Breastfeeding, Take 2

I realize the topic of breastfeeding doesn't apply to everyone, so I thought I'd put this post on its own page. If you're interested in our breastfeeding experience this go 'round, including our feeding schedule, favorite accessories, etc. check out today's post here.

See y'all tomorrow!

Happy First Birthday, Caroline Rose!

It's surreal to be writing this post for our Caroline; we now have a one-year old! Exactly one year ago today at 8:30 a.m., Caroline Rose made her debut. She was 6 lbs., 9 oz. of pure perfection, with a head full of raven-black hair and big, blue eyes.

As I sit here and think about the previous year, I'm blown away. Blown away by the amount of love, joy and excitement that she brings into our lives, but also blown away by how much she has taught us. There truly is no learning experience quite like being a parent.

I've learned:

-A tiny human has the power to make you cry, make you laugh uncontrollably, make you terrified, make you joyous, make you slow down, make you re-prioritize, make you think you're losing your mind while simultaneously increasing your ability to remember the most intricate of details during special moments, holidays and milestones. (For instance, I can't tell you what shirt I wore yesterday, but I can tell you exactly what song was playing on the iPod during the car ride when we brought Caroline home from the hospital. I and Love and You by the Avett Brothers.

-How to change pee diapers, poo diapers and POO diapers. Yes, there's a difference. Moms and dads, y'all know.

-That trying to dress a 12-month-old is much like dressing a heavily caffeinated octopus. Though most days, I think the octopus might be easier.

-There is no love and no connection like that one you'll have with your child. None. Period.

-Baby girls are a curse on shopping budgets. (But man, are they fun to dress up!)

-You'll have days where you do it and do it well, the whole motherhood thing. You'll also have days where you just barely survive. But you will. And the good days far outweigh the tough ones.

-How to pack a diaper bag in 5.7 seconds.

-That working outside the home whilst' raising a baby isn't for the faint of heart. Neither is staying home with a kiddo all day. Point being: mommas work hard no matter what they do from 9-5. Call and thank yours today.

-Want to see a man turn to mush? Place his daughter in his arms. Then stand back and watch as he melts into a puddle on the ground.

And lots, lots, lots more.

Yes, babies teach us a great many things. Above all, they expand our hearts and fill it with more love than we could ever fathom. That's what Caroline has done for us. It has been, without question, the best year of our lives. I cannot wait to see what Year Two has in store for us.

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Taken yesterday afternoon, 10/13/14

Caroline Rose,

We love you more than life itself. In fact, darling girl, you ARE life itself. Please never lose your bright smile or that light in your eyes. You have a gift for bringing joy into the lives of others and we think - your daddy and I - that one day, you'll use that gift to impact the world in amazing ways. Don't ever forget that God has a very special plan for your life. And, little one, if you ever lose your way, He is only a prayer away.

Thank you for giving us the best year, Sweet Caroline Rose. The pleasure has been ours.

Caroline Rose: {11 Months}

Caroline turned 11 months old today, which can only mean one thing: we're having a birthday next month, folks!

Weight/Length: 18 lbs., 12 oz. and 27 inches tall 

Hair: Hair is blondish-brown now and really thick and long. She still loves to wear her bows and ribbons, my sweet girly girl!

Diapers: Size 3 Pampers Swaddlers. Her tiny hiney has remained, well, quite tiny : )

Clothing: 12 month clothing across the board.

Favorite Things: Her Humpty Dumpty piggy bank, (which she uses as a drum…go figure), remote controls of any variety, her musical activity table, the Mickey and Minnie Mouse dolls her Nana got her, vacuum cleaners – ha!

Likes: Right now, our petite princess loves: following Ruby around the house, petting Ruby and Ari, “helping” me clean out the dishwasher, emptying the dish towels out of the bottom kitchen drawers, feeding herself, Facetiming her grandparents, digging through mommy’s jewelry and purse drawers in the closet, going to the grocery store, being rowdy with daddy – she thinks he’s hilarious!

Dislikes: Getting her diaper changed, (girlfriend has no time for that nonsense), being separated from mommy, (and it’s getting worse every month), and having to get her face and hands wiped after mealtime.

