The Davis Family Blog: July 2013

WHOA! Time please slow down. It does not seem real that our little girl is already 9 months old. About two weeks ago she finally got all those body parts working together and can now crawl...this makes for lots of busy days. After a day at home with her, you are truly exhausted. She tries her best to escape during diaper changes, clothes changes, etc. Dressing her these days has been quite a task. She does not like getting dressed. Some days I just let her play her heart out only wearing a diaper. It's just not worth the battle sometimes.

We left for vacation on Monday, July 1st. We rented a condo in Daytona for the month and will be going back this weekend. EK and I will probably be staying there for the next two weeks and Hunter will come down for some long weekends. We also have friends and family coming to stay with us some while we are there. For the most part, EK loved the beach and pool. She did have her moments where she did not want to have any part of it but then other times she would sit there and play, splash, and eat sand. She took a few good naps on the beach from being so worn out. One night she even went to bed at 6:30 and didn't get up until the next morning (besides us waking her up to feed her one last bottle). Even though we woke her up, she still went right back to sleep and slept through the night. She also loved her morning rides through Daytona with Daddy!

We did realize that EK is a homebody and there is no place she would rather be than home. She was so excited when we walked in the house after being at the beach for the week. She has become very clingy and with so many "new" experiences at the beach I think it may have been too much for her to handle at times.

Eating out takes on a whole new meaning with little Miss Busy-body! She has always been very good in restaurants but now we can barely get through a meal without having to take her outside or feed her what's on our plate. We have started introducing a little table food to her here and there and she loves it. It's so funny to watch her watch us eat. We don't get many bites in before she wants some.

Before we left for vacation, we moved Ella Kate to a new carseat. She LOVES it. She seems a lot more comfortable in it and did so great riding to and from Daytona in it. She has always been a great baby as far as car rides go so that's nice when traveling long distances.

Ella Kate can say "Ma-ma", "Da-da", and "Bye-bye" now. She hasn't associated Mama and Daddy with us yet and also doesn't know what bye-bye means, but she does wave her hand when we say it. Bye-bye was her first word, then came Ma-ma, then Da-da. I love hearing her sweet little voice!!!!

She is still taking 2 hour naps each day. Thank goodness. She went through a little spell a few weeks ago where she would only sleep about 45 minutes to an hour during naptime. She is napping earlier now...usually 11:30-1:30 instead of 1:00-3:00.

EK still doesn't have any teeth. She had another little episode of not feeling well and a fever for a few days so we were hoping it meant those teeth were coming through, but they have yet to appear. I have heard the later they come in the better, so let's hope that is true!

A few of Ella Kate's favorites/things she loves:
--She loves her paci (especially her wubbanub). We're supposed to take it away after 6 months but she is attached to it and it's so much easier to give her that at night because she can feel for it if she wakes up. She is down to her last one and Hunter and I have made a promise that once this one is ready to trash there will be no more. She will take a regular paci- but she loves having something to hold onto.

--She loves to sit on her knees and rock back and forth.

--She loves looking out the window and seeing outside.

--She loves being outside and riding in the golf cart in the afternoons with Mommy & Daddy.

--She loves trying to pull up on anything she can find.

--She loves knocking her monitor off of her crib so that we can't see what she is doing! HAHA!

--She loves ice cream!

--She loves pulling my hair. Especially the little tiny ones that hurt the most.

--She loves slapping the tub, tables, trays, etc.

Now for the pictures: I took LOTS of pictures at the beach...I just don't ever want to forget these precious memories we are making together. But I'm only sharing a few (or 50) of my favorites. :) Enjoy!

She was excited when we told her we were going to the beach!

Sitting in her beach chair on the beach. She has been practicing how to use this chair at home. :)

First Day on the beach- July 3, 2013!

Beach bum!!

This girl had it made on the beach. Her own personal pool!

Digging in the sand with Daddy.

"Aww, Mom. Don't take my picture right now!"

With Aunt Sarah before dinner.

Dinner at Inlet Harbor with Daddy!

And with Mommy!

Eating sand in her 'kini on July 4th!

Nap time! How does she sleep like this?

July 4th pictures. Happy girl. Kidding!

I really want to frame this one.

Family photo on the 4th!

First time in the pool in Daytona.

Splashing the water.

She loved cruising around the pool in her float.

EK in the first outfit we bought when we found out we were having a GIRL!

Family photo at dinner at Down the Hatch.

Davis girls!

Pool time!

Love those chunky legs!!!!!!

First time at Cowlicks. Waiting on Daddy to order her very first ice cream cone.

She is ready.

First bite...

"Mmmmmmm, thanks Mommy & Daddy!"

Driving the ice cream truck.

Last night- going out to dinner at Aunt Catfish's.

At Aunt Catfish's. It was yummy!

She couldn't decide which soap she wanted to use. This was on the day she turned 9 months old. Picky picky!

Washing her mouth out with soap already?

That's our sweet baby!!

These aren't the best pictures because she would only stay put about .5 seconds. And I was by myself.

Happy 9 months Ella Kate!

Silly, silly!

Love those blue eyes. Melts my heart!

"Alright, I'm done."

****9-Month Check-Up****

Since we were on vacation for most of July, we rescheduled Ella Kate's appointment a little later than usual. We had her 9-month check-up on Thursday, July 25th. At this appointment, our little one weighed 18lbs., 5 oz. and was 28.5 inches long. She was in the 75th percentile for height (we don't know where she gets that trait from). That also means that EK has grown 7 inches since she was born and has gained almost 11 pounds since then. It's hard to believe how much she has grown! The doctor also told us that EK can start eating everything that we eat as long as it is mashed up well. She told us to go ahead and introduce her to things cooked with eggs and that when she turns a year old she can start having whole milk. EK was VERY talkative during this visit. She was talking and smiling at everyone. She can be such a little clown sometimes. We didn't have ANY shots at this visit which was very nice! I can't believe that the next time she goes back to the doctor she will be ONE year old.

After EK's doctor visit, we had a Mommy/Daughter day running all over Statesboro!! She was such a trooper. I am really dreading leaving her to go back to work. I have enjoyed each and every day spent with her this summer.

I also wanted to share last of our vacation pictures with this update. We did have another episode of EK not feeling well while we were on vacation. She ran a fever for a couple of days and nothing was helping except for Motrin. We have learned that Tylenol does not help EK at all. We were thinking MAYBE it was finally those teeth coming through, but at her check-up they said she still wasn't showing much of a sign of teeth coming in. It sure isn't fun seeing your baby hurt and not feel good. It makes me feel very helpless when there is nothing I can do to make her feel better. :( :(

Here are some photos of our last few days of fun in Daytona: