Where has the time gone?

Oh Kapri - on this very late 'eve' of your third birthday (when I really should be sleeping!)... mamma feels the desire to reflect upon your last year, and how far you've come...how much you've grown & learned.

You're obsessed with babies lately - real ones or your dolls. You have 4 baby dolls and at least one has to cuddle up & sleep with you each night. You love to read to your babies too...one afternoon, you woke up from your nap and spent a good hour & 1/2 upstairs in your room reading to yourself - love that you love books. Your favs right now are anything by Dr. Seuss...which are so fun to read to you before bed!

You absolutely love preschool and adore your little friend Chloe...like 2 peas in a pod, both May babies...and so SO cute together! You paint like a pro and have gotten so great playing/sharing with all your schoolmates. You also have a very keen understanding of human emotions...if mommy lets out a sigh, you always ask me "mamma, are you mad/sad/happy/frustrated" - it's the cutest damn thing. So intuitive you are. Even when I'm stretching, you ask "mamma your leg hurts because you running" (knows I've been in some pain due to that). Then you hug my leg & tell me "it's gonna be okay mamma...just let it heal".

You've still not hit the "why" phase that everyone tells me you'll be in soon...however there was one, just one particular day where you randomly said 'why' about 7 times in a row...but that was short lived. Like I said, one moment in just one day, haha. So we'll see what happens with that as you enter your 3rd year.

You have a gorgeous head of hair that most women would kill for...and a pretty awesome pair of grey-blue eyes to top it off. When dry & curly, your hair is about 4.5" from your shoulders. Although while wet or stretched out, your hair is about 8.5" from your shoulders!!

You've grown so tall...now 3ft 3.5in - which is more than average kiddos your age (your in the 90th percentile for height!) and you weigh about 35 lbs. The personality you've developed is just the sweetest...so loving, affectionate, cuddly, helpful, spunky, and exceptionally refreshing.

Wearing her Princess shirt - excited for Disneyland tomorrow!!

What daddy & I admire most, is that incredible brain of yours. It's more than just a sponge...you soak up everything around you from speech, to movement, to sounds & recognition, to your love for nature. You're very inquisitive and have the greatest memory...it shocks us sometimes the things you remember.

Daddy laughs when I call you "Toots" - I think it's cute...although I have no idea where or why it became my nickname for you! Wikipedia defines it as "a slang term for babe, sweetie or honey"...whatev, I like it.

Look at how you've grown over the past year!!

Love you with ALL my heart buggie - couldn't ask for a better daughter! xoxo

And here are some adorable quotes I've captured recently:

May 11, 2012
Me: "Auntie Sisi is coming over soon!"
K: "Auntie Sisi?!! When?!"
Me: "umm, 5 minutes I think"
K: "that's awesome!"

April 26, 2012
K: "mamma I have a hiccup"
Me: "oh do you? Hiccups feel funny huh?...where'd you get them from"
K: "from Target"
Me: "from Target huh?? Did you buy them there"
K: "no, I just got them from Target"
Me: "oh okay" hahahaha

April 20, 2012
K: "can I please have my swee-pee?"
Me: "your what??"
K: "my sweee-peee...up dare (pointing to the freezer)...from Gamma Mary..."
Me: I open the freezer door... "Ohhhh, you mean your SLURPIE?!"
K: "yeeeeahhh, my SLURPEEE!"

April 16, 2012
K: "mommy lay down wif me...I just want to hug you!"

April 15, 2012
K: "mommy look at my lovely drawing I made for you"

April 15, 2012
K: "mommy I don't want you to go to work tomorrow, I want you to stay here wif me!"

April 11, 2012
Me: "toots, what do you want for breakfast this morning?"
K: "um...I want...20 pieces of love"

April 6, 2012
K: "I love Pierce because he's so cute and nice."

March 19, 2012
While brushing her hair after taking a shower together...
K: "mamma, can I brush your hair now?"
Me: "sure honey!"
K: "you have long and 'pity' hair mamma...like Rapunzel!"

