Picture happy!

Quick highlights of the last SIX WEEKS!

Heather brought Lina and Audrey over for a visit. The girls had fun digging out all of the toys! We took them to the park and the babies shared a swing. Too cute!



Ari, Ricardo & Sebastian came to visit for the weekend! It was good to see them and spend time hanging out. We went down to Morro Bay for some window shopping and lunch. We also walked down the path to the rock. Gorgeous day!





My grandma had surgery at the end of August, so we made the trek to Hanford for a weekend. Natalie was able to meet and spend time with her (middle) namesake. She loved reading books with her Great-Great-Aunt Laura Faye!


While we were there, Natalie also got to meet her Great Uncle Chris. It was too cute that he wanted to hold her (and Liam).



Patty and Ryan came to stay the night with us on Sept 5th. We had a Mello family reunion in Pismo, so they came for the day and stayed the night. Ryan is always excited to "play" with Natalie. She's finally getting big enough to do so! He shares by giving her toys that he's not playing with, but he doesn't like when she gets too close to him. A few times she would grab him to catch her balance and he didn't want her touching him. And forget taking a picture together! Here's some pictures from Sunday morning:



Random picture from the reunion:

With Papa before the reunion in their matching shirts:



We saw Matt, Tania and the kids that weekend at Grandma & Grandpa's house. It's so fun to see all of the kids together! Natalie was on the move the whole time, and really enjoyed playing with Anna's babies.











Natalie playing with her stick horse at Grammy & Papa's. Ryan uses his stick horse to "weed wack" and "blow leaves"..his stick horses make tool noises like "vvvsshhh" and "brrrmmmm", so it's pretty fitting that when Natalie picks up the stick horse, hers says "vvfffss" (Impossible to write out..I'll try to get it on camera next time). Notice it is upside down too; apparently that's how you're supposed to hold it. She and Ryan both do it. Last time we visited, she went straight for the stick horses and thought they were the best toy in the bucket!

We got our annual Cal Poly seats for the football game. We've had two home games, and so far Natalie has been super at the games! She loves people-watching and lap surfing between Trisha & I. Musty was making his rounds and we got him to take a picture with Natalie. She was curious but not scared! (Let's hope she's good with Santa in a few months!)

Almost made it to a year

We made it 11mo and a few days, but it looks like Natalie caught a back-to-school cold from daycare :( She has a Dr appointment in the morning to make sure she doesn't have an ear infection. The past few nights she's woken up crying; we aren't sure if her ears are bothering her or if it's because she is so stuffy. She was in a good mood tonight, so hopefully it's on it's way out. Pretty sure she has passed it to me though...yuck!

She had a little cough when I first went back to work and a little runny nose a few weeks ago, but I think this qualifies as the first real cold. The good thing is she hasn't been completely unbearable even when she is sick! Just some whining when she should be sleeping, but other than that she is pretty happy.

Before I forget, 11 month stats:
Weight: 18lbs
Height: 28inches (finally some growth!)
Clothes: 6-9 and 9-12 mo
Diapers: size 3

11 Months!

Wow, where did this last month go?? I've been slacking on my blog posts and picture taking! We're busy, busy, busy!

Natalie is everywhere! She zooms across a room in no time, stands up against the couches, cabinets, sliding door, table, you name it. Sometimes we catch her standing without holding on, but she hasn't been too brave yet. If we put something just out of her reach, she sits, crawls, then stands up to get it. Her legs usually become jello if we hold her hands to help her "walk".


Sometimes it looks like she's just going to get up and walk around. She'll be sitting on the floor, and then she puts her hands and feet down on the ground and looks like she's just going to stand up!

Another thing she's been doing is sitting on her knees. Looks super uncomfortable, and David and I tried it the other night. We're no where near as flexible as Natalie is! Amazing how she can bend and flex.

Her top two teeth have come in pretty good. She's got a cute little gap in between. So far, no sign of any other teeth, but I wouldn't be surprised if more were on their way.

After I posted about Natalie noticing the dog magnet, she surprised me even more. I came home from work and David said that Natalie knew where it was. We were in the living room by the back door and he asked her where the dog was. She crawled all the way from the door to the fridge, sat there, and looked up at the magnet. She's repeated it several times! (need to get this on camera before she decides she off to something else more fun!). I think she also knows what her baby doll is. Several times I've asked her where it is and she will pick it up.

