11 months

At 11 months, Shelby

• is 18 pounds
• wears size 3 diapers
• wears sizes 9-12 month clothes
• nurses every 4 hours. This will be my last month nursing. Too many thoughts and emotions to share on that topic!
• take two naps a day
• started MDO. She has done a great job! She cried the first day I dropped her off, but hasn't cried since. These two days a week have also been great for me. It is so strange to be at my house alone!
• can stand up on her own.
• can walk with assistance. She is getting more and more brave.
• has three teeth coming in. She now has seven teeth!
• crawls everywhere. She is a very busy baby!
• can wave
• started pointing at things
• says "Hey" and "Da-Da"
• has such a happy glow about her. She smiles at everyone and is so sweet.
• started dancing to music
• loves to be outside. We are so excited that the weather is getting a little cooler so we can spend more time outside.
• went to her first Tech football game

10 months

Our sweet girl is 10 months old!

At 10 months, Shelby:

• wears size 9 month and some 12 month clothes
• wears size 3 diapers
• has 4 teeth. These bad boys are so mean. She also started chewing on the crib and I am ordering some rail protectors to keep her from destroying her bed.
• crawls, pulls up, and can walk around while holding on to a steady surface. She also likes to walk while holding our hands.
• like to crawl under things. If there is a space to crawl under, she goes for it! She loves being under the kitchen table and chairs.
• can click her tongue
• is FAST! The girl can sprint crawl! She is especially fast when she seems something she wants. She will tuck her head down and go, go, go!
• is developing a little bit of separation anxiety. She will cry when I put her down or when I hand her to daddy and walk out of the room. However, she doesn't seem to mind going to the nursery or having a babysitter. I think she is just upset when she knows I'm home and available.
• loves to eat and hasn't turned down anything I've offered her!
• loves to play tug-of-war with Gumbo. I have to say, Gumbo is so good with her. We play rough with him and I was worried he would be too rough with her, but he has been so gentle. When she picks up his toy, he slowly grabs the free part and pulls just enough to make her laugh. It is so funny to watch! She will also throw his toy for him!
• is super ticklish!
• can growl like a lion. She doesn't know that a lion makes that noise but she mimics the sound we make.
• can be VERY loud.
• is busy, busy, busy. She is constantly moving and playing. She is so much fun to play with! She will climb all over me and roll around and giggle. I'm so thankful that I've been able to stay home with her during this time. She is such a blessing and we can't imagine our lives without her. 

9 months

Pictures are getting harder and harder to take of this little firecracker!

At 9 months, Shelby

• weighs 16 lbs. 13 oz.
• wears size 3 diapers
• wears size 6-9 month, 9 month, and a few 12 month clothes
• has brown eyes
• crawls
• pulls up
• will walk when we hold her hands. She is very wobbly and I hope not too close to walking. She is already getting into everything so I can't imagine what she will be like when she starts walking!
• has two teeth
• nurses 4 times a day with a bottle before bed
• eats purees twice a day. We just started introducing more table food and she seems to like almost everything we have given her. EXCEPT baby goldfish snacks. She did not care for those and spit them out!
• loves being outside
• loves looking out the window at Yankee
• is getting into everything!
• "talks' constantly
• likes to blow spit bubbles
• can scream SO loud!
• plays tug-of-war with Gumbo. She is surprisingly very strong...or Gumbo is going easy on her!
• went on her first camping trip (RV not tent). She did great! We can't wait to go on many more trips with her and the RV!

8 months

Here is the 8 month photo shoot!

At 8 months, Shelby

• nurses 5 times a day
• wears 6-9 month, 9 month, and a few 12 month clothes
• wears size 3 diapers
• takes two 1.5-2 hour naps a day
• sleeps through the night (started at about 7 months). She goes down at about 7:30pm and wakes up at about 6-7am, but I don't get her until about 7:30. She just plays around in her crib and will usually lay back down and snooze until I get her.
• loves Puffs and Cherrios
• can tip the sippy cup up and drink a little. She mostly just chews on it.
• drools all the time. She has two bottom teeth that came in a while ago, but we have yet to see any more. I have a feeling they are on their way... 
• can crawl!
• pulls up on everything
• eats everything
• smiles at everyone
• will pitch a hissy fit if you take something from her. I have to admit, it is pretty funny, but don't tell her I said that!
• loves to play
• loves to play with everything, except her toys. A few of her favorite things are the fireplace, light sockets, cords, sharp corners, shoes, the bow she has pulled out of her hair, the metal part of her paci clip, gumbo, gumbo's ball, etc. 
• loves the pool. She even kicks her legs while in her float. She splashes water everywhere!
• loves to be outside. She is always so clam when we sit on the front porch.
• is developing such a sweet personality.

This girl blesses us in so many ways. We can't imagine life without her. 

