The Wednesday Weekly - Week 24

24 weeks?? wait a minute how did that happen??  It's crazy to think that in just a couple more weeks my sweet babe will be a half a year old!  Sweet Finnley girl has been another dream baby this week, we have had our fair share of crying meltdowns but overall once she see's me or I pick her up the crying instantly stops!! It's crazy y'all, just plum crazy.

Week 24

Eats: like I mentioned last week, I am continuing on giving her green beans and I'll let you know something - she loves them now.  Like she keeps lunging at the spoon and just wants more and more.  We haven't introduced anything else new but I have some butternut squash that is calling her name and now that we are officially in Fall I think that I can go ahead and give that to her.  The Finn is still loving her bottle and is so much more animated about it now.  We have had 3 extra bottles in our drawer just hanging out because we didn't have any more level 2 nipples...well I finally decided to just open up and sanitize the 3 pack of level 3 nipples so that we could be using all of our bottles.  Feedings are going much faster (well for Finnley anyways, Ellie on the other hand takes about a day and a half to eat an apple slice...) now that is what I'm talking about.

(might have to retire those socks)

Sleeps: the babe is still sleeping in her room and let me tell you how much I love it.  I can't say that I am sleeping through the night because I find myself rolling over and taking a peek at what she's doing (sleeping FYI) and then it takes me a while to fall back to sleep.  I have also been working on getting her to nap with one arm out and it's been going pretty well.  Since we moved her into her room she hasn't been giving me the nearly 4 hour nap I was accustomed to but I think with so many changes and her age that is probably normal.  Hopefully she'll get back into that napping/sleeping sweetspot soon.

(channeling our Longhorn love)

Does: she SITS!! oh my word I am so excited that she is finally sitting.  She has gotten so much more comfortable about it too that she is even lifting up and moving her arms around.  This is a total game changer and a skill that I've been looking forward to for quite a while.  Pretty soon both girls will get to be in the shopping cart a Costco and that thought makes me smile.  She smiles and laughs and cries like a banshee. She melts our hearts and is such a sensitive little babe. 

Goes: no where new this week but we made some trips to the store, nursery (for my line of trees for privacy) out to Dim Sum, work, and home on the farm.  In my memory Ellie was so good and just being with us and going out with us all the time, Finnley has been a little bit more challenging but I think that we have turned the corner and she is a pleasant little pea to be out and about with.  She is much calmer and seriously falls asleep almost every time I put her in the Ergo.  We did head out to a mall because Ellie really wanted to go to the Disney Store.  We had switched cars and totally forgot to bring a carrier or stroller (#parentfail) but luckily Thomas had a backpack in the car so we improvised.  Finnley was totally comfortable, our arms were good and she even fell asleep. *note that we made sure to put an extra carrier in all the cars*

Loves: my Dad was over last week to help me prep our fence line for the trees I got to plant for privacy and Finnley loves my Dad!!! It is just the sweetest thing.  Finnley got the biggest giggles the other day watching Ellie swing, so that might have to be a new past time for us girls. She love her blankets, or just about anything she can get in her mouth, it's still a tie between her fingers and toes! That girl!  She has also been really interested in my phone lately - mainly SnapChat (alifeonthefarm) and I don't blame her those filters get me every time.  And I think that Mama (myself) is her absolute favorite thing ever.

Of Note: she is sitting up!!! has used level 3 nipples, eats green beans, and is enjoying tummy time.  I have pretty much gotten rid of all the 0-3 month size clothes and am trying to figure out what clothes we already have of Ellie's that will fit her and is seasonally appropriate.  I have also been able to transfer the sleeping babe from Ergo to car seat and car seat to Ergo on several occasions and sometimes from one to the other and back again!!! 

Mama: I just want bottle up Finnley's sweetness right now.  I think we are on the cusp of teething and while I am anxious to get that over with I just want to soak up how much Finnley loves me.  I love just watching her and also Ellie and how they are interacting with each other more and more every day.  Being their Mama is simply the best and I wouldn't want to trade either of them for anything.  These two girls were meant to be my daughters and even though the road to motherhood was nothing short of challenges I am so blessed by these two!

Sister: Ellie is obsessed with Finnley and that is no understatement.  I have some friends who have brought home baby number 2 recently and have learned that this transition isn't always so easy.  So I have yet one more thing to applaud my sweet Ellie Faith for.  She really has just been a star and loves her sister so.  She wants Finnley to go with us everywhere, to include her in just about everything, tries to tend to her needs, begs for her to sleep in her bed nightly, and announced the other day that she just wants Finnley when we talked about having another brother or sister.  I think she thought that a new brother/sister would be replacing Finnley...oh how that little 3 year old brain works!!  I do want to say that even though Ellie is totally rocking it as a big sister and I am always singing her praises in this section of the update she did throw one of my halloween decorations (a crow with wires in the feet) at Finnley and made contact with her face...so just when you thought I had the perfect child... ;)

♥ Ashley

previous weeks

one two three four five six seven eight nine ten 

eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen twenty

twentyone twentytwo twentythree

Ellie at 24 weeks

The Wednesday Weekly - Week 23

Wow I can't believe that were at 23 weeks already!! That means just three more weeks and the babe is a half year old!!! This week has been one for the books she has really come into herself and we are loving her more and more!!

