Chugging Along!

Well, Isabella is almost seven months old! We're still here, chugging along. A big change looms in the very near future-we got a house! So, we are in the process of moving. Closing is set for March 18, so it looks like we will be moving on the 19th. I'm excited, but I'm also very nervous. We have so much to get done and doing it all with a baby in tow is very difficult. It's not impossible, but it sure is tough! She is getting over her first cold and add the shots from yesterday's pediatrician appointment, she's super clingy and wants to snuggle. So not a whole lot has been done. It's scary to think about it. But that's a HUGE change in our lives and it's going to be excellent for Isabella.

I'm still breastfeeding. I love it. I honestly really never thought it would be as amazing of an experience as it is. My initial reason for choosing it was that it saved so much money. Teachers are poor in the summer, you know? With a summer baby, breastfeeding seemed to be the less expensive route. And it's been truly the most rewarding and amazing experience of being a Mom. There is something so beautiful, so personal, and so intimate about that moment of nursing, whether it be for nutrition, comfort, or sleep. My baby looks to me for her source of comfort and it just melts my heart. 

Isabella is doing so many exciting things now. She's got a tooth getting ready to cut through the gums. The outline is there on her gums, it just hasn't popped through yet. She's been playing with a lot more of her toys and initiating the play with them. She's figured out how to get her pacifier back into her mouth. She reaches out to pet the dog. She's so excited about little things, like seeing her Daddy walk into the room. In fact, now, she reaches out for him so that he can pick her up. 

We went to the park last week when it was strangely (and beautifully) 70 degrees in February in NJ. It was her first time walking to the park in an umbrella stroller and she loved it. She went in the swings and at first, she wasn't sure what to think. It was new, probably a bit scary. But once she got the feeling of the back and forth movement, she was all giggles! 

She had her well baby checkup and my little jellybean is up to 15 pounds. She's about 24 inches long, so she's a short one! The pediatrician is very pleased with her growth, so no worries. She's doing well! She's still getting over her first cold, which she had last week and the week before. So she's still more tired than usual, but she'll get back to normal soon. 

I'll leave you with some pictures from this month including on from the park.

Exciting Changes

Where do I start with all that's going on around here...I guess I'll just make it a short list. There's really not all that much going on, but it's enough!

1. Isabella is already six months old! WHAT?! Where does time go? Seriously, my baby girl is growing so quickly and I'm just so in awe of her. She's beautiful, sweet, and generally so happy. I'm so blessed and just can't believe she has been with me for a half a year now. 

2. She's teething...big time. There aren't any teeth ready to pop through yet, but she's really been bothered by her gums lately. She's in her six month growth spurt. So with that and the teething, her sleep patterns have changed. I feel like we are back in the first two months again when we are up all hours of the night with a crying baby. She has a wet diaper. She's hungry. She wants her pacifier. It's all the joys of parenthood. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. But it sure is taking a toll on me. I've had a migraine off and on for the past three days. 

3. Isabella's been sleeping in her big girl crib now for four nights. Tonight will be the 5th night. It's a little scary for me to not have her in the room with me in her bassinet. And maybe that's what is causing some of her sleep issues, but we'll see how things go in the weeks to come. She'll get used to it. 

4. I'm still have blood pressure issues. It was an issue before I got pregnant with Isabella. But throughout most of the pregnancy, it wasn't a big deal. It didn't get bad until the third trimester. So now, my family doctor wants me to have all these tests done to see what the cause is and to see if it is affecting any major organs. So I saw the cardiologist yesterday. I had a stress echo cardiogram done and I passed with flying colors. So it's not my heart. I am getting blood work done next Friday. I guess we'll see what happens with that. I am due for my annual exam with my OB and I'm sure he'll ask me if I've done anything about my blood pressure issues. At least I can answer him with a "yes" even though they haven't figured it out yet.

5. The biggest news of all-Hubby and I are going to be homeowners! I'm so excited. We have been searching for a home since right after Christmas. In fact, we had an offer on three other homes and nothing came of those offers that was worth doing anything about. So we are so excited about this townhouse two-story townhouse with a full finished basement. It's the perfect space to raise a family. So now, we can think about conceiving #2 in the fall as long as my blood pressure issues are better under control. 

I'll leave you with some recent pictures of Isabella, some from her six-month pictures and some from this past weekend. Enjoy!