Category Archives: nella growth updates

nella: 16 months

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Clothing size: 18-month everything is fitting perfectly right now.
Eye color: Blue!
Hair: Blonde, and it’s really filling in. She also has some of the wildest bedhead I’ve ever seen, and her post-bath hair is so curly and adorable that I don’t brush it, but once it dries, it’s all over the place.

Teeth: 9!!! One more came in on the bottom!

Eating: Goodness… sometimes this girl eats more than I do (especially when it comes to homemade chili)! She gets so excited over food, and her favorites are still pretty much the same, although I did discover that she doesn’t like lemon-flavored Greek yogurt. Other than that, she’ll try anything. She’s getting way too smart, too, and somehow figured out what the ice cream carton looks like (although I definitely only remember giving her a taste once), and she’ll whimper for some as soon as she sees it!

Every morning, I pour her a glass of whole milk, always into her blue turtle cup. As soon as she sees that cup on the counter, she kicks her feet and squeals with excitement. This little lady loves her milk!

As far as nursing goes, on the day she turned 16 months, I cut out her pre-nap feeding, so now we’re down to just two (morning and bedtime). She looked a little hurt on that first day when I put her in her crib without nursing, and sometimes it seems like she still would want to, but I’m sticking to this really slow weaning process. Instead of nursing, either Kaya or I will read her a book before tucking her in.

Sleep: Sleep has been really good lately, with only a couple of random middle-of-the-night wake-ups. She goes down for bed around 7:30 or 8 pm, and wakes up about 12 hours later. She still naps for about 3 hours in the afternoon, so basically, she’s a dream baby.

She falls asleep so much faster when she has her Beagle, who is still her absolute favorite. I always get the cutest smile and squeal when she first sees me when she wakes up!

Words: Her language has really started to take off. Some new words this month: “Puppa” (puppy, which is what she calls Scout), “booooon” (balloon), bear, “num” (yum), “ishie” (goldfish crackers), “whoa” (hello). I’m sure there are some that I’m forgetting.

Favorite things: She’s still obsessed with cars and trucks, and if she’s found one to play with, she can be heard saying “brooooom brooooom” as she pushes it around all throughout the house. Her newest favorite activity is riding the rocking horse, which Kaya usually helps her do. She is also in love with balloons of all sizes and colors! She was whipping this one all around like crazy.

She LOVES Scout and tries to pet her and bring her her dog toys constantly. She does sometimes try to grab onto Scout and use her to try and pull herself up, which we obviously discourage. And when Scout isn’t in her kennel, Nella crawls into it and thinks it’s the funniest thing ever.

Of course, her family is always her favorite! Kaya and Kaelyn have started making it a kind of game to put her in Kaelyn’s bed and watch her toddle around. They love all being together.

Dislikes: Getting her face wiped, seeing us eat something she doesn’t have, wearing a bib (she takes it off constantly), being buckled into the car seat, being told no, and lately, her bath. I think she just doesn’t like that I keep telling her she needs to sit down in the tub.

Nicknames: Nellbells, Nels, Nella Bella, Nellie, Nella Sunshine.

Milestones, etc.: -In the past week, she’s started really getting interested in walking!!! We still have to help her balance, but she is ready to go, and I think it really won’t be long now before she’s going on her own. If there’s no one to help her, she’ll go push the cozy coupe car around, which helps her stay upright.

-She’s also free standing now, without holding onto anything. She probably only does it for less than a minute at a time, but still, I’m so excited for progress.

-She’s still a pro at climbing the stairs (in under a minute)! By the time we say, “Where’s Nels?”, she’s already upstairs in the big girls’ room, playing quietly with all their toys. She’s so independent in that way.-Actually, she’s just getting good at climbing anything in general. At Kangaroo Kids, she pulls herself up on some of the larger mats that I wouldn’t have thought she could reach.

-She’s a dancer. As soon as we start any kind of music, a huge smile comes across her face and she starts swaying crazily back and forth.

-She’s already at that age where she doesn’t want to sit still for photos. Ugh! No number of marshmallows is enough bribery.

-Daddy lowered the crib this month, which was very necessary, given her interest in trying to climb on/over everything. I’m just hoping she doesn’t learn to climb all the way out like Kaya did right around this age!

-Everything is a “phone”. She holds any small object up to her ear and says, “Whooooa? (hello?)” So adorable!

-She vigorously nods yes when we ask her if she wants something in particular.

Dear Nella,

Three words sum you up pretty well these days: YOU ARE CRAZY!!!!

You are everywhere now that you’re so mobile, but it’s easy to tell where you’ve been because you pull everything out of bins, baskets, or drawers as you go. You make the biggest messes, but somehow that little smile and the sweet way you crawl up to sit in my lap more than make up for it.Lately, you think it’s so funny when we ask you, “Are you my dimple baby?” You laugh and smile even bigger, which is just my favorite. Daddy also likes to ask you if you’re crazy, and in response, you always shake your head wildly. We sure love your crazy, dimpled self.

Love, Mommy

nella: 15 months

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(written January 17th… it just took me 5 days to put all the photos together!)Height: 30.5 inches (49%)
Weight: 17 pounds 10 ounces (7%)
Head Circumference: 17.75 inches (34%)

Clothing size: All 18-month things! We packed up all the 12-month stuff. Although, some of the new footie pajamas are still a little too long, and she gets her foot all jammed up into the leg part while she’s trying to stand; and, some sleeves still need to be rolled up. Let’s be honest though, it’s winter and absolutely freezing here, so this girl wears her jammies 90% of the time. Hopefully we’ll get to use some more of her cute outfits in the spring!

