6 month (oops! 7 month) pictures

My plan was to get Newborn, 6 month, and 1 year pictures of Caroline... Well, October was just plain busy, so we were able to squeeze pictures in this past weekend just after Caroline turned 7 months. Oh well! It was a blast!!

Anywho, I love this photographer! She is simply amazing, and has a God-given talent for capturing the most beautiful pictures. Just perfection. She sent me a sneak peek, and I have to say I am utterly obsessed. Can't stop looking at them. At how big my little Caroline is. At how I don't have a tiny baby anymore... See for yourself!

Photo credit to Tyan Jacox of Tiny Bird Photography (http://www.tinybirdphotography.com/)

That'll do, pig. That'll do.

A picture of my ham:

In just one year...

We went from this:

to this:

Big week for Caroline!

This week was a week of constant change!

Caroline started saying her consonants really well and repeating them (more mimic and less babble). Zach about keeled over when she said Dada Dada Dada.

She also rolled over in her sleep again, which means I have to put the miracle blanket away. I am devastated... That thing makes her feel so cozy and she falls right to sleep in it. Now, with her arms free, she takes forever to fall asleep. Mama is not a fan! But, I guess that means she is progressing developmentally, which is a good thing so I really can't complain.

And today, that top tooth started cutting through. Poor baby!

I can't believe how fast she is growing! She is tons of fun!

More Favorite Baby/Mama products... *Possible TMI*

This post has to do with my favorite things surrounding breastfeeding.
For those who don't care about this particular topic, consider yourself warned!
(Note: Click on the picture to link to the site)

Best advice I read/heard from several people is to stick with breastfeeding (if you can and want to--I'm not a breastfeeding nazi) for at least 6 weeks. I also hated when people would tell me it wasn't going to hurt. It does hurt, but it gets better. And, if breastfeeding is what you want to do/can do, you can do it. But, there's absolutely no shame in not doing it. I definitely believe it's the right of the Mother to decide what is best for herself and the baby. I can't make enough milk for Caroline because I have to exclusively pump. It is definitely not easy (in fact, it's pretty hard!), but it's what I chose to do in order to keep breastfeeding as long as possible. It was not what I planned on doing, but that's the decision I made for us. Anyways, I digress...

In no particular order...My favorites:

Lanolin. You will need this for a good 6 weeks if you're like me... It makes a huuuge difference!

The Lansinoh Bra pads are just as soft as medela and almost half the price. (Also goes for breastmilk bags if you are saving)

The Boppy Pregnancy pillow. Yes, this is for when you are pregnant and need some support under your belly when you sleep or lie down. But, it was perfect for breast-feeding. Waaaaay better than the tradional Boppy U-shaped pillow, which I only have used to prop Caroline up.

I only have this particular pump (Medela InStyle), so I can't speak on other pumps, but I can say this one is phenomenal. My best girlfriends bought it for me at a shower, and I never knew how much I would use it. I wasn't planning on pumping exclusively, but when that happened, I was so glad I had a great pump. And, one that can do both sides at once!

Best nursing bra. ever. It is the most comfortable bra I have ever worn. It is well worth its weight in gold... ($50, but like I said, SO worth it!)

Ok. This one has to do with me pumping a lot. So, you may want to wait until you know if you'll be using it. It's a nursing/pumping bra, so you can pump on the go (I pump in the car when we're traveling) and I can sit and do other things on the couch while I pump during the day. It's A-mazing. And only $30!

October...

October was a crazy month!

We went to Dallas, San Antonio, and threw a surprise party for Daddy in Houston. It was Caroline's first time to be babysat while Mama and Daddy got to go play. It felt great!

I felt like hitting the 6 month milestone was going to be fun, and it was! It's a really fun interacting age.

In October...

Caroline got to swing on the swings at the park for the first time...

Caroline ate more food... beyond oatmeal + apples, we ventured out to peas, sweet potatoes, green beans, bananas, peaches, and pears. We keep trying, and she keeps liking! (She must get that from her Daddy! Unfortunately, I was a picky eater until I became an adult)

She was already sitting, but went from just sitting, to bouncing, leaning forward to reach for things, and now to standing from sitting (with help!)

She also decided it was time to move from the Nap Nanny to her crib

She is still teething... I feel like it's been forever since she cut her first teeth, so there were no teeth cut in October. I see a bit of swelling on her top gums, so I don't think those are too far away.

Her 6 month shots just about killed me. Not the pain they caused her, but the reset button they hit! Holy moly! I went from having a good sleeper/napper to a baby who wouldn't take any naps, and would wake up every 1-2 hours in the night. What?!! (We have since fixed this problem, although she wakes up from time to time to put a paci back in her mouth)

She started making this face where she scrunches up her nose at you like she's smiling so big, that she has to do that to smile even bigger. It is too funny! Sometimes she even breathes through her nose when she's doing it and it sounds like she's sniffing the air like a puppy!

She finally rolled over from her back to her tummy (on accident). However, this girl does not like to be on her tummy. I know most people will say, "oh- yeah. Timmy hated being on his tummy... He would just scream and scream...."
No, really... I mean, this girl {hates} being on her tummy. As soon as she figured out how to roll from her tummy to her back (in late August), she will do anything to get to her back if she finds herself even remotely close to putting weight on her tummy. If I'm holding her (upright) and leaning back on the couch, she will push off with her foot and throw her arm over so she won't be on her tummy. I kid you not! So... with tummy time... I still work with her on it, but she won't roll back to tummy on purpose. So, it will be really interesting to see if she crawls or not. I wouldn't be shocked if she didn't (and probably wouldn't be shocked if she walked early either. This girl is re-lent-less. I have no idea where that came from ;) yikes.

So, there is our update for October 2010. What a wild ride it was! November, bring it!