March 11, 2012
Me: "hey bug, you coming downstairs? Gonna start making breakfast!"
K: "*gasp*...PANKCAKES??!!"
Me: "yup! so are you coming down to help me?!"
K: "no mamma, I busy..."
Me: "you're...'BUSY'??"
K: "yeah, I busy cuz I coloring!"
Me:   :-\

March 2, 2012
K: "mamma...dadda gotta go to work...work is no fun!"  -- true that!

March 2, 2012
K: "mamma, you have Rihanna?"
Me: "nope, sorry bug"
K: "ohh...you have Nicki Manaj?"
Me: "hahahahaha, no sorry!"

Challenging Moments of Mommyhood

Obviously I know that mommy/toddlerhood isn't going to be a walk in the park all the times. There are certainly moments of bliss where everything feels like sunshine & rainbows - BUT - truth be told, there are most certainly moments of utter exhaustion/irritability/frustration/anger/sadness...

There's basically an overwhelming feeling of "what the hell is going on here?!"...or..."what am I doing wrong?!"

balancing act in action

The stress of juggling a full-time outside job and having a part-time side biz (along my full-time mommy/wife roles) is definitely harder and WAY more work than I thought it'd be. These are things most of us don't really think about before expanding our families from 2 to 3, 3 to 4 and so on. Right now, we're good with our "1", haha!

I really do try to stick with the positives on this blog & focus on the good, more than bad. Because a goal of mine one day in the far future, is to have this blog printed out in a series of book volumes for our family to look back & reflect on years from now. It's my online journal...and without it, I'd literally be lost...forgetting a ton of great memories that happen month by month. But sometimes - I need to vent.

**Before I vent, here's a few stats (starting with the 'good'):

• Kapri is now about 2 years and 8 months old (holy, that's is damn close to 3!!). 
• She's now 3 feet, 2 inches tall...wowza! 

http://www.justmommies.com/articles/childrens_growth_calculator.shtml

• She loves books, puzzles and movies like no one I've ever known and is mega into the princess phase at the moment. 
• She still loves music & dancing...sitting is a rarity in our house ;-) She'll tell you if Adele, Britney Spears, Rihanna or Beyonce is playing. And she lovesss HER song, which brings a tear to my eye whenever she randomly sings it.
• She's recognizes written words like "Kapri", "Mamma", "Dadda", "Mika" and remembers people's (& every single Disney Princess') names with ease - such a strong memory. 
• She can operate the apps in her very own folder on our iPhones like a PRO. Now she's learning to take pics on it!
• She helps me getting things out/in to the fridge/cupboards...mamma's little helper! She also loves to help me cook/bake/stir/measure...especially when preparing smoothies!
• She puts on her socks & shoes (velcro of course) - one less thing for me to do while trying to get out of the house!
• She is trusted to use the potty herself from start to  finish and has been out of daytime diapers since late August 2011 (at 2yrs/3mo old)...she now tells me not to follow her (and sometimes "don't watch me!") since she can do it alone - sheesh. 
• Her vocab is rapidly expanding. The conversations we have sometimes are just flat out hilarious (or just plain mean - see below). It amazes me the sentences she strings together these days.

She is also very sensitive, emotional & strong-willed....sounds familiar. But along with that, she can also be the most loving, kind, gentle kid I know. She really is coming into her own little, independent, decision-making-person...complete with mamma's attitude. Oh boy.

With that said - I'm having a trying time right now. Maybe it's the end of the holiday craziness and that 11-day 'staycation' of mine....but this age/stage that Kapri is in is really testing me & my ability to parent in the best way I know how. Many times I react purely out of emotion...though some days I can easily tolerate any bad behavior or attitude of hers and it's all good.

Other days - I break.

I break...into a million pieces.

Like 2 nights ago. Which was the inspiration behind this rather lengthy post. So the story begins....

It's a normal weekday...I pick K up from preschool, she sees me, yells my name & runs to me with open arms (best part of my day)! We get home around 4:30 and I tell her to play outside with her toys while I work in the garage sanding some wooden blocks for a diaper cake. She happily does what I ask and everything's great. We go inside for a snack and a little TV/movie...while I tell her that "mommy has some important orders to work on, so you'll have to entertain yourself for a bit"...she replies with "okay mamma".

