12 Month Session With Heart Photography

We had so much fun at Leighton's 12 Month Photo Shoot. It's a lot more difficult to take pictures of an active one year old as opposed to a sleepy newborn or an 8 month old that only knows how to sit, but our sweet photographer did such an excellent job as always. Stacy at Heart Photography is just incredible. I don't know what I will do when we eventually move from Montgomery and don't have her right around the corner anymore. I posted 1/2 or so of the pictures on Facebook already, so I am going to post the other half here. If you want to see any picture larger just click on it.

Do not copy or reproduce these photos in any way. They are copyrighted and the only people who may do anything but look at them are myself and the photographer. Do NOT steal, it's against the law and just not very nice :)

Leighton's Life- Months 9-12

 Well, my baby girl has officially turned one and I have officially been the worst blog- updater ever in the past 5 months or so but we have had a lot going on with holidays and family members passing away (Leighton's sweet great- grandparents passed away within weeks of each other) and various other things. But, I'm baaacck! I thought maybe I should give up blogging because I have been such a slacker but the truth is, I just can't. I love it and I really want Leighton to have all of these accounts of her life one day. And, it's also been good for our friends and family who don't get to see us very often to keep up with us. So, forgive me while I catch everyone up on the passed 4 months of our sweet girl's life. It may take a while. Then, get ready for some changes to the blog. It will soon become much more versatile than just a month by month look at out growing girl (although it will, of course, still be mostly about her.) 

                                                              Sweet 9 Month Old

Leighton's 9 month Dr. apt was wonderful! She hit all of the 9 month milestones except for saying her first word. However, our sweet Dr. was not concerned in the least because she was babbling like crazy, as usual. She would say "Ga-Ga" all day long but hadn't said "Da-Da" or "Ma-Ma" yet.

Leighton weighed in at just under 18 lbs (35% - up from 30th % at 6 mos!), was 27 1/4 inches long (45%), and her head is a whopping 18 inches around (90%, yes, we are aware it's due to her genius-sized brain.)  She had to have her finger stuck to test her blood for anemia. She didn't.even.flinch. when they pricked her. (Umm, are you sure you are my child??) I was so proud! She just sat there and waved her arms and legs in her carrier making it totally impossible for the sweet nurse to collect enough blood. She finally was able too. The results- not anemic with an "excellent blood count." Fabulous.

Well, month 9 was BUSY. Mostly because, well, Leighton is busy. She could actually crawl (not just scoot around- her old version of crawling.) but she just didn't want to. She would crawl to the nearest person or piece of furniture that she can pull up on. She was very hardheaded about it. She just wanted to stand all the time. She will now take steps, while holding our hands, without being forced too (like, without us helping her move her legs). At 9 mos she could also purposefully go from the sitting to crawling position and did it well and often. She would sometimes just fall over and end up in that position and start scooting but at 9 mos she did it intentionally. She could also "sit" on her knees for decent periods of time.

Speaking of pulling up on furniture, she succeeded in doing the one thing that, I am sure, scares the daylights out of every baby's parents the first time during her 9th month. She pulled up on her crib. Here's the story: Her nap times are usually pretty predictable. So, I'd always try and get her lunch bottle ready before she actually wakes up. I heard her begin to stir around lunch time so I went in to the kitchen to make her bottle and then in to her room room to pick her up and feed her. To my shock and horror, there she was, standing up in her crib, holding on to the sides, beaming at me. She was all "look how awesome I am mom" and I was all, "ohmygosh you could fall to your death." (Probably not really, but it could seriously hurt her, I am sure!) So, needless to say, that night, Jeremy lowered her mattress. Then, a few weeks later we just had it lowered the rest of the way because I was still nervous at how she kept pulling up and looking like she could fall out of there.

                                At The Zoo (she could watch the Jaguars pace back and forth all day long)

At 9 mos Leighton was eating like a champ, still. An 8oz bottle, three times a day, with rice cereal, fruit for breakfast (mixed with rice cereal and yogurt- her new favorite food), vegetable for lunch (sometimes mixed with rice cereal) and fruit and vegetable for dinner. She also started on "finger foods" at 9 months. She used her own hands to pick up and eat the little baby puffs, and some bananas and bread (which we cut in to tiny little pieces so she doesn't choke, of course). It did make me a little sad to watch her feed herself, one less thing she needs her momma for, sigh. So independent. We tried to encourage the sippy cup more but she really wanted nothing to do with it. We had also started bringing the temperature of her bottle down every so often. This was so she'd get used to drinking it cold, as the whole milk we'd put her on at 1 year would, of course, be cold.

We left her overnight with her grandparents twice during her 9th month (first two times I have ever been away from my girl overnight) and she did just fine! The first time was so Jeremy and I could spend a weekend away for our 2 year anniversary and then two weeks later we had an engagement party to attend for a dear friend. We had a ton of fun both times but sure did miss our girl!

                                                   Backwards Paci- Silly Girl 

Teething got a little worse during her 9th month. She had been more fussy and run a couple of low-grade fevers. However, they weren't long lasting enough or bad enough to where I thought she needed Tylenol or anything.You know me, not a huge fan of medicating when not totally necessary. At 9 months old our child hadn't had any medication aside from the medicines she had to be on for reflux.

