Ilah, 4 Months Old

Ilah, mommy is a few weeks behind on posting your 4 month milestones but here it is! Let’s see what you’ve been up to….

• You had your 4 month check up on May 14th and you weighed 16 pounds, 14 ounces!

{Here you are after having your 2nd round of immunizations. You handled it so well!}

• You now wear size 2-3 diapers {thankful to Pampers for making an in-between size!}

• You wear 6-9 month clothes

• You went from sleeping on your side to now sleeping on your stomach. It worried me at first but your pediatrician assured me that because of how well you lift your head, and because of how you have mastered rolling from back to front/front to back, I shouldn’t have any reason to worry. Still, I check on you a lot!

• Speaking of sleep, you rub your eyes {and sometimes pull at your hair} when you are tired...

• You take an evening nap around 8:30 p.m.; when you wake, we change you and give you your last bottle for the night {between 11: p.m. - 11:30 p.m.}. You sleep anywhere from 7 – 9 hours straight every night and you fall asleep on your own when we lay you down in your crib for bedtime. You usually wake up between 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. This has been your schedule since you were around 2 months old. It's amazing!


• You discovered that you have feet and you can’t get enough of them!

• Mommy also can't get enough of your feet and cute little hands!

• You laughed for the first time the weekend before last!
  

• You have recently started to cry when anyone other than mommy and daddy and your abuela hold you.
  

• You used to spend hours napping in your swing. Not anymore. You might take a 30 minute cat nap in it, but that's about it.

• You put your fingers in your mouth all the time – and you have mastered the skill of taking your pacifier out of your mouth and putting it back in all on your own! You've been doing this for several weeks now. It amazes us and everyone who watches you do it. You also chew on the hard plastic parts of your pacifier – I think you like how it feels on your gums.....

• You definitely let us know when you've had enough of something......

• You are getting really attached to mommy. It’s not soon after I put you down that you quickly begin to fuss for me to pick you up.

• You are drooling A LOT. Needless to say, we keep a bib on you quite often. I wonder when your first tooth is going to come in!

• Mommy always has to tie her hair back because you love to pull, pull, pull on it!.....

• You started rice cereal, and stage 1 baby food....

• You drink about 8 ounces at each feeding. You like to hold your bottle on your own. You’ve been doing this for quite some time. Of course we keep our hand right underneath should you let go, but you have mastered how to tilt your bottle to get your milk out!

• You sometimes imitate the sounds that we make to you. It’s sooo cute!

• You make screeeching sounds a lot now and you love to goo and coo and “talk” to us all the time!! You have definitely discovered that you have a little voice and you like using it!

• Daddy and I love taking you places with us!....

• You reach out for objects…this includes whatever mommy and daddy are eating or drinking!

• You recognize your name! Anytime we say ILAH! You respond and turn and look at us!

• Anytime you hear mommy or daddy’s voice, you turn in our direction.

• Anytime someone else is holding you, or I've put you down to play in your exersaucer for a bit, you constantly follow mommy with your eyes to make sure I don’t go too far!

• You still love bath time! You haven’t cried once! I think you are going to love baths like mommy.....

• Mommy and Daddy read lots of books to you; you love looking at the pictures and you even turn some of the pages all on your own.

• You get a kick out of the song that mommy made up for you: I-lee, I-lee, Lee-lou – you’re my belly-lou-lou. You’re my princey poo-poo and I love you so!! You coo and coo when mommy sings it to you {and daddy does back up vocals! Ha!}.

• You are beginning to sit up on your own a little bit....

• You are awake a lot more during the day. Mommy has so much fun playing with you!!

• You love car rides! And 95% of the time, you fall asleep.

• You love playing in your excersaucer!

• You got a dog this month {that your daddy named Rufea!}

• You went with mommy and abuela to the Princess Diana exhibit last week for abuela's birthday!

• It’s an indescribable feeling to watch you develop into your own little person. You have such a huge, adorable personality and I love sharing my days with you and being a part of all of your discoveries!

• Mommy always tell you: "I'll love you forever and ever - and past forever". And it's true. You have brought so much fulfillment and happiness into my life. Your daddy and I love you more than words can say.

Ilah's Christmas Gifts Already Getting Purchased!

I usually begin shopping for Christmas gifts early - around the month of July. My husband's side of the family is really large so waiting until the month of December to buy a ton of gifts, and then taking on the task of wrapping them all beautifully {because that's what I love to do; I hardly ever use gift bags unless they are gorg!} would have me frayed.

The Christmas before last, my living room looked like it threw up scotch tape, ribbon, scissors, wrapping paper and gift tags. It was "organized chaos" for at least a month as I tackled wrapping packages - a few at a time - each day. But I love doing it. However, last Christmas, at 9 months pregnant, there was no way I was taking on the task of it all.

Although it's only May, I'm soooo looking forward to December....Ilah's first Christmas!! I can't wait to capture pictures of Ilah in pretty Christmas outfits, decorate the house for the holidays, watch her observe all the pretty christmas lights and tree ornaments, hang her stocking on our fireplace mantel, and begin family traditions that will be carried out for years to come. Ilah will be just a few weeks shy of her 1st birthday on Christmas!

Kinda weird to be talking about Christmas when it's not even June yet, but my local Hobby Lobby already has all of their Thanksgiving stuff out!

At 1 years old, I know that little ones are more interested in playing with tupperware, taking every single item out of mommy's purse, and clanking together a wooden spoon against a pot or pan. For that reason, and because I don't want to turn our house into a toy center flooded with plastic objects that Ilah will find mundane after a while, we don't want to bring every single toys-r-us toy into our home. Simplicity can be a good thing. And with Ilah, we plan to practice that. At least when it comes to frivolous toys that we know won't hold Ilah's interest past it's intended age-range. Don't get me wrong....we definitely want to give her toys that will be fun for her to play with, but we just don't think it's necessary to go overboard and buy every fun thing on the market.