Favorite Foods: Her favorite of all favorites is green beans. The kiddo would eat an entire plateful, if we let her. She also loves roasted butternut squash, pears, berries, peaches, tomatoes, avocado, yellow squash, hummus, artichoke hearts (so random and strange), turkey and roast beef with carrots and mashed potatoes. We have yet to find anything she won’t eat or doesn’t like.

I’m so glad we’ve stuck with preparing all of her food ourselves. We’ve saved a fortune by doing so and I like knowing exactly what she's getting. 

Milestones/Funny Things: She cruises using anything and everything to balance herself, can stand by herself for a few seconds at a time, can jump up and down with both feet in her crib, can keep a beat if she drums on something after watching us, (she’ll copy our rhythm – it’s so cool to watch), waves, sympathy coughs if she hears someone else do it.

Words: Mama, dada, bye-bye, nana (my mom), bah-bah (bottle), uh-oh, yum (!)

Mama Thoughts: 

Well, it’s finally here. The last month that she’ll be less than a year old. It’s bittersweet for me, to be honest. For so many reasons, I’m elated. She’s healthy and thriving and it isn’t something we take lightly. We are very grateful for the gift of celebrating a year with this amazing little girl. It has also been incredible to see her grow and change so tremendously over the past year.

On the other hand, a part of me aches that time has passed so quickly. It seems like only yesterday they were wheeling me into the OR to deliver Caroline. That first moment I saw her and breathed in her sweet smell. A mass of raven-colored hair and creamy, rosy skin. My own flesh and blood. 

I love her so much it really does hurt sometimes. 

Her laugh and smile have become the two things I look forward to most every day. Her name couldn't fit her more perfectly; she really is Sweet Caroline. 

And I'll tell you what, friends; I don't care if I do anything else well in this lifetime, as long as I'm a great mother to her. 

My daughter. 

My child that is half me and half him. The vessel that will carry my heart around forever because it no longer belongs to me; it is all hers.

Until month 12...

Caroline Rose: {Ten Months}

Weight/Length: 18 lbs., 8 oz. and 26.75 inches tall 

Hair: Hair is  honey blonde now and so thick. I’ve enjoyed having a baby with lots of fun hair to fix : )

Diapers: Size 3 Pampers Swaddlers.

Clothing: All 9-12 month clothing.

Favorite Things: Prima, (her Zubels ballerina doll), her rubber ducky, mommy’s jewelry, mommy’s fedora hat, her striped Pickles Farm Fresh blanket, her Fisher Price Activity/Music table.

Likes: Right now, our petite princess loves: bath time, swimming, eating, playing fetch with Ruby (well, watching mommy play fetch with Ruby), going for stroller walks, grocery shopping, going to restaurants, listening to the church choir, watching Doc McStuffins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Dislikes: Being hot (she loathes the heat just like her momma), strangers touching her face (and I can’t blame her…everyone wants to pinch her cheeks!), Sesame Street (hates it…dunno why), getting buckled into her car seat (but is cool as a cucumber once she's strapped in), and cats (more about that later, but it’s clear she inherited this phobia from her momma and her daddy, ha!)

Favorite Foods: Green beans, yams, turkey, carrots, applesauce, pears, kiwi, squash, graham crackers, mashed potatoes and plain Greek yogurt (we really like the Fage brand.)

Milestones: She is cruising around and using the furniture to keep her balance. She is starting to stand up from a seated position on her own without having to hold onto anything for support. She recently began clapping for people and it’s so cute. She has added “bye bye” to her word bank, too. She also began this thing where she pretends to cough, then waits for our reaction where we go, “Oh, Caroline! You must be so sick!” It’s hilarious.

Mama Thoughts: 

Nine months went by in a gosh-darn blink. I am so, so sad that these past two months have passed so quickly, but I know that it’s mostly due to the move and also planning for another child.

She is SUPER mobile, crawling and standing and cruising everywhere, and I’m usually wiped out by the end of the day on my days home with her. I am really thankful that I’m able to be there to witness so many of her milestones and funny moments, though. But, my days at the office are a welcomed break, too. 

