Wren's 5 months!

Wren is 5 months old now!  I can't believe how quickly the time is passing.  Yesterday, she woke up looking as if she had grown a few inches!  It was clear to me when I went to put her into her car seat and realized the straps were now BEHIND her shoulders!  I had to take the straps all the way out and insert them into the higher hole that we now IN LINE with her shoulders!  It is truly amazing how fast this little girl is growing!

Last night, Wren slept HORRIBLY!  Not sure if it was because of the storm, but she managed to show me every hour of the night!  Yippie! :/  One of the problems she is having is that she wants to roll onto her tummy as soon as she is put on her back.  I have a hard time with the thought of her sleeping on her tummy, but she is leaving me with no choice.... unless I want to hold her in my arms all night.  I read that it is okay as long as they are able to roll and keep their necks held up away from the mattress.  So, tonight, I let her roll over, and she is still sound asleep.  I'm keeping my eye on the video monitor... watching her back go up and down! :)

Wren is a cool girl!  She is always so happy; smiling whenever she locks eyes with you!  She LOVES to watch her brother play.  I recently found some activities that they can do together!  Jude loves bubbles!  I found a container of bubbles that you squeeze and the wand comes up, ready for you to blow... so it's a one handed operation, which allows me to hold Wren at the same time!  I blow bubbles and Jude gets so excited saying, "bu bu!" which makes Wren giggle and smile!  Jude then gets a little proud grin on his face, knowing he is making Wren happy! :D

Also, tonight, I found that Jude gets a kick out of me hiding behind the curtain with Wren, then saying "Where's Wren?!" and popping her head out for him to see!  Haha!  She was really loving it, too!!  I have so much fun watching my babies learn and play together! :D

Here are some recent pictures of our happy girl!

Standing proud!

Wren is such a wonderful baby!  From the start, I thought she was going to be trouble... from the constant kicks in the womb, the wide awake eyes in the hospital, and the immediate attachment to Mommy, but I must say.... she has turned out to be quite a content baby girl!  (At least, for the time being.)  Noah's mom, Cindy, whom I babysit for, made a comment yesterday about how chill Wren always is.  And then I thought... you know, you are right!!  I'm hoping I got lucky once again, with a mellow and sweet little baby!  And little is an understatement when it comes to Wren... she is TINY!!  Even though she looks like me.... I was 3 pounds heavier when I was her age!  I sometimes wonder if she will be short like me... or tall like her Daddy. 

She isn't yet moving on her own (besides rolling over), but she loves to be on her feet as I've mentioned before.  Now, she can stand holding on to the back of the couch all on her own!!

Gotta love the bald spot from her rubbing her head back and forth in her sleep! :/

Little Helper

The Bumbo seat comes in handy a lot more than it did with Jude.  As I'm sure I've mentioned before, Wren is much more aware than Jude was at this age.  She loves to be where the action is!  So... on Thanksgiving morning, while Bryan and I were busy in the kitchen preparing the turkey and peeling potatoes, Wren was perched on top of the counter, watching intently! :D  She is so stinkin' cute!!!!

Could she be any sweeter?!?

Every day I see more and more of my features in her expressions.  My mom commented on this first picture saying Wren looks identical to me as a baby!  It will be fun to watch her looks change and see if she will truly look like her Mama!! ;)

Wren is still trying hard to learn to crawl.  I keep thinking that she could possibly be crawling at Christmas.... I guess we will soon find out!  I can't believe Saturday will be DECEMBER 1st!  Where has 2012 gone?!?

4 months old!

