The Day after Christmas

I have been enjoying spending time with family over the past few days.  I really do enjoy holidays because it seems like they always bring the family together.  We didn't get to see Clint's family this year for Christmas, but hopefully we will get to visit them in February.  I am babysitting my nieces and nephew this coming Saturday night.  I have not done this since I have had Summer (and not much before then...hmmm I hope I'm not a bad aunt), but I am looking forward to it.  They are growing so fast and I need to spend more time with them before they get too old to want to hang out with me. 

Today Clint, Summer and I went furniture shopping.  We finally broke down and got a bedroom suit for the condo.  We did not, however, get any patio furniture...uuggghhh.  We spent so much time looking and nothing.  I really wish we could've just found something that would've worked....I'm over the shopping!  Summer was a good girl the whole day.  She really is such a good baby.  The sales lady at furniture store loves her too.  Everyone always oohs and ahhs over her when we go out so I know it is not just my opinion. 

I got all the Christmas pictures on the computer last night (and labeled!!!), but it was late when I finished so I decided to post them later...which is now.  I think there were 177 pictures from Christmas which seems like a lot, but when you look at them it isn't really.  I love my new digital camera.  I have close to 1000 pictures of Summer and she is not even 8 months old yet.  That is crazy!  I really need to get them all backed up on CDs in case something happens to my computer. 

 

Twas the Day before Christmas

This morning Summer has been playing in the floor with her toys.  She is feeling better for the most part.  This morning she woke up around 4:45 coughing so I got up and gave her some cough medicine and fed her.  Shortly after she ate, she started coughing again and ended up throwing up all of the milk.  So, Clint and I got up and he held her while I changed our sheets and got her some new clothes.  I suctioned her nose a little bit which she, of course, did not like one bit.  After that she was happy and played in the floor for a little while before I put her back to bed. 

She was good while my sister and I made cookies the other day.  Her naps were short lived because there was too much going on in the house and she did not want to miss out on anything.  My niece and nephew painted some ornaments and also helped us cut out the sugar cookies.  They also helped keep Summer entertained so we could get all of our goodies made.  I ended up taking some to my neighbors and a few friends.  My sister took some home with her too.  It was pretty fun, but I had a backache at the end of the day.

Tonight we are going to my grandad's house to have Christmas with my mom's family.  It starts at 6:30 which is pretty close to Summer's bed time, so I am anxious to see how she will act.  I hope to get her a late nap so that she will hopefully be in a good mood.  Gotta run....busy day...presents to wrap...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

She's wants her mommy!

Summer has not been feeling good since Tuesday.  It is actually the first time she has been sick.  She had a runny nose so I called the doctor to see what I needed to do.  They said to suction her nose and put some saline drops in it.  I decided to put that off as a last resort because I knew it would not be a good experience for me or Summer.  That night she woke up at 11:00 crying... I think because she couldn't breath very well.  Clint went and got her and brought her down to our bedroom to sleep in her pack-n-play.  She woke up a few times which kept Clint and I up quite a bit that night.  Around 3:00 she woke up crying again.  This time I decided to use the suction and saline.  I was right about it not being a pleasurable experience, but it might have helped...not sure.  I went ahead and fed her and finally got her back to bed around 4:00.  It was the first time she has kept us up at night so I guess we are lucky.  All day yesterday, she wanted me to hold her...she did NOT want to play in the floor by herself.  It was actually nice since I was staying home anyway.  We sat on the couch and she fell asleep on me while I watched TV.  I called the doctor to make sure I didn't need to bring her in since she had started coughing too.  They said I didn't unless she had a fever.  When I talked to my pediatrician at my Jazzercise class, (aren't I lucky to work out with my pediatrician?) she said there is no way she would take the baby in because there are so many germs at the dr. office right now.  She also said I could try elevating one end of the bed while she sleeps to see if that might help her breath better. 

Clint and I went to workout at 3:00 and Summer still insisted on being held.  So we passed her back and forth while the other did their set.  We actually had gotten a babysitter for the evening, but decided it was not worth it to leave her with them.  So, we went out to eat with them instead.  She fell asleep on me while we were waiting for our food, so I put her in her car seat.  Before I was finished eating, she woke up and wanted me to hold her again.  Then she started coughing and I felt so bad for her.  Needless to say, that is where we ended out evening out  We came home, fed her and put her to bed. She woke up a few times during the night, but fell back to sleep until about 4:00.  I got up and fed her and she went back to sleep for about an hour.  Then she was up crying around 5:30, so I brought her to bed with me and she slept on my chest for about 2 hours.  She woke up crying again and I decided to just give up on sleeping and took her into the living room to play.  It was actually not that bad of a night...it was better than the night before at least for Clint and I.  We went to bed before 9:00 anyway so we got plenty of sleep.  I have suctioned her a few more times which she does not like AT ALL, but I gotta do what I gotta do, right?  Hopefully she will start feeling better and not get any worse.  She did actually play in the floor for a little while this morning while I ate breakfast and did a few chores.  I hope she is good the rest of the day because my sister and her kids are on there way up here to make cookies and stuff.  Let's hope she likes to play with her cousins as much as she likes me to hold her....we can only hope........

1 Week til Christmas

It's hard to believe that it is already Christmas.  It seems like just the other day it was summer and now December is halfway over.  We celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family yesterday minus my dad... :(  We had a good time even though he wasn't there with us.  My granny got some panties which gave everyone a good laugh.  Summer got a baby that kisses and says "I love you!"  It was so cute because she kissed it when she got it and no one was able to get it on camera...especially me since my camera died at the beginning of the party...bummer.  I guess the reason for that is because Clint took pictures at my graduation (I now have a Masters in Business Administration--YEAH!!!) right before the party and ran the batteries down.  Oh well...at least I got some pics of my graduation and a few of Summer at the beginning of the party. 

I took a lot of pictures of Summer today.  I put the bonnet and booties I made her on her and laid her on the blanket I made for her.  I almost forgot to let her wear them before she outgrew them.  It will probably be the only time she wears them, but it was worth all of the effort I put into making them. 

She has been fussy and drooling a lot over the past few days which makes me think she is cutting another tooth, but I don't see a new one coming in anywhere.  Last night she woke up around 11:00 crying which never happens.  I left her there for a few minutes to see if she would fall back to sleep, but she didn't.  So, I went and got her.  Clint was watching the ball game and I was ready for bed, so he took her into the living room and held her until she fell asleep.  She was up at 5:00 this morning to eat which is earlier than usual, but luckily she went back to sleep until almost 8:00.  She took a few good naps today, but was ready for bed before 7:00.  I hope she does not get up too early in the morning...

Hopefully we can manage to go to the aquarium sometime this week.  I have been wanting to go back ever since we went the first time over a month ago (we have a years membership), but I haven't made it back yet.  Maybe tomorrow....

Well, I'm going to focus on my movie. Later!

She likes chicken fingers!

Last night we went out to Outback to celebrate a friend's birthday.  Summer was being a good girl and playing with the other little girl in our party (she's 8).  When no one was looking, Summer swiped a chicken finger off of her plate and started eating it.  I was surprised when I turned to look at her and there she was chicken finger in mouth!!!  She didn't eat very much, but she did enjoy what she did eat.  It was her first meat, and I guess her way of telling me she's want meat!  Lucky me had the camera on hand, so I got lots of pictures of it. 

She has also started using a sippy cup.  She is doing pretty good and I don't think we will have a problem going from the bottle, which she only gets juice in, to the sippy cup.  Summer has never been really picky about where her food comes from.  She will take any nipple on any bottle and drink from pretty much anything you want (or don't) her to. 

One of my neighbors brought Summer a Christmas present over today, so I let her go ahead and open it.  She really liked the wrapping paper, but she did not eat any of it today.  She just chewed on it a little and then got distracted by something else.  She liked the toy too...a panda bear...it makes noise when you move the head, arms and legs and the paws have beads in them so they rattle.  It was really nice of the neighbor to think of her (Thanks Beverly!).  When the weather was warmer, we used to go see her often, but now that it has gotten cooler we don't get to see her and Bill that often.  I'm sure next spring we will get to see them more.  I miss our walks down the street and stopping at their house to talk.  Just a few more months...or maybe even sooner.  It is supposed to be in the 70's this weekend and the beginning of next week so maybe we'll get to go for a walk then.  It's crazy to think that it is the middle of December and it is this warm!  Global warming.....

She finally got the present she started opening on Monday opened yesterday.  It only took her two days....opening presents may take a while this Christmas...LOL.  Anyways, I need to go get finished packing for the weekend. 

She found the presents

Today Summer decided it was time to open presents.  She started opening one of my nephew's presents so I decided to go ahead and let her have one of hers.  I didn't really think she would get it open, but I was wrong.  She did manage to get about a third of the paper off and that was really all she was interested in. Once she got it off, she proceeded to put it in her mouth and try to eat it.  She didn't really even give a hoot about the present, the paper was what she wanted.  I ran and got the video camera to get it on tape--her 1st time opening a present.  I also took a few pics which are on the camera out in the car.  I am too lazy to get up and go get it right now, so I will post them later. 

