6 Months Old! Happy Half Birthday!!

Honestly, where has the time gone?  Callie Beth is 6 months old today!  She goes to the doctor for her check-up on Friday (if we can make it that long…she is sick now). 

Here is what is new with her now:

• She can sit up on her own.  She still tips over every now and then but is pretty good at it.  When she is sitting up, she can put one arm down to balance herself and grab a toy with the other.
• Although she started belly laughing last month, she does it all the time now.  She thinks everything is funny!  She is always smiling.
• She LOVES tags, her shoes, cell phones, and remotes.
• She is always moving.  She only stops when she is ready to go to sleep.  Her favorite thing to do is jump.  She loves the jumperoo at Grandma’s house.  She can really get that thing going.  She also wants to jump when she is standing on your lap.  She actually pushes off and pulls her feet up when she is in the air.
• Those little hands work quite well now.  She grabs anything she wants. 
• She puts her arms up when you go to pick her up.
• She can move around pretty good, especially scooting when on her back (That’s probably why she still has a bald spot back there). 
• She is working on getting up onto her knees when she is on her belly. 
• She growls and grunts when she is frustrated. 
• She is still eating rice cereal (still not a big fan) and now oatmeal.  She has been introduced to sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and green beans.  She really likes her veggies so far. 
• She still loves her feet and puts them in her mouth whenever she can, along with everything else she gets her hands on.
• Her two bottom teeth are coming though today.  They weren’t there yesterday. 
• She is still sleeping pretty well.  She goes to bed around 6:30 and wakes around 6:30 in the morning.  She usually gets up once (sometimes twice) to eat but goes right back to sleep.  She usually takes 2-3 naps a day, depending on how long they are.  The naps range anywhere between and hour to two and a half hours. 
• She loves kids (especially her cousins, Sam & Will, and her friend Faith). 
• She really is a happy baby. We are blessed!

(These pictures were very hard to get…with Callie Beth being sick and having her teeth come through today).

She has started this head tilt thing…I guess she likes to look at things side ways…so cute :)

Tired maybe?

So tonight I was feeding Callie Beth.  She was doing great.  Laughing, talking, smiling.  Then all of a sudden, she spit some of her food out, turned her head, and shut her eyes????  She was out!  Of course I HAD to get a picture!  What a sweetie

Jake’s Elk

Here are pictures of Jake’s elk.  He got it this morning, September 7th.  It is a 5 x 5 that he called in and got at 12 yards with his bow.  He is a happy guy!  I am happy too…the freezer is going to be full and I have my hubby back!!

Daddy’s soon-to-be hunting buddy!

Back to work….

Tuesday was the day I went back to work after 6 months off.  I tell you, those were the fastest 6 months of my life and I have enjoyed every minute of it!  I have been really stressed about this.  I was worried about how Callie Beth would do and I was worried because I knew it was going to be a tough year at school.

Last Monday was awful.  I tried to enjoy every minute with Callie Beth but I was a mess.  I just kept thinking how I wouldn’t be able to see her, hold her, and love on her when ever I wanted anymore.  Being a working mom is really tough.  Tuesday morning was even worse.  Jake and I loaded her up in his truck so he could take her to Grandma’s house.  (She was there all week).  I had a few break downs at school but we were in meetings a lot of the day so I had to keep it together.  It helped showing pictures to everyone but also made me sad.  As any teacher knows, I was super busy prepping for the kiddos to come next week.  I don’t think I have EVER looked this forward to a weekend before.  It really changes everything. 

Callie Beth did great.  To me, she is a very happy baby.  I was mostly concerned with her sleeping.  She was so used to our routine that we do at home.  What was she going to think when someone else put her down for a nap in a new place?  Merrie sent me texts all day to keep me updated.  Jake went to see her at lunch.  She didn’t fuss at all when going down for her naps.  What a good girl!  That made me feel SO much better.  Merrie said she was really quiet the first day but warmed up the rest of the week.  She fussed for a nap here and there but no fits!  Overall, I think they had a really good first week.  I know she is in great hands!!

Next week, we begin our regular schedule.  Monday, Thursday, and Friday she will be going with Tia (one of our good friends).  Tuesday and Wednesday, she will be going to Grandma’s house.  Tia has 3 kids.  Mikayla will be in 4th grade (I had her in first grade). Ashton will actually be in my class this year and Faith will be 2 in November.  Callie Beth loves watching her cousins, Sam and Will, so I am sure she will love having Faith with her.  Tia will be great with her.  I just hope she makes another easy transition. 

Now school is a whole different story.  I have 32 first graders in my class!  This should not be allowed but with budget cuts and low numbers in other grades, there isn’t much they can do right now.  I am completely in denial.  I am sure it will hit me Tuesday when 32 little 6 year olds walk in.  I have a student from Oregon State doing a practicum.  She is AMAZING!  I think I would still be there if she didn’t help me last week.  She has to do 90 hours in September.  I sure will miss her when she is gone! Let’s hope for a good year!!

I am really excited for college football starting today.  Go Gators!!

Oh Dad!!!

This is what happens when Daddy feeds me!!!!!

I Won! I Won!

