Baby #2 Bumpdate: 35 Weeks!

How far along? 35 weeks, 4 days!

Total weight gain: +27 lbs

Maternity clothes? always 

Sleep: pretty good, but starting to be uncomfortable.

Best baby moment this week:  We got to peek in on little Aubrey at my appointment yesterday with a quick ultrasound to check if she was head down (my doctor does this at the 35 week appt).  It was so neat seeing her this far along! We did not see Ryleigh after 20 weeks on ultrasound.  It's crazy how neat technology can be.  She was making the cutest little faces and looked snuggled in all comfy in there!  I'm so relieved that she is head down and in the right position, because I've been concerned she was breech from where I've felt her movements.  We are so excited to meet her in a few more weeks!

Also, my baby shower last Saturday! Everything was wonderful from the guests to the food and the decorations! We got lots of great goodies, necessities, and cute outfits :)  I'm making progress with getting the nursery all set up, if only we could get around to hanging everything on the walls!

Miss Anything?  Not having to pee every 5 minutes. 

Movement: mid-morning and bedtime are still her favorite times to party.

Food cravings:  pasta, milk, apple cider 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: girl 

Wedding rings on or off? Still wearing my pearl ring 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and definitely in serious nesting mode.

Looking forward to:  Seeing our maternity pictures and getting the nursery finished up!




   

& just like that....TWO!

Just like that....Ryleigh is TWO!

She loves being turned around in her carseat now!
She will tell us "Oh mommy, I see green light!"

Ryleigh with her best buddy :)

I'd say about five months ago, her appearance really made some changes and she is such a little toddler now.

[stats]

Height:   34-3/4"

Weight:   28lbs 

[favorite foods]

Chicken. Greek Yogurt. Strawberries. Waffles. Sour Cream & Onion Chips. Brownies.

Tortilla Chips & Salsa or Guac.  Cheese Pizza. Blueberries. Bananas. French Fries. lil'Crunchies. 

Peanut Butter Crackers. Yogurt Raisins. Cheerios. Hot Dogs.  Pancakes.

[least favorite foods]

Vegetables. Pasta. Bread. Eggs.

[growth & diapering]

Clothing sizes are pretty much following her age, although some pants are too loose at the waist.  She has used the potty but not consistently, so still wearing Size 4 diapers.

[favorite things]

Blankie is always with you! Riding the four-wheeler with Daddy. "Reading" books by yourself. Playing Hide & Seek. Counting (up to 20!).  Dancing and Listening to Country or Christian Music.  Your play kitchen & pretend cooking.  Using the Swiffer Sweeper.
Bubble Guppies & Paw Patrol.  Coloring.  Megabloks. 

Playing with your Melissa & Doug bricks.   Sidewalk chalk. Carrying your purses. 

Pushing your babies in the stroller.  Brushing your teeth.  Getting the Mail.

Helping with Laundry.  Playing & sharing with your dogs.  

Helping Mrs. Becky with the babies at Daycare.

I always heard, but never quite understood, when mothers said that "each new stage becomes your favorite" with children.  Ryleigh was a brand new baby and, once the fog of no sleep left, I used to wonder how that could possibly be--that I would find older ages as good as the cuddly, cute, always-new-firsts, baby stage.  But, I suppose now we are there with our ever-changing, strong-willed toddler and she tests my patience but makes me laugh and makes me proud every single day.  

I understand it now.  She is growing into the sweetest, funniest, most strong-willed little one and I am constantly surprised by new words or silly things that she says.  This is such a fun age!

18 Months of Change

On August 14th, my girl turned 18 months old.  Wow has time flown.  She has been walking for 7 months already.  That seems like a minute and an eternity all at once.  Her language and skill development in these last six months have grown tenfold.  She makes us laugh and makes us proud every day.  I'm sure every parent says that so it seems cliche, but it really is incredible to see something that *we created* change and grow every day.  

Weight:  24.9 lbs
Height: 33"?? Not sure because she hates the doctor's office and was screaming & wiggling the hole time.



EATING
Ryleigh still gets a mid-morning/lunchtime milk and a bedtime milk.  She will take the lunchtime one from a sippy cup but she still prefers the nighttime one in a bottle.  


Breakfasts--some variety of the Eggo kind, along with puffs and sometimes peanut butter crackers or a fruit squeeze pouch.


Lunches--grilled chicken, pulled pork, pizza, hotdog, burger patty...She's not big on ham or sausage but will eat most other meat that we have given her.  She refuses to even taste pasta. Still to this day she has never eaten it. I suppose that is a good thing, especially for later in life, but right now it drives me bonkers.   She also always eats a veggie squeeze pouch and/or Greek Yogurt pouch, cut up fruit, and some other snack-type food like peanut butter crackers or Lil'Crunchies.  She may be a skinny mini but she can throw back some food!


Dinner--Depending on what we are eating (if it doesn't involve pasta or anything containing annatto) she will get some of that, or she will get some mixture of the lunch items listed above.  



TEETHING
12?14? She's pretty much got everything possible for her age, although she doesn't let me get my finger in there to count. Everything is either in, or already broken through and coming in.  



SLEEPING
Thankfully this is back to normal with the exception of a few days where she's woken up earlier than usual.  She still naps for about 2 hours once a day around noon.



ACTIVITY
Still obsessed with coloring and stickers!  She will request her "colors" almost every morning before going to daycare.  She loves trying to say new words and some of her favorite things to do are counting and singing the ABC's.  If she is getting fussy, especially in the car, all we have to do is sing ABC's and she will calm down then start to sing along.


She counted on her own from 1-10 at dinner the other night! Usually if we say the number she repeats them and will sometimes beat us to the next number so we knew that she was learning the pattern of it.  But, while we were waiting on food at a restaurant the other night I said "one" and when she repeated it she kept going all the way to 10!! Extremely proud momma moment!  


Her language skills continue to grow and she will regularly speak in small sentences to us. She will ask the dogs "Kona, wanna play?" while tossing handfuls of chalk or hairbows to him, will say "I want my daddy" or "me ride in daddy truck".  She's also singing along to more and more country songs in the car :) haha!



DIAPERING
Size 4



 CLOTHES
Such a mixture.  We have been introducing some 24month clothes for added length but she still fits into 18month clothes. She even has a couple of tank tops that she still wears that are only 12month size.  We have been putting her in some 2T sleepers that fit her pretty well too, a little bit long through the middle but they are wearable.

 SPECIAL FIRSTS 

--Counting to 10 on her own!!

--Drinking from a straw cup.

--Visiting the zoo!

--Visit to GA

--Passport Photos

--1st ear infection :(