Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Two Month Favorites






I have to thank a friend for introducing me to this handy little tool. The Wonder Weeks is a book from Frans Plooji. It explains the mental development of children and connects the "fussy phases" babies go through to their development. I love the Wonder Weeks app. I have all of the information right on my phone and it tells me down to the days when Harper will be going through another leap.

2. BABY BJORN
I love wearing Harper. Around the house I wear her in a wrap but when we go out to the store or just go outside for a walk the Baby Bjorn has been awesome. It is easy to put on and get the baby into while providing great support for my back. My husband likes wearing this as well!!

3. TOMMY TIPPEE BIBS
I love any bib that has strong Velcro or a snap but Tommy Tippee bibs have something a little more. They are great to use when feeding the baby. These bibs have a dribble catcher and absorb any milk that may dribble out during the feeding and prevents it from going under their neck.

4. NOGGINSTIK
The NogginStik from SmartNoggin is one of Harper's favorite toys. This rattle is filled with so many wonderful little teaching tools. It lights up red, blue, and green to stimulate the baby's eyes and encourages tracking. It has a light rattling sound to stimulate the baby's ears and it has an easy hold handle that encourages grasping.

5. FISHER PRICE DISCOVER-N-GROW KICK AND PLAY PIANO GYM
Harper loves laying on this mat. She is able to kick the piano with her feet as it plays music. This mat also includes fun toys that hang and provides a wonderful opportunity to work on skills such as batting and grasping.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Happy Easter!


Happy Easter!

Love Our Little Bunny






Harper's First Easter Basket




Easter Dinner With the Family



Saturday, April 19, 2014

Happy Two Months!- 4-19-2014


Happy TWO Months!!



Age: 2 months
Weight: 10lb 14oz - 48%
Height: 21in - 23%
Head Circumference: 15in

Milestones:

  • Harper is smiling, babbling, and cooing every chance she gets. She loves diaper changes and having little conversations with mommy and daddy. 
  • Although she doesn't love tummy time, she is able to lift her head off of the floor. 
  • Harper loves to play and has fallen in love with her play mat and her rattle that lights up. She has even started to grip her rattle with help in week 7.
  • She rolled over again from her tummy to back.
  • Harper found her hands this month. She works very hard to get her little fingers in her mouth.
Sleep:

Our little peanut has definitely taught us the signs she is tired. Usually she gets really cranky, cries, and after a few bounces and pats on the bottom is out. 

Harper has been getting into a great pattern with sleep. She goes to bed at either 9 or 10. This depends on how tired she is but it seems to be transitioning more toward 9. Harper has been getting really cranky around 8 PM so our bedtime routine has been getting pushed earlier.  Once down, she will sleep 5-6 hours straight then awakes for a bottle. She'll go right back to sleep for another 2-3 hours with a few grunts here and there. Then she will have a bottle and go back to sleep til about 7 AM.  We are seriously hoping this second stretch of sleep gets a little longer soon!!

We are still swaddling her at night but have tried several times to just put her down. She has some crazy arms that jolt her awake. We have also found that for her sake and ours it is easier to rock or bounce her to sleep.

Naps are still on demand. We usually eat, play, then sleep. Harper will take one long nap during the day and a bunch of shorter cat naps here and there.

Mommy's Favorite Moment:

My favorite moment this month was getting Harper ready for her first holiday, Easter. We took her to see the Easter bunny; and, bought her a very special Easter basket and new dress. 

My little nugget is getting so big. I am so proud of everything she has learned this month. She discovered her little hands, started gripping things around her, and rolled over from tummy to back for the doctor. Every time she does something new for the first time I get so excited!!   

Daddy's Favorite Moment:

Harper's first spring break with daddy! When Nick was on spring break he got to spend so much time with Harper. I truly think she became a daddy's girl. Each morning Harper and daddy would have long conversations as he changed her diaper and got her dressed for the day. He also read to her, went for walks around the neighborhood, and watched Superman over and over again. In all of the cuddle time, Nick also fit in a dance party which brought out HUGE smiles!

Mommy and Daddy's Proudest Moment:

One night while Nick was giving Harper a bath he got her undressed and put her into the water. In literally 30 seconds, Harper pooped in the tub then spit up and peed all over Nick. In an effort to help him all I could do was laugh. Poor girl just laid down naked on a towel as her parents lost it. It was a sight to see!! 

