5 months old!

Dear Brooke,

What a wonderful 5 months this has been! Mommy & Daddy are still having a blast with our favorite girl! You keep amazing us by doing one "big girl" thing after another, like drinking from a sippy cup and sitting up completely unassisted. You started eating food this month and you're doing really well with it; you gobble up oatmeal and a veggie twice a day. So many things have changed this month; here's what you've like and not liked this month:

Favorites

Drinking from a Glass/Cup - This is your absolute favorite thing to do right now! Both of your Grandpas introduced you to drinking ice water out of a glass (and they were both willing to continue drinking their water, even with your backwash in it - that's love!) We think you like the cold glass against your gums. You even grab for the glass with your chubby little hands and pull it to your mouth (more like yank it there.) You drink feverishly, too. We've recently started giving you juice and water out of a sippy cup. It's amazing that you're able to drink from it at your age, but you do it very well!

Peek-a-Boo - You adore playing peek-a-boo. While you enjoy the traditional cover-up-the-face kind, you especially like it when someone just turns their head and then whips back around and says "Boo!" You go crazy for this. It's one of the easiest ways to get you to laugh.

Your Toes - You discovered your toes this week and they are your new best buds. You are surprisingly flexible enough to get them to your mouth to eat them (and I say surprisingly because both Mommy & Daddy failed the sit-and-reach tests in gym class in grade school.) Just today you started sucking on your big toe - it had Mommy laughing so hard! Your feet are an instant toy for you. Whenever we come into your room in the morning, the first thing we see peeking out the top of the crib are two feet in the air with two tiny hands playing with them.

Cell Phones - And so it begins. This was inevitable - you have a Daddy that loves electronics and a Mommy that loves to talk. Of course you're going to like cell phones! You mostly love to stare at the bright lights and try to get it to your mouth. A few times we've held it up to your ear while someone talked to you on the other end; your eyes get really wide and you turn your head to try to find the voice - so cute!

Sophie the Giraffe - Sophie is a new friend that we got for you this month. She's a squeaky little rubber giraffe, the perfect size for your little hands, and you love to eat her! She tastes like a balloon (Mommy tried it), but you don't seem to mind. You can easily get her in your mouth and you just chew away.

Giggling - You think it's hysterical when other people laugh. It then causes you to giggle, which delights you even further. Grandma just bought you a little doll that giggles and it brings a huge smile to your face.

Not-so-Favorites

Your Infant Car Seat - Frankly, you just don't fit in your infant car seat anymore. The straps are on their loosest setting and just barely fit over your shoulders. Also, when you fall asleep in it, your head now hangs to one side or the other. Luckily for you, Big Lady, we just installed your new big girl car seat today (and it's so big, Mommy's dubbed it your "princess throne".)

Laying Down - For a while now, you've been doing ab crunches when we lay you on the floor. You pick up your head and shoulders as if you want to sit up. Now that you've had a taste of what it's like to sit up, laying down is just not your thing. Which is why you no longer enjoy....

Your Playmat - You are not very content laying under the playmat anymore. Having to lay down with toys dangling over top of you that you can easily reach but can't pull to your mouth to eat is just not your idea of fun. We've sat you next to it so you could grab the hanging bugs (which are then at eye level) and you seem to be okay with this. But for the most part, it's too baby-ish for you.

Prunes - I think the video summed it up perfectly. You are not a fan of prunes one bit!

We couldn't be prouder that you're our daughter, Miss Brooke. You truly light up our world. Daddy loves to see that big grin of yours when you first realize he's home from work; you smile so big because your favorite playmate is finally home. And Mommy cherishes the time we spend in the rocking chair at night, right before you go to bed, when you just snuggle deep into my shoulder with your bunny. We each have a special bond with you that we promise will never go away. Love you to pieces, honey!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Obsession.

Hello. My name is Sarah and I'm obsessed with my child. Altogether now: "Hi Sarah."

We're talking major obsession. In my opinion, this child walks on water. Everything she does is adorable/hysterical/incredibly precious. I mean, how could you not love this face?

I love being with her all of the time. Almost. I can't lie, there are times, though rare they may be, when she tests my patience. She gets me worked up on occasion. I even pass her off to Daddy and go to another floor of the house to have a breather now and then. But 98% of the time I can't get enough of her.

