23 Weeks

Another week has flown by and now we are enjoying a long weekend!  This week we took walks almost everyday and got to really enjoy the nice weather.  Annabelle also hit a few milestones along the way.  She has started creeping more when I put her on her tummy.  Her arms still haven't caught up but it's only a matter of time.  She's also started rolling over more often from her tummy to back, I was even able to get it on video.  She's been lifting those feet, holding them up and almost grabbing them so I'm expecting to see her roll from back to tummy any time now.  The big one this week is head control.  Up until last weekend she was not holding her head steady and if I picked her up I would have to support her head.  It was really starting to concern me but this week it was like she just figured it out because now when I pick her up she holds her head perfect.  I don't even have to support it when I hold her vertically or move around. 

Friday I weighed Annabelle and she only gained 1oz in 9 days so we went into the doctor, she said we should go ahead with rice cereal.  She is still only 12lbs 8oz as of yesterday which is on the low side for her age.  We went out last night and bought a high chair and started the cereal today.  She seemed to like it and didn't make to much of a mess.  It was only slightly thicker than formula but we managed to get more in her mouth than on the two of us.  There is one picture where she looks like she didn't like it but she was just ready for a bottle at that point. 

Our boat is going to be put in the water tomorrow so we went out and bought Annabelle her first life jacket today (picture below).  It's a little big but fits better than I thought it was going to.  We also purchased a little sun tent that will pop open for on the boat deck, it will give her added SPF protection.   I think she is all ready for summer now, she has reusable swim diapers, sunscreen, and lots of swim suits so we are at least ready for the pool or lake!

22 weeks

This weekend we had some nice weather after a week of rain so we decided to go to Annabelle's first festival Saturday, the Lilac Festival.  We saw a children's show and walked around to enjoy the wonderful smell of the Lilacs.  Today we walked in the March of Dimes, March for Babies.  There were over 600 people at Ontario Beach for the 2.5 mile walk.  We met some really nice people and had a great time. 

This week Annabelle decided to prove to me that she doesn't need to nap all day, she was up one day from 9:15am - 3pm with no more than 10 minute cat naps.  Nothing was working, not even walks.  We seem to be back on our schedule, I guess she just likes to keep me on my toes.  One other thing she's been doing this week is starting to suck on her fist, almost her thumb.  If her binky falls out we hear a sucking sound and she has almost her entire fist in her mouth.  The drooling seems to be getting worse, wondering if maybe we will find some teeth soon.  I keep checking her gums everyday but nothing yet.

Below are a few pictures from the past week.  We ended up running into some rain one day and I took a picture of her in the stroller with the rain cover down.  I think Annabelle is starting to become a ham with the camera, I have no idea how that could happen.  I've only taken about 1300 pictures of her this year LOL.

5 months old

Since Mother's Day we have been very busy.  Mom-mom & pop-pop Kresge came to meet Annabelle for the first time Thursday and stayed till Monday.  The weather could have been better but we had a couple nice days before the cold.  We had a wonderful visit despite the cold temperatures and they got to spend time with their only granddaughter.  Over the weekend she started picking up her legs & head together, I think she is getting ready to roll over any day now. 

Sleeping is still going very well.  She had a few fussy days over the weekend with all the commotion of having a house full of people but we got back on schedule Monday.  Last night she slept 10pm - 7:45am which I believe is our longest night yet!  She may have been catching up on sleep from the weekend or maybe going through a growth spurt.

As of last week we are officially done with breastfeeding.  It seemed like she was gaining weight much better on the extra calorie formula so I decided it would be best for her to switch over to 100% bottles.  It was a hard decision but I felt it was almost selfish of me to continue when she needs to gain weight and move up that growth chart.  I froze almost 60 bags of breastmilk so I can give her one bottle a day for the next two months to keep her getting those ever important antibodies and I add formula to it so she is getting the extra calories too.

The biggest news this week, on Tuesday when she was doing tummy time she decided to work her legs and start creeping toward me!  I couldn't believe it, then she did it again.  She hasn't figured out what to do with her arms yet so she is only moving herself forward a little then her arms get stuck behind her.  I tried to get her to do it again last night after Brian came home but we couldn't get her to.  I guess I have to keep the video camera on hand to catch these things when they happen the first time. 

Lots of pictures this week.  You can tell how much our temperatures varied by what Annabelle is wearing from sleeveless to long sleeves & jackets!  I also set her up at Brian's desk to get some work done.  It's like she knows she is sitting in daddy's chair because she sits up so straight like she is really proud!  There are also a couple pictures of her with daddy playing in her room last night and one of her with Mom-mom Danya.  

20 weeks

Thought I would post a quick blog as my first Mother's Day comes to an end.  It's been a truly wonderful day all around!  This morning Annabelle slept in until 7:15 then took good naps all day.  The dogs were very well behaved like they knew it was a special day.  I got many Mother's Day wishes via cards, facebook, texts, emails, and phone.  It was so great to finally hear "Happy Mother's Day" being said to me.  I've waited for a very long time to hear that as many people know.  Brian got me a beautiful Chamilia charm bracelet (picture included below) along with two cards, one from him & one from Annabelle.

Things are going very well with Annabelle's health at this time.  In physical therapy we are mainly working on head control, which is getting much better.  She is now smiling all the time and we are getting little laughs here & there.  She is also starting to find her feet which is really interesting to watch as she lifts her feet and watches them with amazement. 

On Saturday I officially got back down to my pre-pregnancy weight which was a huge accomplishment!  I would like to loose some more weight but it feels great to get all the baby weight off.  All the walks with Annabelle has helped drop those last few pounds. 

I've included a bunch of pictures from the past week of the many smiles I've caught.  Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day!