Four Months Old!

Mairi is turning into the most delightful little companion.  She has been very social this last month - going to fitness class several days a week, Ys Moms once a week, out to Strollers and Stars (movie theatre), out for a swimming date, and to countless parties.  She is pretty easy to bring out and enjoys visiting with people.  For the most part she does not play strange and we are happy to let her be held by anyone who is interested.  She is starting to interact with the people and things around her, which is really neat.  Last weight check was just shy of 14 lbs but we will weigh her on Tuesday when she goes for her four-month immunization. 

She is starting to really find her voice as well.  She makes lots of "hi" and "heuh" noises and once in a while gets really loud and high pitched.  She smiles a lot at Jeff and me as well as those faces she recognizes (like aunties and grandparents).  She is SO CLOSE to rolling over but is not quite there.  I think it will happen any day now (though I've been saying that for a while...)  Her head and shoulders are very strong and steady and she likes to stand while we hold her up.  She is also getting good at sitting - she even sat up unsupported for over ten seconds the other day!

Mairi started physiotherapy on the 20th of December to try and address her preference for turning her head only to the left.  It has caused a bit of flat head to develop since she only ever sleeps on her back and her head is always turned the same way.  The therapist figures her neck muscles became tight when she was in the womb, likely when she was lying transverse.  The use of vacuum at delivery wouldn't have helped either.  But we were given exercises and tactics to use to try and get her to turn the other way and generally loosen up (you can never see her neck because it's always scrunched up and her shoulders are up to her ears).  We will have to go once a week for two or three months but there should be no long term problems after things are resolved.

Well I started writing this post on the 19th and then Christmas happened.  But with it came some very exciting happenings.  Mairi got another little friend on December 24th when our friends the Fuchses had beautiful Violet!  It will be so cool to watch these two little girls grow up together like their daddies did.  Waskesiu trips will be great fun!  This new addition to the group, along with the lovely Adalyn, who was born to the Mathies on December 12, means three little girls and a whole lot of trouble!  Poor Adrian is going to have a lot to contend with! 

In addition to two new playmates this month, Mairi met a very big milestone shortly after Christmas: on December 27 she rolled over from her stomach to her back!  It was such a thrilling moment and I was so proud.  It does mean, however, that we can no longer swaddle her when she is sleeping so we are making that transition into just sleep sacks with her arms out.  The first night she woke up a lot, but last night she slept from about 11 to 6:30, ate, then slept until 10.  So pretty good. 

I had a good time getting ready for Christmas and actually found that I enjoyed the preparations because I had enough time to do most things I wanted to get done.  I feel like we had an actual Christmas and took time to just be and relax and spend time with our family and friends. 

I am continuing to have steady success on Weight Watchers - I've lost 14 lbs. since starting the program in mid-October.  I am back into a lot of my regular clothes but am still pretty self-conscious of my belly.  I really enjoyed my Fit 4 Two fitness and bootcamp classes but they are no longer being offered so I will be doing baby and me aquacize and bootcamp at the leisure centre with Tara in the new year.  Things are coming along.  All in all I am still just loving being a mom and look forward to having even more friends and babies to hang out with now.

Official Four Month Picture

Mairi "talking"

Watching the Riders win the Grey Cup!

Mairi and her daddy

Bunny Mairi

First birthday present from daughter to daddy



Trying out my Bumbo from Grandpa and Grandma

Casts we had made of Mairi's hand and foot at 11 weeks

Christmas babies at Ys Moms!  Can you spot Mairi?

Here's a hint: she's dressed like this!

Very silly onesie I had to order

Three months old!

Mairi is developing a sweet and funny little personality.  She recognizes mommy and daddy and others she sees often and rewards them with big gummy smiles. She will follow us with her eyes and move her head toward us as well.  Mairi has really found her voice as well making lots of "laaaa" and gurgly noises. She can get rather loud sometimes too!  She continues to be quite good humoured most of the time, though if she's thrown off her schedule by a lot she can become a bit out of sorts - though isn't that the truth for all of us?  We've continued to travel around quite a bit, going to visit at the farm, in Moose Jaw and a big trip to Winnipeg to meet baby Carson who is the son of our friends Audrey and Dana.  She is just the best traveller - she sleeps most of the car ride.  I just need to nurse and change her once or twice on the road and she's good to go!  She can sleep anywhere too so hotel rooms and other houses are not a problem.  It is a joy to have her with us. 

Speaking of sleeping - I don't want to jinx this - but Mairi has slept through the night five nights in a row now!  Hoping it is a pattern for a while.  I know enough not to expect that this is permanent as her little body grows and changes but I will gladly take it for as long as it happens.  A couple of weeks ago we made the switch to have her sleep in her crib in her own bedroom and she took to it like a pro!  Jeff just decided to put her down there while I was out so it was really no big deal. We have a video monitor set up so we can keep an eye and an ear on her.

