The Davis Family Blog: May 2013

Life has been SUPER busy in the Davis household which is why I am blogging a couple of weeks late! This past month and a half was full of firsts, lots of sadness, and proud Mommy moments. Here goes...

We had EK's 6-month check-up on April 18th (after I had already blogged) and she weighed in at 16. 2 pounds and 26 1/2 inches long. She also took her shots much better this time. She only cried for a minute and slept a lot afterwards. She has always done very well with her shots except for the ones she got at 4 months. For some reason, they made her VERY fussy! So we were glad she did better with them this time. We were also told that we could start introducing a sippy cup and puffs to EK. The sippy cup is still a work in progress. She's not too interested in it right now but is trying to figure it out. She has grown to like the puffs much better. Those first few days she made the funniest faces when she ate them and watching her try to pick them up was hilarious. At first, she just slapped her whole hand down on them. It was pretty funny to watch. After about a week, she was able to pick them up and put them in her mouth! We're working on getting her to grasp them with her fingers and not her whole hand. Another topic the doctor discussed with us is to start training EK to go to sleep on her own. Ella Kate has been such an easy baby to train when it comes to sleep. She has slept through the night since she was 2 months old. However, we were very guilty of holding her after her last bottle until she fell asleep. So, the doctor wanted us to make sure she was fully awake during her last bottle and then lay her down a few minutes after to let her fall asleep on her own. She stressed how important it is to establish a nighttime routine for her and get her to learn to fall asleep in the room she will sleep in for the night. That way, if she happens to wake up she won't be so startled and it will help her learn to not depend on someone holding her in order for her to go to sleep. I am happy to report that she has done so well going to sleep on her own. It's pretty amazing that she "knows" when it's bedtime. She hasn't fussed at all after we've put her down to go to sleep. We lay her down around 8:30 and she usually sleeps til 6:45 or 7:00! And that makes us all very happy! We also have started "brushing" EK's gums and inside of her mouth before bedtime to help prevent cavities. She loves when we rub inside her mouth and gets the biggest smile on her face!

This past month, we have began to make some combos with Ella Kate's food. We've made her a mango/banana combo and oatmeal with apples. She's also had green beans but they don't refrigerate well so we won't be making many more of those! She doesn't seem too crazy about "green" food and will eat sweet potatoes every day if we'd let her. We will still continue to make some of her baby food as she gets older but she has really began to like Gerber's organic food that comes in the pouches. So we will probably begin using a little homemade as well as store-bought!

She has been rolling over like crazy since 6 and 1/2 months and we've had to be much more careful with where we lay her. She can even turn over in her Nap Nanny! For a while, she would only roll over every now and then and we just decided that she wasn't really getting enough practice because we hardly put her down. But, over my Spring break she wanted to show off her skills. She even rolls over while I'm holding her in my arms and rolls right to her belly when we lay her down to sleep. Diaper changing isn't so easy anymore either. :) Since the Nap Nanny isn't so safe for her at this point, we have given it to our niece, EK's newest cousin, Hadley to use! Ella Kate has also learned to sit up ALL by herself. She is getting SO big SO fast!

This month, EK helped me celebrate my 30th birthday on May 7th. We even gave her a taste of birthday cake. She LOVED IT!! Oooopss!

A few days after my birthday, Hunter's grandma (Nan) passed away on May 10th. She had been in the hospital for many months and we knew she didn't have much longer here on Earth. So, Hunter, his mom, and Sarah left on Thursday, May 9th to drive to Kentucky to visit her. They arrived around midnight Thursday night/Friday morning and were able to see Nan for a little while Friday morning. She told each of them hello and then passed away at 10:15 a.m. I am so glad that they were able to see her before she was called to heaven. That same night, my sister and I plus the kids all went to Savannah to visit my Great-Uncle Gene who was in the hospital and not doing so well either. He passed away on Monday, May 13th. Although both of these people were (and still are) very special to us, we know that they are pain-free and living in a place beyond our imagination. Nan's funeral was held on Monday, May 13th, but I was unable to go because of how crazy and busy school is right now. However, we were able to fly up Saturday (May 11th) and fly back Sunday afternoon so that we could spend time with the family and spend my first Mother's Day with Hunter. Uncle Zach flew with us and I couldn't have done it without him. She did so well on all four flights except for the flight from ATL to KY on Saturday. She did pitch a little fit on that ride!! It was right in the middle of her naptime and I am pretty sure her ears were bothering her, too. She finally calmed down after about 15 minutes of crying and went to sleep right when we were landing. Let's also say that if you have a constipated baby, plane rides will help that! I had many fun diaper changes on that trip. :)

We celebrated my very first Mother's Day this month..................Being a mother is the most precious gift I have ever been given. The Lord has truly blessed me. I cannot thank HIM enough for giving me this precious little girl that I can call "mine". I know that as the years go by each Mother's Day will be special, but this is one that I will always remember. We celebrated it in Winchester, KY and were honored to spend the morning at Ella Kate's Great-Grandma's (Nan's) church. I know she is smiling down on us every day and is enjoying each and every day in heaven. Hunter and I are so thankful that she was able to meet Ella Kate when we visited at Thanksgiving. We will always make sure that Ella Kate knows how much she was loved by her Nan.

I am so ready for a fun-filled summer with Ella Kate. We will be in Daytona for the whole month of July and I cannot wait to see her in all of her cute little swimsuits and bubbles (I may have a small shopping problem)! I will also be busy planning her first birthday party this summer because I know I will hardly have time when school starts back. I am so glad that school is out and that I can spend the next two months at home with my baby girl. That is one of the greatest perks of being a teacher!

Ella Kate- I hope that you always know how much I love you and how much I love being your Mommy. You have brought me a joy that I never knew existed. I hope that one day when you grow up and read about your journey growing up that you always know how special you are to your Daddy and me. Nana Linda shared this saying with me one day a few years ago and I have never forgotten it "I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow!" That couldn't be more true and I hope you always know how much you are loved!

Below are some pictures of the last month (and a half)! :)