Lyric: 6 Months

Lyric is half way to ONE!  Everyone said the 6 month mark brings on a whole new level of ease and excitement.  She is changing so quickly, it's hard to keep up with all of her new accomplishments!

She loves people around her all the time, especially enjoys people watching.  You can act as silly as can be and she will just stare at you without a change in her face.  (Are we that lame at entertaining?)  After she has evaluated the situation, she will smile and let out some loud happy noises!  Lyric is safe and social combined.  Hmmm...does this sound like a perfect mix from her parents?

This big girl is wearing size 9 month clothing now, but can still squeeze into some 6 month choices.  Therefore, we could guess that Lyric is around 18-20 pounds and 28 inches long.  

Lyric continues to do great with her 4 hour schedule.  Since sleeping at night is very consistent (11-12 hours), her naps are still trying to find their balance.   Nap One: 1 1/2 hours.  Nap Two: 30 minutes (95% of the time).  She may take another catnap later if she feels like she needs a bit more beauty rest.

Lately if I can, I have let her rest with me after she wakes up from her second nap since it's so short.  This girl does NOT want to be alone in her bed when she wakes up.  She will lay with me and talk up a storm.  Then (if I'm lucky!) she will fall back to sleep by cuddling against me so close that we both wake up in a pool of sweat.

Still swaddled at night, but not trying to escape as much.  We just started NOT swaddling her for naps.  It took 4 days to get her Nap #1 back to it's normal length.  Nap #2...yeah still 30 minutes.  

(At least she always wakes up happy!)

This month Lyric has gone on more outings since she is getting easier to take out.  Less spitting up and more interest in what's going on around her allow us to have very wonderful adventures out and about.

She visited the Bellagio one afternoon.

She enjoyed a track meet watching her very talented Auntie Demi.

She sat in the grass at Sunset Park.

Another big change has been her eating routine!  I gave her a formula bottle for the first time and she completely denied it.  She was unhappy with the idea of something other than Mommy's milk.  So, her bottles consist of a mix of the two.  The ratio is slowly becoming formula dominant.  Now, she nurses just once in the mornings.  She eats her solids at the start of each meal.  Some favorite foods include: bananas (absolute favorite!), oatmeal, peas, sweet potatoes, squash...basically anything you give her. She tried Puffs (puffy cereal bites) for the first time too...still just trying to swallow them whole.

Lyric now has 3 teeth. She looks so cute when she smiles!
                                                         

Some new accomplishments and fun facts as a 6 Month Old include:

She loves singing in her stroller.

She can stand at the edge of her crib and while holding onto something the right height. She stands SOOO proud!

This girl loves a good leg tickle.  (Just like Mommy!)

She loves to throw her body back and be upside-down.

Bedtime stories bring on a very high level of excitement.

Touching faces is extremely interesting.

Sitting and playing more independently.  (She still has no desire to move yet.)

Loves to help you "Clap, clap, clap your hands.  Clap your hands together!"

Talk, talk, talk... (REALLY close to Mamamamama...)  She said it for ONE day.

She can hold her bottle the whole time she eats.

Words she always recognizes: "Mama", "Dada", "kisses", "milk", "clap", "Lyric", "more"

Looking forward to watching her move her chunky healthy body around.  Or will we?  

Until then, "Kisses!" from Lyric.

Lyric: 5 Months

5 Months...Little Miss Lyric is getting so big!

Lyric is 26 inches long and weighs 16 pounds.  (Add a couple centimeters and ounces since these were her measurements a couple weeks ago.)  Her height and weight are in the 90th percentile.  You go girl!

She wears size 2 diapers and is still in 6 month clothes.  She no longer wears her 3 month choices.  I cleaned out her closet and dresser the other day and now it seems like all her clothes are gone!  Good thing she has grandmas who like to shop for a chunky little lady.  Clothes look so big until you put them on her.  For Lyric, all of her pants are "skinny" jeans.

This 5 month old is officially on a 4 hour eating schedule!  (We were anticipating this one to come in order to free up some time and have her day more evenly spread out.)  She wakes up at 8:30 a.m. for a bottle and has her last bottle at 8:30 p.m.  (With her 2 other bottles between that time of course!)  An hour later she is in Snoozeville.  Yes, Lyric sleeps around 11 hours. (Big smiles!)  When she wakes up early, she entertains herself for longer stretches of time without calling for us.  We watch her on the monitor while she lifts her legs up and stares at her feet.  Naps (about 1.5 hours) include one in the morning and afternoon with a possible catnap (about 30 minutes) before her last feeding.

