12 Months

Well, I don't have much new to report from last month. She is learning new words, a few are pretty clear, most are her version of the word. A few she knows... mama, dada, hot, push, sweep, thank you, oh no (sounds like ah nah), oh yeah (sounds like oh ah), yes, heavy, on, off, and up. She has learned how to tell us when she is hungry, she goes into the kitchen and points up at the cupboard or she will go to her high chair, and if she is thirsty she goes to the fridge. It is a huge help having her learn how to communicate. A few weeks ago she learned how to stand up on her own. Now she just pops her butt in the air and away she goes! She still only has six teeth, four on top and two on bottom. She acts like she is teething but nothing is coming through, poor thing! She has really taken a liking to stuffed animals, her favorites being her kitty and a little red dinosaur my parents got her for Easter. She hasn't grown much these last few months, she's around 20lbs and not sure of her height, doesn't look like she has gotten much taller, I would guess 28/29inches.

First Cupcake

Wade leaves for Ft Riley tomorrow and will miss her birthday party, so we gave her a cupcake tonight and lit a candle so Daddy could help her celebrate. I guess she wasn't hungry, because she didn't even attempt to eat it.

fire! (get's that from her unlce Lee!)

what in the world?

really, you want me to eat this?

Bachelorette Party

Michelle had her bachelorette party in Kansas City this weekend. It was a lot of fun to hang out with the bridal party. It was my first night away from Whitney, but I surprisingly was okay with being away from her. I fought the urge to cry right away when I left, but I knew she was in good hands while I was gone. Wade and Whitney got in some much needed bonding and I got in some much needed away time and a night on the town. What I didn't need was all that beer, but oh well, it had been two years since I have even been drunk, and hopefully it will be another two years, because I can certainly do without the day after! None the less, it was fun!! Jennifer, Me, Tiffany, Michelle, Amanda, Kacie
Me and Michelle, the bride to be

Michelle, Me, Amanda, old college roomates!

They all thought it was funny that I ordered a whole chicken!

another random bride, there were lots of bachelorette parties out that night

11 Months and 15 Days

That is approximately how many days I breastfed Whitney. Let's just say that was a lot more days than I had planned on, but am so glad that we made it that far. I usually only post pictures, but I thought this was such a significant experience for me and Whitney that I would talk about it. If you're interested, continue reading, if you think it's a little on the ick factor, then stop now.

Monday was the last day she nursed and I think it's safe to say that we are offically done. When I began nursing Whitney, no, even before I began nursing Whitney, I had planned on stopping at six months. I thought that was definitely long enough and that once they got teeth and started crawling then they weren't really babies any more and it became creepy. We made it to six months and it wasn't weird to me so we kept going. At 7 months or so, I needed to supplement because my supply was too low for her growing body so I tried formula. She hated it. I was also looking forward to the possibility of weaning at that time but was forced to stick with it since she refused formula. Oh well, at least we saved a lot of money!

We continued nursing, and she was and still is a good eater, but she liked to nurse, a lot! She started waking up during the night for it and was nursing around the clock. A lot of it was my fault because that is how I got her accustomed to falling back asleep, but it was a catch 22. She needed the extra liquid to help with pooping and she wasn't great at drinking out of a sippy yet, and the only way for me to produce more was for her to drink more. I didn't like pumping so I let her nurse. It was an exhausting period for us. The amount of calories I burned and the pounds I lost was tremendous! I ate about every hour and I ate whatever and however much I wanted. It was awesome! I have to watch what I eat a little bit now, but it's easier than I thought it would be because I don't have that insane appetite.

