7 months!

Time is FLYING.

So cliche, I know. But really -- it is! Make it stop.

This face.

Little boo is ...

--Pulling herself up! Mostly just on ME, but ... it might be time to lower the crib.

--Crawling! Well, we're just about there. For the longest time, she would be up on all fours, trying to coordinate her hands and her knees. And then, as of just about the past week or so, I've seen her achieve the crawl ... but just for like, a minute. It's not like she's CRAWLING crawling all over the house. But I'm confident she'll be there in no time. So many people have told me that some babies skip crawling, like, they'll just go straight to walking, and developmentally, babies don't NEED to crawl. But I've always had a hunch she'd do it. I mean, standing will always be her true and first love, but she's had the itch to crawl, and she's been working toward it, for quite some time now. Mission almost accomplished!

--Very active. I swear, she won't even lie still for a diaper change these days. She's just like, flipping over, trying to scoot away from me, werkin that crawl life, rocking back and forth on all fours, pulling up, stomping her feet, waving her arms, doing her Pilates, etc. The list goes ON and on and on. She cracks me up. I know they say boys are typically more physical, but she's very into challenging herself, and learning the next big thing. What a little boop.

OMG.

--Sitting (still sitting, I should say), but it's totally no big deal for her these days. She developed that skill last month, but she'd still occasionally topple. Now that's pretty rare! She can also sit in the tub, although I keep my hands by her sides just to be extra safe. James and I need to get one of those mats to put at the bottom, so she won't slip. It is SO SO cute when we go into her room after a nap, or in the morning, and she's just sitting up in her crib, waiting. She'll flap her arm (I swear she's waving; we've been working on the wave for months!) and she gets super excited to see us. I love her in the mornings, she's the happiest bug of all time. She can alllllllso go from crawl position to sitting, and vice versa! I'm so proud. She even wants to straighten her legs from the crawl and try to stand. But she has a ways to go. I love that all the urges are there!

Hi happy!

--Eating! I think she had just started, when I wrote last month's post. Anyway, we're making plenty of progress, and we continue to learn what works/doesn't work for us. Some of her favorite foods include: peaches, blueberries, sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach (lol long story), and grilled cheese (lol again). She's kinda MEH on rice cereal and oatmeal, despite all my best tricks -- mixing it with bananas, or strawberries, or applesauce ... send help! Is she just sick of it? Is it the timing? I'm trying to experiment on all fronts. Our pediatrician keeps emphasizing how great it is for babies, but Ana is not that interested. I get her to take as much as I can, but I feel guilty forcing food on her. I think I've mentioned, we're not like, "finish this! 12 more bites!" When she's done, she's done. We're still not buying baby food, just giving her soft versions of whatever we're eating. We went out to dinner last night and she was ecstatic to eat green bean pieces, small bites of macaroni, and chunks of mashed potato. Today, we gave her bits of rice, and ravioli while we were out. I'd call it baby-led weaning, but she's not that successful at feeding herself. AND we have carpeting all over. We need to get one of those painter tarps to put down, for the mess she'll inevitably make. Mostly we just toss the food in her mouth. So, it's modified BLW. I want to let her play with the spoon and the food ... but then I envision the mess, and I just can't. Those teething wafers are also excellent at distracting her when we're out, and teaching her how to self-feed. I like the Plum Organics ones especially. Oh, and the story on the spinach ... we had a hunch she wouldn't like it, but we thought, gah, it'd be so nutritious for her (plus we were low on groceries), so James soft-boiled a batch of frozen plain spinach. Once it was ready to eat, he just started shoveling it into his mouth, acting like, OVERJOYED to eat it. It was so over the top. Soon enough, she was banging her fists on her high chair in anticipation, like, "I want some! Now now nowwww!" So he shared, and she made this face like, GROSS. But then kept wanting more, based on Jim's reaction, and how much he seemed to love it. It was convincing af. At one point, I even asked, "you didn't like, put seasoning on there, did you? How are you making that look so good?" And he laughed, he was like, "of course not, but it's not horrible, it's just plain spinach." Still, I don't think I would have been able to pull it off! Then my mom gave her some grilled cheese when we were out for RO Wednesday last week. Probably not what the pediatrician would recommend for baby food, but whatever, right? Cheese and bread, I choose my battles and that was not one of them. Analisa, needless to say, LOVVVVED it. We made it for lunch the next day and she nearly ate the whole thing. Check out my IG and you'll see her nearly take out my finger in the process!

--All the eating has also led to some constipation issues (and painful poops, which are really sad to watch), but I think we're making progress. Getting her to drink water in addition to her milk seems to help. Yep, I've officially gone there. Who am I?

So grown up all of a sudden!

--Continuing to string together consonants! She's been on that babababa game for about a week, which we can get her to switch over to dadadada or mamamama with some encouragement. So so cute! She continues to love the sound of her own voice, and she REALLY loves a room or mall with some echo. She will just yell and shriek. I adore it and her.

--Riding in the cart at the store! Shout out to Edie for the cart cover, which stops her from teething on the metal railing in front of her face ... EW. Ana loves it in the cart so much. It's about as adorbs as you can imagine. She tries to catch people's attention and really loves being out and about in the world : )

Stop it.

--Making this thing we call "funny face!" (Or derp face, if you're around our apartment, haha). It's like, the biggest, gummiest, most over-the-top smile on the planet. And it's so sweet. NEVER GROW UP.

--The happiest, sweetest baby. She's giggly and cuddly and I just can't tell you how much I love being her mom -- more than I ever thought was possible.

--The star of our family pics, I can only assume. Stay tuned! We got 'em taken in Holland two weeks ago with the photog who shot our wedding. I feel like I hold Anzie pics to a pretty high standard, because I take 87867567567 of them every day, but I trust Dionel wholeheartedly. Now if only I could guarantee I looked OK in even like, five of them, we'd be set!

Not a professional pic, just me! Ana loved playing in the sand so much along Lake Michigan. And didn't even try to eat it -- what is life?