She is such an inquisitive little thing, constantly watching other people and mimicking what they do. She is fiercely independent, almost to a fault, which I’ve heard is more common in little girls at this age. I wish she wasn’t so much that way; I want her to need me. (Oh gosh, I sound like my own momma now.)

I’m happy to report that she is a momma’s girl through and through. She associates Stephen with playing and laughing and big, rowdy fun, but when it comes to needing comfort or snuggles, she wants only her momma. She is having major separation anxiety when we leave her with sitters at home now. She will stay with a total of three people without fussing: Stephen, my mom and me. She still doesn't really mind daycare though, and will easily let me leave her on the days I work. 

Also? I may be crazy, but I think we are starting to favor a bit more. For a while, she looked a lot more like Stephen, (and still does), but I see more similarities between the two of us for sure now. (Please don’t tell me otherwise; I like fibbing to myself, ha!)

She is the light of my life, that Caroline Rose.

Until month 11… 

How I Make Caroline's Food

I apologize in advance to those of you who don't have infants. I really try to keep the baby posts to a minimum, but sometimes there's a post that's pretty momma-focused : ) This is one of those. Tomorrow, we'll discuss a new eyeliner, look at some fedoras and discuss how to achieve a "natural" blush. 

I got a couple of emails and comments via Instagram about what our food prep is like for Caroline. We chose to forego "baby food" and opt for fresh fruits and veggies prepared in purees. There's really not a lot of cooking involved and the fresh flavor is SO much better than that off a shelf or in a jar. (Trust me, I tasted it.)

We chose to make her food, simply for two reasons:
1) I wanted her to know what real food tasted like.
2) It was a LOT more cost-effective than the pre-packaged stuff. And with no preservatives. (For the record, it's my understanding that there are some awesome pre-packaged options out there without tons of preservatives or additives, but they are pretty expensive.)

I will say, there is a little bit more prep involved until they get some teeth, but it really isn't that big a headache. I just choose one day out of the week to prepare her meals and it only takes an hour or so.

In our regular rotation

Yellow squash
Yams/sweet potatoes
Carrots
Green beans
Avocados
Pears
Bananas
Apples
Plums
Kiwi
Turkey (we buy the organic, no hormones/antibiotics added variety from our deli and have them shave it thin.)
Full-fat Greek yogurt (plain, non-flavored)

Every Sunday, I prepared fresh food and put it into large Tupperware containers, which we refrigerate. I know you can make larger batches ahead of time and freeze, but since we're in the process of moving and trying to cut down on food we'll have to transport, I'm making smaller batches weekly.

Squash

For squash, I remove the outer skin, then cut it into thin slices. (Usually 2-3 medium-to-large squash will get her through a week.) I spread the slices on the bottom of a sprayed 9x13 glass pan, drizzle a Tbsp. or two of olive oil to get her some of those good fats, and sprinkle with a teaspoon of sea salt to add a little flavor.

Then, I bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the slices are tender and well-cooked.

Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor, here

Lastly, I puree them up in our food processor. We actually purchased ours from Dillard's back when we got married and it was relatively inexpensive, ($50 or so.) The brand is Hamilton Beach and it does the trick quite nicely!

Sweet potatoes and carrots

For sweet potatoes and carrots, I cut them into small pieces and boil on the stove until tender. Then, I drain 'em and puree 'em. I don't add anything to these veggies for flavor, as both of these are plenty flavorful on their own.

Avocados

For avocados, I ALWAYS prepare them right before I serve them to her. No one likes eating a brown avocado - yuck! So, I puree them up after pulling out the pit, then add 1/8 cup of full fat Greek yogurt, then puree with a couple of pulses to get it to a creamy consistency. The kid loves it!

Fruit

Pears, bananas and apples are all tossed into the processor, too. Just a few quick pulses and they're good to go.

Turkey and Yogurt

We just started introducing her to meat and she loves it. Right now, we are doing turkey. I have the deli assistant to shave 1 lb. per week. (We do a no-hormone/no-antibiotic added brand, which also does not inject extra sodium or preservatives into theirs. It tastes SO much better than that packaged mess.) At home, I'll toss the turkey it in the microwave for a few seconds to make it even easier for her to chew. If there are any pieces that are still a little big, I just use the fork and mash 'em up until they're easy enough for her to swallow.