Stats: will have to wait until tomorrow. I forgot to measure or weigh her. Bad mama, I know.

I have another post ready to load, but Blogger isn't letting me load pictures. So, it'll have to wait until another day. To be Continued...

Lately...

Time has been tight lately. I have a camera (or two) with cards full of pictures and no time to download them. So, for now you're stuck with just a text update. Hopefully we'll get pictures / videos downloaded later this week..


Natalie continues to amaze us! She seems to learn new things everyday.

I hope we can get this on camera, but she is starting to repeat words! Not "mama" or "dada" or any other "useful" words, but DOG! We have a beagle magnet on the fridge. David shows her and says dog and she repeats back "dah" and then points to it!! She's done it 3 or 4 times now.

She's starting to wave her hands. After she's done eating, we sign All Done and she repeats. She's also waved ByeBye a few times. Of course when we want her to, she won't!

Her sense of humor is starting to develop! Natalie has been randomly laughing at things. It's not a full on laugh, but more of a ha, ha. The other day I was eating a banana and she was having a fit wanting some. I let her take a bite and she thought it was funny. I grabbed the camera and got a video (will post soon).

Finger foods are the new menu. We still have some purée leftovers, but for the most part, she's eating stuff with her fingers. Gotta find new ideas for her meals now. We've been doing chuncks of sweet potato, carrots, peas (her favorite!), cheerios, puffs, zucchini, bread, banana, peaches, cantaloupe, and cheese (another favorite)! She's not a big meat fan so far. Maybe when she gets more teeth? She's got two bottom teeth and half of her two top teeth.

The milk factory is starting to slow down. My original goal was to make it to six months, but that came and went and I'm still nursing. Supply has been on the decline and we're starting to go thru the freezer stash. Good news if you visit us: we can offer you drinks with ice now that the milk no longer takes up every inch of the freezer! (it's also nice to be able to buy ice cream again!). We'll see how long the freezer supply lasts; we may go straight to cow's milk without switching to formula!

I can't believe my baby girl is already going to be big enough to have real milk! (Soon enough she won't want me calling her "baby girl"! )

It's funny to see her crawling all over the house. She follows me around in the morning while I'm trying to get ready. Tonight David said she went down the hallway, just checking things out. For the most part she's slow enough that we can keep an eye on her!

I'm working some overtime since the big tax deadline is coming (and I bet you thought April 15th was the deadline!). Natalie has been spending an extra day at daycare. Thank goodness Kristi had a little extra room! I'm looking forward to going back to my usual 3 days though and spending some extra time with Miss Natalie!

So, if I get some extra time this week I'll add pictures!

10 months, already?

Happy 10 months to Natalie! We took these pictures this weekend (I know, we cheated by 2 days on the pictures...) My Gramma gave Natalie this cute little dress a while back, but we just haven't gotten to use it. So, we just dressed her up and went to the park!





The time is just flying by! Every month when I write these posts I think "better start planning her first birthday party - it'll be here before I know it". It's getting even closer and still haven't even thought about it! Better work on that.

The crawling speed has kicked into high gear. Natalie can be across a room in no time and is into everything in sight. So far things behind cabinet doors have stayed safe, but we're adding locks, just to be safe.

Natalie continues to pull up on all of the furniture. She likes to pull up on the couch and see what we left behind. Remotes and telephones are particularly interesting and provide motivation for cruising around. The other day she pulled up to the couch and found my headphones. She stood a good 20-30 seconds, balancing without holding onto the couch. I think walking is still a bit far off since she is so wobbly.

Still no definite "words", but lots of babbling.

Natalie has the appetite of a teenage boy; it's quite amazing how much she can eat. She still refuses to eat chicken. We've tried adding BBQ sauce, Cesar dressing, hot, cold; doesn't matter, she won't eat more than a bite. Cheese on the other hand is a huge hit!

The latest challenge around here seems to be the routine task of changing diapers and getting dressed. Since becoming mobile, it is nearly impossible to hold Natalie down for more than 10 seconds. It is even more interesting when she is 4ft high on the changing table. When we move down to the floor she just rolls over and crawls away. Diaper or no diaper. I asked the babysitter for tips and her response was "it's like changing an octopus! the safety strap on the changing table helps".

