Juliet 8 Months!

JuJu! You are 8 months! WHAT?! So biggie!! I am loving this stage with you!! You are happy and loving life and are so easy! I feel like you're really coming into your personality and are becoming more and more expressive. 

We spent some extended time with both sides of the family recently, and you're visibly much more comfortable around everyone. You give more smiles and giggles now that you previously reserved mostly for mommy, daddy, and Olivia. 

Physically you're growin' growin' growin'! You've moved up to size 3 diapers and are almost out of 6-9 month clothes. You have plenty of hair (much more than your sister did at your age) and your eyes are still such a strikingly beautiful shade of blue. Strangers often comment on how pretty your eyes are. 

You are on the move! I wouldn't say you're technically crawling just yet, because you haven't figured out how to get those knees up under you and move forward. You have, however, pretty much mastered the army crawl and are fast! Just yesterday I set you down in the living room, ran to the garage to grab something, and when I came back you were already two rooms over and by the front door. You looked pretty pleased with yourself when I scooped you up. 

Your teeth have finally popped through your gums and you have two tiny bottom front teeth. With the appearance of teeth we've started giving you banana and sweet potato teethers, puffs, and yogurt bites. You're a big fan of food and I love watching you attempt to grab puffs and put them in your mouth. Gah, you're stinkin' cute, baby girl! This month we added butternut squash, apples, pears, and purple sweet potato to your diet. You weren't a fan of apples or pears (just like Olivia!) until we mixed them with banana and then you didn't seem to mind in the least!

You've started to make more intentional sounds. You can make a pffffffft noise with your lips and you  crack yourself up. Recently you've also started to say, "dada" and "mama". 

When I was pregnant with you I had so many people and strangers "warn" me about how "dangerous" it was to have a toddler around a baby. I grew increasingly worried about how Olivia and you would get along. However, it is one of my biggest joys in life to watch how well you and Olivia interact together. You adore Olivia and she loves you so much. Olivia lights up when she greets you in the morning and will often give you hugs and kisses and tell you "I love you, JuJu" out of nowhere.  Now that you're sitting up and can move on your own and now that your motor skills are getting better and better, you two can play together more effectively. I love watching y'all play together. Oh em gee. My heart. 

You're still a great napper (hooray!) and give me good morning and afternoon naps, usually an hour and half to two hours long each. We had you sleeping through the night, but that kind of got reset on our Leeper family vacation. The past week you've been determined to get up between 5:30am-6:30am and I'm not appreciating that so much. But you generally wake up so happy and chatty that I can't help but happily scoop you up. 

We took you to Hilton Head Island for the first time this past month. Mommy has been vacationing there since she was a baby and I love that you got to experience it too! (Thanks for the vacay and continuing traditions, Lolly and G-Daddy!!)

Sweet girlie girl, these have been the best 8 months with you. Daddy, Olivia, and I are so happy you're part of the family. Thank you for enriching our lives and bringing so much sweetness and joy with you wherever you go. Happy 8 Months munchkin!! 

Juliet 7 Months!

JuJu! You're seven months old!! Wow!! Time is FLYING girl! You are SO much fun! I really love this age! You're becoming more and more self-sufficient but aren't able to cause too much trouble yet. It's just such a fun age I think. Plus, you seriously have the squishiest, most kissable cheeks ever!!

In some ways I feel like things haven't changed too much in our day to day compared to last month, but in many ways there have been big changes. One biggie that comes to mind - you're sleeping through the night with some consistency now!! Woooooo hoooooo! Mommy and Daddy sure are grateful! You're sleeping from 7ish to 6:30ish. You wake up some still in the middle of the night, usually around 4 am, but we just let you work it out most nights. This week, though, you gave us 2 nights in a row with sleeping straight thru the night! 

After months of canceled well-visits (thank you horrible flu season), we finally made it to the doctor! You're healthy and fit and right around 50th percentile on the growth charts. You're weighing in at 15 pounds, wearing size 2 diapers still, and are right on track wearing 6-9 month clothing. Two teeth have an itty bitty bit of tooth poking through, but they are taking their sweet time.

You're still a pretty big fan of eating. This month we've added "greens" to your diet by trying out zucchini, peas, and avocados. You eat them all, but don't seem to love peas. Olivia likes to help feed you and it's pretty cute! 

You're still giving me pretty good and consistent naps, which I'm grateful for! You take an 1-2 hour nap in the morning and again in the afternoon after lunch.  Recently, you've starting sticking your little bottom up in the air while you sleep and it's just the cutest! 

One of your favorite activities is definitely bath time! You enjoy the water and love to splash and kick  and giggle at yourself. You're so biggie now though that, as of last night, we're bathing you in the big tub with your sister. Such a strange pull as a parent - it's wonderful to see you grow and achieve new things, but always slightly sad to move on from all the 'little' baby things, like the tub in the sink. 