We found a great swaddle...finally!  (Geesh!  We may have the spokes-baby for swaddling.)  It's more of a strap that wraps her up.  She's only escaped a handful of times, which is SOOOO much better than old times.

Superbowl Sunday was "super" fun with family.  She rocked her Witten jersey!

Lyric's first Valentine's was very mellow.  She got to wear her Minnie Mouse outfit from Cary (CeCe) and Darryl (Pop) and spend some time with them that night while Mommy and Daddy went to dinner.

Some new accomplishments and fun facts as a 5 Month Old include:

She loves touching your face and opening her mouth for kisses.

Lyric loves music (she has to with a name like hers!)  She will immediately cheer up when you sing, "La, la, la, la.  La, la, la, la...Elmo's World!"  Or "Shake, shake, shake.  Shake, shake, shake.  Shake your booty!"  

Turning pages of books.

Belly laughing (She did this for the first time at 4 months, but on occasion we can get her to laugh hard now...Daddy is the best at it.)

Sitting up with the Boppy AND shortly on her own without any help.

(Why does she have pajama pants on while in a grocery store, you ask?  Spitting up and diaper explosions left her with only one option while we were out.)

She takes a bath in a real bath now where she loves to kick and splash!  After the bath is over, she breathes hard from all the water aerobics.

Playing with her feet and putting her toes in her mouth.

She is immediately calm and happy when you take her outside.

When on her tummy, she will push her body up with straight arms.

For a week or so she found a new screaming voice that she shared with everyone.

Since she has less feedings, that means more milk at a time.  So, she has a "Big Girl" bottle now.

Speaking of feeding...this girl eats some banana everyday.  Equivalent to one bite of a banana for us grown-ups, she likes gets super excited and overly enthusiastic with her little snack at night.

Looking forward to more talking, smiles, and laughter this month.

Lyric: 4 Months

Lyric Noel is now 4 months old!  She is dynamically growing into such a lovely girl.  Things are moving so quickly and with so many milestones coming up, we need to capture and cherish each day with this silly lady.

Lyric is 24 1/2 inches long and weighs 15 1/2 pounds.  These are unofficial measurements we took at home. :)

She is now in size 2 diapers and is wearing most of her 6 month clothing.  The size 3 clothes fit too, but I'm sure she appreciates the wiggle room in the bigger size.  Speaking of clothes, she doesn't like getting dressed and she'd rather be naked.  Typical baby.  

Her first Christmas was great!  She went to Christmas Eve services at Central to see Daddy play drums. (Awesome!)  Then, we went to celebrate with family after family after family.  Lyric really is loved.  She got tons of toys and some cute outfits to grow into wear NOW.  We've got a baby with chunk y'all!  Santa brought her a play mat with a piano at the end for her to kick.  It's possible she may bust the keys down before next month.  Is there a warranty on toys for strong baby legs?  

(Christmas Morning with her new toy from Santa)

Lyric has her last feeding at 9:30 p.m. and goes to bed around 10 p.m.  She wakes up at 8:30 a.m.  This makes Mommy and Daddy very happy.  She takes 3 naps everyday.  They average about 1 1/2 hours long.   

We got her a bigger swaddle that is more her size which has seemed to make escaping a bit harder.  If she gets a hand out, she WILL wake up and beg for assistance.  

(First Picture: Lyric was screaming before I came in the room because her hands were touching her face.  Yet, when she saw me, she struck the cutest pose.  Second Picture: And this is a disaster swaddle nap.  I wonder why she was crying this time...Could it be because she escaped and has her Paci in her hand?)

Lyric reaches and grabs everything in sight.  After she has something in hand, it usually goes straight to her mouth.  She really likes to chew on fingers. (Hers or yours)  A few days ago, she was chewing on my fingers and I felt something sharp inside her mouth.  Yes, Lyric's first tooth has popped out.  A couple days later led to tooth number two.  Teething doesn't seem to be bothering her at this point, but we are anticipating what could come.

Her favorite activities include: Play mat time, sitting in her Bouncer, 3-5 minutes of Baby Einstein or Elmo's World, reading books, and playing with and touching items that are not toys (cups, wine glasses, spoons).

