9 Months Old

     Froggie is 9 months old today! She's come a long way in the past 9 months and has had her share of set backs. She is generally happy and lots of fun to snuggle. She's normally tolerant of her Big Brother which is saying a lot, since there are days where I have a hard time tolerating his behavior.
     Our little Nugget officially has 7 teeth! With another on its way through... She is a GREAT eater and will try whatever we give her. I don't think we've found anything yet that she doesn't like! She got a nifty new sippy cup with a straw yesterday and seems to do well with it. She crawls around and pulls herself up on everything from toys to furniture to the legs of anyone close by.         
   She's growing in leaps and bounds but lately she has been struggling with sleep. I don't like to blame behavior and illness on teeth but by process of elimination I feel that her sleep issues may have been tooth related. Some nights over the past few weeks she has woken up to have a mini party. She crawls around and throws stuff on the floor. This morning she crawled over to Hubby and attacked him with kisses!

Big Girl at breakfast

Such a happy Froggie

Big Girl at dinner

     November 1st is also the day that I choose what the kids will be for Halloween next year. I snagged a new superhero for Big Brother and a Strawberry for Froggie for about $18.50. The costumes originally cost $52.99, I'd call that a deal! We are all snuggled up now for the night watching Monster's University! 

Movie night

Pumpkin Farm Picture - Final Attempt

     So every time we've gone to the pumpkin farm something has come up and one of the kids was distracted, or asleep, or grumpy, etc. Well since it wasn't raining when we got home from work I decided to pack the kids up and head out to the pumpkin farm again and give it one last shot. Just them and I to limit distractions since every time we've tried before there have been other people around.
     Here's what we came up with:

Big Brother driving Froggie around

They had a blast

Big Brother, Froggie and of course we can't forget a race car!

My happy little pumpkin

An animal made a noise and the kids looked a little afraid

Welcome Back Lazy Thursdays

     Froggie and I are cuddled up on the couch watching season premieres of all of our favorite shows. As an infant Froggie really could probably care less what I'm doing as long as she is comfy and fed. So far we've watched The Big Bang Theory and are now sucked into Grey's Anatomy. We're also recording The Michael J. Fox Show and The Crazy One's. We'll probably watch those tomorrow if we don't end up doing something else.
     Froggie seems to be having some more teeth coming in (or something). She's been pretty irritable and doesn't seem to be sleeping as heavily as she typically does. She's more finicky about nursing and doesn't seem to be eating quite as well.
     Big Brother went through a similar phase I suppose, once he was more aware of the fact that things were ALWAYS going on around him. He would be so distracted by anything and especially noises that he would just stop eating.
     We may be investing in an amber necklace soon to see if it helps out on the teething front.

A sleepy, grumpy Froggie

Happy Labor Day!

     To many today is the unofficial end to summer. School is officially back in for those who go to school and around here it's gotten busier since we live in a college town. We started our weekend off with our jam packed Saturday and then any other outdoor plans we had went south when it rained both Sunday and Monday.
     Hubby got the kids up and let me sleep for a little longer this morning. After a little bit I felt like I was wasting my extra day and came down stairs to find everyone hanging out in the living room. it was cloudy again and the weather was predicting rain. This morning was pretty low key, then Big Brother had lunch and Hubby prepped Froggie's new carseat to go into my car.
     Froggie has upgraded from her infant carrier to a stand alone carseat. We had picked up a new purple Graco carseat a few weeks ago and had just not moved it into the car. When Big Brother laid down Hubby finished adjusting the straps to fit Froggie and work rear facing.

     Once Big Brother was up and out of bed and I had got up on publishing posts on  here we loaded up the car to test out Froggie's new car seat and go get some ice cream. Big Brother got his very own cup of ice cream but insisted upon eating everyone else's. Some days I wonder why we order him his own food instead of just sharing ours with him.

     Froggie also has gotten another tooth! Her other top tooth has broken through. It actually broke through Saturday morning but swelled back up a bit yesterday. I don't think they're going to swell over again though so I'm saying it's official! This could have been the reason she would randomly wake up screaming for the last week or so. However, Froggie has adopted a bad habit now that she has top and bottom teeth. She has been grinding her teeth together so that they make a clicking or popping noise. It's almost as if she lines her top teeth behind her bottom teeth and then pops them up over the bottom teeth to make the noise. She pretty good about stopping if you say something to her, give her a toy or shove your finger in her mouth but I'm not so sure she always will be if it becomes habitual. Anyone have any experience getting an infant not to grind/click their teeth?

Well tomorrow we're back to work for our 4 day work week. We're also supposed to have a break in our hot temperatures as well. Hoping for a good week.

