Current mood: blissful
That’s right! 4 months today and changing so much. When I look back on this past month I can't believe all that she has done. It seems like I end up writing more and more each week and month just to attempt to cover it all. I started writing about her way back when I found out I was pregnant. Each blog entry wasn't too long but ever since I had her and continued to write... each blog seems to be getting longer and longer. I don't mind doing it though, since I know I will really appreciate all the effort I am doing now, many years down the road when Mia is all grown up. Hopefully she will appreciate it too.
Ok with that being said here are some highlights of the past month. I will not go into to much detail since most of her weekly updates contain most of these things.
Well we have been taking her out more and more. I love when all three of us go on a little outing and with her tagging along it just brightens up the whole experience. I have never loved grocery shopping as much as I do now when little Mia comes with us. I love how she just looks around and studies her new environment. (I use the word studies because if you saw her, you would know, she gets so serious and just looks at everything so intense!) Just recently has she become more comfortable and actually smiles in her stroller now. I also think she has finally associated the car seat with going out. Whenever she’s in there she gets so excited. She is doing much better in the car, in fact she hasn't cried in the car in a very long time. I think not since her trip to San Diego for the first time back in early Sept. I even got brave enough to take her out alone with me. We went to Babies R Us a couple of times and we both had a blast. She did great, considering she never had to sit in the back seat alone before. She even fell asleep without her binky which is shocking!
This past month she was also dressed up more than ever before. I am not talking about clothes, but costumes! I went NUTS! to say the least. With Halloween being this past month.. there was never a short supply of new costumes to put little Mia in. She seemed to like them all but the most special one... the one her Grandparents Pizano bought for her, for Halloween. It was the most adorable little fuzzy rabbit costume! but she would have no part of it. Every time we would dress her in that she would freak out and scream. She even threw up on it a couple of times.. I am thinking it was her plan to mess it up so we wouldn’t put it back on her again haha.
She also visited her first Pumpkin Patch this month! I love that place, since I have always been obsessed with little pumpkins. (I even had them decorate my wedding reception with little tiny pumpkins!) So it was an extra special treat to have Mia there. She even got to pick out her very own pumpkin!
Halloween soon came and that was a big day! It’s my favorite time of the year and we got to take her out trick or treating! Unfortunately our neighbors who usually go all out, were all grinches this year so we took her to the mall instead. She dressed up in her little bumble bee costume and she got tons of compliments. Adrian and I had a awesome time showing her off and having fun with her, however, Mia sadly couldn't say the same. She never cried but she never smiled either. Most of her pictures she just looks scared and confused.. poor baby. So we didn't stay there to long but ended up getting 8 pieces of candy!
A new thing she started doing this month was, she learned how to splash in the bathtub! I put her in there, and right way she kicks like crazy. She loves watching her own feet splash around. She looks all intense and serious but when you talk to her she will look up and give the biggest smile, dimples and all! Then splash splash splah! Its really cute, and I don't mind getting a little wet if she’s having a good time. Now I have to factor in some Mia splash time in the tub when I bathe her.
She is getting really good at her hand coordination. She grabbed her first toy by herself this month (her little rattle phone) and even rolled on her side to grab her a little Alien on the changing table. Just recently she started grabbing her little blankeys and pulling them over her face, then takes it away from her face, then pulls it back. Its a new little game she plays with herself. She screams with excitement when she can do it. She also found Mama's long hair and has been pulling it... OUCH! and she has ripped the glasses off Adrian's face a few times too!
She has rolled over a couple of times. The first time on my bed while I was prep'ing her for her bath and the other time on the couch. Once I actually had to physically catch her as she rolled off the couch! Talk about lightening Mama speed! She tried to do it on the floor but her arm gets stuck under her so she can't quite get fully over, but she’s almost there. Tummy time has gotten so much better. She actually likes it now and when she is on her back to long, she demands tummy time. She smiles and screams. Now she’s doing this weird swimming motion on her chest. Almost like the breast-stroke. I am not sure why she’s doing this but she loves moving her arms around, like she’s doing a snow angel on her tummy.
She held her own bottle without assistance this month. She is getting really good at it now. I just show it to her, she reaches out and takes it. She does require some help when she gets sleepy but for the most part she is really doing good. Sometimes she holds its 90% of her feedings!
Grandparents on both sides visited her this month too. Grandparents Pizano came down for a weekend to see her and it was a blast. A few days ago Grandparents Santos came to visit, along with little cousins Natalia and Brianna. She enjoyed the company and was a good baby. Grandpa Santos even played the guitar for her and she loved it. She even got to stroke some of the strings. Cousin Brianna (3yrs) wouldn't leave her side the whole time, all she could say was "I love you Mia" and Mia this and Mia that. It was really cute.
She also found her feet this month! Ever since she discovered them, she is ALWAYS playing with them. Socks or no socks (though she prefers no socks). I even find her sucking her big toe!!! I always take it out of her mouth and there she goes it right back in again. I can't count the number of times I get her in the morning (in her crib) and her little jammie feet are all soaked from her eating them!
She finally learned how to play in her jump-a-roo too! She goes nuts in there. She no longer gets swallowed whole by it, like she did when I first bought it. Now she jumps around and goes nuts. Its the funniest thing to watch her little feet go nuts. Its almost like she’s running place.
A big thing she started doing this month .. and it was long awaited.. she laughs now!!!! Granted its tough to get her to do it, but when she does its soooo CUTE! I can't wait till she starts doing it more consistently.
