Tummy Time

Lance is very good about playing developmentally with Judith. One of the things they do together is tummy time (as recommended!). Originally tummy time took place on our bed, but he recently switched to using a exercise mat on the floor covered by a blanket. It works a little better because it's a firmer surface and Judith can push against it. She's gradually getting used to it (depending on her mood/level of tiredness). Lance "distracts" her with some of the toys (they're finally getting used!), but, as this picture shows, there comes a point where she really wants nothing more to do with it. Of course that's probably when the most development happens, because she begins to move her arms and legs in an effort to get out of the position we've put her in. It certainly looks like a prelude to crawling!

chew toys

It seems pretty evident that Judith is at least starting to teethe - the drooling continues to increase, she's occasionally pretty cranky, and she loves to gnaw on anything she can. So yesterday we got out some teething toys for the first time. She needs quite a bit of help getting the toy to her mouth (although the big circle thing is a lot easier for her to manage than the teething duck), but once it's there she really chews. There's no evidence of teeth yet, but I understand from reading and from friends that teething can happen for quite awhile before any real teeth show up. We tried giving her some homeopathic teething tablets for the crankiness this evening, and they seemed to help a little. (I don't know if that confirms the teething diagnosis, or if she was just ready to be un-cranky for a while.)

Darth Vader or the Baby Whisperer?

Judith is continuing to experiment with making noise. Her latest efforts have resulted in a very gravelly, growly breathing. We've been discussing whether she's making a Darth Vader sound (new nickname Darth Judith) or whether she's trying to whisper. Probably the answer is neither - she's just playing with her vocal chords - and either way, it's a pretty funny noise!

Growth Spurt

Judith is definitely going through a growth spurt today! She's been eating every two hours and sleeping quite a lot. I'm just hoping the 3-6 month clothes are big enough that she won't grow out of them by tomorrow! :-)

Wine Tasting Trip

For the past two years, Lance and I have gone wine tasting (I drive) with some friends of ours in Amador county. This year we didn't want to miss it, and so we decided to try taking Judith along. Especially after her not-so-fun time in the car on Tuesday, I was a little concerned that she wouldn't do very well, but she couldn't have been better!

She slept in the car on the way there and on the way home. During all the driving around the wineries she was just fine in the car (maybe having people next to her the whole time helps keep her entertained?), and she had no problem being in the front pack each time we went into a winery. This time I tried her facing forward in the front pack, and she enjoyed it (so much to see!). To feed her, I stayed behind in the car a couple times while the other three went into a winery, and that worked quite well. Judith ate as much as I expected, and she wasn't upset about eating in a new place. The one thing she didn't really do was nap, but after Tuesday I wasn't really expecting her to, so I wasn't disappointed :-). We did try, during dinner at our friends' house, to get her to go to sleep on the bed, but she wouldn't - and so she slept in the front pack for about 1/2 an hour. I really need to try to get her to sleep other places than her crib, or our two days in Tahoe in December are going to be a nightmare!

Lesli's Birthday

(this one also posted to the wrong blog - written on Wednesday)
On Monday, Aunt Lesli turned 40, so yesterday, because Lance had the day off of work, we went up to Chico to celebrate. Judith did not-quite-as-well-as-I-hoped, but still pretty well in the car. She slept about half the time each way, but she yelled when she wasn't sleeping, so I had to move to the back seat next to her to keep the pacifier in her mouth, and to keep her somewhat entertained.

She also had no interest in napping while we were there - she slept for approximately 30 minutes in the stroller when we went for a walk, and for about an hour in the front pack while we were eating dinner. (She was pretty fussy and close to sleep in the front pack for a while, and I suddenly thought, "why don't I just cut out the light for her" so I put a blanket over her head, and she went to sleep immediately!) She wouldn't sleep in the pack-n-play though, and so I've decided to set it up in the living room here and at least try to get her used to it for future use.

General Update

(I don't know HOW, but this posted in the wrong blog (baking) on Wednesday, and I didn't catch it until today!)

