8 Months!

Hadley you are 8 months old!! Time is flying!!! People have started asking me about your first birthday and its so hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that in four short months you will be ONE! This past month has been so fun and you have changed SO much!

Here is what you are up to at 8 months old:

- You weigh 20 pounds (approx.) and are 28 inches long (approx.)

- You are wearing 9-12 month clothes and Size 3 Diaper.

- You are nursing 4 times per day and eating 3 meals per day.

- This month you have tried green beans, pears, peaches, blueberries, and even pureed pot roast! You are a great eater!!

- You are scooting all over the place and are on the verge of crawling. You get up on all fours but instead of going forwards you go backwards! I find you scooted under your bookshelf and your crib all the time!!

- This month you got BOTH of your bottom teeth at the same time. The past week you have been chewing alot, so I think you are working on a top tooth as well.

- You love to hold on to something and stand up. Your legs are so strong and I think it won't be long till you can stand unassisted.

- We had to lower your crib this month because you started pulling yourself up on the side!

- You are sleeping wonderfully! 3 naps per day and 11-12 hours at night.

- You LOVE Bear more than anything else! You think everything he does is hilarious.

- This month you met your cousins from Morocco for the first time! It was so fun to watch you play with Salma and Josue!

- You say "Da Da" ALL day long! We are working on 'Ma Ma'....

- You are such a happy, content baby! You love to play on the floor in your room with toys. I am so glad you play by yourself well! It allows me to get stuff done during the day!

- You finally have enough hair to hold and TINY bow! Big milestone for me!

We love you SOOOOO much Hadley and love watching you grow!!!

Happy Easter!

7 months!

Hadley, it is hard to believe that you are closer to being one years old than you are to being a newborn! It is going by way too fast! :(

You are SEVEN months old!! Here is what you are up to at 7 months...

- You weigh 19 pounds and are 28 inches tall. (Approx.)

- You sre still wearing size 3 diaper, and 6-9 month clothes.

- You still are a great sleeper...7:30-8PM until 6:30-7:30AM. You still nap 3 times per day, but I have a feeling the mid afternoon nap is about to go.

- You are sitting up great and only fall over every now and then. You also have started to scoot when you are on your stomach. Things are about to change around here!

- You love your johnny jump up that hangs in the doorway and the jumperoo that is on the floor. Instad of jumping up in down you like to sway side to side. HA!

- You are eating 3 meals per day of baby food and nursing 4-5 times per day. This month you have tired squash, banana, and oatmeal. You like all of them!

- I know I have been saying this for like 3 months now but I really think you are about to get a tooth. For the last 2 weeks you have been cranky, had a runny nose, and been chewing insesently...all saigns of teething...or so they say.

- You LOVE Bear. You squeal every morning when you see him for the first time. He makes you laugh like no one else can!

- This month we have tired to introduce a sippy cup to you. You spill 95% of it, and mostly just suck on it, but little by little you will get the hang of it!

- Since you have transitioned to eating more and more food...your diapers have changed quite a bit! :) STINKY! Your daddy uses lots of baby powder when he chnages your diaper to mask the smell HAHA!

- Your legs are starting to get a little too chunky for the bumbo seat...we have to squish them down in there and then when we try to get you out, you usually get stuck haha!

- You have started saying 'BA' alot. Its fun to hear you starting to form syllables.

You are more fun every single day and we couldn't love you more! Its bittersweet watching you grow. There are so many things I can't wait to do with you when you get bigger, but at the same time I miss rocking you when you were so tiny and new.....

6 months old!

I know I say this every month but HOW can you already be 6 months old?! Half a year?!!!! It is hard to believe you have been here for that long I feel like we just came home from the hospital, but at the same time I can't remember my life without you Hadley! You are getting more fun every month!!!

Here is what you are up to at 6 months old:

- You weigh 18.5 pounds (90th percentile) and are 26 1/4" long (75th percentile).

- You started eating baby food and rice cereal this month! So far you have had sweet potatoes, spinach, peas, applesauce, yogurt, and carrots. You love all of it! The peas are your least favorite but you tolerate them.

- You are still nursing 5 times per day.

- You are wearing size 3 diaper

- You are wearing 6-9 month clothes

- Your legs get chunkier by the day. I LOVE it.

- You are rolling over with ease, and can just about sit up. You fall over every know and then, but you can hold yourself in a sitting position for at least 5 minutes usually.

- You are sleeping and napping wonderfully (most days). You go to bed between 7:30-8PM and wake up between 6:30-7AM. You take 3 naps per day usually.

- You still love your swing, johnny jump up, and bumbo. You also like to roll around on the floor and play with your toys.

- You LOVE your bother Bear. He makes you laugh more than anyone else.

- You are happy and smiling 98% of the time. We are so thankful.

- You have the sweetest voice and you are talking ALL the time. Such a girl. I wake up to you 'singing' in the monitor every morning. LOVE it.

- Still no teeth, but hopefully they will come soon. You are chewing on everything in sight and drooling lots.

- You have figured out how to pull your bow off your headband and your headband off your head. You then like to eat both of them. We have some 'bow training' to do. :)

- You have a bunny rabbit that you love to snuggle with when you go to sleep. Sweetest thing ever.

- Still a thumb sucker. I know that when your thumb goes in your mouth you are tired.

- You still love your bath and have started wiggling all around in the tub. I have to keep my eyes on you constantly, you little wiggle worm!

Hadley, I go to bed every night about to burst with how much I love you, and then the next morning I am filled with even MORE love for you. You bring so much joy into our lives. We are so thankful God gave you to us! We love you!!!

5 months!

Hadley how is it even possible that you are 5 months old?! Time is FLYING by! I feel like we just came home from the hospital with you a few weeks ago! You are growing and changing so fast!