She is also starting to "talk".  She has been making noises and cooing for a few months, but now it is like she is talking--just in a language I can't understand.  It is cute though.  She goes on and on...I just wish I knew what she was saying.  Tonight in the car it did sound like she was saying dadadadada (that's what Clint heard) along with other similar sounds.  I think I am going to try to teach her some basic words in sign language so we will be able to communicate in some way until she actually learns to talk.  I hope I can be consistent enough for her to actually learn a few words.  I have been doing "eat" and "drink" for a few weeks, but I really need to be more consistent with it.  I am also going to try "more" and "love" and "bath" and "bed" for now.  I may try a few others if I see a word that I think would be beneficial.  I guess I haven't really got it all figured out so I will just try to play it by ear, but the key will be for me to be consistent.  I have at least got a few websites on my Favorites that I can refer to for the correct signs although I read you can just make up your own signs for words.  It makes more sense to use the correct signs though.

Hmmmmm...what else???  She still just has the one tooth.  She is crawling around a lot more and getting into more things.  I guess you could say she is exploring more now.  I have to keep a close eye on her or else she will definitely get into something she shouldn't.  Have I mentioned how much she loves paper?  I swear I think she can smell it or something.  You would think it tasted like candy or chocolate or something the way she loves to put it in her mouth.  Sometimes when she crawls, she straightens her legs out like she is trying to stand up.  It kind of looks like she is doing a push up with her bottom up in the air.  She is getting to where if you hold her hands, she will pull herself up and stand up.  She doesn't really walk yet, but she will stand there for a while and may take a step or two.  I am NOT ready for her to start walking yet.  It will only be a matter of time though.  I am enjoying being a mom...I never imagined it would be so rewarding, but having a happy little girl to spend my days with is awesome.  I am so lucky to have Clint and Summer in my life (and all my other family members). 

TEETHING

I guess now that Summer has a tooth she is definitely "teething".  For the past few months I have heard the question "Is she teething?" many times.  My answer was always "I don't know."  I'm not sure how long it usually takes between teeth, but I'm not really anxious for another one.  Now I have to make sure to brush her tooth everyday...I guess???  I'm not really sure about that one and I am too lazy to look it up on the Internet so I'll just go with that until I go back to the pediatrician.  The good thing is she likes the toothbrush.  Of course she pretty much likes anything you (or she) puts in her mouth so that's not a big surprise.  It seems like she is trying to chew on things in the back of her mouth so I wonder if she is cutting a molar.  I guess I will just have to wait and see.  She was a little irritable tonight which I'm not sure if it was due to teething or just being tired.  I left the teething tablets with my sister, so I ended up giving her some Tylenol. 

Today she discovered the Christmas tree.  A couple of days ago she discovered the presents, but never actually touched the tree.  Today she grabbed a few limbs and tried to put them in her mouth.  Then she realized the presents were much more fun because they are wrapped in paper which she absolutely loves to chew on.  She got the tag off of one present, but I got it before she chewed it up or swallowed any.  I guess I am going to have to keep a close eye on her now that she knows what good stuff is waiting for her under the tree...if she only knew.  I can't wait until Christmas even though I know it won't be as great as next year or the years to come.  This year it will be all about the paper and boxes.

Yesterday we went to a playdate with 4 other babies - two girls and two boys.  We have had playdates with Lili before, but this time some others came to join us.  The boys, Ashton and Aiden, are twins and are about 2 months younger than Summer.  Kately is about 2 weeks younger than Summer.  They had a pretty good time together.  Summer was tired when we got there because she missed her afternoon nap, but she was pretty good despite being tired.  Needless to say she fell asleep in the car and went straight to bed when got home. 

Saturday we took Summer to her first parade.  It was the downtown Christmas parade.  It was cool outside, but not as cold as I thought it was going to be.  Nonetheless, I still had Summer bundled up so she would stay warm.  We didn't stay for the whole thing because it was really long and she wasn't getting very much out of it.  So we went back to the condo and ate leftovers from the Christmas lunch we had earlier that day and put her to bed. 

That's about it.  Enjoy they pics.  I wish I could get more pics of her tooth, but she only shows it off when the camera is not in my reach...hummmmmmmmm

A Tooth!!!

Today Summer and I walked down to the neighbors house to say Hi.  While we were there, the neighbor was looking at Summer smile and said, "Is that a tooth?"  I was like no, she doesn't have any teeth.  Then I looked at her gums and there it was...her first tooth.  I was so surprised I had to keep checking it to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me.  It looked like it was still under the gum, but when I rubbed my finger on her gums I felt it.  She had been fussy all morning long and I just thought it was because I had held her all day yesterday and she wanted to be held today too.  But, apparently she is teething.  She has slept a lot today and wants me to hold her.  My mom and Tre came to visit and she still wanted me over them which was surprising.  She played with them for a while, but she wasn't letting me out of her sight.  They helped me decorate our Christmas tree which looks awesome.  I will have to take a picture and post it so my distant family members can see what a good job we did since they won't be coming here for Christmas.  It is a 12 foot tree, and I was really scared I wouldn't be able to get it looking as good as I did 2 years ago when my dad helped me decorate it.  But, I think we did pretty good.  I can't believe we got it all done in one day.  I really thought it would take me a day or two to get it done, but they were a big help.  This will probably be the last time I put that tree up because next year Summer will probably want to help.  Hopefully we will have this house sold by then too...if we are lucky.  Anyways, I guess that is it.  I will try to get new pics up in a few days.  Hopefully she won't be walking by then...LOL

She's crawling

It all started on Thanksgiving Day.  Of course I did not see her crawl until the morning after.  We got up, like any other day, and went into the living room to play with some toys.  I was sitting there watching her go after something under the coffee table and there she was CRAWLING!  I ran to get the video camera so I could capture the moment.  Then I proceeded to call all my family members and tell them of her new accomplishment.  I called my dad first only to find out that she had actually crawled for him the night before but he was afraid to tell me because he thought I would be upset that I missed her doing it for the first time.  I was cool with that though because he only sees her a couple of times a year being that he lives all the way on the other side of the country.  So, it was actually neat that he got to be there for one of her "firsts".  It was so exciting seeing her make her first moves forward instead of backwards.  Now, she is completely mobile which is exciting and scary at the same time!  I've got to keep a close eye on her now and make sure there is nothing lying around that will hurt her.  I'm going to have a busy day tomorrow getting the house baby proofed.  At least I have the "cage"....LOL  I am going to try to decorate for Christmas too.  I am anxious to see how she reacts to the Christmas tree. 

We are home from our trip, and I just put Summer to bed.  I am sooooooooooooooo happy to be home and back to our normal (if there is such a thing) schedule.  The time difference really killed me this trip.  After we got home, she was crawling all over my floor and climbing on me.  I wonder how long it will be before she starts pulling herself up onto things.  I saw a 9 month old at a restaurant tonight who is already walking.  I wonder if that will be her in a few months.  I love watching her grow, but I wish she would slow down.  Before I know it, she will be all grown up.

We made it

Oh my, I am sooooooo tired.  Can you say jet lag?  There is a 3 hour time difference b/w here and home.  So, at 5:30 this morning when Summer got up to eat, she did NOT go back to sleep as usual.  She knew it was really 8:30, so needless to say, I am super sleepy today.  I did not get into bed until after midnight Tennessee time, so I did not get enough rest.  I figured Summer would sleep late since she too did not get into bed until midnight our time.  She only took an hour nap on the plane ride too!  I thought for sure she would be tired since she got 4 hours less sleep than usual, but she was a happy girl this morning.  She did pretty good on the plane again.  At first she was a little fussy, but she fell asleep and took a nap so I decided I would watch the movie they were showing on the plane.  She woke up before it was over, but I still got to watch it.  She was amused by a man sitting across from us, so she just smiled at him while sitting in my lap.  Right now she is taking a nap which is what I should be doing, but of course I just laid there thinking about how soon I would have to get up so I gave up on taking a nap myself.  We are going out to dinner with the family tonight at a Japanese restaurant in the Palms.  It is pretty good, so I am excited.  My mother-in-law always takes us out to nice places when we are here which is a treat. 

Today me and Amanda got pedicures and manicures.  Then we were going to get massages, but when the time came we found out that you have to be 18 to get a massage in the state of Nevada.  She is only 16, so she wouldn't have been able to get hers.  So, I decided I would cancel mine too because I didn't want her to just be sitting there waiting on me.  I was pretty bummed out because I was really looking forward to the massage.  But, we found a way to book me a massage tomorrow and she will get her hair done at the same time.  Actually it is going to take longer for her to get her hair done, so I am going to get to play video poker in the casino while I wait on her.  YEAH!!!  I was worried I wouldn't get the chance to play this trip since it is a short trip and we have both kids with us, but it worked out where I will get to play for a while.  My mother-in-law is getting all of these treatments for us as our Christmas present.  It would cost us a lot of money to do all of these things (way more than in Tennessee that's for sure!!!!), but she can get them for us with her comp points.  So, it has been a very nice treat and the best Christmas present I could ask for.  I have not been pampered like this in a long time, if ever.  Well, I guess I need to go get ready for tonight. 

