The Littlest Brick Chick

You went out to eat for the first time in your little life last night!

We went out to eat with Philip, Dena, and Caylin. We haven't been able to get together with them for a while and decided to go out to the brick... Which is if course, your Daddy and my favorite restaurant.

It was packed!! But you and Caylin both did so great waiting patiently. They ended up not seating us until 720 and you aurally go I bed around 730. I was pleased with how well behaves you were considering how late it was for you!

I had to feed you your baby food there, but you were more interested in what I was eating. Too bad I couldn't share with you because it was still too spicy for your tender tummy.

I wiped down the table in front of you as well as the high chair you sat in, because it was only a matter of time before you were trying to chew on both of them. I forgot to pack you any toys in the diaper bag, but thankfully had one in there -- a ring with plastic beads to chew on and manipulate. That was entertaining for a while, but then you just wanted to throw it on the floor.

You lasted until a little after 8 when you wanted to lay your head on my shoulder and I was singing in your ear. Your eyes would be just about closed and then you would pop your head up and let out a little cry like "let's go home!" so we did.

I told your Daddy I felt bad we have not taken you out before. People from all over the restaurant were telling is how beautiful and precious you are!! Made me a proud Mama and made my heart smile! :)

Seven Months Old!!!

Our sweetest Lucy,

You are 7 months old!

I cannot believe that your birthday is in fewer months than you are old.

What are you up to these days? Well...

You are about 16 lbs. and about 26 inches long (unfortunately, we don't have accurate doctor measurements this month)!

You are wearing a size 3 diaper! You just recently switched into them too, like just a few days ago. You also started wearing Parents Choice diapers as you get more in a box and they are $11.00 cheaper! :) Yay for Walmart brand!!

You have started talking (baby talk) a lot more. Mainly da-da but also a lot of ba-da-ga-da-ba-ga :)

Love to give me kisses still! You've also kissed CiCi and Memaw.

Can pick out the color yellow when given two choices. I'll hold out a blue block and a yellow one, tell you the color of both, and ask you "Which ones yellow? Where's the yellow one?" and you will stick out your hand and touch the yellow one every single time! Smart girl!

You have moved up to the next room at daycare. We love Ms. Ella (although she's retiring), Miss Kacie is still your afternoon girl and we still really like her too, but we've also come to love Ms. Mindy too now that she's in your room some afternoons. She'll take y'all outside and play with you on the floor. She's the daytime worker for the next class up -- I can't wait for you to be with her during the day!

You are just getting interested in trying to scoot, but love to bounce and sit up. Your feet finally touch the floor now when you sit in your walker in the kitchen but you only know how to go backwards! :)

Oh and you have AWESOME balance when standing while holding something. In fact, this past weekend at Memaw and Big Daddy's we were all gathered around oohing and aahing at how good you could stand holding onto a chair and you started showing off and took one hand off and held it way far out to the side and just grinned! So sweet!!

You still have ZERO teeth! I have given up on guessing if you're teething because every time I'm sure you are, you get no teeth to show for it... You are drooling a LOT, put everything in your mouth, and bite hard... But still nothing! Oh well!

You were diagnosed with plagiocephaly which is just where your head got flat on one side from laying you on your back to sleep. Thankfully, there's a way to fix it. You're going to have to wear a helmet for a few months but it'll be off by your birthday, and I'm gonna make sure you rock it! I'm planning on putting your name on it with some polka dots or something.

Some fun things we like doing with you are...

Your Daddy has always loved singing the silliest songs with you. The current favorite is the "circus song." It goes something like "LMD Circus is coming to town" and then he sings the classic clown music.

He also likes to put one hand on each side of your head (& you love it cause you'll hold his hands there), and he moves it side to side and says "crazy baby, crazy baby!". And then he pauses and squishes your cheeks together and says "crazy face!"

You also love playing peek-a-boo and seeing people when they come back in from being outside or in another room. You get so giddy and excited -- it's hilarious!

Every morning after I change your diaper, you want to look at yourself in the mirror and I tell you the same thing: "You are beautiful. You are smart. You are kind. And you're important in this world...especially mine!"

We love you sweet girl! Thank you for being so perfect! :)

It won't be that bad...

Lucy,

A couple of months ago, I noticed you favoring one side of your head when you rested or were laying down. We brought it up to Dr. Ivey and we agreed to watch to make sure your head didn't flatten on one side abs if it did, we would talk about our options later. Well, it did and do he referred us to Children's Hospital in Atlanta to their Orthopedic & Prosthetic center.