For a bit basically turns into the rest of the evening, with an exception for a quick dinner. I'm swamped. And tired. I regret putting some things off til the last minute.

She tells me she's tired around 6:30 and I know bed time is around the corner....just. have. to. get. this. last. thing. done! Sooo, the bedtime routine didn't actually start until closer to 7:30 - oye vay.

Brushing her teeth turned into an ordeal. Way more drama than it needed to be. She fought it & whined & cried...she knows how I feel about that. She was visibly angry & tried to HIT me. You should've seen the look on her face!! Ugh.

Then making her sit on the potty one last time for the night made her angry as well. She repeats over & over that she didn't have to go...but I knew she did. I told her that we'd sit in the bathroom til she goes, because the night before...she didn't go potty before bed - and ultimately wet THROUGH her night diaper & onto her bedding (I really hope it doesn't take 2 more years of nighttime diapers!). In hindsight, I should've taken her to her room, got her PJ's on, read a book...then asked her to use the potty! But, I didn't... so we sat there.

And while I waited, she looked at me angrily & said "stop talking to me...don't look at me...I want Grandma...I love dadda". The other day I swear she said "I don't love you mamma", while simply trying to change her outfit before the park! GEEZ!

I was hurt bad. I tried to ignore it...seconds later, she went potty (see...I KNEW IT!) & we continued the bedtime routine. I was so hurt I didn't want to read her a book. So I changed her & put her right in bed.

She cried.

She needed her bedtime book. I told her that since she didn't love me, I couldn't read her a book that night. I just wanted to leave her room & go curl up in the corner. I was in NO mood to read like I normally do. I was over it.

But then she cried out to me "I love you mamma...love youuuu...I'm sawwryyy!" I asked if she was sure. She said yes. Then I leaned over, against her crib and explained to her how much that hurt mamma and that I love her no matter what...when she's good/bad...always, and she should do the same. I told her that I'm trying to be a good mamma...I'm trying my best...and I'm sorry if I'm not perfect all the time. Or can't do what she wants, when she wants it...all the time.

"Do you understand honey?"...."yes mamma...love you mamma".

Melt.

I ignore my hurt feelings in any longer...as soon as the first little tear welled up in my eyes and the tone in my voice changed as I tried to hold it in...she noticed. She flung off her blankie, released all her Toy Story dolls from her grip...and stood up just to hug me. So weird - she held ME in HER arms...this child, goodness! She hugged & kissed, kissed & hugged...I stopped holding back & cried...while we hugged in a dark room, with only the gentle glow of her princess nightlight. Then there was a brief moment, where her eyes caught mine and finally there was some sense of mutual understanding.

I got out a book and read to her. My patience had returned.

The following night was equally difficult with her, if not worse. Total shopping store meltdowns like I've NEVER seen before. I tried speaking to her calmly, loudly, yelling, bribbing, threatening...everything. Each & every approach I tried did. not. work! But I'm quickly learning that I've got to find one (a calm one), stick with it, and be consistent.

I've since purchased my very own copy of a book...which was recommended to me by a friend of a friend, called: Love & Logic...Practical Parenting from Birth to 6 Years. Coincidentally I had a cranky/angry child in my arms while checking out, ha! Wish me luck.

Isn't hindsight a mega bitch. I think so...now I'm kicking myself in the ass, wishing I'd reacted differently to her meltdowns. But, that's what parenting & growing up (both adults & kids) is all about....a learning game. Recognizing where we need change. We will learn to communicate better together - I know we can!

**What's ironic to writing this post...was THIS post that I've seen all over Facebook in the last 2 days - it helps to know I'm not alone and to be in the moment**

PRE pre-school stats

Oh man...we're just 9 days away from Kapri's first day in home pre-school. I'm excited for her...and nervous of course, though I'm more at peace with this step than I would've been had we entered her into a 'daycare' type of place when she was younger. We've been so fortunate to have K stay at home the last 2 years & 3 months with James & I while we work mostly opposite schedules, along with his mother helping every other Friday.