--In the midst of a busy summer! I helped host Candace's bridal shower this weekend, then we're going up north next weekend, then it's back to Rochester for Liz and Ryan's wedding, THEN I'm going to Nashville for Candace's bachelorette party (HOW DO YOU GUYS LEAVE YOUR BABIES PLEASE HELP ME), whew! I mean, Ana will be with my mom on the Friday that I leave town, then James the rest of the weekend, and I'm home Sunday afternoon, like, we'll be fine. (Right?) But we can't even FaceTime! Maybe I can teach James how to Skype? GAH  :/    Lots of cute outfits in Ana's future, as you can imagine with all the fun weekends. Her dress for the wedding is onnnnnn point. I kind of coordinated all of us to be ... matching but not matching. I just think it's important, seeing as we'll be in pics together and we shouldn't clash, ya feel? Have I typed about this before? Ana will also wear her first pair of shoes to the wedding! It just felt right, and they were $5.99 at Target. I thought it would look a little white trashy to have a baby in a nice dress but barefoot. (Also, don't ask me about how the baby shopping hiatus has been going).

What a little love.

--Growing some more hair! FINALLY. We like to say she looks like a mad scientist, just because of the weird long hairs that sprout up outta nowhere in the back. But anyway, I haven't needed to stick headbands on her just so strangers don't think she's a boy. Success! I mean, we still call her our son from time to time. But dare I say? I think most of her hair issues are a thing of the past! Cross ya fingers.

--So smart. Newest party trick: Ask her, "where's my nose?" And she'll grab it! I mean, you have to make sure you're sitting directly in her face, but I swear, we tested it all weekend and I really think she knows what we're saying. WHAT!

What else ...

Speaking of headbands/failed shopping hiatuses/etc. from a few paragraphs back, I get asked every now and then where we shop. NOWHERE, should be my answer. "We don't shop much at all." But if I were to tell the truth, I'd be like, Carter's is not the answer. Sorry, Carter's! I mean, sure, they have some occasional gems (actually this light blue outfit is a staple in Ana's closet), but I feel like too often that's the only baby brand people know. And it's at Target, so like, I can't blame. But but but. You can only take so much stuff with writing on it! I mean, she's cute, she's a BABY, so of course. But does every onesie have to remind you? "Mommy's little Kitchenaid."  "Daddy's little Dumpster fire."   "Grandma's mini arsonist."  "Cute as an heirloom tomato."   Get off it! I swear, I've been CLOSE to buying stuff but then put it back because I notice one of the T-shirts says something hokey. However, you CAN find some omg adorable stuff at: H&M, Ralph Lauren (we have a RL outlet, thank goodness; could never afford the real thing), Old Navy, Target, OshKosh, and local baby re-sale stores. If it's more than $5, I'm usually not buying it. Hit the clearance racks and buy big (size-wise), are my two main pieces of advice! Crossing my fingers for another girl at some point, so we can re-wear : )

Preppy baby!

Did I fail to mention our last Rochester trip? It was fun! We celebrated our first Fathers Day with James, which was great, and it's always nice to see the Ganleys. Wedding weekend is coming up so fast, and it's nice to feel like we can do back-to-back trips in a pretty short chunk of time! Ana was such a dream in the car. We were like, "no way will she sleep the whole time, she's not a tiny baby anymore." And then ... she did. #babygoals

Do you and your dad want to be super photogenic? K.

Until next time!

6 months!

Analisa is halfway to her first birthday!

Well, more than halfway if you consider that this blog will be posted a week or so late  :/

(Better start perusing Pinterest for first birthday party ideas! I'd be lying if I said I hadn't done this already, cough, maybe even months ago). #psycho

Six months: I'll dive in!

Or, catch up first (only those of you who are TRULY bored): 5 months | 4 months | 3 months | 2 months | 1 month | Ana's birth story | Holy shit I'm pregz

Boo-bear

 We have a LOUD baby on our hands.

Which makes me laugh so hard. She gets in these moods where she's so cray. She'll just go HAM, yelling and giggling and enjoying the sound of her own voice, shouting out for the world to hear. People are sometimes alarmed by it when we're out in public, thinking she's pissed, but nope. She's just here to announce her presence! I took her to Twelve Oaks last week, where it was really echo-y in the main mall area, and she was just like, letting her screams rip ripppp. She's so happy when she does, it's hilar.

Remember when she used to get up in the mornings, usually about 5 or 6, and I'd take her into bed with us and give her a bottle? Then she'd fall back asleep till noon? RIP! I miss those days so hard. James and I were so well-rested from the time she was like, 2 1/2 months till probably 3 weeks ago.

Now? (I mean, we probably shouldn't complain -- we still sleep wayyy more than other new parents, I have to imag). But now, she's up at like, 9, I give her a bottle, and she's basically ready to start her day. We're always like, "one more hour, pleaaase?" But no. She's awake, screaming in our ears, pulling my hair, grabbing Jimmy's nose, trying to stand on us and pull herself up ... and then it's like, welllllll, we might as well GTFU (up, not out).

Jims likes to sing, "I'm all the way upppp, nothing can stop me," as her little theme song : )

Ana has, however, settled into a little bit of a nap schedule, which is nice! We've never had any sort of consistency there. Right now, she'll go down for about an hour from 12:30 or 1, till about 1:30 or 2. Which is just enough time for me to run around the house and tidy, or catch up on e-mails, or take a shower and pack up the bags for the day, if we're heading out. Doesn't sound like much, but hey, I'll take whatever I can get.

Along with all the yelling, we have way more babbling going on, as well!

Bear-boo.

 Gah it's so cute. Right now, she really loves making V sounds. Think "vivivivivivivvvvvv." If you make them back at her, she dies laughing.

I have a Snapchat video of her saying what SOUNDS like "mommy," but we joke that what it really sounds like is a British little boy. "Meh-MMAY." It's on my IG if you're curious! But, safe to say she's yet to utter her first intentional word. Still no real ma-ma-ma-ma-ma or da-da-da-da-da, despite my best efforts. It'll come with time, I'm confident. I'm always caught between like, wanting her to grow up and do the next thing, and wanting to freeze this moment in time for us to cherish forever. Six months is a lot of fun though -- I feel like she really knows me!

Ugh, but on the same note, it's hard with her clothes, too! I have SO many, and I buy stuff big, in the hopes it'll fit her all summer. But when I pick her outfits in the morning, I'm always ripping tags off stuff, like, "well, this could fit now, or this or this or this!" I have to tell myself like, "pump the breaks, let her spit up and drool all over the 9 and 12 month stuff before you have to retire it in a week."   :(

#firstworldprobz fa real. 