                                               Leighton as A Poodle for Halloween

Leighton had a wonderful first Halloween! We did all the fun Halloween stuff last month like going to the pumpkin patch (which she will totally enjoy more next year, when she's a bit older but we still got some cute pictures), going to our Church's fall festival in her adorable costume, and handing out candy to the few trick-or-treaters we had on Halloween night. Speaking of Leighton's costume, when I first purchased it at consignment, I really thought it was a pig costume. Well, it so wasn't. We decided to take votes on what she was. Some people said sheep, some lamb, but most said poodle. I think it's safe to say that for her first Halloween she was, apparently, a pink poodle. Whatever she was, she was the cutest stinking thing I have ever seen in all of my 24 years. And she LOVED her costume. So many people marveled at how she never fussed, especially with the headpiece on. Such a good baby.

The only other interesting thing I can think to write about from the 9th month is that we found the "Your Baby Can Read" set on clearance recently (as in much less than what the online price is) so we got it and Leighton has been watching it once per day. Now, I had mixed feelings on this system as I am sure a lot of parents have, but basically it boils down to, if it works, great, if not, oh well. We aren't psycho about it. And no, it's not setting your kid in front of the T.V. for hours on end forcing them to watch something. The first video is literally long enough for me to take a shower. Which I have to do anyway, every day. So that's when I put her in her jumperoo and turn it on, with her a very safe distance from the T.V. and that's all the T.V. she ever watches.

                                                                          Big 10 Month Old 

                                                                                       

Month 10 was certainly busy as well! Leighton was crawling like crazy, eating like a champ, and pulling up on everything.

                                                                  Crawling Champion

During her 10th month we completely weaned her off of the cereal in her bottle. Each time we removed a teaspoon she would spit up once, and then she was fine.

Unfortunately, Leighton had to have two "sick" visits to the Dr. during her 10th month (November). She got her first fever that was high enough for her to receive her first dose of Tylenol and that did the trick but then she got a cold on top of that, so we went to the Dr. He wrote us a prescription and I went to go to get it filled the next day and she woke up feeling all better. Then, a couple of weeks later she ended up with two abscesses on her skin. I took her to the Dr. and he had to drain one that was ready to be drained. I went back there while they did it to hold my sweet girl and talk to her while she screamed in pain. It was so sad to watch but I was glad I was with her to help calm her down. The other abscess ended up rupturing while I was changing her diaper the next day so I called the Dr. and he instructed me over the phone as to how to drain it. They sent the gunk they got out of the abscess off to pathology which revealed it was a bacteria and we gave her an antibiotic for it. Abscesses are, apparently, genetic, though neither Jeremy or I can remember having one before so who knows. She could get another one later, or she could not, it just depends. She has a minor scar from the first abscess.

She said her first word: Mama. Love it!

                                                Me holding Vivi and Stacy (my sister) holding Leighton 

Leighton's first Thanksgiving was wonderful. We visited with 2 sides of our families and got to see my oldest sister and her 4 beautiful children who came all the way from Texas, as they do most Thanksgivings. Leighton and my sister's youngest girl, Vivi, are close in age. It was so fun to see them interact. Leighton got to taste many new foods on Thanksgiving and really enjoyed the Turkey. She didn't get to take a full nap that day, poor baby. So, she took occasional snoozes on her Papa and Geegee and was SO tired that night.

                                                                                11 Months! 

Month 11 was the month of December. Leighton got to meet Santa Claus for the first time. (she was mesmerized by him and the picture turned out really cute). Her first Christmas was incredible and we thank everyone who gave her such wonderful gifts. She loved opening presents, even if she had to take a nap in the middle of it and was only interested in the tissue/wrapping paper. She loved all of her toys and plays with them all of the time.

                                                                 Merry Christmas!

Also, during Month 11, Leighton learned how to clap and wave! It was so precious to watch and so exciting for her. To this day, her favorite thing to do is wave at everyone and say "hey." She also learned how to give kisses. Some days she is very generous with her kisses and others not so much. But we love each and every kiss she gives us on our cheeks, noses, and lips. Even if she occasionally bites us (not on purpose.) Lastly, Leighton learned how to stand all by herself, not holding on to anything during her 11th month. She was SO proud of herself and we were equally as proud! She could stand up to like a whole minute by herself.

Month 12 was January 5th -February 5th (her first birthday!). It was unreal that a year went by SO fast. Most of the month was spent preparing for her 1st Birthday party! At 12 months Leighton was:
Drinking whole milk out of a sippy cup all by herself, Clapping, Waving, Standing, Crawling, Shanking her head "no" (her newest, not so cute, trick), completely off baby food and totally feeding herself all finger foods that were cut up in "her size" pieces, playing peek-a-boo back with me (when I say "Where's Leighton?" she covers her eyes.then she pulls them down and I say "peekaboo." SO cute), she says the following words: Mama, Dada, Pop, Baba, Cup, "P-cup" (sippy cup), "Cack" (cracker) Milk, Happy, Cheese, Hey, Yep, Yay, Yum/yummy. (and probably some others I can't think of right now.)

Her favorite foods are: Crackers, Bread, Bananas, Cheese, Oranges, Ham, Turkey, Beans, Rice, Grapes, Kiwi, Applesauce, Yogurt, and basically anything she can feed to herself. She no longer wants us to feed her anything.

She loves to dance to any and all music.