She also loves Greek yogurt. Our pediatrician said to avoid the "baby yogurts" since most pack a lot of sugar. He has seven kids of his own and said that he gave all of his plain, full-fat Greek yogurt mixed with apples or pears as a daily snack. And, since Greek yogurt is full of probiotics, it's great for little digestive tracks. We give her a little less than 1/4 cup at a time, mix it with pureed pears and she gobbles it right down.

Sample Food Day

Breakfast:
Every day, she eats a generous bowl of plain, non-flavored infant, multi-grain oatmeal mixed with fresh peaches, apples or pears.

Snack:
She'll have a mid-morning snack of yogurt with fresh, pureed fruit, followed by a small 4-oz. bottle.

Lunch:
Generous helping of sweet potatoes, green beans, mashed potatoes, butternut or yellow squash or carrots. Sides of turkey and some avocado, followed by a small 4-oz. bottle IF she's still acting hungry.

Afternoon Snack:
Fruit (kiwi, plums or banana), followed by 4 oz. bottle

Dinner:
Same as lunch, just with a different veggie than she had then.

Pre-Bedtime Bottle (5 oz.)

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So that's about it. Nothing fancy and pretty simple to execute each week. If you have any specific questions about her eating schedule, the foods we love or anything else, you can shoot me an email at askblondeambition@gmail.com

Caroline Rose: {Nine Months}

Kind of a little bit crazy NUTS that Caroline is already NINE months old! (I promise that I won't be using annoying CAPS throughout the post.)

Weight/Length: 17 lbs., 14 oz. and 26.5 inches tall 

Hair: Hair is a blondish-brown. And thick!

Diapers: Size 3 Pampers Swaddlers. After the fourth night in a row of Honest Co. diapers leaking horribly, we threw in the towel. They're adorable little dipes, but don't contain the pee pee like our good 'ol Pampers. Sorry, Honest Co! 

Clothing: 9 month clothing across the board, although her 6 month tops still work pretty well, too.

Favorite Things: Her little pink V-tech baby "laptop"; Prima, her Zubels ballerina doll; her Pickles Farmfresh striped blanket, mommy's jewelry ; )

Likes: Right now, our petite princess loves: bath time, being on the lake, being in the yard with the pups, going for walks, sitting in mommy and daddy's bed and watching TV, trips to Target - ha!, eating, live music (especially if it involves drums!)

Dislikes: Being hot (she loathes the heat just like her momma), getting her diaper changed -- girlfriend doesn't have time for that anymore -- and wearing shoes, (she is from the South, after all.)

Favorite Foods: Sweet potatoes, squash, avocados and oatmeal with fresh applesauce. She also loves to snack on pureed pears, watermelon and mango. Her favorite "fun" food is pickles, which we let her enjoy occasionally ; ) We are still preparing all of her food ourselves rather than purchasing, and I love that I know exactly what's going into her little body.

Milestones: She can now go from lying flat to sitting upright, all on her own. She is pulling up and also bear crawling, which is hilarious to watch. She also planks. Yes, my kid can plank. I'll try to snap a pic the next time she does it!

Still says 'mama', 'dada', 'baba' (for bottle), and 'nana' (for my mom, who is her grandmother)

Mama Thoughts: 

Eight months was so much fun, but also really challenging for this expectant (again) momma. Now that she's much more mobile, I find myself drained by the end of the day. Gosh, though, it is SO much fun! (There I go using the annoying CAPS again. Sorry.)

She's a little sponge, constantly soaking in her surroundings and mimicking every sound we make. Caroline is in a stage right now where she wants to engage with everyone around her and likes to strike up conversations with complete strangers, which is hilarious to see.

She is still a devout mama's girl, which, I won't lie, I love. Daddy is fun for goofing around and playing, but when she needs comfort or cuddling, she's all about her mama.

It's true what they say; the bond between and mother and her child is unlike any other. I love her so fiercely and wholly that it nearly hurts. I know I'm partial, but I really do think she's the most beautiful and perfect little human I've ever met.

Taken July 5, 2014, the day after we announced her little baby sister!