We found a wonderful place down the street from our house, ran by a super sweet woman and other teachers/assistants as well. This place is spacious (for it being run out of a private home)...it's on about an acre of land with a huge outdoor play area. We took her there a few weeks ago, stayed for an hour and practically had to pry K out - she loved it! There was just soooo much to do and all the other kids seem to really thrive there. It was at that moment that we were sold. And the price for 2 days/wk is definitely better than anything we'd looked at in the past, thank goodness. Also, she isn't required to be completely potty-trained, which is a huge plus, because we're still in the process & haven't been rushing it by choice. Hopefully her being around other kids that ARE trained will help though. All in all, I think this is the perfect fit for us...and we had amazing timing too, when I inquired about enrolling her - they said they had just one 2-yr old spot available for the upcoming school year...score!!

Anyway, I've been in full on pre-school prep mode...got her a "princess" backpack (for her extra clothes/diapers/undies, blanket, lamby, etc.) & matching lunch bag, 2 new sippy cups, and have been telling her all about 'school' and what to expect....among the list of 'to-dos' I have for myself...including labeling like crazy! She seems to understand the concept somewhat. The other day a friend of mine bought her a fun new book called "My New Preschool", which is her new fav. And later today we'll go to the library to find some additional books/movies about pre-school. Can never be too prepared, right?!

Thanks for the awesome book Val!

So in anticipation of this new chapter in her life, I wanted to compile a little list of her 'pre' pre-school stats, so I can look back to compare and see how far she has come at the end of the school year.

1. She can count to about twelve by herself, after that she jumps to 14, 18, 19, 20, then back to 12, hahaha - she cracks me up
2. She can't quite sing the entire ABC song by herself, BUT she can tell you a letter if you draw it or point it out, she can tell you maybe 98% of them correctly. Oh, and she knows her name if you write it out. Smart lil cookie ;-)
3. She uses somewhat lengthy sentences these days, typically 4-7 words, like this: "mamma, mika...downstairs...sleeping" or "bye Laylie...see you...'morrow!" or "mamma, shoes on...outside...play bubbles" or "LeeLee...come over...in li-ull (little) bit", or my fav: "mamma, hold my hand....thank you"...awww *melt*
4. After using the potty, she knows to take some toilet paper & wipe, then get down & flush the toilet, then step up onto the step stool to wash & dry her hands.
5. She's got 9 basic colors down (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black & white)
6. She washes her body all clean with a washcloth in the bath - saves my back from leaning over & doing it, haha
7. She knows some basic shapes...let's see...circle, heart, square, rectangle, triangle, star, oval, diamond
8. Oh, and my fav....she asks for a napkin during meal times and wipes her hands/mouth clean throughout eating...so adorable! Actually, just after writing this sentence, I went to get her a snack. She asked for a blueberry fruit bar...so I told her she needed to sit up in her highchair to eat it. She replied, "mamma, bluebee bar...is messy...need napkin"!!! Yes, I know we lucked out in this area, LOL!

We think she's ready...she needs to learn to play with others well and make more friends, cannot believe we're at this point...where did the last 2 years go??? sheesh

Potty Training *UPDATE*

It seems K is really getting the hang of this potty thing...she's been doing great in my book - slowly but surely we're getting there! The sticker chart is a great incentive...though after a few times, she was over it a bit. So I made a potty treat jar- BINGO! I wasn't initially going to do this, but I figure she only gets one tiny little peanut butter M&M (yum.) and it won't last forever! Plus, mommy & daddy get to have one for any extremely messy episodes, so it's a win-win in my book! She gets to choose the color, which she says out loud as soon as she selects it & quickly pops in her mouth.

While she's chewing, she then gets to pick out a sticker for the board and correctly places it on either the pee or the poo side:

K in her newest Dora undies...she hearts them!

Of course AS I'm typing this blog entry....she's wearing her Dora chones and due to her lovely med side effects, proceeds to have a major accident - which THANKFULLY didn't make it's way out of them! phew

Ahhh the joys of motherhood & potty training!

Kapri's 2 year doc checkup

Yesterday I took Kapri in for her 2 year checkup - she's doin great, with the exception of her being sick, yet again...

