My Grae Girl is just growing growing growing.
She has gotten B-U-S-Y this month.
Crawling everywhere, into everything, busy little hands always in my way.
always in my way.
She has the cutest cutest scrunch-nose, toothy grin.  It is enough to stop your heart, I swear.
She got another tooth this week.
New tooth always equals up all night for us.
After a few days of no sleeping, I got desperate and asked for sleeping advice on instagram.
I got some great tips and started putting them to the test right away.. I’ll share what we’ve done:
The first night I put her to bed at 8 or so, and she woke up at 11:30 like she normally does.  Instead of going right in to nurse her back to sleep, I decided to give her 5 minutes.  She kind of fussed and whined and after 3 minutes she rolled over and went back to sleep.  I was shocked!  That night she slept through the night until 8:30am! She’s had a couple of all-night flukes before, so I was skeptical.  The next night she woke at 2 and we just brought her in bed with us which was another long night.  I finally went and put her in her own bed at 5:30, she let out one big cry and then was silent and slept until 9.  So, the third night I did the same thing as the first.  When she woke up at midnight, I let her fuss and just a few minutes and she slept through the night again.  Night number 4 she didn’t wake up at all.
I have no idea if this will be the end of night wakings – I’m sure not entirely, but I feel like we are making massive progress!  I am not a fan of crying it out after trying to “sleep train” my first baby and harboring a lot of guilt, but I have now come to terms (and inner peace) that each baby truly does need different things.  Harlo didn’t respond well to that method, Stella never ever needed to be sleep trained, and Grae seems to be a text-book case of CIO working.  I am so grateful to be humbled as a mother with each new baby and each new problem.  My opinions are constantly changing and evolving and I think that is wonderful practice as a human being.  As soon as I think I’m set in my ways, something happens to move me into a new perspective.
She has started transitioning more to one nap.  Still sometimes two.
She got soooo sick with a nasty virus this month.  It was absolutely miserable seeing her so sick.  She ran a 103 fever for 6 days.  After 2 trips to the doctor, and a croup-y cough, they finally treated her for croup and that day she got so much better.  Thank heavens! I’ve never had a baby that sick before.
It took her about 2 weeks to get her appetite back eating solids again.
Like she can afford to lose those calories!
She weighs 15 lbs 4 oz.  The older she gets, the tinier she is in comparison to other babies her age.
The only size clothes she’s grown out of is NB, and only for length.  She still wears 0-3 month dresses!  Her legs are long, so I buy her 12 month leggings, but they fit her more like palazzo pants than leggings.  She is just long and skinny – nothing like her mama.
She gets an upset tummy quite easily.  Bananas and mangos make her unbelievably constipated.  Beans make her have diarrhea and a gassy tummy.  We have to give her prunes almost daily to keep her comfortable and regular – poor little goosey.
She is rather high maintenance.
This month her hair has gotten so much fuller and longer.  She sported her first case of pigtails and her first clip-in bow.  Very exciting firsts. 🙂
She has definitely started talking more.  She will try to mimic most everything.
She says Harlo, Gigi, Stel, Auntie, Nana, Papa, Kitty, hair-do… along with the other basics like mama and dada and tons of jibber jabber.
The big girls are having so much fun with this new trick.
She pulls up to everything, and sometimes will walk along the coffee table or couch.
She also pulls up in her crib, especially when the big girls come to greet her after naps. 🙂
She has gotten so silly, we are starting to see bits of her sense of humor.
She will mimic facial experessions like raised eyebrows and scowly faces.
She can’t contain herself when music is on – she will stop whatever she is doing to dance.
Often in the car, I’ll look back to her carseat to see her legs bouncing up and down dancing to the music.  Ha!
She has gotten to be a slightly better traveler than she was a few months ago.
Now that we can hand her crackers and snacks and drinks seems to help.
She has also started SCREAMING this month.  If she wants something, if she doesn’t like something, if she’s bored, etc. she’ll let out this earth-shattering shriek.
Remember Stella being the worst screamer??  Apparently it runs in the family.
Never the less, it is shortening years off my life, I swear.
Grae has definitely relaxed down into a happier, more easy-going baby these last few weeks.
I have been reminded yet again how much I dearly love this stage of baby-hood.
Everyday is fun and magic and heartbursting love all day long.
She suddenly hates her changing table, but will be fine if I move her to change her anywhere else in the house.  No idea why.
I haven’t updated her diaper rash in a while, but after months of almost on going diaper rash, we seem to have ended that streak.
We have to be very very particular about which wipes and diapers we use (only luv’s and only up&up unscented, sensitive skin wipes).  She is absolutely allergic to huggies diapers and wipes and will come out in a burn anywhere it touches her.  So stressful getting to the bottom of it, but after a lot of trial and error and probably her growing out of some sensitivity, we have been clear for a while now (knock on wood)!
Grae has brought so much happiness and light into our lives.  She has been such an important part of my human experience on this earth, I know it.  She has changed me and taught me since the day she came into our lives.  She is a warrior of a soul and I am so so so blessed to call her my own.  We have loved every day of having her as part of our family.
I can’t believe her first birthday is just right around the corner!