Nine months

Man, I'm getting later and later with these monthly updates.  Maybe it's because this adorable little giggle bug is keeping me so insanely busy!


March 2, 2011

I probably said this last month, but really ... Savannah is all over the place.  In particular, she loves the fireplace, any and all electrical outlets (which have been baby-proofed for anyone who might be wondering), and the dogs' food bowl.  Pretty much if it's dangerous and requires Momma or Daddy to swoop in and change her course, she's there.  Keeps me on my toes, that's for sure.  Gone are the days of leaving her to play in the floor while I put laundry away or go potty.  So long good ol' days.  I'll miss ya.  But on the flip side, it is so incredibly fun to watch how she grows and learns every day.  She can breeze around the ottoman in the blink of an eye and is starting to get brave enough to let go and try to balance.  I have a feeling her first steps won't be too far in the future.

Two teeth are in the process of coming in.  We saw the first one Saturday and the second one today.  I guess technically, that should be part of next month's post, but whatever. It's cute and I'm gonna talk about it.  She hasn't gotten use to the feeling yet as evidenced by the neurotic way she sticks her tongue out now.  She looks like a kitten lapping up milk.  In out, in out, in out.  It always makes me laugh.  It's done a number on her sleep, though. Without fail, she wakes up at 4 o'clock and it's a miracle if she'll go back down until 6.  Hopefully that won't last much longer.  Momma's tired.

Cory and I took her to the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens last Friday so I could shoot her 9-month portraits.  She was an absolute peach!  I couldn't be more pleased with the results.  Here are some of my favorites.

Such a pretty, pretty girl! 

Oh yea, and the crib got lowered when this happened the other day...

She is obviously so proud! 

Her well baby check on Monday went perfectly.  The doctor said she's lean and healthy weighing in at 18 lbs. 12 oz.  She's tall as far as the stats go ... 28 1/4".  She'll probalby level off though and everyone else will pass her.  After all, have you seen her Daddy and me?  She won't be breaking any world records in height that's for sure.  She's been introduced to more finger foods, but tends to be a little picky and won't warm up to things too quickly.  That's one area I hope she turns out to be nothing like me.  I want her to like more veggies than just green beans. :-)

I'll close with what might possibly be the cutest thing in the whole world ... a sweet picture of Savannah and her very best friend Abigail.  Abi's mom Kristi and I met up at the Botanic Gardens Tuesday so she could also get 9-month pictures taken. 

Precious, right?!  I know.  Don't gotta tell me twice!



Eight months

In honor of the Super Snow Bowl of 2011, Savannah donned her most festive fleece attire for this month's picture.

February 2

Since last month, this little girl is quite literally all over the place.  Her army crawl is perfected and now she's pushing up more onto her hands and knees.  I think the fireplace has some sort of secret gravitational property that only pulls babies toward it because it's the first place she heads when she's playing in the floor.  Can't leave her alone for a second or she'd surely be covered in soot.

Savannah also took her first plane ride about 2 weeks ago to go visit Gamma and Grrdad.  The flight to Amarillo was pleasant.  She entertained the sweet woman who sat next to me and didn't fuss at all.  The flight back to Dallas on the other hand, was a nightmare.  She was so tired and desparately needed a nap, but she is completely unwilling to sleep when there are new and interesting things to look at.  The exhaustion resulted in a meltdown of epic proportions midway through the flight.  To any random reader out there who may have possibly been on flight 324 that day, I am sorry you had the unfortunate luck of sharing that cabin with us.  She finally fell asleep a few minutes before our final descent.  Insert overly dramatic sigh of relief here.

On the subject of eating, she enjoys finger foods so much that she hardly has the patience for me to spoon baby food into her mouth any more.  Definitely got that I'll-do-it-myself personality trait.  Who knows where she got it from, though. *wink*  If she ever cuts some teeth, I'll be able to give her more options, but we're still waiting for that day.  And, unrelated to eating, she's really started reaching for people...me in particular.  She's a little bit of a Momma's girl right now to say the least.  I don't mind one bit! :)

Our baby girl is growing up too fast.  Believe it or not, I've already started contemplating her first birthday festivities because it will be here before we know it.  In the meantime, however, I'm enjoying watching this little person be who she is...our mostly happy and giggly but occasionally moody first-born.