Height = 2' 11.5" -- which is in the 88.99 percentile

Weight = 28 lb 12 oz  -- which is in the 75.55 percentile

She got one little Hep A shot - and didn't cry once, such a big girl now!! She is dang tall for her age, everyone I cross paths with always asks her age, and they are always shocked when I say she 'just turned 2', because she's just so tall! I also mentioned to her doc that I was concerned about the difference in her leg lengths (from the knee down)...just in the future, I don't it to have an impact on K's quality of life or be in pain or anything. So she checked her out, but told me I should make a follow up appt with the orthopedic surgeon, since it's been a year since her last check up/xrays there. So, I need to do that...actually, gotta put that in my calendar as a 'to-do'...oh, that and finding a good pediatric dentist for her! Anyway, most people can't even tell there's a difference, but I can. I'm her mamma...I notice every little thing. But she doesn't know any different, she runs/walks/dances just fine...so at the moment, I'm not stressin. It'd also be good to get recent xrays of her to see how the hip dysplasia is...or isn't preferably.

This kid amazes me everyday

This little sugar & spice muffin has me in awe every single day. Watching her learn & trying to enjoy every minute with her is just so incredible. Now, we're just ONE short month away from her SECOND birthday, and it's really got me thinking. Sooo much has changed in the past year, she blows me away sometimes with how smart she is!

When she's zoooooming through flashcards on my phone (the Baby Flash Cards iPhone app), I'm sure she can say at least 95% of the 116 cards that I've selected to be shown (some are uncommon bird names & shapes are in there...odd..or "Viking"...who cares about that?! Why not, watermelon or something??)

Hum, speaking of that app, maybe I should change the options to include all of them now...I think there's over 250 or something. Can't hurt to try! I just downloaded another app called "Monkey Preschool Lunchbox", which was a $1...she's obsessed and it's educational and she gets to pick little stickers to put on a board (in the app) when she does good at all the different games...people who come up with these apps are pure geniuses! I've never, ever been as happy with a phone as I am with this iPhone. Best. Purchase. EVER.

Anyway...she's getting a ton of colors down and counting to 10 - sometimes in the teens she makes the sound of the numbers, but not quite in order yet. She also knows a few letters - thanks to the foam bath letters, magnetic fridge letters and those yummy ABC cookies from Trader Joes!! The other day (after a hellish night of maybe a few hours of sleep), she was in her pack-n-play in our room (that's a whole different/exhausting story) and in the wee hours of the morning I woke to her sweet, soft little voice singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" - I couldn't believe how well she got out the verses...not exact, but definitely remembers how the tone of it goes. It made me smile from ear to ear as I laid there pretending to still be asleep.

She still mimics like no other...what really caught me off guard is a time when I was in a conversation in the kitchen, while she was in deep play in the living room...and I had said "ridiculous" - not a few seconds later she stops what she's doing, looks at me & says "dic-ooo-lus". I about died laughing. You think they're not paying attention....but they really are great observers & listeners.

In the last 2-3 months or so, her vocabulary & length of sentences has gotten so great...it's mind-blowing. She can let me know pretty much anything she's thinking, or wants, or needs...or if something hurts (throat, head, leg, etc). It's so great being able to finally understand her...rather than trying to decipher a cry, and the 157092 different things it could mean.

The other day while changing her, I started to tickle her bare belly...she laughed, but it was more like an annoyed laugh. Like she just wasn't really in the tickle mood. She looked at me & said STOP, with her whole hand out facing me - which is okay, she needs to know that it's alright to tell someone to stop of she doesn't like something...but I quickly corrected her & said "Oh, you want me to stop tickling you"..."yes mamma"..."okay, well then you need to tell me: 'mamma, please stop'." She totally got the hang of it and remembers to say it politely when she wants you to stop doing something...mainly tickling if she's just not in the mood.

Here's a quick vid of her saying 'rubber ducky'...I had never heard her say it before, so I thought it was cute, of course. Now I just have to get a video of her saying "Bitney Peirrrs" (Britney Spears, duh!)...and singing "oh oh ohh oh oh ohh ohhhhh" to that song "Til the World Ends" - seriously SOOO funny. Let's face it, she's a child after my own heart for sure!

