33 Weeks Old

August 21st: 33 Weeks Old

So, I THINK Blakely might be starting to talk!! This week she started saying "Mamamamamama," which is SOOOO amazing. However, she only says it when she is sad and alone in her bed at nap time. :( It is so incredibly hard to resist going into get her now, when she calls out my name on the monitor!! I can hardly wait for the day that she looks at me and says my name, and I KNOW that she saying it just for me!! I love her sweet little voice!!

She is so funny!! Only way to stop her from eating the sign was to put her sock monkey in her hand! She kind of looks like a "flower child" the way she is wearing her headband. Peace!

Highlights from the Week:
-Crawling Backwards: Blakely does a lot of "planking" and attempts to crawl, but she always ends up going the wrong direction. This initially made her really frustrated, but now she has figured out if she turns a 180 degrees she can go scoot backwards to her goal. Such a smart girl!
-"Mamamamma"but only when angry or sad
-Tries meat for the first time- really loves Turkey and Sweet Potato baby food!
-Loves animals!!! Blakely and I play "Safari" in the house and go hunting for big cats (ie Max our Black Kitty). EVERY time she sees him, she goes crazy!! She kicks and squeals, and ultimately lunges for him!! She is mesmerized by him, and he could care less! HA!

Picture Highlights from the Week:

Look at these 2 cool girls!! Love it!

Gigi and Blakely love to go for walks. Unfortunately ALL the strollers and wagons were at my house, so they had to go to the last resort..... the Bjorn. Love the sunglasses girls!

 

"Planking" and "downward facing dog." Blakely has not figured out crawling yet, but she is doing amazing things with her P90X routine! ABS OF STEEL!!

 

Blakely watching me make coffee in the AM... such a sweet girl.

If you have never seen Zoolander, then this pic is not for you.... for everyone else: BLUE STEEL!!

Blakely is just the happiest, cuddliest, cutest girl ever in the mornings. I just adore this picture of her sitting in her night dress, while I read her a stack of books! She loves books with silly rhymes, poems, and songs. Not quiet ready for an actual story yet. Love this girl!

 

32 Weeks Pictures

August 14th: 32 Weeks Old!!

Busy, busy, busy.... this is how I best describe Blakely!! She is super active and playful everyday. She does not want to lay on her tummy and contentedly play anymore... she either wants to be sitting up or "attempting to" crawl all around!! This girl is on the move!

So busy.... Blakely can't be bothered to look at the camera. HA! Sweet picture- I think she is holding hands with her baby doll!!

 Highlights from this Week:
-Blakely turned 7 months old
-Started attempting to use the Sippy Cup- messy, frustrating and fun!
-Stable sitting by herself for 15-30 minutes! Self corrects if falling.
-Tummy Troubles... switching from an all liquid diet to jar foods took its toll. Blakely had a small bout of constipation. I am not sure if it really even bothered her, but it made me so sad for her! I love you, Miralax!!
-Baby Bangs- it happened, now that I am officially not breast feeding my hair fell out! I now have the dreaded "baby bangs" all around my hairline! *sigh* Blakely is TOTALLY worth it!
- Loves to play.... she is so dexterous!

Picture Highlights:

I would like to think she is cuddling her babydoll, but I think she is actually wrestling her to the ground... I think Blakely is winning.

Loves to play with toys sitting up! Such a big girl!

7 months old, and super stable sitting up!!! She is getting so good at it!

Sippy 1/3: Blakely gets a good hold on her cup....

 

Sippy 2/3: She pulls the cup toward her...

 

Sippy 3/3: She "attempts" to drink from the cup.... after about 30 minutes of playing with it about 1 ounce of milk is gone! Not going to be her main source of milk yet, but we will keep working at it! Go Blakely!

31 Weeks Old

August 7th: 31 Weeks Old

Blakely is 7 Months old... which just sounds like crazy talk. I know I'm her mom, so I know I am probably biased.... but she is just the best baby in every way!! She is beautiful, sweet, easy to be with, so happy and oh, so funny. She has the ability to crack herself up and as a result.... have me and Rich is stitches as well. I just love this little Monkey!!

Counting down the days until her Cousin Banks gets here!!! (Alyssa is 36 weeks this week!)


31 Weeks old...these pictures are becoming a struggle. She is so active... she grabs her baby, then flops to her belly, she eats the weekly sign, she stares at the light...smiling for the camera is literally the least of her concerns. HA!

Highlights from the Week:

- Lots of quality time at home with Mommy!!

- Loves to be sitting upright... starting to check herself and correct if she is falling over. Getting really stable sitting up.

- 7 Months Old

- Blakely loves food.... she is decreasing her Milk intake and increasing how much baby food she eats.

- Blakely ESPECIALLY love puffs! Her hand eye coordination is getting SOOO good!

Picture Highlights from the Week:

I love this time of day.... right after Blakely gets up in the Morning, I bring her into my room and she sits in the sun and watches me get ready. She is such a little cutie in her little jammies!!

Figuring out how to bathe Blakely when Rich is on call is always a challenge.... this was our latest attempt, a bath ring in the kitchen sink. Worked pretty good, but I think we can ditch the ring once she is able to sit up a little more reliably.

