Penelope is NINE Months Old!

Baby girl, you have grown so much this month! You are becoming the cutest little person and we love seeing your personality come out. You are our greatest love and achievement.  I can't believe you are nine months old! That means you'll be one in only three short months. I still think your birthday is in April instead of February. I wonder how many years it'll take for my brain to get that straight. 

Adjusted Age: 7 months

Weight:  17lbs and 3oz (32%ile term scale)

Height: 27 inches (23%ile term scale)

Head Circumference: 18 inches (92%ile term scale) Your body is finally catching up to your head!

Diaper Size:  Size 3

Clothing Size: 6-9 month clothes

Diet: You are eating 6 ounces every 3 hours and baby or table food twice a day. You usually eat about 2 ounces of baby food per sitting.

Sleep: Naps are getting slightly better - it really just depends on the day. You are still a huge fan of one longish nap and then 2 additional cat naps. I guess that is how your body works. We are finally sleeping through the night again! You usually sleep 8:00pm -6:30/7:15am 

Baby Gear Love: Jumperoo, walker, ball pit, car toy, laptop toy, piano toy, mini teddy bear, Poppity-Pop Dino, activity table, school bus and passengers, your set of keys, your drum, your Poppin' Pals toy, stuffed animals, and your soft blocks.You pretty much love anything with lights and music, things that you can open and close (although closing is your absolute favorite), and balls.

Milestones/Firsts:  You are now trying to pull yourself up on your knees when you play and it is the cutest thing. You are also big into crinkling your nose when you laugh or smile and it melts our hearts! I haven't been able to get a good photo of it yet. You love to play now more than ever. You are so good at entertaining yourself and I no longer have to sit right beside you. You have figured out that your tongue can reach food on your face while you are eating so you spend a good portion of meal time licking your lips. You are able to propel yourself forward in the walker and love exploring the house and animals by yourself.

Likes:  Belly sleeping, singing, talking, laughing, playing, standing, snuggling with Mom, playing with Dad, blowing raspberries, being tickled, rocking, splashing in the bath, watching the cats and dog, petting Barnaby (because he's the only one who will get close to you),  pinching Mom's face and pulling Mom's hair, making lots of noise, giving kisses, shopping and sitting in the shopping cart (you especially love it when people stop to talk to you!), putting everything you can in your mouth, baby puffs and MumMums.

Dislikes: Poopy diapers, not being able crawl, taking things away from you that  you shouldn't have, and the animals running away from you.

Things I Don’t Want to Forget: Seriously, your crinkle face! I hope you continue to do it even when you are all grown up. One night this month while eating, you puked all over the dog and it was so comical. You both got baths that night. How you look in your trapper hat - you are the cutest!

We love you more and more each and every day.You bring so much joy to all those who meet you. I found this quote and I love it so much;

"Those who pause in their world long enough to get to know yours, will know what it’s like to meet a true, living miracle, and I am thankful I was chosen to be part of it all."

Penelope is EIGHT Months Old!

Beware of a picture overload!

You are a hit at church every Sunday! So many people come up to talk to you, and know your name and I have no idea who they are. You love it too - you get so excited when people talk to you. You are one popular and well loved girl. 

Adjusted Age: 6 months

Weight: No well visit this month, but you are around 15.5 lbs.

Diaper Size:  Size 3

Clothing Size: 6-9 month clothes

Diet: You are eating 6 ounces every 3 hours.

Sleep: You are still pretty inconsistent when it comes to napping and some days you won't nap unless I'm holding you. You are a little better than last month about sleeping through the night. I'm not up with you every night now, which is much appreciated. You are in a much better mood when you sleep through the night. 

Baby Gear Love: You are a huge fan of your Jumeroo, but we only let you play in it 10-15 minutes at a time. We have changed your activity play mat to a ball bit and you adore it! You are really into picking up the balls. You still like the Moby and other baby carries, but don't like to be in them too long - you need to wiggle! You love you car and laptop toys. 