We've been so busy that I haven't made it to Ys Moms for the past three weeks so I have no idea what she weighs right now.  Last time we checked was around a month ago and she was just an ounce shy of 13lbs.  She was in the 60th percentile - pretty much perfect!  She continues to be on the tall side - the public health nurse was baffled when I told her how tall Jeff and I are.  She has tall grandmas and a tall uncle though...  She got her immunization for two months and did pretty well.  She cried but I was able to soothe her quickly.

She is holding her head and chest up quite high for several minutes at a time now.  Still no rolling over however.  She is great at grabbing on to things now.  She's not just grasping them when she feels them but will look at things and then move her hand to grab them.  She is enjoying more alone time on her blanket and play mat and will happily hang out with toys for quite a while as I get supper ready, etc.  She hates getting put into her car seat but once in settles pretty quickly. 

Mairi and I have been out a lot when we are at home. I started a Fit4Two class that is four times a week at 10:30 in the morning. She just hangs out while mommy gets a great workout.  We also go to Weight Watchers once a week and she usually just sleeps in her car seat.  I am working pretty hard at it but losing the baby weight has not been easy - it has not just fallen off with breastfeeding as I heard it would.  That's ok though - even though it's slow going and I get off the rails from time to time I know eventually I will lose it.

We are really looking forward to December when Mairi will have another little girl to be friends with (yay!  Can't wait to meet Jessie and Chris' little one!) and of course her first Christmas.  Hoping to do lots of baking and have a proper Christmas this year.  Until next month here are some of my favourite pictures from the previous one...

Banana costume

Baby shower at Carmichael

Pretty Christmas dress from friends at Carmichael

Hanging with daddy

Devil child

Tummy time

Little fan

Milk Jr.

Kitty costume

Mairi loves her giraffe from Auntie Jocelyn and Uncle Michael!

Chillin'

First fascinator

Playing the spoons at the farm

With birthday girl grandma

No pants party!

Love my daddy!

Yay for tissue paper!

New boyfriend Carson

Trying out the Bumbo

New outfit and fox friend

Learning to play piano with grandpa

Two Months Old!

Our little girl will already be two months old tomorrow!  Time has really flown and she has grown so much.  At her last doctor's appointment last week she was 11 lbs. 3 oz.  She is very health and "certainly not calorie-deprived" in her doctor's words.  She is in the 75th percentile for her age group in both height and weight.  The only concern is that she prefers turning her head to the left.  She is able to turn it to the right so we just have to encourage her to do so by talking to her on that side and rewarding her with encouragement and kisses when she does turn her head.  It is essentially just tight neck muscles and not a big deal.  If it doesn't improve we can take her to physiotherapy but I think our work at home is starting to improve things. 

She has been quite a jet setter this last month.  Dad and I took a road trip to Edmonton to visit with family and have her meet her great-Nana Fran. 

Nana and Mairi (and half of Dads face)

Then we flew with her to Calgary for Thanksgiving and to meet the rest of the Wartman crew.  She was an amazing little traveller for both trips and just slept most of the time with minimal fussing.  I would not hesitate to travel with her again.  It was so nice to see our family again-it had been way too long-and introduce her to our daughter.  She got lots of cuddles and was a big hit! 

Travelling with an owl on her head

We had a lovely baby shower in Moose Jaw put on by my wonderful mom (with lots of help from the wonderful Jean!)  Mairi got to meet her Uncle Dan and Auntie Devon that weekend.  She really liked uncle's beard!

Hi Uncle Jesus!

She is now sleeping pretty well with the odd bad night where she doesn't want to settle down, but these are rare.  For the most part she is sleeping in about six hour stretches during the night so I am only getting up once to feed and change her and that only takes about half an hour or 45 minutes.  I actually feel like I am generally getting enough sleep. 

Having a snooze with daddy (and monkey)

She is now smiling

Happy girl with her daddy

 and grabbing onto rings

Getting grabby on her play mat

and lifting her head up (her neck is really strong!)

Practicing lifting her head up

She has gone swimming twice: once was baby and mom aquacize and once was a swimming date with Tara and baby Adrian. 

About to go for her first swim at the Northwest Leisure Centre

She continues to enjoy going for walks in her stroller as well. 

Participating in the Silent Hearts Awareness Walk for Perinatal Loss

All in all Mairi is such a good and laidback baby.  I think Jeff and I are starting to get the hang of this parenting thing - developing routines, picking up on her cues and even getting back into some of our old routines like running errands on Saturdays and working out.  We have even had a couple of baby-free nights out courtesy of my parents (Oktoberfest!) and Jeff's Aunty Barb (Dana and Kris' wedding!)  Those were nice adult times.  Life is good!

Here are a few of my favourite pictures from the last month:



Favourite. Picture. Ever.



We call this one "pretty in pink"

Little Red Riding coat

Having a bath in the sink (too big for that now!)

With my buddy Adrian



Mairi gets snuggled by Gramma H

Mairi being adored by Gramma and Aunty Barb

Pretty pink bunny

Snazzy daddy and baby for the wedding

Mairi trying out the cuddle suit cousin Kiera bought her

Good morning!

Good night!