Vocab Spurt

Kapri has been quite the little parrot these days...mimicking every single word we say practically. Of course I just happened to notice this around the same time I got an email titled "Your 21 Month Old: Week 2" - wow...is she really that old already?!! Anyway, the email took me to this link - which confirmed my suspicions of said parrot roaming around the Mejia household these days (aka: Kapri). It's so incredible how it has seemed to happen overnight, her being able to really tell us things makes life both easier & a little harder at the same time. Odd as that sounds.

One part that really shocked me was this:

Most children "spurt" between 20 and 22 months in both comprehension and production—that is, they are able to both identify more items and say more words during this several-week period. (In the study, the children at the high end went from saying 50 words to saying 500. Many increased from 50 to 350—still a huge leap in only two months.)

That's insane!! And she's definitely saying hundreds of words these days...even saying up to 3 words to form a sentence, such as "ahh looo dadda/momma" (ahh looo meaning 'love you') or "peees more cookie/cookie more peees" (of course). Her memory is getting so great too. Being a mommy/parent (as tough as it can be at times), is so rewarding. Watching your child grow & learn everyday...I still can't believe how fast it's all happening. This one made me chuckle too...because I really have to watch what I say, and continue to correct people around us as well:

Avoid embarrassing copycat statements. Children are mimics, and they will copy words as well as actions. If you're occasionally harsh when speaking around your child or you swear from time to time, try to curb your use of inappropriate language. If you don't, don't be surprised when you hear your child say, "The damn remote won't work!"

Kapri saying her ABC's!

It'll be so cute to capture a vid of when she can actually recite them herself!

18-Months & growing

K just had her 18-month checkup and doc said she's doing GREAT! I actually like filing out the paperwork in the waiting room these days, is that weird? It's like a checklist of 'milestone' type things your kid can or cannot do, or specific behaviors they demonstrate in a given situation. I know it's MY kid, so yeah, I'm biased...but she's so smart, it just blows me away sometimes. It makes me proud & I couldn't ask for more, that's for sure. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wonder, "how'd we get so lucky?!"

Her vocabulary is blossoming, and her ability to 'mimic' almost everything we say these days is kinda making me nervous. I really have to start watching what I say, and how I say things - especially things I'd prefer her not to copy. She's so full of life & curiosity & makes us laugh all the time. She's so good about holding my hand if I allow her to walk through a store if I don't immediately put her in the cart...or if we cross the street, I'll set her down & she'll reach up to me & say "mamma"...."hann" (hand). She knows that Mika isn't allowed on the couch, so if she puts her two front paws up on it, Kapri will say "dow" (down)...just like we do, haha!

She's also not throwing quite as many tantrums compared to a few months ago - I think that's mainly because she can somehow or in someway tell us what it is she needs or is upset about. She uses a mixture of words, signing, or simply showing us. And lately she's been doing really great with people's names, including her own.

She's now 2' 9" tall (82.95%) and 28 lbs (89.58%)...she got her flu shot, and for the first time ever, didn't cry. Seriously, she is my little rock star!

We gotta walker!

And so...a whoooole new chapter begins - maybe I'll lose a few pounds chasing around this kid on the go?? Hum. It's doubtful, but a girl can wish can't she??

Anyway, it's been a very fun past week - she is so excited to be walking, although she'll still crawl here & there because she knows that she's fast as lightning that way! I'm so proud of our lil muffin, can't really call her 'chunk chunk' anymore because she's starting to thin out a bit from all this movin & crusin. Just sitting back quietly on the couch, watching her while she discovers herself...she plays & laughs, points & coos, kisses & hugs...I seriously could not be any happier than I am when I watch my little girl grow and become so smart.

Kapri’s 9-mo (almost 10 though) checkup

Well little K is doin great…she’s back on the charts this time (the last few she was clear OFF the charts…my lil chunk chunk). Anywho, she’s 23.7 lbs and 29” long – both in the 95th percentile. She got 2 shots in her chunk thighs and heel prick…to which she barely cried which was a total surprise. Maybe she’s just getting used to needles?? Haha…doubt that.

