The Girls - June 2013

 

Ashlynne: Oh my goodness, the 5th month with little sissy has been so much fun. She is so much fun to be around, you can't help but smile whenever she's near. Mostly because she's so full of smiles now. She'll notice us from across the room and smile, smile when Harlie comes over to say hi, and get distracted while nursing because she hears our voices. She'll unlatch, look up at me or over at whoever is talking and give a big old grin. Love it!  Changing diapers in one of my favorite things to do nowadays, because girlfriend loves the changing table. She loves the interaction with us and thinks it's playtime which it often turns into. Oh and the feet!!! She has recently discovered her feet and her not so little rump comes up as she grabs her feet and often pulls them to her mouth and it's just the cutest thing ever. EVER!  She loves to suck on everything, her toes included!

Our little baby is not so little anymore! Ashlynne had her 5 mo. well baby appt. and weighed in at 14 lbs, 1 oz. (25%) and 24.5 inches long (27%). This is a big jump from her weight at 3 mos. She's gained 4 lbs and 2.5 inches and I think most of it can be attributed to her pretty strict feeding schedule at daycare, her midnight feedings, and comfort nursing habits. I'll take the chub all day long though! she's even starting to get a little double chin! :-) Yesterday I packed up all of her 3 mos clothing...I just can't believe how fast time is flying. I feel like I blink and she grows an inch. Not fair!

Speaking of sleeping habits, Ashlynne is still waking 1-2 times per night but can be rocked back to sleep 50% of the time. She now goes down at home in a sleepsack but is swaddled at daycare which helps her nap longer.  She is a terrible crib napper and often ends up in the swing. These days at home it's so hard to put her down for a nap in her crib, she almost always wakes up the second we put her down. I have a suspicion she's starting to develop some separation anxiety which may be a contributing factor and I'll be interested to see how I report on that next month.

At the doc appt, Ashlynne received four shots and although she initially recovered quickly from the pokes, she was feverish and cranky for almost 48 hours afterwards. Note to self: do not schedule shots right before a holiday! Dr. Wang also said that her neck looked great and tested her range of motion. This was very encouraging. She's getting so much stronger on her belly and pushing herself up higher on her elbows.

In a couple more weeks we can start giving her cereal and boy is she ready. She is mesmerized by food, watching intently as it goes from our plates to our mouths. It actually makes us feel bad to eat in front of her, because you just know she wants what you have, She's so curious! I am hoping that a pre- bedtime snack might help her sleep through the night too but we will see.

And last but not least, I am very sad to say that Ashlynne got her first sunburn while in Tahoe last week. We had a great time and she was an absolute angel the whole time, but we underestimated the strength of the sun and patchy tree cover, which left her little face red and swollen for the last 2 days of trip. I think it hurt my heart more than it hurt her, which is a blessing...lesson learned for sure! Lucky for me her hair had just started to fall out at 4 1/2 weeks, so her scalp didn't get too red, but it wasn't fun sending her daycare with peeling cheeks. :-(

Harlie: Feisty, defiant and impatient would best sum up this last month with Harlie. She has really been enjoying her summer, but seems to be asserting her independence and fighting for control more than ever. Not sure how much of this is her four-ness and how much of it has to do with adjusting to the new daycare and sharing attention with Ashlynne. She still seems to enjoy her days at preschool and for the most part behaves while she is there, so I'm counting my blessings. We're trying to help her find a balance between following the rules and showing respect while being able to make some of her own choices. Mom's a control freak too, so it's been a struggle to say the least.

This is one of the reasons that she's taking a break from dance class right now. Hopefully, in a couple  months she'll be ready for it again. I do love to watch her get her groove on!

Some things she loved this month were: painting, singing the same verse from 22 by Taylor Swift and Call me Maybe by Carly Ray Jepsen over and over and over again (I think this is influenced by some top 40 exposure at daycare), wearing skirts, wearing shirts as skirts, decorating every room in the house with random toys, crepe paper and precious treasures (i.e. garbage - wrappers, weeds, dead flowers :-) ), wearing Mama's jewlery, and making Ashlynne smile.