Milestones/Firsts: You are a pro sitter! We are so proud of you! Now that you are sitting, you are really into playing so I think we need to get some more toys for you. You babble all the time and love to talk! You clearly say "Momma" and "baba" and say them more often so I think you are starting to understand they have meaning. You say "Momma" a lot when you want my attention. You also give me kisses now, which melts me into a puddle on the floor.

Likes:  Belly sleeping, singing, talking, laughing, playing, standing, snuggling with Mom, playing with Dad, blowing raspberries, being tickled, going for walks in the stroller, reading books, rocking, splashing in the bath, watching the cats and dog, pinching and pulling Mom's hair, sitting in your highchair and playing while I prepare dinner, petting the cats and dog, and Baby MumMums.

Dislikes: You get bored easily with activities so I try to rotate you through your toys and activities to keep you interested. You get really upset and throw a big fit if we take something away from you that you shouldn't have. You greatly dislike that you can't figure out how to crawl. You lay on you belly and kick your legs like a madwoman and pound your hands into the floor. I feel so bad for you. I don't think your arms are strong enough yet, but your legs are.

Things I Don’t Want to Forget: The funny faces you make when you taste something new - it kills us every time. Your baptism, surrounded by some of our family and our church family who loves us,  We have a recording so you can watch it when you are bigger!

Penelope is SEVEN Months Old!

It is such an honor and joy to be your parents. You are the light of our lives. We so love watching you grow each and every day.

Adjusted Age: 5 months

Weight: No well visit this month, but you are around 14.5 lbs.

Diaper Size:  Size 2

Clothing Size: 3-6 month clothes fit you perfectly but we might have to switch you to 6-9 month pjs soon.

Diet: You are eating 5-6 ounces every 3 hours. You still usually want a bottle after we breastfeed and once a day we offer you baby food or mashed soft food.

Sleep: You are still pretty inconsistent when it comes to napping and some days you won't nap unless I'm holding you. You have become a terrible sleeper at night. I feel like we have a newborn again! I am hopeful it is a phase that is short lived. 

Baby Gear Love: You are enjoying your Jumeroo more now and even have fun spinning the toys. Your love for your activity mat continues and I think we'll make the switch to the ball pit soon. You love your little piano and your stuffed animals. 

Milestones/Firsts: You are prop sitting and I don't think it'll be long before you are able to sit up straight! We have started offering you a sippy cup with water when we give you food. You LOVE it and are getting so good at doing it yourself. You have no interest in holding your bottle though.You use both your hands equally well and have been passing toys between your hands for some time now. You babble all the time and love to talk! You clearly say "Momma" and "baba" but I'm not sure you know what they mean yet. You are now reaching for me if some one else is holding you or if you are playing on the floor and love it so much. 

Likes:  Singing, smiling, talking, laughing, standing, snuggling with Mom, playing with Dad, raspberries on your tummy, blowing raspberries yourself, being tickled, going for walks in the stroller, reading books, rocking, splashing in the bath, watching the cats and dog, pinching and pulling Mom's hair, sitting in your highchair and playing while I prepare dinner. You are really into hearing your own voice and there are days you scream for hours...just for fun.

Dislikes: You get bored easily with activities so I try to keep you on a rotation to keep you interested.  Sometimes we even put you in the stroller and push you around the house! The dog likes that too! You get really upset and throw a big fit if we take something away from you that you shouldn't have.

Things I Don’t Want to Forget: Just how precious you are! Your face lights up when people talk to you, especially when it's Mom or Dad.  I think you might be an extrovert, but we'll have to wait and see. It is so much fun to watch you discover new things - like your voice.

Penelope is SIX Months Old!

I can't believe you have been with us for half a year, or that you are half way to one year old. These months have flown by, but at the same time, we cannot imagine what life was like before you. Something was missing, and it was you. You fill our hearts and lives with so much joy and love. 

Adjusted Age: 4 months

Weight: 13lbs 13.5oz (10%ile term scale)

Length: 25 inches (14%ile term scale)

Head Circumference: 17.125 inches (82%ile term scale)

You are in the double digits, baby!! You've gained 10lbs in 6 months! We are SO proud of you!