Shot 1/3: She spots the puff.

Shot 2/3: She picks the puff up with her "emerging pincer grasp!" She is so advanced!

Shot 3/3: Success!! She gets the puff in, and she is so proud of herself!! Yeah Blakely!!

30 Weeks Old

July 31st: 30 Weeks Old

You know your a real mom, when....

You turn 30 and buy a Minivan all in the same week! HA! I think lots of people have breakdowns when they turn 30, mainly because they have not accomplished what they wanted to by that point in their lives. Maybe I need BIGGER dreams, but I loved turning 30! I feel like turning 30 was just a chance to celebrate, because I have accomplished EVERYTHING I wanted to do by the time I was 30! I am so richly blessed with a wonderful family, an amazing husband, a job that I LOVE, and the "cherry on top" BLAKELY!!

Highlights from the Week:
-Up on her knees and ROCKING!! We are just weeks away from her crawling... time to get serious about baby proofing the house.
-Blakely's Mommy turns 30!!
-Loves to jump... ALL THE TIME!
-Blakely gets a Minivan!! We bought our first new car... a VW, Routan. I never thought I would be so excited to get a minivan, but with a baby you just go to "survival mode." The doors and trunk all open and close with the push of a button. There is tons of space and storage for all Blakely's baby gear! It is amazing!!

Picture Highlights from the Week:

Love this pic... It's a little grainy looking on here, but it was taken on an iPhone. Gigi took this picture on my birthday... I think Blakely looks a little shocked that her mommy is 30 years old!

Banks had 2 showers this week. It was so much fun seeing all the cute stuff Alyssa's friends got her! Blakely loves a good party!! Love this picture with all the Tober girls together!

New favorite App: Picstitch

Yes, Blakely... Do you have a question?
WHEN IS MY COUSIN GOING TO GET HERE???? I am ready to play!

Visiting Daddy at work! I don't know who looks crazier in this picture!

Part 1/2: These next two picture are definitely not Blakely's most attractive pictures; however, she is super proud of her new ability to get up on her knees and rock.

Part 2/2: Look how high in the air she gets that little booty!! Won't be long now...

29 Weeks Old

July 24th: 29 Weeks Old

This week was insanely busy!! Blakely started doing all kinds of new things, and I started my new job!! First, I love my new job, but I hate learning a new computer system and I hate paperwork!! Oh well, this to shall pass.

It is so strange to be done with residency.... I have a real job. So strange. No matter how many times I say it, it just doesn't seem real. I feel like eventually someone is going to give me my pager back, and ask me why I haven't been in Morning Report. I am done. So weird.... BUT OH SO GOOD! :)

Trying to get this girl to stop exploring and look at the camera is almost impossible... notice how she is twisted and has a hold of the sign.

Highlights from the Week:
-Trying to get up on her knees..... but not quite.
-Blakely got her first TEETH... that's right, TEETH!! As in 2!! She wasn't drooly, she wasn't fussy...and all of a sudden there they were!! Such a good girl.
-Blakely says her first word!! "NANA"...as in Banana. Rich was going into work late, and we were feeding her some mashed bananas for breakfast. I was singing some crazy song about banana's, and then she started saying it, too! "NANA!" I'm sure it was just echolalia, but it was so amazing! I can't wait til she can talk to me, and tell me what she thinks and feels!! That day is going to blow me away.

Picture Highlights from the Week:

Wants to put EVERYTHING in her mouth... hmmm.... maybe I should have known the girl was teething.

"All I want for Christmas are my TWO FRONT TEETH!!" Too busy for a ton of pics this week, but we got the important stuff done!

28 Weeks Old

July 17th: 28 Weeks Old

A week of firsts for Blakely!! This week was my first week home with Blakely. I start my new job next week, but this week was just me and my girl!! We cooked, we played, we cleaned, we shopped, we lunched, we had family time together, and we went to church as a family... it was amazing! All the "normal" things that I have been dying to do with Blakely. Just "normal" days, but they were some of the best days of my life!!

Highlights from the Week:
- Consonants!! This week Blakely started making "words"!!! She said "Da-ba-da-ba-da-ba." Previously she had just babbles vowels!! I love when Blakely gets a new trick, because she KNOWS she did something good, and she is so proud of herself!!
- Mobile!! Blakely is attempting to crawl! She face plants, then lifts herself up on her toes and pushes off with her arms. Unfortunately, this puts her going backwards which is very frustrating for Blakely. She is trying SOOOOO hard! Batten down the hatches.... this girl is on the move!
- Started a new nap schedule- 1 in the AM and 1 in the PM.
- 6 Month Doctor's visit. Dr. Barbara gave her a clean bill of health and her 6 month shots.

Statistics from the Week:
- 16 pounds 4 ounces (50th%)
- 27 1/2 inches (>95th%)

Picture Highlight from the Week:

Chicken Little

Blakely loves to play in her Exersaucer!! She can entertain herself for almost an hour...she loves to jump in it and go absolutely crazy. She is so much fun to watch play. She is so creative; she just loves toys!

Blakely and her BFF (ie GiGi)

My Two Favorite Girls... and Blakely's rat tail/mullet

No teeth yet..... hmmmm?