Week 23

Eats: we've started solids!!! All the praise hands. So far she has tried avocado (miss) banana (hit) green beans (miss - but still forcing) applesauce (win). She's also all about the bottles and I may or may not have given her the tiniest of bites of my Starbucks pumpkin loaf. I still wanted to mention that she is still spitting up - not as much as she used to but we have not passed that stage yet and I am so anxious to be done with it!!  We have also been working on getting her to help hold the bottle with a little bit of success as long as we set her up "just right". 

Sleeps: so for a while (maybe a week or two) Finnley babe has decided that a middle of the night wake up was necessary. In our laziness and desire for our own sleep we'd get her a bottle and feed her in our bed and then promptly fall back asleep...with her co-sleeping. But after two weeks enough was enough, I finally ordered the blackout curtains (because baby likes it dark) and we moved Ellie's monitor (which she was not happy about) into Finnley's room. On Sunday she took her first nap and we had her sleep in her room for the night. She woke up and we just turned the monitor off and she settled herself back down to sleep until a more appropriate time of 5:30am. We've been doing that for the last few days and hopefully she'll start sleeping through again!! Naps are generally pretty good and this week I am going to start unswaddleing her. 

Does: we've been working hard core on getting girlfriend to sit on her own and she can now do it for about 15-20 seconds at a time. The more we do it the better she'll get. She's all about smiling and has made major improvements on her tummy time attitude. We've had a few more giggles though they have mainly been from Ellie's shenanigans...we'll take it because her laugh is the best thing ever. I was also able to get her to take a paci on Sunday and that was the bees knees...haven't had much success since but we're still trying. 

Goes: all the same places but she's been mostly joining us via ergo though this week we started using the stroller more and she seems so much more comfortable (must be from tummy time and sitting practice). We went on a nature scavenger hunt and couple of new parks and then just the regular suspects. Oh and a trip to target where she because Kylo Ren!

Loves: big sis is her favorite - she always gives her the giggles. She's enjoying her new car seat and just being a part of all the fun. Toys are becoming more attractive and she loves her Sola goat, which make us goat farmers very pleased. 

Mama: this week was the best and I am just loving seeing Finnley's little personality emerge and that she is starting to hang and participate more! These days are just going to keep on getting better...especially now that we have our room to ourselves and can start sleeping again ;)

Sister: holy moly these two are so cute. I am constantly finding them holding hands in the car when it's time to get out and that is just too precious. I think it's safe to say that they are both obsessed with each other, just Ellie is able to express it more. These two are just the best!!

♥ Ashley 

previous weeks

one two three four five six seven eight nine  ten

eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen twenty

twentyone twentytwo

Ellie at 23 Weeks

The Wednesday Weekly - Week 22

Holy cannoli we're at 22 weeks already? I can't believe that my sweet little is 5 months already. I have to say that this stage is so much better than even a month ago and I know from experience that it just keeps getting better and better. 

Week 22

Eats: girlfriend has tried some solids!! Totally doing a different approach this time around. She's has avocados, feta cheese, bananas, and the tiniest bite of mac'n'cheese. The only thing she really seemed interested in was the feta cheese. I'm thinking that applesauce will be a good next food - mostly because it's in my fridge ;) otherwise the babes been downing bottles of formula left and right. 

Sleeps: PTL we are finally back to napping. Some days are closed to 3.5 hours while others are closer to 2. She also takes a few cat naps a day either in the car seat, Ergo, or lounger. But her longer naps and nighttime sleep she is still swaddled and (gasp) still in our room!! I'm planning on working her out of the swaddle this week - at least one arm. 

Does: tummy time, exersaucer and bouncers. Finnley babe is getting more comfortable in these positions and can actually amuse herself for a bit of time, which is so nice...additionally she is working her tummy muscles during these which will hopefully lead to her sitting up on her own pretty soon.  Let me tell you that is a game changer and I am so looking forward to it.  I've been working on being on the floor with her to get her used to sitting up and she is still arching her back to flop backwards - so maybe she's not ready.  She is laughing more, smiles all the time and is gnawing on lots of things, so maybe she is starting to teethe??  

Goes: we visited a couple of preschools for Ellie (and chose one), went through the car wash, over to the Nanny house, and the dog park.  The babe has been a great addition to all of our excursions and is finally starting to be able to hang during our adventures. (car seat photos courtesy of Ellie Photography)

Loves: Baby Finnley is all about her activity mat, lounger, and we are using the Boppy for more than just feedings.  She also is loving just about anything she can get her mouth on: toys, hands, my fingers, my nose, and her toes are the favorite.