Eye color: Blue!
Hair: Blonde, and she wore her very first pigtails on our Christmas at home! I love how she has so much length on top of her head- high ponytails for life!Teeth: 8!!! Her two upper one-year molars broke through this month.

Eating: The real question is, what doesn’t she eat? She wants whatever it is she sees you having (consequently, her new favorite flavor of Goldfish crackers is the same as mine- cheddar and pretzel)! She is a total copycat and gets really grumpy if you won’t give her whatever it is she wants. However, she is such a good eater, and I definitely am not complaining (just thinking how useful teaching her some sign language might have been, instead of her yelling and grunting from her high chair). She’s obsessed with pumpkin bread, cheese, cucumbers, Greek yogurt, and homemade chili. I think she’s already bored with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but heads up Nella, they’re just going to keep on coming.

As far as nursing, I got her down to three times a day this month! Woohoo! I also gave her her very first cup of whole milk last week, and as I expected, she practically chugged it down. I’m happy to see her enjoying milk from a cup.

Sleep: We’ve still been having a little bit of a hard time with keeping her asleep all night long, but I think a lot of it has had to do with those new molars, having a cold, and then getting her vaccinations. It’s been one thing right after another for her, poor baby. I’ve been trying really hard not to nurse her in the middle of the night, but sometimes, it’s the fastest way to get everyone back to bed.

Words: Her language skills have really taken off- she truly tries to imitate almost any word we say to her. So, she says a lot, although her most coherent words would be: Mama, Dada, hi, hey, yeah, yum (which sounds like mmmuuummm muuumm), nigh-nigh (night night).

Favorite things: Her sisters still get her to light up like nothing else can! She loves her Daddy and Mommy too, of course. Her new favorite obsession, though: cars! She is absolutely in love with any type of four-wheeled vehicle. She’ll climb into the Cozy Coupe and just sit there, playing by herself, or peeking out the back, even if no one is willing to push her around for a ride. She also loves to push little toy cars around the floor now. It’s just so funny to see what she’s getting interested in!

She also loves standing at the play kitchen and ripping as many items out of it as possible. She has sort of started pretending to “eat” some of the softer toy food, though (while saying “mmmuuuummm”). She is completely obsessed with baby dolls, and will steal her sisters’ dolls any chance she gets (even though she got her own for Christmas). Whenever she sees real babies at church (even if they’re only 6 or so months younger than her), she falls in love and can’t stop watching them. Of course, she also loves her reflection.

Dislikes: Getting her face wiped, seeing us eat something she doesn’t have on her tray, wearing a bib (she takes it off constantly), being buckled into the car seat, being told no, and snow (along with wearing her snowsuit)! She was just not sure what to make of the cold white stuff. Teething has also been really hard on all of us.

Nicknames: Nellbells, Nels, Nella Bella, Nellie, Nella Sunshine. I’ve also started jokingly calling her “the Destroyer” because she rips everything apart in a matter of seconds. I’m putting laundry away, she’s trying to pull it out of the drawer. I take a minute to brush my hair, and she has half the bathroom cabinet emptied. This is the age where I always feel like it’s a losing battle to keep things in their places.

Milestones, etc.: -She’s still just cruising, not walking independently yet. I think she is close, though!

-She is starting to climb… and if we’re not quick enough to catch her, she can make it to the 6th or 7th step on the staircase. She also climbs into her little Cozy Coupe all on her own now, too, so I’m sure it’s just a matter of time until she tries other things. We definitely need to lower the crib!

-She’s pointing to body parts (and usually poking me in the eyes), so I’m trying to teach her all those words now. She sometimes gets enthralled by my eyelashes and won’t stop stroking them with her finger. So funny.

-She’s also started trying to color! Although usually, the marker cap is still on, which is maybe a good thing, since her accuracy for hitting the paper isn’t so high right now. Still, she wants to create art like her sisters!

-Now when she nurses, she wants to hold everything she can see. That usually means that we’re sitting in a pile of stuffed animals, and then she also steals my phone or Kindle so that I have nothing to read while she eats. Real life you guys… Michael snuck this picture of me passed out nursing her after my run one morning.

-She is a dancer! She’ll bop around to almost any song, especially 80s stuff, I guess because the beat is so good. She gets such a big goofy grin on her face when the music starts up. She’s also obsessed with the piano and will crawl over to it and start playing any chance she gets. She especially loves when Daddy helps her!

-She loves books, and she’ll flip through the pages and “read” (babble). So so sweet.

-Kaya has become such a big helper with Nella lately. She loves to get her dressed, feed her her yogurt, and just play with her as much as possible. Both Kaya and Kaelyn love to choose which diaper Nella will wear next- Kaya’s favorite is the zoo print, and Kaelyn’s is the fishy one.

Dear Nella,

This feels like a big month for you! I had so many new things to write in this post because you’re growing and changing so quickly that sometimes it feels like I can’t keep up. To be honest, I still think of you as my teeny little baby, until I see pictures of you pop up from this time last year, and I realize that you aren’t anywhere near that small anymore. When did you get so big? I almost feel like I blinked and missed it.

Anyway, you might be getting bigger, but you’re still just as sweet as ever. You love your family so much (even the puppy). Last Sunday at church, you kept cruising between me and your Dad, holding onto the pew, until you’d get close enough to give one of us a bug hug (which you do by resting your head on our shoulders and cuddling into us). You just kept switching between the both of us for the longest time, and it completely melted my heart.

We love you baby girl! Your smile will always be one of our very favorite things.