She fascinates the heck out of me. It's the craziest thing; each day she becomes less and less of a baby and more and more like a big girl. She learns how to do new things, makes new sounds, and discovers new body parts to play with (she found her toes this week and now they are BFF's.) I'm filled with so much pride, as if I had anything to do with her learning how to blow raspberries with her mouth (a new fave for her.) I know many parents are overwhelmed with sadness at the thought of their child growing up too fast as they hit each milestone; not me. I'm super-excited each time she does something new - it means she's blossoming, plus it leaves me feeling confident in my parenting abilities.

So she does all of these "big girl" things....and then she gets tired and just needs to cuddle with her Mommy and her pappy and I'm reminded that, while she's the size of a 1-year-old, she's still a teeny baby. Like I said, it's a crazy thing.

A crazy thing that I'm obsessed with. Motherhood - I can't get enough of it.

Which is probably why I'm jealous of every pregnant woman I see now. No joke, I was green with envy at Babies R Us today. I can't wait to give Brooke a sibling. (Scratch that. I can wait and I will wait because having another this soon would be crazy and my head knows this. But that doesn't mean my heart wants to wait.) Now that I've seen how fantastic Brooke is and how ridiculously happy I am as her Mommy, I'm so excited to have some more.

(I'll stop rambling now. Was there a coherent idea to this blog post? Not sure... I blame the Riesling I had at dinner. The husband and I had a date night tonight, complete with 4 courses and wine at P.F. Changs sans the babe. Delightful. I may be obsessed with her and want to be with her all the time, but sometimes a girl needs to eat a meal hot and with both hands. And a little wine to go with it is just icing on the cake.)

Yum-O!

Guess who loves sweet potatoes? I'm pretty sure she's going to love everything we give her; anything is better than bland cereal! Brooke has become such a good eater lately. It took a few weeks for her to understand how the spoon works in her mouth, but she's a pro now. It makes feedings go much faster (and by faster I mean it takes 15 mins vs. 30 to eat a tiny amount.) We're going to introduce a new veggie every 4 days (the pediatrician's recommendation to watch for food allergies). On Friday's menu: squash!

1st Road Trip :)

Brooke successfully survived her first road trip. She not only survived but gets a medal for being an angel. Two 4-hour car trips, a crazy feeding schedule, and a night in a pack n' play all within 36 hours should have a been a recipe for disaster. Not for my Big Lady! She handled it all so well and had a great time with her crazy cousins. The adorable photo above is from Sunday morning at the hotel; all the girls brought their "company" on the trip - you can't see Brooke's, but she brought her bunny and her new Minnie Mouse :) The bridal shower was wonderful and the bride-to-be got a lot of great stuff. Everyone commented on how calm and well-behaved Brooke was. She really was so good (not surprising, as she usually is!) We all had a wonderful weekend, though I'd venture a guess that the adults are more worn out from it than the kids.

I must say, packing for this road trip was a PRODUCTION! We were gone only 36 hours and yet it took me all of Friday night to get ready for it. Babies require A LOT of stuff. They are so unpredictable that you pretty much just have to pack everything they own for just-in-case situations. For example, she pooped through the outfit she was wearing in the first 3 hours of the trip. So on top of the multiple outfits I packed (including 2 fancy dresses for the shower in case she pooped/puked on the 1st before we got to the party), I bet I took a dozen bibs, 20 diapers, 8 burp cloths, enough cereal for a week, and what felt like a million toys. She had her own suitcase on top of the regular diaper bag. And when I unpack her bag tomorrow (nope, still haven't done it - I told you, worn out!) I bet more than half of what I packed will be removed clean & unused. I'm a horrible overpacker (got it from my Dad) and evidently that rings true with baby-packing as well!

I'm still exhausted, so this lady is off to bed. I'll leave you with a pic of Brooke at the shower - such a sweet girl!
p.s. Happy Anniversary to the husband! 2 years have flown by, haven't they? Love you :)

Still here...

