New Blog!

Hey everyone. If anyone follows this blog, then you might want to head on over to our NEW blog:

http://followthehills.blogspot.com

It's just our little place on the web and more about our whole family than just little Charlotte. :) NOT that she's not special herself, but... Ya know. :) Mostly just my ramblings and a way for family to keep in touch and follow our life. See ya there!

ladies and gentlement....

.... we have a crawler! Here is a short video of her crawling!!

(*** please dont pay attention to the dogs in the background!! geez...)

Labor Day Weekend

Charlotte had her first taste of watermelon today. I think she liked it! :)

8 months old!

I can hardly believe my baby is 8 months old today! Time has just flown by SO fast...

She isn't crawling yet, but she's working on it! She'll get on all fours and rock back and forth. She's rolling like a pro now and she'll roll all around the living room if I let her!

FINALLY ROLLING!!!

Yay! Charlotte FINALLY rolled over! At 7.5 months, she finally did it. I didn't think she'd ever do it! I was getting kind of spoiled because I could just lay her wherever and be somewhat confident that she wouldn't roll off (like the couch, bed, etc). No more, though!! She's finally rolling!!! The sad part about it, though, was she did it while I was on my way to work one night! Sad! Thomas called me and told me and I started crying. I have been trying to get that stinker to roll for MONTHS and Im around her more than anyone, and I don't get to see it! Oh well. Here is a video he got of her just a few mins after she rolled!

7 month pictures

Recently I took Charlotte to get her 7 month pictures taken. They were supposed to be 6 month pictures, but it's only been recently that she was been sitting up by herself really well and I wanted to get some good sitting pictures. We went to Sears and I think they turned out pretty well! Here are a few of my favorites.

We recently got a jumperoo for Charlotte and she just loves it! It took her a few days to get the hang of jumping, but ever since she did, she will just jump jump jump in her jumperoo! Its so cute to see her jump and play with all the toys. She likes to talk to her toys, too. So cute! Charlotte has also started to really teeth. She has been for MONTHS now, but I think we might be seeing a little toofer here soon!

6 months!

We have officially made it to 6 months. Looking back I didnt know if I could survive this far! Baby sure does change everything. Praise God!

Char had her 6 month appointment today. She got some shots (which she did NOT like, I mean, who does like getting shots?) and the doc saw her. She still isn't rolling but the doc said that is fine as long as she is rolling by 9 months. If not, we'll look into some PT. Come on, baby, roll!!!!

Stats.....

16 lb 8 oz
25 1/4 in long
17 in long head

She's a growin'!

splish splash!

Today Charlotte had her first experience in a pool! She actually did a lot better than I thought she did. She just splashed a little bit and looked around. She didnt cry or anything. I was very proud of her! It seemed that she liked the water, which is very normal for her, she loves bathtime and has never been afraid of water.

First day of solids!

Today was Charlotte's first taste of solids! Well, ok, more like mush, but she loved it! Instead of rice cereal we did oatmeal cereal. She ate it right up, which really surprised me, I thought she wouldn't like it. But I had a taste and it was actually pretty sweet. I tried to wait until 6 months, but I figured 5.5 months was long enough. :)


I made a huge batch of baby food yesterday, it was so much fun! So far I have made sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, peaches, pears, and pumpkin. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and sooo much cheaper than buying the jarred stuff. However, it was pretty messy, you know, making purees and all that. I can't wait to feed everything to her!! (one at a time, of course....)

5 months old!

Charlotte recently turned 5 months old. Woohoo! I can't believe we've made it this far. I realize I haven't updated this in almost 2 months! Eek! Here are a few updates... She is NOT rolling over yet, neither back to front or front to back. Sometimes it worries me, but I know that she is a completely normal baby otherwise and the doc says she has until 6 months to roll.. So we're on the count down! lol She seems content to just stay on her back or tummy forever! Hopefully she'll be mobile by the time she's 2 years old! :)



As of this moment, little Charlotte has a cold. This makes her 3rd one in her short life. We are also on 100% formula now. I was pretty depressed about it at first, but my milk dried up pretty fast after I had a cold a couple months ago because I took ONE antihistamine pill. Oh, and guess what I realized (after the fact, mind you)? You know Unisom, the sleeping pill? I have to take one sometimes because I am a shift worker. You know what the main ingedient is? Diphenhydramine! An antihistamine!!! The same stuff in Benadryl. AHH! Like I said, NOW I realize this! No wonder I dried up so fast. Oh well, atleast I was able to feed her mommies milk for 4.5 months of her life, the most critical months. But she has been fine on formula, has had no problems whatsoever. She still is quite the little spitter, though! She'll spit up sometimes 3.5 hours after she's last eaten (she eats every 4 hours). Hopefully she'll outgrow that soon. I'm tired of her smelling like spoiled milk!

