Today I...(OK yesterday)

had a good day. I liked cuddling a pink baby doll, holding hands with my friend Olivia, and watching Miss Mary hang up shamrocks.

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Carrots Were a Bust

In fact, she hated them so much that she actually had a gag reflex. Since I am making her baby food fresh, we can freeze them in ice cube trays and try again later.

Carrots were my first attempt at homemade baby food. They were super easy. I just took about 7 baby carrots, put 1/4 to 1/2 an inch of water in a pan, covered it, and steamed them for 10-12 minutes.

When I could easily pierce them with a fork, I put them in the magic bullet (you could use a blender or food processor), added an ounce of breast milk, and mixed until smooth.

Here she is enjoying a yummy bowl of oatmeal. Don't mind the drips on her head!

Today I...had a good day. I had fun playing in the exersaucer and watching bubbles. I also colored a big flower.

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Another Monday

We had guests up this weekend -- Mark, KC and Corinne came to see our house for the first time in the year and a half we've been in it. Nora was unusually grumpy and Corinne got sick the first day so we ended up staying in most of the weekend, but it was a good visit.

Here's my girl hanging out in her diaper because clothes made her angry.

KC and I beat the boys in 3 straight games of euchre. After that, they decided they couldn't handle anymore shame. For dinner Saturday, we had a long overdue night out at Taki Japanese Steakhouse. It was delicious as usual.

In other news, Nora has been eating oatmeal cereal for 5 days now. Each day gets a little less messy.

I had posted before about how we were considering skipping cereal all together.
When we talked to the pediatrician about it, she said she was OK with that if we were to switch her daily vitamin to an iron-enriched formula instead of the regular multivitamin since 6 months is about the time the iron reservoirs start to run out, even sooner for preemies. I had been planning to stop giving her the vitamins once she started solids, so I decided to go with cereal instead.

So far she doesn't seem crazy about it, but we'll keep trying. I'm getting really excited to start making other yummy baby food!

TGIF -- Need a Laugh

PSA: Today only you can get 20 free 4x6 prints at Walgreens with online coupon code ONEDAY.

So I was browsing through Picasa for photos to print and send to Grandpa in Missouri and came across this one. It made me literally LOL -- what characters they are!

Today I... and more

played inside the big mirror blocks, watched bubbles, and played with shaker toys.

Yesterday, Nora tried cereal for the first time. We opted for oatmeal instead of rice. Did she like it? That's questionable. By the look on her face with each bite, I'd say she hated it; but she kept grabbing the spoon and shoving it in her mouth. Then again, she puts everything in her mouth, so maybe she just didn't realize what the result was going to be.

Silly me, we video taped, but I didn't even think about the camera until everything was cleaned up.

Here is another photo for your viewing pleasure. She was helping me fold diapers.

Five Months Past

Happy 5 month birthday Bear!

I feel like I was just writing the 4 month birthday post, and here were are another month has gone by already.

This month, she has begun using her legs a lot more. In the past, if you tried to put her feet down, her legs just collapsed beneath her; now, she just needs some thumbs to hold on to and she does it herself.

She also started laughing this month. I haven't caught it on video yet, but it will melt your heart!

At the store tonight, I picked up some oatmeal cereal. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. We're going to give it a try sometime in the next couple weeks. Don't worry, there will be pictures!

Happy Valentine's Day

It's Nora's first Valentine's Day! She got a card with a dollar bill from Mimi and Pepaw to put in her piggy bank.

Yesterday when I picked her up from day care, she had made a valentine for Daddy and I with her hand prints on it! Our first keepsake made by bear.

We are in the QC visiting family. We left Daddy at home, but got to celebrate the holiday on Thursday. Charlie cooked a delicious lemon chicken with penne dish, followed by strawberrys in chocolate fondue - YUM! He got me a teardrop-shaped pure sapphire necklace and matching earrings. So beautiful!

Nora was hoping to meet her cousin Milo for the first time this weekend, but he isn't feeling well ::sad face:: Hope you feel better soon Milo, and we look forward to seeing you this summer!

Well we got lots of family to visit - hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

Bath Time

Nora loves baths! So much in fact, she is usually inconsolable for 5 minutes after we get out of the tub!

It so funny because hse smiles and laughs the whole time she's in there, but as soon as I pull out the camera, she gets this serious look on her face like "Ohh what's that foriegn object I've seen 2,000 times in my short life?"

I did manage to snap a couple of cute photos though, and I'm crossing my fingers that this video is going to upload because it's a pretty good representation of how bath time usually goes.

Getting ready to get in the tub

Testing the water

Stop looking at me mom, splashing takes concentration

Today I...

played with a teddy bear and a book. I also enjoyed playing by the mirror with my friends.

Baby Legs!

Just when I thought Nora couldn't get any cuter...

I got these baby legs from a local stay-at-home-mom who is starting up her own business. They turned out so CUTE and they're functional too - don't have to take off any layers before a diaper change!

They were on sale too! Woo hoo!

Here's Nora checking out her new legs:

I have another pair, but Nora was only tolerating one outfit change after I got home. If you're interested, more designs can be found on the Beautiful Babies website.

Growing Before Our Eyes

I took a sick day today - no I wasn't playing hookey, I really am still hurting and my face somewhat resembles an overweight chipmunk so I think it was highly justified for me to stay home one more day - but why waste it?

This morning Nora and I cuddled. She napped while I payed bills and dilly-dallied on the net for a while, then we took a walk.