I promise we're still around, still alive. We're just busy. And this weekend is just as busy, as the whole family is heading north (the girls for Brooke's soon-to-be-Aunt Sarah's bridal shower and Daddy for a bachelor party.) So, you'll have to patiently wait for more of my witty stories about my precious little one just a few more days. I've got lots to say, trust me. (For example, remember this post about tact and pregnant women? Turns out people don't have any when it comes to babies either.) Have a great weekend!

Intuition.

This beautiful little girl here helped teach her mother a valuable lesson today: always trust my "Mommy's intuition".

Brooke's been a hot mess this week. On top of her digestive issues, which, by the sounds of her screams and cries, have been painful in and of themselves, she's had several other symptoms to deal with: slight fever, ear-tugging, loss of appetite, etc. While these are typical teething symptoms, they're also classic ear infection signs. So all of it prompted me to call the pediatrician this morning, mostly to get ideas of things to try for her belly. After talking to the nurse about everything, I decided to take her in and have her ears checked and discuss her belly.

Well I'm so glad I did. Her ears are clear - no ear infection. However, after examining her belly, the pediatrician decided that she doesn't think it's constipation; rather, she thinks she has some other gastro-intestinal issue, in addition to some minor dehydration. Had I not taken her in and figured this out, we might have continued doing things to help "move things along" which would have only made her more uncomfortable. So instead, we're going to keep an eye on her and add a few ounces of juice to her daily fluid intake.

I can't tell you how happy I am we got her checked out; gave both Mommy and Daddy peace of mind that it's not something more, something we weren't prepared to handle.

Oh and p.s. She was weighed today while we were there. 21 lbs 3.6 oz, folks. (In all fairness, this was with a sleeper and onesie on; usually they weigh her in just a diaper. So she's probably hovering around 21 even.) The pediatrician couldn't believe I was still carrying her around in her infant seat. (On that note, we have to start shopping around for a big girl car seat because the limit on our infant seat is 22 lbs. Better get a move on, I guess! I'll talk about how sad it is that my infant has to get a big girl car seat before she's even 5 months old in another post....too tired to tackle that now.)

Fruit #1.

Brooke has been having a bit of a, um, digestive issue this week. Let's just say I would welcome an explosion right now, because that would mean she's been, um, relieved (there's no polite way to talk about this.) Poor baby girl, her belly is such a mess. In an attempt to get things moving, we introduced her to her very first fruit today - prunes. They went over about as well as can be expected. I'm sure it tasted about as good as it smelled and looked. (And no, I'm not going to be one of those mothers that tastes all her baby's food so she knows what they're eating. Certainly not the gross ones. Maybe I'll try peaches or bananas or something...)

Her reaction to each bite was too funny. She shivered and made the most hysterical disgusted face with each bite, yet the little goofball continued to let me put the spoon in her mouth. It may not look like it, but she did get about a tablespoon or two in. Fingers crossed that it helps, because I'd hate to have to feed her more!

New camera pics!

I've been thoroughly enjoying playing with my new camera this week. Just thought I'd share some of my faves, including some playtime with her crazy but oh-so-cute cousins, hangin' out in shoes (my heart melts for babies in shoes), and 1 of the 2 swimsuits we have to return because she's already too big for them before summer has even started (both are size 6-12M, I bought them in February...so sad!) Happy weekend!!

4's.

Four.

The number of months my beautiful girl has been stealing our hearts.

Her current diaper size. I'm going to repeat this for you: Brooke is wearing size 4 diapers! The same size her 21-month-old cousin wears. Seriously, child? Size 3's are supposed to go up to 28 lbs, which is all well and good if your child isn't Stretch Armstrong. They should put length on the package in addition to weight. Brooke is just too long for 3's; they don't cover enough up the back, causing far too many poo-splosions lately. So yeah, 4's. They don't make diapers bigger than a 7 (did you know they make 7's? Holy crap!) Before Brooke, I would have thought "Geez, if your child is big enough to need a size 7, they're clearly old enough to be potty-trained." I'm going to bite my tongue now.

The number of times we were up last night. Yikes, this lady is killin' me. If you've ever doubted the "4 month wakeful" myth, I assure you it's not a myth. I am up and down all night long. I try to give her a pacifier and get her to just go back to sleep, but that usually only soothes her for about an hour. She's just so darn hungry all the time! It's exhausting for both of us.