(Watching Baby Einstein...in her tutu, leggings, and fancy bow of course)

Independent time is becoming much more enjoyable for Lyric (and Mommy!)  She always looks around to ensure that she is not alone, but likes to explore all the things around her.  With more independent time, this means that Mommy can finish getting ready while Lyric plays on the floor.  She likes watching me curl my hair, so I allow her to watch me since that's what she wants to do. :) (Or at least I try and convince her that it's really fun by dancing around to Toddler Radio with a hot curling iron in my hand and hair.)

She takes her bath without her hammock.  She is starting to kick and play more in the water, which means you will get splashed!  

She gets a bottle when Mommy is not around and always at her last feeding.  She can even hold it while she eats!

Sitting up and rolling over are her new accomplishments.  She will roll over from belly to back when she's in a good mood.  She constantly tries to sit up, but there's an issue with that.  It is a trigger for HUGE spit ups.  Sitting = Spitting.  

She'll stand for a bit while holding your hands.

When you get close to her, she will open her mouth for kisses.

Getting relaxed for naps is a fun time with her.  She likes to be held like a baby and move around.  Usually we dance and sing to Disney songs.  It's during this time that we call her bipolar because she goes from singing and smiles to screaming and pacifier begging.  It's pretty funny.  Very dramatic.  

Another fun time with Lyric is while changing her diaper.  (When she was first born, this was a horrible time.)  She will dance, talk, yell, and dance some more.

Looking forward to all the little accomplishments to come as she approaches a fast moving age.   

Lyric: 3 Months

The 3 Month marker is here and things have really seemed to fall into place (most days of the week).  I would describe Lyric as a happy, gassy, "want to see everything and move around", and strong baby.

Happy because when she has a full belly she is a wonderful tiny person to talk to. She smiles ALL the time and loves interaction with people (and stuffed animals).

Great Grandpa Gerald and Great Grandma Judy gave her this adorable Sock Monkey.

Gassy because she goes through a burp rag, bib, and possibly an outfit every time after she eats.  (This includes Mommy having to change clothes as well.)  She started taking some gas drops to help relieve the intense pain she gets, but we may need to discuss further options with her doctor.

These are my pants at the end of the day.  And may I inform you that I changed my shirt 3 times prior to this.

"Want to see everything and move around" because she is perfecting her social skills and loving the exploration of the world.  She doesn't really like to sit still, so she cries, I mean requests that you move her around and talk to her about what she's seeing.

Strong because she will hold her head up high all the time now, get out of her swaddle, move down to the end of her crib during the night (while still confined in her swaddle), flail her entire body in your arms when she's not happy (you better hold on tight to this one), and our newest achievement: hold onto your fingers and help pull herself to sit up.  I am always reminded of the hours after she was born when several people on hospital staff were "wowed" by how strong she was. She proves herself of this more and more everyday.

This is Lyric at the opposite side of her bed, turned 90 degrees, and with an arm out. We do NOT put her to bed like this!

Lyric still wears size 1 diapers and is probably about 13 pounds or so I'm guessing.  She still fits in 3 month size clothing, but our pile of non-wearable clothes is building up because she is tall. She stays up for about 1 1/2 hours at a time and takes 1 1/2 hour naps to follow.

Precious Baby Girl on Thanksgiving.  (She pooped on this outfit twice before Thanksgiving dinner was served....Remember me mentioning her gassy-ness?)

Her favorite activities: Dancing with her musical toys on the rug (video will be posted soon), looking at pictures of anything with eyes, tummy time on her Boppy, and singing at the top of her lungs if you start singing.

A couple days ago, she found the vent on the ceiling of her room and she gets really excited to see it.  Now, she talks to all the vents in the house with intense enthusiasm.  When changing her diaper, she loves to interact and dance to the pictures of the Sesame Street characters on the front of the diapers.  Who doesn't love Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, and Ernie?  Another Lyric-ism: She speaks to something at the front door when we walk by.  Since we can't see anything, we call this "something" an angel that only Lyric can see.

She rolled over from her belly to her back at 11 weeks (WITHOUT me there!)  She let me see for myself a couple days after.

The Bumbo seat is our new special toy for sitting.  She looks so cute as she sits big and tall.

