Tessa - 9 Months Old

Weight:

16.5 lbs

Clothing Size:

She is still wearing anywhere from 6-12 month tops and onsies.

But when it comes to pants and leggings, she is now needing to wear 12 month sizes.

She just might have some long legs!

Eye Color:

Blue

Hair:

Blondish

Teeth:

Still only two teeth right now.

Movement:

Oh boy, we have hit some milestones this month.

Not only is she crawling around everywhere,

but she also pulled herself up to a standing position just yesterday!

She loves exploring the house now that she can crawl

and she just realized that she can now follow Mommy from room to room.

Talking:

I am almost completely convinced

that she is saying "Mama" and meaning me...

or at least a part of me.

She has now begun to say "Mama" and reach for me when she wants to nurse.

(not to mention grabbing and pulling down my shirt too) :/

She will also say "Mama" if she wants me to pick her up.

Everything else she says is still baby babble.

She also loves to blow bubbles with her spit and make a "mah" sound.

Playtime:

Tessa is curious about everything.

Which means she is getting into practically everything.

Some of her favorite "toys" to investigate are...

Carseat

Laundry Basket

Bookcase and Books

the "big" Piano

Silas's Bed

Washer and Dryer

Dish Washer door.

She also loves to sit in my lap while she is playing with toys

and crawling all over mommy and daddy.

Sleeptime:

I read a WONDERFUL article on the Kelly Mom website that really encouraged me

to keep a realistic view on Tessa's sleep patterns.

Here's the link.

I totally recommend checking out the article

if you are dealing with a baby that doesn't sleep through the night.

Meal Time:

Tessa has tried a few new foods this month...

Strawberries

Grapes

Raw Cheese (shredded)

Pot Roast (small pieces of the soft meat)

Coconut Flour Pancakes (one of her favorites now)

Tessa's Favorites:

She loves to go outside.

One day this month, I bundled her up and we walked down the street to pick up our mail.

We were gone only 5 minutes before we headed back home.

But the instant we stepped inside the house, she began to cry and cry.

I then realized that we need to get OUT more.

So I strapped her on me again, we put the leash on the dog, and we went on a longer walk.

Summer can't get her quick enough.

Mommy's favorites:

She is starting to snuggle and hug us now.

Especially when she just wakes up from a nap.

She will place her head on your chest and just let you hold her

until she is fully awake and ready to play again. 

Such sweet sweet moments.

 

52 Weeks in a Year - Week Nine

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

 

Did I skip a week?

I feel like I skipped a week somewhere in here.

Oh well, I'm just going to continue to pretend that it's week nine.

My poor sleep deprived brain can't count anymore.

 

I love this picture because, not only is my sweet Tessa so happy,

it reminds me to not be a toy snob.

Let me elaborate...

Micah and I both are not the hugest fans of brightly colored, flashy, plastic kid toys.

We will walk up and down the toy isle at Target

and just cringe at the amount of ugly toys there are.

We (especially me) are so picky with the things that we buy,

we have found it so hard to buy one of these tacky toys.

(cue me eating my words)

Well, today in church, Tessa found the toy pictured above.

A huge, plastic, flashy, brightly colored, noisy toy 

that she thought was the most amazing thing EVER.

She was so happy and content exploring every inch of the toy.

I'm eating my words big time because I'm pretty sure

we will be purchasing a big plastic toy in the near future.

Babies, they keep you humble and not a toy snob.

My New Purchase - Porter Baby Ring Sling

I made an investment this week.

I purchased a Porter Baby Ring Sling... and I am already in love.

I knew we needed one fast because Tessa is going through the "Mommy Phase"

and constantly wants to be either with me or be held by me.

I'm not complaining, it's actually quite sweet.

I just knew that my poor tired arms needed a rest.

I definitely recommend this brand.

I was on a very limited budget when searching for the right Sling

and if you have ever shopped around for these, you know how expensive they can be.

Porter Baby Slings are super affordable,

made from %60 linen and %40 cotton blend,

and come in so many different beautiful colors that you can customize.

If you are in the market to buy one, I would head on over to there now!

52 Weeks in a Year Series - Week Eight

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

My goofy little girl.

I totally forgot to post her "week seven" photo.

But, to be honest, I had way to much worry on my mind.

Last Friday Tessa got her first real fever along with all the cold symptoms...

coughing, runny nose, congestion, fever.

And even though the Doctors were not worried because her temp never went above 102.5,

I felt like I was standing at attention all weekend. 

So, as the natural mama (that I try to be), I let the fever run its course,

in hopes that it would kill off any bug she had been exposed to.

When it spiked up into the 102 range, I brought it down a degree or two by

 soaking her socks in warm water and lemon essential oil,

putting them back on her feet and covering them with wool butties. 

After two days of straight fever, it came back down to normal.

Now we are just waiting for her runny nose to go away,

but other than that, all better!

Tessa - 8 Months Old

Weight:

16lbs

Clothing Size:

Tessa is wearing anything from 6-9 months clothing

to 6-12 month clothing (depending on the brand).

She definitely had a growth spurt!

Eye Color:

Blue

Hair:

It's getting lighter and lighter.

Still has that hint of Strawberry Blond!