Wren turned 4 months old on Saturday!  I can't believe how quickly she is growing, but it does feel like she has been part of our family for longer than 4 months.  She shows more personality every day.  She has learned how to use her eyebrows to express herself... haven't decided if that is a good or bad thing... haha.  She enjoys tummy time now that she is determined to learn how to crawl.  She just needs a little more arm strength, and I'm certain she will be scooting before long!  Since Jude was always a couple of months slower than average to get moving, Bryan and I are shocked at how quickly Wren is learning new things.
Wren had her 4 month check-up on Wednesday.  Dr. Emm said she looks really healthy and strong!  I told him how quickly she is learning, and he said that his 3 girls are all petite like Wren and learned very fast as well.  He said his oldest 2 girls learned to walk at 8 and 9 months!  He warned me to watch out... saying the faster they learn, the more independent and crazy they can be!  Haha!  I'm prepared for that... as much as she looks like me so far, I am fairly certain I won't be able to avoid her getting my personality.  :/  Wren is petite, indeed!  She is 23 1/4 inches tall (25th percentile),  11 lbs 11oz (10th percentile), and her head circumference is 15 3/4 inches (30th percentile).  Bryan and I had guessed she would be 14 lbs, the night before, but we were way off! ;)
Wren got her first taste of solids on Wednesday night!  I had got rice cereal to try (knowing Jude didn't like it, and the doctor said most babies don't like the taste of it)... she ate it, but kind of reluctantly.  I thought maybe it was just because it was her first time with a spoon, but the next day she cried when I tried feeding it to her.  Wren doesn't like rice cereal, just like her brother didn't... go figure!  So, I went out Friday and picked her up some Oatmeal cereal.  That night, she ate it with no problems at all, and looked as though she could have had even more!  She loves it!  I bumped up her amount Saturday night, which satisfied her.  She now smacks her lips when she sees us eat.  She is such a smart girl!! :)

Wren "talks!"

Outgrown newborn paci!

If it is hard to see Wren getting bigger... look how this paci went from looking too big to looking too small!

Hands are a great tool!

Wren is changing so quickly.... everyday, she seems to be able to do a little more!  Over the last few days she has acquired some great hand-eye coordination!  She can now play with some of the toys on her Jumperoo, and while visiting Nana and Papa yesterday, she enjoyed playing with the toys attached to the Exersauser there!  I really couldn't believe how easy it was for her to make contact with the toys!!  She also loves to bring those hands of hers to her mouth for a nice snack!  She just gnaws away at them... she is lucky she doesn't have any teeth yet!!  Her hands have also led her to finding her feet!  Yesterday, while changing her diaper, she brought her legs up and grabbed her toes.  It was fun to see her eyes look intense with wonder!  It is clear to see that Wren is going to have a love for learning and exploration!! :D

Clearly, she had a hard day! ;)

Yum!

"Get in there!!!"

Sleepy head!

The time change didn't affect this family.  Or did it?!   

Last night, Wren slept from 7pm to 5:30am!!! She was up at 5:30am only because I went in and grabbed her... Mommy was more than a little engorged!  I couldn't believe she didn't wake up for her 2am feeding! I fed her in bed and we slept until Jude woke me up at 6:30am and I had to get her up, too. She was being a sleepy head! :)

I hope this sticks... not waking up in the middle of the night was GREAT!!! :D  (Although. I am now required to pump an extra 5 oz when we get up... along with change two diapers, get dogs outside and fed, make Jude breakfast, and keep Wren happy.  :/)  ....Ok, Bryan does help with the dog part most days. ;)

  

She's ROLLIN'!!!

So, I should have posted this 3 days ago, November 1st, but better late than never.... Wren rolled from her tummy to her back!!!!  She also tries to scoot forward if I press my hand against the bottom of her feet!  Also, now that she has figured out how to roll to her back, she actually gets mad when she is about to roll to her back.  She struggles on her side trying to return to her belly.  She is more determined now to crawl! :)

I love watching Wren learn at a faster pace than her brother (who didn't roll over until 5 months!), but at the same time, I am a little fearful of how this little diva's temperament will compare to her brother's chill, calm, almost perfect one!!!  I just know I can't get lucky with two easy going children... or can I?! :/

Wren may end up a little feistier than her older sibling, but I'm excited to see, and I'm up for the challenge!  (I'm pretty sure it's not possible for her to be as bad as I was, with her daddy being calm, understanding, sensitive, responsible, and easy going!  I got one great husband and awesome Daddy for my babies!)

