Breezy days, ball caps, brown hoodies

Last week of summer break is finally here.  And, as always, it comes with crazy dreams about the new school year, never-ending to-do lists, lots of questions (what will my new group of kiddos be like?!), and feelings of anxiety, stress, anticipation, and... excitement!!! :-)  I'll be starting my fifth year of teaching this year, and I'm setting up a new classroom in a new school! Each year I have taught has either been a new district, a new building, a new grade level or a new classroom - no two years have been the same! I am PRAYING that maybe things can be a little more consistent over the next few years.  I am thrilled to be part-time this year, teaching in the morning, and hanging out with Taylor in the afternoon. Sounds like a good plan to me. :-) I love teaching and I LOVE being a mommy, so this is the best of both worlds!!!

Everything isn't quite in place, they just got the new windows in my room yesterday, but it is coming together slowly but surely!

And of course, there can't be a post without pictures of Taylor (who, by the way, has been going to bed around 7:30 and sleeping for 10 hours straight, then sleeping another hour or so after feeding - yay!).

Loving the brown hoodie - all set to run on a cool morning!

Wearing daddy's ball cap

She tried to take it off, but didn't quite succeed :-)

Enjoying the breeze outside

She LOVED looking at the trees when the wind would gust!

Six month "stats"

Taylor had her six month appointment this morning, and even though we didn't get to see our favorite pediatrician, we did get to see a nurse practitioner that we like a lot, and she gave Taylor a thumbs up for good health!

At six months, Taylor is:
17 pounds, 1 ounce (70th percentile)
26 1/2 inches long (75th percentile)
43 cm head circumference (75th percentile)

She is stretching out a bit, her growth curve for weight leveled off a touch, while her length continues to be on the same track. The nurse told us that this is something that they tend to see in breastfed babies around 6 months, so she is doing just fine! Everything else looked good, and Taylor was very curious about all that was going on during the exam and they commented on how active she was, and how well she sits unsupported at this age! She cried (and mommy did her best to be brave) during her shots, but she stopped as soon as I picked her up after they were done! We left with Tweety Bird and red crayon-shaped band-aids, and a bill of good health! She doesn't go back until 9 months (which will be the week of Thanksgiving by then!), and will only have one flu shot to endure instead of three shots! My mommy-heart needs a break from those, so I am happy. :-)

In the next three months before her next appointment, we get to continue to slowly introduce new fruits and veggies, soft bread pieces and crackers, all-natural yogurt, and even some meat towards 9 months! We will also need to start preparing the house more as she becomes more mobile! Fun, fun!

Shortly after getting home, Taylor was all smiles and playing (although she has become more fussy as the day has gone on and her legs feel more sore - finally taking a nap right now after a such a busy morning!) You can see a little bit of her band-aids on each thigh...

And just a few more photos from the last week...

This is what Ryan and I see in the morning when Taylor wakes up - happy girl!

This is Taylor's favorite toy at the moment (such concentration!!)

 
Loving her new fleece winter suit we got for her while the girls were shopping in Charlevoix last weekend (thanks, Grandma mem!!)

Six month sweetie

We're loving our six month sweetie right now.  She is showing more signs of independence and her unique personality to us each day.  We love to hear her chatter and squeal, and see her play with things with such determination that she even gets a little frown on her face as she concentrates.

Taylor at six months you are...

** Sitting up very well on your own, you rarely tip anymore

** Passing things between each hand, and seem amazed at this little trick

** Wearing 9-12 month clothes, and we are even ready to move to 18 month sizes with certain outfits (we figure you like cozy, roomy pj's - not snug ones!)

** Wearing size 2 diapers during the day, and size 3 at night (helps you and your pj's stay dry for the 10 hours you sometimes sleep at night)

**Going to bed at 9:00pm, and getting up around 7:30am

** Enjoying banging your hands on anything you can reach...while you sit in your high chair, you bang your tray non-stop, when you sit in mommy or daddy's lap at a table, you bang the table, while drinking a bottle you smack the bottle with your hand, while we read you stories, you bang on the book

** Sucking on a pacifier fairly regularly at bedtime now, and it easily soothes you back to sleep if something awakens you, or calms you if you are overtired

** Still very unhappy in your car seat at times, it is better if mommy sits in the back and plays or reads to you, but quite often you are beside yourself with frustration at having to be strapped into the seat, and give us a good sense of how strong your lungs are

** Eating cereal (oatmeal) at breakfast and dinner, as well as veggies with dinner (carrots have gone well so far - looking forward to avocado and sweet potato next, and then adding in some fruit with breakfast)

**  Having a lot of fun at bath time, although one of your favorite things is still sucking on your washcloth

** Sometimes easily distracted and calmed by just walking around outside when you are upset

** Frequently grabbing at our faces when we hold you...my favorite thing is when you start to get tired when I am holding you, as soon as I give you the pacifier, you will close your eyes, rest your forehead against my neck and put your hands around my neck or on my face as if you want to fall asleep, but you don't want me to leave you or put you down

**Such a smiley girl, especially when you see daddy when he gets home from work, and when you wake up in the morning or from a nap, and realize that we are standing by your crib peeking in at you

Pictures :o)

Mohawk girl

All dressed up and no where to go (a cute little outfit given to Taylor by my freshman year roommate at Hope - thanks, Amy!)

