Elise's first tooth came in 2 weeks ago, but I know you all are dying to see it! You might have to double-click on this picture in order to see the tooth...
She has been napping SO well the last few weeks if I stick to the schedule. After her second nap, we headed to the garage for some more carseat fun. She looks extremely comfortable in this seat and it is very easy to adjust. Make sure to vote in my poll if you haven't already.
Another contender makes its debut. Here is the Britax Boulevard CS in Davenport. Sadly for the Moo seat, this one matches the Accord interior perfectly (clashes with the Camry even though they are both gray). Here is Elise modeling the Davenport in her pajamas.
And here is the same carseat in Cowmooflage.
Inside the Accord (which will be the primary spot for this carseat once Mike returns from Iraq): And inside the Camry (which will be the carseat home until Mike's return from Iraq while we rack up the miles): So, what should I do? Vote in my poll at the top of the page.
If you made it this far... here is a special treat... John and Elise went on a date to go carseat shopping and then stopped for Starbucks on the way home. John is going to get the Davenport car seat.
I title the last picture "The couple that plays together, stays together..." Notice John's arm is around Elise, pulling her closer...
Just an FYI... Bed, Bath, and Beyond sells carseats and TONS of baby stuff online. If you go into the store and place an online order, they will let you use a 20% off coupon. You do have to pay for shipping, but if you buy something where the discount will be higher than the shipping cost (like a Beaba Babycook or a carseat), then you're in luck! I will save $37.91 by ordering my carseat from BBB. Happy shopping!
We went to Elise's 6 month checkup today. The doctor says she is doing great on her growth and milestones. She weighed 18 lbs 10 oz and measured 27.5 inches long. She is a big girl and still around the 90th percentile in both height and weight, so it is nice to know that she is growing proportionally. She got 2 shots today. A few months ago, I decided to space her shots out so that her little body doesn't have to process 5-6 vaccines at once. At her 2 month checkup, she received all of the vaccines and was very fussy the rest of the day. Poor Mike was watching her while I had dinner with the FRG and she was not a happy camper. A few doses of Tylenol were necessary. At the next appointment, she only received 2 vaccines, and she had absolutely no reaction at all. This afternoon she had the other half of her 4 month shots, and so far has had no reaction (other than crying when the shot was actually given). She's been totally normal the rest of the day, so I think it is a success! My plan for the rest of her shots is to go in at 8 and 10 months (instead of 9 months, when vaccines are not given) so that she can receive the normal 6 month shots. If you want more specifics, please let me know.
Today she also did a few cute things... I've been saying "up" and raising her arms whenever I pick her up out of her carseat, off the floor, out of the jumperoo or bouncer, etc. Well, yesterday and today she "asked" to be lifted up by raising her arms. She also started raising her arms when I say "up". It is so cute!
She also woke me up today by talking to herself in her crib. Since she is my alarm clock (and I love that my alarm clock goes off after 8...), I usually listen to her over the monitor for a few minutes before I go in to get her. She was making her usual random noises when all of a sudden she said "mama!" I knew it was coming because she'd been saying "mmmmmmm" and "maaaaaaaaaaaaa" for a while, but she hadn't put it together yet. Now we are working on "dada".
I still nurse her 5 times a day. In addition, at 12:30 she gets a heaping tablespoon of cereal mixed with milk. She's been eating this for about a month and is so used to her routine that she gets fussy at 12:25 if she isn't in her highchair watching me fix the cereal! Last week I added a dinner "meal" around 6. She has sampled avocado and peas and loves them both. I am trying to decide what to serve next... perhaps sweet potatoes?
Also, for those of you who are dying to know how my cloth diapers are working out... I've had ZERO blowouts in the last month! I have had a handful of leaks but it has been due to my error (letting her go too long between changes or not making sure that the pad was completely inside the shell). Her infant carseat cover is still clean from the last time I washed it :) It hasn't been nearly as much work as I anticipated.