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!

It won't be long....

Summer is on the verge of crawling!!!  She can sit herself up and move around to where she wants to be by a series of sitting up, turning and other moves.  She will get on all fours and look like she is going to crawl, but she hasn't figured out how to move her legs the right way.  I know it will probably be within the next two weeks...at least it seems like it will be.  There is still one position she won't get herself out of.  If she falls back or is laying on her back, she will start fussing until someone helps her sit up or turns her over to her belly.  I know she has turned herself over before, but she will not do it if she knows there is someone around.  I think in the bed she might roll herself over, but I'm not certain.  It is too hard for me to let her just lay there and whine, so I help her up.  I'm not sure if this is the "right" thing to do or if I should let her figure it out, but I know she will eventually figure out how to roll herself over. 

I have the "cage," as Clint likes to call it, (it is really the play yard fence I got from Wal-Mart) in the living room floor.  It is still open on one side, but I moved all her toys into it so she will get used to playing in it before I actually need to close it.  It is plenty big enough for us to play in together even when it is closed.  She loves to play with her toys...she knows how to dump all the toys out of the storage bin they are in...she always makes sure to dump the blocks out of their container.  It is funny, if I put them back in it, she goes straight for it.  She doesn't really even play with the blocks yet.  She's lucky she's so cute because I could just leave them spilled out all over the floor, but I always pick them up just so she can dump them out again.

I really love her soooo much.  It is crazy how she makes me feel.  She's got me wrapped around her finger.  Let's just hope she doesn't figure that out!

She took her first bath sitting up the other day.  She has been ready for a while, but I wanted to get it on video, so I had to wait until I had the camera handy.  She likes it, but it is hard for me to wash her now....and rinsing...hmmmmm.  I still don'thave it figured out, but I guess that will come in time. 

I guess that is it.  We are going to visit Clint's family and my dad for Thanksgiving.  I can't wait!

A Spoon and A Table

Today at lunch, Clint and I were letting Summer sit on the table and play with the spoon that came with the rest of my silverware.  She was having a good time putting in her mouth and checking it out (it was a BIG spoon).  When our food came, I moved her to my lap and that is when she made a discovery.  If she hits the table with the spoon, it makes a noise.  It was so cute to see her realize that she could make noise with the spoon and the table.  Lucky for us, she did not do it for too long. 

Okay, my step daughter is evil.  Not really, but she just came in here and asked me if she could eat some of this ice cream cake I bought a few weeks ago.  I went into the kitchen to help her, and of course I couldn't resist.  Clint and I already had ice cream after dinner earlier so I didn't really need any more, but it looked so good.  And it is!  I usually eat a grapefruit about this time every night, but not tonight...I ate ice cream cake instead!  And I'm not going to get to work out tomorrow.  Oh well!  Hmmmmmmmm...where was I at?

Oh yeah, Summer is so adorable.  I love watching her explore and learn new things.  I will be doing that for years to come so I had better enjoy it.  She was ready for a nap after we left the restaurant, so we walked back to the condo and I put her down.  She went right to sleep and slept for at least an hour and a half.  Then I had to wake her up so we could go workout.  I wish I could've let her wake up on her own, but we already had the appointment with Matt.  While we were working out, I looked at her and saw she was making me a present...LOL.  I waited a while to make sure she was finished and the next time I looked at her, I could see my present through her clothes.  It had came out of the top and bottom of the diaper.  I had to take her into the bathroom and wash her off in the sink.  There was so much poop on her clothes that I almost threw the outfit away (it is probably the last time she will wear it anyway b/c it is getting small on her), but Clint and I both like the outfit (which is white...of course!!!) so he took it outside to a water hose and rinsed it off.  That was one of the messiest diapers she has ever had...even messier than the funeral experiencea few weeks ago.  I guess cleaning poopy messes has to bring me down off of the "my baby is so wonderful" high every once in a while.  By the way, did I tell you my baby is the best baby in the WHOLE world?  Of course she is!   I know most moms feel this way about their children at least for the first few years anyway, right?  I hope I feel this way forever because it sure does feel good.

Well, I feel like I am rambling on.  I need some serious sleep.  I may go to bed early and tape "What about Brian?" which does not come on until 10:00.  I actually did get to nap for a little while today, but I too had to get out of bed to go workout.  It was such a wonderful nap too!  I really need to do that more often.  Okay, rambling again...I outta here! 

Ear & Doc Pics

Okay, here are the long awaited ear pictures and a few from the 6 month checkup.  Sorry it took me so long to get them posted.  The week just flew by and before I knew it was Sunday. 

On a side note, the weirdest thing just happened to me.  I was sitting here checking my email and my stomach moved.......WHAT???!!!!  It kind of freaked me out because that hasn't happened since I was pregnant with Summer and I'm not sure what it could be.  hmmmmmmmmmm and another one for good measure hmmmmmmmmmmm  All I do know is it was weird.  Clint says it was probably just a stomach spasm.  Anyone ever had one of those?  Oh well, I guess I won't worry about it.  But, I find myself looking at my stomach every few minutes......

Summer is really moving around now and sitting herself up all the time.  She is up on all fours all the time but she is still not crawling.  It is cute to watch her move around and try to get to where she wants to be.  I got my big play pen in the mail Friday.  So, I am ready for her whenever she does start crawling...at least I think I am.  She stayed at the condo with Clint and I this weekend.  I didn't arrange for a babysitter because my sister hurt her arm last weekend and my mom babysat last Friday so I didn't want to push my luck.  I called to talk to my mom on Friday night and she told me she thought that I would have called and asked her to keep Summer that night.  If only I had  known she wanted too, I definitely would have.  We still had a good time this weekend.  Summer goes to bed at 8:00, so we had plenty of time to ourselves.  Anyways, I gotta focus on the TV now!

4th Check-up

Today was Summer's 6 month checkup.  She got 4 shots, one of which was the flu shot.  She has to go back in a month for a 2nd flu shot because they said the first one does not make them completely immune to the flu.  Clint held her today while she was getting her shots...and not enjoying it I must say.  I was video taping and Clint was smiling while he was holding her.  I got that on tape, so one day she will see her dad smiling at the same time she is screaming her head off.  Well, it is still attached, but you know what I mean.  She weighed 17 lb. 2 oz. (75 percentile) and was 27 1/4" tall (85 percentile).  So, she is big for her age, but her body is well proportioned so she is growing well.  The doctor said Summer is developmentally a month ahead of where she should be right now.  She said she thinks Summer may walk early....YIKES!!!  I am NOT ready for that.  I still have to find one of those fence things for my living room which neither Wal-Mart nor Target carry so I am not sure where to get one....hmmmm...any ideas?  Oh yeah, the paper that they put on the table/place where the patient sits during an exam (I am drawing a blank on what it is called) was Summer's favorite thing about her visit today.  The stethoscope was a close second.  Anyway, Summer was ripping the paper and trying to eat it.  She made a big mess and we finally had to get rid of it all together and just put her on the table without the paper.  She is all about paper right now.  If she sees it, she wants it.  When we were in the waiting room, Clint was holding her and trying to read a magazine.  Summer got a hold of one of the pages and ripped it out.  Lucky for us, she did not pitch too much of a fit when we took it away from her.  She was pretty good during the whole visit, but at the end she got a little cranky.  I don't know if she sensed that the shots were coming or what, but she got restless.  She did not cry for that long after the shots and was all better by the time I got her clothes back on. 

After that, we took her to the mall to get her ears pierced.  It took the girl a while to get the dots on her ears even because every time she started to do it, Summer would turn her head and get fussy.  We finally got them straight and got ready for the actual piercing.  Clint was manning the video camera while I held Summer.  The piercing actually went much smoother than the placement of the dots on the ears.  She did get a little more upset when the earrings went in....go figure.  It was all over in a few minutes and she was finished crying before we even paid for it.  Well, my computer is about to die so I better save this.  I'll add pics later.

Something New

Today I went upstairs to get Summer out of bed after one of her naps and she was sitting there playing.  I was shocked.  I didn't know she could sit herself up.  I am going to have to start putting the rail up on her bed now.  I also need to get one of those fence play pens to put in the floor so I'll be ready when she starts crawling.  Maybe I'll do that sometime this week. 

We also gave her a cracker for the 1st time today.  I put her in her high chair while Clint and I were eating lunch and thought I'd see if she would eat one.  Of course she did!!!  She'll eat anything we give her.  I also gave her a few bites of mashed potatoes.  I forgot while we were eating that she could eat those, but after I was done I thought about it.  So, I gave her a few bites from Clint's plate.  For dinner tonight she had peas.  Surprisingly she didn't eat the whole jar.  She had some toys on her high chair and got distracted playing with them.  Oh well....

I've also posted some long awaited condo pics.  That's it for now. 