Teeth:

We have tooth #2!

This one was a bit more painful popping through but Tess did great.

She ran her first "teething" fever last night (100.5 degrees)...

boy was that a nerve wracking experience for mommy.

Daddy did great at helping out though.

He cooked and cleaned so that I could snuggle Tessa all night.

Other than being more cuddly and going to bed a few hours earlier,

she didn't seem to be in much pain.

Babies are so tough when it comes to fevers.

Last time I ran a fever of 100.5, I thought I was going to die. ;)

Movement:

She has got the hang of moving forward now.

She's not up and crawling on all fours yet,

but she is pushing with her feet, face planting,

then dragging back up with her arms...

SO cute to watch!

Talking:

She loves repeating the same words.

This month it has been all about the...

Lalalalala

Babababa

Mamamama

Nananana

Dadadadada

She does seem to say "Mamamamama" whenever she is wanting something though.

For example, when she is starting to cry or is protesting about something

and wants me to pick her up.

She will then start to repeat: Mamamama

Could she really be calling for me??

Is it too early for that??? 

Playtime:

Tessa loves it when you sing to her, especially if the song has hand motions.

She LOVES "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" or when I use sign language while singing ABC's.

She is now beginning to think that EVERYTHING is a toy.

Things like the computer, the phones, paper, wipes, remotes,

chunks of wood from the fire wood that we have missed picking up off the ground...

you know, anything that is NOT TO BE PLAYED WITH! :/

This of course means that I now go around the house

meticulously picking up every item that could possibly be dangerous.

Sleeptime:

Like I posted a few months ago, I have come to terms with Tessa not sleeping through the night.

She is still going to bed anywhere between 6-7pm

and she will still wake up every few hours at night to nurse.

But what has thrown us for a loop this month

is that it has become a bit harder to lay her down to sleep.

We will rock her to sleep and then begin to put her in her crib.

But the MOMENT her body hits the mattress,

she will jolt awake and begin to whimper and cry until we pick her back up.

Some nights we will try to put her back to sleep in her crib 4 or 5 times

before we eventually bring her into the bed with us to finish off the night.

Nap-times are not any easier either.

She will take two naps a day

(one in the morning and one in the afternoon).

She will fall asleep quickly and stay asleep when we place her in her crib.

The only hard part (and this is really hard on this mama)

is that her naps are maybe 20 minutes... 30 minutes is a good day.

Some days I can handle it fine, other days I just need a bit more "regrouping" time.

A few weeks ago a miracle happened...

We went out on a walk and she fell asleep about 10 minutes before we returned home.

I left her in the stroller to finish her nap and thought to myself, I'll take a nap too...

Since I figured she would only sleep another 15 minutes.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up and it was an hour later!

She slept for over an hour!

I took an hour nap!

After I (of course) checked to make sure she was still breathing,

I didn't even know what to do with myself.

Seriously, it was a miracle.

 

Meal Time:

Tessa has tried a few new things this month...

Chicken (she was kinda skeptical at first)

Goat's Milk Kefir (she LOVES it mixed with sweet potato)

I also gave her a bit of a pickle I was eating, she surprisingly liked it.

Her favorite food by far is the Fish Roe,

she gets so excited when I feed it to her and she will keep demanding for more.

 

Tessa's Favorites:

Tessa loves watching the washer and dryer.

Whenever I carry her into the kitchen she will keep her eyes glued to them.

She will even wrench around backward if she is in my arms to try and watch them.

Because I know she loves them so much, whenever I know a load is going,

I will make a little "play spot" with toys, so she can go back and forth

between watching the washer and dryer, and playing with the toys.

Mommy's favorites:

She is beginning to get more interested in books.

Before she would just want to grab at the book and play with it,

but now she will listen for a while, then she will look up at my face and watch me read,

then look back at the book again.

I love to see her face as she looks at me with wide eyed wonder.

Emily McDowell Illustrations

Wouldn't you just love to receive one of these
beautifully witty greeting cards?!
I know I would.

I am both loving and cracking up at these
hand lettered and illustrated cards by the talented Emily McDowell.
Here is how she describes her art work...
"My work reflects our shared human experience,
in all its different, messy forms,
and is based around universal, relatable truths."

52 Weeks in a Year Series - Week Six

"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Tessa gave us a little Valentine's Day gift today... she began to "scoot" forward!
It is so cute to see her try so intently to crawl with every scoot and face plant into the carpet.
It's now only a matter of weeks (or days?) before she is fully up and moving.
I'm pretty sure that the reason Tessa started scooting forward today
was because we had a "Mom's playdate" with a few friends
and one of the little girls that came (who is a week younger than Tessa) was scooting forward.
I think Tessa saw her and was able to figure it out by copying her.
Do babies even do that? Copy each other in milestones?
Either way, it was such a wonderful Valentine's Day Milestone!

I had another Valentine's Day surprise...
Micah cooked dinner for me!
You may not know this but my hubby is a fantastic cook.
He made Fillet Mignon, mashed potatoes,
and amazing green beans that were cooked with bacon and drizzled with maple syrup!
I think we need to make it a rule that he cooks at least one meal a week for me. ;)

Have a lovely weekend!