The number of bites it takes to get one spoonful of cereal in her mouth. Here's how it goes: insert spoon, wipe 3/4 of cereal off her chin when she spits it out, insert spoon, wipe 1/2 of that off her chin, insert spoon.... She's very hit-and-miss with the cereal these days; sometimes she gobbles it up, even trying to dive into the bowl, and other times (let's be honest, most of the time) she wants nothing to do with it. We'll keep trying - she's bound to get used to the texture eventually, right?

The number of days I've been in love with my brand new camera (a Mother's Day gift from Miss Brooke). Pictures should be ridiculously clearer on the blog from now on. (Have I mentioned how much I love this thing? L.O.V.E.)

Oh, and Brooke has something she'd like to say:

Happiest Mother's Day.

Our very first Mother's Day has been an incredible one. And I say "our" because I wouldn't be celebrating this day without my incredible husband or my beautiful Brooke. This will always be the happiest of all my Mother's Days to come because it is the first. My sweet baby girl has showered me with gorgeous smiles, silly laughs, and so much love today. She and her Daddy have made me feel like one very blessed Mommy. They have told me today that they are lucky to have me; it is clear to me that I am the lucky one. So very lucky.

24 hrs of Lessons.

As a parent, there are new things to learn every single day. Here are some of the lessons I've learned in just the last 24 hours:

~ A sick baby is a crabby baby. And a crabby baby is no fun. I want my sweet, smiling baby back.

~ As soon as you mention in your blog that your child's fever has disappeared and she's bouncing back, she'll throw up in her sleep and require a total strip down of both her and her bed at 3 a.m.

~ Just because your 4-month-old can sit up on her own at home does not mean she's ready to sit up in the grocery cart by herself. (I ended up having to hold her with one hand the whole time, so it took me an hour to get $30 worth of groceries.)

~ Always keep an eye on socks. Otherwise you'll end up retracing your steps (like going back in the grocery store and weaving through people in your checkout line, for instance) in an attempt to find it.

~ Inevitably, your child will have the most epic poop of her life on a day when you're both sick and you just did a load of baby laundry. EPIC, folks. An 8-wiper and bath-worthy. (In our house, we measure the greatness of the dirty diaper by how many wipes it takes to clean her. Like "Oh, this was a gross one; a 3-wiper." Today's 8-wiper is a Reeder house record. And that was before we just went to the bathtub.)

~ If you make the mistake of thinking to yourself "Ok, she's been napping for 30 minutes. I hope she naps a while longer so I can finish the laundry," she will instantly wake up. Like within seconds. Telepathic babies up in here.

~ Pathetic, crabby, sick babies are cuddly and just want Mommy to hold them while they sleep. And Mommy, though still sick and overwhelmingly exhausted herself, will happily oblige. No better feeling on earth than chubby arms wrapped around your neck and the sound of rapid warm breaths in your ear.

Sick again.

The Reeders have had a rough week so far, but things are starting to look up.

The fever Miss Brooke has had for 3 days has finally broken. She has been running a low fever, around 99.8, since Monday morning. We aren't sure what to thank for it: possibly Friday's vaccines, possibly teething, and possibly the mammoth dose of Infant Tylenol that we gave Brooke after her vaccines that has since been recalled by the manufacturer for unknown bacteria and the possibility of "tiny particles" being in it. Um yeah, thanks Tylenol. (p.s. Shouldn't they be more specific as to what type of "tiny particles" we're talking about here? Are we talking dust, dirt, tiny bits of glass perhaps? Seriously...)

Anyway, so I think she's finally back on track. Mommy, on the other hand, is not. I finally broke down and went to the doctor on Monday after weeks of headaches and sinus issues. I'm now about 36 hrs into an antibiotic, so fingers crossed that it starts to work soon. I've said it before and I'll say it again: being sick and being Mommy do not coincide well. It's been a struggle to take care of my girl while tackling a killer cough, pounding headache, and complete exhaustion. Tonight, however, I'm starting to feel the tiniest bit better. Never underestimate the healing power of baby laughs, hot showers, and hug from husbands.

