Category: Month Updates
Bryn: Two Months
| January 29, 2014 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under 0-3 Months, Bryn, Month Updates |
Good morning friends! I am off this morning due to the inclement weather coming through Savannah and our classes being delayed until 1PM. Not going to lie – I am enjoying not rushing out the door and it’s an added bonus that Wednesdays are typically my LONG days and I get a break today. The not so great part? We have to make up our classes that we are missing this morning. Gone are the days where we could miss a day and it wouldn’t matter 
I’m even more excited today because my dear sweet Bryn is two months old. Where is time going?! While it seems like yesterday we were celebrating her BIRTH day, I also can’t imagine life without her and feel like she has always been with us. These newborn days are going by so quickly and every single day I am seeing more and more signs that she is becoming more active and alert and less sleepy newborn. Make it stop!
Grow Baby Grow!
We were supposed to have Miss B’s two month check-up yesterday but the clinics closed early so that people could get home before the weather was supposed to hit. However, at 5-weeks old she was 11 lbs 4 oz and 22 1/2 inches long. Holy moly – she had grown nearly 4 pounds since birth!
Clothes: Newborn clothes are officially packed away and we are sitting pretty in 0-3 month and 3 month sizes.
Diapers: She’s been in size one this entire month but I just made the change in our delivery for Size 2s!
Breastfeeding/Pumping
Now that I am in school I feel like I need to include both of these in her updates. Nursing is still going really well and the rolls in Bryn’s thighs let me know she is a great eater! She’s definitely more of a snacker and likes to nurse for a little bit, take a break, and then nurse some more. Luckily after her second go at it she takes a 2-3 hour break between feedings. I am cherishing our nursing sessions even more since I am away from her all day! When I am gone she is currently taking bottle every 3-ish hours and they’re about 3oz each of pumped breastmilk. On that note – pumping is going really well and my supply is definitely keeping up with her needs (along with some help from my lactation cookies!). Depending on the day I am pumping 1-3 times at school. More on all of this soon 
Sleeping
Right now we are co-sleeping. Chalk it up to one more thing I thought I would never do as a parent. Don’t get me wrong – there are a lot of potential benefits of it – but it just wasn’t something I intended to do. Bryn has determined otherwise. She is a much more snuggly baby and prefers to be close to me all night long. SO – we co-sleep. I figure that co-sleeping is way better than no sleeping so we are going with it. When she is sleeping with me she is pretty much sleeping through the night so I can’t complain. I go to bed around 10PM and nurse her one last time. Sometimes she wakes up for a middle of the night snack or diaper change but mostly she sleeps until my alarm goes off around 5AM. During the day she is becoming more alert but is still taking a good morning, afternoon, and early evening cat-nap.
Personality
I’ve said it before but Bryn is a really relaxed and easy-going baby as long as she is dry and fed. Bryn likes to observe the world and is constantly just taking her surroundings in. She is perfectly content just to be – although she prefers to be ON you in some way. Babywearing for the win on this one! Her personality is coming through more each day and recently she’s taken to gracing us with LOTS of smiles. She is just so happy! I can’t get enough of her sweet snuggles, funny faces, and happy noises. Bryn was struck with RSV at the beginning of the month and you would never have known it. She just kept on being her happy self … just with some serious coughing.
Sisters
This month Emmalyne has really come into her own as a big sister. She wants to hold her baby a lot more and is constantly petting Bryn’s head, saying “Awwww”, getting her a blanket, etc. Sometimes I have to save Bryn’s life from the hands of her sister but that’s just another day in mommyland. It melts my heart to see my girls together
I feel so incredibly grateful each and every day for the family I have been blessed with. These girls teach me so much about life and I am just so honored to be their mom. It’s been easier than I expected going to school which has helped my heart a lot and left me with a sense of peace. Bryn is just the sweetest little baby and her big sister is an amazing little thing. Emmalyne was my “helper” during the photo shoot. And my helper I meaning stealer of all the books.
You can follow along with how Bryn grows by catching up on her past updates:
Dear sweet Bryn – I love you baby girl. You and Emmalyne my sunshine.