She is teething more, and even has little tiny red bumps of where I think her first teeth will pop thru. She is constantly drooling (I go thru endless amounts of bibs) and she always has her fingers in her mouth. Most of the time she refuse the binky and prefers her fingers. I am wondering if she will be left handed.. she only really uses her left hand and really only grabs stuff with it too..hmm. I even had to use baby orajel on her a couple of times, and it must taste nasty because she makes the most grossed out faces. Unfortunately due to teething and I believe the need for a formula change, she has been spitting up way more than normal. Before she rarely ever did it, but now it’s all the time. Even hours after she ate. We are planning on switching to soy once her currently formula can is used up. I will have to update you guys on that.
She is also starting to lose her baby hair! NOOOooooooo. I am sad, I love her soft little hair. Oh well, with getting bigger comes that too I guess. She is finally getting her little bald spot on the back of her head, but luckily the hair she does have is long enough to cover it. Her hair is changing as well, it started off really curly and we all thought she took after me, however, recently within the last month it has really straightened out alot and become wavey and poofy so we all know where she got that... yea.. Daddy! haha You should see her in the morning, she already had bed head!
She also went to her first bday party this month. It was for her cousin Brianna's 3rd bday at a park in SD. She did great, never fussed in the car and was a good baby at the park. Everyone got to see her and really enjoy her. It was fun.
Another big event that happened this month was the elections. Granted it had nothing to do with Mia per-se, its a big event because we elected our first African American president! To be born in this historical time is a big thing. Its a start of something new and great and Mia gets to be a part of that.
Now on to not so fun stuff. Doctor's visits. She had two this month. The first one was for this little dry patch I found on her forehead. I was scared it could be eczema and wanted to get it checked out by her doctor since she had a few other patches, one on her wrist and one on her foot. The doctor checked her out and confirmed that he didn't believe it to be eczema (I didn't believe him since I had it as a kid and I recognized it) and gave us some cream to use on it. (Aquafour to be exact). After using it a couple of days her forehead cleared up and so did most of her wrist, however, her foot got worse and spread to her other foot. So a week later was her 4 month check up and shots! So I asked him to look at her again and unfortunately this time he said it was in fact eczema and told me to start using cortisone cream on it. Her feet at least. Her cheeks also started showing signs of it but he recommended I continue to use Aquafour on it and just use the cortisone cream on her feet. Her cheeks are getting better and this morning I noticed her feet are as well. YAY!! So hopefully we can tackle this problem before it gets worse. Ok on to the shots. Yep it was that dreaded time again, she got her second round of shots yesterday and boy did she cry. I hate hearing it because it’s a different kind of cry and one of pain, but I know every baby goes thru it and it’s the best thing for her. I just try to see it as a rite of passage but it doesn't make things any easier that’s for sure. So far she hasn't reacted negatively to the shots. Granted the nurses said she can run a fever any time during the next few days, so we have been keeping an extra close eye on her. So far so good, no fever. I have been nursing her more than ever lately just to boost her up her anti-bodies to help her out. Overall, her check up went great. She has gotten so big, but my concern was, she’s not getting fat. She doesn't have that typical baby belly or rolls yet so I asked the doctor about this. He let us know that her weight is right on target, however, she is above average in height for her age (didn't surprise me since she’s so long.. she wears 9-12 month onesies now!! though she doesnt fill them out its the only ones which will snap at the bottom) and her jammies have to be that size too since her feet get scrunched in anything smaller. Her head is also above average (which accounts for why her beanies never fit her) but I think its because it houses a big brain! Even the doctor says she will be a smart one! haha. He was amazed how alert is she and how she studies all the new things around her, including him! He let us know we can start her on baby rice-cereal next month! I can't believe it, my little one will be eating solids errr.. semi solids soon! ACK!
On to breastfeeding. Yep I am still doing it. For a while there I thought I would have to stop since my supply started dwindling really low. Even when I pumped alot all I would get was 1 oz (and that’s both sides!) She then started refusing to nurse and I think its because of not hardly getting anything and being so hungry. I was almost at my wits end, I really didn't want to stop just yet, but I was getting really depressed about it. Then I decided to give it one last shot, this time I would never take breaks and ALWAYS nurse her at every feeding and supplement her after. I stopped pumping altogether and just let her do it. Ever since then my supply has gone back up and she doesn't mind nursing again, in fact she even falls asleep sometimes haha. Granted I still don't make enough for her so I still supplement her 4 oz after but she seems happy. I am happy with this since it’s such a great bonding experience and I just don't want to give it up just yet.
In Summary:
Feeding: Well due to nursing all the time, I can't really track this like I used to but she does finish 4-5 oz after. When I don't nurse, which is now rare, she can hit 6-7 oz easily. Due to her vomiting lately the doc recommended we cut back to 3-4 after nursing so we don't really feed her that much anymore unless she demands it.
New things: Laughs, uses her jump-a-roo now without assistance, first Mama baby trips out together alone, splashing in the bathtub, losing her hair, Halloween!, grabbing toys, found feet, eczema, first bday party, rolled over, and holding her bottle by herself, oh and attempting to sit up (like little baby crunches its too cute)
Weight: 13.8 lbs (taken 11-10-08)
Goals met from last month?: We hit every goal except one from last month. She doesn't mind longer car rides (we took her to SD without incident and around town), she went to the mall for the first time (to trick or treat), and her day time routine has gotten really good. She even naps alone in her crib for a few hours now which was unheard of a month ago! Due to the weather conditions lately, we haven't been able to meet the goal of walking around outside. Its ok though since I walk her around stores now! YAY!
Goals for next month: Getting her to learn to roll over on the floor, getting her to laugh more consistently, holding her bottle without any assistance at all for a full feeding, and a big one....attempting to take her to Oxnard for the first time (Thanksgiving is this month)