With daddy and mommy

Playing

Sitting in the Bumbo at 2 months old and 6 months old

On her blanket at 5 weeks old and 6 months old

Two posts in one weekend...here goes the 2nd one! (This one gets kind of wordy :-))

I feel like there is so much going on, and so much that happens each week, that it is hard to keep up with all the changes with Taylor! 

We are ONE week away from having a six month old...which I can hardly believe. After her six month appointment, it will be fun to see exactly how much she is growing, and what her "stats" are like. 

We are having a lot more fun with eating cereal. We have switched to oatmeal instead of rice cereal now, and if anyone knows me, they know I LOVE oatmeal and have it at least once every day (uncooked with milk and cinnamon), and am excited that Taylor seems to like it, too! She has eaten almost all of it during her last two feedings (it certainly smells a lot better than the rice cereal). Yum! She has also taken a few sips of water from a sippy cup, which I think she finds quite interesting.

This past week has been a roller coaster in terms of sleep habits. She has been going to bed as early as 8:30pm, but typically is in bed closer to 9:00pm most nights, and then wakes up sometime between 7:30-8:00 in the morning. It is the period in-between that time that is a little rocky. One night she will sleep 9 hours straight, and then the next 3 nights in a row she will wake up every 3 hours. But the past two days have been really good for a couple of reasons (and I am hoping that the trend continues!). First, Taylor has been successfully getting herself to sleep for both naps and at bedtime. Typically I would rock, walk or nurse her to sleep at bedtime, then, oh-so-carefully, lay her down in her crib, hoping to not disturb her. But now, I will lay her down awake, leave her little turtle nightlight on that makes it look like there are little stars on the ceiling, and about 10 minutes later she will be fast asleep. Also, I have been cutting down on feedings in the middle of the night, and with the exception of needing to change pajamas that were wet, or cover legs that were cold, when she wakes up, she is able to get herself back to sleep without too much intervention from me. It is a true statement that I have heard before - sometimes it would be nice if babies came with directions!! But through trial and error, we seem to figure things out eventually and have a happy little munchkin to show for it! I still have first-time mom worries that something will happen in her sleep, and will check on her every time I happen to wake up at night - putting my hand on her little back to make sure she is still breathing, make sure she is warm enough, check to see that she has not shifted so that a hand or a foot is stuck through the sides of the crib, and just say a little prayer over her little head. Someday I will get a full night of restful sleep again, but for now I am much more concerned with another one's needs, and sleep is a second priority. :-)  

(We also seem to have a more regular thumb sucker on our hands, which I often find her doing in her sleep after I have put her down.)

A week and a half ago Taylor also had her first illness - poor little girl! It started with a rash, then a fever, then blisters and a sore throat. Sure enough, Taylor was diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease. The night after the rash started was a rough night, and a trip to the doctor the next morning gave an explanation to Taylor's fever and discomfort - and found out that she was not alone with this diagnosis. Apparently HFMD was one of the most common reasons that people were making appointments at the pediatrician's office in the past month ... bottom line - wash hands, wash toys, and do everything we can to avoid unnecessary germs (which is hard when you have a little one who wants to touch everything, and put it in her mouth!).

Here is a picture that I was trying to catch of her playing, but she stuck her feet up in the air, and I happened to capture what some of the rash looked like on her arms and legs. (You would have to click on the picture to probably actually see it in this small photo).

And on a happier note, now that she is healed and feeling better, life is pretty good around the Slagh house! 

 Happy girl playing in her exersaucer

I thought her expression was too funny in this picture - and I just love those little ears, we call them her little "elf ears"

Helping mommy with laundry on the bed

Playing with her little "Hope College" monkey (thanks, Kristi!! :-))

LOVE!

Love, love, love the lake

It was another great vacation up north at Lake Charlevoix!

Taylor and I spent a week up at the lake and had a great time! Ryan was there for the first weekend, but had to go back to Holland on Sunday for work.  The first few days together we hung out by the lake, walked around Boyne City, went to a wedding, rode our bikes, and of course went swimming multiple times each day!

Grandma mem and Grandpa Randy watched Taylor while we went to a wedding for friend's of ours -  Brendan and Cathy. Brendan and Cathy live up north and their wedding was in Petoskey and the reception was in Harbor Springs. It was a fun wedding, and it was even more enjoyable because Taylor did so well while we were out!  She took her bottles well, and was a peaceful little munchkin when we got back to the cottage - just rocking with grandma in the rocking chair. :-) I was sad that Ryan had to leave the next day and couldn't stay up with us, and hope that in years to come we can figure out a week that he can take more time off of work to stay and play longer!

The rest of the week, it was just Taylor, myself, and my parents at the cottage, and other than Taylor deciding to get up every 3 hours each night, it was pretty relaxing. Bike rides and swims with dad, swinging on the swing with Taylor, taking Taylor for dips in the lake, a few  great naps, and yummy meals with lots of fresh stuff from the local farmer's market, made for a great week!! 

Pictures from the week (LOTS of them! :-)...

Hanging out

She loves Mr. Duck

Sleeping in daddy's arms

At the wedding

Bath time

She loves sucking on the washcloth

Mmm, rice cereal

Still figuring out the swallowing motion :-)

Love this picture

Loving her Grandpa Randy

Bottle before bed

Watching the fountains by the harbor in Charlevoix

Headed out for the 3 mile loop

Our little water baby

Sitting by the water together, watching the waves come and go