Leni- 11 Months

Clothes- 18 months.  Everything up until this point has been Charlie's old clothes.  I finally had to order some new clothes for Miss Leni because our warm-weather clothes were slim pickings!

Health- Ah, just a nice relief this month.  Everybody was healthy and free of sickness

Diet- Last month of formula and bottles, yay!!  We are still doing 4 bottles.  She never really finishes a bottle, so we will be decreasing the milk a little bit next month.  She is definitely enjoying real food rather than the milk.  And this month, 2 teeth made their way at the same time.  We can't wait until she gets some more so we can feed her more food.  So far, she really likes everything we eat (except sweet potatoes!).

Crying- happy happy girl all the time!  She especially loves her big sissy!


Sleep- Same thing here with no changes.  2 naps a day (9:30 and 1:00) and sleep around 7:15pm.  I can tell she is beginning to start the transition to 1 nap.  Her second nap is rarely the full 2 hours.  But she stays up there just talking and playing away so while this keeps up, we will definitely keep the 2 naps.

Likes- protein, raspberries (her and Charlie go through a whole container at each meal!), and rough-housing with sissy and daddy

Disklikes- being hungry!  Now that we've moved until more solid foods, Leni lets you know when she is ready for her meal or snack.  

Milestones- Crawling got so fast this month.  Leni is also able to go from a sitting position to standing up all by herself with no assistance.  We know those first steps will be any day now!  I took the push toy outside and Leni walked herself all the way around the cul-de-sac.

This month also brought a lot more babbling/talking.  No other words (she did say "water" (wawa) for Charlie and I) but we hear a lot from Leni all day.

Other Thoughts- How in the world are we at 11 months!!  I cannot believe we are planning the first birthday.  This is such a fun age and we love all the giggles and love we get from you every day.  Any time somebody is down on the floor, you love going to them and crawling all over them (especially your sister!).  We know you will be walking at some point in the next month.  I can just tell you will not be my cautious one.  We love to see and are amazed by your determination.

Leni- 10 Months

Clothes- 18 months is where it is at for Miss Leni.  We are keeping her in 12 month sleepers because she is still losing her feet out of the sleeper when crawling around.  Once she starts walking, these will get packed away.

Health- We had a cold this month that then led to diarrhea for about 8 days, ugh!  The rest of the house had a stomach bug at the same time so we weren't sure if these effects were from the cold, another bug, or just her version of our stomach bug.  Thank goodness that is over!

Diet- Same old same old here.  We are still doing 4 bottles a day (3 with 7 ounces and 1 with 8 ounces).  I'm thinking this will be the norm until 1 year where we will put those babies away cold turkey.  She drinks from a sippy cup for water and will drink water from a straw out at restaurants.  She just refuses to take her milk from a sippy cup.  Still on Similac Supplementation.  

Solid foods have ramped up this month.  Leni is starting to veer away from purred foods and really enjoys feeding herself.  Come on teeth...still 0!!

Crying- such a happy girl this month!  Crying was usually due to falling as we have started furniture walking a whole lot this month.

Sleep- 2 naps a day (9:30 & 1:00).  The cat nap was gone this month!  Bedtime is around 7:00/7:15 and then she is up at 7:30am.  We had 2 wake up's this month...one for Grandma & Grandpa while we were on vacation.  Not sure what they were related to, but we were thinking teething.

Likes- This month, it was all about being on the move!  Moving towards the dog dishes is definitely her favorite thing to do.  She will stop right before, turn and look at you, and then keep going.  She loves to be wherever her big sissy is and loves being read to.

Disklikes- being left alone in a room and having things taken from her

Milestones- BIG month for movement.  Leni has started regular crawling...one night I took off her clothes after a blow-out, and she crawled everywhere.  I guess not having the clothes prevented her from army crawling.  Pulling herself up (on about everything) and furniture walking happened this month.  She is not too big on pushing things when walking, but would rather be walking to and from things.  Sometimes, she tries to walk without holding onto something and of course falls because she cannot balance yet!

Mama finally came out of her mouth.  Everything is still pretty much dada.

