Sweet Seven! Yes, I can hardly believe it myself, but my littlest Lu is seven months old today. Not much has changed in her daily life, unless you count how my love for her has doubled this month.
She is everything you could ask for from a baby and so much more. Lucy is loving, content, independent, happy, easy going, and a perfect fit for our family.
And though I mentioned not much has changed, there are a few tweaks worth noting. Not to mention I can never pass up a chance to dote on my baby girl. So here it goes...{get ready for some serious baby fever if the pictures haven't already done that for you}
Eat
Well, we finally are fully weaned from nursing and onto a bottle and formula full time. Our last stock of pumped milk was used up about a week ago. I can't lie, the freedom is invigorating. But I also can't lie that there was a bit of nostalgia in letting go of nursing my last babe. Another chapter in my life closed. {sniff sniff}
So with the transition to a full time bottle I had to do a little experimenting this month. How many ounces for each feeding? Which feedings did she want to eat the most? How were solids effecting her formula intake?, etc. So after a couple trial and error sessions this is what we came up with.
A 6 oz bottle at her 8 am feed, followed by a full container of fruit and cereal. An 8 oz bottle at her 11:30 feed. {We haven't started solids at this feeding, but will in about two weeks.} A 4 oz bottle at her 4:00 feeding, followed by a full container of veggies and cereal. And then she tops her day off with another 8 oz bottle at bedtime, around 7:30.
I also noticed this month that Lucy has started to have an opinion about which dishes she is served. I was really hoping for the word "picky" not to be included in any sentences with "eater" and "Lucy". The verdict is still out. But, I have found she devours her fruits. Especially pears, apples and prunes {which I give her sparingly for obvious reasons}.
And as for veggies, she is still a carrot lover, along with sweet potatoes and squash. However, peas and green beans can make her turn up that sweet little button nose and purse those rosy lips shut. I've tried adding pears to each of them...but, no luck. I vow to remain relentless in this quest to make her a greens lover. I have a picky eater and a not so picky eater at my house already, I can promise you, the latter is much easier and if anyone is asking, I would like another pretty please.
And happily {and sadly at the same time}, Lulu has gained nearly 2 lbs since going to the formula {that's in less than a month}. I think my suspicions about low milk supply there toward the end was right on. Poor baby. But in true Lucy fashion, she didn't complain a bit. I, however, am battling a serious case of mommy guilt.
On the flip side, I am ecstatic to see a fat baby emerging at the Cibula house. That's how we like to grow them around here anyway. The more yummy rolls means all the more to love on. I'll take that any day.
Activity
Lucy is starting to make some appearances out of the house and she is in complete awwww!
Her favorite? Friday Music class followed by lunch with friends. Nothing like throwing her right into the world, huh? She is a happy baby girl with all those little faces surrounding her. Add music and lots of noise and she seems right in her element.
Lucy has also made it to a baseball game or two. I couldn't believe how much she enjoyed that as well. She didn't even flinch when a 3 year old spectator was so enamored with her that he almost poked her eye out. In fact, I think she might have actually enjoyed it.
Anytime we are out and about, it's all Lu can do to stay in my arms. She is bouncing, thrusting forward, and trying to jump out of my lap. Anything to be closer to the action. I fear the day this little one starts moving. I better have my running shoes handy.
So not surprisingly, when we are at home, Lu has found a new favorite...the Jumpy. The moment she realized she could actually jump up and down and it would spring back was priceless. Lulu is definitely a mover when she can find the means to do it.
One attribute that does make her unique to our family, is her voice. The loveliest and happiest sound I have ever heard. And...it's really loud {just like the day she was born}. I remember thinking, 'surely that's not my baby'. I was wrong, it was, and she is still that verbally boisterous.
As far as other activities, she still adores being outside. Whether for a walk or just hanging out playing. We recently introduced her to the swing on the play set {one of the few warm days} and it was a score, complete with a gummy smile. She also loves being on the floor surrounded by toys. She does, what looks like, Yoga moves to make her way to anything out of reach. Still no actual transporting {for lack of a better word}. I'm certainly not complaining, I am just enjoying a sitting baby! The best if you ask me.
As for clock time that she is actually awake, it's about an hour and a half before her morning nap and then about two hours before her afternoon nap. In the late afternoon she stays awake for about an hour to an hour and a half before heading up for her catnap.
All this talk about naps leads me to ...
Sleep
So...very few changes here. Except for naps are better. Probably because she is finally well fed. {poor baby again}.
I can excitedly put Lulu up in the rankings of my other two incredible sleepers. Way to go baby girl!
Her morning nap lasts about 2 hours. Sometimes I think she would like to exceed that. But I make sure to wake her promptly at the 2 hour mark, if she hasn't already woken herself. I prefer for the morning nap to be shorter than the afternoon nap. It makes for a smoother transition down the road. Not to mention, we will be itching to get her out of the house more and more as time goes on.
Her afternoon nap generally goes from 1:15ish to 3:30. Occasionally she wakes closer to the 3:00 mark which proves to be challenging with Jack getting home from school and homework time. However, she is getting better at stretching it. She's also been known to go to 4:00 on some occasions. I don't wake her from this nap. Maybe because I've never really had to. But, either way, I really don't see a need to do so. I am confident that her night time sleep wouldn't be affected.
Lucy follows these two full naps with an evening catnap. It's usually around 5:00-5:30 for about 45minutes to an hour. If I remember correctly, my babies drop this nap sometime during the 9th month, but don't quote me on that. I'm always anticipating a release from nap jail {especially with our busy lives}.
And no, that little evening catnap does not prevent Little Lu from heading off to snoozeville every night at 7:30 pm. {I get asked that often} She's then back up at 8:00 am with a beautiful smile to greet me. {Followed by a neck crane to spot her bottle in the room.}
So in summary, if you haven't met Lu yet...you soon will! And get ready--she is about as lovely as they come. And if I know her, she is itching at the chance to make new friends and see new faces.
So here's to sweet 7 and an even sweeter baby girl! Happy "welcome to the world 7 months ago" my littlest Lu! It's hard to believe, but we truly adore you more with each passing month.
It's nearly impossible to remember tea parties without you...
{Lucy officially has two teeth...check out the second picture...number two came the day after Jack lost his second...crazily ironic, huh?}