7 months

At 7 months, Shelby

• weighs 15 lbs 15 oz.
• wears size 3 diapers
• wears 6-9 month, 9 month clothes
• nurses 5 times a day with formula at night before bed.
• eats pureed foods and puffs twice a day
• laughs and smiles constantly. She has an infectious smile!
• loves to walk in the walker
• has two teeth
• got sick with fever for the first time
• has found all the dangerous places in our house.
• loves to play and loves attention
• chases Gumbo in her walker
• is changing every day! 

6 months

Here are some pictures of this months photo shoot:

Shelby is 6 months old. 1/2 a year!

At 6 months, Shelby

• weighs 14 lbs. 14 oz. and is 27 1/4 inches long. 
• nurses 5-6 times a day and I've been having to supplement with formula at night, for now. She eats every 3-3 1/2 hours.
• eats baby food twice a day.
• sleeps from 7:30 - 7:30 with usually 1 feeding between 2:30-5:00a.m. She usually goes right back to sleep or she will play around in her crib until she decides she is still tired. Haha!
• naps 3 times a day. We struggled a lot with naps early on, but now she is taking great naps! Mostly because I stopped worrying about it so much.
• wears 6 month-9 month clothes and size 3 diapers.
• can sit up unassisted.
• is mobile! Not officially a crawler, but the girl can scoot like a champ. She will even scoot to me!
• Does not care to be held for very long. She is always trying to get down.
• loves Gumbo. She is always trying to get him and squeals when he runs by. 
• loves Gumbo's ball more.

5 months

At five months old, Shelby...

• weighs a little over 14 lbs.
• wears 3-6 month and 6 month clothes.
• wears size 2 diapers.
• sleeps without the swaddle and without mittens.
• sleeps with a soft lovie.
• can sit up unassisted for a little bit before she falls over or holds herself up with her hands in front of her.
• can almost pick her paci up and put it in her mouth! I can't wait for this milestone!
• nurses 5-6 times a day every 3-31/2 hours.
• is always on her tummy or wants to stand.
• started solids and has eaten rice and oatmeal cereal, sweet potatoes, bananas, sweet peas, and green beans.
• currently has an ear infection. Between teething, this ear infection, and a flare up of eczema, we have had little sleep, but at least we now know why and we can get baby girl better! She has been hurting pretty bad at night, so hopefully her medicine will kick in soon and she will start sleeping again. 
• is such a smiley baby, even with all those painful things listed above. She doesn't let it get her too down 
• is ticklish!
• did not particularly enjoy this photo session, which I now know was caused by the list above! I was going to try again another day, but decided not to. It will just be a reminder of the past fussy, sleepless days and nights, which I think is just as important as the good days! Not every day with a baby is full of smiles and giggles, and I think it's ok to show and share that.

4 months old

My sweet Shelby is 4 months old and she is exactly that, SWEET!

At four months, Shelby

• weighs 13.3 lbs. and is 25 1/2 inches long.
• sleeps from about 7:30 p.m. - 6:30/7:00 a.m. with one dream feed at 10:00 p.m. (and of course the occasional sleepless night...).
• sleeps without the swaddle for naps and sleeps swaddled with her arms out at night.
• nurses every 2.5-3 hours.
• can roll from her back to her tummy.
• has found her feet and loves to put them in her mouth.
• has laughed for us, but her Aunt B really got her going a few days ago! It was the sweetest thing!
• grabs and holds just about anything you put in front of her.
• wears size 2 diapers and 3 & 3-6 month clothes.
• loves her bath and has started splashes around quite a bit!
• loves her swing and so do we! The motto at our house has become, "When all else fails, put her in the swing!"
• started oatmeal cereal. She doesn't seem to like or dislike this, but it is still fun to watch her learn. She gets better at eating each time I feed her.
• is developing quite the personality. She is very silly and super sweet. I also think she is going to be very stubborn and driven. Her doctor even mentioned this at our appointment while we were discussing the fact that she is a very fast and efficient nurser (under 5 min. now). She knows what she wants and she doesn't waste any time getting it. It will be interesting to see if that translates into other aspects of her development!
• loves to cuddle! I know this probably won't last, so I'm trying to soak it up. It makes everything better on those rough days when I can just hold her and she snuggles right into me.
• responds to us when we talk to her. She will look at us and smile. Love her!

 Happy Valentine's Day

Spending time with her Grandma

 Taking a stroll in the park

 Playing in the Bumbo with Daddy

 My little snuggler

We tried the walker, but her legs don't reach the ground

3 months old

Shelby is 3 months old! I have two words that sum up everything I want to write: Time flies.

At 3 months, Shelby:

• weighs ? and is ? long. We have no idea. I can't wait to find out at her 4 month appointment.
• nurses every 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
• sleeps about 8-10 hours with only 1-2 interruptions (girl wakes up in a panic when she realizes she needs her paci!)
• LOVES to "talk." And I love to listen to her go on and on and on! 
• wants to sit up more during play time. I guess this is due to her becoming more and more aware of her surroundings.
• can roll from her tummy to her back and from her back to her side. 
• sleeps swaddled.
• can almost fit her entire fist in her mouth!
• has the most precious smile
• wears 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers
• can hold a toy once I help her get it in her hand...then she tries to put it in her mouth!