Aunt Liz's old overalls!

We went to the doctor ...

And Analisa is doing great. She's a very active and healthy little girl. She weighed 17 pounds, 8 ounces; and measured 25 1/2 long. They never tell us percentiles, then everyone finds out we had an appointment and they're all "WHAT PERCENTILE IS ALL THAT?" ... I don't know, as long as she's healthy, IDGAF. You can Google it; there are a million baby calculators out there.

We finally bit the bullet after our appointment and gave Ana her first solids! I had been holding off because long story, but we were told to go for it. We're doing baby-led weaning, which is like, letting the baby dictate what she does/doesn't like, and feed herself. And it's mostly just like, food we're eating, in smaller forms. No baby food or purees.

However, she does need to get her iron intake up (all babies do around now), so we did break from BLW to spoon-feed some rice cereal. She's been nomming some almost every morning for about a week now, and she ... thinks it's OK. Some mornings are easier than others, but I'm never going to force it on her and make sure she eats every last bite. I don't want to turn meals into an issue, so when she clamps her mouth shut and shakes her head no, we're done for the day. We've also given her noodles (tossed in pesto, but not much), and a few bites of the following: salmon, turkey, beans, broccoli, and a raspberry. All on different occasions, and just the tiniest of nibbles. I know you're supposed to go slow and introduce one food at a time (in case of allergies), but she's so interested in what we're eating. Sometimes I'll pop a tiny piece in her mouth, just to let her explore new flavors and gum it around a bit. She loves noodles probably the most so far. It's really cool to watch her eat, and awesome to watch her learn. She's just like, taking in EVERYTHING. What a little sponge-friend!

Ana is very smart (says her biased mother). She knows her name, reacts when someone calls her, and I think she understands me (in very basic ways). My mom tries to teach her stuff, too -- we were doing Patty Cake with her last week, and Ana caught on, and was clapping her hands together by the end! (I mean, she missed a lot, but whatever). She can high-five (kind of), and she'll imitate me when it's time to eat, and open her mouth really wide and swallow, if I show her how.

Oh, and two must-have items, if you're about to embark on solids: Bumkins waterproof bibs (I don't even know where we'd be without these -- they're so cute, too), and the Antilop high-chair from IKEA. I thought we'd have to spend like, $150 on a high-chair, based on Buy Buy Baby and the recommendations I'd been hearing. Not that that's horrible; I mean, babies are expensive and everything costs money. But then I kept reading about this IKEA HC, and it was popping up as a recommended item on some of the blogs I frequent. James and I stopped by the Canton store last time we were in Royal Oak, and ... ta da. It's truly the only HC you'd ever need, and it's like, $19.99. Easy to assemble, easy to wipe down, Analisa enjoys sitting in it, DONE. Save yourself some Ds and go pick one up. 

Baby big eyes!

 Little boo is on the move!

I'll set her down for a sec to prepare a bottle or go pee (yeah, still makin bottles and pumping, although just once a day ... despite the solids, babies still get the bulk of their nutrients and food from b-milk or formy) -- but yeah, then I'll find Ana like, in a completely different spot from where I left her.

So, we're baby-proofing over here! I mean, she's obviously not up and about, strolling the house, but she's rolling and scooting, and going front to back, and back to front, and pushing herself all over the place. Bae can travel. Seemingly out of nowhere!

Gazing up at papa

She's also ...

Trying to get your attention. Yes, you: strangers at the mall, the one person in a group conversation who's leading the discussion, James, my parents, their friends, my friends, everyone and anyone. It's really cute. She'll yell and flap and just smile at you, trying to catch your gaze.

And reaching for my phone (doesn't help that my phone case is a bomb pop right now), and the remote, and she's sad when I take both away <--- (the germs though!)

Watermelon game on fleeeeek

 We had a challenging week last week, and I think it might have just been a growth spurt. She was eating around the clock, and sleeping way more than usual, and CRABBY. She's already way happier this week, so I'm glad that's over. But my mom and people always say, sometimes they regress a little before a huge (developmental) leap. So like, she crabbed and ate and snoozed and kinda drove me batty, but then on Friday night, she was sitting independently like she'd been doing it her whole life.

Before that, she'd just sit for a few seconds and topple. And suddenly, she's a pro. If she feels herself falling, she catches herself or puts her hands down.

And just like that, we have a big girl!

When she gets in a mood, I just have to snap her out of it. Tactics include: going on a car ride (or if she's fussing back there, rolling the window down on her), sticking her in the bath or the sink, or even going in our apartment complex pool. It's ... kinda cold in there, but she loved it, the two times we've gone.

One day, I was just like, sick of the scenery around here, so we met Rachael in East Lansing. Totally impromptu trip! Ana and I did a little campus stroll (OK, a long campus stroll!), and then we all got dinnz at El Azteco. Yum. We also met Caitlyn and Dan in EL just the other day. Have I said this a million times already? I love being able to do stuff like that! Being back in Michigan is truly theeee best.

We're up for anything; our "hats are on the piano" as my grandma would say. I'm still very willing to take Ana anywhere and everywhere. And she's so good when we're out -- why not?

We were getting into a bit of a shopping pattern, which I decided I had to break. I'm not even working full-time right now, I can't be droppin Ds like it's my job. So I decided, no baby clothes for two full months. She has way more than enough, it's not like I'm depriving her.

... I miiiiight have broken down and gotten her a dress for Liz and Ryan's wedding, but it was $8.99 (normally $85!) from Ralph Lauren, and I just didn't think I'd be able to find that deal, plus her size in another month or so. So, I bit the bullet and got it. Whatever, right? I can't even tell you how many things I've passed on. A Sparty cheerleader outfit (also hard to determine how big she'll be in September), a Sparty TUTU, more Tigers gear, countless outfits from Target, more stuff from Macy's that was on sale when I got the wedding dress ... sigh. Steps in the right direction though, right?

Me and my mini in EL!

 I won't talk a ton about work just yet, because there was a bit of an awkward situation on my end, but I am working part-time at the moment. Mostly from home. And it feels really good! I'm just dying for James transition to the new station -- he's gone constantly right now in advance of the move, and it's hard to achieve that work/home balance when I'm with Ana solo for 12-14 hours a day. Needless to say, I'm not sleeping a ton lately.