At her 12 month check up she was 30 1/4 inches long (75%!) and 20 1/2 lbs (40%). This means she quadrupled her preemie birth weight and most babies only triple their birth weight. She "beat the odds" as our Dr. said. Oh, how proud of our big girl I am. She got her third tooth the day before her birthday (her birthday party day). Her Upper Left Lateral Incisor (or in normal people terms, her vampire tooth.) She just recently acquired her Left top middle  tooth.

She still sleeps 12 hours a night from around 7:30-7:30  (give or take 30 min here and there) and still naps twice a day (roughly 10-12 and 2:30-4:30). At one point we thought she was ready to move to one nap and she did great for a couple of weeks but then feel in to a regression and we decided she needs those two naps still, for sure!

She took her first steps at 12.5 months and can now take several (5-15) steps at a time, but this child just doesn't want to walk. Why would she? She can get there faster if she crawls. We are ok with that, we just want her to do things on her terms right now.

I am going to do another entire post on her first birthday party and 12 month photo shoot very soon!

Sweet, beautiful, smart, precious Leighton. You have filled the past year of our lives with SO much joy. I can't imagine what my life was like without your bright smile, infectious laugh, and sweet kisses. How did we we ever do anything in this world to deserve such an incredible child like you? I can't believe you are not a baby anymore and are so independent but never forget, you will always be my baby and I am always going to be here for you as a constant source of love and support. We thank God for you every day and hope your second year of life is just as incredible as the first!

Leighton's Life- Months 7&8

 These past 2 months collectively seem to have gone by more quickly than any other month by itself, thus far. Our baby girl is 8 months old! Leighton is still the happiest baby on the planet and has us wrapped around her little finger more than she could know. You'd think that seeing your children smiling or laughing would become old hat. Not so for this family. Each times she smiles or laughs, we smile and laugh. It never.gets.old. I hope it never does. I don't ever want to take one of those precious smiles for granted.

Since I was being a slacker-blog-mom (ya know, actually spending time with her instead of writing about her) I am going to have to cover 2 whole months so take a deep breath...here we go...

Month 7:

There is no check up for 7 months, in fact her next one wont be until she is 9 months. So, I am estimating here with her weight and height. By my calculations she is 16 lbs and 26 inches. (I'm usually dead on with poundage but usually a little off in length, somehow.)


Highlights of Month 7:

BIG NEWS: THE REFLUX IS GONE!!!! I think it's safe to say that after over a month weeks of little to no spit up, no medicine, and no pain!! We are EXCITED, can you tell? No more administering expensive and complicated meds, no more throw -up all over everything, and no more doing laundry every day. THANK YOU all so much for your prayers. We weren't technically supposed to wean her off of her medication until October 1st, and we did so this early by accident. I guess the Lord was trying to show us she didn't need them anymore.

When we went on our family beach vacation a month or so ago, I had one pill left to give her and then I was going to refill them the next day at a pharmacy down in Orange Beach. Well, since we always gave her the medication at night, before dinner, I forgot all day to call and refill them. I was nervous that it was going to be a rough night with her screaming in pain and a ton of throw up, so I prepared myself. What actually happened was, well, absolutely nothing. No pain. No more throw up than usual. I was excited but didn't want to get my hopes up. So we tried another night. And another. Here we are, over a month later, reflux free! She only spits up occasionally and we still have to put the cereal in her bottle or it's too thin and she will spit it up, but we are OK with that! Thank you, Jesus!

Speaking of her bottle, this month we officially weaned her from breast milk to formula. It was a very hard decision and a rough couple of weeks of emotions/transition for me. I can't talk about it too much or I get teary eyed so I will just say that it was, ultimately, the best thing for both mommy and Leighton. As I have said before, I plan on doing a breastfeeding post, (the joys and the not-so-happy parts) eventually. I just have to muster up the courage to be totally transparent and real about the whole experience. It may take some time before I am ready for that.

                                                  Sitting Up By Herself- Such a Big Girl! 


Leighton is sitting up all by herself! We are so proud of her but I think she is equally as proud of herself. She LOVES the independence. She sits there, contently playing with her toys with this "look how cool I am, mom," smile. I love sitting on the floor playing with her. Oh, my baby girl is growing up so fast.

She is making more noises with her mouth now. She has actually started growling. It's pretty funny. She has no idea what she is doing except that she is testing out different sounds. Some of the noises she makes, I cannot even begin to imitate. Let's just hope she grows out of the growling thing before she goes to school; I'm not sure she'll make too many friends that way. Ha!

She loves to stare in to your eyes and touch your face with her hands when you feed her a bottle. It absolutely melts my soul.

                                                                      Dedication Cake 

We (finally) had Leighton's dedication at church this month. We wanted to follow the biblical example of Hannah dedicating her son back to God. (1 Samuel 1 26-28) Leighton is, after all, His child. He is her heavenly father, we are just her earthly parents.We were unable to participate in the church-wide one a few months ago due to some communication issues. However, it worked out perfectly because Leighton was dedicated with her sweet little friend, Annie-Elizabeth Bryant (daughter of our precious friends Karl and Jennifer). A-E is about 2 1/2 months older than Leighton so they will be good friends growing up, I hope. We had a wonderful crowd of family and friends come to be a part of this beautiful occasion. Thank you to everyone who came and loved on our sweet girl, our family could not be more blessed.