We went today and they scanned your head by putting a white stocking type material over your hair. Then, they laid you in this crib-shaped machine that made a scan of your head much like a photo copier. No X-rays, it didn't hurt, and you didn't cry. The results came back and when they looked at the measurements, your measurements the ones from front to back and side to side were perfect! The ones diagonally were higher than we wanted them to be. (They wanted a measurement less than 6 and yours was 16).

So as it turns out, your going to have to wear a corrective helmet for a few months, but it'll be off by your birthday! :). Its no different than any other child having to wear braces ob their teeth, glasses on their eyes or a cast on their leg. I'm just so scared that you won't be able to lay your head on my shoulder when I rock you anymore or that its going to bug the stew out of you... :( you're my baby and I never want you to go through something that brings you frustration or displeasure. This is what is best though for you do we'll have to make the best of the situation.

I picked out a light pink one for you and plan to cut your name out in vinyl letters on my new cricut this weekend to help make it even cuter than you're already going to! :)

I love you sweet girl and I am so sorry you have to do this. Biggest kisses!

Mama

I love Love!

Meet one of my best friends, Kendall!

She is 25 years old and lives in Georgia!

She is a Kindergarten teacher and she rocks at it!

She is honestly one of the funniest people I have ever met.

Like a chocolate-covered pretzel, she is

bluntly honest and incredibly sweet at the same time!

She is a humble, Christian woman seeking a man with a

relationship with Christ just as close as hers.

She is beautiful!

She is VERY organized and finds a strange pleasure in

organizing others belongings.

She is a strong, independent woman, who loves love and and wants to find her special someone to live her happily ever after with -- if you think you're that man, then leave me a comment or email her directly at

Kendall_castillo@hotmail.com

<3

Just January.. :)

I don't think I've posted yet about my new job... I don't think.  So, let me catch up!  I was offered a Kindergarten Position at Creekside Elementary (where I did my student-teaching) here in Baldwin County startin January 3, 2012.  It was an incredibly hard decision to make, because I loved where I was at Learning Safari, loved being so close to home, loved being there with Lucy, loved loved loved the people I worked with... but this job had security, and health benefits, and retirement.  So, I packed up my things in the middle of the year and headed out towards town and became a Creekside Knight! 

The adjustment's been very warmingly welcome, a little nerve-wracking, and mostly as expected.  The class I am "fostering" are a sweet group of children that all love individualized attention!  We're really working on how to gain good attention though instead of negative attention. :)

My new parapro is wonderful!!  Her name is Kathy Deese, she's been doing this forever, and she really puts the pro in parapro.  She's AWESOME!  I could not come back to my job everyday without her.  Honestly.

Lucy has adjusted well with my being gone, too!  She has moved up to a new classroom at Learning Safari (Nursery B on 1/20/12).  The nursery she was in got too full, so they separated the older ones from the younger ones.  Ms. Ella is in there with them in the mornings and Ms. Kacie is in there in the afternoons.  I think she's loving getting to do a little more independent activities (more floor time, exersaucer, bigger toys, etc.).  She looks like such a big girl in that room!  That was the room I first worked in when I first worked at Learning Safari at the daycare.  I remember thinking at the time "I wonder if my baby will ever be in here?" and now I can not believe she is!  It really is mind-blowing! 

She is growing and changing every day!  She laughs a few times more every day and at something new.  She loves anticipating a tickle-fest.  When she's laying down and you pick her arms down and hold them up above her head, she starts giggling because she knows you're about to get her ribs!  It's so cute.  She is equally a Mommy and a Daddy's girl.  She loves playing with her Daddy but cuddling with her Mommy.  At night, I'm the only one she likes to rock with and actually go to sleep.  When Daddy tries, she'll lay her head down on his chest, but will keep picking it up abruptly and look  over at me like "I want to be over there with you, Mama!" 

We went to Newnan this weekend and saw my family.  Nathan is so grown and is so much fun to joke with.  He's really smart and starting to figure out what letter words start with.  I drew a picture of him & I on Kiki's chalkboard wall in her room and asked him how to spell our names.  He spelled his "Nopll" and mine "Lnllnnllnllnl"  Haha -- too funny!  Sallie is a little busy body!  She and Lucy's temperments are so opposite.  Lucy is so laid back compared to Sallie.  I love that they're so different -- makes it easier not to compare! :)  Sallie is scooting around all over the floor, but not yet on all fours.  She is starting to get bashful and will smile at you and then bury her face into the chest of whoever is holding her... so precious!  She is also very much in love with Lucy -- wants to hold her, kiss her, grab her.  Lucy loves her equally as much, just doesn't show it quite as dramatically! :)

Meme's birthday is on Tuesday, so we celebrated with steaks at Mama's & Daddy's this weekend.  They were sooo delicious!  Daddy's a master at the grill!  And Mama did a great job with the sides!  Sara made Meme a beautiful coconut cake -- I'm not really a fan of coconut, but I tasted a little and it was delicious (for coconut cake.. hehe)! 