I try not to be too hard on Jimmy; I know it's not his fault his station is moving across town, and he has to be there constantly, as one of only three managers. He's the main worker-bee in our family right now, and it should only be a few more weeks with these crazy, all-consuming hours. It's just difficult because I like him so much! Our weekends are everything. Anzie and I love that guy to the moon and back. 

Ana-bear ... lovvvving her dad. I think I mentioned in her five-month update, but she's just like, smiling and following him around the room with her gaze, whenever they're together. It's the sweetest thing in the universe. He's so fun with her, and loving. He makes her laugh the hardest. They have the most special bond and I tear up sometimes watching, because I'm nuts like that.
  
We took Anz up north for Memorial Day weekend, and she was kinda freaking out in the backseat on the way back, which is really rare for her. She usually loves the car. So we stopped in Bay City (randomly) just to stretch our legs, play with her and wear her out a bit. It's like, one of my favorite recent memories. James went from holding her so calm on the riverfront, getting her to chill, to making her SCREAM out in delight on the streets, as we were walking around, debating where to grab a bite. He was tossing her up, tickling her, and she was just in daddy heaven.

(It's our anniversary next month!) Yay. Weird to think that was Ana in there the whole time.

Up north was fun! Weather was weird, but we went to Petoskey and had the best time (and spent way too much at American Spoon).  :/ 

That face-grab kills me.

Analisa remains the happiest (well, outside of last week!), most patient, smiley, BEST boo. My heart explodes with love for her. The six-month mark has brought about a grunty, growly, pelvic-thrusting little bear <--- why are babies so weird? -- but it's so cool to be her mom and watch her flourish.

She still REFUSES to lie down, if she's awake. It's so funny. At her appointment, the nurse was like, "we have a Pilates baby on our hands! Look at that ab work!" ... I swear, you set her on her back, even for a minute, and she's crunching to try and sit up. She will just like, hold herself in that crazy position. You'd think she'd have abs of steel. (Not so much, IRL). And then I try to hold her in my arms lately, and she's trying to leapfrog off me. I set her on my chest to take a nap (like old times), and she's doing makeshift pushups, or trying to crawl or roll away. Crazy baby indeed. The Ganleys are excited to see her! Last month's trip fell through (long story), so we're heading to Rochester this weekend instead.

Anyway, to wrap up, I miss my tiny, sleepy baby, but love this big, active girl. Her personality cracks me up. I can't wait to see what the coming weeks have in store. Until then ...

(I'll leave you with some outtakes).

Whenever people be like, "your baby can't even TAKE a bad picture!" ...

"So, how does Ana like Daisy?" ... "Ummm, undecided." #overwhelmed

How can it be? 5 months!

'Member when I said four months was THEEEEEEE cutest age of all time?

Five. I totally meant five months.

(Will I start every monthly recap this way, from here on out? Probably).

BABYYYYYYYYYY!

Sigh.

Analisa continues to be the happiest baby. We just love her to pieces.

She continues ...

To explore the world through her mouth. She's gumming on everything. Gnawing on whatever she can grab (and she IS grabbing, btw) ... also drooling excessively, and just like, overall, obsessed with that mouth. If my hands are within range, she'll jam my knuckles into this one spot toward the back of her gums. I feel bad for her. She's a happy little bug during the day, and tolerates the teething as best as can be expected. But at night? All bets are off. She gets tired and CRABBY.

It hurts my heart.

I read online that the teeth don't actually come in for a while (usually), so ... I hope this doesn't go on for too long! The pain, I mean. I've broken down and given her baby Tylenol twice. And I let her sleep with us last night. Whatever! I just hate to see baby girl hurting.

What. A. Chunk.

We have another ...

Rochester trip coming up! Liz's wedding shower is Saturday, so we'll do the drive late Friday, just like last time. Should be fun to see more family and hang with the Ganleys!

Ana's really loving on her daddy these days. He walks in a room, and her eyes just light up. She follows him with her gaze all over the apartment.

Reading Pout-Pout.

It's the sweetest.

She's such a little girl lately.

I was considering ...

Starting solids. Our pediatrician said any time after month four was fine. But ... I don't know. Like I mentioned, our ped likes the parents to take the lead when it comes to making informed decisions. I see other babies Ana's age eating, but I just want to wait a bit longer. It's a personal choice for every family, just like anything else, I'd imagine. I never care what other people do -- but for us? No solids just yet. We'll continue sticking with breastmilk + a little bit of formula. We have our next pediatrician appointment on June 2, so maybe we'll reevaluate then!

Smiles and kicks!

Speaking of the doctor ...

Ana doesn't have torticollis after all. ... Yeah, this is weird. Ready?

I mentioned in the four-month update: We finally saw the doc, and basically, our appointment was kind of hijacked by this torticollis discussion.

"You hadn't noticed it? Yeah, it's not severe, but it needs to be addressed. Physical therapy. There could be neck/muscle issues down the line if you don't see someone soon. I'll write you a scrip. Get on it though." Etc. etc. etc.

I mean, I knew it was never a huge deal, but it was still like, a LITTLE stressful! As a new mom, I just wanted to hear everything was 100 percent fine. Having to bring my baby in for physical therapy ... I mean, I know, NOT life-threatening, but it was still weighing on my mind!

We took her in, and the PT specialists were like, "Yeah, she's great. Maybe she just didn't feel like moving her head that day at the doctor's office? Ha. You don't have to bring her back here. We don't notice anything out of the ordinary."

... OK.

They played with her for probably 30 minutes. Ana got in some tummy time, made a new friend (the Happy Apple, you guys. THE HAPPY APPLE), and all was well. They told me she was looking really strong for a 4-month-old baby, and to keep up the good work.

So, false alarm on the TC, I guess.

Developmentally ...

I just feel like she's made strides! Even week to week, she's constantly getting stronger and smarter and like more of a real person.

She'll drop something, and she can now pick it up (well, obvs, it depends on the object and how far it fell. Duh. But you get my point). And she has a higher success rate of putting the binkie back in her mouth when it pops loose.*

*Haha, and then sometimes I'll see her slurping on it sideways, and know it was definitely her who put it back in -- James has stuck it in upside down before, but never sideways ... lolol.

A big shout-out to my mom, who got her a Bumbo seat. Analisa has even been sitting independently lately, probably thanks in some part to that fun little chair.

