Friday, December 21, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
New Friends
For the past month or so, Graecyn has had a very difficult time falling asleep; the only way she would fall asleep was if I was nursing her. The bad part was that whenever she would wake up, I wouldn't be there and she would become extremely distraught...crying and screaming until I would nurse her back to sleep again. We realized how much of a problem it was after she was consistently waking up at least 2 (sometimes 3) times each night...and not going back to sleep unless either I nursed her to sleep or Eric gave her a bottle.
I begrudgingly agreed that it was time to begin the weaning process...for Graecyn's sake. I never expected it to be so hard to give it up; I've had a love/hate relationship with breastfeeding over the last 11 months. In the beginning, I struggled with Graecyn's latching issues which led to very painful nursing sessions; there were supply issues that led to Graecyn not gaining enough weight. I had frequent painful clogged ducts. In the beginning, it seemed as though every waking minute was spent nursing or pumping; anytime I had a few free minutes to myself, they had to be spent pumping.
While I was pregnant, I set the goal to breastfeed for the first year. I never anticipated the difficulties I would experience. Once Graecyn arrived and we started the breastfeeding process, my 1 year goal started to fade. Instead, I set much smaller goals...if I can make it past the first 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 3 months. Finally by around 4 months, things became "normal" and the whole process started to click. As I met my mini goals, it seemed more and more likely that I would make it to my initial goal of 1 year.
Now here we are, 3 weeks and 3 days away from 1 year...and I don't think we're going to make it. You see, a few days ago, to help lower her demand for me and to help her sleep, we introduced Graecyn to a stuffed dolphin. This dolphin has quickly become her new friend...her best friend...and her replacement for me. We gave it to her one day befor her morning nap; she snuggled right up to it and fell fast asleep with no crying; she did it again for her afternoon nap and at bedtime. We're now on day 4 of the dolphin and she's going to sleep with no crying and staying asleep all night. Her need and desire to nurse has dimished each night to the point that tonight she didn't want to nurse at all - she wanted her dolphin and not her mama (yes, a few tears were shed by me). While it is the cutest thing to see her snuggle up to this dolphin and it makes me so happy to know that she's getting the sleep that she needs, it makes me sad that this stage is coming (or maybe has already come) to an end. I'm proud that I was able to defeat the challenges and make it this far; I will cherish this experience and our bonding time forever.
I begrudgingly agreed that it was time to begin the weaning process...for Graecyn's sake. I never expected it to be so hard to give it up; I've had a love/hate relationship with breastfeeding over the last 11 months. In the beginning, I struggled with Graecyn's latching issues which led to very painful nursing sessions; there were supply issues that led to Graecyn not gaining enough weight. I had frequent painful clogged ducts. In the beginning, it seemed as though every waking minute was spent nursing or pumping; anytime I had a few free minutes to myself, they had to be spent pumping.
While I was pregnant, I set the goal to breastfeed for the first year. I never anticipated the difficulties I would experience. Once Graecyn arrived and we started the breastfeeding process, my 1 year goal started to fade. Instead, I set much smaller goals...if I can make it past the first 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 3 months. Finally by around 4 months, things became "normal" and the whole process started to click. As I met my mini goals, it seemed more and more likely that I would make it to my initial goal of 1 year.
Now here we are, 3 weeks and 3 days away from 1 year...and I don't think we're going to make it. You see, a few days ago, to help lower her demand for me and to help her sleep, we introduced Graecyn to a stuffed dolphin. This dolphin has quickly become her new friend...her best friend...and her replacement for me. We gave it to her one day befor her morning nap; she snuggled right up to it and fell fast asleep with no crying; she did it again for her afternoon nap and at bedtime. We're now on day 4 of the dolphin and she's going to sleep with no crying and staying asleep all night. Her need and desire to nurse has dimished each night to the point that tonight she didn't want to nurse at all - she wanted her dolphin and not her mama (yes, a few tears were shed by me). While it is the cutest thing to see her snuggle up to this dolphin and it makes me so happy to know that she's getting the sleep that she needs, it makes me sad that this stage is coming (or maybe has already come) to an end. I'm proud that I was able to defeat the challenges and make it this far; I will cherish this experience and our bonding time forever.
Friday, December 7, 2012
11 Months!
Graecyn is 11 months old! Only one month away from 1 year old!! Where has the time gone? Graecyn's personality is really starting to shine now - she is a very happy, silly, loving and strong-willed little girl. She loves to laugh, growl, "talk", and scream (especially if she's not getting her way). Everything is funny to her...especially when she toots. She is such a busy body...rarely sitting still for more than 5 minutes. She still loves to put everything in her mouth - or - her mouth on everything.
She loves to "talk" on the phone - everything she puts in her hand usually ends up by her ear. She also LOVES to play peek-a-boo and her favorite toy seems to be a leather belt - we can't get it out of her hands when she has it. She's started to show more interest in books and loves to turn the pages. She has learned how to go up stairs and can go up them pretty fast; coming back down is another story though.