6 Month Check Up

     Friday was Froggie's 6 month check up. We got in on time settled and weighed in and waited for the doctor. He checked her out and said everything looked good!
     We looked at her growth curve and it's continuing to progress. She has gotten an inch longer and her head has gotten about an inch bigger as well. Most importantly she has leapt from the 9th percentile to the 22nd and has gained 3 pounds since her last appointment!
     I had read that growth was slowed down while children were in the harness and wasn't really sure if that was the case with Froggie or if she was just going to be tiny forever. Apparently the harness was keeping her from her full potential!
     She was also a trooper about getting her shots! They were out of one of the vaccinations she needed so we're on a call list for it when it comes in and at that point she will probably also get her flu shot. Over all Froggie got another clean bill of health - no we wait for our next hip check up in October!

Aviation Gala

     Froggie woke up drenched in sweat and I checked her temp for the 3rd or 4th time this weekend. Several times she's been really sweaty or felt hot and clammy but every time I take her temp it's right around 96 degrees. Hubby and I have decided we think the sweatiness is a by product of her most recent tooth coming through.
     Our local airport extended their runway and to celebrate they held a free Aviation Gala so that the public could come and seen a variety of planes, cars and booths as well as some kid friendly activities. After we were able to get ourselves packed up and out the door we headed for the airport. It took us a little bit to get into the parking area and then out of the car but Big Brother continued to exclaim he wanted to go to the bounce houses first!

Plane bounce house

     When we got there and headed for the smallest bounce house (which would have been perfect for Big Brother) they deflated it. So we headed to a similar one and he excitedly got in; however, he wouldn't jump. There was a bigger kid in the bounce house who Big Brother was afraid of so he wouldn't jump. The other kid about his size just sat in the middle of the house as well, I don't know if he was scared too or just had no intention of jumping. So he climbed out and wanted to go in an obstacle course one but since he would have had to go in himself we decided to move on to looking at the planes.
     By this time Froggie was starting to fall asleep in the Ergobaby. It's so nice to be able to stick her in the carrier where she's

safe and comfy and doesn't complain about much.
     We walked around and got to see all of the military and non-military planes as well as the classic cars that were on display.

Family picture with the precursor to a C-130

Big Brother with a plane used by the Tuskegee Airmen

Another family shot

Watching a plane come in. 

     It was a ton of fun and I still got home in time for our friend's sample sale on her shop's Facebook page. Her store is called Joyful Creations by Leza and she makes ADORABLE kids clothes! Check her out she still has some samples left (the link above should go straight to the sample sale)! I'm super excited for Froggie to have her 1 year pictures taken in the dress I snagged for her today!
     Froggie also tried her first mixture of baby food. She had turkey and mixed veggies for dinner and loved it! She's getting so big and I don't know where the time has gone!

We Have Another Tooth!

     We started our afternoon out heading to my 10 year class reunion. We got there pretty close to the start and there were only a handful of people there but we had lunch and Big Brother got to run around and play with one of my former classmates' sons. They bonded over sharing their Cars but when they had to leave Big Brother started exclaiming "I wanna go home!". I have learned that when a 2 year old starts yelling that they want to go home, it's probably time to go home.
     Big Brother passed out before we hit the paved road from the park but didn't make it to his bed. He laid down and watched a movie for a bit instead while Froggie slept. Once Froggie was up and we'd gotten some stuff done at the house we headed out and about to check out some things. After Big Brother decided to yell at me because I was quoting the movie Cars and apparently only the characters are allowed to say those things!

No, you can't say that!

     The kids fell back to sleep in the car so Hubby stayed with them while I ran into a couple stores looking for toys. It's funny how, once you have kids you go on hunts for the toys they like. We're currently seeking out Disney Cars and Planes for Big Brother and Disney Princess babies for Froggie (as well as whatever else she may like).
     Once the kids were awake we went to another store to look for a shirt, vest and tie to go with Big Brother's tux for my sister-in-law's wedding. We found him a shirt but no luck on the vest and tie so we'll have to order one. We did pick up an plane and I got some things to be crafty and make some head bands  and Big Brother got some stickers.
     We got home and had dinner and sent Big Brother to bed. I struggle to figure out how he sleeps in his bed when he insists on taking all of his cars with him. I feel the need to mention that he only takes his "eyeball cars" (Disney Cars characters and 2 Planes characters) to bed with him and he gets really upset if you even suggest that they "sleep" someplace else. He even makes me tuck them all in before I leave the room!

Big Brother and his "garage"

     I figured I'd check on Froggie's upper tooth since she had her run in with my knee earlier in the week. I'll have to check to make sure her gums don't swell back over but...
     Froggie has a 3rd tooth!

My pretty little Froggie

Check out that tooth!

Cutting teeth is tough work!

Pretty Piggies

     First an update about Froggie's mouth (Eruption Hematoma) - By this morning the bruising had almost disappeared. The only spot left was towards the under-side of her gums. Her tooth seems closer to breaking through as well so we may be seeing a new tooth soon.