We got home this afternoon and I went grocery shopping to get a few things, and then late this afternoon/early this evening I had a few friends over: Alecia Martin, Christy Sutton, Dena Stancil (& Caylin!).  Caylin is 14 months and Lucy is 6 months.  Caylin loved Lucy and loved pointing out all of Lucy's body parts "Lucy's eyes. Lucy's ears. Lucy's nose.  Lucy's mouth."  She is so smart -- she knows many animal sounds, can recognize the numbers 1 & 2, and can identify some colors.  It was too cute.  Lucy really enjoyed seeing her, too!  I hope they will be close friends. 

Speaking of smart babies... Lucy, I bought you some soft blocks at Wal-Mart. There are just 4 in the pack, and each one features a different animal, number, and color.  This past week I've been holding two of them up for you (the blue and the yellow) and showing you both of them "Lucy, this one is yellow (and I'll shake it) and this one is blue (and I'll shake it).  Where is the yellow one?" and every single time that I've asked you, you've touched the yellow one.  I used to think it was coincidence, but after doing it so many times and getting it right, I think you're just a downright smart cookie!! 

I love your little self so much, and just beam with pride at our little family! :)

Six Months Old! :)

Happy Half-Birthday, Sweet Girl!

Your Daddy likes to joke with you that you've lived with us for 6 months and haven't spoken not one word to us! :)

 

My Dearest Lucy,

 

This month you weigh 14 lbs. and 13 oz. and are 25 1/2 in. long!

You snuggly wear 3-6 month size clothes (but some of the cute, monogrammed outfits that your Dewberry cousins gave you for Christmas are 6-9 and even 6-12 and while they fit, they're a little more "roomy").

 

You still wear a size 2 diaper

 

You are eating almost all Stage 2 Gerber baby foods (with 1.5 scoops of rice) and still taking Parents Choice formula with rice cereal.

 

Last month, your thing was blowing out your lips. This month, it's sticking out your tongue! You stick out your tongue almost every time you smile and seem to know that it's going to get a rise out of people. It's like you're telling us a joke to make us laugh!

 

Your laugh is the sweetest sound to my ears, but they are few and far between. You never laugh at the same thing twice. And depending on your mood, no matter how silly we're acting or looking trying to get you to laugh, you look at us with the most mature look on your face like "Just stop. You're embarassing yourself."

 

You had your first stomach virus! :( You brought it home from daycare this past Thursday. At first it was just like spit-up (which you very rarely do anymore, so it was weird), but each time you did it, it increased in volume. You eventually threw up all over yourself and me to where we both needed to change clothes and bathe at least 3 different times. We finally wisened up and just set a towel out in front of you and let you throw up into the towel. Poor Christy Sutton was over here visiting that night and you got her too. We didn't know whether it was a virus or something you ate until the next day when I called Learning Safari and learned that it was going around your classroom. We kept you out of daycare that next day (Friday), and your Daddy stayed home with you. You felt all better by Saturday so Memaw & Big Daddy came to visit and spend Saturday night. But poor Daddy & I both caught it in the wee hours of Sunday morning (3 a.m. & 4 a.m., respectively). We took you in to finish sleeping in Memaw & Big Daddy's room and then CiCi came to pick you up the next morning. You spent the day at her house and apparently had a lot of fun! She said that you LOVED strolling outside! That evening your Daddy & I still weren't feeling 100% (he ended up having to go the hospital because he was dehydrated), and so we let you spend the night! I cried big ol' crocodile tears because for your entire life, I have rocked you to sleep every night. Papa called early Monday morning though to let us know we needed to come pick you up right away though because CiCi had gotten it, too! I had no problem doing so and rocked you and rocked you and rocked you all day long!

 

You have become a CHAMPION at sitting up! It's like you learned to do it over night! One day, your Daddy & I were with you in your room and just set you on the floor to play like normal and you sat, but in a tripod stance (you were sort of leaning on your hands out in front of you) and tipped easily. It wasn't 2 weeks before you were sitting up sturdy for a good 30 seconds-1 minute (of course with pillows around you!). Now, we can leave you there for several minutes (at least!) with no support. It won't be long before you're taking off around this house....