Her favorite word right now is "uh-oh" and she loves to say it, especially as she's dropping something on the ground (it's become one of her favorite games). She also says dada, mama, nana, and woof woof when she sees a puppy. She seems to really like dogs and if one is around, she will do everything she can to try to pet it.
She now has 3 teeth with a 4th starting to come through; all on top. Now that she has teeth, she's starting to eat more table food. She loves to drink out of a sippy cup and does fairly well (although we often find her taking a drink and then spitting it out down her chin) and we've started to introduce a cup to her as well (she does great as long as one of us holds it for her). I'm still nursing her, but am slowly beginning the weaning process.
She doesn't go back for a check-up until her birthday, so we're not exactly sure what her measurements are. Our home measurements show she weighs almost 19 lbs and is 30" long. She got her first official boo boo a few nights ago - a bloody lip - which happened as she was pulling up on the coffee table; her feet slipped out from under her and one of her teeth hit her bottom lip. I think it was worse on Eric and me to witness than it was on her; after a few minutes of crying and sucking on her frozen teether, she was back to her normal happy self.
She is not walking on her own yet, but I think she's getting pretty close. She can go like crazy using her walker or holding on to other things, but when there's nothing around to hold on to, she prefers to stay on her knees. She has developed somewhat of a modified walk/crawl where she gets up on one knee and one foot and scoots around, which is interesting to see. She has learned how to stick out her tongue and does it constantly.
She loves to "talk" on the phone - everything she puts in her hand usually ends up by her ear. She also LOVES to play peek-a-boo and her favorite toy seems to be a leather belt - we can't get it out of her hands when she has it. She's started to show more interest in books and loves to turn the pages. She has learned how to go up stairs and can go up them pretty fast; coming back down is another story though.
Her favorite word right now is "uh-oh" and she loves to say it, especially as she's dropping something on the ground (it's become one of her favorite games). She also says dada, mama, nana, and woof woof when she sees a puppy. She seems to really like dogs and if one is around, she will do everything she can to try to pet it.
She now has 3 teeth with a 4th starting to come through; all on top. Now that she has teeth, she's starting to eat more table food. She loves to drink out of a sippy cup and does fairly well (although we often find her taking a drink and then spitting it out down her chin) and we've started to introduce a cup to her as well (she does great as long as one of us holds it for her). I'm still nursing her, but am slowly beginning the weaning process.
She is not walking on her own yet, but I think she's getting pretty close. She can go like crazy using her walker or holding on to other things, but when there's nothing around to hold on to, she prefers to stay on her knees. She has developed somewhat of a modified walk/crawl where she gets up on one knee and one foot and scoots around, which is interesting to see. She has learned how to stick out her tongue and does it constantly.
She has become quite the little "helper" with everything from bathtime, dishes, laundry.
Happy 11 months, baby girl! We love you to the moon & back.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Santa Claus - Part 2
When we took Graecyn to meet Santa Claus last weekend, we thought it was going to be all outdoors; I wanted to put one of her many cute Christmas outfits on her for her first picture with Santa, but thinking we'd be outside in the cold, I decided not to since she'd have her coat and hat on anyway. Well, he wasn't outside. So, her first picture with Santa, while cute as can be, wasn't what I had envisioned. So, I convinced Eric that we should bring her back this weekend for a new photo (in one of her cute outfits). She did so well with Santa visit #1 that I figured she would do great with #2...oh how I was wrong. The second we set her on his lap, she burst into tears and pitiful screams...Santa might love her, but she does not love Santa. Santa was great though and let us get a family photo (she was still pretty wary of him standing there). I'm guessing this will be our last visit for the year. I hope we haven't traumatized her. :-)
A long time ago I found a really cute picture on Pinterest (my new favorite website) using Christmas lights as a backdrop. Here is my amateur attempt - not quite as pretty as the one on Pinterest, but still pretty cute in my opinion. :-)
A long time ago I found a really cute picture on Pinterest (my new favorite website) using Christmas lights as a backdrop. Here is my amateur attempt - not quite as pretty as the one on Pinterest, but still pretty cute in my opinion. :-)
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Ho, Ho, Ho
Graecyn got to meet Santa Clause for the very first time this past weekend. She did such a great job and sat on his lap for at least 5 minutes before she decided she was done and started to cry. :-)
Happy Thanksgiving
Eric, Graecyn and I spent Thanksgiving with his family in North Carolina. It had been over 6 months since we had last been there, so everyone was very excited to see Graecyn...especially her cousins. They had a blast playing with her and constantly told us how cute she was. The weather was beautiful and we were able to spend some time outside. We had a great time with lots of great food and great conversation.
Saying Goodbye
I had to say goodbye recently to a very special lady. My grandma Johnson passed away on November 12 after a short battle with lung cancer. Eric, Graecyn and I were fortunate to be able to see her in October soon after her diagnosis and I am thankful that I was able to speak with her just a few days before her passing.
