Mylee - 8 months

8 months

This month I really can't get behind because Mylee has changed so much that I would forget it all if I waited a month to post. So believe it or not but I'm only a day behind and writing this post.

Best shot

Clapping

"Mom, why are you acting like an idiot?"

"Dad, is she for real?"

As I mentioned before, Mylee's big development was her mobility. She started the month off by working really hard to move a few inches and now she is cruising across the living room in a matter of seconds. It truly has been amazing to watch her figure so much out soon after crawling. It didn't take her long to figure out how to get herself back into a sitted position after crawling and now the last week or two she has mastered pulling herself up on just about anything. So she has become quite a handful for us lately, getting into things that she shouldn't (like my fake trees), pulling herself up in her crib (which we had to move down), and not sitting down during bathtime. Its so much fun to see her explore the world around her and try to keep up with Maddy but it has been a challenge at times too. Thank goodness for our basement because she can play for hours down there without causing too much trouble. She is so proud of herself too that its too adorable to actually get mad.

Speaking of being proud of herself...she learned to clap this last week and man does she think she's cool with this one. We've been going to a lot of high school volleyball games lately so I don't know if she picked it up there or what as we really didn't work on it too much at home, but she's got it down and loves to do it. She uses it for the sign more while eating too. We've been working on waving too, but it's taken a back seat to clapping so she doesn't really have it down yet.

Mylee is still taking 4 milk feedings a day (about 6 oz at a time) with me nursing her just in the morning and at night when I'm home with her. She eats 3 solid meals a day too with each meal consisting of about 2 cubes of food with rice or oatmeal. She loves her puffs (any flavor), yogurt melts (strawberry only), gerber biscuits, and lately 'lil crunchies. Mylee figured out how to feed herself finger foods like that right away so that has been really nice because she is pretty content sitting in her high chair feeding herself so that we can get a few things done or eat dinner. This past month we introduced the vegetables: green beans, peas, corn, and cinnamon sweet potato (loves them all) and the fruits: apples (red delicious, gala, and cinnamon), peaches (YUK!, she hates them), and blueberries (not a huge fan either). She seems to really love veggies and is a lot more picky about her fruits. She can really eat, hence, she continues to be a big girl (size 3 diapers still though), but I think she'll start to slow down weight-wise with as active as she is lately.

Lovin' her food

Latest expression when eating

Mylee still has no teeth, which I can't believe, as Maddy had her first at 4.5 months and a mouth full by this time. She has been chewing on her thumb (oh no!) lately though and has a runny nose so maybe soon. She continues to sleep well from about 8:30 pm until 8 am. We do have to get up a few times (at least once a night) to pop the paci back in though. She takes a morning and afternoon nap (about 2 hours each) and is so easy to put down. We've made sure that her naps don't coordinate with a feeding, which has made things nice because she doesn't rely on it to go to sleep and is able to put herself to sleep when she's tired...and its obvious when she is tired because it's one of the only times she gets cranky. Seriously this kid makes me LOVE having a baby in the house again!

Getting pictures of her, on the other hand, I don't love. She won't sit still for them anymore. Ugh.

The girls in their matching hats we made

Happy morning in their pjs

Mylee Crawls

Soon after Mylee turned 7 months, four days exactly (Oct. 24th), she started crawling. We were at the Schmidts house after having dinner with the group downtown and Mylee was intrigued by a bright blue light on their TV stand. She eventually made her way across the living room floor to get to the light. It took her 3-4 times before we realized we had the camera and should get it on video. Unfortunately by then she started to get tired but we got her moving a little bit none the less.

Oct. 24th, 2009

This past month she has continued to improve upon her skills and I've got the proof.

Oct. 30th, 2009


Nov. 19th, 2009

Mylee - 7 months

Okay, once again I am a month behind with this post and Mylee turns 8 months in 2 days so I am in a scrabble to get this posted. Mylee had a big month between 6-7 months. As I mentioned in a previous post we started her on solid food at the start of that month. She started out on just rice cereal once a day and after a few days really seemed to have the hang of it. I was super excited that she was doing so well as feeding Maddy was a real struggle for us. After about a week we tried carrots, which at first she didn't seem to like but after offering it to her for about 3-4 days in a row she seemed to start to like it. I'd been reading a lot of books on baby food and a few of them suggested starting with an orange vegetable as they have a natural sweet taste for a veggy and we already had a batch of carrots made up in the freezer from my dad's garden so it seemed like the logical choice. That brings up a chance to mention that we decided to make all of Mylee's food ourselves as it is tons healthier for her and saves us some money. At first it seemed like it might be a hassel but it actually has been a ton easier than I thought. We freeze everything in ice cube trays and just take out a cube when its time to eat, except for banana and avocado which both you use only fresh. Over the course of the month, she ate carrots, bananas, sweet potato, pear, butternut squash, and avocado. She took a liking to all of them, not always right away, except avocado which she never would eat (can't blame her) and fresh banana which I think is more of a texture issue as she'd eat banana oatmeal and banana puffs. So her first month of eating went surprisingly really well after a little bit of resistance in the beginning and persistance throughout with continuing to offer the same food at least 4-5 days in a row.

