Very late 7 month post!:)

The Asby household is a very busy one trying to be full-time parents, one in school, and raising a sweet little active 7 month old! So, my blogging has definitely taken a backseat to the priorities in our lives! Speaking of the biggest priority, Emmy B! Here's what she is doing these days:
Weight: I think you are somewhere around 17 pounds and a few ounces, you are in size 3 diapers and in mostly 6 months clothes and getting into some of your 9 month clothes.  Mommy is excited about these clothes, they are mostly the realllyyyy cute ones she bought before you were even born :).


Developments: You are sitting, rolling front to back and back to front, you are also spending much more time on your belly lifting up and scooting back and forth(watch out crawling is in our near future!!!), laughing up a storm recently and mommy loves it...oh and sorry daddy but first word was MA-MA on June 16th-yes the day before father's day :(.  This was the first word and have not heard it since, but hey I'll take it!! Still no teeth, but still lots of drool and chewing.  PULLING up on everything, we are getting ready to move your pack and play down while you play in it because one of these days you are going to pull to a stand up and do a nose dive!
Eating-You eat 5 bottles a day, 5 ounces each with one dreamfeed around midnight.  Breakfast you eat oatmeal and fruit, lunch fruit and veggie, and supper veggie and oatmeal.  You love apples, sweet potatoes, and puffs! Peas hurt your tummy so we'll try these again at a later date!
Likes- Mickey Mouse still gets smiles and arms swinging when he comes on, it's the cutest thing ever.  You also loooove baby einstein, I think i'm turning you into mommy's tv buddy :(.  You love your cousin, he gets the most laughs, you love jumping in our laps, watching any dog especially Tyson, bathtime, your first pool date with your buddy Colt was last Saturday and I think you highly enjoyed yourself!

Dislikes: You still get fussy right around bottle time, but we try and hurry the best we can :).  You also still really dislike bedtime, getting dressed for bedtime is a lot of crying, but we are used to this now too and try to get you dressed before you get too tired.
Sleeping: We can FINALLY say, muchhhhh better.  Still not a great sleeper, but we are doing a lot better.  You go down around 7:30 and take a bottle around midnight, daddy has a secret potion for this bottle haha maybe a little cereal??? I don't care because you normally sleep til 7am, some nights you wake around 3:30, but mommy comes and rocks you a minute and you go back to sleep.  If you have a bad night you will sometimes try to wake for the day at 5:00, but we try our hardest to not let this happen too often :).

1/2 year birthday!

I cannot believe we are halfway through your first year, mommy gets teary when I think how fast you are growing up.  BUT, you are such a joy...everyone is right when they kept saying just wait until 6 months she gets even better!!
Developments: You are sitting pretty like a big girl and you love it...you hate laying your back a lot now haha.  You also still get mad after  you are on your tummy for a few minutes but we gotta let you, this is how you are supposed to learn to crawl!! You still looove Mickey Mouse and you talk to him a lot on tv.  You are saying many syllables, mainly MAAAA which I'm really hoping will turn into mama before Dada, but I've been told it's normally Dada first.  Still teething like crazy, we are hoping for a tooth soon so we can see the finished product of the fussiness we know is coming from teething.
Eating:  You still eat about 6 bottles a day, but have cut back to about 5 ounces each, I believe your reflux has made a reappearance and so we have increased your zantac doseage and hope this will help.  You are eating cereal morning and lunch, and then you either get sweet potatoes, carrots, or bananas at lunch and supper.  You love puffs and mum mums!
Likes: Mickey mouse, paci, dogs, exerciser, watching other kids and babies especially kingston, sitting up, you love your auntie (You smile really big when she comes around), your lovey, any kind of water, bath or pool, anything cold on your gums!
Dislikes: You still hate flipping to your belly, this has been known to wake you up early in the mornings :(.  You hate anything painful, it seems teething is sooo bad for you, and if you poke yourself wrong or anything you scream loud haha, this came from mommy.  You still hate being hungry, but we know when that's coming so normally this isn't bad anymore.  You hate getting dressed before bed, I guess it's because you are so tired but this is your worst time of day!
Sleeping: Let's not go there. :)

You took your first ride in the jogging stroller on 5/20, you so enjoyed it!

5 months...I cannot believe it!