Sitting baby!

Her sleep has been a little less consistent ...   :/

Man, for a while there, I thought we had it down to a science. Maybe it's the teething, or just a little bit of sleep regression. But just like everything else, I'm not one to overthink. I let her lead the way. When she's tired, she sleeps. When she's hungry, she eats. It'll all normalize again soon. Well, cross your fingers it will!

It's been nice to have her in the crib, too. (Oh, and my mom helped me start decorating Anz's room the other day! Don't even remind me that some people did this while pregnant. I mean, she's 5 months old ... that's fine too, right?)

And by "helped," I definitely mean "did everything."

The door-bouncer is still a favorite item. And "standing" remains king. I swear, Analisa can be screaming bloody murder, but if you prop her into a standing position, it's like, BAM, problem solved. Smiles all around.

Weekends ...

Have been busy! Tony and Lisa's wedding. Wine stroll. Rochester trip. We even took Ana with us to Paw Paw for Natalie's birthday. I think it's important that she grows up like this. The world didn't end because we had a baby, you know? I mean, I'm not taking her to Coachella. But little weekend stuff here and there? Why not?

Before the wedding!

My spending ...

Is out of control. Having a cute baby girl has been bad on the wallet. So I've made a commitment: no clothes shopping for Ana until July 13! I need to go two full months. And trust me, she has more than enough new stuff to last through then. I mean, I hit the clearance racks and do the whole re-sale thing ... but cold turkey is necessary, in this case.

Also mentioned in my last monthly update ...

The puppies! They are the absolute cutest. And growing so fast. But Ana and these dogs really aren't sure about each other. It'll be cute to see them grow up together though (well, sort of. As much as puppies and a baby really can). My parents' house has been overflowing with cuteness.

And in adult world ...

James and I just celebrated our engagement-versary (and by "celebrated," I mean I texted him, "we got engaged a year ago!" And he wrote back, "I didn't even realize that was today!")

We definitely embody #romance.

I've also re-entered the world of YOGA and it feels goooooood.

James planned the nicest first Mothers Day for the three of us.

I'm still pumping! But about ready to do a final taper.

And Robby has returned to Colorado : (  It was so fun having him around for the month.

And I hope the Warriors pull through against the Thunder this series! Man, Game 1 just ended and I'm bummed.

K ... always best to wrap up my loose ends on an Ana pic, right?

Right.

Just being an Anzy-bear!

4 months!

OK, four months is officially THEEEEEEEE CUTEST AGE.

Obvi, Ana was cute the day she was born (although, James thinks it took a few hours. I did not). AG was cute at a week old, a month old, two months old, etc. etc. etc.

But four months? Four months. Is the best!

My sweet baby girl.

I look back at her old pics (lol, "old pics," they're from like, 90 days ago), and it's like, she wasn't even half as adorable as she is now -- now that she has a little personality (err, BIG personality), and she's filled out a bunch, and smiles at you and laughs constantly. She's so easygoing and happy. I just love her with my whole heart and soul!

Is this trend going to continue? The cuteness, I mean?

Well, until like, middle school? I already cannot handle it. I look at her in the mornings, and it's like, HOW.

How?

K, I'll take a few plays off. The gushing is out of control. But really. How did we make such a sweet baby?

Here's what's up lately:

The bouncer

The bouncer! We played in there twice today. One day last week, she spent a full hour straight in there. Do you know how long an hour is, in baby time?

Anyway, our bouncer is one of those bouncy things (not to overwhelm you with technical terms) you attach to a door frame, and let Anzy putz around in. I think I mentioned it in the 3-month update, when we purchased the thing.

At first, she just liked sitting independently, but she didn't really get it. I put her in there like, once a day, and tried to help her put two and two together ... but it didn't really CLICK till maybe a week or so ago. And now, she goes HAM in there! It's so cute to watch.

She continues to love standing. So this thing is perfect. Also, sometimes I hold her feet off the ground and use it as a swing, and she just giggles and giggles. Her laughs are maybe my favorite sound ever.

One of the rare pics where I actually think she looks like me!

She's sleeping in her room for most of the night!

YEP. We were bed-sharing for awhile (judge away, but sorry we're not sorry), but I mostly wanted to cut back because of how it was impacting MY sleep. (Selfish, I know). Don't get me wrong, we'd have nights where she was the sweetest, most cuddliest, loviest baby of all time ... and I'd be all, "I love co-sleeping and I never want to stop!" James said he loved coming home to it, too -- me and Anz all snuggled up together in the warm bed. But yeah, most nights it was like, AG managing to turn herself sideways, with James and I clinging to 5% (each) while Ana took up the other 90.

Like, how does a baby so small manage that?

So, it got old. Now, I'm putting her down in the Pack 'n Play at around 10 each night. She was resisting it at first, but then I read somewhere online that you should try putting a piece of clothing in there with her -- something that smells like either mom or dad. So yeah, a pretty worn-down Golden State T-shirt has been doing the job ever since. I mean, maybe it's BS? Maybe she just got used to the Pack 'n Play? But ... weird coincidence that when I finally tried the shirt trick, she's gone down no problem ever since.

It's actually really cute. I'll go in there some nights and she'll be cuddling with it. Crazy, right?

I've tried the crib instead of the P&P a few times ... but it's hard, because of the sides on the crib -- well, I can't lower Ana to the mattress as easily. So sometimes she startles, and wakes up a bit.

Another time, the mattress itself just seemed to have a bit too much bounce ... and that ruined everything.

Whatever, right? The crib will come with time. Just having her in another room, sleeping on her own is a pretty big win. She'll usually wake up around 5 or 6a, take a quick bottle + diaper change, then go back to sleep with us till 10 or 11 ... even noon. Like I said last time, TFG that baby is an awesome sleeper.

And if she falls asleep in the car seat, like on a drive back from RO Wednesday, I definitely leave her in there!

Because what baby doesn't need a taffeta dress?

This baby is happiest ...

In just her diaper. Basically, she hates clothes. I mean, HATE might be a strong word, but like, if she's fussing, a pretty fool-proof plan is just to undress her.

So cute. I mean, too bad, because I now have 9,000 cute outfits for her, but there's just something about (nearly) naked baby that I love so much.

She's very happy, overall. I feel so lucky!

People always ask, like, "is she really as happy as she seems in pictures?"