We are waiting until 6 months to start any kind of solid (because that's what the AAP recommends, plus I'm just too darn lazy to start now!!!! LOL), but I have been surfing around the 'net about making my own homemade babyfood. It looks so easy, I think I'm going to give it a try! I'm excited about it! There's so many yummy recipes out there. I hope Charlotte grows up to love her fruits and veggies. She has been eyeing me while I sip out of a cup. We were at Moe's the other day and I saw she was watching me, so I picked her up and let her gum on the top of the cup. Don't worry, she didn't get any of my sweet tea, but it was so cute! We also got a little sippy cut the other day and she seems to be taking to it quite well! Right now I just put a little water in it and it usually gets all over her, but she seems to like it!

Well, that's it for now!

4 month stats!

Charlotte had her 4 month well baby check up! She did ok with the shots, only cried for a few seconds. Afterwords she slept for 2.5 hours straight! lol THAT rarely happens. So, here are her stats:

13 lbs 10 oz (50th percentile)
25.25 inches (90th percentile)

Still not rolling yet, but that's ok! Hopefully soon she'll be rolling all over the place!

ChunkMunk

For the past couple weeks, things have been great with the baby. She is about 3.5 mo old right now. I'm not exactly sure how much she weighs or how long she is, but she is getting big! I call her Biggun and my little ChunkMunk. :) She is getting a little better at coordinating her movements, although she can't just reach out and grab something yet. But, of course, everything she does grab ends up right in her mouth! She is drooling a whole bunch now, and has been for about a month now. I'm constantly having to change her bibs because they get so soaked! Maybe a little bit of teething is going on, I don't know, although she seems a little young for that! Maybe I'll have a look in her mouth later and check it out. We're still tackling the 45 minute naps! Which is so frustrating and makes it near impossible to put her on any kind of schedule (I like the word "routine" better :) But I've decided to just quit stressing about it and just go with it. I've read babies outgrow this by about 5 or 6 months.



When I was sick a couple weeks ago, I had to take some meds (I was just too miserable!) and I think the antihistamine I took made my milk supply dip a bit. So frustrating! But I am still able to keep up with her needs and have only supplemented with formula once (at night, and would you believe she slept through the whole night that time? from 7:30-6:45am!) and I might have to use more formula later on, but for right now, I am just happy that I am able to give her whats best while she's still so little, and while it's still RSV season and whatnot. I am still pumping mostly so she is still eating by a bottle, but I try to nurse her atleast once a day for the antibodies and to maybe increase my supply a bit.

We also recently got a video monitor. Yeah, I know what you're thinking, it's a bit overkill, right? And I used to think that, too. Well, with all the sleeping issues we've been having (mostly with naps) and me constantly having the urge to go in her room and check on her, I got one. It wasn't too expensive, I got it for $85 on eBay and I figured it was a good investment since Charlotte is definitely not going to be the last Hill baby. :) Anyways, I LOVE it. I love watching her sleep and love watching her put herself to sleep (something that was not very easy to teach her, that's for sure...) and I can also see that when she's crying, she's not in distress. I can also see right when she's waking up so I can go in and pop that paci back in her mouth so she can maybe extend the nap (and my alone time!) for another hour or so. It has been wonderful having it and I definitely think it should be on any new mom's baby wish list!

And here is a video for your viewing pleasure.... :)

Back to Work!

So last week was my first week back to work! It went a lot better than I thought it would, although it did take me a couple days to get used to sleeping during the day. It was also my first week of being a nurse without being pregnant, haha! It was definitely much easier than before. I used to have to bring so much food to work with me because I would get so nauseous if I let my stomach get empty! (hello 65 lb weight gain! lol) I like being able to have a break for 3 days out of the week, although I still get to see Charlotte for about an hour total those 3 days. And then we spend 4 days together! It is going to work out great, I think.

