4 Months Old!

It is hard to believe that our little girl is 4 months old today! She is growing up so FAST and right before our very eyes! Last night we gave her rice cereal for the first time. It was messy as you can tell from the picture above, but I think she liked it. I made it to runny last night and in the end she ended up taking it by bottle, so today I thickened it up and she ate it by spoon.
One of my favorite pics of Lily...she has just recently started sucking her thumb. It is probably the cutest thing I have ever seen! She usually does it when she starts to get tired. She has never really taken a binky, but man she really sucks on that thumb! She will only suck the left one.

Getting ready for cereal!

Jason bought Lily this outfit for Christmas...it is so stinkin cute on her! I must say that the hat is the best part!

Lily and Mommy before going out to dinner last Friday on that awful snowy, icy night! We braved the weather (not truly knowing how bad it really was until we were outside on the road) and had a nice dinner out with our daughter.

Lily playing in her bouncy toy...she can reach the toys and make the music play all on her own now!

Such a tired little girl. I am having a hard time with her little chubby cheeks this winter. I have tried using her Aveeno Baby Lotion on them, but then she gets little red bumps. Any suggestions? They are just so dry and chapped from winter.

Lily's first FOOD! I tasted this stuff and I'm not sure how anyone...even babies...can eat it!

This is Lily holding her own bottle of rice cereal and feeding herself...she can't hang on for long, but she is starting to grab things and pick them up now. The other day I put her rattle in her hand and she held on to it for a long time...the only problem was it was a HARD rattle and she bonked herself in the head with it and started to cry.

Getting ready to take a bath...her cereal was all over her and very sticky!

Lily in her "Jenny Jump Up". Daddy bought her this for Christmas, and we tried it out for the first time last night. She doesn't really know what to do in it yet other than just sit.

In her crib watching her mobile. It doesn't matter what time of day...she LOVES her mobile and she would lay in her crib all day to watch it if I would let her! If she gets into one of her screaming moments...this is often the only way to calm her down. We lay her in her crib with her mobile on for just a few minutes and then she is a happy baby!

Jason and I hope all who read Lily's blog enjoy watching her grow up as much as we do. She is often a wild and funny little girl. I look ahead for our future with her, but at the same time it makes us sad how fast she is growing. We enjoy cuddling with her every chance we get! She goes in on Thursday for her 4 month check-up and shots...I will post again after that.

Rolling Over

I'm excited to say that Lily can ROLL OVER on her own! I was over at my mom and dad's house with her on Tuesday, and I laid her down on the floor so I could hook up Maddie and Jahrran's Wii that they got for Christmas. Not even two seconds later I look over and she rolled over all by herself. She has been really close for days, but just couldn't ever get all the way over. She got stuck on Monday and screamed and screamed. A little while later I laid her underneath my parent's Christmas tree because she was fussy and getting tired. My dad went to check on her, and he asked me if I had laid her on her stomach...I said no...she rolled over again! She is growing up way too fast! Now I just worry if she rolls over in her crib at night and gets stuck face first. I checked on her several times Tuesday night to make sure she was okay. Once she is asleep, she doesn't move around too much, and she has always remained on her back.

Christmas Pics

Lily with Aunt Kylie on Christmas Eve

Lily's new Piggy Bank from Aunt Kylie and Maddie

Mommy and Daddy

Lily's Christmas Dinner

Presents from Great Grandma B (14 great grandkids)

Ma and Pa Mike Paces

Not happy with Uncle Justin

Christmas on the Farm...I'm set for gameday!

Lily and her cousin Rachel (Jason's niece)

Julien, Rachel, Justin, Jessie, Mitchell and Lily

Always the center of attention!

What the heck Momma!?

Lily with cousins Rachel and Mitchell

Lily's 1st Christmas

Christmas with Mommy and Daddy
Look at all of my presents!

Playing in the wrapping paper.

An outfit from Daddy

Blanket from Mommy

Opening up her first present.

My play center from Santa!

My doorway jumper from Daddy

Since I had to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas night, Lily, Jason and I had a little family Christmas of our own on Tuesday night. For only being 3 1/2 months old, Lily did pretty good at opening up her own presents. We would put a corner of the paper in her hand and she would rip away at it. She really had no idea what was going on, but it was still fun for mom and dad. On Christmas Eve night Lily went with Ma and Pa Mike Paces over to her Aunt's house. She got even more presents over there. Jason joined them after he got off of work. I got home on Christmas morning, and Daddy and Lily were sound asleep. I slept for a few hours on Christmas and then woke up to spend it with my mom's side of the family. We all had a nice Christmas meal, and then we watched all of the grandkids open up their presents. It was worth the lack of sleep! On Friday, Lily got to meet her Great Aunt and Uncle and some cousins from Colorado. They were in town for the weekend and we all had a nice meal on Friday night. Saturday morning Jason and I took Lily up to the farm to celebrate Christmas with Jason's family. Lily had a good time playing with all of her cousins. She doesn't get to see them very often. Once again...she got more presents...I'm still trying to find space to put everything! Jason and I had a nice Christmas with our baby girl. She is so special and we are so thankful for her everyday.