I can't believe you are 5 months already, you are growing way too fast!!
Size: You seem to be weighing in right at about 15 pounds, you are getting to be a big girl! You are in mainly 6 month outfits and most 3 month clothes are very snug :).  Still in size 2 diapers.
Developments: You are rolling from back to tummy like crazy, then you just get stuck and get mad because you can't get back over yet haha.  You are eating cereal twice a day, noon and dinner and we will probably try to re-introduce sweet potatoes this weekend during the day.  We did that one night and it gave you a terrible tummy ache :(.  You are almost sitting up, this should be anyday now! You are talking like crazy and can get pretty loud at times when you get excited about what you are trying to say haha.  Your tummy seems to be getting better and better, you are getting much less fussy and I think this is you growing out of your newborn tummy issues.  We think you may be getting a tooth, but we've been saying this for a while so we shall see!
Eating:  You eat 6 bottles a day, most days it's 4 formula bottles and 2 breastmilk bottles, sometimes 3 breastmilk just depends.  You eat about 6 ounces each bottle and then your 2 feedings of cereal each day.  You take 4 naps a day, normally one long one somewhere in there.  You are also snacking on mum-mum rice cakes, you love these!
Likes: Your feet, you think they are the most fun! Still love Mickey Mouse, your paci, cuddle time with mommy in the middle of the night(mommy loves you too but would love to sleep haha), your exer-saucer, being outdoors, watching the doggies (you have really started noticing tyson and wanting to touch him all the time, poor tyson haha).
Dislikes: Flipping to your belly and not being able to get back, you still hate being hungry but you are actually going much longer in between now, still hate being in your carseat when you are sleepy but this is getting much better. 
The sleeping is getting a little better, we have had 2 super nights this week, and one really bad one...we are going to have to play some tough love again I fear :(.

A little late 4 month post :)

Size: You are now weighing in at 13 lbs., 8 oz, 24 inches long which are both right at average(50th percentile) for little girls.  You are in 3-6 months clothing, most Carter's outfits you can wear 6 months and you can still squeeze in some 3 month clothes.  You are just recently in size 2 diapers, growing perfectly on track the dr. says :).
Developments: You laughed at your daddy and me the first time on March 12th, you have done a few more chuckles since then so I know we are getting closer to the full on giggles, can't wait!!! You are trying your very best to sit up, every time we lay you on the changing table you lift your head up and your legs trying, we say you are working on your abs hehe.  You have had some tummy troubles since you were born and so we have changed formulas several times, we hope this is something you will outgrow VERY soon! You have had some rice cereal by spoon a few times and seem to like it ok, we also let you try a little sweet potatoes when we made them for you the other night and these seemed to interest you! You love to copy mommy when I look at you and open my mouth wide you seem to do the same its so stinking cute!
Eating: You eat 3 breastmilk bottles and 3 formula bottles each day, 5 oz each!  We have been feeding you similac sensitive but think that you are starting up again showing signs that you may need to try the nutramigen, we were trying to avoid this so much but we might as well try it, can't hurt!! We give you rice cereal in your bottles in the morning and at night and are going to increase this after visiting the dr. today!
Likes: You love Mickey Mouse still, exerciser is becoming more popular to you, strolling around with mommy after work you just look up and smile so big, you love your cousin you think he is so funny, you loveeee your paci, you love when I sing to you even though it's the worst sounding vocals ever!!
Dislikes: Being hungry, you have recently become a difficult sleeper and daddy and I have been informed by the doctor a little tough love may be needed instead of running to you and putting paci in every time you cry! You don't really like riding in the car you basically scream the whole ride for whatever reason, you also do NOT like having gas it makes you very angry.
Hopefully I can update next blog post that you have become a wonderful sleeper again because for the past 2-3 weeks your daddy and I go to work on basically 3 or 4 hours of sleep at night and it's ROUGH.  So, we are going to stop running to you at night when you cry and try to teach you how to soothe yourself back to sleep, we'll let you know how this goes within the next week or so, wish us much luck!!!!
How can you not just love this little darling? I love baby summer clothes they are just the best and I'm so excited I've been able to put some on her lately!

First Baseball Game

You attended your first ECU baseball game on 2/18/2012.  Daddy was pretty excited you came!!