Somehow, the days have gotten away from me, and it's been another week since I wrote! Here are some general updates from the past week:

Judith has discovered her vocal chords - and she definitely has the "Beebe lungs". She yells all day long! About 60% of the time, she's not upset at anything, just rather fascinated with her noisemaking capabilities. It's cute for a few minutes, but after a few hours I have a definite headache!

Judith is sitting up more and more - a friend gave us a Bumpo chair (see picture) and the amount of time that she sits in it before getting upset is lengthening exponentially day to day.

We've also decided that she's to the "definitely holds her head up on her own" stage, and so we've put her in the exersaucer/jumper as well. Here too, she's getting used to it, and will sit in it for longer and longer periods of time. She doesn't quite engage with all the toys yet, but that will come.

I've started using the front pack more frequently as a means to have both hands free while I carry her around (the yelling constantly has something to do with this - she doesn't yell as much when being carried and I'm trying to save my eardrums!). I haven't tried her facing forward yet, but she seems to enjoy it facing backward, and has even fallen asleep in it on occasion. Today I'm planning to use it outside the house for the first time - we're going to a store where I'll need a cart and not the stroller. So we'll see how that goes - especially with getting her into it from her carseat!

Sleep-wise, Judith is doing quite well at night - she's now sleeping for 9 1/2 hours or so. During the day, however, she's pretty inconsistent. She seems to be stuck between transitioning to a couple long naps and wanting to sleep more frequently. There have been several times during the past week when she has been so tired, and yet didn't want to nap...or hasn't napped for very long and just wakes up tired. I'm hoping the transition works out soon!

She also seems to be transitioning to fewer feedings during the day. First, she's now going to bed around 9:00 instead of 10:00, and I'm not "tanking her up" as much (only two feedings two hours apart, instead of three). Second, and sort of in combination with the first, she's going more like 3 1/2 hours between "meals". My body is, of course, taking a while to adjust to that, especially because it's not consistent. I'm doing my best to pay attention to her hunger cues, so that I don't feed her when she's not hungry; at the same time, I get a little worried about whether she's getting enough food!

So she's in a state of transition, it seems, but she's still so happy most of the time, and the joy she brings is indescribable.

Diaper Graduation

Today Judith moved up to the next size in diapers. These are actually labeled "supersoakers" (as opposed to "newborn") and are for 15-35 lbs. They seem to be about twice as big as the newborn diapers (see picture)! I had a hard time unloading the new bag of diapers into her changing table, because I can only fit half as many into the drawer as before...the side cupboard is stuffed full as well!

She's also moved up into "medium" diaper covers. When I pulled them out of the bag, I thought "oh, these are way too big!" but they fit perfectly. She just continues to grow!

Baby Carrier

Today Judith spit all over her bouncy seat. Which means that the cover had to go in the wash. Which means that I have to find another place to put Judith down when I can't hold her - except she didn't want to be put down, and I needed my hands free. So I tried on the baby carrier for the first time (Lance has worn it a couple times), and figured it all out on my own! She didn't last too long in it, because she started to get too tired, but it was extremely convenient while it lasted.

One year

Today is the one year anniversary of Lance's step in faith (a year ago today he decided to say "ok" to having a baby). And I realized this Sunday, on Judith's three month "birthday", that she was born two days less than nine months after he made his decision! In a time when many of my friends have tried for months or years to conceive, I still find that an astounding affirmation from God of Lance's trust.

Last walk

Today we went walking for the last time with my friend Erin - she's moving to Des Moines next week :-(. I took some pictures to memorialize the occasion. Some walks have been better than others (really, it depends a lot on whether Judith is content to sit in the stroller - Erin's son Blake is always good), and today was a good one. Judith was asleep for most of the walk, and when I stopped to get a rock out of my shoe, we discovered Blake was sleeping too. Here they are asleep in their matching Bob strollers.

giggles!

Today she giggled! I tickled her under her chin (in what my friend Traci calls "the sweet spot") and she giggled and giggled. I called Lance in, and we were able to experience it together!