Another big change for Mylee during this timeframe was her first day at daycare. I had a 3 month maternity leave and then my mom moved in to take care of the girls for 3 months so that Mylee didn't have to start daycare until she was at least 6 months old, so Mylee didn't started daycare until Oct. 5th. She of course adjusted well and had a great report everyday, although she doesn't seem to nap as well there. The girls only go 2 days a week as I am home with them on Wednesdays and Fridays and then my mother-in-law wanted to start spending a day of week with them so she comes out on Tuesdays. It has really been great for all of us although Karen wishes she had the girls more at daycare.

Physically this month, Mylee worked on trying to crawl. She spent a lot of time on all fours rocking back and forth. She would try really hard to move but her body was just too heavy for her arms. As soon as she would pick one hand up to move it forward the other one would cave in and she was back on her belly. We knew she was getting close though and it would just be a breakthrough one day and that'd be it. She continues to be a really happy, easy going baby. I really can't get enough of her sweetness. She is starting to form sounds with "da, da, da, da" being by far her favorite.

She holds out in this video, but now I know why she started saying "da, da"

Mylee had her 6 month wellness visit at the beginning of October, which was quite a doctor's visit as I had both girls and Mylee needed 5 shots and Maddy got her flu shot. Not fun. Mylee does not handle her shots well at all, but Maddy surprising did a really great job. At her appointment Mylee was diagnosed with allergies. The doctor said she could tell by her eyes because she had Denni-Morgan lines, an extra fold or line under her eyes that is a sign of allergies in children. Mylee gets up a lot at night coughing and her doctor said its probably due to the drainage in the back of her throat. So she suggested we give her Claritin before bed and use a humidier in her room. Well, as you've all seen Mylee doesn't take medicine AT ALL so we tried the whole claritin thing for about a week and then decided it wasn't worth it as it just seemed like torture and it wasn't helping. Anyway, here are her 6 month stats:

Weight: 20 lbs. 0.2 oz. (95th %ile)
Height: 27.5 in. (90th %ile)
Head Circumference: 17 3/4 in. (95th %ile)

Our girls continue to love each other...I really couldn't ask for anything more. Here are a bunch of pictures of the girls together from this month.

Disney on Ice

At the beginning of last month I took the day off to go with my mom and my girls to Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic. It was my mom's last day here with us so it was fun to do something special. My mom had been down here living with us taking care of the girls since the end of June when I went back to work. It was a wonderful 3 months for all of us. My mom did so much for our entire family, not just for Mylee even though that was why she came down. I actually think Maddy benefited from having her here the most. My mom would take Maddy to library a few times a week,they would read and pray together almost every night, my mom taught her all sorts of things and its funny to hear Maddy talk like her still to this day. Thanks so much to my mom and we all love you ..."to the moon and back!"

Anyway, back to Disney on Ice...we had a great time at the show. We went with Sarah and the boys, our daycare provider Karen and her kids, and brought Kendal along too. It was an amazing show and Maddy really loved it. She would sing with to all the songs that she knew and wouldn't take her eyes off of the skaters. Surprisingly, Mylee seemed to really enjoy it as well, she watched the entire first half while jumping up and down on my lap...and she was free. My mom and I enjoyed it just as much as the kids too. It was a great day!

The gang watching the show

Nemo and Dori being chased by the shark

All the princesses with their princes

Pumba and Timon

The entire cast

Fireworks with the finale

Kendal and Maddy all smiles after the show

Evelyn and Maddy

Mylee slept on Grandma Simone the second half

Oktoberfest

October was a month full of fall festivities and what an absolutely beautiful autumn it was. The weather wasn't all that inviting but it was perfect for the trees as they were so amazing. We were able to enjoy the peak color in both the U.P. and down state, too.

One of my favorite streets in Howell

Oct. 3: Spindler's Visit

The first weekend in October we enjoyed a wonderful weekend with the Spindlers. We went up to Sagniaw for the day and watched an awesome NMU football victory. Brooke, Brad, and the girls came back to our house that evening to spend the night. We had a blast playing Wii tennis and just relaxing. Maddy and Rylee stayed up way too late, but were playing great together so we let it slide. We paid for that on Sunday. Mylee and Sadie were in bed on time and were all smiles the next morning though. It was so fun having the Spindlers here. We just enjoy our time together so much. I just wish we could do it more often so Rylee and Sadie could get to know us better and love us as much as we love them! Can't wait for our next visit!