Diaper Size:  Size 2

Clothing Size: 3-6 month clothes fit you perfectly in the length but are still pretty baggy on you. You are long and lean.

Diet: You are eating 4-6 ounces every 3 to 3.5 hours. You usually want a bottle about an hour after you nurse to top you off. This month we will start exploring solids.

Sleep: You are still pretty inconsistent when it comes to napping, but we can usually get you to take a several hour long nap and the rest of the day you take little cat naps. You are sleeping through the night like a champ! You still fight sleep at night, but we can usually get you to sleep between 8:30-9:30 pm and you wake up sometime between 6:30-7:15 in the morning.

Baby Gear Love: You are enjoying your Jumeroo more now and even have fun spinning the toys. Your love for your activity mat continues. We can't wait for you to start sitting so we can turn it into a ball pit. When you are in the Moby, you don't automatically fall asleep anymore but now enjoy looking around.

Milestones/Firsts: You are rolling from back to tummy. We are practicing sitting, and I think you'll gain your balance soon. You try to crawl, but can't figure out how to use your arms, so you end up using the side of your face and get upset when you can't move very far. You can scoot across a blanket this way, though. You are a big wiggle worm and even wiggle while being held. You love to stand and your legs are getting so strong! You are also getting much better at playing by yourself.

Likes:  Eating, singing, smiling, talking, laughing, sitting while supported, standing, snuggling with Mom, playing with Dad, raspberries on your tummy, reading books, rocking, splashing in the bath, watching the cats and dog, and running errands.

Dislikes: You still aren't a fan of  not getting fed fast enough, toys that don't fit in your mouth, and gas. Other than those irritants, you are a very happy girl.

Things I Don’t Want to Forget: You think it's hilarious to grab my hands or shirt while I'm trying to change your diaper or clothes. You love the games you play with Dad and think he is the funniest. When a cat or the dog get close enough, you reach out to pet them. They seem to still like you - I hope that continues when you are mobile.

You are such a sweet girl and I love that you are such a fan of Mom and Dad. We see little bits of your personality coming through and can't wait to see more of that as you grow. You are such a
delight!

Penelope is FIVE Months Old!

Every new stage is my favorite stage! It's exciting watching you discover new things and start to "play." You are so precious and we love you so much.

Adjusted Age: 3 months

Weight: No well visit this month but you are around 12lbs.

Diaper Size:  Size 2

Clothing Size: 3-6 month sleepers and pants, but you are still in 0-3 month rompers and dresses.

Diet: You are eating just under 5 ounces every 3 hours and we have ditched the nipple shield! Most of the time you still want a bottle after we nurse. I'm pumping less often since you are eating better which makes me very happy.

Sleep: You are still pretty inconsistent when it comes to napping, but we can usually get you to take one long nap and the rest of the day you take little cat naps. You are sleeping through the night like a champ! You fight sleep, but we can usually get you to sleep between 8:30-9:30pm and you wake up sometime between 6:30-7:15 in the morning.

Baby Gear Love: Your favorite is still your activity mat. You still like being in the Moby but love your stroller for walks. Your new favorite toy is your Whozit. He keeps you very entertained! You are still a little tiny for the Jumperoo but we put a thin box underneath so your feet can touch. You like looking at the lights for about 5-minutes before you want out. 

Milestones/Firsts: You are rolling from tummy to back and back to side. You love to grab things and put them in your mouth and get very upset if an object doesn't fit. You are chewing on everything, but don't have any teeth yet. You are discovering your hands and feet. You LOVE to kick your feet and grab them.

Likes:  Eating, singing, smiling, laughing, snuggling with Mom, playing with Dad, raspberries on your tummy, reading books, rocking, warm baths, and watching the cats and dog.

Dislikes: Not getting fed fast enough, toys not fitting in your mouth, and being bored. 

Things I Don’t Want to Forget: You change and grow so fast. It's pretty incredible and awe-inspiring to watch. You are so perfect.

Penelope is FOUR Months Old!

You are getting so big! I love looking at pictures of you from when we were in the hospital because it's hard to remember you that small. You used to fit inside my tanktop! There's no way you could do that now. You've come so far, sweet pea, and we are so incredibly proud of you. 