And, as excited as I am to have another little girl in December, I'm a little sad that Caroline won't be the only baby anymore. (I hear this is a very common feeling for mamas when they are expecting their second baby.) The most exciting thing to me however, is that she and Ainsley will be so very close in age and, therefore, always have a really special bond. Almost like twins, from what I've been told from other moms with kiddos close in age.

And that, my friends, makes me endlessly happy.

I have loved having a daughter so, so much and I can't wait to see what Month Ten has in store for us!

Caroline Rose: {Eight Months}

I know this is late, (Cee turned 8 months on Saturday), but we had a bit of a crazy weekend. We actually SOLD our house on Saturday morning - yay!! We are elated to get to start the fun and fast house-hunting process! So, with that said, this will be Caroline's last month-by-month update in our current home - crazy, right?!

I'm so excited to see what our next home will look like, where it will be, etc. And very excited for the memories we will make in it!

Weight/Length: 17 pounds, 3 oz. and 25.75 inches tall 

Hair and Eyes: Hair is a blondish-brown. Seeing as how both mine and Stephen's eyes are blue, as well as every member of each of our immediate families...I think they will stay blue ; )

Diapers: Size 3 Pampers Swaddlers and Honest Co. diapers, which we just discovered and love!

Clothing: 6 month clothing across the board. She's gotten some delicious rolls on her, but she's still pretty petite, so I think we're a few months away still from 9 month items. 

Favorite Things: Her Exersaucer, her Olivia the Pig doll, her blocks, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Doc McStuffin on Disney Jr.

Likes: Right now, our petite princess loves: bath time, sitting in her kiddie pool in the yard, going shopping and sitting up in the shopping cart like a big girl, hanging out in the yard with her doggies, riding on the boat and looking at books

Dislikes: Being hot (loathes the heat just like her momma), getting her diaper changed, (girlfriend doesn't have time for that anymore!)

Favorite Foods: Avocados, sweet potatoes, squash, green beans and infant oatmeal with fresh peaches. I'm very glad that we chose to buy the fruits and veggies and puree them for her, versus buying the ready-made baby food. It's a huge cost-savings, not to mention that I don't worry about the weird preservatives and high fructose corn syrup that she might be getting otherwise. (No judgement at all if you choose to purchase ready-made, but for us this is working well.)

Milestones: She said her first word last week and it was 'mama'! I just melted, y'all. She also said 'dada' the very next day!

She pulled up at about 7.5 months and was quite proud of herself. We are really having to watch her because she is on the move 24-7. 

She also had her two little bottom teeth come in last week and they're so cute!

Mama Thoughts: 

Seven months would best be summed up in one word: changes. Every day, she accomplished some little or big milestone. Her personality also started to come out even more. We have discovered that she is happiest when she's in social settings. She loves to "chat" with other kids and people, and has a very mellow disposition about her. Her daycare teachers say she is by far their most low maintenance baby.

She is also most happy when she is around our dogs. She adores watching them run and play in the yard. They are so gentle and patient with her, and it melts my heart to watch them together.

She is most attached to her mama, but when daddy's around, she loves to play and giggle with him. She associates him most with fun and play, and me with comfort and cuddling, which I love.

That's about all for this month, so stay tuned for NINE months on July 14!

Because Baby Girls Need Ruffles

Ruffles. Frills. Lace. Poofy things. Twirling. Fluffy skirts.

All things synonymous with being Mom to a little girl. And I puffy-pink-heart LOVE every moment of it.

You can probably imagine my excitement when McKinli, awesome entrepreneur and fellow momma who is behind Mommy's Little Sunshine, emailed to see if I'd be interested in sharing her Petti Skirts with the blogging community.

After 1.5 seconds of thinking, I answered with an enthusiastic 'yes'!

And yes, she was well-supervised with that bracelet : )

I had some time over the weekend to dress up Miss Thang and let her be all cute and babyish while I snapped a few pics. Oh. My. The preciousness was too much to handle.

I had been wanting some super girly pics of Caroline for a while, so this Petti Skirt and coordinating head band were the perfect attire for her to wear. I love the beautiful (and perfect for summer) shade of aqua, too!

I love, love, love this store and wanted to share with anyone out there who may have a little girl, niece cousin, etc. These would also make the BEST baby shower gifts!