Sweet Sadie all smiles before bedtime

Maddy and Rylee coloring together at 10 pm

Mylee and Sadie eating breakfast together

Oct. 10: Jaelyn's Birthday Party

The following weekend we went home for our niece Jaelyn's fifth birthday party. We had a fun-filled weekend as we always do when we go home. We left after work on Friday and decided to stop and stay at the bridge. We are so happy we did as the trip across the U.P. in the morning was absolutely breath-taking. We would have missed all the autumn color in the dark the night before had we not stopped for the night and Monday we traveled through snow so we missed it then too. It was sure a beautiful drive! Anyway, we got there Saturday in time for Jaelyn's pool party and had a blast celebrating with her.

Happy Birthday Jaelyn!

Birthday Girl swimming with her goggles
(My camera is all fogged up by the steam in the pool)

Grandpa kissing Mylee by the pool

Cousins Halloween Photo Shoot

That afternoon we dressed all the kids in their Halloween costumes for a photo shoot with their custom designed pumpkins. My dad grew his own pumpkins out at camp and scratched all the grandkids names on a pumpkin. That way when the pumpkins grew the names would scar on them and grow as well. It was so exciting for the kids to each have their own pumpkin.

Not sure why Addisyn's pumpkin was misplaced???

Thumbelina, Snow White, and Ariel

Kriegl Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest

That night we had our annual pumpkin carving contest. What an ordeal! See the post below to see the pumpkins and PLEASE VOTE!

Jaelyn cleaning out her pumpkin

This is the kids downstairs sitting around a garbage eating candy
with no clothes on while the adults where upstairs carving pumpkins

Sunday we laid pretty low and just enjoyed each other's company while watching football. It was a nice relaxing day. We did get outside and spent some time racking leaves and letting the kids play in them, but mostly it was a inside football watching day.

Addisyn...too cute not to post

Makinac enjoying the view

Mylee begging to take a bath with the big kids

Oct. 17: Spicer's Cider Mill

The next weekend we took the kids to Spicer's cider mill for some cider and donuts. We took some pictures of the girls in the pumpkin patch and also some in the apple orchard but it was a bit chilly so we didn't stay long.

Big Sister...Little Sister

Sorry Spicer's we let Maddy pick one of the apples

Pumpkin Carving

We also had the neighbors over that evening for dinner and pumpkin carving. It was a great time with the group although the kids weren't all that interested in the pumpkin carving after about 5 minutes. Why do we bother sometimes?

While the kids where still interested

Kendal and Maddy with two of the pumpkins

The pumpkins

Oct. 21: Pumpkin Patch

The next week we had a few beautiful, warm fall days so one week night we decided to go to the cider mill with the neighbors for our annual photo shoot with the kids in the pumpkin patch. Unfortunately it didn't go so good as the Schmidt kids weren't up for getting in their costumes and taking pictures. None the less we had a great evening with the group and we got some cute pictures. I eventually got Kendal to smile too by juggling 3 apples...apparently I can juggle!

The neighborhood gang

Ben, Maddy, Mylee, and Gabe
(missing Kendal and Hayden)

Watch out Ariel...Spiderman has his eyes on you!

Maddy and Kendal were both mermaids

Mylee as Sebastian and Gabe as a spider
(Two of the sweetest babies ever)

Mike with his girls who were clearly not in the mood for pictures

Mylee all smiles at dinner at Arby's

Oct. 24: Legend of Sleepy Howell

The weekend before Halloween was the big Legend of Sleepy Howell weekend. Trick-or-treating downtown was supposed to be Saturday night but because of bad weather it was postponed until Sunday. We had plans to be with the neighbors so we still went downtown to watch a magic show at the library and eat pizza at Mr. B's together. We then hung out at the Schmidts, so it was a fantastic day with friends.

Visiting with Papa Jon during the day

We picked up where we left off and had a great night trick-or-treating on Sunday night. It ended up being a beautiful night and a lot of fun for the kids. We also went on a hayride through downtown. This event is such a great time for the young kids and the candy is awesome.

The neighborhood gang

Daddy and Maddy getting lots of candy

Mylee hanging out with momma

Going for a hayride

My girls

Oct. 31: Halloween/Trick-or-Treating

The last weekend of October was finally Halloween. We spent the day watching a volleyball tournament in Fowlerville and then got home in time to finish up our pumpkin we started the night before and then headed out trick-or-treating. Unfortunately the wind was too chilly for the kids and they only lasted about 30 minutes before they were freezing and had enough. We decided to spend the rest of the night at the Abbotts handing out candy, which Maddy actually really enjoyed. We made festive pumpkin and mummy personal pizzas and pigged out on candy. It was a great Halloween despite the weather!

Our family pumpkin...Simba, the Lion King
(Shh..don't tell our family but we are going to enter this one into the contest next year)

Maddy and Mylee ready to go trick-or-treating

Trick-or-Treat

Too sweet... just had to post

Here is a video of Maddy trick-or-treating in our subdivision. We told her that Ariel has a nice, loud voice so she needed to use it when she was trick-or-treating. This is what we got...

...pretty impressive for our little shy Maddy
(notice Mike at the end; he is eating all his kids' candy)