Adjusted Age: 2 months

Weight: 11lbs 11oz (5 %ile term scale)

Length: 23.5 inches (10 %ile term scale)

Head Circumference: 16.25 inches (84 %ile term scale)

Diaper Size:  Size 1 We will probably have to move you up a size in the next couple weeks.

Clothing Size: 0-3 months are fitting just perfect. It's amazing what a difference a month makes and how much you've grown!

Diet: You are eating just under 5 ounces every 3 hours. You are getting even better at breastfeeding. Sometimes I can even trick you and ditch the nipple shield. I hope we can stop using it by the end of next month.  I'm still having supply issues (even though I've tried just about everything I know of to get it up) so you get about two bottles of high calorie formula a day. Your Doctor says that this month we can transition to regular formula since you are growing nice and big.

Sleep: You take one long nap (1.5-2 hours) a day and the rest of the time you take a bunch of short 20 minute naps. You are pretty much sleeping through the night and only have a night-time feeding every once in awhile. You do, however, wiggle your arms out of your swaddle which wakes you up around 4:30 am and then you want to be in Mom and Dad's bed for the rest of the night.  

Baby Gear Love: You love your swing, bouncy seat, Moby wrap, activity mat, and fishy toy, and the ceiling fan. You are into playing now, which has been so fun to watch!

Milestones/Firsts: Your neck muscles are getting stronger everyday! It's much easier for you to keep your giant head at mid-line now which means even better head control. You are smiling and laughing, which we LOVE so much! You are starting at bat at toys on your activity mat too. You love to babble and have conversations with Mom and Dad.

Likes:  Eating, singing smiling, laughing, the ceiling fan (you could watch it for hours), snuggling with Mom and Dad, playing, rocking, and warm baths

Dislikes: Being stopped at red lights, and not getting fed fast enough. 

Things I Don’t Want to Forget: How big/small you are. You seem so huge to us, especially considering where you started, but I know in only a few sort months it'll be difficult to remember you being this small. Every month is so different; you grown and learn exciting new things. My Momma's heart says you are growing up too fast. Next thing I know you'll be in high school.

Penelope is THREE Months Old!

You are getting so big! I love looking at pictures of you from when we were in the hospital because it's hard to remember you that small. You used to fit inside my tank-top! There's no way you could do that now. You've come so far, sweet pea, and we are so incredibly proud of you. 

Adjusted Age: 1 month

Weight:  No Well Visit this month, but you are around 10lbs

Diaper Size:  Size 1. The newborn size was getting a little narrow, so we made the switch last week and they are a little big. They almost reach your armpits!

Clothing Size: 0-3 months, but they are HUGE! Newborns were too short so I moved you up. You are a long and lean girl. I was a little sad packing up all the newborns but am so excited to dress you in all the cute 0-3 months clothes that I bought you while I was still pregnant and those that Auntie Amanda lent us. 

Diet: You are eating just under 4 ounces every 3 hours. I no longer have to fortify Momma's milk so you are getting less calories a day, but still growing nice and big! We are still working on breastfeeding and you are doing so much better now that your sucking muscles are getting stronger. Sometimes I don't even have to pump afterwards. I'm still having supply issues so you get about one bottle of high calorie formula a day.

Sleep: You are awake much longer during the day and only get up once during the night, usually somewhere between 2:30am and 3:30am. You are sleeping much better now that we swaddle you. More sleep has been so wonderful! When you were still inside, you always woke me up around 3am with all your kicking and I see now you were just preparing me for your night-time awake time. 

Baby Gear Love: You love your swing, bouncy seat, Moby wrap, activity mat, and fishy toy, and the ceiling fan. You are into playing now, which has been so fun to watch!

Milestones/Firsts: Your neck muscles are getting stronger everyday! It's much easier for you to keep your giant head at mid-line now which means even better head control. You are smiling and laughing, which we LOVE so much! You are starting at bat at toys on your activity mat too. 