Check out Mommy's Little Sunshine for your next frilly, girly gift!

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*The skirt and headband in this post was generously gifted by Mommy's Little Sunshine. Opinions are my own.

Caroline Rose: {Seven Months}

Weight/Length: About 15 lbs. and hanging out around 24.75 inches long.  Girlfriend is rocking all those delicious baby rolls on her legs and arms. I may or may not be guilty of squishing her little legs while I'm rocking her to sleep. 

Hair and Eyes: Brown hair and blue eyes. Her hair got lighter for a while, but has started to darken again, so I think she'll be a beautiful brunette!

Diapers: Size 2 Pampers Swaddlers diapers 

Clothing: She can still easily wear 3 mo. tops. Most of her rompers and bubbles are 3-6 month. Dresses are pretty much whatever - she can wear 3 month or 6 month sizes in those. 

Favorite Things: Her Disney Baby Einstein Exersaucer, playing with these little silicone dipping sauce bowls, her singing bunny rabbit that her Nana gave her, as well as this (practically antique) play rotary phone that I had as a kid.

Likes: Right now, our petite princess loves: sitting up, standing up with support from mom and dad, riding in the shopping cart like a big girl, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and being around her doggies.

Dislikes: Eating solids, (still prefers her milk, but we are getting there), getting her diaper changed, daycare (yup, we're still there...more on this journey later), being sweaty (she gets it from her momma and prefers to be cool.)

Milestones: Well, I suppose we can count eating solids, but she hates them : ( We're sticking with it and it is getting a bit easier. I think it's just a texture thing, still. 

She is starting to army crawl and scoot using her elbows and knees. Now that we've mastered sitting, we're starting to become mobile!

No teeth yet, and I'm a-okay with that! A dentist friend told us that the longer they take to peek through, the better.

Other Changes: She will imitate someone when they say, "Uh oh!" It's adorable. (Isn't this exciting stuff to read? Ha!) She has also started this thing where she'll wake around 4:00 a.m. EVERY. DARN. DAY. She'll wake, cry, we'll change her diaper and then she'll go back down until 7:00 or so. Not a major event, by any stretch, but it is really strange. I blame it on our ghost ; ) (More on that later, too! ha!)

Mama Thoughts: 

Month six was so much fun. She was fun before, but now she has just come alive! She squeals, laughs, smiles and reaches for people, (mostly her momma...and I don't hate that!) Her personality is becoming more and more evident, which is pretty cool to see. She has also started recognizing certain people and that's fun. We FaceTime all of her grandparents and every time my mom (her Nana) gets on the phone, her head will turn and she'll give the biggest grin. She is also super intrigued with Stephen's dad, her BopBop, which is hilarious. She will sit on his lap and just stare at him and grin and giggle. It's so funny!

It's bittersweet that she's growing so quickly, but I am loving this age right now. She still loves to be rocked and cuddled. And, I can still dress her without protest ; )

Mother's Day was downright amazing this year. (Well, duh. Because I was a mother.) Caroline "gifted" me with a new pair of sandals and a bouquet of pretty roses. She also took me out for breakfast with the help of her daddy ; ) The two of them make my world go 'round.

Until next month, friends. 

A Blend, A Baptism

I'm bummed that this pic is a little blurry and dark, but love that we captured our family of three on such a special day!

I don't touch on religion or faith very often on here, but I did want to share about a very special weekend for our family.

Caroline Rose was baptized at our church, Central United Methodist, yesterday and it was such a special occasion. Our pastor, the same pastor that married us in 2011, performed the ceremony and it was so beautiful. It was touching to see the entire congregation come together to welcome Caroline into the Methodist church family.

Back when we were married, we decided to join the Methodist Church because it was the perfect blend of Stephen's upbringing (Catholic) and mine (Baptist). We loved to imagine the day that we'd have a baby and be able to baptize her in the church, then one day tell her the story of how her mommy and daddy chose a faith that blended their backgrounds. She is the first of our little family of three to be baptized into the UMC and so it was really special for us and the culmination of our faith journey as a married couple.