                                                      A Professional Photo in her Dedication Gown 

She went on her very first boat ride this month. We took our week- long family vacation to Perdido Key Beach, Florida. Mom and Mark had just bought a new boat. We took a day trip over to Pirate's Cove. This was my FAVORITE place growing up. Just docking at the pier flooded my mind with so many memories  of family beach trips when I was a kid. Taking the boat out to Pirates Cove. Listening to Jimmy Buffet while dancing on my daddy's feet. Spending the day on the beach with halfway rubbed in sunscreen. Swimming for hours in the ocean. We miss living so close to the beach but are so glad both Jeremy and my parents still do so that Leighton can have the same experiences we did. She was very chilled out on the boat ride and enjoyed lounging in the ocean after lunch.

                                       Loves her High Chair. (And playing with the spoon when she's done.)

Leighton is now eating in her high chair and only her high chair. Before, she'd only eat on her Boppy and occasionally in her Bumbo. But when we'd sit her in her Bumbo she'd always lean to one side and it was awkward feeding her. Well, one day this month I put her on her Boppy, as usual, and she was so mad she began to fuss and was trying to sit herself up. I gave the high chair a try and it was a hit. She LOVES it.

She tried tons of new foods this month. She has tried Squash, Green Beans, Peas, Peaches, Pears, and Bananas. (We still mix all fruits with rice cereal so she doesn't get used to super sweet stuff and only want that.) She's loved them all and has had no reactions to anything thus far.

She has moved up to a size 3 diaper.

She has tried a training sippy cup a few times this month. She seemed to not even notice that it wasn't a bottle, sucking away like normal. However, it's so difficult for her to get the milk out of the sippy cup. She doesn't get frustrated but it's takes around 5 minutes just to drink one ounce. We continue to try it for one feeding per day with just an ounce or 2 for practice. She still eats 4 times per day usually at 7,11,3,7. Breakfast is a bottle and some rice cereal with fruit, lunch is a bottle and a vegetable, 3 p.m. feeding is just a bottle, and dinner is a bottle, rice cereal with fruit, and a vegetable.

She is still a great sleeper, although her routine has changed a bit. She was sleeping 8-6 and now she sleeps from around 7:45- 8:00 to between 6:30-7. I am so grateful she loves to sleep as much as I do!

She watched her first (true) Auburn game this month (there have been several more since then as it has taken me forever to post this!) Of course, Leighton didn't know what was going on but she looked ever so cute in orange and blue!

She had very much outgrown her baby bath tub so now she has this super awesome duck tub (thanks, Bella). She loves it!

We began teaching her sign language this month. No, she is not deaf (thanks be to His holy name). The point of signing with babies is to teach them to communicate with you before they can talk. When Leighton was screaming in pain as an infant due to her reflux, I remember myself saying over and over, "I just wish she could tell me what hurts." I am sure all mother's have had similar experiences. We didn't start until 7 months because we were told they can't really pick up on it before hand. Who knows. We have started with the words "More" and "All Done." This is for feeding time, as most parents wonder frequently if they are under or over feeding their children. She hasn't signed back yet. I have read this could take her up to her first birthday to figure out.

My favorite part of month 7 is that she is "reaching" for things and people, now. Ok, correction, she reaches for EVERYTHING. I love how curious she is but she, of course, always wants to reach for things that little babies don't need to be reaching for. But, oh, how it touches my soul when she reaches out for me, wanting me to pick her up, with the biggest grin on her face. It's my current favorite thing in the whole wide world.

8 Months: 

There is also no Dr. apt for month 8 so my weight guestimation is just about 16 1/2 lbs.

Highlights of Month 8: 

Leighton is scooting around on the floor now. Not crawling, but scooting. Well, correction, she CAN scoot around but doesn't really want to. ALL this baby wants to do is pull-up and stand up. She cannot actually pull up on any furniture yet, because she doesn't quite grasp the fact that if she lets go she will fall and hurt herself. However, she can and does pull up her own weight with us holding her hands. (She doesn't fall this way because, of course, we don't let go.) We think she may skip the crawling phase all- together and go straight to walking. This is what I did as a baby. We shall see.

She tried 2 new foods this month- Avocado and Yogurt. She absolutely LOVES the yogurt and absolutely HATES avocado. It's the only food she has refused to eat/ disliked so far.

Leighton met her sweet little boyfriend this month. Precious baby John "Hutton" Chapman III was born to my best friend Shannon and her husband on 9/10/11 at 9:49 p.m. and weighed 8 lbs 11 ounces. He is beautiful and his mommy adores him and I adore his mommy.

This has been a rough month in terms of her schedule. We are transitioning from 4 to 3 feedings per day so we are still working out the kinks.

Leighton has cut her first and second teeth! The first one came just a couple of days after turning 8 months and the second followed a couple of days later. So, essentially at the same time. I can SEE and FEEL the them! I'd say, "finally" since it feels like she has been "teething" forever, but babies can get their first tooth anywhere from birth (only 1 in 2,000) to a year, or more. So, I suppose 8 months is a good time. I was 8 1/2 months and Jeremy was an early bird at 5 months. She has her bottom right and left central incisors. (or in regular people terms, her bottom front teeth.) Teething with her has been no pick-nick but it really hasn't been as terrible as we expected. Not every  teething baby makes their parents be all, "the tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth, Help us, God!" Leighton has been a little more fussy and naps have been shorter but other than that she's been her same sweet self.