We LOVE YOU TO PIECES, WREN!!!!  <3

Happy Halloween!

Last night, Bryan and I took the kids to the mall for Trick or Treating.  I held Wren and Bryan held Jude's hand while we walked around the mall.  Half way through, Wren fell asleep in my arms!  It was the sweetest thing!!  I was looking at our reflection whenever I got the chance! :)  We got to the mall right at 5pm, when it started.  We were glad we did, because as we approached the last couple of stores, the mall was becoming REALLY packed!  We were happy to be leaving.... we aren't big on being in large crowds of people with a large stroller and two kids.  :)

Here are some pictures of Wren and Jude... dressed and ready for Trick or Treating!

With their favorites!

She looks like she is hopping! :)

Painted piggies!

I painted Wren's little piggies today!  It was not an easy task!  She likes to kick her feet, and of course, when I come back from grabbing the polish she is having soccer practice or something!  The girl was on the move!  So, I had to grab a hold of her foot really tight.  She didn't make a peep, just kept trying to kick.  After doing my best not to get the polish on her skin, and failing miserably, I decided to not worry about that.  I simply made sure the nail was painted well and then blew on the toes until they were dry.  I then went back with nail polish remover on a Q-tip and got the excess paint off around each nail.  As tedious as it may sound, it was actually a lot of fun!  I think they turned out great!!! :D 

Wren is 3 months old!

Happy Girl!

Wren is getting bigger and stronger!  She loves to be walked while facing out now, so that she can see what is going on.  On Saturday, we celebrated Jude's 2nd birthday with a fun "Super Why" themed party!  I was so busy being a hostess and spending time with Jude, that I didn't see Wren much, but I know she was well taken care of by family.  She didn't cry at all! :)  Great Grandma Sandy made capes for all of the kids to wear, and even included Wren! :D

Wren is babbling a lot more now, and loves to be talked to! :)  She is also quite a ham when she sees the camera!

Happy girl! :)

Jude had his 2 year check up on Wednesday, and while we were there, I placed Wren on the scale.  With clothes and a diaper she topped the scale at a whopping 10lbs 13oz, so I am guessing without clothes, she is probably around 10.5 lbs.  I weighed 10lbs 10oz at 1 month old! Hehe!  I was 14 lbs at 3 months old, so I'm interested to see what she will weigh at her next visit. :)

She is still sleeping great at night!!  It's Jude that is causing me the most trouble at night!  UGH!  Last night he didn't go to sleep until 10pm and then woke up around 2am. I got him to go back to sleep quickly, but then he got up again at like 4:45am and NEVER went back to sleep!  It was painful!  He is just full of energy now that he is wanting to do a lot more.  I'm hoping this is just a phase, and I quick one at that!

Bed time routine!

Well, I've now started a bed time routine with Wren. We get a half an hour, alone, upstairs, to unwind together! It was so nice having some serious bonding time with her. I remember how much time I spent alone with Jude as an infant... they were some special times! I don't want to miss those moments with Wren, just because she is the second child. Glad I have a loyal hubby to help me get these once-in-a-lifetime moments! 

As we were sitting there, staring at one another, I was noticing more how much she looks like me!  It's surreal to see someone look like you, the person that has looked back at me in the mirror for 25 years!  I think I can see the resemblance more than anyone, because I know that face far too well! :)  Her, once, slightly cone shaped head, is now protruding out slightly to form a rounded forehead like mine, compared to the flat foreheads of her Daddy and brother!  She gets the great pleasure of carrying around my little birthmark between the eyes. Her eyes are shaped just like mine, and I'm 99% sure her eyes will not be changing from blue to brown like her brothers... I think those baby blues are here to stay! :D  I'm not for sure, but I think her nose may look more like mine... and her lips... I don't think it matters whose she has, because both Daddy and I have pretty lips, and hers are VERY PRETTY! ;)  She has such a sweet, round, face, and her cheeks and body are getting chubbier and chubbier by the day!  I just want to eat her up!!! <3