A Birthday Party

Yesterday we went to Willow's 1st birthday party.  Summer and Willow played together for a while.  It was cute watching them.  There were 3 books in the floor with them.  Willow had two, so I gave Summer one.  Willow would take the book away from Summer and I would give her the one Willow put down.  Then Willow would take that away from her and on and on.  They were both calm the whole time, but it was funny because they don't know how to share yet.  At this point, they don't get mad when the toy is taken away, they just try to get it back.  I hope over the years they learn to share with each other and become great friends just like their moms are.  That would be soooooooo cool. 

Later when it was time for Willow to eat her cake, she wouldn't touch it.  So, I thought I would let Summer have at it thinking Willow would want it if Summer had it.  That didn't work.  My baby, of course, immediately stuck her hand in the icing and put it in her mouth.  Willow was still looking at the cake with fear in her eyes.  Selena took her hand and put it in her in the icing.  She then put the icing hand in the other hand and then looked at them and started screaming.  Needless to say Willow didn't eat any cake.  I know when it is Summer's 1st birthday, she is going to be all over the cake....and anything else we give her.  I didn't get any pics of this, but now I wish I did.  I did take a few pics of Willow which I will try to post soon.  She is a cutie!

Trick or Treat

Tuesday night Clint and I took Summer trick or treating with our friend's little girl.  Summer was a bunny and Clint and I were Redskin fans.  I got a few picks of Summer, but I forgot to take any of Clint and myself.  Oh well...we went to about 10 or 15 houses.  Some of the people looked like they didn't want to give her any candy.  A few asked what they had that she could eat and of course I picked out what I liked b/c we all know the candy is for me...not Summer.  I mean, wasn't that obvious?  I was lugging around a 20 pound (a guess) baby in a Halloween costume, didn't I deserve some candy?  Anyways, I some people didn't think so.  My wrists were tired and cramping by the time we got back to my friend's house.  But, it was worth it.  Summer had a great time.  I let her chew on a 3 Musketeer while it was still in its wrapper.  She dropped it a few times, but I heard it and picked it back up.  She would get so excited as times and would kick her legs and arms and make happy noises.  I know she had a smile on her face even though I couldn't see it in the dark.  She also had her first candy.  Amy gave her a grape tootsie roll pop to suck on before we left.  She really liked it.  After that, we went over to another friend's house and handed out candy for a while.  Overall, it was a great night.

On a side note, the funeral went pretty good and Summer was a good girl during the service.  When we got to the funeral home, Summer was in a dress.  When we left, she was in a onesie and sweats.  Let's just say "blowout" and leave it at that.  Oh yeah, and too bad I didn't take myself a shirt...LOL.

A Time to Mourn

My aunt died on Monday, and today is the funeral.  It is sad to see someone so young (43) and loved pass away.  She had been battling cancer for almost 5 years, and it finally got the best of her.  Over the past 6 weeks or so, we knew she was dying.  So, Summer, Clint and I tried to visit her at least once a week.  She loved seeing Summer and always lit up when we walked in the front door.  She would hold her and give her lots of kisses and tell me how precious she is.  Last Tuesday was the last time I took Summer to see her.  Even though she was in a lot of pain and barely able to talk, she got the strength up to hold Summer.  She lifted her in the air and of course gave her lots of kisses.  It was amazing to me to see her put forth so much effort to hold my little girl when she couldn't even get out of bed or pick up a cup of water.  There were only a few words I could understand that day and the last one was "kisses".  She said that before we were leaving, and I knew that meant she wanted to give Summer some more kisses.  I know she loved my little girl and I am glad I had the opportunity to brighten her day by sharing Summer with her.  I said my goodbyes to her on Sunday, and Monday morning my mom called with the news that she had gone to be with my Memaw up in heaven.  Today at the funeral I am reading a poem that I wrote for her a little over a week ago.  I hope God gives me the strenght to do it without breaking down.  We will truly miss her as she was such a wonderful person.

Hanging with family

Today Summer and I spent some time with my sister and her kids.  Summer actually spent the night with my sister last night so Clint and I could have a night out.  My sister and mom have really been great at giving me and Clint time alone.  They love keeping her and tease each other about whose turn it is to keep her.  I'm glad they enjoy her so much because I really like spending time alone with Clint.  Anyways, this morning after Clint and I went to Panera for breakfast, I drove to Trenton to get my baby.  She was happy to see me and ready to eat!  I fed her and then took some pictures of her with her cousins.  She was ready for a nap, so I put her to bed and then spent some time with my sister.  It was nice hanging out with her for a while because it is not something we do very often.  My granny came over to see the baby while she was napping.  She had been asleep for about an hour and a half, so I finally woke her up so my granny could see her before she left.  Then me, my sister, and our girls went to eat lunch.  After that we stopped by a few shops in Trenton to look for a Batman costume for my nephew.  We couldn't find one, so we ended up getting him a Spiderman costume.  Oh yeah, Summer wore her Halloween costume today.  She was so cute and everyone was admiring her.  Overall, it was a pretty good day.  It made me realize that I need to spend more time with my sister because I enjoy being around her.  What we really need is someone to take care of our kids so we can have some real fun!!!

More firsts for Summer

Summer has done a few new things this past week.  Last Saturday when I went to my mom's house to visit and pick her up, we went out in the yard and let her play with the leaves that had fallen on the ground.  She really liked looking at the leaves and tasting them.  The green and yellow leaves were her favorites.  She did not taste the red leaves...I'm not sure why.  We got some cute pictures of her with the leaves and in a tree.  The ones in the tree would be better if they were just her, but I couldn't very well leave her in the tree alone! 

She used her high chair for the first time last Friday.  She also had her first oatmeal with bananas meal at the same time.  When we first put her in the high chair she was checking it out and it seemed like she liked it.  However, now it does not seem that she likes to be in it unless she is eating.  She would rather be in my arms or her daddy's arms...go figure. 

On Sunday she had her 1st green peas.  She liked them.  They have a different texture than the other vegetables, but she didn't seem to mind.  I tried to make all smily faces while she was eating them...I hate peas!!!  But, I don't want her to know that.  I was all "Yummy!  Peas!"  I'm not sure if that was necessary because she ate the whole jar.  I am feeding her the big 4 oz. jars now instead of the 2.5 oz jars.  I was surprised that the first time I gave her a big jar, she ate the whole thing.  I didn't expect that, but I guess she is growing.  She drinks about 2-4 ounces of 1/2 juice-1/2 water after she eats her veggie of the day. 

Let's see what else.......Oh yeah, she rode in the shopping cart for the 1st time this week at TJ Max.  Then yesterday she rode in one at Old Navy.  I guess that is pretty much it for firsts this week. 

She is getting up on all fours pretty good now, but she can't really travel forward yet.  She can scoot around as long as it is backwards.  I'm not rushing the crawling though.  Although I know it will be so adorable when she finally does crawl, I will have to watch her like a hawk.  Now I can leave the room for a minute without worrying too much, but when she starts crawling that will probably not be a good idea.  She is able to move around a lot more now meaning she can change positions easier.  She can go from sitting to her belly pretty smoothly - that is to say she can do it without just falling onto it.  When she is laying on me, she will reposition herself to the floor or where ever she wants to look or be.  I guess it help to have something to balance herself on when she is moving around.  It is amazing how fast all of this happens.  Of course compared to animals, it takes humans a lot longer to become independent and self-sufficient.  But, then again we are pretty sophisticated beings.  Okay then....

Summer seems to be rounding out.  Before she had rolls on her arms, but her belly wasn't really round.  Now, she has a belly too.  She is sooooo adorable and I just love her to pieces...rolls and all.  I guess that is about it.  I still haven't gotten the cute "razzing" on video.  She seems to get camera shy when I video tape her.  Oh well....maybe one day. 

 

It's My Birthday!

Well, today is my 29th birthday.  Clint and I went to dinner and a movie last night and then stayed at the condo.  He got up this morning and went to work.  So, I decided to go to Panera and get myself an IC Mocha and catch up on email since my mom has Summer.  I am having a pretty relalxing day so far.  Both of my parents and inlaws have called and sang "Happy Birthday" to me already.  It was really nice of them to think of me and help start my day off right. 

After I leave here, I am going to make a stop by Wal-Mart--my 7th or 8th trip this week!!! (at least...I lost track)  I don't know what it is about that place, but I guess you could say I'm drawn to it.  I guess it is the convenience of "one stop" shopping.  So far everything I have bought for the condo, excluding the refridgerator, has come from Wal-Mart.  It is coming along pretty nice if I say so myself.  The walls are still bare, but I have lamps, pillows, blankets and such.   

I am anxious to see my little girl too!  It is nice to have some time away from her, but it is also nice to be around her.  Thursday Clint watched her for me while I went to workout.  So, I decided to make a trip to Wal-Mart after the workout since I was alone.  It is nice not to have to rush through the store like I do when Summer is with me.  Then that night I had to go to school, so he watched her again for a few hours.  She was not a happy camper that evening according to Clint.  He had to hold her while he was working (because she was crying...I guess she missed me) and she fell asleep on his lap.  It is nice to have him to watch her for me more now.  She is more fun to play with now, so Clint is really enjoying her more.  