Some 3 Month Pics

Santa

Ready to go see Santa
The best Christmas gift of all...my Silly Lily!

All dressed up to see Santa

Lily with a very tired Mommy

Lily meeting Santa for the very first time

Jason and I took Lily to sit on Santa's lap on Saturday. She was all dressed up...tights, bow and all. Lily didn't really care where she was or whose lap she was on...as you can tell by the picture. We all know that Lily is too little to know anything about Santa Claus, but it was a memory for all of us and one for her baby book. At least she can look at these pictures when she is older and know how her first visit to Santa went. I think Mommy and Daddy enjoyed it more than she did.

3 Months Old

Lily is 3 months old today...I can't believe how fast the time flies! Jason and I are definitely having fun with her. Her little personality shines through a little bit more each day. Lily is getting a little bit more time with her Daddy as I am at work 3 nights a week. I miss her a lot when I'm not home, but I'm going to continue to work nights because I really don't want to put her in daycare. I work all holidays, so I am sad to have to miss her first Christmas, but at least this year she doesn't really know what is going on. I think Lily is slightly spoiled as all of the presents under the tree are for her! She has several presents wrapped up for her from Mommy and Daddy, a big present from Santa and her stocking is already stuffed. I know that she doesn't know the difference, but I do and I have to make her first Christmas a special one. All is well in our household and we look forward to our life to come with Lily.

Daddy in Charge

Need I say more? I think the pictures say it all. This is what happens when Daddy is left in charge! I came home from a very long night and day at work (18 hours total), and I found Daddy and Lily playing on the computer and Lily in a very interesting outfit that her Daddy had put together. I just had to laugh! She was still cute...no matter what she is wearing! I asked Jason how he even came up with the outfit?! Lily has a closet FULL of cute little outfits, and Daddy chooses to dress her like a little orphan baby. I don't think Lily minded at all...she was just happy to have gotten to hang out with her Daddy all night and day!

Back to Work

Lily loves to lay under the Christmas Tree
My favorite pic!

Lily and a tearful Mommy...mommy's first night back to work.

All chubbed out after a nap with Daddy.

Playing under the tree.

Such a happy baby...always.

Last night was my first night back to work after being off for 12 weeks. Leaving Lily for the very first time was very hard and emotional for me. I cried most of the day and most of the week leading up to last night. It makes me sad to know that I can't snuggle her at bedtime and cuddle her when she wakes up in the mornings...3 nights each week. It was good to get back to work because I do love what I do. When I got there everyone welcomed me back and asked how Lily was and I immediately started to cry. I HATED leaving my baby girl! I missed her and thought about her all night long. Jason called me around 10:30 to tell me she had been crying for a 1/2 hour and that he didn't know what was wrong or what to do. I knew he would be just fine, but it made me sad that I couldn't be there to hold her and calm her down. There was nothing I could do. All in all I think Lily and Daddy had a good night without Mommy there. It was the best feeling in the world to pick her up this morning and hold her and to see her bright eyes and gummy grin. She was good to me also...she slept most of the day with me! For the next few weeks I am working every other night to see how it works out with mine and Jason's schedules. Jason and I won't see much of each other since we work opposite of each other, but we will make it work for Lily!

The other night Lily was fussing so I laid her down underneath the Christmas tree (she likes the lights). A few minutes later I went to check on her and she was sound asleep. She looked like a little angel. I told Jason to hurry up to come look at our little present under the tree! She truly is a gift from God...a very precious one at that. We love our little girl so much and she has brought so much joy to our lives. She is so much fun. She changes so much in even just a day's time. She is so alert and energetic. I'm sure she'll keep me on my toes the older she gets! I tell her she is already my little "wild child"!

Constipation Issues

Ever since I stopped breastfeeding Lily she has been pooping less often...I had expected this. She had been going #2 at least 4 to 5 times a day and when I switched her over to forumula this decreased to 1-2 times a day and soon to every other day and now she is not going for 5 days. It doesn't seem to bother her, but it bothers me. I had given her a glycerin suppository and she went with ease...a little pastier than her breastfed stools...but once again to be expected. She would go another 4-5 days without going so I'd give her another suppository and she'd go with ease...no straining and the stools are soft. I wasn't sure if she was getting constipated or if this was just going to be her pooping schedule. The other night I have her 1/2 ounce of apple juice diluted with 1/2 ounce of water. She drank it right down, but then an hour later she was SCREAMING! I knew she had a tummy ache. Her face got bright red as if she was trying to have a bowel movement, but nothing was coming out. Once again, I gave her a suppository and she blew out. I called her Pediatrician the next day because I know I shouldn't be giving her suppositories every 5 days. I thought maybe we would have to change her formula. Being a nurse myself I specifically asked to talk to her Dr. and not the nurse. Well...the nurse called me back even though I requested the Dr. to. Anyway, she said it is okay and even normal for babies to not poop for up to a week. She didn't think Lily was constipated because her stools are soft and not dry little pebbles and also because Lily is not straining to go and that it doesn't seem to bother her. The nurse told me that Dr. Russell would call me back today to discuss this further. Well, it is 3:45pm and I have not gotten a phone call...very irritating. Anyway...good news to a long story...Lily pooped on her own today!!!