Leighton had her second set of professional pics taken. They are fabulous thanks to Stacy at Heart Photography.  I have WAY to many favorites to blog them (this post is already long enough, eh?) but you can see them on my Facebook page.

Lastly, in her 8th month we have attended MOPS (mother's of pre-schoolers) twice. We both LOVE it. She gets to hang with the sweet nursery workers and I get 2 hours of adult conversation while learning how to be the best momma I can be, according to scripture. I'd say that's a Win-Win. Even better, the Montgomery MOPS group we attend takes place at First Baptist where we are members! Montgomery friends who are stay at home mommies to littles ages birth-5, come join us every other Weds. from 9:30-11:30. We'd love to have you! Oh, and we are collecting change all year to buy one of these for a family in need. Watch the shortened video, you will want to buy 50. If I could, I totally would.

My sweet, happy 8 month old girl; I am over the moon in love with you and this phase of your life. You are a growing, changing, curious, and precious child. I am so blessed to be able to love on you every day!

I Don't Do it Often...

But sometimes, I just have to rock my baby girl until she is fast asleep and dreaming. I rocked her to sleep A LOT when she was dealing with painful reflux as an infant and it was the only way she'd sleep. After she was put on the right medication and was no longer in pain, I knew she needed to learn how to fall asleep on her own. And she did, the very first time. I was thankful on one hand, sad on the other. I know she doesn't need to depend on anything like rocking or a bottle or her momma (sigh) to put her to sleep. However, I missed rocking her to sleep oh so much. I'd still rock her every night, of course, but I'd put her down before she closed her eyes. So, now I allow myself one night a week (ok,ok sometimes two) to rock my baby completely to sleep. It's without a doubt the highlight of my week.

       (Click on any photo to enlarge)

We read, I rock, I sing. And continue to rock and sing after she falls asleep. Here is my inner dialogue just about every time:

                         I see the moon, and the moon sees me, and the moon sees somebody I'd like to see...

Oh my, Lord. She is even more beautiful today than she was yesterday. Isn't she?
I love her more today, too. How is that even possible?
She takes my breath away. Seriously, I just forgot to breathe.
Thank you, Lord, for our healthy, smart, beautiful baby girl.
I think I'll sing just one more song.
My heart is so full.
Look how big she's gotten, Lord.
Soon, she'll be so big that she won't want me to rock her anymore.
Oh, no. Don't cry. Don't.
Too late.
Please, Lord, don't let one of my tears fall on her and wake her.
How did something this perfect come from my body?
I love her so much. I would die for her, willingly.
Wow. So, this is how much my mother loves me?
I am so undeserving of such an indescribably powerful love.
And Lord, you love all of us even more than this.
I think my heart might explode.
Deep breath.
I love the way she stirs, occasionally in my arms but doesn't wake.
She knows her momma's got her. She knows she is safe.
Leighton, you are just so perfect. So beautiful. And you are all ours.
You look so much like your daddy. And oh, how you love him. And he loves you.
I have got to stop crying.
Ok, one last song.

                        God bless the moon, and God bless me, and God bless the somebody I'd like to see. 

Then, after I sing that last song, I place her gently in her crib. On her belly with her head against the bumper, just the way she likes it. She stirs, realizing she has been put down. She goes right back to dreaming, such a  good baby. I wipe away the hot tears staining my cheeks. I physically get down on my knees on the adorable pink rug just in front of her crib. And I pray. For her health. For her relationship with Christ. For her future husband, and his relationship with Christ. For so many more things. I say, "amen." I kiss her softly on the top of her head. I marvel at how big she is beginning to look in her crib. And I cry again.

Oh, cleaning and scrubbing

will wait 'till tomorrow,

but children grow up,

as I've learned to my sorrow. 

So, quiet down, cobwebs.

Dust, go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby,

Babies don't keep. 

-Ruth Hulburt Hamilton  

Leighton's Life- 6 Months Old

                                                        Happy 6 Month Old

I am not sure how it's possible that I have a 6 month old. I guess time flies when you are having fun, and this sure has been a fun month! Leighton's personality is just shining through and I am thrilled that we have such a sweet baby who will smile and talk to anyone willing to listen (including inanimate objects like her toys).

We had her 6 month well baby check up yesterday and it was great! The day did not begin well, though, because on the way to the Dr. office I witnessed a hit and run between 2 vehicles. I was STUNNED that someone would actually leave the scene of an accident they were involved in. So, since I couldn't stop to make sure the gentleman was alright, I called 911 immediately and reported it. I tried to catch up with the runaway vehicle but he was too fast and I would have missed our turn. I hope the police will find him.

As I was saying, the appointment itself was great! Leighton is 25 1/4 inches long (45th percentile) 15.1 lbs (30th percentile) and her head circumference is 16 3/4 (55th percentile). I was elated when Dr. M said "wow, good job momma she is almost the size of an average full-term baby her age!" I started to tear up because it has been a long, hard journey to get her to this point but it has been so worth it. Also, it's such a blessing not only to have a great pediatrician but one who thinks and parents the way I do. Some of the things he says are exactly the things I think. It's hard to explain but the point it, he is awesome.

We discussed her still-present reflux. He says that since she is now cleared for stage 2 foods and will be taking in more solids that the reflux should begin to subside, as it is harder to spit up solids. He wants to try taking her off of the Prevacid on October 1st, unless of course she miraculously stops spitting up before then, and see how she does. I am nervous and excited about that.