Love, Mommy

 

nella: 14 months

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(written December 11th… and apparently, the accessory of the month is her hairbrush, since it made it into almost all these pictures…)Clothing size: All 18-month things!
Eye color: Blue!
Hair: Blonde, and that little ponytail is getting thicker! I think we almost have enough for teeny pigtails soon.

Teeth: Still six, and that one I could see under her gum line last month is still HIDING! With how much she’s been acting like she’s teething, I’m honestly shocked it hasn’t popped through yet. Come on, tooth!

Eating: She eats almost anything, although, unlike her sisters, I think she is getting tired of peanut butter sandwiches. She now recognizes if you are eating something different than she is, and she has started throwing tantrums about it, screaming and crying with the hopes that we will give her whatever it is she wants. She does this especially with my homemade pumpkin bread, mostly because I don’t usually give her any (the end result looks like the bread exploded into one million minuscule crumbs all over the floor). She really loves cucumbers, pickles, olives, apples, beans, and cheese.

She’s still nursing about 5 times a day, which seems like kind of a lot to me. I might get her some whole milk to try here soon.

We also gave her her first donut this month, and clearly, she loved it.

Sleep: Sleep… oh, sleep. It is not going so well, considering she is 14 months old. She is waking up multiple times each night to nurse. We are trying to encourage her to go back to sleep without milk, which means that Michael is the one who has to go in and rub her back to try to get her to calm down. I usually end up feeding her between 4 and 5 am, anyway. I was blaming teething for this inconsistent schedule, but now I think maybe she just got out of her routine and is struggling to get back sleep without help. She usually wakes up around 7-7:30 am, but after being up several times at night, she will sometimes sleep until 8:30.

Naps are still generally really good, usually happening for around 3 hours after lunchtime.

Words: Mama, Dada, and then sometimes, it’ll sound like she’ll say “hi” or “yeah”, but I’m not really sure if she knows those yet. She is really amazing at imitating sounds now though! I even had her imitating a horse a few days ago.

Favorite things: Her favorite game is peekaboo, and she’ll initiate it on her own if she has a blanket to cover up with. She’s obsessed with stealing her sisters’ baby dolls (guess what she’s getting from Grandma for Christmas?), and her favorite animal is the dog (real and plush). She is infatuated with her “Beagle”, and tries to take him with her anytime I get her out of her crib. She even likes to hold him while nursing now. I love that she loves that Beagle, because it was actually mine when I was younger.

She loves trying to drink the bathtub water (ew), laughing at her sisters, and crawling to the door as soon as she hears Daddy’s voice when he comes home from work.

Dislikes: Getting her face wiped, seeing us eat something she doesn’t have on her tray, wearing a bib (she takes it off constantly), and being buckled into the car seat.

Nicknames: Nellbells, Nels, Nella Bella, Nellie, Nella Sunshine.

Milestones, etc.: -She’s cruising along furniture while standing now! It’s only a matter of time until she lets go and just starts walking! I tried propping her up with the toy shopping cart, which helped baby Kaelyn take some of her first steps, but she had no idea what I was trying to do and just sat down.

-She is interested in coloring, whether on paper or the easel! Her sisters were actually helping her erase the whiteboard one day, over and over. She’s so content to just stand there and grab all the markers.-Her sisters love to play “fetch” with her… yes, like a puppy. They toss a toy, and she will crawl to retrieve it. Whatever keeps them all happy, and hey, she’s getting some exercise in the process.

-She imitates everything, and loves to try and brush her teeth or hair.-I kind of can’t believe this, but my little sunshine girl has started throwing some pretty epic tantrums. When she doesn’t get what she wants, she will screech and kick and cry. She’s already had a couple of (very short) timeouts, which she hated. I kind of miss when she didn’t have an opinion about everything!

-She’s not really into watching shows or anything on screen yet, which is truly a good thing, since we try to use media very sparingly with our kids anyway. I’ve actually just been surprised by how disinterested she’s been when I let the older girls watch something. There was one day that Kaya and I were sick, so we just wanted to rest and watch some movies, but Nella would hardly sit still. That’s really the only time I wished she’d want to watch!

-Seriously, she is all over the place. She won’t lay on the changing pad for a new diaper for more than a few seconds, so I’ve had to start buckling her down. All these shenanigans!Dear Nella,

These days, you seem so big and so little all at the same time. You love to play with your sisters, be held by Daddy while he runs around the house to help you “find” me, and snuggle and nurse. You are so energetic and wild these days, and I know that soon, you will be running after your sisters.You light up every day for us. I can always count on a big smile when I go to get you out of your crib after bed or nap time. It’s been so much fun to watch you experience this holiday season, with all the food and festivities that you now get to participate in. I love your wonder and joy.Love, Mommy

nella: 13 months

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Clothing size: 9-12 month clothes still fit, but I have been slowing rotating in her 18 month stuff. While she has a little room to grow, nothing is unbearably large. It also helps that Grandma Debbie bought her a whole winter wardrobe for her birthday- I am loving having some new things that aren’t worn out like many of the things her sisters have used.

Eye color: She’s melting me with those blue eyes on a daily basis!

Hair: Sometimes I can’t get over how blonde her hair is! My aunts said that mine was like that when I was little, so it’s extra fun to see a little piece of my childhood in her. Add in the blue eyes, and she looks like a little Scandinavian baby (her Great Grandpa on my side came to the States from Norway)!

Teeth: Six, but there’s another one up top that I can see hiding just below the gumline, eager to poke out any day now.

Eating: She eats it all! Really. I almost feel silly to make a list because it should just include every food I’ve ever given her. She even devours pickles and olives- she’s definitely my child! We also let her try a couple of small treats this month. She’s a fan of cookies!

She’s still nursing about 5 times a day. I love that time with her.