I cannot believe her next checkup will be her 12-month…insane. Time is so precious.

OH, also on this evening, just after James got home from work, I was feeding Kapri in her Bumbo seat instead of her highchair…just a snack of some cantaloupe. Then all of a sudden, as she anxiously grabbed a piece off my hand & shoved her hold fist in her mouth to ensure the piece made it in there…she looked up at me & SIGNED her very first word: “MORE”. My thoughts… “O. M. G., did that just happen…babe did you see that??!!” I kept asking her if she wanted more, she signed it, I gave her another piece & we all clapped & said YAYYY. It was such an awesome moment that I’m so glad both mama & dada could enjoy for the first time.

Although she hasn’t done it since, I know she’s getting it little by little. I think we need to be a bit more consistent with the signing thing though…and try out new signs. All in time, which again…is precious. :-)

Seven *Sweet* Months

Can I please just turn back time…just a smidge?! Working full time makes me feel like I’m missing so much with Kapri…and makes me realize how the few hours I have with her each night are SO precious & invaluable. Being pregnant seems as if it was eons away, and it’s just crazy to think about this chunky little 21 lb, 7-month old beauty, who used to eat, sleep & grow inside me. 

It’s such a remarkable journey to reflect on.

I’ve been getting a little emotional about it lately, I think mostly in part due to the fact that I’ve moved rather quickly to formula pretty much full time now. A few weeks ago my ‘supply’ took an incredible dip, and BAM…just like that…we now have to quietly bond with a smelly formula bottle between us. Just typing that makes my eyes well up with tears…but the tears are about 20% sadness to stop nursing about 80% joy to see our little daughter growing up.

So much has changed in the last month. We’ve introduced many new ‘solids’ like butternut squash, sweet potato, green beans (which she did NOT like), apples, bananas & pears. I was fearful that she may not like bananas (as much as I do)…seeing as I ate them EVERY single day while pregnant. But luckily she lovvves them mixed up in the Banana Oatmeal. Pears are beginning to be a hit as well, as we mix them with Apple-Rice cereal. I definitely think she prefers fruits over the veggies (duh)…and she is also really beginning to love those little Gerber Graduates Puffs. So far she’s had the sweet potato ones (as have I…pretty good!), and they dissolve in their mouths within a few seconds! She’s finally beginning to have a lot more dexterity with her little hands, so she can actually grab a ‘puff’ between her thumb and first finger…which is a lot harder than you think for little babies!

We can now push her in the infant swing at the park, she’s in the actual stroller now (rather than in the carseat inside the stroller), is in the 'toddler' side of her baby bath tub (which will be outgrown VERY soon) and is well into 12-month clothing. She’s also able to pass her blankets & toys from one hand to the other, is sitting totally unsupported while watching cartoons (especially Dora!), is getting on her hands & knees then pulls herself back up to sitting and ‘talks’ to us more than ever! She actually seems to hate lying on her back these days…since she has so much more fun & outlook of the world while sitting up. The wide open world of ‘crawling’ and being mobile is in very near sight…which also tells us that the time to baby proof is NOW! I’ll just put that on my “honey-do list” ;-)

Lil chunkie is 6 months!!

6-months old...I never thought this day would come so fast...I know I always say that, but it's true. The last 2 months have been very eventful & entertaining to say the least. Kapri is coming into her own & developing quite the personality (a lil attitude as well!).

I try not to take each day for granted...and I try to remember all the little things that just amaze me with this little one. Luckily I have my BlackBerry on me all the time (slight addiction), so I can jot down notes here & there. Otherwise I'd probably forget or overlook these special moments in time. Here are some of the things she has grown fond of in her first 6-months of life:

• Dora the Explorer - James told me she loved it, but I didn't realize just how much until I saw her face light up firsthand. The moment the beginning song is over and just Dora is on the screen, she gets soooo happy! I'm thinking she should be Dora for Halloween next year, hahahaha
• Tags - on blankets, toys, clothes...everything! She plays with them, flicks them around with her fingers and likes to suck on them. They really fascinate her for some reason & it's too funny to watch:

• Anything soft - like blankets or stuffed animals (especially her big brown bear in her crib). She loves to pull it close and rub the softness all over her face. Sometimes she seems to smother herself in it...but she just loves it. It always calms her down, especially when we're putting her harness back on.

