Kylie took her first airplane ride on Tuesday, September 13th up to Chicago! She (and me and Mike) went to meet her great-Grandmother, Gerry, who lives in Carol Stream, IL - a suburb of Chicago. It was a beautiful and short trip up and back, and Kylie did so well.
I wasn't quite sure what to pack - so I surely OVERpacked. Mike, Kylie and me all shared one large suitcase - and he and I packed very minimally. We tucked her diapers, food, clothes, blankets, etc. all in that and checked the bag for our direct flight from RDU to Midway. We flew Southwest, and fortunately were able to use family boarding and not worry about being seated apart from one another.
Initially we weren't sure whether to bring the stroller - or the car seat base. I think we were glad to have had both - though we didn't like having to carry the base through the airport and decided to check it. The stroller was super helpful to have as we could set her in the carseat and wheel everything around. Again - it was wise not to plan to bring much ourselves. I had a magazine and an iPad - and both were enough entertainment for the trip! We made her a few bottles while on the plane - and it helped her keep her ears from popping while up in the air. She slept some - and by the time we arrived she was a bit more fussy and ready to deplane!
My mom picked us up and my grandmother was so excited that she came along also. We drove back out to Carol Stream and had lunch at Portillos, which is a Chicago tradition. We had salads and Mike and a couple famous hot dogs. But mostly my grandmother enjoyed watching Kylie play while the food was prepared. We went to her room afterwards and had some time for her to watch Kylie play around. Eventually both Kylie and my grandmother seemed tired - so we left and headed west. My aunt and uncle live in Rockford, so we went to spend the evening with them.
It was SO nice to have time out on the back porch in the cool low-70's weather and have some wine and good conversation. Kylie was in the BEST mood and excited to play a bit. She did fine with the time change and really just wanted to be around everyone. We tried putting her to bed in the pack-n-play they borrowed from friends - but she wasn't ready to sleep. Kylie sat quietly in her car seat while we had a delicious dinner of Roman Chicken. It was such a wonderful treat to have a home-cooked meal in a home with peace, quiet, and good conversation. And there was the most incredible dessert - a cherry peach cobbler with fresh cherries - SO divine. Couldn't get enough of the crumb topping.
The next day was just amazing also. We had time at the Japanese Garden in Rockford for breakfast overlooking the gardens. Afterwards we strolled through the gardens and enjoyed the views. My mom carried Kylie most of the way. We took lots of great pictures. It was fabulous weather. Afterwards we headed to Edwards Orchard for shopping and apple cider donuts. Mike had not been there and I loved it the last time. I mostly love the amazing samples spread throughout the store to nosh on. Mmmmm.
From there we drove back to Carol Stream to see grandmother again. By then my cousins and aunt were there from Indiana. We shared some time together and enjoyed catching up. They bought Kylie the most beautiful fall dress with a bright orange tutu. You could tell Kylie thought she looked pretty!! We took a picture of Kylie, me, my mom and grandmother - four generations!
We all went to Fuddruckers for dinner. Again - Kylie was so well behaved this entire day. She has really grown up and good about being flexible. We just kept her warm and fed! By the end of the evening everyone was ready for bed. We slept well in a nearby hotel - and my mom graciously offered to drive us to the airport. I'm not sure what we would have done otherwise!! We made it home in no time at all.
I am so thankful we were able to make the trip and make memories for everyone of Kylie meeting her great-grandmother. I am sorry she wasn't able to meet Grandad - I know he would have loved her. And I know he's smiling down on all of us today!
Friday, September 16, 2016
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Week 28: Catching Up!
Oh my - life got a bit crazy there for a while. I felt like I was in a good rhythm with posting - and then it all got crazy! In a good way - baby girl is growing so big and we are loving every minute.
Over the summer, we were blessed to have my family come and visit (except Ben wasn't able to make it because his dog got sick). But my grandmother flew down from D.C. and got to meet her great-granddaughter! It was beautiful and I captured video of the moment. We also had a bout with bronchitis (Mike) and colds (Amie and Kylie). And then another round of colds.
I am in a new job, and that also kept me quite full with hands and mind.
Its been wonderful to see Kylie growing so big. She is now 6 months old and getting strong. She smiles often. She is rolling over and back again like a pro. She rolls often as a means of transportation - she isn't quite to the crawl stage yet. But she can put her hands down and hold herself quite well. Just last night I was holding her on my lap while her dad was upstairs. It was amazing to watch her head turn from left to right quite rapidly and then upstairs when she saw him waving.