Lyric is sleeping 9 -10 hours at night.  At 3 Months, ON THE DAY, she went from 10:30 p.m. to 8:30  a.m. between feedings. (This has been our goal for a while.)  The swaddle is still a MUST. Every day, I try and get her to take one nap without it.  It's hit and miss.

(This was a "hit" during a nap in her crib without the swaddle.)

Her first Christmas is only a few days away and we can't wait for Santa to come to town.  I keep trying to tell her if she pouts or cries he won't bring toys.  Apparently she doesn't care quite yet.  Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!

Lyric: 2 Months

 

Seriously?!  We are at 2 months?  As in 2 months ago I was living my own life, on my OWN terms, doing WHATEVER I wanted to do??

This baby has been such a wonderful blessing.  I have caught myself getting tears in my eyes when I put her to bed at night sometimes.  One day, she will not let me hold her so close and so tight.  So for now, I will love her with arms that hold her tighter than ever.

Our baby girl is now 23 inches long (75th-90th percentile) and weighs 11 pounds 8 ounces (50th-75th percentile).  At her 2 Month Well Check, she got 3 shots.  She let out one good wail and left the office in a daze.  The rest of the day she was super tired.

Lyric has been changing so much!  She is becoming more accustomed to her day.  She stays up for about and hour and is down for two hours for a nap.  (Not always on target, but we get better and better every week.)

Speaking of sleep...Lyric slept from 11:30 to 6:30 a couple nights ago, which has been her longest stretch yet!  Pushing for an 8:30 wake up time...we have hope!

Peoples's reaction when they see this girl: "Wow, I love those cheeks!"

She fits in 3 months size clothes.  Most of her newborn stuff doesn't fit her anymore.  Crazy!

Still being swaddled for naps and sleep.  Our white noise App on our phone also does wonders.  Paci helps to calm her at times as she heads to dream land, but she rarely uses it.  (Except in the car...she needs her paci there.  Still getting used to being strapped in the carseat.)

She talks up a storm!  Her favorite word is "Ahh-goo".  All sorts of vowel sounds are being pronounced as the days progress.  The sweet sounds she creates makes for the best moments of the day.  We have a rug in her room that we spend A LOT of time on.  She loves to kick her legs and talk about the highlights of her day with us.

Lyric can see you now.  She makes direct eye contact and will follow objects, including you moving around her.  Don't even try to hide on the side of her crib while putting her down to sleep.  Her eyes will follow you to this "hiding spot".

We have a spitter upper, but it never seems to bother her.  You just always have to have a burp rag ready.  Plus, she gets to wear more than one outfit in a day!  (Good for wearing clothes that she will soon grow out of.)

She loves spending time with both sets of her grandparents and Auntie Demi when Mommy and Daddy want to enjoy a couple hours out for dinner.  Do you think any of them put her down in her crib  for a nap?  I think not.  She loves to be snuggled!

Her first Thanksgiving will be this week and her and I plan on eating a lot of food.  Her Great-Grandparents (my Dad's parents) will be in town for the week...so more kisses for her!

Best part of my day as a Mommy: Unswaddling my little bundle and watching her stretch and kick her legs like she's riding a bicycle at super speed. Once she's all stretched out, she looks me right in the eyes and smiles.  Best.  Thing.  Ever.

Lyric: 1 Month

Lyric Noel is 1 month old!  Our baby has grown in so many great ways as she adjusts to this great big world.

She is in the 25th-50th percentile for height and weight.  Last check up: 8 pounds, 8 ounces/ 21 inches (This is a growing baby girl!)

Cheeks are getting more chubby everyday.  Eyelashes are growing long (a gift from Daddy).

She smiles and uses her voice often!  Mornings are the best time to hear what she has to say.

She is currently sleeping 3-4 hour stretches at night.  Not TOO bad. :)

Sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's room at night.  Moving out this week.

Newborn clothes are FINALLY fitting.  Still in newborn diapers.

Bath time is very enjoyable!  She loves the warm water.

Loves being snuggled and held tight.

The carseat is not very fun most of the time.  Does better when the car is moving.  She reacts with a cry when the car stops.

Noise helps her sleep.  Paci helps when she feels like it.  Swaddling tight makes for longer rest times.  (Yet, she wakes up with hands out of the swaddle 9 out of 10 times.)

Halloween will he her first holiday.  She plans on wearing a white fluffy tutu.  Happy Halloween!

(Auntie keeps the candy coming)