Hello, February!

On February 9th Miss Savannah will turn 6 months old!  She goes for her 6 month check-up next week, but I don't need a Dr to tell me how well she is growing...last week I had to pack away all of her 3-6 month sized clothes.  She's getting longer by the minute & I've spotted a few little chubby rolls here & there on her, although she's still pretty petite & skinny!
She's not sitting up on her own yet but she holds her head up strong & high.  She certainly *tries* to sit up - whenever she is laying flat on her back she pulls her head up & does what looks like a sit-up.  Her motor skills are excellent - she grabs/holds her toys & can switch them from hand to hand now, too.  When she's on her belly she looks like an inch worm, scootching forward, trying her best to move.  She's taken a real liking to the doorway jumper & the walker - two "new" things for her to do.  She's always loved her bouncy seat, but she bounces so hard now that I'm afraid she is going to tip it over so I'll be packing that away soon.  She still enjoys to lay in the playpen & play with the various toys dangling down from the playmat in there.  When we're home she's constantly smiling & laughing, making all sorts of loud (but cute) squeals & noises.
She takes a 5-6 oz bottle twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon & once before bed - so she's getting approx 25-30oz of formula per day, which is just a little under the average amount of what the Dr would like her to be drinking.  We haven't started her on baby food yet, but we'll be introducing it to her very soon.  Up until recently I didn't feel she was ready. A lot of people start their babies on baby food much sooner than 6 months, but I've always waited until 6 months for my kids, so that they're almost sitting up.  There's no real nutritional value in the baby foods - they get all of their nutrition from the formula, so I've never been in much of a rush to "fill them up" on cereal & such.
Just like Kyle & Bella she is on an excellent schedule.  I work hard to maintain it & rarely disrupt it.  I firmly believe that this is why she is such a great sleeper.  When you get your baby on a schedule (and maintain it) not only are things easier for you, but for your baby as well.  It's worked for all of my kids - and as a result they're ALL good sleepers.  I don't need to lay down with anyone come bedtime.  There are rarely any tears come bedtime.  There are no struggles.  They all know when their bedtime is & there are no complaints.  In bed, lights out, see you in the morning.  Savannah usually takes 3 naps per day - 1 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon & then a little cat nap before bed, depending on how long her afternoon nap was.  Every night she has her last bottle around 7:30 & is in bed by 8.  She's almost always all smiles come bedtime - she's rarely cries herself to sleep, although there are times when she may fuss for a few minutes.  She continues to sleep straight through the night, waking in the morning anywhere between 6-7a.
What I love the most about bedtime is that she goes down with a smile on her face & wakes up with a smile on her face!  Can't ask for more than that, can we?

 Unfortunately, she continues to have issues whenever we're out of the house.  She is the happiest, most smiley baby when she's in her comfort zone - her home.  The minute we take her into public (and it doesn't matter where we're going - grocery store, department store, cub scouts event, karate, restaurant, someone elses house) she literally panics.   It's a horrible & it worries me to no end.  I feel SO bad for her, because it's clear that she's not simply "fussing" - she is in full blown panic mode.  You can see the fear in her eyes & it's heart wrenching to watch her cry real tears, even while being held.  I know all babies go through this phase - some worse than others - but Savannah has pretty much done this from day 1.  She seems so incredibly sensitive to noises & crowds.  I plan on discussing this issue with her pediatrician next week, although I'm sure there's nothing more we can do other than wait it out.  It's gotten to the point now where I actually feel anxious if I need to take her out somewhere.  If we're going out for an hour, I know that she's going to scream & cry for 55 minutes of that hour...and then the minute she gets home she is all smiles again.  I hope she gets over this soon!!  In the meantime, I've taken to calling her my delicate little flower..

In other news, Kyle is now the proud owner of the "green belt stripe" in Karate - the last belt before the brown belt!  He had his test last week & boy did he nail it!  His balance (something that he generally struggles with) was *perfect*.  Infact, I was FLOORED over how perfect it was.  Earlier that morning, during practice, he was all over the place.  He had almost NO balance at all.  Yet when it came time for his test, he was right on target.  Go figure!!  He really enjoys Karate & I'm happy about that.  Not only is it great discipline but boy it's also an excellent form of exercise!

My little Bella Bug had her 2 1/2 yr check-up at the Dr's this morning.  She is 28 lbs & 35" in height.  I do believe she's destined to be short like her Mama!
She continues to enjoy doing arts & crafts and she REALLY looks forward to her weekly playdates with her new friend Myles.  There is only a few weeks age difference between these two adorable toddlers.  Myles is a bit shy, but after a short while he opens up & is quite simply the cutest little guy ever.

Well hello there, handsome!  He's usually seen covered in grease from head to toe, but he sure does clean up nicely, wouldn't you agree?