So last week I logged onto my blog.  I started looking at all the blogs I follow.  Erin from The Vintage Pearl was having a give away that day.  I was feeling a little lucky and decided to put my name in.  Sure enough, I was one of the winners.  I don’t ever win anything!!  I was wanting one of her pieces and was SO SO excited that I won this.  Here is the prize. 

dainty drops:

Sterling silver circle charms (5/8") are hand stamped around the edge with any names or words.A beautiful Swarovski birthstone crystal drop hangs with each charm.  (Callie Beth’s is aquamarine).  Hung on a sterling silver ball chain.

Check out her website…she does amazing work!!! 

I am excited to wear this when I go back to work and feel like CB is close to me when she is away and know that she is in wonderful hands. 

Look What I Can Do!

 

Callie Beth is starting to get pretty good at sitting up.  She still topples over a lot and needs help but is making progress.  She also still prefers to be standing and bouncing.  She is growing so fast!!!

5 Months Old!

Callie Beth is now 5 months old! We can't believe how much she has changed and how big she is getting! She is getting to be so much fun and definitely has Daddy wrapped around her finger :) Here is what is going on with her now:*She constantly has her fingers, hands, toys in her mouth so I'm pretty sure teeth are soon to come. She has also started spitting (not just a lot of drool coming out, purposely spitting it out). She also like to have her bottom lip in her mouth. It must feel good on her gums.
*We are still working on rice cereal. She went through a little stage of blocking the spoon with her tongue, spitting it out, or gagging. The last couple days, she has actually opened her mouth and leaned in towards the spoon. Let's hope it continues. I have not given her anything else yet.
*We have been working hard on sleeping and now we are on a great schedule. She goes to bed around 6:30. She wakes up twice to eat but goes right back to sleep. She usually sleeps until 6:00 a.m. She takes 2-3 naps a day. They last anywhere between an 1 hour to 2 1/2 hours. She is ready for a nap about 2 hours after waking.
*We are now at 1 week without sleeping with her pacifier. We have noticed she goes to bed a lot quicker now and without much fuss, if any at all. I think every time the pacifier would fall out, she would wake up or she would think about it which made her stay awake.
*She is constantly making noise. She went through a happy screaming stage (thank goodness that is over). She loves to just babble and talk all day.
*She loves when we sing to her. She actually starts making sounds. It sounds like she is singing along with us.
*Her eyes are still blue.
*She is constantly moving. She loves to stand up and bounce or kick her legs. She really enjoys her jumper and her Exer-saucer.
*She can roll over but really just enjoys rolling from side-to-side when she is on her back (with her toes in her mouth).
*We are working on sitting up. She is pretty steady when she is sitting on our laps or when the Boppy is around her. She can sit by herself for a few seconds and then topples over.
*She LOVES toys now and will grab anything near her. She loves her little book that makes crinkle noises and she can suck on the ends.
*I am still nursing but I have been giving her more bottles to get ready for when I go back to work! "Hmmm...can I get this in my mouth...nope, won't reach" "Let me see if I can get this one...Yea, I got it!!"

Bye Bye Pacifier

Callie Beth has been going through this stage of waking up during the night and wanting her pacifier. She is at the stage where she can pick it up and put it back in her mouth if she can see it. But when it is dark, she can't do that. So, if we hurry in there and pop it back in, she goes right back to sleep. If we don't, she wakes up and cries. We need sleep! So, she has now gone 3 nights without her pacifier. There is some crying but it isn't as bad as I thought it would be. And I know it will get better and we will all get more sleep! Lets hope it continues to go well!

Routines!!

Lately we have been working on sleeping. She was doing great then things got busy. We went to Cannon Beach and Seattle. We have been out a lot during the day. She got a cold and then got shots. Her sleep schedule got all messed up. So after shots my goal was to get her back on a routine, especially since I have to go back to work in September.

She is doing great! She has been going to bed around 7 (sometimes earlier) and wakes up once, sometimes twice to eat but goes right back to sleep. She is taking 2-3 naps a day (usually all without a fuss). We are working on the pacifier now. Lately when she wakes up, she fusses for her pacifier which means I get up to put it back in. If I do, she goes right back to sleep...if I don't, she cries. We were going to work on her sleeping without it but then she didn't feel well and her little voice was so hoarse. So, we will work on that soon.

Rice cereal has been interesting. She didn't mind it the first couple days but it made her belly hurt. I could hear and feel it rumble. Then, she started blocking the spoon with her tongue and if I would trick her to get it in, she would either spit it out or gag. I have tried it with breast milk, formula, and water. Still the same. I tried different times of the day and different amounts of time after she eats. I have also tried different brands. The last two days have gotten better. We are using the Beechnut brand and hour after her nap and nursing.

I have taken Callie Beth into school a couple times now to start getting my classroom ready. That way I won't have to spend late nights when it is time to go back.

Yes, as you may notice....her hair is falling out more and more each day. She looks like a balding man with a comb over. It looks pretty normal until you look back and see how much hair she used to have.

Here are some recent pics:

Michelle holding CB with little Blake.

Callie Beth and Garrett holding hands.

Going to bed!!

Daddy canning tuna with Callie Beth