 

.... or will it?? You still despise being on your tummy! My Mommy heart has toughened up and I will let you whine on the floor without it breaking, but as soon as you start crying hard, my heart begins to crack and I cave.

 

You are sleeping in your own room now! You have always slept in your own bed (well, always the snuggle nest in the bassinet in our room), but you got too long to fit in the bassinet anymore! :( Daddy & I LOVED having you in our room and hated for you to be all the way across the house (it's not that far, but still) and be in a room all by yourself when you're still so tiny! We debated taking down the crib and moving it to our room, but finally decided that moving you in there was really the smarter move in the long run. You converted like a champ! You still sleep in your snuggle nest, but are at least in your crib! I'm going to work with you this weekend on moving out of the snuggle nest. You're starting to slide out of it at night and it's freaking me out a bit.

 

You love sitting on your Daddy's shoulders and walking around the house.

 

You love smiling at "that baby in the mirror." Every morning after I change your diaper we look at her and I tell her that she is beautiful, she is smart, she is kind, and she is important in this world -- especially mine!

 

You will give me kisses! Wet, sloppy, open mouth, drooly kisses right on my cheek and I LOVE them! I really do think you know what you're doing, too. I will hold you in my lap and say "Give me kisses. Give Mama kisses" and if you're in the mood you'll grab both sides of my face, pull yourself in (or pull me to you) and plant one on me! I taught you this, because at first I would pull you to me, but now you're pulling me in or pulling yourself to me (that's why I think you legitimately know what you're doing!). You won't give your Daddy kisses, but I think it's because his face is scratchy. That's okay. He's more handsome with a scratchy face and we love a handsome Daddy! :)

 

You love playing in your exersaucer still. We were finally able to raise the seat up a little bit because your feet are able to touch so well. We did buy you a walker, but unfortunately your tiny legs still won't reach so you're not that big of a fan.

 

You have graduated from your infant tub to a bathing chair in the big bathtub! You're not crazy about playing with toys yet, but that's okay. They're all fun to look at!

 

Your favorite toys are the teal green elephant that makes crinkly noises and has rubber feet to chew on, your baby doll that coos (you love that it makes baby noises!), and most definitely your Elmo that MaMa & Pop gave you. He squeaks when you squeeze his belly and you smile so big at it every time in the car!

 

You love "driving" home from daycare when Daddy picks you up (because he doesn't have the carseat in his car).

Miss Lucy, these last 6 months have flown by and I know the next six will too. And before I know it, instead of being 6 months, you will be 6 years and then 16... I just hope that you will always know how proud your Daddy & I are of you, how much joy you bring to our lives, and just how much we LOVE you!!! You are definitely the brightest part of both of our days (and the highlight of our middle of the nights sometimes!). We have loved watching you grow and learn these last six months and can't wait to see how much you grow and what all you learn these next six months! We love you to the moon and back, sweet girl!

Five Months Old!!

Today, Lucy, you are FIVE MONTHS OLD!!

... wait, did I just write that??

This month, Miss Lucy:

You weigh about 14 lbs. and are about 25 inches long

You wear a size 2 diaper (Pampers Swaddlers -- and nothing else) and 3-6 month size clothes

Your little personality has erupted!  You smile at EVERYBODY you meet, even if you aren't in a good mood.  You have learned to blow your lips and think it is so much fun when someone plays this game with you and goes back and forth doing it with you.  (You even get upset when you don't win).  You talk all the time and are starting to laugh a lot more.  You never laugh at the same thing twice -- for instance, if I make you laugh by making a certain noise you won't laugh at it later when I try to show someone else.  You laughed at yourself two nights ago (12/16) for the first time.  You were holding this little orange elephant on the exersaucer next to your mouth.  His ears make a crinkling noise and you laughed at him -- it was precious!

You love to stand up and sit up -- both of which you are still needing support with.  Very rarely do you want to just lay down anymore.  You are wearing our arms and shoulders out wanting to stand all the time, so you've learned to love your exersaucer -- you can stand in it and sort of bounce.  You play very well independently.

You have begun eating baby foods -- I cannot believe your Daddy & I have a baby old enough to be eating BABY FOOD already!  So far, you have tried peas, carrots, and bananas.  Your favorite, by far, is the carrots... I couldn't get them in your mouth fast enough!  At one point on day 3 of eating carrots, you literally pulled the bowl out of my hands and put it in your mouth.  It is also pretty frequent during almost any of your meals for you to grab my sleeve and pull the spoon to your mouth as if I'm not doing it fast enough!  Silly girl...  You are such a neat eater, too!  Everytime we begin a meal, especially if it's your first time trying a new food, you will stick your tongue on the spoon first before opening your mouth to eat it, just like you're trying to taste it to see if you're going to like it.  After you tried peas, I wasn't sure whether to give you carrots next or sweet potatoes.  So, your Daddy asked you which one you liked.  He asked you several times "Lucy, do you want Sweet Potatoes?  Or carrots?" and every time you made absolutely zero reaction to sweet potatoes but would give the BIGGEST grin everytime he said "carrots" so that's what we went with.

