Solids!

It's that fun, interesting time in my daughters life where she gets to try solids!  She actually started to try things out when she was 5 months old but that was just a little rice cereal here and there.  She didn't really get into things until she was 6 1/2 months old.  If there is one thing to say about it its that the girl loves to eat!  However there are 2 curve balls to that statement.  First one being is that she still has a sensitive stomach and certain food (mostly orange colored ones) cause her to spit up even more!  Secondly is that she is pretty insistant on feeding herself.  If I try to feed her via spoon she really doesn't have the time of day to eat.  So I figured out that if I put the purees I had made up into one of those fresh fruit mesh bags she just goes to town!  Loves everything I give her and loves that she has control over it.  Added bonus is that she gets to make a mess while doing it!  Not necessarily as exciting for mom..haha
So, once I've finished up the purees I've already made up for her I thought I would give baby led weaning a try.  Seems she's steering herself that way anyways.  The choking aspect of it is quite concerning to me but everyone assures me that they gag more than choke. 
Seems crazy, she's growing up so fast!

Frequent topic of mine...

..baby sleep..or lack there of.  I have never had anything more frustrating in my life then trying to get baby naps figured out.  I have been told that the first nap of the day is the most important and if you don't get that right the rest of your day is down hill.  The worst part about that is that if you get it wrong you have to wait 24 hours before you can try again essentially.  Once you've messed up that one nap the rest of your day is off kilter.  Try again tomorrow..then you mess it up again and wait until the next day.
So frustrating..
I look around at the other ladies that have babies around the same age and it seems like sleeping is a breeze for them and their baby.  I don't know if I am really that terrible at this or they're just not saying anything about their own issues.  I'm hoping for the latter but am suspecting the first option is what rings true.  I've done a ton of research on it of course (google mom here!) but am no further ahead.  Chances are I've done too much research and I'm just in my head too much.  Whatever the answer, my poor daughter is paying for it in lack of sleep.
Who knows, maybe i'll get it right tomorrow..

New Moms, sometimes you have to loosen the purse strings!

I will be the first person to tell you that when you've having a baby, especially your first, you do not need to go out and buy every gadget, toy, blanket, outfit out there!  Chances are you won't use it as much as you think or sometimes not at all.  I did not purchase anything new with my daughter.  I bought everything used or was given stuff from friends and family that no longer needed their baby stuff any more.  However, as you go along you will find that there are certain items that even though they may not be absolutely necessary; they make your life just a wee bit easier.  With being a new mom, anything that makes your life easier is a must.  For me it was the baby video monitor.  My daughter is currently 6 months old and up until this point we had been using a hand me down audio baby monitor.  Worked fine and all but there was room for improvement.
1) My daughter has her bedroom upstairs so I go up and down those stairs more times then I care to count. 
2) My daughter is not the best of sleepers.  She makes lots of noises and with just audio you're never too sure if she's asleep or not
3) This is tied into my second point.  If she is awake and sees you peeking in on her she gets excited and wants to play.  Which means you pretty much have to start all over again.
So I did my research and found a video monitor I thought was the best bang for the buck and it is a god send!  I couldn't go back now...I wouldn't go back now!  I'm wondering why I waited so long.  The last 6 months could of been that much easier. 
Anyways, I went with the Levana Keera.  Overall I would give it a good review.  At times I wish there were an audio only option.  It has what they call the PEEP mode which the video only flicks on when the baby makes a noise.  This can be annoying in the middle of the night if it keeps flicking on and off.  However you can just flip it on its front to solve that.
The moral of the story is, by the way, pick and choose what is important.  Don't feed into the hype and buy all the trendy stuff the moment you find out you're pregnant.  Get the basics and when the baby comes figure out what you actually need/want.  You'd be surprised how little stuff you actually need for the baby the first 6 months.  Then as you figure life out and what would make it easier, then splurge a little and buy whatever it is that will make parents and baby happy.  Everything else is just clutter!

They should change the saying sleep like a baby..