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| November 2011 |
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| February 2012 |
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| October 2012 |
It was nice to be home with family during this time - to tell stories about the great person she was and the great life she lived. She will be missed.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
10 Months!
Where has the time gone? I cannot believe that Graecyn is already 10 months old...I'm already planning her 1st birthday party, which is fun, but makes me a little sad...she's growing up way too fast!!
She has learned so many new things in the past month. She loves to clap...and claps at every opportunity; she likes to make sure you're watching her clap, too...she's so proud of herself when she does it. She has learned to wave and dance. She's "talking" more and more - now saying "mama", which is music to my ears. She also loves to try to imitate sounds and words we say - she growls, says "duck" and meows like a cat.
Based on our home measurements, she weighs about 18 lbs 3 oz (25th percentile) and is around 30" long (95th percentile) (she doesn't go back to the doctor until 12 months, so we don't have official numbers).
She hates to wear socks/shoes, which is a challenge considering we live in Michigan and we're entering winter. She has mastered shaking her head "no", which is pretty cute and funny. Her personality is beginning to show more and more. She loves to laugh and smile, but she is also very strong willed. She has started to "test" us - mostly Eric. If we tell her "no" or take something away from her, she will try to tell us otherwise. With Eric, she will look him dead in the eyes and scream at him...trying to take control. It's pretty hard to keep a straight face when she does that.
She finally has her first tooth! It's not one of the typical first teeth though (the central incisor)...instead, it's her top lateral incisor. Based on her current mood the past few days, we think she's in the process of getting her second tooth. The teething process has not been easy for her - for several days before her first tooth popped out, she gnawed on everything, didn't eat much, didn't sleep much, and was super clingy and irritable. The night before the first tooth finally made its appearance, she was up until after 4 a.m. crying. Tylenol did nothing to help her and unfortunately, we didn't discover motrin until after this experience. Motrin has now become our best friend!
She is extremely mobile, crawling everywhere, and now walking with assistance. We have a walker toy that she pushes all over the house. She has even taken a few steps on her own! She pulls up on everything around her and loves to empty things. She has a box of alphabet books and her favorite thing is to pull each book out, one-by-one, and toss it on the floor until the box is empty...cute to watch, not so fun to pick up. She absolutely loves to play "peek-a-boo" or "Where's Graecyn/mama/daddy?"...this game never gets old for her. She knows how to "switch hands"...if she has a toy in one hand and we need that hand for whatever reason, we tell her to switch hands and she puts the toy in her opposite hand...we have a genius! :-)
It's so fun to watch her learn new things. I can't wait to see what's up next for her...I'm predicting she'll be walking independently within the next month...look out world!
She has learned so many new things in the past month. She loves to clap...and claps at every opportunity; she likes to make sure you're watching her clap, too...she's so proud of herself when she does it. She has learned to wave and dance. She's "talking" more and more - now saying "mama", which is music to my ears. She also loves to try to imitate sounds and words we say - she growls, says "duck" and meows like a cat.
Based on our home measurements, she weighs about 18 lbs 3 oz (25th percentile) and is around 30" long (95th percentile) (she doesn't go back to the doctor until 12 months, so we don't have official numbers).
She hates to wear socks/shoes, which is a challenge considering we live in Michigan and we're entering winter. She has mastered shaking her head "no", which is pretty cute and funny. Her personality is beginning to show more and more. She loves to laugh and smile, but she is also very strong willed. She has started to "test" us - mostly Eric. If we tell her "no" or take something away from her, she will try to tell us otherwise. With Eric, she will look him dead in the eyes and scream at him...trying to take control. It's pretty hard to keep a straight face when she does that.
She finally has her first tooth! It's not one of the typical first teeth though (the central incisor)...instead, it's her top lateral incisor. Based on her current mood the past few days, we think she's in the process of getting her second tooth. The teething process has not been easy for her - for several days before her first tooth popped out, she gnawed on everything, didn't eat much, didn't sleep much, and was super clingy and irritable. The night before the first tooth finally made its appearance, she was up until after 4 a.m. crying. Tylenol did nothing to help her and unfortunately, we didn't discover motrin until after this experience. Motrin has now become our best friend!
She is extremely mobile, crawling everywhere, and now walking with assistance. We have a walker toy that she pushes all over the house. She has even taken a few steps on her own! She pulls up on everything around her and loves to empty things. She has a box of alphabet books and her favorite thing is to pull each book out, one-by-one, and toss it on the floor until the box is empty...cute to watch, not so fun to pick up. She absolutely loves to play "peek-a-boo" or "Where's Graecyn/mama/daddy?"...this game never gets old for her. She knows how to "switch hands"...if she has a toy in one hand and we need that hand for whatever reason, we tell her to switch hands and she puts the toy in her opposite hand...we have a genius! :-)
It's so fun to watch her learn new things. I can't wait to see what's up next for her...I'm predicting she'll be walking independently within the next month...look out world!
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| Pulling up and chewing on everything |
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| First tooth |
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| Clapping |
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
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