You've tried:

Peas (12/11 -- 12/13)

Carrots (12/14 -- 12/16)

Bananas (12/17 -- 12/19)

You eat a 6 oz. bottle with rice in the mornings for your breakfast bottle, then throughout the day at daycare you will take at least one more 6 oz. bottle and usually refuse your last bottle.  By the time we get home around 4, you eat another 5-6 oz. and take a good hour nap.  Around 6:30ish, I'll feed you a vegetable and you usually take 3/4 - 1 whole carton of it along with a 5 oz. bottle with rice.  You'll take another good 6 oz. again around 8 before you're down for the night.

Yesterday morning, we tried bananas for breakfast (you ate about 3/4 of it) and you took about 4.5 oz. of a bottle with rice on top of that... growing girl!

We bought a new car!  We traded in our 2010 Barcelona Red Toyota Corolla (15,000 miles) for a 2011 Black Amethyst Nissan Rogue (66 miles).  It is much more roomier and has lots of "perks!"  It has leather a leather interior, with heated front seats, XM Radio, Bose Surround Sound System, Bluetooth, steering wheel controls, GPS Navigation, Keyless entry/start-up, Rearview Back-up camera -- You always do great in the car, falling asleep almost every time you get in, so I'm not sure you even notice the difference (other than we now don't have to drape a blanket over your carseat because we now have tinted windows!!!)

You have gotten heavy enough that I don't even get your carseat out of the car anymore.  I now get you out and put you back in every time.  Much easier!

We had a scary accident happen at our house!  You usually wake up around 6:00 and I let you lay there and talk to yourself for a little bit before it was time for me to get up.  I usually get you ready first, and then sit you in your Bumbo seat on my bathroom counter and let you watch me get ready (it mesmerizes you to watch me put on makeup and do my hair).  Since it's been warm out (75 degrees in December... really, Mother Nature??), I wanted you to wear a dress and thought you'd be uncomfortable sitting in your Bumbo in a dress, so I decided to get me ready first that morning.  However, you had wet through your diaper (something you haven't done in a very long time) so I made a snap decision to change you first instead like normal.  We left your Daddy asleep and went into your room.  I changed your diaper and had you laying on the bed while I was picking out your outfit for the day when I heard a loud rumbling sound and a very loud shattering CRASH!  I immediately picked you up as thoughts of what just happened ran through my head.  I didn't know if someone had broken in, if all my china in my china cabinet had fallen over, etc.  I heard your Daddy yell "BECCA!" and when I yelled back "What???" He didn't answer.  I carried you into the rest of the house to figure out what it was.  Turns out, the HUGE wall-to-wall, counter-to-almost-ceiling mirror had come loose from the wall and fallen shattering into what looked like a million pieces.  Thank GOD we weren't in there!  You and I both had guardian angels looking over us that morning!

You have continued to have a nasty little cough.  We took you to the doctor, yes again, because you have such a rattle in your chest.  He says it's not in your lungs, and that there really is just nothing we can do for a cough until you're TWO!  Bless your heart... :(

You went to see Santa!  You really had no reaction, but took a decent little picture.  I can't wait to see what you think of him next year!

You love to look at Christmas trees -- especially ones with lots of ornaments.  Because we're so busy, we don't have any ornaments on our tree this year other than the one we bought you for your first Christmas (a tradition I want to do with you -- buying you an ornament every year), and the one that your teachers at Learning Safari put on their Christmas tree for you (a red and green plaid bird house with your name on it). 

You still suck your thumb and it really melts my heart each and every time you do -- so sweet!

You turn to look at your Daddy & I if someone else picks you up to hold you, not because you're upset but to make sure we're still there.  Warms my heart! :)

You love sucking on your toes!  Everytime your feet get "free" after being covered up for a while either by socks or by your footed pajamas in the morning, you kick your legs straight up in the air, grab them, and pull your feet in for the kill.  You are so flexible!

You still love to be on your back rather than your tummy, and so your head is a little flat on one side, but we're working on that... oops! :)

Your most favorite place to be in this entire world is on the chest of your Daddy or I and there is just no greater feeling in this whole wide world!