With all that said, I bought Ilah one of her Christmas gifts a few weeks ago.....

Product Description: Watch your child's imagination grow with this colorful musical "garden" perch full of fun activities. With 8 features including a "spinning garden" that lights up and plays music at every twist, your child will "plant" and play all day! Great for sit-or-stand fun! Garden-themed activity toy encourages discovery with flashing lights, playful music and hands-on activities! Activity-filled toy features detachable accessories, including 4 different-shaped blocks, a "watering" can, and "flower" in a pot. " Accessories store conveniently inside the bench. Ages 12 months and up.

I spotted this cute and fun little toy for Ilah while I was at TJ Maxx a few weeks ago. It was on clearance for $20 {regularly $30, and retails for $40 in stores}.
We're going to have fun "growing" and "watering" a garden together : )

My How Fast They Grow!

While pregnant with Ilah, I did a lot of shopping while anticipating her arrival. It's so easy to overindulge knowing that you are bringing a little baby GIRL into the world! There is SO MUCH out there for little girls; it's hard to resist buying something cute when you see it! While even though Ilah's closet was pretty full with clothes before she was even born, I have to say that I purchased just the right amount of onsies, socks, pajamas, around the house outfits, and cute dressy outfits for Ilah to wear for the first 12 months. I bought a lot of bibs too {anticipating the stage we are at now with the constant drool} - and am still buying them! You can never have enough bibs!

Even though there were a lot of outfits hanging in Ilah's closet before she was born, I had only purchased 3 "newborn" outfits. My mom bought Ilah a lot of sleep sacks {LOVED them and still do!!} but as for outfits, and footed pajamas, I didn't want to buy a lot of newborn sizes because I assumed that Ilah would immediately grow out of them - if she would even fit into any of them at all. But to my surprise, her little tiny self was too small for 0-3 month clothes. And so my mom purchased several newborn pajamas, and cute little outfits for Ilah to wear, until she could grow into many of the 0-3 month clothes that we had for her - which she didn't until about a month and a half later. And then she started to grow like a weed! She seemed to breeze right through the 0-3 month clothes {in a matter of weeks!} and went straight into wearing her 6 month pajamas and outfits.

So last month the time came to pack up those wee little outfits that Ilah wore during her first few months of life. As I washed them and then folded them up, I was reminiscing about bringing our baby home and reliving all those first few weeks, and months, with her. I think for most parents, it's so fun to see your baby develop and grow, yet a part of you wishes that they would stay small enough to be cradled in the small part of your forearm for just a little bit longer.

I bought a large canvas bag from TJ Maxx a few weeks ago and put all of Ilah's newborn to 3 month clothes in it. The bag is in the corner of her closet and I will continue to add to it as she continues to outgrow her clothes. Eventually this bag will hold all of her newborn to 12 month clothes {I learned the roll up method from my mom!}.

So remember at the begining of this post when I said how hard it was/is to pass up on something cute that you see for your little one? Well....

I bought a few new outfits for Ilah last weeks. Just a few.

Are these shorts not totally cute!?

And this little dress....

With matching bloomers!

I bought the below 2 dresses {12 month in size, from Macy's} for Ilah when I was pregnant with her. Another few months and she will be able to wear them! I can't believe that!


A friend of the family recently visited us in Atlanta and bought the below 2 cute outfits for Ilah....

We're all set for the 4th of July! Last week I bought Ilah a cute little Ralph Lauren outfit to wear on Independence Day {it's surely going to be toasty in July; they don't call it HOTLANTA for nothin'!}.....

And now that it's getting hotter, I bought Ilah a light blanket....

Our little girl sure is growing fast. Anyone know how to freeze time for just a bit!?

Happy Birthday MOM!

Today is my mom's birthday! Ilah and I will be spending the entire day with her. I am so thankful that the Lord blessed me with such a wonderful woman to call mom. Throughout the years, she has done so much for me. She has listened with understanding, guided with care, encouraged with love, and has been supportive in action. She is the friend that I have had the longest and she has deposited so much substance into my life.

I think it's so important to celebrate the people that you love continously - not just on their birthday. I think it's important to make the time to let those that you care about know just how much they mean to you. My mom and I see eachother usually twice a week and talk on the phone probably 10 times a day. Sometimes we end up engaging in a deep conversation that goes well over an hour, and other times we're just calling eachother real quick to talk about things of no real importance, like the craziness among The Real Housewives of _____ .

I really value the authenticity that we have with one another and the way in which we allow the other one to be free in their expressions, opinions, thoughts and ideas. While we may not always agree with what the other one is saying, we respect one another and have continued to maintain our very close bond. We both love the closeness and friendship that we share and now with having Ilah to share in our times of laughter and togetherness, it makes our moments together just that much more special and sweeter.

Today I am taking my mom to the Princess Diana exhibit that is here in Atlanta! My mother and I admired how the Princess led her life and were grieved at her sudden, and very tragic, passing. This exhibit showcases family photos, some of her writings, her actual wedding dress and 25 foot train, many of the dresses that she wore throughout her lifetime, diamond tiara's and other beautiful family jewels and many more stunning pieces and images, including audio transcripts and videos of her young and adult life playing throughout the rooms. This exhibit is going to be a beautiful, memorable thing to behold!

After the exhibit we are heading to lunch at Fogo De Chao! A five star Brazilian steakhouse. Fifteen different cuts of meat are grilled and are served tableside continously until you say stop!

They also have a huge, gourmet salad bar and serve up continuous Brazilian side dishes with your meal!

It's a going to be a wonderful day celebrating my mom's birthday!! I hope you all have a great day too!!