We got past the insane nursing, she started drinking more out of a cup (water and juice) and I introduced milk at 9 months to get her accustomed to the taste. She has had no allergies to other foods, including cheese, so I was not concerned about her getting milk early, and she only started out drinking an ounce or two a day. It very slowly increased until she was drinking an entire sippy cup a day of milk along with nursing. My new plan was to be completely done by 11 months. A week before she turned 11 months I really started working on cutting down feedings. She was not happy that she couldn't nurse on demand any more. It was especially challenging for us because she very seldom drank out of a bottle, she doesn't suck a pacifier or her thumb, and she doesn't have a favorite blanket or stuffed animal. I was her lovey. Trust me, I tried to get her hooked on something so she wasn't dependent on me, but she would have none of it. Which in hindsight has turned out to be okay. She was doing great with weaning and had adjusted and was taking in more milk until she got sick. I felt bad for her and thought my milk would comfort her and maybe help her fight her cold faster... bad idea. I started nursing her whenever she wanted and at night again. We were back to square one after the illness. She was sick for two weeks, but I nursed her frequently for about four days, enough to confuse her. So, we battled with weaning again until she found comfort in taking milk from a bottle. She did just fine once we got down to twice a day and then once a day and even every other day for a while. And now we are done. I put milk in a bottle, thinking if she can take comfort in sucking on a bottle instead of me, then we can handle anything. She drinks really well out of a sippy, so I don't anticipate having a problem taking away the bottle. In fact, she just drank out of sippy for her nap instead of a bottle. I think she just wants something to drink, she doesn't care where it comes from any more.

I'm really happy that I nursed her that long. I didn't expect to get so attatched to it as well. It was really hard for me to stop too. I had it in my head that the time was near to end it, but my first day of really withholding it from her, I cried. I wasn't sure if I was making the right decision and if I was doing it right. I cried that first day and that was it. I did get sappy when we got to the end, I was never sure when our last time was, if I would fill up enough to the point of pain to let her empty me. She still likes to cuddle, so that helps. I was afraid our quiet moments on the couch were gone. Now that we are done I can't imagine still nursing her, she is just so much a toddler now, but at the time of weaning I could imagine myself nursing her for a few more months, if that makes any sense. My hormones didn't make me crazy or emotional, but they are making my face break out like crazy, thank you hormones!! I guess that sums up my breastfeeding experience, it was so sweet and such a bonding experience and I am so glad we made it this long. But I will enjoy having my body back. No more wondering if I will have a private place to nurse in public or to hide her under a blanket. I don't have to feel guilty if I don't eat well or miss my vitamin. I also can't wait to enjoy more than one glass of wine!

Being Whitney

So I've mentioned how Whitney likes to carry stuff around the house, or drag it if it's too heavy.... time to go shopping mom!

......she found Wade's boots and started dragging one around. It was soooo cute!!

Whitney likes to wave at the bobcat when it was on our wall, but she's not sure what it's doing in the corner of Wade's closet. I put the bobcat in Wade's closet while we have the house on the market, but I should probably put a sheet over it, people are going to get the crap scared out of them when they open the closet door during showings! And if you're wondering, Whitney doesn't always wear a white onsie. If she's not sleepy after her bath I let her run around before putting her jammies on.

Whitney and her friend London sharing a snack. They are just three weeks apart in age. Whitney needs some hair, she looks like a boy next to London! If she's anything like me she won't have hair until she's three, poor thing!

And I have to mention how cute it is that Whitney now gives hugs. She grabs your face and then leans in for a hug. I didn't teach her that, she just started doing it on her own. Wade loves it, he's been waiting 11.5 months for some love from Whitney!! I love this age, the things she comes up with and the expressions on her face are priceless!

Weekend In Iowa

We had a crazy busy weekend in Des Moines last weekend. We left friday night after work and didn't get in until 2am. It is nice that Whitney sleeps most of the way, but it was brutal on us to drive that late. How did we ever party until sunrise???? Saturday morning we had Owen's 1st birthday and that afternoon I had my good friend Michelle's bridal shower. Whitney liked Owen's car.. getting pushed around by Grandma Cathy.

The cousins, Grant in the back then Owen, Whitney and Brynna. They all have spring birthdays. Owen 1 on April 13, Brynna 1 on April 22, Whitney 1 on May 1 and Grant 4 on May 10.

Us college friends. Me, Whitney, Amanda, Michelle (bride to be) and Jen.

Whtiney loves animals and she was trying to chase the cat to get it, but it kept running away and then would hide behind the door, just out of Whitney's reach. Whitney would have gone through the hole too if her shoulders had fit!