She is LOVING daycare. I am loving daycare also. Another change we made was to shift from 3/4 time (6 hours in the day) to full time. Though it obviously costs more- it is such a huge gift of time. I wasn't able to make it work to come home from the office and work from home. She was wanting attention and baby wins every time! So now I can drop her off and pick her up whenever I want/need. And she's always so happy when I come and get her. She does often start crying if she sees me and I don't get to her in a short period of time. They keep us informed on the days events with a (nearly) daily info sheet on what books they're reading, songs singing, sign language learning, stroller riding. There was a summer ending party out back - and we popped in to see the children running around and the lovely dinner they prepared. It was quite hot so we didn't stay long - but we just love the company and its kind workers and being in the atmosphere.
Kylie attended her first baby shower - driving up to Richmond to celebrate a friend expecting her first baby soon. She was so good on the drive up and back - and a dream while there. She was held by some friends and never once fussed. Amazing! She loves parties and people.
She also witnessed her first notary session as Mike and I served as witnesses. She's gone to the nursery at church for the first time - and they said she did quite well. She was the only child when we dropped her off - and a couple new ones after that. It was OK to have her in there - though I missed her in worship. Maybe we'll transition slowly...for mom's sake!
Toward the end of July - she hit a 4 month sleep regression and started having real trouble sleeping through the night. It was SO hard. In speaking with a friend, she shared a new swaddle with me called a "Zippadee Zip" - it is a star shaped swaddle that allows baby motion in legs and arms but keeps her contained and feeling secure. It certainly helped a lot. Now she only wakes up a couple of times. We've also started feeding her solids - beginning first with sweet potatoes, but will get to bananas soon! We received a Bumbo seat at a shower - and that is strapped to one of our chairs in the kitchen. She does great in there and has a little tray to bang on while she eats! I want to learn how to make baby food as it doesn't seem too complicated to cook fruits and veggies and then puree them.
We have some favorite shows these days - Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (inspired by Mr. Rogers), Tillie the Duck and Stick with Mick on BabyFirst TV on Hulu. These capture her attention and make her excited when she starts to get fussy in the evenings. Though its NOTHING like it was in the 6-10 week range. She gently slows down as we get her to bed. I recently attended a sleep workshop and got lots of new information and was pointed to a new book - "Good Night Sleep Tight". I am learning how to get her to sleep so she learns to self-soothe.
We are doing a bit better with bath time. We bought a little contraption to put in the tub that is a bit easier to set her in. I was having to hold her while washing in the other one - and it was really challenging and not restful for her. She loves to sit there and play with her cup full of water. At first she seemed more stunned by the experience of being in water. Now she's a bit more at home in it - and loves the concept of play. I am not as with it when it comes to bathing her regularly - so I certainly need to get that in order.
I also bought a car-seat adapter for my BOB jogging stroller. It is awesome to be able to pop her in and go running or walking for as long as I want because she often falls asleep. It's still a bit hot outside to go after the first of the morning. I know fall will be a dream. I just signed us up for a 10K so I hope she is ready! We were going to La Farm bakery every day and enjoying hot coffee and samples of bread and pound cake. So this feels like a healthier option. I'm still trying to shed a few pounds of baby weight - and I definitely feel stronger after using the jogger for a few weeks. I did about 4.5 miles the other morning on some big hills and surprised myself!
Kylie just had her 6 month check up at Western Wake Pediatrics and she loves Dr. Tabrizi. She is measuring in the 0.3% for height (eep!) but doing well in the height to weight ratio. She will be petite like her mom! Preparing myself for years of shortening pants and sleeves like my mom did for me. She is healthy and active and loving life and making faces. She went to town on the exam table paper - loving the sound it makes when it crinkles.
I am working to organize her nursery a bit so that its like a play room at day care. It is harder with her room being upstairs - but would love to have a place she feels at home in. I know it'll be a bit easier when she can sit up on her own to be able to use some of her new toys. But it is great to still feel as though she's young and small. I'm in no rush for her to grow up and hit new milestones before she's ready! She's just sized out of most of her 3m clothes - especially the adorable sleepers she had. But we got some new 6M ones and they are just as cute - one terrycloth outfit with bunny rabbits, and another with dinosaurs. I also bought a fleece one just because she's so cozy to hold when she's wearing it.
Love our little girl and love her dad, too!
Over the summer, we were blessed to have my family come and visit (except Ben wasn't able to make it because his dog got sick). But my grandmother flew down from D.C. and got to meet her great-granddaughter! It was beautiful and I captured video of the moment. We also had a bout with bronchitis (Mike) and colds (Amie and Kylie). And then another round of colds.
I am in a new job, and that also kept me quite full with hands and mind.