YEP!

If she's really upset, it's a tummy issue (needs to eat, or tummy is hurting/needs to get some burps out). She doesn't spit up much. Her burps and gas are that of a 300-pound dude. But yeah, not much mystery behind her cries. She doesn't cry without purpose. Ana is very easy to figure out.

Sweet snuggles with papa.

We (finally) went to the doctor!

You guys, this is huge. We had been uninsured for awhile, waiting for James' coverage to kick in. But it's here, it's on, and Ana is perfectly healthy. We do have a physical therapy appointment set up for later this week, but it's probably just a one- or a two-time thing. AG just needs to learn some neck exercises so that she doesn't keep favoring one side (which she does right now when she lays flat). But no bigs! Just better that we correct it now, rather than waiting until later in life.

What else ... getting her vaccinated was TOUGH. I mean, not the decision or anything, I'm not f'ing crazy. But like, they had James hold her arms down, and I held her legs ... then they did like, three at once, and she burst into tears, I burst into tears; we were a wreck.

(I knew she'd be fine, that was just my reaction! I had no idea I'd be so upset. Her lip quivered, her tears came on STRONG, and the next thing I knew, mine did, too). James took us out to Coney afterward to recover.

Phewwwwww.

The doctor asked if I wanted to do some vaxing now, more later, or what I had in mind. I asked her what she recommended, and she was just like, let's catch her up.

So that we did!

Ana hadn't been seen by a doctor since she was 2 weeks old. So needless to say, we were a bit behind schedule.

I do like this pediatrician though. When I was pregnant, I'd always be like, "I went on Google the other day, watched a video of that crazy thing where they try to flip a breach baby, and that shit's cray, please don't do that to me!" And my midwife would always be like, "yo B, stay off the Internet!"

I mean, she was kidding, but she was also like, leave things to the professionals. Don't freak yourself out. Stop watching YouTube videos. (At least, that was the tone).

But this pediatrician WANTS her patients to do their own research and look stuff up, and play a pretty active role in the decision-making. She was like, "what are you thinking about solids? Should we do the shots now or later? What are you doing about the rat-tail?"*

*JK on that last one.

But yeah, I was pleasantly surprised! I'm a Googler by nature, so I was just like, "cool that you'll approve solids as soon as four months, but she's not showing any of the signs, I'mma hold off. We'll talk about it next time though, sound good?"

The torticollis discussion kind of dominated the appointment, but we'll be back in June for our next one. It just feels goooooood to know we're covered from here on out!

Looking like a little worker girl in Aunt Liz's overalls!

We also went to Rochester.

New York, my Michigan friends, NY. I've told a few people, "downtown Rochester is cute!" And they're all, "I know, haven't you been there a bunch though?"

Rochester, Michigan is about 10-15 minutes from Royal Oak, you see.

ANYWAY, Rochester, NY was fun. It was only like, a six-hour car ride? We probably could have done it in five, but we made several stops along the way. We drove out there after James got outta work, a few Fridays ago. I stayed up with him the whole drive because I'm insane, too. But really, we kind of preferred driving overnight. We took a little nap-ski upon arrival, and we were fine. I mean, what's the alternative? Driving really early Saturday morning? Not on our schedule; it's just easier to stay up a few extra hours.

Ana and Grandma Carolyn

We cut through Canada, and stayed through Monday morning. Fun to have Easter with the Ganleys.

Ana was her sweet self. I was nervous she'd start to have a bit of stranger anxiety? But yeah, it's a little early for that. She was giggling and babbling with everyone, which made me so happy. We crammed a lot in one weekend! And Dinosaur BBQ made my life. Seriously, if you're ever in the area, just do it.

We're going back next month (in late May) for Liz's wedding shower, and then in July for the actual wedding. Nice to have Rochester so close!

A rare shot of us together! Stolen off my Snap : )

Developmentally ...

Girlfriend is kicking up a LOT of drool. This could be the start of teething! She is obsessed with her mouth. If you hand her something, she'll grip it -- then bring it right to her mouth. She's hit herself in the face with some of her harder toys, so we're sticking to all the soft stuff for awhile.

She's chewing on her paci, her fingers, her outfit, my fingers, the side of her changing table, etc. etc. etc. Basically, anything she can get her hands on.

She's making more sound than ever (said that last time, still true), and the laughs are only getting bigger and better. It's really funny -- something might make her crack up hysterically one day, then you'll repeat the same phrase the next day, and she's over it. Or she'll just look at you like you're insane.

Her dimple SLAYS.

She knows to put one foot in front of the other if you kinda maneuver her around. Still loves to hold her own weight, and would rather be "standing" when she's on your lap. She's super active. Only naps for like, 20-minute increments (with occasional exceptions).

Probably due to all the solid sleeping at night!

She's insane. Ana gets so riled up just from like, chatting with her stuffed animals. We do a lot of dancing and a lot of singing -- some of it peaceful and baby-approps, some of it better suited for Rick's or PT's, to Lil Wayne or Wu Tang.

Oh, and we're still killin tummy time.

Her 2T T-shirt ... see below!

Random odds and ends

Rachael and I took her to Birch Run and went a little cray! She's so fun to shop for. At this point, I'm buying stuff SO big! 12-18 months at least, and I think I went even bigger on some of her summer-y outfits from Osh Kosh B'gosh.

Might as well! We still have a while before the warm weather arrives officially. This is NOT California anymore. In fact, it was the coldest Tigers game on record (the one that James and I went to on Saturday).

My mom even got Ana some Tigers Ts that were ... wait for it ... 2T. And one already fits. I have a ginormous baby.

Don't even get me started on Old Navy. Those sizes make no sense.

What else -- Syracuse featured Ana on its social media accounts before the Final Four game! Gah I was so pumped.

Snapchat has been the best for sharing quick video clips and pics. It's really fun to document our days, even if they're a touch slow!

I'm finishing up the final stages to qualify for this freelance editing job. I know I don't have to work, but I want to. It's just who I am. I miiiiiight look into another possibility, but I'm not going to write about it on here until I know more. Getting to stay home with Analisa has been the best, and I'm still not looking into daycares. Lately, I just have this overwhelming urge to pay off my credit cards/James' student loans, and really save for a house. What if there was a way I could make a little extra on the side, without having to pass off AG? Stay tuned.