She’s also just the messiest eater of all time. This is the age where she really needs a bath after every meal (sometimes a quick rinse in the sink has to do)!

Sleep: She’s still a good sleeper, although these new teeth have had her waking up randomly sometimes (I’ve had recent 3 am and 4:30 am-ish wake-ups), but generally, she sleeps about 12 hours at night, from 7:30 pm to 7:30 or 8 am. She naps for three hours in the afternoons, but if we’re running late or have an appointment to go to, this might happen:

Words: I though I caught a “hi” once, but maybe it was just random. She still “mamamas” and “dadadas” all day long. Recently, she’s added the “v” sound to her vocabulary as well, so we get some “vavavas”, too. Once, right before Michael came home, I mentioned, “Daddy will be home soon!”, and she immediately grinned and replied with, “Dadada?” It’s just awesome to see her assigning words to people/things.

Favorite things: She loves baths, her Daddy, her sisters, snuggling with Mommy, dancing, playing peekaboo, playing with stuffed puppies, trying to crawl over to Scout any chance she gets, and just being silly all the time. She’s a really fun girl! She’s also suddenly in love with this little beagle stuffed animal that I saved from when I was younger. I’m kind of hoping that will become her equivalent of Kaya’s Kitty.Dislikes: Getting her face wiped, being buckled into the car seat, us taking things out of her mouth (she always finds the tiniest piece of fuzz or one of the older girls’ hair elastics and attempts to eat them…), and apparently, she doesn’t like wearing hats either, even when it’s cold. Good thing she’s cute with or without it! 🙂Nicknames: Nellbells, Nels, Nella Bella, Nellie, Nella Sunshine.

Milestones, etc.: -Wow, all the milestones this month! We’ve gone from barely crawling to moving around like a pro! Rolling was her major method of transportation before, and now she hardly ever resorts to it, because she can crawl fast! She’s also pulling up on everything, and is even able to stay standing while she uses her hands to play with something else (granted, she does kind of lean on whatever it is she pulled up on, but still)!

-I did get her to take some steps while holding her hands yesterday! Big progress!

-I finally got this girl her own sippy cup, and she loves it! She’s surprisingly good at drinking from it, although she does spill a lot and tries to chew on it. She’s only had water in it so far though.

-She’s obsessed with babies, including her own reflection, pictures, or videos of other babies. She loves to hold my phone (turned off) just so she can see her reflection in it. Actually, she’s become a little obsessed with holding the phone and will get grumpy when I take it back. Who knew a black screen could be so amusing?

-She’s an insane wiggle worm, and she has to have something to hold while she’s nursing or having her diaper changed, otherwise her hands are everywhere and she can’t sit still. I give her the most random things from her dresser while I change her- the tube of butt paste, jar of vaseline, hair bows, and the snot sucker bulb. Haha!

-She also loves to “wash her hair” with the washcloth I give her after mealtime. We’ll ask her if that’s what she’s doing, and she smiles and scrubs away. She usually ends up pretty wet, but hey, when banana goop is stuck in her hair, she needs all the help she can get!

Dear Nella,

You still know how to light up a room! No one can resist fawning over you. Everyone tries to get you to smile at them, and I can’t blame them- you are the cutest little dimpled baby. It’s been really fun seeing your personality blossom. You’re a wild one, but you are so loving and sweet, too.

Your sisters absolutely adore you. They still ask to hold you all the time, even though you have much better things to do now that you’re mobile. They often reminisce about when they first met you, and they sometimes say, “I wish she was still a little baby.” I miss those days sometimes, too, but I really love seeing you getting stronger and exploring your world.

We love you little princess! Keep smiling.

Love, Mommy

nella: 12 months

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Height: 29 inches (39%)
Weight: 17 pounds 12 ounces (18%)
Head Circumference: 17.5 inches (35%)
Clothing size: Still wearing 9-12 month items, but I tried a few 18-month things on her, and they aren’t overly big! I guess I’ll be switching her wardrobe out soon.
Eye color: Blue.
Hair: Blonde! And she now has enough of it for a little tiny ponytail right on top of her head. She wore it that way for the first time at her birthday party!
Teeth: SIX! Just barely though, because the new one is hardly poking through, but it’s there!Eating: EVERYTHING! Really though! I keep joking that she’s my favorite because she never complains about what’s for dinner, she just eats it. She eats rice and beans, pasta, olives, cucumbers, mac and cheese, yogurt (although she still doesn’t really love us putting the spoon in her mouth), shredded cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Cheerios, and Goldfish crackers, which are her favorite (and she can recognize the package from a mile away).

We’re also super silly some mornings and play “Material Girl” by Madonna, but we change the words to “Cheerio Girl” while she eats her breakfast. She thinks it’s one of the funniest things ever.

She’s still nursing when she wants, which is probably about 5 or 6 times a day. That sounds like a lot to me at this age, but she seems to nurse twice as fast as she used to. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if she cuts back on her own here in the next couple of months, although I really love our cuddle time.

Sleep: She’s still a great sleeper, although with that new tooth popping through, she’s been waking up once at night to nurse. She goes down for bed around 7:30 pm, typically nurses around 6 am, and then goes back to sleep until anytime between 7 and 8 am. She naps for three hours in the afternoon, usually around 1 pm.Words: She is babbling a TON! However, still no real words, and she doesn’t seem to say “ma-ma-ma” as much as she used to. If you make up some babyish sounds to try and “talk” to her, she will “talk” right back, imitating you. It’s pretty fun!Favorite things: Her SISTERS! She adores any stuffed animal and absolutely loves balloons. She also loves going upside down, dancing, listening to music, going for walks, swinging, taking baths, and playing with Daddy! She especially loves it when he takes her around the house “looking for Mommy”, and when they find me, they rush toward me just like this, laughing the entire time.Dislikes: Getting her face wiped, and sometimes being buckled into the car seat. She also screams when we have to take something out of her mouth, like a piece of fuzz she found on the floor and tried to eat.
Nicknames: Nellbells, Nella Bella, Nellie, Nella Sunshine, and “Rolly Polie Olie”, because she rolls all over the place!Milestones, etc.: -She is CRAWLING! Although she mostly uses her arms in an army-type crawl, she can get where she wants to go. She’s great at turning herself around, and she still rolls everywhere, too.