Here is what you are up to at 5 months old:

- You sleep consistently from 8PM-7AM on the dot. Not a minute past or a minute before 7AM. Its hilarious. No need for me to set an alarm clock anymore!

- You weigh 17 pounds!!! You don't miss a meal.

- You are wearing 6 month clothes.

- You wear size 2-3 diapers.

- You are still nursing exclusively 5 times per day, but this month we will start you on some rice cereal! Can't wait to see what your reaction is the first time you taste that!

- You still have not cut your first tooth!!! Its been a LONG month of chewing, drooling, and fussing. I am SO ready for you to be out of pain!

- You have started to notice Bear, and you always smile when you see him. He makes you laugh when you watch him play with his toys.

- You still love your swing, and bumbo seat. You like your Johnny Jumper but have not quite figured out how to jump in it yet. I don't think it will be long though before you figure it out.

- You take 3 naps during the day from about 1-1.5 hours each.

- You like your car seat a whole lot better recently than you have in the past. It makes riding in the car so much more enjoyable!

- You have started 'singing'. Its HILARIOUS. You have this HIGH pitch squeal/scream that you do about 1000 times a day. I laugh every time. You especially like to do it when you are watching TV. I wake up to you singing through the monitor every morning. I love it.

- You can sit up alone for bout 30 seconds. Your a little hunched forward but still your muscles are getting so strong!!!

- You have rolled over once or twice but not consistently. You are not a huge fan of being on your tummy.

- You are such a happy, easy baby! We are so thankful! You are such a joy to be around! Everyone comments on how good you are!

We love you SO much Hadley and can't wait to see what the Lord does with you!

Life

"Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day."

Psalm 39:5-16 The Message

January is National Sanctity of Life month. Every year in America 1.3 MILLION babies are aborted. That is unbelievable. There is no doubt in my mind that abortion is murder. There is also no doubt that life begins at the moment of conception. Unborn fetus' are humans just like you and I. I saw this video here on abortion. The video is really graphic, but really important to see. It shook me to my core to see the reality of what abortion really is.

A fetus has a heartbeat at just 18 days after conception. So before a woman even knows she is pregnant, the fetus has a beating heart.

I know this is a really heavy subject matter, but I just feel obligated to share. Abortion is a heinous and evil thing that is sweeping our world. It is so easy to turn a blind eye to it and not think about the 3,562 babies being aborted EVERY single day in our country. After seeing this video, my eyes have been opened. I can no longer turn a blind eye and pretend it doesn't really happen. Every single child, born and unborn, are precious gifts from God.

I know women get pregnant in non-ideal situations-rape, incest, young girls, etc. BUT that is no excuse to have an abortion. There are thousands of people that would LOVE to have a baby of thier own and would be overjoyed to adopt a precious baby from a woman who couldn't care for it.

I am praying that in my lifetime I will see the END of abortions.

"If my people, who are called by name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from thier wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

4 Months!

(I think I take too many pictures of you-you are all smiley and then as soon as I pull the camera out you stop smiling and get all serious!)

Hadley how is it possible that you are 4 months old already?! Time is flying WAY too fast!!!

Here is what you are up to at 4 months old:

- You sleep through the night! Hallelujah! You go to bed around 8PM and sleep until 6:30 or 7AM.

-You are wearing 3-6 month clothing.

-You still breastfeed exclusively. You eat 6-7 times per day. About every 3 hours

-You smile and talk ALL the time. You are the happiest baby.

-You LOVE your bath. When we put you in the water you almost immediately start kicking your legs and trying to swim. Its so cute.

- You are wearing a size 2 diaper.

- You weigh 15.5 pounds (90th %) and are 25 inches tall (75%)

- You got in the Johny Jump Up for the first time this month. You haven't quite figured out how to jump in it. but you like to hang out and be upright.

-Still LOVE your swing and activity mat. You like to sit in your swing and watch Praise Baby DVDs. You get so focused on all the colors.

- You are very observant. When we go someplace you look all around at the lights, fans, stuff hanging on the walls.

- You have decided this month that you HATE your car seat and riding in the car. You usually scream for about the first 10 minutes we are in the car and then you either fall asleep or get distracted by something for a few minutes, and then go back to screaming. Needless to say I try to keep errand running short or just leave you home with daddy.

- This has been a big month of firsts for you! You celebrated your first Thanksgiving, and your first Christmas! You also met your Grandpa for the first time when he came home from working in China for Christmas! You also met your great-grandparents (Daddy's grandparents) for the first time when we went to visit them over Thanksgiving!

- For about the last week you have been working on cutting your first tooth. Your poor gums are swollen, and you are constantly messing with it and chewing on things. Its so sad! I want that tooth to come in already!!! I hate seeing you in pain!!


-You laughed for the first time at 15 1/2 weeks. It was so cute. You haven't done it since, even though we have made fools out of ourselves trying to make you!


-You can sit in your bumbo seat now! You tolerate it for 15-20 minutes at a time, but after that you have had it.


-You still don't love tummy time, but you tolerate it better now. I try to put you on your stomach for 20-30 minutes throughout the day.


- This month I quit my job, so I can stay home with you full time!!!! Mommy is SO excited about being with you all day, everyday!!!

- You are still not a great napper. You take 2-3 naps a day but usually they only last 45 minutes or so. Occasionally you will get a good 2 hr. nap at some point in the day.

Hanging out with your Grandpa!!

This month we dedicated you to the Lord. We pray that you will come to know Him at an early age and walk with Him all the days of your life. (Notice my finger in your mouth, trying to keep you from screaming because your teeth were hurting you!)

Meeting Santa for the first time!
Playing with you Lion(AKA your best friend). You LOVE him and smile every time you see him!

Hadley you are such a JOY. We love you SO much and are so excited to watch you grow up!