Last night I called my mom to check on the baby around 6:30 and she hadn't eaten since she I fed her at 1:30.  Mom said she wouldn't take a bottle or eat any food.  I guess she was too busy having fun with Memaw and Nanny to take time out to eat.  My mom called me back around 7:30 and said Summer had finally taken her bottle with cereal in it and was asleep.  So, that eased my mind and I was able to enjoy the rest of the evening.  I called this morning to check on her and they said she slept for 14 hours without getting up!  They must have really worn her out.  I know she has a good time with them and that makes me soooo happy. 

Well, I guess that is about it for now.  I forgot to take pics of the condo, so I will try to make it a point to do it sometime this week if I go back down there.  Anyways, I'm off to Wal-Mart for the 800th time this week.......

 

She's sitting good!

Summer can pretty much sit on her own now.  It has been about 2 weeks since she started sitting for about a minute at a time.  Now she can do it for long periods of time.  She is sooo big!  She does not like it when I leave her sight though.....she wants me to be in her sight most of the time it seems like.  I can leave her playing in the floor (sitting), but after the toys get pushed too far away for her to reach she gets upset.  She doesn't know how to go from sitting to the floor I guess.  All things in time......which I'm sure won't be too far off. 

She has also started babbling and making "blowing" noises with her tongue.  I really don't know what they are called, but maybe that is the "raz" noise I have read about in books.  It is really cute.  Today when we were on a walk, she was jabbering and razzing (I guess that is what I will call it).  I wish I would've gotten it on video tape....maybe later. 

Anyways, I've got to get back to my show.   Enjoy the pics!!!

Moving and stuff

The past week has flown by.  Clint's sister came to visit us and is still here visiting.  This is the first time she has seen Summer.  We have been enjoying spending time with her since we only see her about once a year. 

Last weekend we started moving furniture into our condo downtown.  My mom and sister came by to help watch the baby while we unloaded the furniture and got things set up.  It is still an ongoing process.  It seems like I am always finding something else that I need to either take down there or go out and buy.  I have been to Wal-Mart numerous times trying to get everything I need, but I still don't have it all.  To top it all off, it is especially hard trying to do all this with Summer in tow.  Her stroller has come in handy though.  It has cut down on the number of trips I have to make from the car to the condo.  Anyways.......

I finally got a new camera!!!  I am so excited to see how the pictures turn out.  I need to take a bunch this weekend and then have them printed.  Well, I better get off here.  I'll try to post some new pics later this weekend.   

She's such a doll!

Summer just continues to amaze me.  She is growing up soooo fast!  She has pretty much got the sitting thing down.  I still have to watch her to make sure there is nothing for her to fall on, but she can pretty much balance herself.  She will sit and play with her toys for a few minutes at a time, so it shouldn't be long before she can do it for longer.  I still have to sit her up...I'm not sure how long it will be before she can sit up by herself, but I think it is still a ways off. 

She is sitting in a high chair every time we go to a restaurant now.  She likes it okay...but sometimes she falls back and knocks her head on the back of the chair.  I have to put a blanket and clothes from her diaper bag behind her to help keep her from doing that.  She has also been "eating" lemons when we go out which is fun to watch.  I need to get the high chair I bought out of the garage, but I keep forgetting to.  The day goes by and it is time for her to eat, and the high chair is still in the garage.  Maybe one day this week....

She smiles all the time and makes me smile too.  I really am lucky to have such a good baby.  She has been so good this past week.  She doesn't cry as much as she used to (which was not a lot anyway) and just seems to be a happy baby.  I am really blessed to have her in my life. 

Oh yeah, the other day she rolled from her back to her belly.  Of course I didn't see her, but I know how she was when I laid her in the floor.  I was cooking dinner and looked over at her and she was on her belly.  That is the first (and only) time I know of that she has done that.  I hope I can be there for all of her major milestones...especially for the first time she says mommy.  I can't wait for that day!

 

She's learning new tricks.....

Summer is down for a surprise nap so I thought I would take a minute to post some pics.  Yesterday, she sat in a highchair at a restaurant for the 1st time.  Of course I forgot my camera in the car I didn't drive.  Clint really wanted a pic of this milestone, so he went to the store next door to buy a disposable one.  But, they didn't have any so we took a pic with a friend's phone which will hopefully be emailed to us.  I guess we will have to wait and see.

Summer can almost sit up by herself.  She is learning to balance herself so it won't be long.  She can sit there for 30 seconds to a minute before she topples over.  It is so cute, but at the same time it makes me a little sad.  One day she will be all grown up and she won't need me anymore which makes me both happy and sad at the same time.  I will just try to enjoy every moment I have with her while she still depends on me for so much.  Okay, I better get these pics posted because I'm sure she will be up any minute.

Baby Food Stains!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so the subject pretty much says it all.  It seems like every time I do laundry, Summer's clothes are coming out with new stains...even when they are pre treated.  I consider myself the super stain getter-outer, so this is very frustrating for me not be able to get the baby food out of her clothes.  I can get pretty much anything out of clothes except BABY FOOD!  So, every time I feed Summer, off come her clothes.  When I leave her with others, I have to make sure to instruct them to take off her clothes before they feed her.  Bibs don't help...she likes to eat with her hands which  don't always stay on top of the bib.  Sometimes I am able to keep her from putting her hands in her mouths, but most of the time I am not successful.  Just when I think "she is not going to do it this time", she does it!  I know it is just clothes and she will have outgrown them in a month, but I am the super stain getter-outer! 

As for Summer, she is just growing so fast.  I love it when other people hold her because I can look at her and I just sit there and think about how beautiful she is.  I swear I don't think I could ever get tired of looking at her.  She is changing all the time now and I don't want to miss a thing.  I have not been taking enough pictures lately, but I do have a few that I can put on here. 

She is napping right now.  She didn't go to bed until 9:00 last night because we were out to dinner with some friends.  Then I had to wake her up at 6:45 so we could take Amanda to school and then go work out.  She has been down for about two hours now.  She tried to wake up after an hour, but I just left her in her bed because she wasn't crying (just jabbering).  So, she fell back to sleep.  I'm glad because I want her to have a good nap in so she will be good for my mom tonight.  I am dropping her off at 2:30 and she is going to spend the night with her.  I'm not looking forward to having to pump while she is gone, but I think I might actually have time to go get the pedicure I have been wanting to get for like a month!!!  Then Clint and I are going to a friend's house for a birthday party.  I am pretty excited about that too.  Okay, I hear the baby and I don't think she is going back to sleep this time.  I'll try to get those pics on here before the weekend is over......I hope so anyway.

Nap Time

Summer is on her 2nd nap of the day.  The first one was about 2 hours long and this one is about as long.  I don't know what is up with her today.  Maybe she isn't feeling good.  I wonder whether or not she is teething.  I don't want to assume she is just because she is drooling like crazy and chewing on everything she can get her hands on.  I need to go get her some teething tablets that my friend Selena gives to Willow.  Right now I have some teething gel, but it is so thick/hard I can't get it rubbed into her gums so I don't think it is doing any good if she is teething.  I really hope she isn't because I am not ready for her to have teeth yet.  She is growing and doing more things everyday.  She reaches for everything in front of her...especially plastic bags.  I think she likes the noise they make. 

Yesterday, we were eating downtown and she pooped out of her diaper.  I went and changed her and got the waitress to bring me a bag for her clothes.  She was sitting in my lap while I was eating, and she kept getting the bag and trying to chew on it.  We decided that wasn't good for her, so we moved the bag.  Then I gave her a lemon to see if she wanted to chew on it.  To our surprise, she liked it and didn't want to give it up when I took it from her.  She reaches for my cups and plates now.  She is really interested in anything I will let her have.  Earlier, we were sitting with Clint while he ate lunch and she was grabbing the bag of Cheetos.  She got a Cheeto out and was tasting it.  Clint made me take it from her.....I just wanted to see what she would do with it.  I guess I have to wait a while longer before she is ready for Cheetos.  It is just so much fun to see how she reacts to different tastes.  I am going to feed her some carrots this evening.  I hope she will eat them like she did the first day I gave them to her.  Well, I guess that is it.  I just thought I would update this while I had a little time on my hands.  I am getting a lot done today with all these naps......

Family Time

My dad came to visit from Las Vegas two weeks ago.  It was so good to spend time with him and watch him with Summer.  We got to spend a few days with him, but of course it wasn't enough.  I wish she could see all of her grandparents often, but my mom is the only one who lives in town.  So, I am really happy when we get a visit from the other three.  I would really love to go out to Vegas to visit them sometime next month, but if I do it will just be me and Summer.  Clint has to stay here and work and take care of Amanda so I'm not sure if I will go yet.  I really want to though........decisions.... 

Anyway, we got to spend one day of my dad's visit at my mom's house with my brother, sister, niece, and nephew.  My mom cooked a big lunch which was delicious.  After we ate, we went outside and tried to get Summer to laugh at the dogs.  She rode the 4 wheeler (for the 2nd time) and so did my niece and nephew.  It was fun.  I am so grateful for my family.  I am really lucky to have such a great one where everyone gets along and there is not "drama" all the time like some people I know. 

