Nellie Lou – 10 Months Old

Ten months. I hate how fast this year is going.

weight: around 17 lbs

height: around 27 inches

size: Still 6-9 month clothes and size 3 diapers. We’ve pulled out some 9-12 month clothing, and it’s pretty big on her still.

sleep: She’s still in her crib – thank goodness! She gets up around 2:00 every few days, and usually ends up in bed with us when that happens. She takes two naps a day, usually around an hour long.

eat: She’s still breastfeeding on demand, and since it’s summer and I’m home, she’s eating at least 5 times a day. She still eats whatever we are eating. Her favorites lately are cheese, goldfish crackers, bananas, blueberries, and apples. She’s starting turning away purees and yogurt. I think she really enjoys feeding herself and doesn’t want to be fed with a spoon.

teeth: She’s got two on bottom and two on top that are all the way through. There are two more on top that are almost through. She’s been a little drooly, but not horrible.

moving: I’d put money on her in any baby crawling race. She’s so fast! She pulls up on everything and she’s standing on her own. She took three steps over the weekend to get to her Papaw. I think walking is in her near future.

Talking: She’s a talker. She mimics a lot of what we say. She uses “Dada,” “Bo Bo,” “hi,” “bye” pretty regularly.

Likes: Bowen, swimming, eating

Dislikes: being left alone, sitting in the carseat

Here’s a nine and ten month comparison –

Here’s a comparison of Bowen and Nellie at 10 months –

On to the next month.

Nellie Lou – Six Months Old

I don’t know how it’s possible, but Nellie Lou has been alive for half a year.

weight: around 15 lbs

height: around 25.5 inches

size: I put all of her 3-6 month clothes away during my latest snow days. 6-9 is still big, but she wasn’t able to stretch out in the 3-6 month sleepers. Size 3 diapers.

sleep: We are in a major sleep regression. I’m the only person that can soothe her when she wakes up every few hours, and it has made me one exhausted mom. She’s still napping well, usually taking 3 naps a day.

eat: She’s still breastfeeding on demand, which was constantly during the week of snow days we just had. She just started showing some interest in real food. We’ve made some peas and sweet potatoes for the babysitter’s house, but while we’re home we just give her whatever fruits/veggies we are eating cut into pieces she won’t choke on. She loved cooked carrots and roasted sweet potato rounds. We’ve given her a few raw veggies to chew on with her new teeth coming in.

teeth: She’s got two bottom teeth now. They just popped through on Monday and Thursday. They took forever to come in, and she’s been drooling for months.

moving: I’m sure you can tell from the pictures, she is moving everywhere. She loves to roll around to get where she wants to be. She does the backward crawl. I’ve never seen anything like it – she arches her back and then moves her head forward it’s crazy. She is sitting pretty much on her own. She’ll topple over every once in a while, but she’s a strong little booger.

Here’s a five and six month comparison –

Bowen at six months and Nellie Lou at six months –

On to the next month.

Nellie Lou – Four Months Old

I can’t believe another month has come and gone. Nellie Lou is now 4 months old, and is letting her fun and calm personality shine. She loves to smile and she’ll laugh on occasion, but it’s not something she does a lot. You have to be really silly to get a sweet laugh from this girl. She has the sweetest dimple that makes you want to squeeze her cheeks whenever she smiles.

She loves people and will let almost anyone hold her, but she also loves her Momma and will let you know when she needs her Momma. 

She’s rolling from belly to back and back to belly, which seems so crazy. She is so mobile for a four month old. She squirms around to get where she wants to be, whether on her playmate or laying in bed.

She loves her brother. Bowen is so incredibly sweet with her. Seeing them together melts my heart.

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There’s not much she doesn’t like other than the usuals – she hates being alone or watching you walk out of a room, people crying (whether in real life or on tv – she always starts to tear up when she hears or sees it), being hungry, and being overly tired.

weight: I’m not sure but I’m guessing around 14 lbs

height: Maybe around 23 inches, we have no idea since we haven’t had a doctor’s appointment since her last well visit (we’re thankful for such a healthy baby)

size: I just put away most of the 0-3 month clothes, so she’s mostly in 3-6 month and size 2 diapers.

sleep: I think we’re going through the 4 month sleep regression. She’s waking up around 2 or so in the morning pretty consistently. Sometimes she wants to nurse and other times I can just replace her pacifier and she’ll go right back to sleep. She’s still going to bed around 9:00 and she will sleep in until about 7:30 or even 8:00 if we all are sleeping in.

eat: She’s still breastfeeding on demand, which is generally every four hours or so. She’s becoming more distracted while she’s nursing, so at times she wants to eat more frequently, but I’m sure she’s eating less at each sitting because she’s so busy worrying about what’s going on around her. At the sitter’s she’ll eat about 7 or 8 ounces while I’m at work.

Here’s a comparison of Bowen and Nellie at 4 months –

On to the next month.