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Bryn: One Month
| January 2, 2014 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under 0-3 Months, Bryn, Month Updates |
How is it even possible that I am writing this update right now? Bryn technically turned one month old last week but with everything going on it took me longer than I anticipated to take and prepare her photos. I did these monthly updates with Emmalyne and they have brought me so much joy since I can look back on them often. They also help me remember the big moments for when I get around to actually doing their baby books I plan on structuring these updates much like I did Em’s but if there is something specific you’d like to see let me know!
Grow, Baby, Grow!
While I don’t know Bryn’s official stats and won’t until later this month I do know she is growing quite a bit. At her 2-week check up she had jumped from 7lb 6oz to 8lb 12oz! She has definitely filled out since then.
Clothes: She can still squeeze into some newborns but the days are limited. Mainly 0-3 month sizes at this point.
Diapers: We have transitioned out of newborn diapers and into size 1!
Breastfeeding
When you have a newborn breastfeeding takes up a HUGE part of their day (and night!). Bryn likes to eat every 2-3 hours during the day and will go 4-5 hours between nursing sessions at night. We have also introduced a bottle to her since I start school full-time next week. During the day she often likes a little snack between feedings too. Nursing is going really really well for us and I am optimistic that we will have the same type of nursing relationship that Emmalyne and I had I plan on writing a post soon on my plans for while I am in school with pumping etc.
Sleeping
Bryn is a really good sleeper so far. During the day her naps are getting more and more predictable. She is most awake in the morning and often times will take a short nap around 9/10AM. Then she will go down between 12:30-1PM for a longer nap in the afternoon. She catnaps throughout the early evening with increasing fussiness. We put her to bed for the night around 8PM with a ‘dream-feed” around 10:30PM. I use Moms on Call for our daily schedule (more soon!) and so far it’s working out nicely. Now her sleeping arrangement leaves something to be desired. She will sleep in the basinet in our room until around 4AM when all she wants is to be in my arms in our bed. I am a big advocate that kids sleep in their own beds and I am currently eating my words. However, I am inclined to go with the flow and go with the option that currently gives our entire family the most amount of sleep.
Personality
I got a snuggler on my hands! Bryn is happiest when she is being cuddled which is both a blessing and a curse. Emmalyne never was one for cuddle sessions (and still isn’t) so I love having my little cuddle bug. However, it makes caring for a toddler and keeping up with tasks a little more difficult. She only really cries when she needs something which more often than not is a new diaper. She HATES being wet and lets us know pretty quickly. Bryn really is just a sweet little baby.
Sisters
One of the biggest questions I get is “how is Emmalyne adjusting”? I want to write a whole post on that mainly for my own memories because just this last week the sister bond is starting to show. Emmalyne requests to hold “her baby” multiple times a day and I subsequently have to save Bryn’s life when Em forgets she’s a really baby and not pretend. Emmalyne is adjusting to being a big sister quite nicely and my heart is full seeing my girls together.
I feel so incredibly blessed and I honestly wonder how in the world I got so lucky as to have not just one, but two beautiful, sweet, and loving daughters. I am extremely excited to watch our girls grow and become the best of friends while at the same time holding on to these precious newborn moments because they are gone in the blink of an eye. Hence why I had to capture just how tiny her fingers and toes were now.
Dear sweet Bryn … I am so lucky to be your mama. I love you baby girl. You and Emmalyne are my sunshine.
Like what you see? Make sure to follow with Bloglovin’! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
Emmalyne: 18 Months
| April 18, 2013 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under Month Updates, Toddler |
Thank you for all your sweet comments yesterday! We are on our 3rd day of meds and they seem to be helping. Emmalyne is such a trooper and you really wouldn’t know she wasn’t feeling well other than her decreased appetite. Since we know the girl can eat, that is the only thing amiss other than the cough. Since we are both feeling a little bit better I figured today would be a great day to share Emmalyne’s 18 month update!
HOW IS EMMALYNE MEASURING?
HEIGHT: 33 1/4 inches
WEIGHT: 29 pounds
CLOTHES: 18-24 months & 2T
TEETH: All of them! 16
She is sticking with her M-O of being a tall little lady! I am glad that we have pretty much all 2T clothes for this summer because I know she is going to be in them exclusively soon.
PERSONALITY
Emmie is seriously so much fun to be around. She is constantly showing us more and more of her personality. She loves to laugh but is pretty coy when it comes to taking photos. Emmalyne is extremely sweet to us and pats our backs now when she hugs us. We have finally gotten closed-mouth kisses down too! As sweet as she is, she can throw some wicked tantrums! Girl has some lungs on her and has no problem expressing her anger at us.