-She can pull herself up, but not all the way, just to her knees. I’m just waiting for her to be climbing all over the place though!

-Her legs are getting stronger when she’s standing, but we pretty much have to make her exercise/practice putting weight on them.

-She shakes her head for “yes” or “no”, depending on what question you ask her. It’s funny though, because 90% of the time, her answer is no, no matter what you ask!

-She’s crazy and loves to try to grab the camera during our photoshoots! This might be my favorite picture of her, ever! It’s just so her.

-She still doesn’t really have typical “separation anxiety”, and will let almost anyone hold her. She does keep a close eye on her mommy the entire time, though.

-She gets crazy-excited when she sees or hears her mommy, even if I’ve only been out of the room for 30 seconds. I love how much she loves me.

Nella Joy, I still can’t believe you are ONE! I love you so much. Your birthday letter can be found here.What a difference a year makes!

nella: 11 months

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Clothing size: 9-12 month stuff! I finally found some like-new jammies for her at the used kids’ store here. You can’t beat $1.87 for some Carter’s brand jammies (just because they’re my favorite). And seriously… penguins!Eye color: As Kaelyn would say, “bluey!”
Hair: It’s filling in, still blonde, and it’s just starting to curl in the back! I won’t even brush it after her bath, and she’ll have a natural mohawk for days. Everyone compliments her “spiky hair”, and no one can resist touching it.
Teeth: FIVE! Another one poked through on the top, to the left of her front teeth.

Eating: It feels like we’re suddenly spending a whole lot less time nursing, and in a way, I miss having more snuggle time, but it is also nice to have a little more freedom. She’s still nursing about 5 times a day (every 3-4 hours or so) , but she’s so efficient that it’s quick. I also seem to forget that she isn’t a little baby anymore and doesn’t need to eat every 2 hours, despite my efforts to feed her that often. She tries really hard to pull my hair now when she’s eating, which is not at all fun.

Solids-wise, she loves everything: PB+J, pasta, cucumbers, grapes, crackers, yogurt, pancakes, cheerios, chicken, beef, cheese, rice… you give it to her, she will eat it! She makes it nice and easy for me. She usually gets some Cheerios as a mid-morning snack, and then she has whatever we’re having for dinner.

Sleep: Bedtime is around 7:30 pm, and she sleeps all night until she nurses around 6 am, and falls back asleep for about another hour or so. When I go in to get her in the morning, she’s usually doing some variation of a yoga pose (the Cobra?), and, of course, she’s smiling! I love this happy little sweetie, especially in the morning.

She also naps for about 3 hours every afternoon. She’s been having a hard time staying up until the older girls go down for nap/quiet time, so I’ve been putting her down around 12:30 ish now, just before lunch. I think our vacation wore her out, plus having a little cold and teething, so she’s been more than ready for her naps these past couple of weeks.

Words: Her only word is “Ma-ma-ma”, but it’s sounding more articulate, and she is definitely calling for me when she does it.

Favorite things: This might sound a little conceited, but I think Michael would agree- she LOVES her mama. If I’m in the room, I’m the one she wants to be with, and if anyone else is holding her, she’s still got her eyes on me. Of course, she also intensely loves her Daddy and her sisters. She loves when I spin her around and dance with her, laughing, and going “upside down”. Swinging at the playground is one of her very favorite things to do, and she still loves to play in the bathtub.Dislikes: Because she seldom falls asleep nursing anymore, she cries almost every time I put her in the crib. I usually give her something to hold, like a rattle or a stuffed animal, and that helps her calm down enough to fall asleep. She also really hates it when I have to get something out of her mouth that she’s picked up off the floor (it’s almost always a piece of fuzz)! She also gets so upset when I say “no” to her. She looks so heartbroken, like she’s let us down. It’s so sad!

Nicknames: Nellbells, Nella Bella, Nellie, Nella Sunshine, and Daddy’s new favorite, “Rolly Polie Olie”, because she rolls all over the place! (Kaya pronounces it,  “Holey Polie Olie”, which is hilariously adorable.Milestones, etc.: -She’s crawled about an inch, I think. Ha! She starts to make the movements, but then she just lays down and starts rolling everywhere. It’s kind of ridiculous! She is also able to rotate/turn herself around on the floor. I know she could really crawl if she wanted to.

-At this rate, I think I’m going to be carrying this little girl around forever because she is still nowhere close to pulling up, standing, or cruising along anything. Still, I do love how she takes a firm handful of my shirt, right at my shoulder, and fits so perfectly on my hip when I am toting her around.

-She would play peekaboo all day long.

-She loves wearing anything on her head- blankets, hats (except her own sunhat, of course), her Halloween costume… Bonus points if you take whatever it is off of her head and say “peekaboo!”

-She is babbling a bit more, and she thinks it’s so funny if we imitate her or babble back.

-She loves other babies, and her reflection, of course! She is obsessed with taking my phone, and I think it’s solely because she can see her mirror image in the screen!

-Keeping your headband on is so last month.