Some "firsts" you experienced this last month include riding in a bike for the first time, going to the nursery for the first time, and spending the night away from mommy and daddy for the first time! 

We put a seat on the back on my bike, but we decided you're too little for that just yet, so we put you in the trailer on daddy's bike, and you seem much more comfortable there. We're excited to get back to riding bikes together as a family - one of our favorite family activities!

Since the flu season was so intense this year, we really delayed putting you in the nursery anywhere. This month I finally felt comfortable letting you go and so you went to the MOPS nursery on the last meeting of the year. They ended up calling me to come get you a little more than halfway through the meeting and so you got to come party with mamma, but for your first time, you did pretty well! 

80's theme 

Daddy and I went away one weekend in May to celebrate our 8th anniversary. Lolly and G-Daddy graciously came down to Savannah to watch you and your sister while we were away. I was quite nervous about leaving you overnight for the first time, but you did just great!! 

You're becoming more and more determined to move around and are getting pretty good at scooting to and fro! I think we'll have a crawler on our hands soon. 

Juliet, you are such a delight. I really just love you so so much. We are SO glad you're part of our family. Happy seven months, sweetie pie! XOXO

Juliet 6 Months!

Holy cow, baby girl!! HOW on earth are you already half a year old?!  I just do not understand how time has moved so quickly. I am absolutely loving this stage with you! You are so adorable and so much fun! You are becoming more capable and I think you are enjoying learning new skills! 

You are still so laid-back and easy. Anytime you are particularly fussy, I get slightly unraveled because it is so unlike your usual behavior. Most of life is still met with your wide-eyed stare, but you are very generous with smiles when you make eye contact with mamma, daddy, or Olivia. You think it is hilarious when we're walking down the stairs and Olivia is following right behind us. I definitely think you already look up to her as the "cool older sister". 

You tried solid food for the first time this past month! You're very pleased with your new tricks and are enjoying sitting at the table with us as a family now. I think you like to be included, and we like having you closer by too.  We started you off with "yellows" and so far you've eaten bananas, sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots. You're eating all of them happily, but carrots seem to be your favorite. You kick your feet and squeal with glee with each bite of carrot. You're so funny, I love you so much!

You started sitting up all on your own this month too! Occasionally you will still suddenly fall over and eat it, so we still have to be very careful with where and when we set you down. For the most part, however, you're doing really well and seem pleased with yourself. 

Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jared came to visit during Spring Break and brought the jumperoo for you to use. You really enjoy it and I'm so thankful to have a place to set you where you seem content. 

For the most part you are giving me good naps during the day. It's not uncommon for you to take two 2 hour naps a day - which is so new and surprising to me since I was lucky to get two, one hour naps from your older sister. 

At night you still prefer to wake up at least once, usually somewhere between 2-5 am. We have been turning off the monitor and letting you work it out. Trying to sleep train is no fun for anyone. You're generally happy when I go in to check on you when you wake up in the night, as though you just wanted to check in and play for a bit. Haha, you're a nut. 

You haven't had a well visit since the beginning of December due to the horrible flu season we had (the pediatrician kept canceling well visits to keep healthy kids away from the germs). So I don't have any up to date stats as far as weight, length, etc go. You're still in size 2 diapers, have started wearing overnights at bedtime, and are in 6-9 month clothes. 

You have the littlest bit of tooth peeking through in two places, on the side mostly. Drooling seems pretty constant and I keep waiting for the rest of the tooth to spring up overnight, but they seem to be taking their time.

You experienced a couple of new things and "firsts" this past month.  We went to the beach with your cousins and Aunt and Uncle when they were here and so you got to experience the beach for the first time! It was sunset and a bit windy and chilly and so daddy kept you warm in the Ergo. We'll dip your toes in the water next time, probably at our annual Leeper family vacay. 

You also got in the pool for the very first time! It was hot outside, but the water was freezing and you were not happy about getting the littlest bit of your foot wet, so we didn't put you any further in the water. 

You ALSO celebrated your first Easter! Which also meant that it was your first time at church. Like I said, I had been avoiding most public places like the plague since Christmas, so you had never been. You and I spent most of the time in the nursing mothers' room, but it still felt great to be back and worship with others. You didn't seem too terribly impressed with Easter, but we've read the book the easter bunny gave you multiple times. You were better with the "Easter Bunny" than your sister and let him hold you.  It will be fun next year when you can participate in more Easter actives like egg hunts!

You also got to meet your sweet cousin, Ella!! Y'all are only three months apart! I really hope you grow up being really good friends!! I just think it will be so much fun for you to have two cousins so close in age! 

Oh sweet, sweet girl. You really are just such a joy! We love you to pieces and are so thankful that God chose us to be your mommy and daddy! Happy half a year to you, princess pie!!