We went up near Yosemite to camp a few weeks ago. Long drive! but lots of fun! We met up with some friends. 8 adults and 4 kiddos. We did a little hiking, played in the water, and did our fair share of eating! Natalie's second camping trip was MUCH improved over the first. She actually went to bed at night and even snuck in a few regular naps. A larger tent and her pack 'n play seemed to work like magic. I didn't get a whole lot of pictures..lots of other things to do..but I did get a few.

Since we were outside, I let Natalie eat her pasta with her hands. Giant mess!


I was attempting to eat a nectarine, but Natalie stole it from me. She has discovered how yummy fruit is and has an absolute fit when I try to eat any.


Natalie and Heidi playing. (Heidi is about 6 weeks older).


I think there is a cute picture of all the kids in their camping outfits..gotta try to get that from Trisha's camera.

Swim lessons finished up this week. We missed 2 of the 8 classes (we can use the pool for free 2 times in the next month to make up for it). Overall, Natalie did great! But, she wasn't in a super mood for the last lesson. She started her usual afternoon nap kind of late, so I had to wake her up to leave. She was not too happy about that. We might wait a few months before going again, since she'd still be in the Goldfish class and they do the same routine each time.



I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of details about the happenings around here, but I think I got most of it.

Stats for the month:
Weight: around 18lbs
Height: around 27 inches
Size 6-9 mo clothes
Size 3 diapers

Next skill - pulling up

This kid is on a roll. Since Sunday, this is how I've found her after naps and in the mornings!



She is pulling up on the couch, TV stand, kitchen cabinets and stove. Pretty much anything upright.

Yesterday I was prepping her bottles for daycare and she pulled up to the stove, then transferred over to my leg!! Problem is she forgets to hold on sometimes.

Lots of bumps and bruises this month, but I'm sure it's just the beginning!

TWO teeth!

Forgot to mention yesterday, Natalie has TWO teeth now! She spent last Wednesday with her Grandma Luce, and she thought the bottom right tooth was coming in. I kept feeling around and thought so too. This morning I got a good peek and sure enough! Both teeth are about the same height.

I stuck my finger in last night to check the top teeth and she bit me! Baby teeth are sharp! I remember when Ryan was about this age, I tried giving him a taste of BBQ sauce, but instead of licking my finger like I anticipated, he bit down -HARD! Guess I didn't learn my lesson.

These pearly whites will probably be hard to get a picture of for a little bit. Hopefully soon!

Crazy, busy week

We've had a crazy, busy week! Playdate, business trip, and a doctor's appointment.

Last weekend we went to visit with Matt, Tania, Anna, Olivier, and Mason! It's been a while since we've had all the kids together. It was fun to see them interact and how much they've all changed!








(Still on my to-do list: Learn to use the camera! Some of these are out of focus in one way or another..but they are the best ones that I was able to get).

Then on Monday, I left for a whirlwind trip to Orange County. I did a crazy 3-day training session at one of my client's offices. Work trips are exciting, but there is never any down time. It was my first time away from Natalie overnight; we both survived. It was hard because even when I work, I usually see Natalie for 30-60 minutes in both the mornings and the evenings. So, no Natalie time for me and David got to fly solo for a few days. Overall, successful trip! Next step, both of us try to escape for an overnight stay.

Apparently Natalie enjoyed her daddy time. Yesterday after work I was holding Natalie. David came over and said, "oh, let's show Mama what you can do". He said, "Say, Da-da" and CLEAR AS DAY she repeated him with a huge smile! No extra syllables and no confusion. I think he might win the first word, although she hasn't done it since.

This morning was Natalie's 9 mo checkup. Official stats:
Weight: 16lbs 13oz
Height: 26.5 inches

15th percentile for both per infantchart.com although the Dr. said she was at 20th and 25th for Weight and Height. No idea why the difference.

She is on the petite side, but the Dr. said this is due to all of her activity. He said there's nothing to be concerned about because she is eating her solids 3 times a day and sleeping without any problem at night. He said we may even see more of a taper at the 12 month mark, but after that we'd probably see some increases.

She had her iron levels checked and everything is in normal range.