Dear Nella,

I can’t believe we have just a few weeks left until you turn one! I love you so much baby girl, and I sometimes still can’t believe how blessed we are to have you in our family. You are our little sunshine baby, brightening our days with your smile and shining eyes.It’s so easy to make you laugh, and I hope stay that way- so quick to see the good in life. You are okay with anyone holding you, even if you don’t really know them, as long as you can see your mommy nearby. I love the sweet bond that we share.

Now that it’s fall, I’m also excited to see you truly experience the upcoming holidays. You already love trying on your Halloween costume!

Love, Mommy

 

nella: 10 months

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Double digits! I can’t believe we’re so close to her birthday. Seeing how fast this year went almost makes me want to cry. How did my squishy little baby get so big?

Clothing size: All 9-12 month things! I am still squeezing her into 6-9 month jammies though, since I don’t have many in her size and haven’t been able to find a good sale on some new ones.
Eye color: Blue blue blue.

Hair: Suddenly it seems like she’s had a ton of hair grow in, and it’s making her look more like a kid than a baby.

Teeth: On the day she turned 10 months, she still had just two, but her top right tooth was visible under the gum. Since I’m 11 days late on this post, that tooth has now (just barely) popped through! I can see the top left ready to come in as well. Any day now!

Eating: I have never had a kid so ready to eat solid food. I gave her a little shredded chicken one night, and there was no going back- this girl loves finger foods, so we’ve dropped the baby food altogether and are basically doing baby-led weaning. She’s tried so many things, including Greek yogurt, shredded chicken, cheerios, cucumbers, shredded cheese, chicken and dumplings, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Goldfish crackers, vegetarian chili, chicken nuggets, french fries, spaghetti, and the tiniest bit of Chinese rice when we went out. She’s so willing to try almost anything, and I love it. Cheerios were her first real finger food, and she loved them until we let her try Goldfish. Now they just don’t seem as appealing, I guess. I even got her her own snack container, because if she sees her sisters eating crackers, she screams for some.

She’s still nursing every 2.5-3 hours, too.

Sleep: Bedtime is around 7:30 or 8 pm, and then she nurses around 6 am, and falls back asleep until 7:30 or 8 am. I don’t let her nap in the morning because I want all the girls to rest in the afternoon, so she has a little bit of a hard time staying awake, but she easily goes down for nap around 1 pm. She is silent for about 3 solid hours, which feels like such a long time without her.

Words: She says, “Ma-ma-ma” all the time when she wants her mommy! I’m counting it as her first word!

Favorite things: Her family (her sisters especially, since they’re so good at making her laugh), puppies (Scout or any stuffed animal), water and splashing in the bathtub, going “upside down” while we’re holding her, and dancing. She plays peekaboo with anything she can hide behind (even the Kroger sale flyer when she’s in the cart at the grocery store)!

Dislikes: She’s now the queen of finding any little piece of fuzz on the floor and trying to eat it, and she gets pretty upset when I have to fish it out of those cheeks of hers. Other than that, she’s still super easygoing.

Nicknames: Nellbells, Baby Sunshine, Nella Sunshine, Nell, Nell-Nell, Nells, Angel, Cheeks, Newwie (by Kaelyn), and “Baby Nella Sunshine Sprinkle Pop” and “Pushy Cheeks” (by Kaya).

Milestones, etc.: -She’s still not crawling! I know she has the muscle power to do it, and she’ll get on her hands and one knee, ready to go… it’s just that her other knee is usually folded under her, and she can’t figure out how to move it over yet!

-She LOVES seeing other babies (or herself in the mirror)! Instant smiles 🙂

-She’s so friendly and smiles at pretty much anyone. She also makes this crazy face when she’s so excited and happy:

-She’s still the ultimate thumb-sucker… and as soon as you ask her, “Do you want some milk?”, her thumb flies into her mouth.

-She claps and waves at people, but only when she feels like it. She also gives kisses, but sparingly now, so they’re a very special gift.

-She loves to “dance” by throwing her whole body into some odd vertical motion. It’s really pretty cute, but if you didn’t know she was dancing, you might be confused by it.

-She’s started to jump a little in her exersaucer, but other than that, she’s still not thrilled about standing. What’s the point when mommy carries you all over the place?

Dear Nella,

Sweet girl, how are you so big already? You have so much energy and zest for every single day, and I truly admire that about you. You are also one of the most patient babies I’ve ever seen, which I appreciate so much these days.You still love to snuggle, and you get the most excited whenever you see me. I love when your Daddy brings you to me in the morning and you have the biggest grin on your face.

You are silly and fun. It’s so easy to make you laugh these days, and I love it.

Love, Mommy

nella: 9 months

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Height: 27.75 inches (50%)
Weight: 16 pounds 12 ounces (23%)
Head circumference: 17 inches

Clothing size: I just switched her to 9-12 month clothing! I have a lot of very cute summery rompers from when Kaya was her age that I’m excited to use, but I might have teared up a little while packing away her smaller things. She just grew too fast!

We also decided to go ahead and move her out of “newborn” cloth diapers to the one-size snap ones. We ended up replacing the Bumgenius ones from the older girls (they were pretty worn out and not always leakproof) with some Alvas, and those have worked great so far.

Eye color: The brightest blue.
Hair: It’s really starting to fill in, and it’s still blonde, like her eyebrows!
Teeth: Two on the bottom in front, and that’s still all. She was super cranky for about a week, and I thought for sure she’d get some on the top, but nothing so far.

Eating: She’s nursing every 3 hours for the most part. It’s nice to have a bigger gap so I don’t have to rush out of the house for my run immediately after feeding her, or I have more uninterrupted time to sit and work with the older girls on their school lessons.