     The other day while we were out shopping I found a set of nail polish intended for children clearanced out for $1. Despite the fact that one of the 5 bottles appeared to have leaked I thought this was a screaming deal. Froggie's nails are still WAY too tiny to use the regular nail polish brush so we needed something smaller. This set was meant for detail so the brushes were super tiny which was perfect. I hadn't gotten a chance to paint her nails though until tonight.

Prepared to paint!

     Once Big Brother had laid down Hubby and I started to watch 42 while I nursed Froggie. She started to doze off so I had hubby grab the nail polish so that I could giver her a tiny pedicure when she wasn't so squirmy. Mission Accomplished! She doesn't seem bothered by the nail polish and it looks pretty good. We have 3 other colors to pick from in the future!

Check out those pretty piggies! 

Eruption Hematoma?

     It's time to add another oddity to our list of medical concerns/injuries. This time it's not Big Brother with the bruise - it's Froggie! My baby girl is 6 1/2 months old and has just had a rough go with teething (compared to Big Brother). Her first two teeth came in amidst a TON of drool and frequent orajel dosages but they have come in completely and she hasn't seemed to have a problem since they broke through. We've been expecting her top incisors to break through any day since she's got two big lumps where they should be, chews on EVERYTHING, and occasionally seems upset for no discernible reason. 

     Well, tonight she decided that she wanted to chew on me! She was sitting on my lap and kept leaning towards my knee. I would sit her back up and she would do it again. The last time she did this she actually reached my knee which startled me. Shortly after I lifted her up she cried for just a few seconds and that was that. 

     Until I noticed her gums about an hour later! She has a big purple spot on her upper gum where her right incisor should be coming through. First thing was first I had hubby hold her so we could check it out and take pictures. I typically take pictures of any injuries involving bruising so that I can monitor whether it's getting better or worse in the hours/day following the incident that caused it. I also decided to search the internet a little. 

     I found Eruption Hematoma and Eruption Cyst as results that looked like Froggie's mouth; however, the description of an Eruption Cyst didn't seem to fit since they seem to be "squishy" with fluid build up. For all I know they may be different names for the same thing... Since she seems to be unfazed by the bruising and is eating fine I probably will just take a "wait and see" approach since she has a doctors appointment next week unless, of course, the bruise gets worse or sticks around for more than a few days. 

     Anyone have any experience with something like this?

You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat!

     Well, it's Shark Week! Since there is nothing on TV and once Big Brother is in bed there's no leaving the house we've actually tuned into Shark Week with some regularity so far this year. Froggie has gotten pretty into it and had it out with a shark finger puppet at school today.

I'm supposed to be afraid of that thing? I'll show him!

SHARK ATTACK!

Froggie's victory over the shark!

     On a different note, Big Brother used his "treasure" from yesterdays Family Weekend event to buy his own car. He picked it out and handed over his coins in exchange for a new car. Hubby was being kind of sappy and took a picture. (This worked out in my advantage so I could use it here)

     Apparently attacking sharks takes it out of you, she's been passed out like this for almost half an hour!

Another Milestone

     I mentioned a few of the things Froggie is currently doing yesterday. Well today I have another thing to add - Froggie had her first food experience!
     Yes I know the current advice is nothing but breast milk or formula before 6 months but we take a "baby led" kind of approach. Both with Big Brother and Froggie we watched for cues they may be ready for food; imitating chewing, reaching for food/cups, getting upset when others are eating, etc. It helps that both kids also had teeth at about the same time (4-5 months).
     After Froggie "yelled" at one of my co-workers for eating crackers I figured that was a good enough  cue to attempt something additional. She did a great job with it and smiled and giggled about her dinner  the entire time. She didn't "tongue out" the cereal and she ate the little bit that I made for her with no problem at all.
     I know there are varying opinions of when to feed infants, what to feed infants, and whether or not to feed infants cereal period. We had success with giving Big Brother cereal and we've decided to follow the same feeding pattern with Froggie. Check out this happy little girl!

     There was one set back to this experience - Froggie does not fit in a high chair while wearing a harness. Since Froggie is still pretty tiny and fits well in our infant seat we decided to use that as a make shift feeding seat. We would have used the modified Bumbo seat but I left it at work this afternoon when I came home.
     Off to start decorating a wagon for the 4th of July. This is a very intricate process, especially if you're part of my family. There will definitely be a post about it in the next day or 2.

