Pearls and Perfection Problems: July 2015

How Old: Eight Months
Weight: 16lb 1oz (around the 20th percentile)
Length: 26 3/4 in (around the 50th percentile)
Clothes: She is in 9 months and some 6-9 months. I ordered her some 12 month summer things, but they are still too big for her. She is in size 3 diapers.
Sleep: She has been waking once a night for a feeding typically. We went to the beach the first week in June with my family and she woke several times a night and fed, I think mostly for comfort feeding. I just let her feed because I did not want to wake the whole house up with her crying and decided we would do "Boot Camp" when we got back from the beach. I had been wanting to help her sleep through the night since six months, but with me still working and being exhausted, it just was not worth it to me to fight the battle then. So when we returned from the beach, and I was finished with work, I started the "Boot Camp." When she woke at night, I would just rock her with her paci and not feed her. It only took 3 nights for her to get into a routine of sleeping from 8ish to 4:30 where she would feed and then sleep until around 6:30ish. It was a wonderful week or so... until we had to have the MRI and go on another beach trip. Then it messed her schedule up again! She has been taking a morning and afternoon nap around 2 hours each and then she still usually does her "cat nap" in the early evening for around 30 minutes.
Food: Now that I am home, we are doing hardly any bottles unless I need to leave her with someone else. She is on a pretty good schedule (minus the times she has been out of town). These are all give or take 30 minutes or so based on when she wakes from the night and each nap.

Nurse 6:30am

Solids 7:30 (oatmeal and fruit)

Nap 9:00 - 11:00

Nurse 11:00

Solids 12:00 (starch or veggie)

Nap 1:00 - 3:o0

Nurse 3:00

Nurse 5:30

Nap 5:30 - 6:00

Solids 6:00 (oatmeal and veggie)

Nurse 7:30 or 8:00 for bedtime

She has been eating lots of pureed solids that I have made. She really eats everything that we have given her: peas, green beans, zucchini, avocado, squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas, blueberries, mango, cantaloupe, watermelon, pears, apples, plums, peaches (she likes the fresh but won't eat the jar haha). I have not started meats yet, but I want to try them once she turns 9 months probably.
Emersyn's Firsts:
- Giving high 5: her daddy taught her this and for a while he was the only one she would give a high 5 to
- Swimming in her float: she did this for the first time at the beach house with my family but she likes her daddy to lift her up in it a bit so she is not so far down in the water
- Waving "Hey": she did this first with her Pappy
- Drink from a sippy cup: she did not like it at first and only wanted water fed to her by spoon, but she is getting better about drinking water at meals from her sippy cup
- Tooth: she got her top left tooth first, but there are many other white gums around the top and the bottom
Emersyn Loves: Children, crawling around the floor, pulling up on everything, feeling new textures, going for stroller rides, swinging in her swing outside, wind blowing in her face, being sung to, Baby TV and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, chewing on everything, playing with kitchen things (Tupperware, spatulas, measuring cups), playing in the water, when we play peek a boo with her, eating solids, her blankie and paci when she's tired, golf cart, being in control haha
Emersyn Dislikes: clothes coming over her head, her face being washed after meals, getting her hair washed (she never minded it until lately when she is so busy in the bathtub), being hot
Emersyn is Learning to: Squeal when she is excited, give high 5s, wave hey and bye, drink from a sippy cup, pull up and get down without falling
Mommy's Favorite Thing: I have enjoyed having a whole month off with you little girl!! I love being the one to put you down for your naps every day and be the one who gets you out of your crib when you wake from them. It's been fun to watch you try lots of new foods and be a part of your daily routine day in and day out. You love life and enjoy playing hard especially with your cousins and other children. You have stolen my heart the most this month by learning to wave that sweet little hand when we say hey or bye bye!!
Daddy's Favorite Thing: Daddy says, "My favorite thing this month was spending time with you at the beach and taking you out in the morning to see the sunrise just me and you together."
What I've Learned This Month:
** I'm not a CIO mom: Our Emersyn definitely needs to work on sleeping through the night, but I just am not a "cry it out" mom. I know everyone has their own philosophy and one is not necessarily better than the other, you just have to do what works for your personality and parenting style. Emersyn goes to sleep for bedtime and naps very easily but does wake in the night some still. I am trying to get out of the habit of feeding her in the night, but I don't mind rocking her or patting her while still in the crib for her to fall back to sleep. I want her to feel secure and know that she can count on me. It also just breaks my heart too much to let her cry, cry, and cry without me comforting her. Plus she would tear down the monitor and mobile in the process :)
** Let Them Be Little: So I know this sounds sort of cliche, but I feel strongly about this. For some reason, in America, we push children to grow up as fast as they can. I want Emersyn to enjoy each phase in her life without being pushed to the next too quickly. Yes, I want her to excel, yes, I want her to learn to be independent, but for now, I just want her to enjoy being a baby like she is supposed to be and know how much her family loves her. She will eat adult food when she's ready, she will sleep through the night consistently when she's ready, she will walk when she's ready, she will talk when she's ready, she will enjoy listening to me read books instead of trying to eat them when she's ready haha. Of course all these milestones are important, but I feel we need to let children be children and refrain from pushing them to grow up too quickly. Eat, sleep, play, and enjoy life... no stress :)