4 Month Check up

Caroline had her 4 month check up today. She was four months on July 29th and will be 18 weeks on Sunday!

Stats:

Height- 25 1/4 (80th)

Weight- 14 lbs 13 ozs (75th)

Head Circumference- 15 3/4 (25th)

She did very well with her shots- she didn't cry until after they were given and she didn't cry long. I did very well myself- this time!

I discussed lots of things with Dr. Thomas such as:

How many feedings should she be getting each day? 5 or 6 (she'd be fine with 5)

Can we start rice cereal? Yes

How many hours between feedings? 4 (I am still doing 3- we'll get back to this one)

Do we need to remove bumper from crib? Now I've asked another friend this question and she said yes, but just to be extra sure!! The answer was yes, and could be replaced when Caroline's one.

Does she need to continue sleeping in the sleep sack? Yes. I have also started putting long pajama bottoms on her because now she's turning over. I will use the sleep sack in the winter when its colder and also she'll be much better at turning over.

How many ounces in a bottle? 4 or 5

Probiotic? I just had to ask this question because I started taking one last summer "Align" and it really helped me to heal after my bout with C-Diff and I didn't get sick during my pregnancy with anything. Caroline can take one at 6 mos.

Flu Shot? She'll need the regular flu shoot as well as the H1N1 vaccine. By the way she suggested that I take both as well- we'll do!!
Teething- Baby Oragel only lasts 10 minutes so she suggested placeing a wash cloth in the fridge and let her gnaw on it when its cool.

Other things she's doing- she's found a different talking voice and its so cute to listen too. We "talk" together most of the day. She's just so sweet!!

She's also sleeping in her crib! I have finally graduated her from the cradle to the crib. How did this come about? I woke up one morning and she was playing with the bars near her head with her hands and her feet were sticking out of the slats on the side. This made me laugh when I saw her in her disposition so I knew that it was time- really past time. She's been doing really well with it however she doesn't go to sleep as fast as she did in the cradle. When we put her down we can hear her coos and laughs through the monitors- we like to think she likes her nursery!

On to the rice cereal- we gave her rice cereal for the first time today. The whole time we were giving it to her she would laugh and laugh. I don't think she swallowed any of it because when she'd laugh it would all come right back out. We enjoyed watching her! Also, after starting the cereal I did e-mail Denise, our lactation consultant. I asked her what would be a good way to fit this into the nursing schedule. She gave me great advice. She said really babies don't need any solids until they are six months old but if I wanted to give her the rice cereal than I could nurse her and then wait one hour and give it to her but only once a day (we were only going to give it once a day anyways). I tried the cereal again today (Monday- I started this post last Friday) and she did much better. For now I am going to give her the cereal a couple of times a week. When she's five months I will try for more days. Also, Denise says she still needs six feedings a day since she only gained 2 ounces in a week (babies are supposed to gain one ounce a day- however not sure for how long) and that I could give her all the nutrition she needs. Apparently the rice cereal doesn't have much nutritional value. The weight gain this time was the lowest weight gain for Caroline (I take her regularly to have her weighed). But I'm thinking that Caroline is teething and that this is the reason for her not nursing so well.

Caroline trying rice cereal for the first time!



Her new bowls and spoons!



First night in crib- still holding onto that paci!



Happy 18 weeks!


Extra:

Sam made these Adirondack chairs this week!
He's going to paint them red tomorrow! I
can't wait to see the one that he's making
for Caroline!

Several posts into one...

I did it! I have been reluctant. Didn't want to do it. Didn't want to think about doing it, but seeing as if our little girl is getting bigger and is awake longer... I did it. Last Sunday, was the first time that we took Caroline to church nursery. We went to church earlier than usual (these days we've been late, but this time we were way early). We learned how to sign in Caroline, get a sticker to put on her as well as on us, and then we headed off to where she would be kept by precious volunteers at LBC's infant room. We were warmly greeted and were then asked several questions about Caroline such as will she need a bottle, etc. I responded with no but she has her lovey and her blanket in her bag. After staying a few more minutes and looking around at all the tee tiny babies I didn't feel so horrible for leaving her although our SS classroom would be right down the hall. After telling the very nice woman thank you and saying goodbyes to sweet Caroline we walked out of the door and then all of a sudden it happend. I didn't want it to- I didn't want to look silly in front of our SS class, but it just happened. As I walked out of the nursery door I realized that Caroline was in someone else's care not mine nor Sam's but someone else. Someone that she didn't know or for that matter someone that she's never seen before and these very thoughts had tears streaming down my face. Somehow in the brief footsteps from the nursery door to our SS room I pulled myself together. While waiting for SS to begin and when people would ask where's the baby it would almost start up again but I survived. I barely remember what the SS teacher's talked about however I do know that our class is splitting and that I signed up to be the hospitality leader along with another SS member. Afterwards I couldn't wait to go get her and I pratically ran down the hall after it was over. I knew that when we left our sweet Caroline that she would be loved on and when I went into the infant room that is what I saw. A parent father nursery volunteer was holding and rocking Caroline with her lovey and blanket in tow. He commented on how sweet she was and how much of a delight she was. All the other women caretakers said there sweet comments about Caroline and I knew that this was the day that I'd be alright with taking her to church nursery! We'll start over this Sunday but I know that its going to get easier and easier. To make her visit in the nursery even more easier Caroline got her very own postcard this week in the mail from the nursery. How sweet. Can't wait for her to meet more new friends this Sunday!!

