So Chad and I have given in to the Sophie hype. For those who haven't been immersed in all things baby toys, Sophie the giraffe is the new "it" craze. She has apparently been around since May 1961 (she's older than Papaw!) in France but only more recently has she made a splash in the States. I kind of thought she was an overpriced toy but after seeing all these other babies gnawing on a giraffe, I could no longer resist. Those French making all things irresistible!
Of course she loved it immediately so the money was well-spent. I tried to get video because she was so funny but she started getting fussy. We are going to have to be on the look out though because Jasper really wants to get his paws on Sophie!!
In other news, we have decided to stop the Alimentum. We all just hated it so much. It smelled terrible (like a mix of cat food and old cheezits), was clumpy and hard to mix, and was pricey. It also made Alaina stinky and she was spitting up so much. We never noticed her symptoms getting better so we are opting to return to the soy for now. We go back to the doctor on August 29 for her 4-month appointment so we will talk to her about what we should be doing, if anything.
Also, just wanted to throw a little shout out to our friends and family members who have been so generous and wonderful. We really appreciate your support!
And finally, just a random video of Alaina playing in the crib.
I hate the alimentum. It makes our precious baby so stinky!! For $30/can you'd think they could eliminate this side effect but no. Her breath is atrocious! Poor thing. My sister, Andi, described it as a mix of cat food and stale crackers. I would agree with that. We haven't noticed much change on it. We'll see. We also are just now using the powder (we used ready to feed liquid before) and man do I hate it. People who say formula feeding is the easy or lazy way out have clearly never tried it. Both formula feeding and nursing have their own difficult challenges! So glad we've got to experience both...haha!
If there was anything interesting going on in our lives, I'm sure I would have better titles. Oh well.
This weekend is Krazy Days in Stillwater. We got out for a bit this morning to shop the sales but it was soooo hot. Alaina fell asleep walking from the store to the car! We went into the baby store and really didn't find much we wanted. There were cute clothes but um, girl is STOCKED up through 9 months. Lots of blankets but we have two drawers full of those! Elsewhere, Chad got a nice 3-quart sauce pan and I bought Alaina a wubanub pacifier. She is not convinced, even though it has an adorable giraffe attached. She wants to put the giraffe in her mouth instead...
In other news, we have started her on the Alimentum formula. Boy does it stink!
Time for a photo bomb!
Cupcake baby leg warmers!!
Alaina loves her baby straitjacket...I mean, sleep sack.
Feeling a little Kentucky redneck...babies don't need much more than a diaper and a bib, right? It has been over 100 degrees! Don't judge.
Not much new going on but I'm trying to post more consistently. Baby girl is doing great. I did try putting her in the exersaucer (a stationary entertainer) but she wasn't big enough for this yet. She loved it though! But I'd need to put a pillow under her feet (they don't reach the bottom) and a blanket around her because her body is all wobbly. So we are going to try again in a few weeks. She actually is tolerating tummy time a bit more now. Well, for 1-3 minutes anyway; this is an improvement over 5 seconds. She's a big girl. She is closing in on 14 pounds. :)
Can you believe Alaina turned three months old on Thursday? Crazy, right?? At the same time, it does feel like she's been a part of our family forever.
I took her to the appointment with the developmental program on Wednesday. I didn't really learn anything new but I still think it's good to hear how well she's doing. She noted that Alaina's large muscle movements are becoming smoother, said her back was getting strong (who knows how since baby girl haaaaaates tummy time), and she's already bearing weight with her legs. She has recently started noticing her feet which is fun. She also is obsessed with her thumb! This sometimes makes bottle feeding interesting because she also wants her thumb in her mouth (but gets mad if you take the bottle away!). Socially and verbally she still seems a little advanced. She has recently added the /d/ and /b/ consonant, though only on occasion. The woman could not get over how alert and interactive Alaina is! We are starting to see the very slightest amount of stranger apprehension. She said while this doesn't usually happen until around six months, she feels like it starts earlier in girls. It isn't problematic at all, Alaina just seems to nestle in closer when someone else wants to see her. However, she tends to be fine as long as she's being held and entertained by someone. :)
Alaina continues to sleep great! She falls asleep between 9:30 and 10:30 and usually doesn't get up until after 6 am. Naps aren't quite as easy but that's okay.
