Last week before 5 months old

And, in this week:

Our 'Hoot, Hoot' back? Check. (And, I might add... she's "hooting" like crazy these days!)

Carrots? And, successful attempt? Check. And, check.

Sweet Potatoes? Not quite (will start on Sunday), but sisters went all out helping to pick all the rest of the 1st Foods for the next month or so and are so excited to see their Bay Breeze/Beeba Show try them.

Extensive practice on all 4's rocking back and forth in pre-crawling motions? Check. (The girl puts Maddie and Faith to shame with doing everything well before they ever did, which leaves me- good ol' Momma- quite excited, yet sad!).

Hair finally starting to grow back? Check. (My attempts at barrettes still have yet to work, but boy, do we love this fuzzy little head!)

Flirting while supposed to be eating? Check. Check. Check. 

We just love this soon-to-be 5 month old!

Joys of baby laughter

Her laugh had a sound to it today!! 

Dan and I both looked at each other and couldn't believe she laughed out loud with sound today! She's been laughing out loud now for over a month, but today was the first time it had sound to it. It was the most adorable sound ever!

Beeba Show has been not as 'silent' the past two days, and I don't know why I ever start to worry about such crazy things! I swear she's just been honing her skill of wanting to crawl, and maybe it caused a temporary forgetfulness as to her speech. 

"Oat boats"

My happy baby eating her oatmeal for the first time! 

Needless to say, she loved her oatmeal!

Just worrying.. I'm sure for no reason

http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2007/10/4-month-olds.html

This totally cracked me up. I was researching something totally random, and I found this and I couldn't help but laugh at how true so many of these posts are.

Since Abrie's infancy is clearly the most "fresh" in my mind (duh!), I can totally relate. I never, ever even realized that there actually is a "sleep regression" for 4-month olds. Abrie did this instead at 3 months until about 3 1/2 months. I attributed it to her being sick at the end of July, but maybe there is some weight to the theory? 

Either way, it was fun to read through those posts!

*******

My "random" research was due to my worry as of late: we don't have our "resident owl" anymore, well, at least not as of recently. Our Hoot Hoot. Aka: Little Breeze. 

She hasn't been vocal for the past maybe two weeks or so. It's strange. And, her laugh that I like to call her "stuck laugh?" It seems even stranger because it's as though she's laughing, but silently. She's as happy as can be and still smiles and laughs (silently! ha) but doesn't "talk" to her sisters or us or her toys as of recently. I'm thinking maybe it's because she's the darling of our family and we do all the talking for her?? I've made it a point though since I've noticed this to make sure I'm stopping my lengthy conversations and letting her have her say... but, she's still.... silent.

I'm sure it's absolutely nothing!

New things for Breeze

Baby girl is moving and shaking.

She is up on her knees these days and will move forward like a caterpillar. It's the beginnings of crawling, and it's surreal to me to see her doing these things. Big sisters are excited, and yet at the same time Maddie tells me "I want Bay Breeze to be little for always!" 

She's been in the walker at the new house. Maddie and Faith think it is great that they can move her around as if she is in her own little car. They call it her 'vehicle.' Ha! I really wish I hadn't sold their old jumperoo because I really think she would like that. I might try the consignment shop for one in a few weeks.

Her laugh is hysterical. I like to call it her "stuck laugh." It's as though she gets stuck laughing!

Naps and bedtime are clockwork, and have been for almost a month now:

1st nap- 9-10am

2nd nap- 1-3pm

Bed- 7pm-7:30am

Like she's always been missing

May 20, 2004. April 11, 2006. September 6, 2008.

All days we found out we were pregnant with Madison, then Faith, and then Abrielle.

September 6th will forever be imprinted in my mind. Dan and I were just talking about it before he went to work right now, and I find it ridiculous to think back at how I nearly hyperventilated when we found out we were pregnant with our Breezer. Honestly, I get embarrassed at the way I reacted. But, I know that I was only preoccupied with worries instead of joy for reasons that only meant well. 

I was overtaken with the enormous worry of, how will I ever be able to split my love equally between three if I thought it was hard enough to divide it between two? That thought still sometimes creeps into my mind, and I worry about making sure I feel confident at the end of the day that Maddie, Faith, and Abrie each went to sleep knowing how very, very much their Momma loves them. 

It's crazy though. If there's one thing I've learned it is that my love has not been divided at all. It has expanded. Threefold. Period.

It's crazy because Abrielle was born, and I remember thinking that this was the way it was supposed to always be. I couldn't even remember anymore what it had been like without her. I will always remember this day in September and look back on it and remember that even then, my Breeze was with me. She was that force that kept telling me it would all work out, and it has. Perfectly.