3 months old

Size: Based on our scales at home, you are somewhere around 12 pounds, you have definitely hit your 3 month growth spurt and are growing like crazy!!  You are still in size 1 diapers, which are actually starting to get a little snug and this is bad because we have lots of this size haha.  You are now in mainly all 3 month clothes, and honestly I don't think you will be in these very long because you are growing so fast! 
Developments: Nana and Granddad still call you a "mess". You have gotten to be such a good, predictable baby now and that makes for a happy baby, and in turn, a happy mommy and daddy.  You are definitely sleeping through the night now and will go to bed anytime between 8:00-9:00, and you will sleep until about 6:00 or 6:30 to eat, play a few minutes and go back to bed for another 2 or so hours around 7:30.  You still can be laid sleepy, but awake, in your rocker and will fall asleep on your own staring at your gloworm.  Your schedule has been mastered by you, and your mommy and daddy now! Wake at 6:45 to eat, go back to sleep around 7:30 until about 10:00, eat again, play an hour, back to nap around 11:30, eat again around 12:30-1:00, sleep again around 1:30-2:00, eat again around 3:00-3:30, then down for a 2 hour nap around 3:45 or so.  Mommy usually has to wake you up around 5:45 after I get home from work.  You are smiling like crazy and I know you will be laughing anyday now.  You are getting better about tummy time, but you still don't really like it.  You still get very fussy during Jeopardy(around 7:30 each night), but this is just you telling us it's time for you to get a bath, get your bottle, and GET to bed before we have a breakdown!!!! 
Eating: You are growing like a weed!!! Mommy couldn't quite keep up anymore after your 3 month growth spurt hit, so you now get 6 bottles a day, 2 formula, 4 breastmilk, cereal in the morning and night bottles, and you are now drinking 5 ounces each time, WOAH.  
Likes: Vibrating seat, mobile in crib, activity mat, being swaddled, having your butt pat, your paci, bathtime, mommy and daddy playing with you, sleeping in the car, your buddy Colt, looking in the mirror, laying on your changing table with us talking to you(this is when we get the most smiles), you love Mickey Mouse and Jake and the Neverland pirates on Disney.

Dislikes: Being hungry, sleepy, being put in your carseat, cold baby wipes.
It has been a huge adjustment with mommy going back to work and Daddy staying home with you, and yet another adjustment with your auntie starting to keep you starting this Thursday. I'm so glad to know we will be leaving you with someone who loves you, but I still miss you terribly every day :(. We love you so much you cannot even imagine and can't believe how fast you are growing!!!

Maternity Leave Days

I wanted a way to remember how my little princess and I spent our 1st 3 months together so I decided to blog about my maternity leave time.  First of all, it wasn't always easy I will start out with that, but I am so grateful I got this time to spend with her.  In the beginning, I would watch the clock until 5:00 came because I knew Steven would be pulling up any minute to give me a breather!!! As the weeks went by, this need for 5:00 disappeared, I think a mother and her new baby just have to have time to figure each other out.  Emery eventually started getting on a good schedule and I learned her cries, her wants, etc. 
You started sleeping through the night around 8-9 weeks, of course, there are still great nights, and sometimes still bad nights but overall you are a great sleeper! After you started sleeping through the night, you get up around 6:30-7:00 and we will have your first bottle in bed.  Then, we would play about 30 minutes or so and you would want to go right back to sleep until about 9:30, then time for another bottle and after that you would sit in your vibrating seat and watch Mickey Mouse, I really think you enjoyed this a lot but it could also have been the colors and music haha. 

This picture has made me notice how bad our cords look behind the tv, hmmm, this could be on the honey-do list soon.

After some play time we would go upstairs and change clothes out of our pjs, and it's time for a quick nap in your crib(yes we are still trying to transform you into your crib)! Around lunchtime we would either stay in and play some more, or a lot of times we would venture out to run errands, or we would go eat lunch with Kristen and your boyfriend Colt, or a lot of times your Granddad would come visit during the day.  This gave mommy a chance to clean up, get a shower, etc. 

You would then go down for another long, swaddled nap late in the afternoon and after this it was time for daddy to come home! After 12 wonderful weeks, I think we are finally getting your cute little self on a schedule.  Wake at 6:45, bottle around 7:00, back to sleep by 8:00 until maybe 9:30 or so.  Bottle #2, then Mickey Mouse and quick nap around 10:30.  Bottle #3 anywhere around 12:00-1:00, then play upstairs on your playmat, mobile in crib, tummy time, etc.  Then time for one more quick cat nap around 2:00.  Wake and Bottle #4 around 3:00, then play some more and time for your swaddled afternoon nap around 3:30-4:00.  We are trying to get your last nap a little earlier and not let you sleep longer than 5:30 so you are ready for your bedtime at 8:00-8:30 :).

Your schedule has been hard to come by especially since we had everything going great until our not so good friend RSV hit and you were a sick little baby.  I have never felt so helpless and am so glad you are back to normal.  This hit the week before I went back to work and took a good 10 days to leave.  You had trouble eating, sleeping, etc. it was a rough week and a half to say the least!!! When RSV decided to leave though, your appetite picked up times TEN! You have hit your 3-month growth spurt and you are eating like a little pig! More to come on this subject in your 3-month blog post :). 

The 12 weeks we spent just me and you were the best days of my life, but it is time for mommy to go back to work, it was the hardest day of my life to leave you, but it makes our nights and weekends so much more special.  Your daddy has taken over and is keeping you until March 1st when your Aunt Lindsay will start keeping you, I'm so glad yall are getting to spend these days together.  Mommy feels so much better about knowing you are with people who love you, I'm sure this is the best option for you besides mommy of course :).  We love you so much and I love rushing home in the afternoons to see your sweet face!!!!