After getting lotioned up, swaddled, and talking to one another for 20 minutes or so, she was ready to pass out, so I nursed her one last time, and she was out like a light!  Last night she slept from 8pm to 4:45 this morning!  Almost 9 HOURS!!  I was so excited when she woke up and I looked over at the clock, expecting to see the usual 1:30 or 2am!  She nursed till she was full (then I had to pump the extra 4 oz) and we were back to bed around 5:30am!  I was up at 7am, thanks to Jude, so I let her sleep till I got Jude breakfast, and then I went upstairs to bring her down with us, which of course woke her up.  I am crossing my fingers that we get another awesome night just like that, tonight!!! Wish me luck!

Wren got her "Bunny by the Bay" in the mail today!  It's so cute and SO SOFT!!!

Had to get a picture with her bunny pacifier, too! :D

And of course I had to get it personalized, like Jude's special blankie! :D

 

 

10 weeks

Here I thought Wren was 9 weeks yesterday, but it turns out it has been TEN weeks since she made her debut! Wow!  Time truly FLIES BY!  So what is our little princess up to, you ask?!  Here are a few new Wrenie characteristics.  (Before she was born I thought Wrenie was a silly nickname, but I find that is what I call her more than anything else.  Also, she LOVES to hear me call her "My pretty girl!"  Big smiles every time!)

* Wren has officially become one of us, as she LOVES to watch T.V.  She enjoys sitting in her chair planted in the middle of the living room so she can see everything and everyone... but her eyes become mostly glued to that super-colorful-big-screen! Hehe

* My mom told me that when I was a baby I LOVED to have my face rubbed, and once I got the hang of using my hands, I would grab her hand and push it to my face so she would rub it!  Well, Wren, too, loves for me to rub her face!  She moves her head side to side making little "that feels wonderful" sounds! :D  I think she will be a lot like Mommy, looks and all!

* Wren is recovering from her first cold.  We were all sick last week, and thankfully are getting better now before Jude's birthday next week! She was a trooper, hardly fussed about it, even when she was congested!

* Last night, Wren was using her left arm a lot.  Daddy was holding her and she was swinging her fist around in the air and made contact with Daddy's face a couple of times! (And... sadly her own!) Haha!  I know it's too early to tell, but I can't help but wonder if she will be a lefty like her Mommy! :)

Finally, I don't think I've ever seen a sweeter face than that of Wren at dinner on Saturday night.  I had just got done eating, so I picked her up and laid her in my arms.  She didn't fuss, but just looked at me with a little smirk, and big, loving, begging eyes, and nuzzled up to my chest, as if trying to say sweetly, "Please feed me Mommy!"  It was a face I hope I never forget.  I would pay big $ to go back and be able to snap a picture of that face!!!  I love her SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!

Daddy and Wren watching T.V.

Love those blue eyes!

And that smile!

Her little "Mommy mark" was very noticeable on Sunday.  I asked Bryan if mine was too, and he said yes.  Hmm... interesting...

I thought she looked a lot like me as a baby in this picture! :D

September SEVENTEENTH!

Our sweet girl is 2 months old!

Boo boos from 2 month shots... ;(

Monthly bear picture! :)

Our happy baby girl! :D

It's September SEVENTEENTH, which means our baby girl is 2 months old today!!  Wren went to the doctor this morning for her check up and shots.  She now weighs 9 lbs 6 oz and is 21.5 inches long, both of which are in the 10th percentile.  Her head is 15 inches and is perfectly average! :D  When compared to Jude, Wren is shorter by 1.25 inches and weighs less by 7 oz!  Jude weighed 9 lbs 13 oz at 2 months old, but on the boy scale, he was only in the 5th percentile for weight.  I really thought for sure Wren was looking and feeling bigger than Jude at this age, but I guess I was wrong!  Maybe she will end up petite like her Momma! :D

Dr. Emm was surprised by Wren being so alert.  He says she is at a 4 month level! That's my smart girl!! :D