I am excited because I can't wait for my daughter to know what it's like the eat without throwing it all back up. An added bonus, we will no longer have to go through the routine of dissolving the pill in water, pulling it in to the syringe, having it get stuck, pouring it out, and repeating. I am nervous because the last thing I want to do is go back to the days where all she did was scream in pain. If that is the case in October when we wean her off, it will probably take a good week to get it back in her system to where she is not in pain. Please begin praying for us on this matter.

Leighton's eyes, ears, and mouth all looked fine. She hit all 6 month milestones. Dr. predicts her first tooth soon (which I already figured) as her bottom gums are bulging a bit. He says we can gradually begin giving her a sippy cup. We'll see how that goes, as this month she figured out and notices what the bottle is and what it's for. She goes crazy when she sees a bottle, or anything resembling one. She has some dry patches of skin on her back which is odd because we always put lotion on her after her bath. Dr. M gave us some better lotion for free so we are trying that.

She got another round of shots, which she was not happy about, of course. However, I can promise you I hated it more because I knew she was much more aware of what was going on than she ever had been and I had to hold her little arms down. I only watched the nurse jab her once with a needle (by accident) and I almost lost my breakfast. I just cannot stand needles or my baby being in pain. She was a trooper though, only cried for a little while, took down the liquid vaccine (Rotavirus) and then passed out asleep in her car seat. She slept well the rest of the day and hasn't had any allergic reactions to any shots thus far. Luckily, her 9 month appointment only involves a finger stick for blood work, no shots!!

Highlights of Month 6:

Leighton tried a few more solid foods (aside from carrots and rice cereal) this month. She tried sweet potatoes and apple sauce (the apple sauce is mixed in with her rice cereal so as not to make it too sweet). The sweet potatoes were home made by yours truly. I just wrapped them in aluminum foil and baked them in the oven on 400 degrees for about an hour. Then peeled off the skin and put them in to the food processor. It was super easy.

The apple sauce I just bought from the store. Not the tiny, expensive Gerber jars, mind you, but the big container of store brand apple sauce in which the only ingredients were apples and water. It was less than $2 and to home make apple sauce would be pretty pricey as apples are pretty expensive. Leighton also tried green beans for the first time yesterday. I am happy to report that she seems to love all the foods she has tried, especially the vegetables. This makes me so happy! My goal is for her to be a much better eater than I am. Oh, and she finally figured out what to do with her tongue a couple of weeks ago and I love it that she now opens her mouth for the spoon now and licks her lips wanting more.

Leighton got sick for the first time this month. She got a mild ...cold, I guess is what I'd call it, but the only thing that was wrong with her was her nose was very stopped up. So, I'd just use a bulb syringe to get the yuckiness out about 5 times a day and use a home made saline solution of 8 oz warm water and a tsp of salt, a couple of those times. I checked her temperature constantly but she never had a fever and she was never overly fussy so I didn't have to give her any medication, I am not a big believer in medicating children just because. I also rubbed baby Vicks on her before naps and bedtime to comfort her. Within a week, it was gone.

Leighton is still sleeping between, give or take, 10 hours at night. She is always down by 8 (sometimes before) and she is usually up at 6. I love that she sleeps so well. Now, I'll just be glad when she figures out how to put her own paci back in her mouth so I don't have to get up a few times during the night to slip it back in.

During her 6th month she was still getting a little formula on top of the breast milk. Since we would be mixing breast milk, formula and rice cereal we referred to them her cocktails.

She is really starting to figure out how to "play" with her toys. She will shake them and pass them from hand to had and, of course, chew on them. She is so smart and has figured out how to work every toy and button on her jumperoo and boy, can she jump in it! She just jumps and laughs, it's precious.

She is trying SO hard (and succeeding a little) to hold her bottle by herself, sit up, and roll from back to front. She hasn't completely mastered any of them yet but she keeps on trying. I think her chunky thighs are preventing her from the back to front roll.

                                                       Cousins: Will and Leighton

Leighton's first younger cousin was born this month! Alesha, and her husband, Tim welcomed their son, William Timothy, on August 4th at 11:35 p.m. He was 9 lbs 21 inches. He is beautiful and Leighton just LOVED getting to meet him. Had he been born after midnight then he and Leighton would have been exactly 6 months apart, but I think it's close enough. I love that the cousins will be so close in age.

She attended her first baby shower (for someone other than herself) this month. My very best friend, Shannon, will be welcoming her son some time next month! We had a great time at the shower and are SO excited to meet baby Hutton!

Leighton's Favorites This Month:

She still loves a bath more than anything (and loves splashing in the water)

She loves having her clothes and diaper changed (thank goodness, because with reflux we change clothes a lot!)

She loves when mommy sings to her.

She loves to talk, smile, and laugh at any and every friendly face. I guess, for now, it's a good thing that she will go to anyone.

The only times she is fussy is when she is tired, hungry, bored, has a dirty diaper or tummy troubles. She is generally a very happy baby.

She loves to play with her feet.

Leighton, if I had written down my ideal child on paper you have far surpassed my wildest dreams. You are the smartest and sweetest baby. I can't believe you are already half a year old. You have no idea how much you are loved, precious girl. It's virtually impossible for anyone to be in a bad mood around you. All you have to do is flash that smile or start babbling and we all go to mush. I thank God for you every day, for you are the biggest and best blessing I have ever received.