The day my dad left, we went to my Aunt Sandra's house for a family cookout.  It was good to get to spend time with my aunts, cousins and my grandparents.  They had not seen Summer in a month, so she had really changed since then.  I did not take as many pictures as I should have, but I did get a few. 

Playdates

Summer has two babies that are her age that she goes and "plays" with.  Well, I guess they don't actually play yet, but they do look at each other.  Willow, my friend Selena's baby, is 10 1/2 months old and Lili, my friend Alicia's baby, is about 3 1/2 months old.  I can't wait until they can really play with each other.  I know it won't be long because Willow is already at the age where she can interact more with Summer.  Summer still just looks at her and doesn't really do much else.  She will play with her toys though.  One thing that is nice about this age is that they don't mind sharing...LOL.  They don't care what toy they have.  They will pretty much play with anything and are easily entertained.  Here are a few pics of Summer's last few playdates.

Orange Poop

I decided to give Summer some more veggies on Tuesday.  I gave her carrots which were pretty runny so I mixed some cereal in with them to make them thicker.  She ate the whole jar!  I also gave her water in a bottle when she seemed like she needed to wash it all down.  Well, those carrots made the nipple this orangy-yellow color and it won't come off.  It is not a big deal, but now it looks like she is drinking out of a dirty nipple/bottle all the time (I only have two nipples).  She didn't make any weird faces this time, but she was really messy when it was all over.  Yesterday morning she had orange poop...then more orange poop in the afternoon.  It caught me by surprise, but I guess that is normal.  I gave her some more carrots yesterday evening, but she only ate half of the jar this time.  I guess she wasn't as hungry as the day before.  She has also been drinking pear juice some in the afternoons which she seems to really like.  Anyways, I hear her making noises in her bed so I am going to go see if she is ready to get up.  Oh yeah, it look like she didn't like them in this picture, but she was just ready to get out of the swing!

First Veggies......

I gave Summer her first veggie - green beans - on Sept. 8.  She did pretty good eating it.  At first she closed her mouth and didn't look like she would eat anymore.  Then she opened up and ate about half of the jar.....all the while making some funny faces.  I tried to feed her some bananas afterwards, but she wasn't having any of them either....and she likes bananas.  I fed her the other half on the 10th, and she did not like it all this time.  She actually started crying a few minutes after she ate them, and I think that they might hurt her stomach.  I can't remember if she did the same thing the first time I gave them to her, but I think she might have.  So, we are not going to try them again for a month or so.  I did give her some squash a few days ago and she seemed to like it better than the green beens.  I think they tasted the same, but that's just me.  They did not seem to give her an upset stomach though so we'll try them again in the next week or so.  I am actually taking a break from jar food hoping that she will forget what the fruit tasted like and eat her veggies like a good girl.  We'll see if it works....I hope so!!!  She has no problem at all eating bananas, peaches or applesauce.  I have not fed her anymore pears since the first time because I think they hurt her stomach too.  It is fun feeding her the veggies and seeing what kind of face she will make.  I also pretend like they taste as good as the fruits, but I'm not sure she is buying all the "Yummies!"  I am dishing out. 

My little cry baby!!!

Well, it seems as if I have a spoiled baby.........big surprise, huh?  Her newest thing is crying.  She must absolutely love to do because she does it all the time.  I know it is my fault since I am the one who taught her to cry by picking her up most of the time.  So, now I have to teach her not to cry.  I know it is not going to be easy, but it has to be done.  My mom says she will be a much happier baby if I do not pick her up when she cries (if I know she is not hungry and has a clean diaper) and just let her cry it out....she needs to learn how to entertain herself and not depend on someone else to do it all the time.   I can't wait until she learns not to cry.  The last few days have been pretty tough on me.  I still love her to death though.  She is so precious......well, Clint needs the computer so I gotta go.  Wish me luck!!!

More Shots....

Yesterday Clint and I took Summer in for her 4 month check up and shots.  She weighed 14 lb. 15 oz and was 25 inches long.  The doctor said she is advanced for her age...so you know that made me proud!!!  Everything went good while we were there.  She did better this time around when she got her shots.  I was breastfeeding her again when she got them.  This time she only cried for a few seconds and then latched back on so that was good.  The nurse was really quick at giving her the 3 shots which made me happy because it wasn't as drawn out as the last time.  She was pretty happy that afternoon and not as sleepy as I expected since she was on Tylenol all day.  But, last night when I went to school she cried for her sister and her daddy and wouldn't eat anything.  Amanda ended up calling me and asking me what to do so I told her to just put Summer in the crib in my room, cut the fan on, and shut the door.  I figured she would give it up and fall asleep since she was probably just tired (and missing me of course!).  When I got home, Clint was holding her over his arm and walking around.  She seemed content so that made me happy.  She didn't fuss anymore after I got home...I think she might be addicted to me...LOL  A little bit later, I fed her and put her to bed. 

Earlier this week she took a 4 hour nap.  It was crazy, but of course she hasn't done that again...or even come close.  Her naps are about 45 minutes on average.  I just put her down for one and hopefully she will sleep longer because I had to wake her up this morning so we could take Amanda to school and go workout.  So, I might go take a nap myself.  She is sleeping for about 11 or 12 hours at night now which is surprising to me, but I am glad.  I usually get up around 8:00 so I'm glad she lets me sleep that late.  Well, I'm going to try to get that nap in so I won't want to go to bed at 9:00 like I did last night.

She's a thumb sucker!

This past week flew by again...before I know it Summer will be all grown up.  The other day Clint and I were shopping and they had bathing suits on sale.  So we went ahead and got Summer one for next year.  It has a matching hat, and we got her some sunglasses too.  She is going to be so adorable!  Anyway, Clint was like, "Is she going to be walking next year?"  And I said, "Yes."  Then I thought about that for a second and I was like, "Oh my goodness she is going to be walking next year!!!!"  It's crazy to think that she will actually be walking by the time next summer rolls around.  She is growing so fast and I am trying to soak it all up while she will still let me cradle her in my arms.  Most of the time she likes to be sitting up where she can look around and see what is going on, but every now and then she will let me hold her in my arms.  The other day she was really fussy...and tired...but she would not give it up and fall asleep. So, I picker her up and sat in my rocker and held her close.  She went to sleep and I just watched her sleep in my arms for about 30 minutes.  She is so precious.  I know I don't have much longer to do this, so I don't mind rocking her to sleep every now and then.  Most of the time she goes to sleep on her own.  I just lay her in the bed and she either falls right to sleep or pops her thumb in her mouth and sucks it while she falls asleep.  She is not a finger sucker anymore.  She is a thumb sucker!  I don't really like it, but she looks so cute when she does it.  And if I take it out and replace it with a pacifier, she just gets upset.  I guess I will just have to deal with it for now and hope she doesn't do it when she is awake too. 

Summer spent the night with my mom on Friday night.  When I went to get her on Saturday, I stayed and spent some time with the family.  My nieces and nephew were there so it was good to get to see them for a while.  Anyway, my mom took Summer out on the porch and sat down where she could watch the dogs play.  Well, Summer just thought the dogs were hilarious.  She was laughing at them and it was so cute.  I wish I would've had my video camera there, but of course I left it in the car I didn't drive.  Oh well, hopefully next time she is laughing like that I will have it on me because it is one of the cutest things she does right now.  She also got her first 4-wheeler ride while she was there and seemed to enjoy it.  My nieces and nephew got there just as my mom was finishing up riding Summer around so of course they wanted to ride too.  They always have fun at Memaw's house and I know Summer enjoys her time there too.  It is good to see the kids enjoying their grandma.  I know some of my best memories as a child were at my Memaw's house spending time with my cousins. 

Let's see..........what else is new?  hmmmm  Oh yeah, my mom was trying to get Summer to grab her feet and put them in her mouth.  Well, it seems she succeeded in teaching her to grab her feet because this morning when she was playing with one of her play gyms she grabbed her feet.  She has been looking at them and kicking her toys with them for a while, but now she knows how to grab them. 

Also, Summer ate 6 oz. bottles when she was at my mom's house.  Most of the time she breastfeeds, so I don't know how much she eats, but when I give her a bottle it is a 4 oz. bottle.  But, she finished two 6 oz. bottles on Saturday, at different times of course, so I guess she is eating more now. 

One thing about breastfeeding....if you don't have your baby around to eat, make sure you have a pump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  My mom accidentally took my breast pump the other day when she was getting Summer's things out of my car.  So, Friday night around midnight I was in pain.  My breasts were so full I thought they were going to explode.  I didn't have a pump at the house, so I had to get in the shower and try to relieve myself with my hands.  Let me tell you, they do NOT work as good as a pump!!!  I had to get up again around 7:00 and do it again.  By the time I got to my mom's house around 11:00 on Saturday morning, I was really hurting.  I walked in her front door and she was holding Summer for me to get her, but all I wanted was my breast pump.  I quickly found it and got it going!  I pumped 11 oz. out and I could've gotten even more.  You may not know just how much that it, but when I pump, I usually get 4 oz. out.  So, that is almost 3 times as much as normal........OUCH!!!  Anyways, I will not make that mistake again. 

We gave Amanda her 1st car on Monday.  She was really surprised and loves her car.  It was mine and Summer's 1st time to ride with her.  It has a 5 speed manual transmission which she has been learning to drive on her dad's truck for the past month.  Well, it kept stalling which can be quite jerky.  Summer thought it was funny.......Clint did not.  Anyway, that was an experience and we made it home safely so that is what is important. 

Last night we went down to the neighbors house to take Summer swimming so Clint could see how much she liked it.  I had taken her earlier this week and she liked it, but I didn't take the camera and her daddy didn't get to see her.  So, I wanted to go back before it gets too cold.  The water was definitely cooler than it was earlier in the week, but Summer didn't seem to mind.  She likes splashing the water and doesn't care when it gets on her face.  We had a hard time getting her to look at the camera because she really likes to look at the water.  Even when she got out she was still looking at the water.  We tried to get her to look at the camera by shaking some keys, but it didn't work that well.  After we got dried off, we went and sat on their swings and talked.  Beverly, my neighbor, was holding Summer while we were swinging.  Summer looked around for a while, but then fell asleep on her lap.  We kept talking and it was getting dark so I said it's time to go home.  Summer opened her eyes when I said that and it was weird how she knew it was time for her to get up.  We had a good time down there and the neighbors enjoy seeing her.  Now that it is not so hot outside, it is nice to take Summer outdoors for a while in the evenings.  She seems to enjoy it.

Okay, I can't think of anything else right now.  So, I am going to try to get the house cleaned up a bit while Summer is still napping.

New Sleeping Arrangements!!!

I put Summer in her bedroom last Thursday night.  She got up around 5:30 to eat and then I took her to my room to finish out the night since we had to be up in an hour anyway.  She did not give me any problems when I put her to bed.  She went right to sleep as usual.  She is pretty good about falling asleep on her own.  The next night she spent the night with Auntie Erin, and last night I put her in her room again.  She got up to eat around 4:40, but went back to sleep in her own room afterwards.  She got up around 8:40 this morning.  When I got to her room, she had rolled over and was looking at her mobile.  I like this new bed better because there are more things to entertain her here when she wakes up than in the pack-n-play she has been sleeping in since we brought her home.  If she does manage to roll over in the pack-n-play, she is usually under the changing table and I can't imagine looking at it is very interesting.  I put her down for her nap about 10:15 and I can hear her sucking her hands now.  It looks like this was one of those short naps she has been taking since we have been home from San Diego.  Maybe I will get lucky and she will take a long one later today.  Anyways, my baby is growing up...she's in her own room now and seems to like it.  Time flies by........

Summer's 1st Airplane trip - San Diego

Where has the time gone?  I have been meaning to post since we got back, but it seems like time is flying by.  Well, here goes.....

We went to San Diego on August 18 for Amanda's program graduation.  This was Summer's 1st trip out of town and on an airplane.  When we were in the airport waiting on the plane, she was a little fussy so I decided to go ahead and give her some Tylenol just to be on the safe side.  We boarded the plane and Summer started freaking out.  She didn't know where she was and was not happy.  So, I decided it would be a good time to feed her so she would calm down.  That worked!!!  As soon as she started eating, she relaxed.  Then she went to sleep, so that flight went pretty good.  We had to change planes in Dallas.  This flight was not as good as the first.  She slept about half of the flight, but then was a little fussy for the remainder of it.  She wasn't too bad and overall I would call the trip a success.  The flights home were even better. 

While we were in San Diego, Summer got to meet her grandparents for the first time.  They kept her while Clint, Amanda and myself attended the seminar on Saturday and Sunday.  She took really long naps for her Nona and I must say I am a little jealous.  I thought when we got back home she would take naps like that too, but they have been much shorter since we have been back.  Anyway, she was pretty good for them while they kept her.  They all had a good time together and I enjoyed seeing them dote on her.  Clint's mom would sing to her and play patty cake with her.  I even got a little of it on video so that one day when Summer is bigger she can see it for herself since I doubt she will remember it.  I got some good pics of them together too. 

In the evening when it was time for us to go out and eat, she was pretty fussy.  With the time difference (3 hours), it was already past her bed time when we were ready to go out.  So, she was a little fussy and wanted her bed.  But, we managed to get to go out to eat both nights with minimal trouble from Summer.  I had to hold her one night while we were eating and she started chewing on my hand.  It was the first time she had done that and it felt really weird to have her gnawing on me.  But, it made her happy so I just let her do it.  The next night I took her car seat in and got her to fall asleep shortly after dinner arrived at the table.  The car seat Mom brought for me to use had a rocking feature which was pretty neat.  That made it easier for me to "rock" her to sleep while I was eating my lasagne. 

We went to the beach on Monday which was nice.  Summer did not like the ocean water...it was really cold.  I put her feet in it when the waves came up and it got on her clothes and in her diaper.  She wasn't happy about this.  I don't know if anyone has tried to change a diaper on the beach before, but it is not easy to keep the sand from getting all in it!!!  I got her changed with minimal sand in her diaper and she was happy.  I kept a hat on her and tried to keep her out of the sun for the most part, but later that evening when we were walking down the streets shopping we noticed her cheeks were a little red.  I started feeling bad that I had let her get burnt, but there was nothing I could do at that point.  The next day it didn't look like she had gotten burnt so I was happy.

Overall, the trip was great.  It was nice getting to spend time with Clint's parents.  I know they enjoyed meeting their granddaughter.  Hopefully, we will get to go visit them in Las Vegas soon.  If not, I hope they will be able to make out here for Thanksgiving, Christmas or both!!! 

gotta love those naps

Well, my two are down for a nap right now (Clint and Summer).  She should be waking up any time to eat.  She was actually supposed to eat about 45 minutes ago, so I know she will be ready when she gets up.  I should really try to get her to start going longer in between meals...at least I guess I shouldn't always assume she is hungry at the three hour mark.  But, I guess I do if I really think about it.  I know sometimes she lets me know she is ready, but sometimes I am just ready to feed her.  Of course my little piggy always happily accepts my breast.  You can tell by looking at her she is not turning down any meals...LOL.  She is healthy and has her rolls, but she is not too big.  I really wonder how much she weighs right now.  My arms get tired when I feed her and especially when I try to walk around a store/mall carrying her.  I guess we will find out in a few weeks when she goes in for her next round of shots.  I must say that I am not looking forward to that.  It wasn't fun the first time and I'm sure this time it will probably be worse as she is much more alert than she was then.

I am starting to get nervous about our flight on Friday.  I really wonder how she is going to act and I pray she does not scream and cry the whole time.  I know how it is to be on a plane with a screaming baby...but I have never been the one with the screaming baby.  I used to get a little ill when the baby would not be quiet, and now that I have one I understand that the parents would prefer for the baby to be quiet...there just isn't a button they can press to turn them off.  It is more tricky than that.  I know from experience of taking Summer to restaurants.  Clint and I eat out a lot and it is not nearly as fun or relaxing as it used to be.  Now that Summer is getting bigger, she wants to be able to look around and see what it going on and she doesn't want to do it from her carseat!!!  So, when she starts crying and I can't pacify her, I usually end up taking her out and holding her so the other people in the restaurant can enjoy their meal.  I wish I could put her in a highchair, but she can't sit up yet so that isn't really an option.  Our anniversary is on Monday, along with my in-laws, and we are all going out to eat to celebrate on Sunday while we are in San Diego.  I am not taking Summer's carseat with us b/c my mother in law is going to bring one with her from Vegas so we don't have to worry about carrying it through the airport.  I am not quite sure how this dinner is going to work with the baby b/c I don't know what to put her in while we eat.  I hope it won't be my lap, but it just might.  I guess we will see how it works when we get there.  I'm not going to worry to much about it b/c there isn't a whole lot I can do.  She is already requiring more stuff than me and Clint put together for this trip.  We have her travel bed, bottle warmer, bottles, play mat, breast pump (well, I guess that is for both of us), diapers, blankets, and clothes.  I am also curious to see if they are going to let me on the airplane with frozen breast milk with all the terror alerts going on with the airports right now....oh yeah and the gas drops, Desitin, and baby Tylenol.  I don't know what I will do if I can't take the breast milk with me.  I guess I could try to give her some formula and hope she will take it.  She probably will since she never seems to turn away food, I just really don't want to give it to her for some reason.  I have this paranoia that if she doesn't eat on my breast regularly, they are going to dry up.  I know it takes a while for this to happen, but that is probably why I always feed her after 3 hours...just to make sure I keep that milk flowing.  Man, I am really rambling on today.  I hope I am not boring everyone, but these are just the things on my mind right now. 

We were up bright and early this morning to take Amanda to school.  I got Summer up at 6:35 and put her in her carseat and we were out the door a few minutes later.  She was awake and did not go back to sleep until we were working out (about 9:30).  But that was only for 10 minutes.  I put her down for her nap around 10:45 and it is almost 12:30 now.  So, she is getting a pretty good nap in.  She hasn't spent that much time with Amanda yet.  I think Amanda held her once yesterday for a few minutes in Wal-mart while we were standing in line to check out.  Then Summer spit up on her and she gave her back to her daddy.  She didn't like that her sister had done that to her and was still complaining about the smelllast night after she had changed clothes.  So, they haven't really begun bonding yet, but she has only been home for a day so I'm sure it will just take a little time for her to get used to her little sister.  Well, I want to get a few things done before Summer wakes up so I better get to it.

Unconditional Love

I really feel tht I know what the term undconditional love means now that I am a mom.  Having Summer in my life has really made me aware of how it works.  I love her when she is smiling and happy...even when she is fussy and crying, I love her to death.  There are no conditions on my love for her.  I hope I can learn to apply this to all those I love.  I think I do for the most part, but sometimes when things are not so great or I don't get my way, it is easy put conditions on things or get mad and not be nice like I should be.  There is that saying, "Treat others as you want to be treated."  It is not always easy to apply, but it is something I want to do more.  I think it will make my relationships with others...especially my husband...stronger.  Clint and I do have a great relationship.  I don't think I could ask for much more.  I know he loves me and I love him too.  But, of course every relationship has its moments.  It does seem like our love is growing more and more as the days go by and that is a great feeling.  It is pretty easy to unconditionally love Summer...although sometimes I do get discouraged.  But, all it takes is a little smile or coo to snap me out of it.  I would never be mean to her though.  It just doesn't seem possible to me right now.  Although one day when she is older I'm sure it will seem to her that I am being mean. 

Anyways, I am just sitting here listening to her on the monitor waiting for her to fall asleep.  It is time for her morning nap.  I really like this whole schedule thing.  Although the times aren't always exact and sometimes I am on the go, it is nice to know that she is about ready for her nap so I can get some things I need to do done.  She usually takes about 3 naps a day, and I don't really count them if they are less than a half hour.  5 minutes is not a nap!!!  She eats about every 3 hours and in the evening between her last two feedings, I give her some fruit.  Yesterday she had applesauce for the first time and seemed to enjoy it.  The only fruit that hasn't worked so far is pears.  I think it gave her a tummy ache, but I'm not positive.  I might try it again in a few weeks. 

Well, Clint just called and ordered some lunch.  He just picked Amanda up from her boarding school for the last time.  She is coming home to stay this time and we are excited to have her back with us.  I really want her to build a relationship with Summer, and I hope she does too.  She is 16, so we will see how they do with each other.  Okay, gotta get to that lunch before he gets home.....

Oh yeah, I didn't take many pictures this week, but here are the two I did take.  She got a swing from my friend and she seems to like it. 

Consignment Sale Shoppers

Summer turned 3 months old today.  We went and got her picture taken at Olan Mills.  They did a great job on her 2 month pics, so I went back...plus I had a coupon.  It was so hard to pic the pose I wanted because she took at least 10 different pictures.  I might get a few other poses when I go back to pick them up if I can get a good deal on them.  Before that we went to the JBF consignment sale for the 3rd time this week.  Today was the last day and almost everything was 1/2 off.  So I waited until today to get clothes for the winter.  Earlier this week I bought Summer some toys and a few movies.  She went with me all 3 times and Clint joined us the 2nd time.  The first time we went, we were there for 2 hours.  Summer was ready to go by the time I finally checked out.  She even took a nap for a little while during that trip and the one today.  After we went there and to get her picture taken, we went to the mall to shop for her sister some pants for school.  We did not find any, and all I ended up with with a tired left arm!!!  I left her stroller at home because my trunk was full of toys from my trips to the sale earlier this week. 

Last Sunday I put Summer in the Johnny jump up for the first time.  At first she cried, but after she realized she could stand up she looked like she enjoyed it.  She stayed in there while I showered and got ready.  She almost fell asleep in there and I had to check and make sure she wasn't choking herself on the side.  By the time I was finishing my make up, she was ready to get out.  So, now if she is up while I am showering, she is in the Johnny jump up.  Pretty soon I am going to try the walker, but I am trying to hold off a few weeks until we move since it is still in the box and will be easier to move this way.

She has been doing pretty good eating her fruit and cereal.  I think pears hurt her stomach, so I am not going to give her those for a while.  She really likes peaches.  I am going to try bananas again tomorrow.  That was the first fruit I gave her, but I haven't given her any since then.  I got a few plastic bibs at the consignment sale which are great because they don'tstain like the cloth bibs.  I guess I will just use the cloth bibs for catching drool which she is doing more and more every day.  I guess I better go put her clothes in the dryer before I go to bed.  Enjoy the pics!!!

1st Foods

I gave Summer her first fruit on July 17 - bananas.  Clint fed her first, and he did a good job.  By the time it was my turn, I think she was tired of eating out of a spoon.  She is used to getting food constantly by sucking either my breast or a bottle, and getting spoon fed wasn't what she was wanting...she was wanting to suck on something.  So, I would give her a few bites and stick her pacifier in her mouth before she could spit it back out.  This seemed to work okay...but it is going to take a while for her to get used to this method of eating.  I fed her 1/2 of the jar the first day and the other half the next day.  I waited a week before I tried fruit again.  This time I gave her pears and I also gave her water in a bottle so she would have something to suck on and wash it down with.  This seemed to work a little better, but she didn't seem like she enjoyed it at all.  Yesterday we gave her rice cereal and breastmilk via spoon while we were at Applebees.  It was too runny, so it was messy and hard to feed with a spoon.  I will try it again today, but make it thicker so it is easier to keep in the spoon. 

I'm a little nervous about giving her food already anyway because of course they want you to wait until they are 6 months old before you give them anything and she just turned 12 weeks old yesterday.  But, I feel like she needs something else because she wants to eat every 2-3 hours.  Three hours I can handle, but two is a little much at this point.  I know she will be fine eating it because when I was her age I was already eating cereal, fruits and veggies.  I have had some people tell me she is too young, but others that tell me to feed her.  So, I'll go with my gut which tells me it is okay.  I also want her to get used to eating food because we will be attending a seminar in August and she will be staying with her Nono and Nona (Clint's parents) during the seminar.  So, I want her to be able to eat something other than just breastmilk so I don't have to worry so much about pumping because we will be in San Diego so I can't really just take some frozen breastmilk with me.  I think it will all work out good.  It will be the first time Clint's parents have seen the baby, so they are excited and so are we.  I hope Summer will be a good baby for them.  I'm sure Clint's mom will be able to handle her...she had 5 children of her own so she knows what to do.  I am really looking forward to our trip and hopefully I will have Summer eating out of a spoon like a pro by then.   

Look what I can do

Summer has been keeping me busy.  I love to spend time with her and play with her which is good because she loves it too.  She is definitely a mommy's girl right now.  I'm sure it is because she is with me most of the time.  One day I hope she will be a daddy's girl, but it will probably be a year or so before that happens.  Clint isn't as comfortable talking baby talk as I am.  I could just sit and talk to her all day long and some days I do.  She has started talking to us in her own way....Clint really gets a kick out of this.  The other day I was holding her in my arms (cradling) and she started talking to me.  I made the noise/word back and she did it again.  We went back and forth a few times.  It was the coolest thing she has done so far.  So now we will try to start these "conversations" with her.  This is Clint's favorite thing to do with her right now, and I must admit it is pretty awesome when she "answers" us. 

She has also started grabbing the toys in her bouncy seat and holding onto them.  I have a few pics of the first time I saw her do this.  She can hold a rattle....if she wants to (1st time was July 12).  Sometimes she hits herself in the head which she does not like.  She is definitely becoming more interactive which is fun for her and us.  

Another thing that she is really into right now is sucking her hands...well actually it is mainly the left hand.  She found them about a week ago, and now she sucks them all the time.  My mom is worried about this a little because when I was younger she had a friend whose son sucked his middle two fingers for years and years and those are the two fingers she likes the most.  So, we don't want her to get into this habit.  When I notice her doing it, I take them out and try to give her the pacifier.  She will take it sometimes, but she is not as interested in the pacifier now that she knows she has fingers.  The other day she woke up from a nap, and I went to pick her up.  She had a little bit of blood on her lips and in her mouth.  The only thing I can figure is she was chewing on her fingers and her fingernails cut her lips or gums or something.  I never could find the cut spot, but it was all I could figure that had happened.  I was scared for a minute, but when I couldn't find the source of the blood, I figured it wasn't anything to worry about...there wasn't that much blood anyway. So, now I have to try to keep her fingernails cut so she doesn't do this again.  It is hard though because she doesn't "let" me cut them...I have to do it whenever I can get her to cooperate.  She also looks like she is chewing on her tongue sometimes which is weird looking.  

Okay, I've got to go tend to Summer.  I will try to update more often so everyone reading can enjoy her as she grows up too.