And also ... any other relatively new moms out there? Wash your hair every now and again. I say this not at all in a judging way. It's just a reminder I need to apply to my own life every so often, so I thought I'd spread the message. It's way too easy to let three, four, seven days go by without any shampoo. I got fully showered (and even shaved my legs!) AND applied makeup for the Tigers game. And it felt really spectacular. I think I need to get after it a bit more often.

Seeeeeee you next month!

I'll have to let you know how Ana does with PUPPIES. Robby andddd my parents have Bernese mountain dogs joining the family! We meet them on Saturday and I'm so so excited!

3 months!

Analisa is 3 months old! Well, three months and a week, if you want to get specific.

Grabbing her hands up by the face is becoming her signature move : )

Where is the time going/I can't even believe it/she was just a week old yesterday/ETC!  So ... everything they said, has been completely true. As cliche as it sounds -- the time really is FLYING by. I look over at her some days, and it's like, SHE'S HUGE.

I just want to gobble up those cheeks.

Literally.

JKJKJKJK! I cannot STAND the "literal" abuse. The misuse of this word has been an epidemic (figuratively) for a while now, but maybe the fact that it's election seaz? Literallys are flying off the shelf, and I'm going insane.

<Not literally.>

End rant.

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT ANA. Let's dive in!

She's up all the time!

I mean, don't get me wrong, she still naps. She's actually a pretty awesome sleeper. She got 12 hours the other night, no joke. (!!!) And when she DOES wake up in the night, she takes some bottle and goes right back down. I feel like we hit the jackpot when it comes to sleepy babies. Because James and I lovvvvve to sleep (silly statement -- everyone loves to sleep, right?)   But yeah, as it turns out, A does, too. Score.

If anyone spots more headbands like this, message me and tell me WHERE! I'm struggling to find more.

But what was I saying? She sleeps well, but she's up more and more.

Even like, at the 2-month mark, she was still napping a ton, compared to where she is now. Now it's like, she's such a little person. She'll still get drowsy after a bottle, but like, she's up with me in the mornings. She's hanging out all afternoon and evening. She's usually up till 9:30-10 with me, which is like, HI BABY, we've been up together all day.

Sometimes I fear that she gets bored with me? I was talking to my mom, and I was like, "I feel bad, it's like, all we do some days is like, read a bunch of books, run an errand or two, play on her activity mat, have some tummy time, walk around the house and point out things, cuddle and sing songs." My mom was like, "um, that actually sounds like a lot. I think you fear she's bored because YOU'RE bored."

Definitely might be some truth to that.

I love love love that I can stay home with her -- I've said it before, I'll say it again; can't emphasize that enough. If I had to return to work right now, I'd probably be FUMING and cry about it every day. But yeah, that doesn't mean I'm completely stimulated at home. Some days I'm going a little stir cray.

James gets home and I'm like, a puppy, jumping up and down, so pumped to see my human. "Hi hi hi guess what I saw on TV and guess what Ana did and you have to watch our Snapchat and I missed you and how was your show and hi hi hi!"

I'm on a tangent! Back to the topic ...

Happiest baby alive.

Ana's even up as we run errands. That's new! It used to be like, you'd set her in the car seat and she'd be lights out. Which was so convenient for going out to dinner, or a particularly long grocery store trip, or whatever. It was almost like she wasn't even there. Now it's like, my mom and I tried to go out to eat last week? And not only was she awake the entire time, but she melted down. First public meltdown, in fact! We felt so sad for her. She was the happiest little girl on the planet, smiling at us, making little faces ... until she got a panicked look in her eye, and started screaming. And wouldn't stop. Basically, my mom walked the stairs with her while I got the check and packed up our food ON THE QUICK. I think it was a combo of overstimulation and tummy troubles. She can really wail when her stomach hurts, it's pretty distinctive.

Her being awake more and more also makes it harder to get in all my pumping sessions. I used to do 5-7 a day. Now it's more like 4. But that's kind of fine with my body; I mean, four is still a lot. And pumping less frequently means I get bigger hauls each time. She's eating more and more, so it's hard to keep up, but that's what the supplementary formula is for, I guess. (I'll always feel bad about not being able to BF exclusively, but that's life, I suppose. Gotta roll with the punches and feel grateful I've been able to give her a majority of breastmilk!)

Needless to say, it's tougher to be productive around the house, as well, with AG always up. Just keeping her alive/entertained/happy, and getting all my pumps in takes up ... 75% of my day? I have a post coming with all the pumping deetz, in case any of you (six) readers ever falls into a similar sitch and you're wondering what to buy, or how to make it all work.

So yeah, I know I mentioned it's a little boring, staying home with babes -- but it's not like you can work on projects, either. It's just this weird middle ground where like, you're doing stuff ... it's just not that exciting as an adult. Does that make any sense? I don't want to sound contradictory, but it's diffy to capture the essence of my days. OBVS, hanging out with AG is a blast. To see her face light up and be around her for all the development? Incredible. But like, yeah, if I have to bounce around my apartment or read Five Little Monkeys one more time .... omg.

I'm attempting to make mom-friends in the area, but it's turning out to be harder than I anticipated.

What else?

Looking so Eyeconic.

We moved!

For the first time in FOREVER, I feel like we're settled in. All of our stuff is in one spot, we're not in any weird in-between phase, and we're not going anywhere immediately.

Well, we are visiting Rochester (NY, not Michigan) in about two weeks, but you know what I mean. We don't have a move in our imminent future. And it feels so good!

Ana has her own room, Jimmy has been awesome at setting up all her baby stuff (that shit is TOUGH), my mom and I are doing some light decorating ... huge sigh of relief!

Staying at my grandma's while we were between California and Michigan was so nice. But having our own spot to really call home, and being able to quit suitcase life? (I lived out of the same suitcase for 2 months) ... is the bestttttttt.

I mean, it was a BIG suitcase, but.

Moving right along!

"Our son looks so cute today," James will say. This is one of those times ; )

Our favorite books:

Elmer, Olive My Love, Brown Bear/Polar Bear what do you see/hear, Global Faces.

Elmer is the shit, Olive My Love is cute, everyone knows BB/PB, and Global Faces is a bit of an lol, it's just like, three sentences but broken up into a book -- it's basically just baby faces. But Ana lovvvvvves them! She is really into faces right now. She wants to make crazy faces, and look at yours. And copy yours. And she chatters with all her stuffed animals, mobile friends and even the faces she sees in her books. It's so cute.