EATING
Eating lately has been hit or miss. Before she got sick Em was cutting her last 5 teeth and went on a meat and hard foods boycott. Then she got sick and her appetite has been lacking. She actually lost an entire pound from last week to this week which makes my heart sad but her pediatrician wasn’t surprised. As soon as she feels better it’s back to healthy eating over here! You can see more about what she eats in our most frequent Munchkin Meals post.
TEETHING
As I just said, Em recently cut her last 5 teeth. All 4 incisors and a front top tooth all at once. It was FUN (not). I am thankful we should have a few months off before her 2-year molars rear their heads.
TALKING
Em has a pretty good vocabulary and seems to be saying new words every day. However, like most things, she does it when she WANTS to do it. Emmalyne has gotten pretty good about pointing to what she wants if she doesn’t know how to say it. We are working on more animal sounds which is a lot of fun. BUT her absolute favorite word is NO. Everything is a big fat no from her. She is slowly starting to say YEAH when it is something she wants which will hopefully help us in the communication factor. I have to say though …. her no’s are pretty cute
SLEEPING
She is still taking one nap a day but it has moved closer to 12:30-1PM. She will sleep for around 2 hours pretty consistently. Due to her later nap, we have moved her bedtime back to 7:3oPM. This schedule is working for us and allows Chris to see her more frequently during the week which is nice.
Every day with Emmalyne is a new adventure and I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to experience all of her best (and worst) moments. She is the biggest blessing in my life and I am very lucky to call her mine.
I love you baby girl. You are my sunshine!
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
Emmalyne: Month 15
| January 7, 2013 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under Emmalyne, Month Updates |
When Emmalyne turned one in October I decided to change her monthly updates to quarterly updates. While she is learning tons of things each month, it just makes more sense for me this way. SO much has happened since her birthday and I am super excited to share her developments with you. If you want to take a look back on her monthly updates you can find them on my Pregnancy/Baby page
HOW IS EMMALYNE MEASURING?
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: Not sure. Here 15 month check-up is later this month.
CLOTHES: 18-24 months
SHOES: Size 5
TEETH: 9
Emmalyne pretty much bypassed all of the 12-18 months clothes because she’s pretty tall. Her 18 month shirts are now too small too. I have some 18-14 month clothes for spring and then a ton of 2T for fall.
PERSONALITY
Em’s personality blossomed these last couple of months. She’s always been very outgoing and full of energy but it seems as if that multiplied since she turned one. She is fiercely independent and hates it when we try to help her do things. She prefers to figure it out for herself. Sometimes this results in some tears of frustration. She loves to give us hugs and kisses and also kisses the dogs all the time.
EATING
Homegirl loves to eat. Seriously. I gave a more in depth update in my last munchkin meals post but she is currently eating three meals a day plus snacks. She gets milk at her meals and constantly has a water bottle to drink throughout the day. Emmie isn’t a picky eater and will pretty much each everything we give her.
TEETHING
In the last three months Em has gained 4 new teeth including her upper two molars. These last couple of teeth came through pretty easily and I honestly didn’t know they were coming. I just saw them one day. Her bottom molars should be coming in soon. I can see them under the gums. With my luck they will pop through on the airplane Wednesday.
TALKING
Probably my favorite part of toddlerhood so far. Em is very communicative and verbal. She will come up to me and start telling me a story in her own language complete with inflections and hand movements. She’ll nod at the end and walk off. No idea what she’s saying but she sure does. Recent actual words: “baby”, “done”, “thank you” (AND with the correct context … color me shocked), “hey”, “boo”, and so much more. She is constantly talking and I love it. Now if only we had a translator …
SLEEPING
We are down to one nap a day. She dropped to the one pretty quickly after her first birthday. Now, she eats lunch around 11:30 and then is in bed for her nap by noon. On most days she will sleep a solid two hours which is great. At night, she is still sleeping from 7PM – 7:30AM. No complaints here!
PLAY
Imaginative play is in full force over here. Emmie has taken on the role of “girl” seriously and without much prodding. She loves to wear jewelry, carry purses, and push her baby. Normally, she does all three at once. We didn’t push gender roles on her but as soon as she discovered the above at friend’s houses etc. she was off and running.