• Mika - whenever our dog walks up to her, Kapri giggles in excitement. She can watch her for hours (okay, not really HOURS, but definitly a long period of time!). She's easily entertained by Mika when she jumps up, plays with toys, rolls around on the ground and makes funny noises. I can't wait until she's older when they can actually play together!!

• Last but DEFINITELY not least...Kapri loves to be held. I'm sure this is true with all/most babies, but there's something about the warmth & closeness of her mommy & daddy that has an immediate calming affect on her.

4 month checkup, shots…and piercing??

You read correctly…I said “piercing”!!! We took the plunge and finally got Kapri’s ears pierced. James had to work, so he couldn’t make it to this appointment, so I brought my mom & KayLee…who videotaped the event – however I won’t be posting the video because I haven’t watched it yet, and probably won’t for awhile. It was soooo sad & made me cry right along with her…it’s understandably very painful to watch & hear your baby in pain, but at least she won’t remember the day mommy made her go through this.

She is adorable regardless, but check out this major earring bling she’s rockin now! They’re iridescent 18Kt White Gold studs.

Oh, she’s still at the top of the charts…in the upper-90th percentile for both length and weight (lil chunker)…at 19 weeks she is now 18.9 lbs & 26.5” long…no wonder my back & arms hurt all the time! But I can’t complain, I have to remember to enjoy holding her, no matter how sore/tired my arms are, because one day she’ll be too big & I won’t be able to.

Trix Are For Kids!

Okay…so not exactly “Trix”, but more like Gerber Rice Cereal, haha…The time has come for us to start giving Kapri tiny amounts of cereal once a day…it’s undeniably strange for her and the process takes a LOT of patience! It’s funny because we almost expect that eating from a spoon would be an easy task to learn, or that it’s just built into our humanly-instincts…but it’s definitely not, haha! Sucking from a bottle or breast is much different than moving thicker food (like the rice cereal) from the front to the back of her mouth with her tongue. She still pushes it forward & out her mouth (thank goodness for bibs!!).

Our first attempt at this was a few weeks ago…I’ll have the video uploaded later. The second try was much better, see pics below! Baby steps…one day at a time!

123 days old, seriously?

I can't believe it...she's already FOUR months old??!!! This is crazzzziness! But, she is getting more & more fun as the time goes on. Her attention span lasts a bit longer now, so we can play with toys together. Every morning when I come in for her 4am feeding, her gummy-smile & her big chubby cheeks literally seems to light up the dark room...she is soooo happy to see me & I just love it. This morning I leaned into the crib to kiss her tummy and she giggled with excitment...ahhh, those precious moments. 

And this little piggy went home

Kapri is now 17 weeks old (in her 4 month) and has now found her toesies & feet! It’s so cute to watch her lift her legs & butt so she can grab onto them...it’s just one more milestone to add to the list!

She’s also starting to drooooool a lot more, so I think it’s safe to assume that the teething era may soon be lurking its way around the corner & into her poor gums….I’ll have to pull out some of the hundreds of bibs that I have stored away in a drawer somewhere. I’m also finding more & more items are making their way into her mouth. Doesn’t matter what it is, just as long as she can fit her little mouth around it, hahaha! It’s so funny to watch her play with things with her mouth wide open, just waiting & desperately trying to pull it towards her mouth! Even my chin when I’m trying to kiss her squishy face…

This past week she has also discovered our pup Mika – who she finds hilarious by the way. Once she sees her walking around, Kapri just can’t take her eyes off her… she just stares & smiles…and occasionally giggles at her. Unfortunately I didn’t get my cell phone video up & running until after she had LAUGHED at Mika, but it’s still cute to see her react to her now. I can’t wait til she’s old enough to actually play together and be BFF’s!