as well because it was also hurting. I gave her Vaseline to "treat" her lip while Annabelle got some medicated Blistex.

So after a fun filled night of bathing Sophia (the girls helped), pizza, a short game of Trouble that only the girls played, castle, baths for the two oldest girls, hair styling and books, I'm off to bake some cupcakes for Annabelle's 4th birthday!

Did I mention that I had all three girls to myself while hubby drove to my parents house to borrow their queen air mattress? Fortunately, they all behaved themselves very well! The third was no harder than the two. That was, of course, until bedtime. And, I have my own child to thank for the late bedtime. But, we made do. Molly has been a sweet girl and a great listener. Of course, they typically are when they aren't your own, right?

Sophia Smiles

I know you need a little smile to brighten your day! Who doesn't? How about one from Sophia? This picture was taken on October 2nd on the sky buckets at Six Flags for Sophia's very first Six Flags trip. This was about the only thing she got to ride besides the carousel. And, they wouldn't even let me hold her on a horse on the carousel. I had to sit on a bench that I thought was more unsafe to get down from than the darn horse! Thank you frivolous lawsuits and stupid parents! She was a trooper while at Six Flags from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Of course, Annabelle was too! Annabelle rode her first roller coaster. She was not a big fan. I don't think she realized what she was getting herself into. After we got off she said, "It went too fast!" It did go pretty fast for a children's roller coaster. This was also the first year that Annabelle rode the sky buckets. She was apparently scared at first (according to Nonnie and Aunt Meredith as she rode with them), but she hasn't stopped talking about them.

Unfortunately, I don't see these smiles often enough because I am normally the one holding Sophia while reprimanding the oldest child for something, it is always something with Annabelle. Would someone with more than one kid please tell me how do you find the time to really enjoy the second? This is such a balancing act!