She also loves puzzles. We got some simple Melissa & Doug ones for her birthday and she loves them. The shape one is her favorite and she can actually put the shapes in the correct spot. She doesn’t know the names of the shapes yet but can definitely put them where they go.
My mom and stepdad got Emmalyne a rocker for Christmas and she loves sitting in it. She also loves rocking her stuffed animals. Her absolute favorite stuffed animal is “Boo” her dog (as seen in the above photos). Her great-grandmother gave him to her and she has become pretty attached. She knows him as “Boo” and takes him everywhere. I love it. She also loves her Minnie doll due to her obsession with all things Mickey Mouse.
I am truly blessed to be able to stay home with Emmalyne and I have cherished and loved every moment. While her newborn snuggles were priceless, these moments of toddlerhood are unique and special. I am seeing her grow up before my eyes and each and every day she takes a bigger step away from being a baby. Emmalyne is constantly learning new things and I have a front row seat.
Emmie – I am so thankful that I am your mom. You fill my life with so much joy, laughter, and love. I love you little girl … you are my sunshine.
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
Emmalyne: Month Twelve
| October 9, 2012 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under 9-12 Months, Baby, Emmalyne, Family, Month Updates |
I’ve had a few days now for the reality that I have a toddler now to sink in. Regardless, I still am in slight denial that I am writing Emmalyne’s 12 month update. Wow. This last year has been the most amazing year of my entire life. I have learned so much about myself, and more importantly, about Emmalyne. I can’t believe I have known this sweet little person for a year but at the same time I feel as if I have known her forever. If you’re brand new to Emmalyne’s updates you can catch up via the following links:
HOW IS EMMALYNE MEASURING?
HEIGHT: 31 inches (95%)
WEIGHT: 22 lbs 9 ounces (50%)
CLOTHES: 12-18 months, 18 months, and some 18-24 months
DIAPERS: Size 3
SHOES: 4.5 wide
TEETH: 5
Emmalyne is taking after both Chris and I … long and lean. Her thighs are still chunky but she is pretty lanky too. I get comments a lot about “how tall” she is. I can tell because many of her 12-18 month pants are too short but too big in the waist. Sigh.
PERSONALITY
Every month Emmalyne’s personality becomes more and more pronounced. Overall she is SO incredibly happy. Emmie loves to laugh and totally gets jokes and humor. She is a little imp and arches her eye brows at me as she goes in to do something naughty. She doesn’t cry for no reason and as soon as the cause is determined and fixed she is all smiles. She is such a loving little girl and gives kisses, hugs, and rubs my back. One con is that she has fully figured out how to throw legitimate tantrums. She spreads her legs into a middle splits, throws her body forward, and cries into the carpet. Don’t try to soothe her … She will just throw whatever you’re giving her. It’s hilarious and annoying at the same time.
BREASTFEEDING
I wrote recently that we have started the weaning process. So far things are still going incredibly smoothly and it has honestly been a really easy experience for both of us. She is still nursing two times a day … in the morning and late afternoon. The other two times she is getting cow’s milk. I am unsure at this point when I will drop the morning feeding. I am not in a rush for that one and may just let her decide when enough is enough.
EATING
Meal times are Emmie’s favorite time of the day. She is all about her food and I try to mix it up daily for her. Right now she is eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner with about two snacks a day thrown into the mix. I let her try peanut butter yesterday and success! No allergies (yet). It amazes me how she will pretty much eat anything and everything. She loves fish and broccoli … such a heart healthy girl My biggest downfall is figuring out good snacks for her. Moms feel free to chime in on the comments!
PLAY
One of my favorite parts of Emmalyne getting older is that she is playing with us more and more. Chris and I bought her a shape sorter box for her birthday and it is her favorite thing to do with us. She puts shapes in, takes them out, hands them to us, takes them back, and starts over. She will walk across the room carrying her box, sit in my lap, and start playing. My heart melts. She still loves playing with balls and bath time is the highlight of her evening. Half of her toys aren’t really toys but she is starting to interact with her actual toys more and more.
