Our Silly Six Month Old

Time does fly when you're having fun!  Caroline turned 6 months old on Saturday.  I can't believe it!  Where did our little bitty baby girl go?  It seems like just yesterday we were strapping her into the car seat for her ride home from the the hospital.  Wasn't she just sleeping next to us in her bassinet?  I could have sworn she just learned to hold her little head up.  I wish time would slow down because our baby is growing up too fast!

Friends have told me that babies only get more fun with each month that passes.  It's so true.  Caroline is such a fun little (baby!) girl now.  She's always been sweet, but she's got a little personality now and it's hilarious!  She's very interactive and expressive.  She's so curious about her world and it's a blast to watch her explore her surroundings.  I can't get enough of that baby!

We had a great 6 month check up with Dr. S.  Caroline now weighs almost 22 pounds, which puts her in the 99.59% for babies her age.  No shocker there!  She's also in the 86% for height and head size.  Again, no surprised by those numbers at all.  She's a bubbling, babbling healthy baby! 

We put her on infant Zantac for her acid reflux and that is working wonders for her.  She's not vomiting nearly as much as she used to and she doesn't seem to be in pain when she's laying on her back anymore.  Yeah!  That means less outfit changes and more play time on the floor.  Dr. S said we'll try and take her off of it around 9 months to see if her body has made adjustments.  Keep your fingers crossed that her body makes the changes so that she can get off the meds sooner than later.  Dairy is still a major issue, but that's just a waiting game until they are a year old.

We mentioned to Dr. S that she's still not sitting up on her own for more than a few seconds.  The good Doc wasn't concerned, but said that will improve over time.  Well, I think Caroline was embarrassed about that and decided she was going to start sitting up immediately.  And she did!  She's an independent sitter now!  Yeah!  I think she's trying to keep up with the sweeties in her play group. 

The funniest part about her visit was the discussion about crawling.  Caroline is nowhere near that milestone and Dr. S said it's probably because she's so chubby!  She said it's harder for chubby babies to crawl because there's so much to lift.  Too funny!  She said some rolly polly babies walk before they crawl because it's easier for them.  We'll see!  Caroline seems pretty content just hanging out on the floor for now.


Other than being infatuated with our baby girl, not much is going on around here.  I just finished another set of curtains (yeah!) and have one more set to make.  I'm trying to get them finished by next weekend.  We'll see how much free time Caroline gives me.  Luc continues to enjoy his weekend work - tailgating the Aggie football games.  We took Caroline to her first game and she loved it!  She was such a good baby!  I can't wait to take her back to more games.

Here are some pictures from the past few weeks:

I've got a couple more blog posts to write about her Baptism (oh, what a Baptism that was), our new monitor and her funny quirks.  Stay tuned! 

For PaPa

Caroline's Great Grandfather has requested some photos of his favorite Great Granddaughter. 

Here you go!

Feverish Five Months

We finally had to bust out the baby thermometer!  Caroline had her first fever last week and felt crummy for a few days.  She didn't have any other symptoms, so I think it was teething related.  Any teeth yet, you ask?  Nope.  Just gums.  Thank goodness for Tylenol!  It kept her fever at bay and kept my sanity in place as well. 

Her 5 Month photo shoot didn't go as well as it could have.  Between her fever and the rapidly setting sun (is it just me, or does it get darker a lot earlier now?), it was a struggle to get more than a few pictures of her.  She was a trooper, though, and indulged me for about 5 minutes.  Paddington was thankful for the shortened session.  It meant less time for her to chew on him.

Here are some pictures I took last week:

She's getting to be a feisty little 5 month old!  She's very vocal now, which is a good thing and a bad thing.  It's a good thing when she's talking to us, but it's a bad thing when she's shrieking like a banshee in the store or at 2:00 in the morning.  Nothing is wrong with her.  She just wants to hit a high C to let everyone know she's awake and bored.  I know the patrons of HEB appreciated her soprano-like singing this morning. 

She has now discovered a few things about her crib.  First - the parrot shaped button on her "tv" (crib mobile) makes the music play and the birds light up.  She rolls herself down the crib and punches the button.  Repeatedly.  The music plays for 12 minutes, stops, and she punches the button again.  It's a lovely little tune to wake up to in the middle of the night.  Second - that white box that sits in the corner of her crib is what makes mommy come feed her in the middle of the night.  Again, she rolls herself down her crib and shrieks into the monitor.  Again, it's a lovely little sound bite to wake up to.  Third - she thinks it's great that her hands and feet can fit through the slats in the crib.  She can stick them out, but can't figure out how to get them back in...which leads to aforementioned skrieking. 

Caroline has started sitting up better on her own.  I'm pretty sure she uses her belly and round thighs to keep her balance.  I'm hoping she's sitting up all by herself by the time her 6 month professional photo session rolls around! 

We've got a really busy weekend ahead of us.  Saturday is National Night Out and our street is throwing a block party.  Sunday is Caroline's Baptism!  We are so excited!  Lots of family members are coming in town to celebrate with us.  For those of you who are wondering about her attire - she will be wearing The Dress.  I'll have to take some pictures to show you the alterations that my mom did...so funny...