We went over the foods and most things are allowed now. Said to introduce spice and flavor and let her eat! Still no milk, unpasteurized honey, peanut butter, egg whites, and acidic foods. Suggested that we should start offering water in a sippy cup but he would hold off on the juices. I've been trying diluted juice, because the instant she gets water in her mouth, she makes a sour face and spits it out. Guess we just keep trying. I got her a cup with a straw because she keeps trying to suck out of the sippy cup, but the straw requires biting and sucking at the same time, and she just hasn't caught onto it yet. She can do the sippy cup, but I have to help her hold it up. A few times, I've just laid her on her back on the floor and she can manage the sippy cup all on her own!

Swim lessons again this afternoon. Last week was a little rough. The actual lessons went great, but we had a different instructor and some new exercises. When we got home, Natalie was pretty sick for a few hours. Must have swallowed some extra pool water. Definitely not a fun evening. So, here's to hoping for a better Friday!

Natalie is 9 months!

Natalie is 9 months today! Already 3/4 of a year old!


It's getting harder and harder to get these monthly pictures as a lone photographer! Might try again later when I have someone to help distract her! She sits still for exactly 4.698 seconds and then she's off! Not much time to get her posed, sit back and snap a picture.

Natalie is crawling, crawling, crawling. She's still at a snail's pace, but that is ok with me. It gives her freedom, but I don't feel like I have to watch her like a hawk. She's slow enough that she doesn't get into trouble too quickly..yet! She likes to go after the fireplace tools, the plants, and the TV cabinet. Actually, I came home one day last week, and David had put a lock on the bottom cabinet doors. I mentioned that it seemed like overkill, and he said, "no, not really she was already over there pulling on them". I didn't really think she'd do much, but the next thing I knew, she was over there pulling and pulling and pulling trying to get them open! Here's some evidence!


Apparently, parents become jungle gyms at this age. She tries to crawl out of our laps when we hold her, she lunges at everything in reach when walking through the kitchen, and when we sit on the floor with her, she attempts to crawl over us, even pull up and hold onto our legs.

She hasn't really mastered pulling up. She'll crawl over to the couch or wall, and put her hands up like she is trying to pull, but she can't maneuver herself close enough to the object yet. She does get up on her knees and then face plant into the floor. I have a feeling more injuries are on the horizon!


A first tooth is on it's way! I hadn't checked for teeth in a while, so after she was done eating the other day, I ran my finger over her gum and sure enough, a little poke! It's her bottom left tooth making an appearance. So far it doesn't seem to be bothering her, and I don't think she even notices that it's there.

This girl can eat! We started introducing breakfast solids a few weeks ago, because she was seeming really hungry at lunchtime. We'd give her the lunch solids and she was just scarfing them down. We started out adding some oatmeal and now she's been having cottage cheese with fruit. So, we're up to the 3 solid meals by 9 months, just as the Dr. wanted to see her doing. She gets about 4oz of solids each time in addition to her usual milk. She's still nursing and then getting bottles while at daycare. Probably around 26-28oz a day.

The babbling continues, but no definite words at this point. I keep pushing for "mama" and David for "daddy", but she just looks at us and laughs.

As crazy as it sounds, she's doing really well at swim. We go for our 3rd session this afternoon, but she did super last week! We were doing our first exercise of gliding. I held her and tipped her ears to the water 3 times and then pushed her across to the instructor. On the way back, she closed her eyes tight and closed her mouth. I guess she wasn't sure if she was going to have to go underwater! When we did the "diving" and jumping in from the side of the pool, she did great at closing her eyes and mouth. This past weekend in my parent's pool, she was kicking her legs, splashing, and then relaxing in a pool float. Loves the water! Far exceeded my expectations for what a 9 month old can do in the water. I expected a lot of screaming and crying, but there hasn't been any of that!

Stats for this month:
Weight: +/- 17 pounds
Height: 27+ inches
Size 3 diapers
Size 9 mo clothes

Good schedule (which I'm sure will change the second I've typed this out!) Typically up at 7:30, nurses, 8:30 get to daycare, eat breakfast, 9-11 nap, 11:30 bottle, 12:00 solids, 1-3 nap, 3:30 bottle, 4:45 daddy picks up at daycare, 5 solids, 6:45 bedtime nursing, 7 story time and 7:30 in bed!

9mo Dr appt next Friday. We'll have her official stats, another shot and some blood work for anemia tests. Fun stuff!