So, to any young couples out there who may be from different faith backgrounds, know that it can be done - pretty easily, in fact! Whether you find a middle ground like we did, or if one of you converts to join the other, it can absolutely work. I'm a big believer in the adage that we all serve the same God, and He will show up no matter what the church looks like : )

Yesterday, both of our families joined us for the ceremony and it was such a beautiful thing. We are lucky to be surrounded by such supportive parents, siblings and grandparents. And little Caroline will always be surrounded by the same.

Here are a few photos from after the service with family.

Caroline Rose: {Six Months}

Weight/Length: We don't go for her six-month check-up and shots until next week, but our scale at home indicated 13 pounds 13 oz. She's definitely getting longer, too! I think she's close to 24.5 inches now.

Yes, still a peanut, but her cheeks are so squishable and perfect! 

Hair and Eyes: Hair is still a pretty shade of brown. And her eyes are still the brightest of blue. 

Diapers: Size 2 Pampers Swaddlers diapers finally fit her booty.

Clothing: Believe it or not, she can finally wear her 3-6 month Carter's sleepers - woohoo! Most of her everyday clothing is 3 Mo., but at least we've moved out of Newborn sizes ; ) We also purchased some swimsuits last month and have been adding to our growing collection, all in preparation for the boat this summer. 

Favorite Things: Her Sophie the Giraffe toy, her Exersaucer, riding in her stroller, sitting in her Bumbo and watching me cook, having books read to her.

Wearing our "birthday" tiara!

Likes: Right now, our petite princess loves: Strangely, she loves thunder. It all started last week when it was stormy one day. There were several big claps of thunder and, to my amazement, she laughed so hard. Maybe she has a career as a storm chaser in her future?

She also loves looking at books, (thank the Lord this girl loves books like her momma!), listening to the Duke Ellington/Billy Holiday station on iRadio in the car, being outdoors in her stroller, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the iPad, stretching on the floor and her doggies, Ruby and Ari. 

Dislikes: People with super loud voices or a loud laugh (I think it startles her), the pipe organ at church (I can't blame her for that one...ick!), getting OUT of the bathtub. Girlfriend loves water.

Milestones: With rolling over from tummy-to-back and vice-versa out of the way, the next big milestone was sitting up. I thought sitting up might happen during her sixth month, but she surprised us and sat bolt upright this past month.

On April 7th at 5 mos., 3 wks., she sat up for the first time! She stayed that way for 23 seconds before tipping over. Ever since that day, she just...sits...and sits...and sits. She can go a half minute or so without assistance, which is really cool to watch. 

I don't know of anything quite as fun as watching your baby grow and develop. 

Eating: We began solids last night. I'm really glad we held off until she was six months old, just because I don't think her tiny tummy was ready until now. (Our pediatrician doesn't like to start sooner than that anyway, but I do know that every baby is different!) 

We don't plan to use the pre-packaged baby food, so I'll be buying her veggies/fruits and pureeing them. Definitely a cost-saver! We will try avocado next, probably Thursday, just to make sure her tummy tolerates solid food well. 

Other Changes: She loves to blow raspberries and will also imitate the long "oo" sound when we say, "boo", which is funny. She belly laughs multiple times per day, which we love. She will also randomly squeal and "sing" all the time. (Especially when mommy is on the phone, ha!)

Sleeping: She is a wonderful, wonderful sleeper. I realize this could all change on a dime, but from 8:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. or so, she sleeps. Sometimes (especially during growth spurts) she'll wake for a quick feeding, then it's back down to bed. 

She takes one long nap around 10:00 a.m. for two hours, then another nap around 1:30, then her final one around 4:30 p.m.

Mama Thoughts: 

Month five was a little more challenging for us, only because she's getting to the stage that she realizes when one of us has left a room. She's definitely quite attached to her mommy and daddy, so we have to remind her that when we walk away to do something (put laundry away, load the dishwasher, etc.), that we're still close by. This behavior also has its perks, though. For instance, she LOVES to be held super closely and rocked during her naps. 

Her demeanor reminds me a lot of her cousin Luke when he was a baby. She's very mellow and smiley, and will "talk" to anyone who's willing to listen. I'm glad she's a social baby. 

