Rolling Over and Running

Nicole is rolling over all the time now. Almost as soon as we lay her down to play, she rolls to her belly. She can roll back the other direction, but doesn't normally. A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks. She started rolling over, she found her feet (both of them now), she's laughing (although she is pretty stingy with those right now). She really is growing up so fast.


Nicole also loves our new running stroller. We got the BOB Revolution. It was pricey, but has really been worth it. I've been able to go running without feeling guilty when I leave or if Shaun isn't home. She normally stays awake for the first little bit and then falls asleep. It has been a great incentive to keep me running longer to get her a nap. Today we ran for just over an hour and she slept almost the whole time. I've been running without her too and that gets easier after running with the stroller. I have to get ready for my PT test in September. The AF only gives us 6 months after the baby is born to get back into shape, so I really need to get ready. I know I can pass it, but I'd like to do well on it.

A Few Pics from Nicole's 3-month photo session

Nicole 4 Months!

Nicole seems to be growing up so fast. I remember when she was a newborn, I couldn't wait until she was 4 months. Everyone told me this would be a good time and it really is. Nicole spends most of her day so happy. She loves to talk to us and her toys. We got her

an exersaucer and she LOVES it! I think she likes it the most because it keeps her in a standing position, but she also loves the toys. She also loves her Kickin' Coaster because it plays music when she kicks her feet and she can make herself slide up and down. I used to put her in that just so I could take a few minutes to get ready, but now that she has figured it out, she'll hang out there for awhile. She is doing great sleeping during the day and at night. She still wakes up at night to eat, but then goes right back to sleep. A little over a week ago, she had gone back to waking up every 1-2hrs, but luckily that has passed now.We are moving back to the US in October. We'll be heading to Langley AFB, VA. We will both be working at ACC HQ. We're excited to bring Nicole back, so she can meet all her family. We are house hunting now. It is fun looking at houses and considering if it will meet our needs with a baby. I'm excited to decorate a room for Nicole. We didn't do that here.

Nicole "running"

Nicole also likes to "run", she is always kicking her legs these days. It is funny because the first ultrasound of her when I was 10 weeks pregnant we saw her doing something similar and she was a kicker throughout my pregnancy. Here is a video of her "talking" to Daddy and "running."

Nicole "Talking"

Here is Nicole talking to us on her changing table. She really is such a cutie and I think she knows it. She gets so excited when we talk back to her.

3 Months

Wow, how things have changed! Our little one is growing up so fast. She likes to sit and stand (even though she can't do either on her own). She smiles all the time now. She loves to be talked to and to "talk" back. We took some video of her talking.

She is sleeping in her pack n' play finally. This has been a long process for us. She spent the first weeks needing to be held in order to sleep, then she moved to our bed, then she moved to a separate sleeping area, but still in our bed. Now she has been in the pack n' play for the last two weeks. She wakes once or twice a night, but eats and goes right back to sleep, so it works out very nicely to have her in the pack n' play right next to the bed.

2 Month Check Up

Today was a stressful day! I went back to work today and Nicole had to go to a sitter for the first time. That alone would have been enough, but it was also her 2-month check up where she was supposed to get shots. This is also the first day we've tested our morning routine to see if Shaun and I could get ready for work with Nicole and get out of the house on time. We were able to accomplish that, so I felt good leaving the house. The appointment went well. She is growing like a weed. She is now 9 lbs 6 oz (39%) and 22 1/2 inches (76%). Her head size also increased from 8% at birth to the 51% today. The doc said everything looked great. She is hitting all her milestones and is a beautiful baby. He actually said she was a good shape...I thought that was an odd comment. We went to immunizations to find out we had to wait until the 18th (tomorrow) to get her shots because the system doesn't allow them to do it early. After watching a mom come out with her 4-month old, I wasn't too disappointed about that except we have to go back later this week to get them. After the appointment it was time to drop Nicole off. She is on a waiting list to get into the facility on base, so we found a certified lady on another base close to our house that could watch her until mid June. Her name is Keisha and she has two children of her own. I knew she would take care of my baby, but it was sad to think of somebody else watching her. I haven't been apart from her for more than 30-40 minutes since she was born and even then, I was pretty close by. I knew it would be rough, but I almost made it out without crying, but didn't. By the time I got to work, I was okay but everyone was concerned about me and wanted to hear how it went. The day went alright, but I couldn't wait to go and get her. I know it will get easier as time goes on, but I hate leaving her. When we picked her up, she was happy to see us, but tired, so we were only able to get a little bit of fun time in before we put her down for a pre-bedtime nap, dinner, then bedtime. Overall it was a good day, but I had been so anxious about it.

Nicole is doing great. She is still really gassy, but we are able to manage it and she has become less fussy. She was diagnosed with reflux awhile back, so we have her on medicine for that and it helps the fussiness. She has really been fun to play with now. She loves to lay on her mat or changing table and watch her toys and her mobile. She makes the cutest little sounds and smiles back at us when we talk to her and smile. We found a great method to calm her on a DVD called "The Happiest Baby on the Block". I had the book while I was pregnant, but the DVD really helped us a lot. We are already thinking of ordering the toddler version by the same doctor. It really does work. I think I will get it for every pregnant person I know now. The next step for us is to work on getting her to fall asleep and stay asleep on her own. It is getting better, but she still spends a lot of time in our arms sleeping. Our goal is to get her to be able to sleep in her crib by 12 weeks. We will see if Nicole wants to follow that plan or not.