Of Note: we finally opened the size 2 diapers and they fit SO much better, I am not sure what took us so long.  Finnley's convertible car seat came in and she helped me get it all adjusted and went for her first ride in it today! Sweet girl hit the 5 month mark and my heart is overwhelmed with love for her.  She has the sweetest personality and I really cannot get over how much she loves me and how I have this ability to just calm her...it doesn't get old!!  We also dropped big sis off at preschool and have had the opportunity to have some Mama/Finnley time.

Mama: my sweet girls are the highlight of my days.  I love getting to spend so much time with them, giving them time together to grow their friendship, and being there for them all throughout the day.  Having the ability to be home with Finnley every day has really allowed us to create a bond together and seriously it makes my heart so happy that I am her calming place.  We've gotten ourselves into a routine and it works so well for us!

Sister: these two are the sweetest girls I know and just watching them grow up together is the best thing.  Ellie has this ability to get Finnley to laugh at all her antics and Finnley is the expert at smiling (and getting Ellie to behave).  Ellie's adoration for her little sister still takes my breath away and I am so grateful to be raising such a kind and caring sister.  I know that Finnley is taking note of her sisters character because she is constantly trying to grab and hold Ellie's hand, whether we are at home or in the car!!

♥ Ashley

previous weeks:

one two three four five six seven eight nine ten

eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen twenty

twentyone

Ellie at 22 weeks

That time Ellie went to Preschool

Seriously how did this happen?? If you would have talked to me two weeks ago I would have said that Ellie is going to stay home and I will probably home school her, which is still a possibilty.  But then we took one of our Nanny kids to his preschool meet and greet and Ellie kept saying she wanted to go to her school and meet her teacher! When they're ready, they're ready.

So, I had to scramble checking out all of the preschools in our area to see if they had any openings, met our needs/wants, and if they would be a good fit.  I had heard really good things about one of the preschools from my MOPs group a couple of years ago, so I was crossing my fingers.  We went to tour a couple of schools.  One of them was a Montessori school and while I thought that was the type of school I was interested in, when we toured it it just didn't feel right for my wild Ellie.  Thankfully, the preschool I had heard about had an opening and the owner was willing to meet me during her off hours!! We walked in and I fell in love...I guess it's a when you know you know type of situation.  Luckily for Ellie, she was insistent about attending school at the right time because we were able to sign up and get all the information needed to start school THIS WEEK!! and she wouldn't even miss a day.

So all my thoughts and ideas for how to prepare her for her first day of school flew out the window as we made our mad dash to the first day!

Ellie wore probably one of my favorite outfits but she vetoed the gold moccs in favor of her brand new kicks...Nike's (I don't even have a pair of Nikes!!) and I have to admit she looks darling in them.

We arrived at school a bit early (I know unheard of because I am always rushing) so we got to take some pictures and hang out together on the bench.  In everything she does...she loves Finnley.

Then it was time for "official" drop off, and her teacher gave me this sweet card. Which is extra adorable because that is actually Ellie's hand print from our visit just three days earlier.  I didn't read the poem until it was almost time to pick her up and y'all I came <> this close to tears...but refrained.

After the babe handed me her poem she gave me a wave and ran into school, saying "Bye Mom!!" There goes by big girl, "bye babe!"

Then Finnley and I got back in the car and headed to Starbucks so I could grab a PSL and a cakepop for Ellie to have after!  Then to church to work in the childcare and I kept checking my phone every 10 minutes...I have separation anxiety, aparently.  But it was a good thing because about 1 1/2 hours into her day I got a text from her teacher saying that Ellie was having a ton of fun and she sent a picture: 

my serious little artist!!

Then it was finally time for pick up...this may have been the longest 3 hours of my life ;) and look at my babe!! No tears, just a happy happy girl that she finally gets to go to school.

Once she got buckled in she exclaimed "I want a cake pop!!" I know my girl and her eyes lit up so big when I whipped one out right then and there!! We called Dada on the way home, since it was during his lunch, and had a great recap of the day.

I asked Ellie what she wanted for lunch and she said McDonald's so she could get Lightening McQueen Nuggets, so we pulled on in and had a date...with Finnley in tow.  It's a new McDonald's near our house and they bring your food out to your table!! I let Ellie sit at the table while I filled up our water cup and she grabbed the ranch dip sauce and gave it a squeeze.  Naturally it popped and she got ranch all over! Normally I would have freaked and wiped it off right away but since I wanted to "document" her first day I snapped a picture first

We enjoyed our McQueen Nuggets, Finnley had a bottle and we took some selfies.

This girl!! I love her so much.  I can't believe she is a Preschooler!! 

She loved it so much she wants to go back...which is a good thing because we are all signed up.

♥ Ashley