I'm tempted to start a YouTube channel where I talk about what's going on in baby books. First of all, it's like, PEOPLE GET PAID TO WRITE THESE? I need to reexamine my career, like, stat!

Here, I'll do a rough draft of my first best-seller.

There was once a puppy named Stan.
He saw the mailman so he ran.
He ran with his puppy-friend Fran.

Fran and Stan got married, living happily ever after.
And their lives were filled with great laughter.

Actually, WAY TOO ADVANCED.

Hoot.
Woof.
Ribbet!
Hiss.
THE END.

That's more like it. And then on the back it's like, $9.99!

WHAT!

Anyway, my YouTube channel's gonna break down what's happening in these riveting tales. For example, Springtime? It's like, the dog tells the cow, the cow tells the chicken, the chicken tells the lamb, blahblahblah, big game of telephone, spoiler alert on the cover, SPRING IS HERE. It's springtime. Back to you.

In all seriousness, it warms my heart that Ana seems to love reading with me. We do it every day, and she gets excited at some pages, and tries to babble along during others ... it is theeee most precious time we spend together.

Better believe Baby G will be in a Sparty outfit with a Cuse bib if we have to play each other! Already nervous about that possibility.

The right time

Was it my mom who was saying like, it's all about timing? Well, I'm here to confirm: Yep yep and yep.

Like, Ana's Rock n Play for example. When she was first born, I had James rush to put it together as one of the first things we (he) assembled. I thought she'd love to sit in there with the vibrations and a gentle little song. WRONG. She hated it. I think it was because she was too small -- she basically slipped so low in there, and just screamed and screamed.

But now? She lovvvvvvvves it. Usually once a day, I'll put her there while I pump, and she's fine to just kick around, grab her feet, look up at the hanging guys (Clarence and Dorothy are their names), while I do my thang. She'll sleep there from time to time. And when I toss her in there for a sec just to pee or make a sammy, I'll hear her from the other room, squealing in delight or happy-babbling. So cute.

Basically, she's perfect age for the activity mat, as well. I don't think she would have been game even a month ago, but now, it's the perfect entertainment for her. On there, we have Orenthal the Owl, Randy the Raccoon, Elly the Elephant (should have lost points for creativity) and ... I'm forgetting one.

We like to give all Ana's "friends" real-people names! I think it's so funny.

So yeah, speaking of timing, we just set up one of those door bouncers, although I think she'll have to grow into it a bit.

And she's slowly coming around to the idea of being worn, a la the K-Tan!

I know people sometimes swear by a certain baby carrier. K-Tan has been awesome for us so far. It's easy to use (even though we only know one hold so far), it's cute and simple, matches everything, fits us both ... great investment. She fights it if we're just hanging around the house, but will embrace if we're at the mall or the farmers market or somewhere busy. Two weeks ago, she burrowed into James in that thing so hard. And passed right out. We hung at the farmers market for probably an hour or two, and she stayed asleep the whole time.

My favorite onesie currently in the rotation : )

Developmentally ...

Ana is doing everything I mentioned last month: Smiling, laughing, "talking," etc. But now, it's like, amplified times 10! I'm sure she'll continue this trend; it's just so fun to watch. She'll roll over if she's on a soft surface. If she's on the floor, it's harder for her to gain momentum, but the urge is there. It's funny, she'll work SO HARD to roll over, then she'll finally do it, and burst into tears. Like, "but I didn't want tummy time!"  It's like, she hasn't put together that that's what you get from a successful roll.

All she wants to do lately is sit up really tall, or stand. Ana doesn't love laying down much as of late, but if you prop her into standing mode and let her bear weight? She's smiling and squealing.

She's really strong. She can't balance much, but all the weight is definitely on her legs.

She's so expressive, and used to work so hard to get the tiniest squeak out. Now, she babbles all the time. Her laughs still aren't belly laughs, but they're way more frequent -- and loud. So sweet.

She loves to cuddle, and despite cutting off 4-ish inches of my hair, still loves to grab it. If I hold her close during a freakout, she'll usually calm down fairly fast, which makes me feel so much like her mom.

I always think I know what's wrong. "Oh, definitely her stomach, no, she's definitely nervous, oh yeah, just let her stand, no, more bottle this time, yep, just a burp and she'll be good."

I love being that person for her.

That. Face.

And ...

I'm less scared.

Which is great!

I used to be like, scared about the tiniest of details -- if I was doing the right thing going without a schedule, scared to pump without someone in the house to hold her in case of a freakout, scared to take her certain places, scared to move her when she fell asleep, scared for her to wake up, etc.

I mean, it was never debilitating -- I actually think we've been pretty laid back ... we moved across the country with her, and have never canceled plans because of her.

But still. It took me awhile to get into the whole groove of being a mom. It used to be like, if she fell asleep on me, then that's where we'd be: all night. Now it's like, she fell asleep on me? Cool. Let's move her so I can load the dishwasher or type this blog or go nap on my own. What's the worst thing that happens, she wakes up? Whatever, I can get her back down fairly quickly.

I run this. And it feels good.

Being a mom ...

Is the best thing I've ever done. Outside of like, marrying James. Ana and Jimmers are everything.

I didn't know how I'd be at this whole motherhood business, or how I'd feel. But gosh, I just look over at that little girl and melt. She has my whole heart. I want to fix everything, and protect her, and love her forever, and be the best mom I can possibly be.

I want to give her the world (without spoiling her).

Time is going too fast. The days are long, but the years go fast, a friend told me recently. I can completely understand that sentiment.

It's all so bittersweet.

I already miss when she would snuggle me all day and night. I love that she's growing up to be such a healthy, happy baby, but like, it dawns on me from time to time that it's already flying by. I used to set her on my chest and she'd fall right asleep, her chest rising and falling in a quiet rhythm, and I'd lean in and get all that sweet, warm baby breath in my face. Now, I put her up to me and she wants to climb! And squeal in my ear and give me big, drooly "kisses." Still so fun! Just different. I wish I could freeze time! Or bottle these feelings.

What a sweet baby boo. I'll leave you with a final pic!

Fishy baby. Pout-Pout, perhaps?