The Leviners

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Yesterday, Caroline turned nine months old! I can hardly believe that she's already nine months. It took nine months of waiting for us to finally meet her and these last nine months seem like they have flown right on by. We still have no idea how blessed we are to have such a healthy precious baby girl!

9 Month Stats:

Wt: 17.13 (25%)

Ht: 27 3/4 (50%)

HC: 16 3/4 (10%)

At this appt they checked Caroline's iron level and it was a little low. Dr. T said she needed to be eating more baby food to increase her iron level. This was one of the questions that I had concerns about. Ever since I've been home for Christmas break Caroline hasn't wanted to nurse as much. There was even one day where I couldn't get her to nurse hardly at all except for the early am feeding. I considered it because she was sick with a double ear infection and it could have very well been that last week but now we're thinking that she's trying to wean herself from five feedings to four. This transition for less feedings makes me a little nervous because I have thoughts that I've worked so hard at nursing for nine months that she just can't stop now!! But it's best for the both of us! My supply is decreasing a little and she's wanting more food! We began feeding her more table foods recently like green beans, mac n cheese, and mashed potatoes! She gets so excited when she's eating big people food!

Dr. T suggested a plan for us both and I'm excited about putting it into action!

Another one of my concerns that I asked about is her sleeping patterns. Caroline hasn't been easy to put to sleep at night. Usually, well before 8 months, we could lie her down wide awake and she'll go right to sleep. Now if we put her down awake she'll just cry and cry and cry until we go get her. She'll immediately put her head on our shoulder and go to sleep as if she had been the whole time. Then we'll put her back in her crib finally asleep. In the middle of the night she'll wake back up, we'll put her paci back in and before you know it she's sitting up crying ready for you to pick her up. So we do just that. We'll then if we go to put her back down she'll just cry and cry. Pick her up, put her on your shoulder and she's asleep. Put her down...cries and sits up, etc. We give in and put her in bed with us (which I never wanted to start). As soon as she's in bed with us she's right back off to sleep. Don't dare then try to move her...she'll wake right back up as soon as she's back in her crib. Dr. T said to let her cry it out because she's got to learn to soothe herself...I know this but its just so easy putting her in bed with us than to hear her cry for 15 minutes at 2 am! Any other suggestions!!

Each day comes with new surprises and this eigth month has been especially filled with them. The beginning of her eigth month brought two bottom teeth which kept us all up a few nights! We've also had two double ear infections. And last we can say that her personality has brightened. What do I mean by brightened you may ask! Besides being sick with a cold along with the ear infections and teething (poor baby) she has shown us a little bit of a wild/very active/determined side that we've yet to see until now. It's been fun but as you know I don't handle change well so this side of her has been fun and some what of a challenge for me too (all in a very good way...yes, she's still the sweetest baby).

Speaking of wild I do have a fun "after the fact" story to tell. She's never taken good naps for me. Well yesterday I tried holding her, rocking her, walking her, and even singing to her in hopes that she'll drift off to sleepy time. None of the above worked so I just put her in her crib with her lovey and walked into another room down the hall from hers. After a few minutes I no longer heard her talking or babbling so I assumed she was finally asleep. As soon as I thought this I heard a rustling noise and thought that maybe she just woke up and threw her lovey out of the crib. So I went to check it out. I looked in her crib and "THERE WAS NO CAROLINE TO BE SEEN". You all could have imagined..I started to panic..no I think my heart even stopped beating for an eensey sec... and took a double look in her crib as I was walking closer to it. Well, it was true she wasn't in her crib at all but instead she was in her clothes hamper. Somehow she managed to stand all the way up (hasn't done this since) and tumble out of her crib and land right side up in her clothes hamper (thank goodness this thing didn't come with a top because she would have for sure bounced off it and hit her head on the dresser). Anyways, I found her laughing while sitting in the hamper. After weeks of reminding Sam to lower her mattress, it didn't take him very long to do it last night! I am so glad that she didn't get hurt and it could have been a lot worse than finding my princess laughing sitting upright in her hamper! Praise the Lord she was just fine! Also, I'm realizing that when she was so quiet for so long it wasn't because she was asleep it was because she was gnawing on the crib and now we have little teeth marks on her cherry wood crib! Sam did this same thing as an infant so he thought it was cute, I however did not find it so amusing!

So after this fun event we headed on over to the Broadwells for a playdate with Sarah Ann, Charlie, Anna Claire, and Hendrix! We had so much fun and it was great catching up with the mommies too! We can't wait for another playdate!

To celebrate nine months I want to list nine things that I love about our Sweet Caroline!

I love:

1. To hear her laughing/playing in her crib in the mornings while calling

da da! I keep telling her she needs to call for her ma ma!

2. How her nose crinkles when she gets really excited!

3. How she reaches for me to pick her up! Knowing she just wants to be held

by you is the warmest feeling in the world!

4. How she claps her hands together!

5. How she looks when she laughs behind her paci!

6. How she squeezes my neck as if giving me a hug when I pick her up after

being gone out of the room for a bit when daddy has her!

7. How happy she is all the time!