I'm still really, really enjoying my part-time work schedule. I love our Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at home together, but I also look forward to the adult interaction and challenging projects on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It really has been a good solution for our family and I don't imagine we'll change anything in the near future. 

We've been enjoying the awesome weather together daily with long stroller walks, which is great cardio for momma, too! It feels great to get moving again. I've also started trying to eat better and incorporate tons of veggies and fruits into my daily eating routine. I ate a lot of junk toward the end of the pregnancy, which I'm sure didn't help my sluggishness. So I'm working to change that. I want to set a good example for Caroline to enjoy healthy foods and always be open to trying new things. 

Until next month, friends. 

Caroline Rose: {Five Months}

Weight/Length: As of exactly one week ago, she was 12 lbs. and 8 oz. Caroline is also 23.5 inches long and her head is measuring 40 cm.

Still a little peanut of a thing, but MAN goes girlfriend have some cheeks on her! I could squish and kiss those puppies all day. And sometimes, I do.

Hair: Hasn’t changed a bit. Still brown and still growing fast : )

Diapers: Size 1 Pampers Swaddlers. We tried on a Size 2 and, um, nope. The dang thing came up under her arm pits, haha!! She has a teeny booty, that Caroline.

Clothing: 0-3 month in Old Navy and Baby Gap, 3 month in Carter's and most everything else. She still can't wear any of her Mud Pie clothes - they're huge on her! I've heard this is common for that brand??

Favorite Things: Her Sophie the Giraffe toy, her Bumbo seat with play tray, her Olivia the Pig doll and her jingle bell ball.

Likes: Right now, our petite princess loves: looking at books with bright pictures, having songs sung to her, music, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the iPad, bath time, getting her diaper changed. And "standing". She loves when we hold her in a standing position under her arms and let her put her feet down and straighten her legs. She likes this because it usually ends in us clapping and cheering for her like a bunch of buffoons.

On Wednesday in her stroller. 

Dislikes: The Nose Frida. Not funny, but kind of…she’ll grab the Frida when we’re trying to use it on her and hurl it at us.

Milestones: She rolled over from back-to-tummy on February 9th, then a week later started rolling from tummy-to-back. She began holding her own bottle around the beginning of February, also, right before she turned four months old. She is also starting to gear up for crawling and sitting. She also loves to "talk" and belly laugh, especially when her daddy plays peek-a-boo with her.

This month, she has also started imitating us. We can make a funny sound and she’ll mimic it. It’s so neat to interact with her this way!

She is also learning to pet the dogs. This delights Ruby (our miniature dachshund) to no end because she loves anyone who will dote on her. Ari couldn't care less, but he's a great sport while we let Caroline touch his ears and gently pat his head.

Sleeping: Up until the dadgum time change last Sunday, we were doing great, haha. She’s still sleeping through the night, but instead of going down at her normal time, it’s taking us about an hour longer to get her to sleep. We’re just being patient and looking it as though this just gives us more time to cuddle with her at night : )

She takes one long nap around 10:00 a.m. for two hours, then another nap around 1:30, then her final one around 4:30 p.m.

Mama Thoughts: 

Caroline is changing overnight these days. Clothes that fit last week don’t fit this week. Her little mind is like a sponge and soaks up new things every single day. I’m taking advantage of this and exposing her to as many things as I can. I noticed her staring at a flower in a vase on our countertop the other day. I took this opportunity for her to touch the petals, take in the bright red color and admire the beauty of this new discovery.

It’s true what they say.

When you have a child, everything is new again.

Faster than her little body is growing, is our love for her. I simply cannot imagine being more in love with another tiny human. I miss her terribly on the days that I work, although I do enjoy the time out of the house. But do you know what? That moment when I walk in the door in the afternoons and see her face light up - perfection. Can't put a price on that, friends.

Another stroller walk this morning.

Her blue eyes are getting bluer by the day, too. I'm still not sure if she favors Stephen or me more, but those eyes, y'all...those eyes. Someone said one day that she could probably cut glass with them because of the piercing blue color...I think they might be right.

Until next month, friends. 

....................................

P.S. Sorry about Confessional Friday, but I cannot get InLinkz to work this morning. And this little cutie took priority ; )