Now, for those of you who didn't comment on the cute or ugly post, you have one more chance to convince me that I am crazy... it is latched in the car and ready to go for tomorrow! It was very easy to install and fits well rear-facing in the center seat of the Camry. It is a large seat so it will be a tight squeeze whenever it is next to the infant carrier, but it will fit (I tried it myself just to make sure). I will leave you with a cute picture of my big girl in her big girl carseat.
I have been researching convertible car seats for several weeks now since Elise will outgrow her infant carrier before she is a year old. I finally decided on the Britax Boulevard CS, but I can't decide on the pattern. There are two that I narrowed it down to... one is very practical and boring and the other is... shall we say... "different". I am normally not into animal prints, but I really thought this was fun. So, be honest... is this cute or ugly? And will it be cute or ugly when she's still in this carseat at 65 lbs?
Also, here is the reaction my sweet husband had when he saw this picture...keep in mind that when I talked to him on the phone earlier, the first sentence out of my mouth was "I bought a carseat for Elise today, but I don't think you are going to like it."
Stephanie: what is your opinion on the carseat?
mikepowell612: as long as it's safe, it's good with me
Stephanie: yep, this is definitely safe
i think it is the safest i could find
mikepowell612: then keep it
Stephanie: but, do you want me to get the gray cover instead?
mikepowell612: whatever you like...it's not terribly obnoxious, i don't think mikepowell612: a little color or pattern is nice
Stephanie: ok
the gray one was very dull
it definitely tries to blend in though, and this one doesn't
mikepowell612: yeah, gray is a dull color
Stephanie: i kinda thought it would be fun for her to have a cute seat
and i think it would be fine for a boy too
mikepowell612: sure, cute is good
Is "it's not terribly obnoxious" an okay feeling? I have 30 days to return or exchange. Opinions, please!
Elise turned 6 months old a few days ago! We all went out to eat at the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate. I can't believe how fast she is growing. Here are a few things that Elise is doing right now:
1) She got her first tooth last Sunday (bottom right center). I am expecting the one next to it and the two top center teeth to come fairly soon... her gums are swollen and I can see the teeth through the gums.
2) She has mastered sitting up. Starting at 5 months she was pretty good with the tripod sit (balancing with both hands on her feet). By 5 1/2 months, she was strong enough to sit with her back straight and her arms out. Now, she is an expert at leaning to the left, right, or forward to reach a toy and then raising her body back up so that her back is straight again. I have been impressed with her strength.
3) She will work hard to get a toy out of reach. (I really need to post a video of this because it is funny, but for some reason the operation times out before the video gets ready to post. Any tips?) Try to visualize this: She will be sitting up with her back straight and decide that she wants a toy that is pretty far away. She leans down so that her elbows and hands are on the floor (still sitting but now looks like a contortionist) and then grabs at the toy with one hand and uses the other to push herself back up.
4) She can support her body weight while standing for a few seconds.
5) She loves to wave her arms in the air while standing or sitting.
6) She can say "Maaaaaaaaaaaaaa" and "Mmmmmmm" but no babbling yet.
7) She is very interested in food. So far she has only sampled cereal and avocado, but she loves them both! She makes a chewing motion with her mouth whenever she sees food and/or watches someone eat.
8) She LOVES playing with toys. She passes them back and forth between her hands and will bang them together if she has one in each hand. I haven't noticed a preference on left vs. right... just whichever is closest to the toy (or necklace, hair, clothes, water bottle, dog, etc).
9) She also loves to roll around and goes all different directions. Up until about 5 months she only wanted to roll clockwise, but now she doesn't care. She looks effortless when she rolls compared to 3-4 months when it looked like it took a lot of work.
10) She loves to swim and splash in the pool. I don't think she could ever get tired of this.
11) She is still a great baby. My mother-in-law said that God knew what He was doing by giving us Elise since I have to take care of her by myself for a year. She is a great eater and almost always goes down easy for naps and at night. Right now she takes two 1.5 hour naps and sleeps 12-12.5 hours at night. I am gradually trying to transition her from 8-8 to 8:30-8:30 and eventually to 9-9 right before daylight savings time :)
12) She loves to play with people but can also entertain herself. It is so much fun to watch her explore and examine new things.
Happy 1/2 Birthday, Elise! Mommy and Daddy love you very much.