Pie in the Face

Our FRG did a pie in the face fundraiser yesterday. It's a way for Soldiers to, for lack of a better word, legally, get some payback on each other no matter the rank. Julie and Elizabeth, if you're reading this.... you guys do such a great job with the FRG!!!

I used to think Whitney was a really good baby, and for the most part she is at home, but when we get out in public she does not behave!! I see other babies sleep in their stollers or stay put and play in one spot, but Whitney has to run all over the place and investigate everything!! We had a meeting the other night and I had to chace her around and couldn't pay attention to the meeting! Yesterday at this fundraiser she was into everything and wanted to walk everywhere and open and close doors and climb on everything and she would throw tantrums if I didn't let her, it was so embarassing! I guess she is just being a curious kid!

Hanging out with the boys... I need to stop putting her in that brown coat because people think she is a boy too!

Easter Weekend

We enjoyed Easter weekend with my parents. It was fun for them to see just how silly she is and her little personality traits. She caught a cold right before the weekend, but she was a trooper and did her best to be happy and play.

Easter Egg Hunt

The 94th Engineer Battalion hosted an Easter Egg Hunt on thursday afternoon. It was warm and windy! Whitney is still a little too young to grasp the concept of an Easter egg hunt, but it was fun for us to see her have fun. It makes you understand why these types of events are hosted when the parents have just as much fun as the kids. It's all about making your children happy! her first egg!





she was having fun throwing them

Where's Whitney? she decided to take off walking on her own, to go say hi to those Soldiers I suppose? she liked to hear the leaves crunch under her feet, and then she wouldn't let us hold her, she had to walk by herself all the way across the field, about 150 yards!

11 Months

Today my baby is 11 months old. Or should I say my toddler? She really isn' much of a baby any more with all that walking around she does. She primarily will walk now where ever she wants to go. She still has just six teeth. I started weaning her from breastfeeding and she is doing okay with it. She's been getting milk for a few months now, so it's not that new of a transition for her. Not being able to use me for comfort is something to get used to though. Maybe I'll write more on the breastfeeding topic once we're completely done with it........... back to my baby, ah-hem, toddler.

She loves- the outdoors (but what baby doesn't), walking, to carry things around while she walks, her stuffed kitty, reading books, watching her baby einstein videos and wheel of fortune, noodles, blueberries, the microwave, opening and closing doors, eating grass, to dance, to go to the park, magnets/pictures on the fridge, to help unload the dishwasher, animals, to wave at the bobcat on the wall, to look at herself in the mirror, piggy back rides, to see other people (we were worried about that one for a while, she HATED to be out in public and around too many people) and when her daddy comes home at night. She will crawl or run to him as soon as Wade walks in the door. It is the cutest thing!

She hates- diaper changes, getting washed, having lotion put on, coming in from outside, being stuck at home with me for too long, being in her car seat for too long, (we're now up to 30-40 minutes before she freaks out) and not being able to communicate. We're well into temper tantrum stage!!

She does know mama and dada, she doesn't say wa wa anymore but her new word is hot. She points at the stove and says hot and she knows that coffee cups are hot. Yesterday I had my daily decaf cappuccino on the end table and she walked up and pointed at it and said, hot. Though it sounds more like ot. Since this is the only word she knows she points at a lot of things and says ot. She says yes a lot, but it sounds like ess. I'm excited for her to learn to talk, and I have to keep myself from comparing her to her cousin Alaina who could say 50 words by the time she was one. She may have been a freak of nature with how quickly she learned everything!

I should also mention briefly that her sleeping is SOO much better after ferberizing her. She is not ferberized in the true sense, but to my version of it, and it works for us. She usually will sleep at least 6-7 hrs before waking, which may or may not take her a while to go back down, but we also have a lot of nights that she sleeps 9-11 hrs straight. When I nursed her to sleep, 98% of the time she would wake up a half hour after going down for the night and need to nurse to sleep again. Well, since ferberizing she doesn't do that anymore. I never could figure out why she did that, and she started it at 2 months.

I love the stage she is in now. It is so fun to watch her learn and discover. It's also easier that she is more independent. Sigh, one more month......