..to perhaps sleep like a newborn!  'Cause I'm telling ya, babies don't sleep all that great.  In my previous post I had finally had some ray of hope come threw with my babies sleep.  However, after that we had a short trip down to the US which threw our nap schedule out the door.  Once we came back the poor girl caught a cold.  Probably due to the lack of sleep from the trip.  Finally after a week the cold finally dissipated.  However, we were left with a mess of schedule/routine.  She has always been pretty consistant with her naps but that was no longer.  One day she was tired after an hour, next it was 3 hours.  She would only stay asleep for 30-40 minutes and wouldn't go back down despite still being tired.  So after 2 weeks of trial and error, watching her sleep cues very carefully because she is not the most obvious with those.  I also downloaded an app called baby tracker.  It lets you enter when they fall asleep and when they wake up.  You can also track their feedings and diaper changes.  For the first 2 weeks you get the charting option, which lets you compare each day in a nice little chart, for free.  After that they do want you to pay but luckily I don't think I need it so I won't bother. 
Anyways, for now we seem to be doing alright but as I have learned things can change very quickly.  So never get comfortable with a schedule/routine, you're only setting yourself up for disappointment..lol

4 month sleep regression (part 3)

I am happy to post there has been a break in the cycle...finally!  My baby is now sleeping fairly well, not perfectly, but better!  She sometimes wakes up a few times from 7-11:30, then I dream feed her and she is usually good until at least 4:00...sometimes 7:00!  It doesn't sound that great when I'm typing it but trust me, it is better.  Just to be able to get 4 hours of straight sleep seems like a god send at this point of time.  I think we are on the road to better sleep; hopefully I'm not jinxing myself. 
So, for all of those parents out there going through this terrible 4 month hurdle; it does get better, eventually!  It probably took about 4 long weeks to get to this point, but at least we got here.  Here's hoping it will only get better from now on.

4 month sleep regression (part 2)

Well, as you can see its been a few days since I've posted.  Our issues with the 4 month sleep regression have not gotten any better.  She continues to wake every 1-2 hours; however she used to sleep pretty well from 7:30-11 but that has now gone away.  She will wake up around 8:00 bright eyed and grinning!  Last night it took me 2 hours to get her back to sleep.  At first I thought maybe it was because her room was too hot.  We've been having a heat wave and have been having problems keeping her room cool.  Its been hovering around 24 degrees in there.  Plus she was still being swaddled so I thought maybe she is uncomfortable.  Nope, not it, still not sleeping.  She is also squirming a lot more while sleeping or trying to go to sleep.  So, lets try dropping the swaddle!  Not the greatest idea I've ever had but it went better than I thought.  Still awake every 1-2 hours but she is sleeping.  Which is better then the last time I tried it.  So the conclusion is, I have no idea if I am helping or hindering the situation.  Luckily I have the happiest baby on earth and no matter what she seems to just look up at me and smile.  Perhaps her way of saying "good try Mom".

4 Month sleep regression

In the earlier months of my daughters life I had come across this reference to 4 month sleep regression.  I took note of it but never thought much of it.  My daughter was never been the best sleeper as it was so how much worse could it be even if it did happen.  Oh dear, silly, foolish me.  She is 1 week away from being 4 months old and I believe it has hit us.  She will sleep pretty well from 7:30 -11:30, maybe waking once.  After that though all bets are off.  She is waking every 1-2 hours!  That's not including how long it takes to get her back to sleep once she wakes up!  I am exhausted and void of all forms of sleep..
The internet is pretty vague about how long this may last.  Apparently anywhere from a week to indefinite.  Indefinite?!  Dear gawds I hope not.  There must be a solution.  I've already adjusted her sleep schedule to fit that of a 4 month old.  She is down to only 3 naps a day and staying awake roughly 2 hours in between each nap.  Which is kind of funny because she sleeps so well during her naps.  So at least I get some relief..
Here is hoping we get things straightened out sooner than later.  Until then I will make sure the coffee supply is well stocked!