This weekend Charlotte and I have also been a little under the weather. I have a horrible cold right now and I have to work tomorrow so I hope I feel better. I would hate to call in on my 2nd week back! How embarrassing! Anyways Charlotte only had a stuffy nose and she coughed and sneezed for a day or two, but she was such a happy "sick" baby! She wasn't fussy at all and slept great, something I was worried about when she was to get sick. I wonder if she only had allergies with all the seasonal changes we are going through right now. She seems to be doing much better now. Which, by the way, I thought breastfeeding was supposed to help babies not get sick! This has been the second time since she was born that she's been sick! So much for all that... :)

For right now, everything has been going great. We are still struggling our way through short naps (45 mins! ugh!) but I've read some info about how to extend them so I am going to be trying some of the tips this week. It worked today for her morning nap, she slept 2 hours! Anyone have any advice for this?? :)

In terms of milestones, not much has been happening! She turned 3 months old today, though! How the time has flown. I can't believe it! Seems only yesterday I was rubbing my tummy and she would kick me and I would press her foot and she would move it back in, lol. Such a little miracle! But she has been much more aware than she used to be and she loves to smile! She hasn't started giggling yet, but I can't wait 'til she does! :) She'll definitely fit into this laughing family! She can lift her head up a bit like you can see in one of the pics above. She also tried to roll over, but not yet! Soon enough though, I'm sure!

Pretty in Pink!

Charlotte just seems to be getting so big lately. When I have been bathing her, I've noticed she's almost outgrown the newborn sling part of the baby tub. I remember when she was so tiny and she would only fit in the netted part! ha. She's about 25 inches right now. She's ginormous! I swear I see an extra fat roll in her legs every time I change her diaper. She likes lying on her boppy pillow and kicking her legs and smiling. She has even started giggling a bit! It's so precious. Here are some pictures!

Snow Day!

It's snowing! I haven't seen it snow like this in ages! It snowed about 3 inches around here. So it was baby's first snow day! We didn't stay out in the snow for long, but Charlotte Rose was able to wear her snow outfit for a little while outside, and then she took a nap in it in the swing. My mom also came down the day before and she hadn't been down since Christmas so it was great to have her here and for her to see the baby. She has grown a ton since she has seen her!

Yesterday I was at a women's retreat for my church. It was a great time of fellowship and sermons that I really needed to hear. I realize I have wasted a lot of time during this maternity leave. It is so easy to get caught up in a routine of life, all the while leaving the LORD out of it. I feel ashamed of that and I plan on fixing it. Here is a great software program I found that helps you with Scripture memorization: http://www.memorizehisword.com

This last week has also been very hard on me. I pretty much had a meltdown on Tuesday and Wednesday. I had been reading too many baby books (sleep books, in particular) and I think I had just become too paranoid. I am feeling much better now after talking it over with a couple women from my church whose parenting styles are similar to mine. I've realized that God really is our help in times of trouble and He definitely helped me through it and has given me a spirit of peace about it. I'm just going to raise my baby the way that God has instinctively called me to do it and by His Word, of course! On a side note, it simply amazes me what people will read and implement just because the author says he is a Christian.

2 months!

Charlotte is 2 months old now! I can't believe it, time has flown by so fast! On Tuesday she had her 2 month doctor's appointment. She apparently doesn't have thrush anymore, just a white tongue which the doc attributed to milk. Hmm. Then why do *I* keep getting it? I've heard you can get it from the pump, but I hope not! It's not like I have an extra few hundred dollars lying around to buy a new one! Anyways, she is perfectly healthy and weighed in at 11 lb 4 oz (about 50th percentile) and get this... 24.5 in long! That's 99th percentile! I always thought she was a long baby, but my goodness. I wonder where she gets that from? Haha.

Yesterday I took her to the ENT doctor to have her tongue tie evaluated. Ever since she was born I had noticed a very noticeable indention in the middle of her tongue. All the doctors, lactation consultants, etc all said it was fine and wouldn't affect nursing. But we have had so many problems with nursing from the very beginning (we're still not nursing, btw... gotta love breast pumps!) I really don't know what else it could be. Anyways, so I had her checked out, and he just basically said go ahead and clip it. So we did! I wasn't really expecting him to do it yesterday. They had to strap her down and she gave him a big smile (poor kid didn't know what was comin') and he clipped it. It wasn't too bad, she cried for a bit, but she was ok. When we got home and I got her out of the car seat, she was smiling at me. :) So we'll see if this helps out at all with the nursing. I attempted to latch her yesterday morning (before the clipping) and she latched right on. (btw, sorry if this is TMI for anyone!) Twice! It was only for a few minutes. But then she fell off and got fussy. Oh well, atleast it's something!

I never would have thought almost 10 WEEKS after my baby was born I'd still be struggling with this stuff. But my baby is worth it. And I'm just plain too stubborn to quit.

Weekend Fun

This weekend we had some company! My best friend, Susan, came down to visit us from Birmingham. We've been friends since 7th grade and I think it's pretty impressive that we still keep in touch as much as we do!