The pumkin you see with Sam and Caroline was grown by Sam himself! As long as I can remember Sam has been growing pumpkins- Atlantic Giant Pumpkins! He's alwayss growing stuff and really likes to garden but he really enjoys growing Atlantic Giant Pumpkins. I believe he started growing these in 2000. He ultimately wants them to grow so that he can enter them into the state fair but somehow they usually stop growing and then eventually rotting before the fair arrives. He did enter the largest one into the Orangeburg County Fair several years ago but it rotted before the state fair. The largest one he's ever grown was 440 pounds. To weigh it we had to put it on a trailor and haul it to a feed and seed store and have it removed from the trailor and placed on a weighing pad. This was an all day event but it was so much fun. The pumpkin you see here has stopped growing and Sam hauled it off he guessed the weight to be 200. It has been nice watching it grow! There's always next year for trying it all over again!

Caroline playing with her links in

her swing!

Miss Wibbly Wobbly!

Tummy Time again mom! Yes, dear!

Nanny came for a visit this week! Thanks Nanny

for my gardening tools- I'm going to be just like

daddy when I grow up!

Sweet girl!

My lovey and my cow- just what I need to

go night night!

On Saturday, I found my left foot!

Caroline, Sam and the Atlantic

Giant!

Cute, cute, cute!

More cute!

Here we are again with the pumpkin!

Happy 2nd Birthday Ansleigh!

Happy 17 weeks sweet girl!

Remember this- well the top rack is now in this

trash bag. Long story short- I just so happen to be

showing our new freezer and its contents to my parents

when I realized that it wasn't running. I opened the door

to find that all the containers and shelves of milk were

quickly thawing. I called Denise (my lactation consultant) and

she said that I could only keep the bags of milk that were

still slush like. So the top rack had to be discarded.

This was a sad day for me.All I could think about was all

that work into finally gettingit frozen....

Enough said!

A Lot of Firsts

1st birthday party! 1st time rolling over! 1st time sitting in her exersaucer! These are all the things that Caroline has done this past week! She'll be 17 weeks tomorrow- yes, a whopping 17 weeker! Speaking of numbers I took her for a weigh in on this past Thursday and she's 14 lbs 11 ozs and is 25 inches long. Sam still predicts that she's going to be a tall girl with red hair and blue eyes however time will tell if she'll keep those baby blues- I'm hoping she will also!

Each day as she grows we grow more in love with her. We love all of her isms and there are plenty in number. She has quite the personality! She loves to laugh, giggle, and smile which just melts our hearts.

Speaking of all these happy moments leads me to make a confession. Yesterday, while opening a piece of mail I received I just bawled and bawled. It was unfortunately a back to school letter from my principal announcing upcoming events leading up to the opening of school. This was such a sad moment for me as I suddenly realized that spending hours every day with our precious Caroline will soon be over. As I sobbed I thought about how she might be giving all those fun giggles, laughs, and smiles to someone else other than her mommy. I know that when I do take her to daycare she'll be fine- she'll be in wonderful hands, she'll make new friends her age, and be loved on by her care takers, its her mommy that won't be fine. I am quite sure that the first day of school for me will be trying and not so anticipated as in years past. Writing about this helps but for now I'm going to spend each day until August 12th loving, holding, reading, talking, laughing, playing, and singing with my little girl! I just love her so very much!!

Little Princess!



Playing in her crib after a morning
nap!



Still smiling after a day of lapsit
and eating lunch!



She really loves her new exersaucer! This was
her first time sitting in her new toy! I'd say
she had a great time! Just look at that face!



What's this thing mommy that rolls and makes
loud noises? She's such a curious little one!



I like to put this big letter B in my mouth but
it all doesn't quite fit!

Sleepy little girl!

My job today will be to roll over!

Here I go! I'm getting it!

YEAH-I rolled over for the very first time and my

mommy got it on camera while cheering me on!



Playing in her crib at Grand and Pops house!

Now that I am a pro at rolling over can someone

tell me what's the best way to get my pap pap back?

Anna Louise Leviner celebrating

her 6th birthday! This is Caroline's

first cousin!

Sleeping Beauty! Happy 16 weeks!

Daddy and me!

Playing with Grand!

I now can hold onto my links too!

My aunt Rhonda loves to love on me!

Caroline News:
She's trying really hard to roll over! It won't be long! She's getting to be such a big girl!

Here we all are at Lapsit!

Cortney, Sarah Ann, Kathy, Charlie, Anna Claire
Melissa, and Caroline



Kathy holding her precious twins, Charlie and
Anna Claire


Rachel and Caroline



Two Sweet Girls!



Aw!



Caroline loving those fingers and laptsit!



Working on rolling over!



How sweet!



Love sleeping pics of our sweet girl!



The paci is such a great friend!

Caroline has been a busy girl the last two days! On yesterday, Matalyn came over for a visit. They were so cute together!
Today, Caroline went to the zoo with her friends Sarah Ann and Bryson. All three babies loved their zoo trip and so did their mommies!



Sarah Ann and her mommy, Cortney!



Bryson loved looking at the fish!



Caroline enjoying her zoo trip!



There's another smile from the big girl!



Caroline working on sitting up- however
with lots of support from the bean bag!



Caroline loves sitting in her bean bag!



Girls, Girls, Girls!
Matalyn- 8 weeks; Caroline 15 weeks!