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

This little piggy went to market...

Caroline's Halloween costume came in the mail today, just before lunch time.  I couldn't wait to try it on her!! Wishcraft has the cutest costumes.  I had been eyeing the duck and piggy costume for months now.  The piggy costume won!   It comes with pink tights and a pink turtleneck to wear if the weather is cold, but given that it's 101 today, I don't think she'll need the added warmth.  Here are some pictures of our little piggy:

She could not stop chewing on the bow.  I guess it tasted yummy!

Such a beautiful little piggy!

"Mommy.  Tell me, how cute am I?"

The lil' stinker gets serious when the camera is pointed at her.  I have to hold the camera at my waist in order to get her to smile.  I get the smiles, but not the top of her head...



We've been super busy lately.  About 3 weeks ago, Lucas came down with a nasty cold.  He gave it to sweet Caroline and she gave it to me!  We were sick for about 2 weeks.  After listening to Caroline sneeze and cough and ache for 10 days, I've come to the conclusion that there is nothing sadder than a sick baby.  It broke my heart!  She couldn't breathe, which means she couldn't eat, which means she was miserable.  We relied on Vick's vapor rub and a humidifier for congestion relief.  Decongestants can't be given to babies until they are TWO YEARS OLD (I know, I know...how did we survive as children!), so nose suctioning became a routine thing in the Smith house.  It's so nasty, but I've discovered that my stomach is stronger than Luc's.  He couldn't handle it! 

Thankfully, we're all operating at 100% now.  Here's a picture of Caroline on Sunday morning.  She was feeling mischievous.  We were talking to her about how little ladies should act in church.  I don't think she was listening...

Here's a picture of Caroline during church.  You'll notice we're sitting in the car:

She started fussing after the Liturgy of the Word, so I took her to the cry room only to discover the cry room was packed.  She was acting like she was hungry, so the only place to feed her was in the car.  Such. A. Stinker.  Look at that face!  As Rusty put it, "that's the face of a baby who loves it when a plan comes together!".  So true, Rusty, so true.


We spent the rest of the day shopping for furniture and playing with Caroline.  We're trying to finish decorating the house in preparation for her Baptism and a baby shower for our friends Ben and Tammy.  I hope I have it finished by then!

Daddy showing Caroline some dance moves.

She loves dancing with her Daddy!

4 Months of Fun!

Happy 4 Months, Caroline!

Monday marked Caroline's 4th month in our lives.  She's been a blessing, the biggest blessing, we could have asked for.  We took her for her well baby check-up (and shots!) this morning and everything looks great.  Dr. S said we can start giving her cereal, baby food and juice.  Caroline is VERY excited about that news.  She also told us that Caroline is measuring in the 99.26% for weight...wowza!  At 17lbs, 4 ounces, I guess she's considered a big baby.  The girl loves to eat!

There haven't been many changes from her 3 month milestones, but she can:

Stand! She loves standing while we hold her hands.  Lord knows she's got the thighs to keep her upright!

Giggle and laugh, particularly at my dad.

Blow bubbles, lots and lots of bubbles. 

Swing.  She LOVES the swing.  We used to walk to the park to swing, but it's August and too hot to walk so we bought one for the back porch.  You can now find us on the back porch from 7:00-8:00 nightly.  It's pretty much the only thing that makes her happy during "the witching hour". 

Caroline loves the Food Network, especially Ina Garten. Who doesn't love the Barefoot Contessa?  Her voice is so soothing, I think that's why Caroline loves it so much.  She also loves Days of Our Lives but I think I'm going to break her of that bad habit before she gets in too deep (like her momma).

Here are some pictures from her 4 month birthday, with commentary by Caroline.

"Hey, Mom! How about some more belly kisses? I love those!"

"Oh, this puppy. I like this puppy. But I like eating even more." 

 "I've got Dunlap. My belly dun lapped over my diaper!"

 "I know, I know. My eyes are gorgeous."

"Paddington! I love him!" 

"Hmmm.  Not sure what to think about this doll.  She's pretty cute.  I'm supposed to be the cute one!" 

"Oh, doll.  You tell such good stories.  I'm glad we're friends."

"I'm going to show Paddy my cool Blowing Bubbles trick.  I think he likes it!" 

"Listen, Paddy, I know I said I wasn't going to eat you...but..." 

"I'm hungry! A girl's gotta eat!" 

My mom (Grammy) told Caroline that she's got some unshapely legs.  I told her that they've got a shape - large and dimply!

"Oh, Mom.  That was rough.  Three diaper changes and a bear snack.  I'm ready for a nap!"

4 Months Preview

I've got 198 pictures to sort through.  I got a little snap happy!  Can you blame me?  My model is too cute!  Here's a sneak peek of our photo session...

Let's just say someone was a *little* bit uncooperative.  Hint - it wasn't Paddington Bear.