Nellie Lou – Three Months Old

Nellie Lou is growing up so quickly. She’s become quite a happy baby over the last month. She smiles constantly and loves to coo and goo. She wants to be talked to and loves to lay on my chest when she’s sleepy.

      

She’s a very active baby. She wants to stand up all the time, and she loves to kick her arms and legs. She’s even rolling over from her belly to her back. She uses her sweet little feet to move around on her playmate. I’m amazed at how mobile she is as a three month old.

She’s Bowen’s biggest fan. She could stare at him all day long, and loves to watch him race around the house.

weight: Around 13 lbs

height: Around 23 inches

size: 0-3 month clothes, size 1 diapers – those are both getting snug though

sleep: She’s the best sleeper ever. She naps at least 4 times throughout the day, usually with one really long one. She goes to bed at night around 9:30 and sleeps until 4:00 or 5:00. It’s amazing!

eat: She’s still breastfeeding on demand, which is generally every four hours or so. At the sitter’s she’ll eat about 8 or 9 ounces while I’m at work.

Here’s a photo comparison of two months to three months –

Here’s a comparison of Bowen and Nellie, each at three months old.

On to the next month.

Nellie Lou – Two Months Old

We’ve been blessed with one sweet baby girl. Nellie Lou is the total opposite of her brother, she’s calm and mostly content. She loves to be held, but will lay on her play mat or the bed while I get things accomplished around the house. I’m loving every minute of this phase of her life.

She’s not too fond of her bath, but loves having her hair washed like she’s at the salon. I tilt her little head back into the water, and she’s happy. She’s already a little wary of strangers or people she doesn’t see everyday. She’s also not into rocking or bouncing, she’d rather you be very still when you hold her. If she gets too fussy or worked up, putting her underneath a ceiling fan seems to do the trick. She could stare at a ceiling fan for hours.

She’s started smiling, but she’s pretty stingy with them. I can usually get a few a day, but Bowen seems to get the most. When she sees Bowen her arms start to flail and she can’t take her eyes off of him.

weight: I’m not sure but I’m guessing around 11 lbs. She feels pretty solid.

height: I have no idea, but she’s quickly growing too long for some of her three month outfits. Maybe around 22.5 inches.

size: 0-3 month clothes, size 1 diapers

sleep: She’s a wonderful nighttime sleeper. She’s going to bed around 8 or 9 and has been waking up between 2 and 4 am, and then she’s back to sleep for a few more hours. She’s had a few nights when she hasn’t wanted to go back to sleep, but I’m not complaining. She’s also taking at least three naps a day.

eat: She’s still breastfeeding on demand, which is generally every four hours or so. Look at that belly!     Here’s a comparison of Bowen and Nellie, each at two months old.

On to the next month.

17 Months Old

This is a few days late, I’ve been so busy with packing up our house, school, and master’s classes. I am ready for Summer!

Bowen is beginning to show lots of personality. He is on the go constantly, and loves to make a mess. He completely destroys each room he enters. My kitchen is covered in baking pans and spatulas, my living room has magazines and toys all over the floor, and the bathroom has hair products in the bathtub. When does this stage end?

He is still of a bit of a needy baby, in that he loves to be held constantly and doesn’t sleep well at night. He wakes up usually around midnight, and then sleeps with us for the rest of the night. It’s not the ideal situation, but at least we’re all getting some sleep.

This month has turned into a trying month for Mom and Dad. Bowen has grown quite the temper. He wants what he wants when he wants it. He’s started hitting when he doesn’t get his way. I have to say, it is mortifying that my child behaves like this.

We tried a few different things before we found something that works for us. When he hits we put his hand down, say “no, we don’t hit,” distract him by taking him to a toy or something he likes, and walk away. Usually it ends with Bowen having a major meltdown on the floor, but we think he gets the point. We tried timeout, but he’s just not old enough to understand it yet.

He’s also learned to climb out of his high chair, which is terribly scary. He loves to stand up and sit down over and over again. I think I may need to find a booster seat for the table.

He’s turned into a climber of anything and everything. If it’s low enough to the ground, Bowen will climb on top. This has caused a few accidents. Just the other day he fell off the ottoman. I keep telling Baker, we will have a broken bone before his second birthday. The kid has no fear.

Height: still a peanut and he won’t stand still long enough to measure him, my guess is 31 inches

Weight: around 24 pounds – using our bathroom scale, so I’m not sure how accurate it is

Clothes Size: mostly 12 months, some 9-12 pants, occasionally he can wear an 18 month outfit, I even pulled out some Summer shorts from last year that fit pretty well

Likes: jumping on the bed & couch, snuggling, riding in his Cozy Truck, the GiggleBellies, climbing stairs, playing outside, Cherrios, animals

Dislikes: being left in the gym nursery, sleeping alone, being told “No,” riding in the car for too long, having his nose wiped

On to then next month.