Resolutions

I've never really been big on New Year's resolutions, but for whatever reason I set a few this year.  I didn't agonized over what they would be, but as 2010 was coming to a close, several things had come to mind that I thought I'd like to accomplish this year - and in doing so - perhaps create some positive habits that will carry on long after the newness of the resolution itself was gone.

1.  Lose weight.

I know, so cliche, right?  But really, I had about 7 pounds lingering that didn't exist before having Savannah...and truth be told...I wasn't in peak physical condition prior to her conception.  But considering I gain 43 pounds during pregnancy, I felt fortunate that only 7 didn't disappear on their own.  So, on my birthday actually, I started following the weight watchers plan and am proud to say that I've lost 11 pounds in 6 weeks.  (Saying that felt a little too much like a bad commercial. lol)  If I exercised I'm sure I'd be a little further along, but I figure the running around I do toting a child is workout enough.  So....so far so good with resolution #1.  I'm well on my way to my goal since I instituted it before 1-1-11.

2.  Stick to a set budget.

Cliche again.  I can't help it though.  Cory and I are horrible with budgets.  We try and try, but always fail.  We are really bad about telling each other no when it comes to splurging on this or that.  But we have a few things we want to get paid off, so we planned and set a fairly strict CASH budget for ourselves.  It's the Dave Ramsey method, only I didn't waste money on his books, I just used my own smarts.  It's amazing how much money you can save by not indiscriminately swiping your debit card.  So far so good on this one too, and although it's early, I'm very hopeful about our success.

3.  Read one book per month (at least).

I hate admitting it, but growing up I definitely didn't have the love of reading that my mom and brother had and still have.  But back in the fall, at the suggestion of a friend from high school, I picked up The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  A teen-read, sure, but utterly fantastic.  Now, as part of my actual resolution, I'm working on the Twilight books, which are especially thrilling because I haven't seen the films.  No, I haven't been living under a rock, I just never saw the intrigue......until now. ;-)  I finished Twilight and started New Moon yesterday.  That's why I said "at least" since I'm ahead of my quota after just 10 days.  After Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, my list is empty...suggestions anyone?

4.  ???????

There is a fourth, but putting it out there for all to know kinda takes its meaning away.  So I'll keep it to myself, but know that I am also succeeding with it, just like the others. 

There you have it.  2011 is off to a great start for the Bakers!  Wishing all the best to you as well, faithful readers.

7 months



January 2, 2011

Really?  I mean, I know I sound shocked every month when this happens, but really?!?!  Seven?  Why do I suddenly feel like Savannah is on the downhill slope of her entire childhood?  Ok, that might be a bit extreme, but I do have new emotions about her literally growing up too fast.  Maybe it's because of all the changes she's gone through over the last month.

For starters, her personality is bursting at the seams.  This girl hardly ever stops giggling!!  She can be laying in the floor, several feet from any toys, and just bust out laughing.  At herself, at the dog walking by, at anything.  It's hysterical!  She is super ticklish, and I can really get her going by enlisting "tickle fingers."  It's a whole bit we do.  You'd have to be there, but trust me, she loves it.  Cory's thing is to bounce his head against her tummy.  Omg, she goes nuts when he does this.  In fact, I think I posted a video of one such session on Facebook sometime last week.  If you missed it go check out my profile. 

And, on her 7-month birthday (Sunday), she randomly started feeding herself a bottle.  Well, I say randomly, Cory laid her in the floor and just sat it there by her to see what she'd do.  And, what did she do, you ask?  She picked it up and started eating.  Without much incident I might add.  Such a big girl!

What else, let's see......

Still no teeth, but she's been sleeping better at night for the past week or so.  Insert Momma's sigh of relief here.  Oh, and, she's just about got the army-crawling thing completely figured out.  She can manage right now, but isn't efficient.  If something is out of reach, she'll eventually get there, but it takes some effort to coordinate her movements.  Before too much longer, though, I think she'll be well-practiced and well on her way to getting into everything.  yay.  ;-)

We had a wonderful first Christmas with her, but I plan on making those details a post of their own.  So for now, I'll leave you with these pictures.  :-)


Look what I can do! [said in her best Stewart voice]

Playing peek-a-boo under the laundry basket



What started out as play time...



...ended up as Savannah-taco time.  TA DA!



Why is it so hard?

It's a simple concept, people.  The elevator has to be departed before it can be boarded. 

