I really love blogging, so I spent the morning having a dance rave with Caroline. Hopefully she'll be asleep long enough for me to keep my computer open without little fingers turning my CAPS lock on and off constantly.
Here's a little big update on the O'Briens over the past 8 months.
Caroline...Growing Like a Weed
Well, maybe not like a weed. She's itty bitty. If you've kept up with my monthly birthday pictures on facebook, you might have noticed that the weight on the chalkboard constantly fluctuated up and down. Because she only went to the doctor at 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months, I had to guess her weight on the months in between. I was also SURE she had gained at least a pound every month (like the textbooks say), but then we would go to the pediatrician and find out she had gained one pound in 3 months. I guess she takes after me in the size department.
Developmentally, she's been growing faster than a weed. She started crawling the day she turned 5 months old. She pulled up to stand the day before she turned 6 months.
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| So bald. |
She started solid food around 5 months old and was legitimately angry we hadn't been feeding her green beans since birth. There are very few foods she won't eat. Around 9 months old, she ate a grown-man sized plate of roast beef and potatoes. We watched in shock and awe.
She is perfect. I assume every parent thinks their child is perfect, but Caroline is actually perfect. She sleeps 10-12 hours at night, wakes up giggling (and usually yelling "Daddy!"), takes 2 solid naps a day. She communicates everything she needs through sign language, words, or pointing. She very rarely cries. When she's hungry, she signs "more." When she needs a new diaper, she pats her belly and heads to her bedroom. When she's tired, she signs "tired" and says "blanket." She's becoming this wonderful little person that I genuinely enjoy spending time with. I look forward to all the new things she learns every day.
These are a few of her favorite things...
- Reading book after book after book after book after book.... "Whistle for Willie" is her current favorite. She woke up at 2:00 am one night pointing at her bookshelf saying "illie! illie!" So now the book lives in the living room.
- Her chores. I can't wait to tell her some day how much she loved chores. Right now, she has two chores. She lets Itchy out of his crate in the morning, and she throws her wet diapers in the trash can. Don't try to do these things without her.
- Running. She's quick.
- Playing outside.
- Mardi Gras beads. (Yikes.)
- The Sprout Channel. There is a morning show called Sprout Live with this chicken puppet named Chica. That is the only way to start her day.
- Naps. For real. She claps and giggles when I lay her in her crib.
Chris O'Brien, PT, DPT
Chris is working as a physical therapist with Drayer Physical Therapy. I love their model of therapy. A very honest, hands-on company that gives individualized care. You won't find that at most physical therapy clinics. Chris' clinic just recently moved to Mt. Juliet and is thriving. He has great co-workers and really enjoys his job. Thumbs up from Chris.
Laura O'Brien, Seamstress??
After having a baby girl, I discovered the JOY of dressing her in adorable outfits. But being the thrifty (and broke) girl that I am, I was disappointed to see how expensive baby clothes were. Some of my favorites looked very easy to sew. The only problem--I didn't know how to sew. My mother-in-law stepped in and gave me a sewing lesson over Halloween. I didn't actually get to touch the sewing machine at that time [see above about the crawling baby], but she sent me home with the sewing machine and YouTube.
This was Chris' great-grandmother's sewing machine. The first time I touched it, I got a bunch of thread bunched up and the whole thing jammed. I had a panic attack that I had just broken this family heirloom. But after many text messages with Chris' mom and 100+ google searches, I started to get the hang of it. Fast forward a few months, and I am having a blast making little outfits for Caroline. For my birthday, Chris bought me my own sewing machine. It also monograms and does appliques. I started an Etsy shop for some of my sewing creations. Check it out!
Peanut-Free
Shortly after Caroline's first birthday, she tried her first (and last) peanut butter sandwich. A few hours later, her eyes and ears swelled up and hives ran from her neck down. A blood test confirmed she is allergic to peanuts. We now carry an Epi-pen everywhere we go and have said goodbye to all our favorite peanut butter snacks. As a teacher, I totally understand how difficult it can be to accommodate for a peanut allergy, but I have a new perspective on it now. Please, please, please...if you know of someone with a peanut allergy, put the goodies away for their safety. When they are not around, enjoy your Reese's (and invite me)!
We Bought a House
Oh the stories I could tell about our living situations over the past 5 years! I have blogged about a few of them. Chris and I moved into our first apartment in Knoxville after we got married in 2010. Since then, we have shared 4 homes, moving every summer except one (summer 2012). We are moving again this summer, but this time, we are staying a while! The housing market is absolutely insane right now. Houses would go on the market in the morning and have a contract that night. We were very fortunate to find our house when we did and for everything to go relatively smoothly in the closing. I've never been a fan of "#blessed", but after so much upheaval in our lives, especially with housing, this house is a blessing straight from God.
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| She was waving. |
That should about catch you up. There have been many trips, parties, late nights, early mornings, dance parties, tears, and fun over the past 8 months, but we are absolutely loving our new life as parents. We love Mt. Juliet. We love our new jobs. We love our little girl. I'm going to attempt to blog more often. Caroline's sweet and sassy little personality promises some great stories. So many new adventures ahead!
