Countdown to Baby Harrison!: November 2013

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...