I was at the mall yesterday, only to go to Barnes and Noble at first, but when I discovered a diamond missing from my wedding ring, a trip to the lower level was required to talk to the folks at Zales.  So, with stroller in tow, I headed to the nearest elevator.  I was the first one there waiting on it to come up.  I pushed the button and, logically, stepped off to the side so that those coming up could exit easily.  But before it arrived, several other groups of people gathered, but not in an orderly fashion to either side of the doors.  Oh no.  Right in front of them!  Then when the doors opened and revealed the car full of people wanting off, these people looked shocked and mystified as they attempted to take steps forward into the elevator.  Really people?

Those inside slowly maneuvered their way around the rude folks who were so incredibly anxious to get on.  I was the last one on and made my way to the back.  Needless to say, the same thing happened to us when we got to the lower level.  Those who had been so pushy to get on before were now enraged at their peers who were acting in the same way and making it difficult for them to now get off.

The trip back up after visiting Zales was not unlike what I just described.  I was the last one to try and exit the elevator on the upper level and when the wall of unsupervised kids - little kids, not inconsiderate teenagers - refused to move to let me and my stroller out before pushing their way in, I looked at every unattentive parent, curtly said 'excuse me', disregarded their expressions of dismay (I'm sure they were thinking something like "What's that lady's problem?  Didn't she want to ride the elevator over and over for grins and giggles?"), and made my way out.

I mean, really, is it that difficult to understand? 

And......end rant

Happy half-birthday, sweet girl o' mine

I actually wrote this blog on December 2 - Savannah's 6 month birthday - but didn't have my pictures loaded, so I saved it intending to get back to it later that day. It's now December 14 and I'm finally sitting down to publish it.  That's how crazy things have been lately.  So without further ado...read on about my precious baby's half-birthday.


Well, as much as I hoped it wouldn't, the day has come and Savannah is halfway through her first year.  Oh.My.Goodness.  I've been thinking back over the past 6 months and realizing all the changes we've experienced.  Sav has gone from a tiny little bundle that spent most of her time sleeping to a not so tiny bundle that rolls around all over the place and only takes 2 little naps a day.  Cory and I have gone from a couple who loved to go run around town doing whatever floated our boat to a couple who enjoys a lot more time at home as a family. 

Savannah is loving everything she eats...except peas.  She is just about sitting up completely by herself, but still topples backwards unexpectedly from time to time.  She's mastered rolling over and is starting to figure out that she really can get places that way.  But it's also pretty clear that she's anxious to become mobile by means of the more practical method of crawling....just can't quite get those legs working the right way.  Soon, though, I'm sure.

I'm betting she'll have a tooth or two by Christmas as well.  I haven't spent a great deal of time around many teething babies, but I think it's safe to say she's taking it harder than most.  I'm holding on to hope that once the first few come in, the rest won't be so traumatic.

Our 6-month well baby appointment is Monday, so I'll have updated growth stats soon.  But she's reaching the end of fitting into her 3-6m clothes, especially jammies, which means Momma's gonna have to plan another date with the dresser and closet to swap out sizes.  So, so sad.

I did indeed do some cleaning out in her room.  It was crazy to lay her little newborn-size clothes next to the 3-6 and 6-9 month clothes she's wearing now.  Such a dramatic difference.  Her well baby check went great (minus those awful shots).  She weighs 15 lbs 13 oz and is 26 1/2 inches long (I think...the nurse forgot to give me a sticker with her info, so I'm not positive about the height).  She's graduated to 2nd foods now and really seems to like the apple/blueberry combo. 

AND, she's even more of a sitter-upper than she was 2 weeks go...catching herself far more often than toppling backwards. You can see how she's even sitting up in this month's picture instead of resting against the back of the chair.  Such a big girl (and taller than her bear)! 

Sweet Sunday

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted

me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord.

For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." 

1 Samuel 1:27 & 28

Just as Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord when he was just a baby, Cory and I dedicated Savannah yesterday morning during a special ceremony at church.  Pastor Brandon prayed for her and us, as her parents, and reminded us that she always has been and always will be God's child.  He has merely entrusted her to us while on this earth.  We commit to train her in the way she should go so when she is old, she will not turn from it (Prov. 22:6).

Since it was a special day, I thought there was no better outfit for her to wear than the fancy dress her Grrdad bought before she was born.  He painstakingly picked it out all by himself to carry on a tradition started by my grandpa when I was born.  I have been anxious for her to be able to wear it, and little did I know that this occasion would work out perfectly. 

This little beauty is the most amazing blessing I have ever received.