I gave her just tiny bit of pureed food (a blend of strawberry/apple/banana) for the first time, and she wasn’t really a fan. Other than that, we haven’t tried anything besides peanut butter. Kaelyn also tried to feed her a Goldfish cracker when we weren’t looking. Nella gagged a little, and Kaelyn was pretty upset and knows not to do that again.

Sleep: Not to brag, but if there were awards for how well babies sleep, Nella would be number one. She goes down around 7:30 or 8 pm at night, and then typically doesn’t wake up until I go nurse her at 6 am. She also takes a 3-hour-long nap every afternoon, as long as we’re home. If we’re out, she’ll nap in the car or stroller, but she crashes hard later that night if she doesn’t get her full nap time.

She also hates to see me go when I lay her in her crib, and will almost always start to cry as I walk away. I usually give her this pink Little People plastic pig to hold in an effort to distract her from missing me. Sometimes she holds it while she sleeps.

Favorite things: Her sisters, ripping/eating paper, stuffed animals, riding in the Ergo, and being outside. She loves snuggling, being tickled, being held high in the air, and trying to throw herself backward so she can hang upside down when someone is holding her.

Dislikes: Sometimes, she doesn’t like being buckled into her car seat. She is also very sensitive to other kids crying (or big sisters throwing fits), so sometimes she’ll bawl right along with them. She also really dislikes nursing with a cover, so I’ve pretty much given up on it.

Nicknames: Nellbells, Baby Sunshine, Nella Sunshine, Nell, Nell-Nell, Nels, Angel, Cheeks, Newwie (by Kaelyn), and “Baby Nella Sunshine Sprinkle Pop” and “Pushy Cheeks” (by Kaya).

Milestones, etc.: -She’s so close to crawling, but still not doing it quite yet! She just rolls and rolls until she gets to where she wants to go. She’s our first baby to do that (Kaya was a crawler, and Kaelyn would just scoot on her bottom across the floor). It’s fun to have a roller, although I am pretty surprised at how far she can get with this method of movement!

-We’ve seen her attempt to wave a couple of times, but it hasn’t happened all that much.

-Her main “language” for communicating with us is growling! Seriously… she can make a happy-sounding growl, as well as a sad and frustrated growl. It sounds crazy, but it’s true!

-She initiates peekaboo with us by pulling a blanket over her head, and always has the biggest smile when we “find” her!

-She still has no interest in standing on her legs… but her pediatrician and I agree that she’s just kind of lazy and doesn’t want to.

-She started giving the best big kisses! Daddy definitely gets the most though, by far!

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Nella Sunshine,

I love you more than words. I enjoy all the moments we have together, even if you happen to be a little fussy. You light up when I walk into a room, and don’t think I ever take that for granted. You are still very relaxed and will generally let anyone hold you, but I think your mommy is still your favorite.You love to put your head on me and curl up to rest, almost like a newborn baby. I love your smile and laugh and chubbiness. You still have that sweet baby smell, so sometimes, I just hold you and breathe it in.We sure do love you, Nella Joy!

Love, Mommy

 

nella: 8 months

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Clothing size: 6-9 months for almost everything. Her smallest cloth diapers are starting to get a little snug around all those tummy rolls!
Eye color: The brightest blue.
Hair: Looking back at pictures from a few months ago, I’m really missing the voluminous mohawk she used to have! It’s thinned out and lightened up so much! She’s our little blondie.
Teeth: We have two right down in front! Her right front popped through first, and in the last few days, I’ve been able to feel the ridges of her left front tooth as well, it just isn’t very visible yet.

Nursing: Pretty much every three hours during the day. Still no solids (besides peanut butter) because I’m not in any hurry for her to wean… and have you seen those cheeks? She’s definitely getting enough with just breastmilk (which I’m so thankful for)! She sure does love to sit up in the high chair though and just watch everyone.

Sleep: She was waking up once at night to eat when her first tooth was trying to break through, but after it came in, she’s back to sleeping from about 8 pm until 6 am (when I wake her up to eat). She’ll nurse and then usually stay awake for a little while, but she eventually falls back asleep until around 8 am. She naps for about 3 hours in the afternoon (although sometimes it’s hard trying to stay awake until the older girls are ready to go down for a nap).

Her transition to the crib has been seamless. Now that she has the room, she rolls between sleeping on her back, side, and stomach. She sucks her thumb most of the time she’s sleeping, too.

Favorite things: Her sisters, of course!She also loves stuffed animals now, and she still enjoys her baths. She kicks her legs in the water constantly and doesn’t mind getting all rinsed off. Most of her baths seem to happen due to her having a blowout diaper, though! She loves being tickled and when I kiss her irresistible little feet.

Dislikes: I can’t really think of anything. Sometimes she makes a pouty face like she’s going to cry, but then she usually doesn’t.

Nicknames: Nellbells, Baby Sunshine, Nella Sunshine, Nell, Nell-Nell, Nels, Angel, Cheeks, Newwie (by Kaelyn), and “Baby Nella Sunshine Sprinkle Pop” and “Pushy Cheeks” (by Kaya).

Milestones, etc.: -She gave Daddy a big, slobbery kiss a few days ago! I’m still waiting for mine!

-She’s rolling all over the place, but we are nowhere near crawling or pulling up. She isn’t even interested in standing/putting weight on her legs, despite my efforts to help her when I’m holding her and all the time I make her “work out” in the exersaucer. Hopefully soon!

-She loooves to pull hair and hold on to it. She especially does this with Grandma Gina when they’re snuggling and she’s about to fall asleep.