Rolling Along- 5 Months Old

This 5th month has made me realize how true it is when people talk about how quickly children change. You hear it all of the time but you never fully understand it until you are a parent watching your own child grow by leaps and bounds every day!

Leighton has grown almost 2 entire inches (now almost 25 inches long) and has gained over a pound (now almost 14 lbs) this month! (These are by my measurements as there is no Dr. visit for 5 months.)

She is eating two bowls of rice cereal a day (for breakfast and lunch!) She isn't eating the full 4 tbs which is a complete "serving" but she eats around three. She is still having a little difficulty figuring out what she is supposed to do with her tongue when she eats but she's getting better every day. I love that she get covered head to toe in cereal. It's hilarious!

She is reaching for things deliberately, now. Before, she would swat at things willy-nilly, not really comprehending but now she is reaching for everything! Her favorites are: her toys hanging from her baby gym, and faces, especially mommy's.

She is eating a tiny bit of formula now, to my dismay. I wanted her to be solely on breast milk until they put her on whole milk, but hey, what are you going to do when your child is growing as fast as our is and your body just can't keep up? Starve her? I think not. She only needs a few ounces a day. Really, if we try to put more than an ounce or two in her bottle she can tell the difference and she pitches an absolutely horrifying tantrum won't drink it. Yikes. For now, the occasional ounce is working, I just hope she doesn't start needing more than that because if she does and won't drink it who knows what we will do. We'd appreciate some prayers thrown our way on this issue! Also, if any on you mommas have some good tips on how to up the breast milk production, I am all ears. I already: drink more water than ten average Americans put together; take a prenatal every day, take Fenugreek herbal supplement (which does help, I might add), don't over do it on going out in the heat or exercising (I am really concerned with losing this baby weight, eh?), I eat enough calories, and I have heard the warm wash cloth trick, just haven't tried it yet.

She is ROLLING FROM FRONT TO BACK! Woohoo! I was shocked the first time she did it, she acted like she had been doing it all along. It didn't scare or upset her, she was just kind- of ...indifferent. And she did it over and over and over. I was loving it and she was looking at me like "what's the big deal mom?" I have a video on this too...hopefully one day you will all get to see it! She doesn't do it all the time now, just randomly. I knew the day would come when I'd go to get her up from her nap and she'd be on her back (since she is a stomach sleeper). Well, that happened just the other day. I glanced down at the baby monitor to check on her and something looked strange. I did a double take and realized she was on her back, just staring at the ceiling, not even fussing.

She is understanding more and more who I am. Now, when she is in her crib, swing, etc. and I come in to the room to get her, she immediately lights up, smiles, laughs, and kicks her legs. It absolutely melts me.

She still has severe reflux. Some days it feels like it is never going to end, though I know it eventually has to. We are praying that she will be like most babies and will grow out of it by 6 months. We would appreciate your continued prayers.

We have started other solid foods aside from the rice cereal. I am homemaking her baby food. It's SO much cheaper than jarred baby food, and healthier too! A win-win in my book. The first thing she tried were some homemade carrots! They were so easy to make. I just washed, peeled, and chopped a bag of carrots; put a 1/2 inch of water in a skillet; brought water to boil, added carrots; covered; boiled for about 6 minutes; threw carrots in food processor; pureed them; added water as needed to soften and voila! Homemade baby food. Then I used ice cube trays that I bought at the grocery store and filled up each cube with carrots which equals about an ounce a piece. Just one bag of carrots which cost about $2.50 made 26 ounces of food! That's about 25% of the cost of Gerber. Then, I froze the carrots over-night and popped them out of the ice cube trays. I transferred them to a zip lock bag, labeled them with the date and put them back in the freezer. They will keep for about a month. A few of hours before lunch I take the amount out of the bag I wish to feed her and let it thaw. How simple it that? (Thanks again, Alan Reynolds, for all of your tips!) She seems to like the carrots, just can't figure out her tongue still. It will happen, we are just being patient. Oh- and it amazes me how much the pureed carrots stain! We just feed her in her diaper because the food gets everywhere. No sense in ruining an outfit!

She is still quite the talker. A couple of Sundays ago, when we picked her up from the Church Nursery, one of the workers commented that she had never seen a baby who loved to talk and imitate what you are doing as much as our child! Seriously, I think she talks more than she does anything else. Who knows where she got that from?! ;) Speaking of the church nursery- gone are the days when I worry about her being in there. It didn't take long. The workers are wonderful and just love our sweet girl. One worker actually begged us not to take her home last week! So blessed with such a wonderful church in every way.

She has started to try and grab her feet, though she cannot hold on for very long. I know pretty soon she will be sticking them in her mouth!

She had her first beach visit! She LOVED playing with the sand, I guess she likes discovering how it felt between her hands and toes. She loved the pool equally- she fell asleep in her little float. Someone who shall remain nameless, forgot the camera for this affair so all I had was my phone to take pics which are in the "mobile uploads" album on my Facebook, if you'd like to see them.

She enjoyed her first 4th of July! We had friends over to cook out and then our family of 3 watched fireworks together for the first time. The East Montgomery firework show is put on in an area that sends the fireworks, literally, right at the end of our street (pictured above). We just lay a blanket down in our front yard and enjoy. It's like our own private fireworks show! Leighton was mesmerized the whole.time. She never fussed or anything.