I did donate my freezer stash yesterday. It was just under 80 ounces. I didn't cry. :) My freezer feels a little empty now, reminding me of the Andy Griffith 'Opie the birdman' episode "but don't the trees seem nice and full?" I think my heart should feel full that all that hard work will be appreciated by someone.
In other news, Alaina has definitely started noticing the dogs! So funny.
I wanted to post a few new videos of Alaina's most recent activities but the time always slips away from me. She is doing great. Tomorrow I will take her back for her 3-month developmental check with Healthy Steps. She is definitely on track but it's nice to get the confirmation (and the free book!).
In feeding news (because this wouldn't be Smudge's blog without some mention of food, right?), we are pretty sure we're about to switch her to the hypoallergenic formula and I'll eliminate most soy from my diet. She has been doing pretty well with things (no blood in her diapers that we can see and she's always so pleasant and happy and doesn't spit up very much) but her skin has been yucky. In the middle of June, I noticed some tiny bumps on her chest and tummy that looked like an allergic reaction or dermatitis so we switched her from Tide Free & Clear detergent to Dreft and from Johnson & Johnson bath soap and Mustela lotion to Aveeno. The bumps mostly went away but her skin felt like sand paper! It's still really, really dry and has spread a bit to her shoulders and the tops of her legs despite me putting lotion on at almost every diaper change. Her aunt Amber just visited and agreed she felt a little like a baby dragon. :)
Alaina also has a tell-tale allergy "red ring" (google it if you're interested) that is typically a sign of food sensitivity. Chad is going to call our insurance to see if they will cover any of the cost of the formula and I'll eliminate most soy in my diet and also probably switch from almond milk to rice milk (though I have less than two-thirds of a cup with my oatmeal). We've actually reduced her bottles from about 6-8/day (20-24 ounces) to 4-6/day (10-16 ounces) and of that, 1-2 bottles are pumped milk. The idea is that this would also help her milk transfer, increase my supply, and save a bit of money on formula.
Along these lines, I'm pretty proud that I hit 12 weeks of nursing (3 months on Thursday). My next mini-goal (assuming all goes well with the formula switching) is to make it to September 1. It wasn't that long ago that making it to 12 weeks seemed insurmountable and funny enough, September feels just around the corner and 6 months isn't far behind that. Things have gotten easier. I have decided to donate my freezer stash (since it is from when I was eating dairy in April and May). A family is adopting a baby and they don't want to give him formula (ironic, considering) so they are going to drive 2 hours to Stillwater to pick it up. I am glad I don't have to throw it away but I won't be entirely surprised if I get a little teary giving it away! It's only about 80 ounces but it took so much work to get!
That said, I am definitely in a better place with our decision to continue with supplementing/nursing/pumping. I am very thankful that formula exists and know without the slightest of doubts that the most important thing is to "feed the baby." That said, I still have little annoying creeping moments of shame or guilt when I whip out a bottle at a restaurant or at work (funny because I know women who breastfeed also struggle with nursing in public and concerns about being judged for their decision!) or when well-meaning people ask if Alaina is breastfed. Thankfully these moments are becoming fewer and further apart. However, a friend sent me a blog (The Fearless Formula Feeder) which has really been helpful in seeing all of these amazing and educated women who have chosen formula. All of my friends and family have been incredibly supportive but sometimes it's just nice to see other smart people had a similar experience.
Anyhow, the other part is that I truly am getting to enjoy Alaina so much more now that I'm letting go of the stress associated with feeding. And that's what it's really all about. Her new things are blowing raspberries and giving belly laughs. Both tend to be unexpected so they are hard to catch on camera!
Here she is enjoying her little play mat (10 weeks). You can see her sucking in her lower lip. Chad thinks it's hilarious when she does that.
Here is a little mini-raspberry session taken last week (11 weeks). Like I said, they are hard to catch on camera!
Here she is laughing at Chad (11 weeks):
And here you can see what we wake up to (most) mornings. She is a morning baby!