SLEEP
Sleep is an area I am thankful has never been a problem. Emmalyne goes down to sleep like a dream. She may cry for a second but then she stuffs her blanket into her mouth and goes right to sleep. She sleeps from 7PM – 7:30AM now with 2 naps a day. I am not sure when she will drop a nap but right now it is pretty clear that she needs and wants 2. I am not going to complain
WALKING
It’s official. Emmalyne is completely walking. It was an overnight transformation and as soon as she figured out she was capable of walking her confidence soared and crawling became so last month. She barely crawls now and walks everywhere. When she falls she stands right back up and keeps going. She is almost running now. Save me.
I thank God every single day for the privilege of being Emmalyne Grace’s mother. She is the most incredible, loving, kind, and funny child. I am so lucky that I get to spend each and every day hanging out with her because she’s awesome.
I love you baby girl. You are my sunshine.
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
I’ve had a few days now for the reality that I have a toddler now to sink in. Regardless, I still am in slight denial that I am writing Emmalyne’s 12 month update. Wow. This last year has been the most amazing year of my entire life. I have learned so much about myself, and more importantly, about Emmalyne. I can’t believe I have known this sweet little person for a year but at the same time I feel as if I have known her forever. If you’re brand new to Emmalyne’s updates you can catch up via the following links:
HOW IS EMMALYNE MEASURING?
HEIGHT: 31 inches (95%)
WEIGHT: 22 lbs 9 ounces (50%)
CLOTHES: 12-18 months, 18 months, and some 18-24 months
DIAPERS: Size 3
SHOES: 4.5 wide
TEETH: 5
Emmalyne is taking after both Chris and I … long and lean. Her thighs are still chunky but she is pretty lanky too. I get comments a lot about “how tall” she is. I can tell because many of her 12-18 month pants are too short but too big in the waist. Sigh.
PERSONALITY
Every month Emmalyne’s personality becomes more and more pronounced. Overall she is SO incredibly happy. Emmie loves to laugh and totally gets jokes and humor. She is a little imp and arches her eye brows at me as she goes in to do something naughty. She doesn’t cry for no reason and as soon as the cause is determined and fixed she is all smiles. She is such a loving little girl and gives kisses, hugs, and rubs my back. One con is that she has fully figured out how to throw legitimate tantrums. She spreads her legs into a middle splits, throws her body forward, and cries into the carpet. Don’t try to soothe her … She will just throw whatever you’re giving her. It’s hilarious and annoying at the same time.
BREASTFEEDING
I wrote recently that we have started the weaning process. So far things are still going incredibly smoothly and it has honestly been a really easy experience for both of us. She is still nursing two times a day … in the morning and late afternoon. The other two times she is getting cow’s milk. I am unsure at this point when I will drop the morning feeding. I am not in a rush for that one and may just let her decide when enough is enough.
EATING
Meal times are Emmie’s favorite time of the day. She is all about her food and I try to mix it up daily for her. Right now she is eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner with about two snacks a day thrown into the mix. I let her try peanut butter yesterday and success! No allergies (yet). It amazes me how she will pretty much eat anything and everything. She loves fish and broccoli … such a heart healthy girl My biggest downfall is figuring out good snacks for her. Moms feel free to chime in on the comments!
PLAY
One of my favorite parts of Emmalyne getting older is that she is playing with us more and more. Chris and I bought her a shape sorter box for her birthday and it is her favorite thing to do with us. She puts shapes in, takes them out, hands them to us, takes them back, and starts over. She will walk across the room carrying her box, sit in my lap, and start playing. My heart melts. She still loves playing with balls and bath time is the highlight of her evening. Half of her toys aren’t really toys but she is starting to interact with her actual toys more and more.
SLEEP
Sleep is an area I am thankful has never been a problem. Emmalyne goes down to sleep like a dream. She may cry for a second but then she stuffs her blanket into her mouth and goes right to sleep. She sleeps from 7PM – 7:30AM now with 2 naps a day. I am not sure when she will drop a nap but right now it is pretty clear that she needs and wants 2. I am not going to complain
WALKING
It’s official. Emmalyne is completely walking. It was an overnight transformation and as soon as she figured out she was capable of walking her confidence soared and crawling became so last month. She barely crawls now and walks everywhere. When she falls she stands right back up and keeps going. She is almost running now. Save me.
I thank God every single day for the privilege of being Emmalyne Grace’s mother. She is the most incredible, loving, kind, and funny child. I am so lucky that I get to spend each and every day hanging out with her because she’s awesome.
I love you baby girl. You are my sunshine.
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