A few pictures of our sick little lady. She doesn't look all that pathetic, does she? Fever or not, she's always ready and willing to ham it up for the paparazzi.

4 Months!

Dear Brooke,

You're growing up so fast, big girl! Every day you learn how to do new things and get smarter and stronger. You make the silliest noises and faces that make Mommy and Daddy smile so big. You're a very curious girl, constantly reaching out for things to figure out what they are and how you can get them into your mouth. You concentrate very hard on objects that you're holding. We can see your little brain hard at work just trying to make sense of all of your surroundings. Just as you're changing, so are your preferences. Here are a few of the things you like and don't like this month:

Favorites

Sitting Up - Sitting up has provided you with a new view of the world and you're loving it. You get stronger every day, sitting up by yourself for longer periods of time. Your favorite thing to play with while you sit up is the stack of colored rings; it helps keep you balanced and, of course, you love to eat it.

Your "Company" - You love the "company" that sleeps in your bed with you at night ("company" is the term your cousin uses to describe her stuffed animals and dolls). You have 3 friends in your bed at night: your bunny, who has become your bestest good friend and you love to snuggle with; your teddy bear, the one that makes womb noises and who you reach for to play with in the mornings; and your light-up singing seahorse, whose lullabies put you to sleep every night. Each friend plays a critical role in helping comfort you in your crib.

The Remote Control - You have a funny fascination with the remote control. It's easy for you to hold it in your hands, light enough for you to get it to your mouth, and has bright buttons that you've already figured out how to press. You even turned the TV off last week!

Penguin - Your good buddy Penguin is your BFF. He is the perfect size for you to hug. His beak is without a doubt your favorite thing to chew on and it happens to be the perfect height for you to get it in your mouth. We have a feeling you two will be good buddies for a very long time.

Your Rocking Chair - Part of our bedtime routine is spending some cuddle time in the rocking chair in your nursery. We didn't use it very much when you were younger, but now we spend some serious time in it. You now know that when we get in that chair bedtime is moments away and it's time to relax. Mommy loves this time with you.

Not-So-Favorites

Being Hot - You do not like to be too hot. This is part of the reason you still don't like the carseat very much; you get pretty hot in it. It's not uncommon for you to be a sweaty mess when we take you out. We're not looking forward to a hot summer with a sticky baby. Get ready to take lots of cool baths!

Your Swing - You are no longer a fan of your swing. You've outgrown it physically (your feet stick out off the end) and mentally. The hanging bugs are too far for you to reach and aren't stimulating enough for you. You prefer to be on the floor where you can move around and kick those legs.

Separation from Mommy - You have developed a bad case of separation anxiety. Being away from Mommy makes you nervous and unsettled. It's not surprising, as we spend a lot of time together. But we're working on getting you used to being with other people. And the doctor suggested we play peek-a-boo with you, which you love, to teach you that just because you can't see us it doesn't mean we aren't with you.

Brooke, you make Mommy & Daddy so proud. You amaze us every day with what you can do. We can see a little bit of each of us in you. Nothing is more endearing than to hear someone say "Oh, she looks just like you." You have your Mommy's nose and eyes and your Daddy's cheeks and smile. You are perfect and precious, Big Lady, and we love you to pieces.

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

1st cereal = FAIL.

Brooke got to try rice cereal for the first time this morning. And it was a big fat failure. She was so disinterested; she kept her mouth closed tight. As you can see in the pictures, she did not find it too yummy. If she's anything like her mom, the consistency was just too much for her to get over! The husband got a little on his finger and made the mistake of licking it off; he now understands why she wasn't gobbling it up. Hilarious! Anyway, she couldn't have been very hungry because she had just eaten an hour before (the doctor recommended timing it this way.) So we gave up after about 15 minutes of absolutely no progress. Tonight we'll try again before a feeding when she's actually hungry and see how that goes. In the meantime, enjoy these pictures :)

The very first bite.

"Mommy is trying to shove some weird stuff in my mouth. She thinks making airplane noises will help. Mommy has finally lost it."

"Um, Mom & Dad, there's some gross stuff on my chin and you're not wiping it off. Hello?! Can you not see it?"