8.5 months - 1/20/05

There's not a lot of chance that I'll ever return to making regular journal entries. There just isn't enough time. So I'll just make some entries every now and then to get you up to speed. I do manage to make updates to the milestones page, so feel free to check that out when I haven't made an entry in awhile.

I cannot believe how old our little girl is getting. And how big. Those first 4 months were agony, but now time is flying by. Just recently she started sleeping through the whole night. I believe this is a result of both her weaning from nursing and 3 solid meals every day (and some snacks). The weaning thing didn't happen when I had wanted it to. I was aiming for 1 year, but she had other ideas. I thought we were going through our 3rd nursing strike but it went on for 7 days. So we went to see the pediatrician and she told us that Ella was weaning. Done nursing. Had too much to do to sit still for that long. So I was a bit sad, but also relieved. Such a big responsibility nursing is.

Ella drinks milk out of sippy cups like a big girl. And a lot of her meals she feeds herself by using her hands. I have to get creative in finding healthy things she can eat that won't be a choking hazard. She's a finicy eater. Some days will eat what I offer on a spoon, other days will refuse.

Ella's favorite foods these days are yogurt, waffles, fruit puffs and wheels, bananas, meat sticks (look gross, but hey, if she likes 'em then they're okay!), tator tots, and cheese.

Right now our joy (and great source of trouble) is that she can pull herself up to a standing position. This is bad when she's supposed to be sleeping. She just stands in her crib, screaming. I'm not sure what to do about it, but if it continues for much longer I think I'm going to have to let her cry herself to exhaustion. :(

We have also abandoned the baby bath seat. Ella bathes like a big kid now. She LOVES bathtime. If she's been crabby all day we can rely on bathtime to cheer her up. Of course that doesn't mean she won't crank back up once we take her out of the tub.

And that's probably it for now. Before I know it I'll be making an entry for her 1st birthday.