Weekend with The Allens

Isabel spent the weekend with her Meme, Grandpa, Aunt Amy and cousins Gracie, Riley and Josh. They had a wonderful time in Lake Lure, Chimney Rock and Greenville - not to mention Krispy Kreme! They went apple picking, to the pumpkin patch and anywhere else you can imagine. She had a hard time adjusting when everyone left. Her nursery teachers could definitely tell she had some Meme love this weekend...

Pumpkins and Llamas

I forgot to catch you up on Isabel after her surgery. She did great! They literally had her back in the operating room for five minutes. By the time Jeff and I finished a cup of coffee, she was back with us. She has been sleeping like an angel ever since. Even her nursery keepers have noticed a difference.

Since Isabel is a healthy happy baby, Jeff and I took the opportunity to go on a a parents-only weekend in Edisto, SC. Isabel stayed with her Gigi and Pop pop while we were celebrating my Godbrother Charlie's birthday.

Well, from what I can tell, she had a ball. She went to the pumpkin patch with her cousins. John Gray and Ready both picked her out a couple of "baby" pumpkins that are now displayed on our front porch.

She also started running around the house in a walker. Okay, so she only is going backwards - but heck, she is moving! I am not ready for her to start crawling quite yet, but that is due to me laziness in not wanting to keep my house clean...

AND she has started spitting like a llama too. Now when she is done with eating, she'll spit at you. She'll also copy you when you do it. As a matter of fact, her Aunt Angie taught her to spit after saying "You do it." Its a perfect party trick.

Here are some pictures of their weekend.

Growing so quickly!

So, she starts sitting up and now she's taking a bottle by herself??

Last night, Isabel was rolling around as usually. She found her nursery bag and proceeded to take out her empty bottles. She held each of them up by herself and tried to drink out of them. If one didn't work, she went to another one.

I made her a bottle and Jeff put it in her mouth. She proceeded to hold it herself and drink a few gulps with NO HELP! Can you believe it? Of course, she is a genius...

I cried. Sorry, can't help it. First she sits up and now this? Next thing you are going to tell me is that she's going to get teeth.

All too much for this mom. Slow down Izzy!

you win some, you lose some

Wins - Isabel sat up on her own!
Losses - UNC lost to VA Tech...

Fall for Izzy

So we have entered our first fall with Miss Isabel. She is doing great at 7 months, can you believe it? At a hefty 17 pounds, she is rolling around everywhere. Not much for sitting up yet, she does enjoy a rousing game of arm swinging and smacking. She has a gold medal in exersaucer and a is working toward a gold in johnny jumper. Even though she isn't sitting yet, she is standing up in our laps like a champ. (Now this is where the 17 pounds becomes tricky.)

The weight may have something to do with what this cherub-cheeked darling can take down at a meal. She has about 4-5 bottles, 3 meals of baby food with some cereal and then a bowl of rice cereal before bed. All that food only keeps her asleep from 8:30p - 6:30a on a good night. We are ready for our friends' hours of sleeping from 8pm - 8am. Oh, that will be the day - or the night, as the case may be.

Hold in your gasp, but she is currently still sleeping at the end of our bed in the pack n' play, which is why the sleeping nights in so important. Her crib was recalled, so we have to wait for a voucher to buy another one. Its a toss up on moving her. It will be nice for her to have an undisturbed sleep away from us (and us without her), but we will have to trek across the house and up the stairs to get to her. There is something to be said for popping in a pacifier without leaving your bed. Or having her take her first bottle cuddled with you in bed. I know, she does have to enjoy her beautiful Margie Kircus original nursery soon enough... I'll tell you how it goes.

Now back to sitting up. I tend to think she can't sit up because she has trouble with balance. The balance issues are arising from the fluid in her ears. Er go, we are getting tubes this Tuesday. Okay, we are really getting tubes in her ears because she's had about 5 ear infections in 3 months. Essentially, she has had one continuously for 3 months. No antibiotic worked, so the tubes will drain everything for us. I tend to think she will miraculously sit up after this surgery and will be able to take a bath without the baby bath that she is currently kicking out of...

Mom and Dad (that is me and Jeff) are doing fine. We both just celebrated birthdays and realize that they are so much better with hugs and kisses from Isabel. (insert "awww") Seriously, this past year has been amazing for us. I know big sister Elizabeth Scott is smiling down on us!