Health:

Harper is a happy healthy little lady. She is eating, pooping, and sleeping. : ) 

Since transitioning to a majority of formula, we were struggling trying to figure out what formula would work best. The complete milk-based formulas were making her spit up A LOT.  Now that she is on a sensitive formula she seems to be doing better. Still spitting up but less so we are keeping an eye on that and in touch with the doctor.

Eating:

At the beginning of the month, Harper started to take bottles of formula with 1-2 oz of breastmilk throughout the day (about every 2-3 hours). She really decided she didn't want to nurse anymore and I don't think I was making enough milk to satisfy her. On week 5, I got an infection in my breast and had surgery on week 6. Due to the amount of medication and my low milk supply I decided to stop pumping completely. 

Now, Harper is on formula only. She takes about 4oz. every 3 hours. At the end of every bottle Harper typically lets out a giant cry which makes us feel like she wants more BUT as soon as you burp her she spits up. Still trying to figure that one out.  

Things I Want to Remember:
  • Harper has lost most of her baby hair. She only has a large patch on the lower back of her head. Harper's eyes are still blue but getting lighter.
  • She can track mommy and daddy's voice.
  • Harper is very content when she is on her play mat. She has been getting really good at batting her hanging toys and kicking her feet to play the music.
  • During the week, Harper loves to dance and sing while mommy folds laundry or does the dishes. Baby girl loves COUNTRY!!
  • We took Harper to her two month check up. She did a FANTASTIC job and was so happy, that was until she received three shots. She did not have any serious effects. Although she (we) were very unhappy during, she slept most of the day. 
  • Harper had her first playdate with Tommy Zebley!!
  • Harper fell in love with her Aunt Ci Ci when she came to visit for a week. 
  • We took Harper to see the Easter bunny. 
  • Harper met her Great Mom-Mom Hartranft! Such a special moment!


Thursday, April 10, 2014

One Month Favorites

Here are a few things that we have loved this past month.












Newborn Pictures











Happy One Month!- 3-19-2014


Happy ONE Month to our Little Peanut!!


Age: 1 month
Weight: 8lb 13oz - 33%
Height: 20in - 23%
Head Circumference: 14in - 44%

Milestones:

Harper is very strong and alert. She pulls her head up anytime you hold her. During tummy time she rolled herself over twice. Our little peanut is also full of smiles that light up the room!

Sleep:

The first two weeks were spent sleeping on Mommy and Daddy. Around week 3, we finally got smart and figured out how to straighten out her days and nights. We swaddle her and she sleeps in the swing with sound playing. Harper nows sleeps 5-6 hours straight. Nap time continues to be a little bit of a different story. She will sleep with Mommy but usually only takes cat naps.

Best Moments:

There have been so many wonderful unforgettable moments. Watching her change everyday is such an incredible blessing. Each morning I wake up and bring her into bed. We snuggle and I watch her smile and smile. 

Nick and I also LOVE when we come into a room and she recognizes our voice. It is so special having such a connection with someone.

Worst Moments:

Harper had some poo issues which caused her little bum to get the worst diaper rash. It never seemed to bother her but it broke our heart every time we changed her. I seriously think it was linked to the breastmilk.

Health:

The first few weeks of her life we struggled to get Harper back up to her birth weight. We spent every three days in the doctors office. This led us to a big struggle with feeding and what was best for her health. While it took her a little bit longer she did finally make it back up and the doctor always commented how healthy she looked.

Eating:

In the hospital Harper was completely breastfed. When we returned home, she struggled to latch and I struggled getting her in the best position. While I did nurse, I used a nipple guard and we started supplementing with a bottle of formula at night. By the end of the month, we also decided to add a formula bottle during the day. At this point she is 50/50...50% breastmilk and 50% formula.

Things I Want to Remember:

*When she wakes up she scrunches her face and sticks out her lips. It is so stinkin cute!!!

*Harper loves taking baths. She can be really cranky but as soon as she gets in the warm water she is as happy as a clam. 

*Harper loves to cuddle and to have her little bum pat. She'll fall right asleep on your chest but after a few minutes will move all around until she has found the perfect spot.

*It could have been a fluke or because she was really pissed but watching her roll over for the first time was so awesome! She is so young and such a little peanut!

*Harper is so strong and alert. My mom always says..."she's so strong!!" When she got her newborn pictures done the photographer kept asking if she was older because she was alert and had control of her neck. It definitely made the posing a little harder.




 
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