Its been wonderful to see Kylie growing so big. She is now 6 months old and getting strong. She smiles often. She is rolling over and back again like a pro. She rolls often as a means of transportation - she isn't quite to the crawl stage yet. But she can put her hands down and hold herself quite well. Just last night I was holding her on my lap while her dad was upstairs. It was amazing to watch her head turn from left to right quite rapidly and then upstairs when she saw him waving.
She is LOVING daycare. I am loving daycare also. Another change we made was to shift from 3/4 time (6 hours in the day) to full time. Though it obviously costs more- it is such a huge gift of time. I wasn't able to make it work to come home from the office and work from home. She was wanting attention and baby wins every time! So now I can drop her off and pick her up whenever I want/need. And she's always so happy when I come and get her. She does often start crying if she sees me and I don't get to her in a short period of time. They keep us informed on the days events with a (nearly) daily info sheet on what books they're reading, songs singing, sign language learning, stroller riding. There was a summer ending party out back - and we popped in to see the children running around and the lovely dinner they prepared. It was quite hot so we didn't stay long - but we just love the company and its kind workers and being in the atmosphere.
Kylie attended her first baby shower - driving up to Richmond to celebrate a friend expecting her first baby soon. She was so good on the drive up and back - and a dream while there. She was held by some friends and never once fussed. Amazing! She loves parties and people.
She also witnessed her first notary session as Mike and I served as witnesses. She's gone to the nursery at church for the first time - and they said she did quite well. She was the only child when we dropped her off - and a couple new ones after that. It was OK to have her in there - though I missed her in worship. Maybe we'll transition slowly...for mom's sake!
Toward the end of July - she hit a 4 month sleep regression and started having real trouble sleeping through the night. It was SO hard. In speaking with a friend, she shared a new swaddle with me called a "Zippadee Zip" - it is a star shaped swaddle that allows baby motion in legs and arms but keeps her contained and feeling secure. It certainly helped a lot. Now she only wakes up a couple of times. We've also started feeding her solids - beginning first with sweet potatoes, but will get to bananas soon! We received a Bumbo seat at a shower - and that is strapped to one of our chairs in the kitchen. She does great in there and has a little tray to bang on while she eats! I want to learn how to make baby food as it doesn't seem too complicated to cook fruits and veggies and then puree them.
We have some favorite shows these days - Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (inspired by Mr. Rogers), Tillie the Duck and Stick with Mick on BabyFirst TV on Hulu. These capture her attention and make her excited when she starts to get fussy in the evenings. Though its NOTHING like it was in the 6-10 week range. She gently slows down as we get her to bed. I recently attended a sleep workshop and got lots of new information and was pointed to a new book - "Good Night Sleep Tight". I am learning how to get her to sleep so she learns to self-soothe.
We are doing a bit better with bath time. We bought a little contraption to put in the tub that is a bit easier to set her in. I was having to hold her while washing in the other one - and it was really challenging and not restful for her. She loves to sit there and play with her cup full of water. At first she seemed more stunned by the experience of being in water. Now she's a bit more at home in it - and loves the concept of play. I am not as with it when it comes to bathing her regularly - so I certainly need to get that in order.
I also bought a car-seat adapter for my BOB jogging stroller. It is awesome to be able to pop her in and go running or walking for as long as I want because she often falls asleep. It's still a bit hot outside to go after the first of the morning. I know fall will be a dream. I just signed us up for a 10K so I hope she is ready! We were going to La Farm bakery every day and enjoying hot coffee and samples of bread and pound cake. So this feels like a healthier option. I'm still trying to shed a few pounds of baby weight - and I definitely feel stronger after using the jogger for a few weeks. I did about 4.5 miles the other morning on some big hills and surprised myself!
Kylie just had her 6 month check up at Western Wake Pediatrics and she loves Dr. Tabrizi. She is measuring in the 0.3% for height (eep!) but doing well in the height to weight ratio. She will be petite like her mom! Preparing myself for years of shortening pants and sleeves like my mom did for me. She is healthy and active and loving life and making faces. She went to town on the exam table paper - loving the sound it makes when it crinkles.
I am working to organize her nursery a bit so that its like a play room at day care. It is harder with her room being upstairs - but would love to have a place she feels at home in. I know it'll be a bit easier when she can sit up on her own to be able to use some of her new toys. But it is great to still feel as though she's young and small. I'm in no rush for her to grow up and hit new milestones before she's ready! She's just sized out of most of her 3m clothes - especially the adorable sleepers she had. But we got some new 6M ones and they are just as cute - one terrycloth outfit with bunny rabbits, and another with dinosaurs. I also bought a fleece one just because she's so cozy to hold when she's wearing it.
Love our little girl and love her dad, too!
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