-She wraps her little arm around my shoulder and holds on when I’m carrying her on my hip. It’s the best!

-She doesn’t babble much, but her “talking” consists mostly of the “ahhhhh!” sound.

-She hardly ever cries (and takes us all by surprise if she actually does), and it’s so easy to get her to laugh. She’s still our happy sunshine baby.

-She sticks out her tongue when she’s super happy and excited about something!-She loves it when I dance around like crazy and then walk over to give her a kiss or hug. She really seems to like music, too.

Dear Nella,

Sweet baby girl… how are you 8 months old already? The time is flying by. I’m not ready for you to grow so fast, and yet, I’m so excited to see you meeting your milestones and enjoying the world around you.

I often catch you staring at me from across the room, with a big smile on your face all the while. It’s really flattering that you just sit there and beam at me, even when I’m completely wrapped up in something else and not directly interacting with you. You really love your sisters and your Daddy, but I think you’re truly a mama’s girl at this point. No one can calm you as quickly as I can.

I always take you to Young Women’s with me on Sundays, and many of the girls wait their turn just to hold you. Sometimes, you’ll fall asleep and nap on them. They sure do love you (even girls who say they don’t typically like babies).

You are my light, Nella. You brighten up any moment of any day. No matter how I’m feeling or what I’ve got on my mind, your quick-to-smile demeanor can turn it around and help me feel joy in an instant. I love you.

Love, Mommy

nella: 7 months

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Clothing size: 6-9 month-sized everything, except I did find a pair of 12 month leggings that fits her perfectly now. I think we can blame it on her huge diaper!
Eye color: Baby blue.Hair: She’s lost pretty much all the hair she was born with at this point, and some of the new growth on the sides is coming in super light blonde. It still curls up on its own after her bath and will randomly stick up at times.

Nursing: Just about every three hours now. We haven’t started solids yet, besides just giving her a little peanut butter to help prevent future allergies.

Sleep: This has been her roughest month of sleep so far. She had her first cold, which completely threw her off (she didn’t want to sleep at all), and then we had random wake-ups for about the following week. She’s also sporadically woken up for an extra feeding around 4 am some nights, too. I think we’re pretty much back on track now though!

She likes to go to bed around 7 or 7:30 pm, and she sleeps until I feed her at 5:45 am. Usually, she falls back to sleep after that until 8 am or so. She naps for three hours in the afternoon, too! Sometimes, she has a hard time waiting for her sisters to finish their lunch before I get everyone ready for a nap, so she just catnaps wherever she is for a little while until we’re ready to head upstairs.

She’s still sleeping in our room, although she is almost too tall for her bassinet. Daddy is ready for her to move to her own room, but I know I’m going to miss her so much when she does.

Favorite things: Her sisters are still her number one favorite thing! They act silly and she laughs like crazy. She’s also really started to like stuffed animals in general, and she actually plays with the toys on her exersaucer and bouncer seat now. It’s so easy to get her laughing that sometimes all I have to do is look at her and she starts giggling. She also loves going outside and watching us all play, especially when we blow bubbles and she can visually track their movement through the sky.

Dislikes: She really didn’t like having her very first cold (but who would?)- she couldn’t eat well or sleep much, and I think that just left her feeling tired and confused! Sometimes if she starts to feel sad, she makes the cutest, tiny-lipped pouty face. It usually only lasts for a second though, because overall, she’s still our happy little sunshine baby.

Nicknames: Nellbells, Baby Sunshine, Nella Sunshine, Nell, Nell-Nell, Nels, Angel, Cheeks, Newwie (by Kaelyn), and “Baby Nella Sunshine Sprinkle Pop” and “Pushy Cheeks” (by Kaya).

Milestones, etc.: -I know we’re kind of late to the game, but she rolled over (from her back to her tummy) all on her own for the very first time a few nights ago! And then, after a few minutes, just to impress us, she rolled to her back. She’s getting stronger; it’s probably only taking longer because I don’t give her as much time on the floor with her big sisters running all around.

-She’s always grabbing (and eating!) her toes!

-She’s still so close to sitting up… We’re just working on balance!

-She loves to look around and take in everything around her, even in the car. Most times when I peek back at her during a drive, she’s holding her head up high, not resting it up against the back of her seat. I love seeing that fuzzy hair of hers turning in all different directions as she makes her observations.

-She sticks her tongue out when she’s extremely happy or excited about something!

-I’ve heard her make some new sounds, like “mum” (she’s obviously just trying to say “mommy!”). She also likes to make this low, growl-like sound sometimes to try and talk to us. Usually though, she communicates with the sweetest, happiest little squeals.

-Just as a puppy wags her tail when she’s happy, Nella repeatedly kicks her legs when she’s excited about something. I love that just a smile isn’t enough- she has to get her whole body moving!

-Anytime she’s near a blanket (or clean laundry on my bed, let’s be real here), she purposely pulls it over her face and will “hide” until we come take it off of her and say, “peekaboo!”

-She still doesn’t really have any “stranger danger”, and will willingly snuggle with nearly anyone who wants to hold her.

Dear Nella,

I love that I can look over at you at any time of the day, and you always give me a giant grin. You are my sweet, happy little girl, and you are always bringing joy to everyone around you. No one can resist your gummy smile, chunky thighs, and tiny little toes.

Your sisters are excited for you to start crawling and ask me several times a week if you’re going to do it soon. We’ll see how excited they are once you can get into all their toys! I think they’re just ready for you to play with them like a “big kid”. I’m so excited for all your newest and upcoming milestones, but a big part of me just wants time to slow down a little so I can enjoy you just as you are now.We love you so much, Nellbells!

Love, Mommy