Likes:  Eating, singing smiling, laughing, the ceiling fan (you could watch it for hours), snuggling with Mom and Dad, playing, rocking, and warm baths

Dislikes: Being stopped at red lights, and not getting fed fast enough. 

Things I Don’t Want to Forget: I love the way you snuggle into my neck. It is pretty much my favorite thing. If you aren't close enough for your liking, you'll kick and push your legs against me in a mock crawl to push yourself closer to my neck. It's the only way you'll fall asleep. You are so precious and we love watching you grow and notice new things in your environment. Your little smile lights up your face and explodes our hearts. You are our little miracle.

Penelope is TWO Months Old!

You are getting so big! It was been a joy to watch you grow. We love you so much! It has been wonderful getting to know you and your cues better.  This month has really flown by. We were so excited to finally reach your due date!

Adjusted Age: 0 months

Weight:  8lbs and 7.5 oz. (2%ile term scale)

Length: 20.25 inches (.39%ile term scale)

Head Circumference:  15 inches (50%ile term scale)

Diaper Size:  Newborn

Clothing Size: Newborn and they are fitting very well!

Diet: You are eating about 3 ounces every 3 hours. We were still on the NICU schedule, but your pediatrician said that I no longer have to fortify my breast milk and from now on, you get to call the shots on when you eat!  We are still working on breastfeeding, but you are getting much better and have a stronger suck.

Sleep: You are usually awake from 9am-10:30and 6:00-9:00pm in the evenings. You pretty much sleep the rest of the time that you aren’t eating.

Baby Gear Love: You love your swing, bouncy seat, and Moby wrap.

Milestones/Firsts: You are getting so great at holding your head up with more control! You are also starting to make eye contact when we talk to you. You even gave Dad a smile once when he kissed you on the check before he left for work. You are starting to make funny faces that I love to mimic. 

Likes:  Eating and sleeping. You still like tummy time when you are laying on Mom or Dad’s chest. You love to be held. You have discovered the fan and like looking at it. You love it when I sing to you in my musical theatre character voice, and you pretty much love music in general.

Dislikes: Baths if they aren’t warm enough, getting lotion rubbed on, and the car seat.

Things I Don’t Want to Forget: You had your physical and occupational therapy evaluation and passed with flying colors!  They gave me some tips and exercises to help you along, but you don’t need any sessions. The ladies were pretty smitten with you, too. Your head grew so much from last month that I had to take you to get another head ultrasound to make sure you don’t have water on your brain. You didn’t – you just have a big head like Dad!

Penelope is ONE month old!

You came home from the NICU at 35 weeks gestational, just in time for your 1 month birthday! The first few days were a little stressful, but I was so happy to have Gigi here to take care of me so I could take care of you! We love having you home because it means we got to spend even more time with you. We are keeping you on the NICU schedule for a couple of months – something both you and Dad and I are comfortable with. It’s nice to have a routine.

Adjusted Age: -0 month

Weight:  5lbs and 3 oz. (25-50%ile adjusted scale and  >2%ile term scale)

Length: 18.5 inches (50-75%ile adjusted scale and >2%ile term scale)

Head Circumference:  32.75 cm (~90%ile adjusted scale and 1%ile term scale)

Diaper Size:  You are still in preemie.

Clothing Size: Newborn, although they are a little big on you.

Diet: You are eating between 45 and 60mls every 3 hours. We are still working on breastfeeding.

Sleep: You are on a three hour feeding schedule (12am, 3am, 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, and 9pm). 

Sometimes you are awake a little after feedings but you mostly sleep – which is normal considering you are still supposed to be cooking for another month.

 Baby Gear Love: You love your swing!

Milestones/Firsts:  This was a month of firsts: no IV, no feeding tube, bottle feeding, breastfeeding, you name it!  Your muscles are getting stronger and you are starting to hold your head up on your own.

Likes:  Eating and sleeping. You like tummy time when you are laying on Mom or Dad’s chest.

Dislikes: Baths, dirty diapers, and diaper changes.

Things I Don’t Want to Forget: Some nights when I wake you up for your 3am feeding, I swear you have grown since I laid you down after your 12am feeding. 

We are so happy to have you home. We love you so much!