It was super windy, so it was short, but nice to get out none-the-less. When we walk, I ask her what she sees and talk about all the things around us. She is so funny the way she grins and giggles as if she really does enjoy learning about the trees and grass. Sometimes she even babbles as if she has something to add to the conversation. With each stage, it just keeps getting more and more fun!

Then we ran to Hy-vee for a couple miscellaneous grocery items, and Miss Nora sat in the cart for the first time. Every one was ohhing and ahhing at how adorable she looked -- and I have to agree.

It is truly amazing watching her grow. She is becoming increasingly fascinated by her surroundings. She was so interested in the people and smiled back at everyone that smiled at her. I just can't believe how fast she's developing and learning! ::tear::

Update: Shots and Pulled Teeth Oh MY!

Mom and baby are doing well today. Nora is such a champ when it comes to vaccinations. She took a long nap yesterday afternoon, but slept well last night and is her old, cheery self again today.

I like to partially credit her lack of symptoms from vaccines to the alternate schedule we're following. I did a lot of reading before choosing the immunization schedule that I thought was best for us.

Although studies have not been able to confirm over-vaccinating or vaccinating too soon is directly related to the spike in children that develop autism after birth, I figure it is a risk I'd prefer not to take. Additionally, I figure the less foreign substances we introduce to her sensitive system at once, the less hard it's going to be for her to quickly build the antibodies she needs. Coincidentally, or maybe not so coincidentally, she has never had a fever or negative symptoms related to any of her vaccines.

It will take a little longer for her to become fully vaccinated, but she is still meeting all of the state school requirements, and the only shots I've chosen to leave out at this time is chicken pox and HPV. With the chicken pox, we will try to introduce the virus naturally, but if she hasn't had it by the time she starts school, we will likely go ahead with the vaccine. Other drastic differences between our schedule and the CPC's recommended schedule include delaying Hep B until she is 2 1/2 and breaking up the MMR into 3 seperate shots for the first go-round.

Our schedule is very similar to Dr. Sears alternate schedule, with a few modifications we had to make for her to start day care. She never gets more than 2 pokes in a single visit, but we do go every month instead of every other for the first 7 months. After the first year, it spaces out to every 5-6 months. She will be fully vaccinated (except for the Tdap and Meningococcal, which aren't introduced until the teen years) by the time she is 4 1/2. If you're interested in seeing our complete schedule, post a comment here with your e-mail address, or send me an e-mail to akotecki@gmail.com.


And as for me, I'm still in quite a bit of pain and my face highly resembles a chipmunk. It's been nice having Mimi here to help with the bear.

Shots and Pulled Teeth Oh MY!

Today has been a crazy and sleepy day in our household. We took Nora to her 4 month well baby visit this morning. Since we are on an alternate vaccination schedule, had the second dose of DTaP, Polio, and rotavirus.

She such a touch girl...make one angry scream at the nurses, then she was over it. She is having her fair share of napping today though.

Nora weighed 13lbs 1oz and she was 24 inches long. She stayed in the 25th percentile for height, but jumped from the 5th percentile to the 20th for weight! What an oinker - it was a 3 pound gain in a month! She stayed in the 10th percentile for head circumference.

To make the day more eventful, we went straight from the pediatrician's office to my oral surgeon so I could finally have my wisdom teeth pulled. Gotta love dental insurance!

Mimi came up to take care of both her girls for the weekend. Hopefully we are all feeling better soon.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Today I...

loved playing with my friends while looking in the mirror. I also liked playing with a red block.

Today I...

Every day before we take Nora to day care, we fill out an information sheet that tells what time she woke up and who to contact for the day. At the end of the day we pick up the sheet and her teachers have filled it out with when her diaper was changed, each time she ate and how much, and what times she napped. But my favorite part of this sheet is a little box down at the bottom that says "Today I..." where they sometimes fill in information what she did that day.

Since I really enjoy reading these, I've decided I'm going to start adding them to the blog, and hopefully, when Nora gets to look back at her blog she'll appreciate them too. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do.

I haven't saved them up to this point, but here are the ones from the past week:

Jan. 29
Today I...had a good day. I layed on a boppy pillow next to my friend Isabel, and we played with the hanging toys on the baby gym. We also had tummy time together.

Jan. 30
Today I...had a fun day playing with soft animals and dolls, and I loved being cuddled.

Feb. 4
Today I...had a fun day. I had my foot painted purple and my hand inked red for our "flower garden." I also played with baby dolls with my friend Isabel.

Hooray For Our New Laundy Room

The inspriation behind my poll at right is the start (or rather picking up where Charlie left off) of our new laundry room.

We have hired Tim the Toolman (nope not the one from TV, he's local) to relocate our laundry from the basement to the second level of the house. I figure we dress upstairs, undress upstairs, fold laundry upstairs, put clothes away upstairs...why on earth should we trek all the way to the basement to wash it?!?

The third bedroom is losing about 2/3 of its closet, and the room itself will be about 12 square feet smaller, but I think it will be worth it in the long run. It is a large secondary bedroom to begin with and has a closet nearly the size of the master. Plus, eventually we will be able to re-do the bathroom in the basement and move the shower our of the water heater closet, too.

The room should be completed in 2-3 weeks, and I'll post before and afters.

Will it be Red?

In person, Nora's hair looks brown, but I can't help but notice that in several pictures her hair looks redish.

Though he won't admit it, Charlie has red hairs mixed in with his facial hair - perhaps it's in the genes?


What do you think? What color will it be?