The Eleanor Update: 31 weeks

Eating: We tried squash, green beans and orange slices.  She liked them all. The oranges were a hit but then Rob got nervous about her getting acid in the eye so I had to take it away from her. 

Nursing is usually every 3 hours now.  The only time it isn't is if I have to go somewhere or do something (such as being in the car for work or church) and won't be able to feed her.  Then I will feed her or try to feed her earlier (just to top her off).

Misc:  It was a busy week.  Rob's 30th birthday was this weekend plus mother's day.  She did really well with all the people at Rob's party other than the first few minutes when his grandma tried to hold her (she hadn't seen her since Thanksgiving) and it was just loud in there and overwhelming for her.  After I took her and calmed her down she was fine being passed around.

She's getting so close to crawling forward.  She kind of does thing where she gets on all fours and belly flops forward but I'm not really counting that.

Sleep:

It was a really rough week at the beginning.  Several nights in a row she would wake up in the middle of the night and just be wide awake for hours.  

Also it was so hot that I didn't use a sleep sack and it makes a difference.  She is so restless and all over the place.  See the images below. 

And then last night she slept for 9 straight hours, but didn't go to sleep until 10 pm.

First time in big girl jammies. 

And then there was this.  Cute at the time....until it actually came true. :)

Eleanor is 7 months

7 months already.  We are more than halfway to a year and I look back at pictures and get sad that my memories are already fading a little.

Eleanor:
She's become very mobile with scooting but only going backwards.  She hasn't figured out how to go forwards although she does get up on all fours and rock.

She can roll and turn herself to get where she wants also.

We've been doing solids and have tried several vegetables and a few fruits and she's been pretty good with everything she's tried.  No reactions yet.

No teeth yet.

Still breastfeeding about every 3 hours but really I just follow her cues.  Sometimes it's less and sometimes more.

She's moved up to size 3 diapers for disposables although I use cloth most of the time - expect if we are out of the house and Rob still uses disposables (but will take off a cloth).

Clothes are mostly in the 6-9 month range, pajamas with feet are in the 9 month size and when she wears a cloth diaper I go up to 9 month usually.

Likes the vacuum and anything anyone else has. :)


Me:
Last week I started to have some random stomach pain and I realized that it was near the c-section site and was most likely connected.  Since then it's been on and off.  I haven't had any issues from the time I was 'healed' (November ish) but I know it's normal to have some for a long time post surgery.

Still losing hair like crazy.  It's worse when I wear it down, and I usually don't but it get's out of control sometimes.  I have to vacuum all the time now that Eleanor is mobile (not that I didn't ever vacuum before)

The Eleanor Update: Week 30

Every week I take her picture with this bear; but she rarely shows interest in it. 

Feeding: I've been working on some introducing some new foods lately.  I've been trying not to do to many fruits yet because I want her to love vegetables.  Most have been successful though.  She liked peas (puree) and even though she tried broccoli (as a whole piece) most of it wound up in her high chair.  I also have her puffs which she didn't eat (I don't think she could pick them up very well), but she liked the Mum-Mums.  I only give her a half of one once or twice a day.  She could and probably would eat the whole one, but they are kind of expensive so I don't. 

She's still nursing on demand - it's closer to 3 hours now.  Yesterday she went a 4 hour stretch and when I realized it (by looking at the app I use when I sat down for her next feeding) I felt awful.  Rob said she wasn't crying and she would have if she had been hungry and I know but I felt like I starved her anyway.





Sleep:
Yesterday I put a soft blanket in her crib and laid her on it.  She napped for an hour and half.  I had to wake her up to get her dressed and fed before church.  I don't know if it was just a coincidence and I want to try it again, but I'm nervous to.  I kept checking that monitor.

She also slept from 9 pm Saturday night to 5:30 am Sunday, I nursed her and she slept in until 7 am.

I write these posts throughout the week so I write how it's been going and then the night before I publish it she switches it up just to make me re-write it.  Like this morning she slept in until.......wait for it.....8 am!  I'm pretty sure that hasn't happened ever.  She woke up at 1:30 and 5:30 to nurse though, but I don't care.  8 am is a lot easier to get up at than 6:30.



Misc:  
We didn't get out much this week.  It rained a lot this week so we were stuck inside a lot.

She's become an expert at scooting backwards and has been getting up on all fours a lot lately.

Pictures:

A new garage sale puzzle

Visiting nana at work; she really loved that binder clip.

Exhausted after visiting Nana

She loves that vacuum.

The Eleanor Update: 27 weeks

This was a crazy busy week for that sweet girl.

Last Monday Eleanor turned 6 months (read the update post here).  We visited the Fredrick Meijer gardens with my mom, niece, sister, nephew, my sisters sister in law (also Rob's bosses wife) and her 2 kids. Eleanor loved looking around at all the plants and watching the butterflies.

That night we have her solids for the first time (not counting the licks of stuff she's had from our fingers).  She's had carrots, carrot and pea blend as purees, bell peppers and baby carrots in a mesh feeder and oatmeal.

The next day she rolled over from back to belly.  She did it once the week before, but this was several times so I knew she had figured it out.  A few hours later we went to the doctor for her checkup.  She was 17 lbs 7 oz and 26' and her head was in the 95% (umm whoa!).  She also got her shots but she did well with them. 

2 days later I went to the store for a quick trip.  While I was gone she learned how to say 'dada' and has been saying it ever since. 

I know you all are thinking it... :)

We had this crazy freak flash no warning storm come through Saturday afternoon that left us without power until Sunday morning.  So we spent the night at my parents.  It was her first night not at home but she did okay.  

Breastfeeding:
I'm thrilled we made it to 6 months!  I wound up with a bruise on one side, but I nursed her in the cradle most of the weekend because we were gone so she was latching differently.  It's still there but I'm sure it will eventually go away. 

Sleep:
See any of my other updates because I'm always saying the same thing.

I've been reading all sorts of sleep books, and basically she needs a bedtime routine and to be put down drowsy but not asleep.  I have no consistency and she usually nurses to sleep.

Once she is down finally she will usually only wake up once a night.

I've been bed sharing a lot and am trying to break that habit.  Although I sleep better when she is in bed and she does too, I'm worried for when she starts to roll over.