She is a smarty-pants. Since she has started pushing up in to the baby push-ups position she knows exactly which way to look when she wakes up from her nap because she knows what side of the crib mommy picks her up from. (Speaking of sleeping- she sleeps at least 10 hours every night!) She also has come to love the T.V. No, I don't let my 5 month old watch TV but she will get glances of it every now and then when we have it on and all of the sounds and colors fascinate her. When I feed her rice cereal or carrots I face her away from the TV on her boppy while I watch the news or something educational. The little stinker figured out how to turn upside down to see the screen! Now, we have to eat with the TV off.

Her favorite things are still eating, sleeping, bathing and putting everything in her mouth- especially her hands.

 Happy 5 Months, my smart, sweet girl! You are such a happy baby who loves to play and talk and love on everyone! You bless my life daily and I love you so!

Leighton's Life- 4 Months

I cannot even begin to describe the emotions this picture stirs in me. In just 4 ridiculously short months my baby girl has gone from a mere 5 lb 3 ounces 18 inches long teeny tiny newborn to a 12 lb 5 ounces 23 in. long infant. Time has flown so quickly. I have truly cherished every moment with this angel, I make a conscious effort not to take it for granted, even the rough times, and there have been PLENTY of those (more on that later.) I look forward to these next stages of Leighton; trying solid foods, developing her personality more, becoming more active, etc. However, I dearly miss the days where all she wanted to do was snuggle with her momma. I can't help but get misty eyed on days like today when we are sitting in the well baby waiting area of the pediatricians office and a new mommy is bringing her days old baby in for it's first check up. That day for us seems so long ago some times and others, just like yesterday.

Today was Leighton's 4 Month Well Baby Check Up. These are the highlights:

-She is 12 lbs 5 ounces (20th percentile, yay!)
- She is 23 inches (still only 10th percentile but she grew 3.25 inches in 2 mos. the nurse was so stunned she measured her again just to make sure. She will catch up, I'm not worried!)
- Her head is 16 inches around (45th percentile! It's that big brain of hers)
- She got her 2nd round of shots, 3 needles one oral (DTaP, Polio, Hepatitus B, HIB, PCV, and Rotavirus...she hated every second of it but I think it's because she was tired and hungry. I promise I hated it more than she did)
- She has hit all of the 4 month milestones! (Smiling, laughing, focusing, putting hands together)
-She can start being given teethers (How did she get big enough for this?)
- We will start giving her rice cereal on a spoon for breakfast and dinner (while still feeding her her breast milk bottles w/rice cereal the same as we have been.)
- Her reflux is still very much present. Dr. M says that he is hopeful that it will be gone by 6 months.
- In 3 weeks we can start her on orange/yellow veggies! (I am hoping to make all of her baby food myself. It's cheaper and healthier that way)

This passed month Leighton has really discovered her hands. She puts them together, tries to hold her bottle with them, puts them in her mouth all.the.time, and loves to grab on the toys, blankets, burp cloths, her paci, whatever she can get those little hands on. And, of course, she wants to put it all in her mouth. She is laughing and talking so much. I can barely remember a time when she didn't talk because it is constant. She has become very aware of her surroundings. She loves checking out new places. She really enjoys staring at the ceiling fans and the mobiles on her crib and swing. She needs to be entertained constantly. Gone are the days when she could just cuddle in my arms and be content. She wants to be moving and looking around. She drools A LOT. Dr. M says that he believes teeth are in her near future. I am taking a deep breath and bracing myself for that. I didn't have teeth until 8 months so we shall see. She is still on 100% breast milk. I get nervous every day that I am not going to produce enough for her to eat but God keeps providing! We keep a can of formula on hand just in case she ever gets to the point where she wants more than she can get from me. We hope that won't be he case but we aren't going to starve her just because we don't want her to be on formula. She is SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT. Can I get an amen from all the mommas out there! Hitting 12 lbs and that rice cereal in her bottle did the trick, just as our Dr. predicted. She has discovered her feet with her eyes. Sometimes she will just stare at them for long periods of time as if she's thinking "what are those?" And speaking of feet she LOVES to kick them and does so often, especially when having her diaper changed. She is doing the baby "push ups" and teeters from side to side so I am sure she will roll front to back any time now. She has complete control of her head, very rarely bobbles.

Some days she looks just like me and others she looks just like her daddy so, I think, she is a good mix of both of us. She is SUCH a happy baby as long as she has had her reflux medication and her gripe water for her severe gas. She will talk to and laugh with just about anyone. We did switch her reflux medication from Zantac to Prevacid. In all honesty, nothing has changed. She still spits up like crazy and Dr. M says she will just have to grow out of it. I cannot wait for the time where I don't have to do laundry every single day.

 Leighton's favorite things are her bath, her swing, rocking, bouncing, talking, and exploring with her eyes, being sung to. She seems to be developing her momma's personality; very social. She smiles the biggest for her daddy and her "Bella."

She hates, having lotion put on her after a bath, car rides when there is no one in the back with her to entertain her, being cold.

Leighton, you just keep growing like a weed and bringing more joy to me daily. I am looking forward to my 5th month with you! I am so blessed that you are healthy and happy and I love you more than you could ever comprehend.