Check Up

     Yesterday was Froggie's 4 month check up (a little late because it had to be rescheduled once). After a little bit of waiting (at 4pm you're bound to experience the accumulated delays of the day) we made our way back to an exam room and answered a few questions for the nurse. Typical things like what's she eating (breastfed or formula), is she meeting milestones (cooing, holding her head up, etc.) and measuring her.
     Froggie weighed in at 12.13lbs and was de-harnessed to get her length at 25.25". I've noticed that since she was fitted with her harness her growth has slowed down a bit. She went from gaining approximately half a pound per week to just a few ounces. I had read that this was common though there was no real explanation as to why it happens. While waiting for the doctor we experienced a handful of 2 year old melt downs from Big Brother; one regarding changing a pull-up, one about Froggie pulling his hair and another after rolling himself off the chair and onto the floor (He's ok, but realized very quickly that falling on to tile isn't fun).
     Her doctor was impressed that she's rolling (out of the harness) since she spends so much time in her harness. She actually rolled from back to front this afternoon in the office - go figure she waits until we're in the office to do things... He did also note that by time she's back for her 6 month check up (at almost 7 months) that she'll probably be ready to begin some other solid foods like cereal or fruits and veggies.
     In addition to getting her work up from the doctor she had some vaccines. She's never fond of them and it didn't help that today while I was trying to calm her down Big Brother was spitting milk all around the exam room. Gotta love 2 year olds! Over all this afternoon was pretty stressful simply because Big Brother became upset about EVERYTHING. It didn't help that He decided to wander away from me in the parking lot while I was unlocking the car either.
     I have yet to master doctor's appointments with both kids and it's a little overwhelming to try to talk to the doctor about one child while worrying about what the other one is doing. If anyone has any advice I'd be willing to hear it - Big Brother has tried toys, books, snacks, the works and by time we actually see the doctor he's burned through all of his distractions.

Mmmm... tasty froggy

I see you... 

Heat Wave

     Today was our annual family picnic and boy was it hot! I have written before about the heat and heat rash occurring with the harness but today we attempted to prevent it. Prior to leaving we coated Froggie in baby powder and chose to put a jumper on her that fit over her harness instead of our typical onesie under the harness and shirt or dress over it.
     This seemed to work, not to mention it felt significantly cooler than it was since we were near the lake and had a nice shady area with a constant breeze off the lake. It was nice to see family and we got to spend the afternoon outside.

Froggie and her Gi-Gi (Great Grandma)

Big Brother and his goldfish

Hubby and Froggie

Mmmmm fingers.... Froggie working on those teeth!

     After some socialization and lunch Big Brother asked to go to the beach. So we got him changed, put Froggie in the Ergo and headed down the "cliff".

Down the cliff

     Once we got to the bottom of the stairs Hubby still had to climb down the cement wall and take each child as I handed them off to him. Once we were on the beach it felt much warmer! The water was cool  but Big Brother wasn't thrilled with the little waves coming in and only took a few steps into the water before deciding to play in the sand instead.

cooling off

Froggie and I cooling off

Playing in the sand

     The kids had such a great day! By time we came back up from the beach they were both exhausted and passed out on a picnic blanket!

Sleepy kids!

     When we finally got home we took Froggie's romper off and let her hang out in a bib and her harness. She was a little red but it wasn't not quite what we had seen previously. Hubby's taken her to soak in a cool bath for a few minutes before bed which seems to cool her off and help her sleep.

Another Tooth!

Froggie playing with her toes

     You read right! Froggie's second tooth appears to be coming in quickly. You can kind of see it in the picture. Please ignore my chipping nail polish, it needs redone badly!

     These are the bubbles that cause problems! Froggie blows bubble and drools SO MUCH that it soaks her shirt if she's not wearing a bib and sometimes gets her harness pretty wet. So we've been having her wear bibs for most of the day and try to have her wear dresses and shirts over the harness so that it only gets damp rather than soaked. 

     In addition to a new tooth Froggie got some pretty jewelry today. After some discussion with Hubby we decided to have her ears pierced. We decided that the risk of something happening to them was less since she can't play with them. She was going to get cute little crowns but they were sold out so she got little balls instead. She did really well over all and Big Brother got to enjoy a sucker for her.

Froggie with her earrings.

Teething Bites!

     Well it's official - we have a tooth!
     Froggie has been working on this tooth for quite some time and has been excessively drooly which was causing her to have some upset tummy issues. I highly recommend bibs and wearing clothes over the harness during teething to protect it from drool and spit up which may be more frequent and unpredictable during teething.
     For the last week or so we would be able to feel the tooth had broken through her gums in the evening but by morning her gums had swollen back over her tooth and healed so that the entire process had to start over.
     This morning when I checked her gums they had not swollen over and I could feel the entire tooth! I waited all day to see if they would swell back up and they haven't yet so I'm now confident she's got a tooth and it's not going anywhere!
     This was a much different experience than with Big Brother - he sprouted two teeth almost overnight with no indication to us that they were coming! I'm sure there are lots of adventures in teething to come but today Froggie overcame her first battle!

THE TOOTH!