So of course, we took lots of pictures. We took Little Lottie out on the town out to eat and took our stroller for a spin at the mall. That was the first time Lottie has been out in her stroller (well, outside of our neighborhood)! She did pretty well, she liked to look around at all the people walking by and at all the colorful things in the store. She also had plenty of compliments about how such a pretty baby she is! :)

And today my little princess is 8 weeks old! I can't believe it's been 8 weeks since she was born. It seems like I was just pregnant! I don't know if I'm weird, but sometimes I miss being pregnant. I miss feeling her kick and squirm around. And I miss sleeping! Ha. But don't get me wrong, I love cuddling with her and waking up next to her in bed. And I do NOT want to be pregnant any time soon! It was no walk in the park for me and I surely don't miss puking my guts out everyday for 6 months straight.

Anyways, now on to a new week!

For those who have babies or little ones and are interested...... http://www.ezzo.info (yes, the infamous Gary Ezzo of Babywise! Maybe he's not so "wise" afterall....)

auntie em comes to visit!

Today Charlotte and I had a visitor! A good friend of mine, Emily, came to visit us and have lunch. Emily and I go way back (all the way to freshman year lol). We were also in the same sorority. It was fun getting caught up. This was the first time she got to meet little Charlotte, too. Fun times all around! :)

Charlotte was happy about Emily coming!
What a sweet girl! :)

long time no update!!

Sorry about the lack of updates!! Of course, this is going to be one big update! :)

Where to begin?

As of today, Charlotte Rose is 7 weeks and 2 days old! She is getting big! If I had to guess, I'd say she's almost 11 lbs now! I think the last time she was weighed she was 10 lbs, and that was at her 1 month doctor's appt. She's getting so big!!

Just a few updates from since she was born....

The wonderful and lovely people from our church coordinated dinners for us. I cannot even explain how helpful this was and how blessed we felt during this time! It was so amazing not to have to worry about making dinner. I cannot express how grateful we are to have such a wonderful church family.

My mom came down to visit again during Christmas time. It was great having her here. She even watched the baby one night so Thomas and I could go out on a real date! We went to go see "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Very good, by the way!

In early January, Thomas' mom came down again (she was here the day after Lottie was born with Fred) and spent a weekend with us. It was also great having her here.

Hmm.. And then the next weekend Thomas' aunt and cousin Addie came to visit. We went out to eat and spent some time together and they also watched Charlotte while we had another date night! Woo Hoo!

But I guess the biggest issue that has risen since she was born has been the breastfeeding issue. 7 weeks later, and we are STILL not nursing successfully. I have been basically pumping breastmilk for her ever since (I have a great supply, so PTL for that!) and bottle feeding her. We had latch problems from the beginning. I have tried everything to get the girl to latch, and she just won't. It's extremely painful and shallow. It was really bad the first couple weeks. I cried soo much during that time, I don't even like to think about it! I know I was starting to slip into some post-partum depression because she just wouldn't "get it" and I was just so mad that everyone else seemed to have a great breastfeeding experience, and why I couldn't have it, just bewildered me. I had a horrible pregnancy (constantly sick) and a painfully long labor, and now this! lol. So, needless to stay, we are still working on nursing.... I am almost at the point where I am about to quit, but I think I am too stubborn to! It's just that after I have read so many articles about how much a risk formula feeding is, I feel like every bottle I would give her of formula would be pumping cancer into her!! Ahhhh... This is a whole other blog in itself, can you tell?

Moving on....

Basically Charlotte has just been getting bigger and bigger! She seems to have added a few extra rolls onto her little legs. She also grew 2 inches in a month, so now she is about 23 inches! I'm afraid she is going to be outgrowing some of her 0-3 month clothing pretty soon!

She also started SMILING!! :) She started that at about week 6, which I was so looking forward to. She is so cute when she smiles! It really makes me teary eyed sometimes. I can't believe God has given me this precious little gift. She has also started to make a lot of cute little noises, like little coos and cahs.

Here are a few pics from the last 7 weeks...

Right after babies first sponge bath! What a cutie!


This was taken on Monday 2/2/09, she just loves her little playgym!
There is a little mirror which is what she is looking at.
She just smiles at her reflection. So cute!


This was taken last week. She likes to sit in her bouncy seat as Thomas and I eat dinner. We were trying to get her to smile, and she finally cracked one!


A few weeks ago my dad came down to visit.


This is the picture we used in our birth announcement. Maybe you received one? :)

Those are just a few of the pictures we've taken over the last 7 weeks. She has her 2 month doctor's appt on February 17. I'll be interested to know how much she weighs then! And how long she is! She will be getting vaccinated, which admittedly, I am a little nervous about.... With all this news going on about autism and all that. I'm thinking about having her on an alternate schedule, which is what Dr. Sears suggests. You know, of The Sears Baby Book?

Until next time....