Other Thoughts- This month was so much fun!  You are becoming very independent and spend most of your time exploring your surroundings.   As long as big sister is around, you are content playing all by yourself.  In the evenings is my snuggle time as you will sit still long enough for me to hold you!  We cannot believe how big you have gotten.  You will definitely be walking soon...we wonder what will come first, a tooth or that first step!  You also love when we say a word, such a mama, and you will say dada dada dada.  Your daddy wanted to make sure I added that tidbit in here for the record books :)

Leni- 9 Months

Clothes- We are in 12 months and 18 MONTHS (what?!?!)  The 18 mo. sleepers are a little big and her legs/feet get a little lost in the clothes when crawling around; however, the rest of the clothes fit best in 18 mo.

Health- Pretty healthy over here.  Charlie girl caught a bad bug this past month and mom had the flu so we were so happy little Leni Bean stayed healthy throughout everything!

Diet- Still on Similac Supplementation.  We are still at 4 bottles this month.  We tried switching one bottle to a sippy-cup and Leni wanted nothing to do with it.  Good thing she drinks water out of a sippy-cup or else I would be freaking out!

We are still doing 7 ounces in each bottle.

Solid foods are going great.  Leni has always enjoyed table food more than pureed baby food.  I steamed sweet potatoes and we tried avocado pieces this month.

Crying- this was another fun month :)  Leni is completely involved in everything BUT baby toys.  Sometimes, this brought crying if she fell or big sissy took something out of her hands.  Other than that, Leni is a happy happy baby girl!

Sleep- great month on sleep!  Nothing new to report here.  She is still taking 2 naps and 1 cat nap a day.  She lays down at 9:30 and 1:00 for her naps.  If we are home, Leni will take a cat nap around 5:15.  However, if we are out and about, she stays up for it all!

Bedtime is around 7:00/7:15 and then she is up at 7:30am.

Likes- Leni loves to be around everybody.  If she is left in a room by herself, she gets sad and lets us know.  Leni particularly loves the dog dishes, ahhhh!  Every time we set her down, Leni goes after the dog dishes.  Leni also loves to stand.

Disklikes- being left alone, held/sitting in one place for too long.  She loves to get down and explore.

Milestones- Leni started saying Dada this month.  Let me tell you....everything is Dada.  We think she says Hi when she waves.  Waving has been happening a lot too.  Leni army crawls everywhere!!! She has gotten pretty fast at it too.  She can also sit up from a laying position now.

This month, we've notice the eyes go from a blue to brown :(  Guess Mommy will not be having a blue-eyed baby after all.  Leni's outline of her eyes are still incredibly blue, so everything reflects blue.  But I'm braced for the whole thing turning brown soon, ha!

Other Thoughts- Little Leni, your personality and brain has expanded so much this past month.  I remember this time-period so vividly with your sister, and your daddy and I are obsessed with this age!  You are so much fun and love to stand and bounce every second of the day.  Once your little legs get tired, you are down on the floor exploring.  This month, you've become so amazed with your surroundings.  If we take you to a new place, you never seem to tire or get bored.  We love your smiles, kisses, and cuddles.


SaveSave

Leni- 8 Months

Clothes

12 months all the way!

Health
Leni caught another cold this month but it was pretty mild.  Besides a runny nose, it came and went with no other problems.

Diet
I finished up pumping about half way through this month, hooray!!! Leni continued on with Similac Supplementation and didn't skip a beat.  We are still at 4 bottles/day: 3- 7 ounce bottles and the last bottle has 8 ounces.  

Solid foods are still going strong.  Some days Leni chows down and other days, she doesn't seem too interested.  Picking up yogurt bites and puffs kept her entertained when going out to eat this month.  Leni is also a pro at the straw sippy cup now.

Crying
This was such a fun month with little to no crying involved!  Leni has started using her voice, aka, yelling when needing something rather than crying.  

Sleep
Another awesome month of sleep!  Leni goes down anywhere from 7:05-7:20 and we get her up every morning at 7:30am.  Leni takes 3 naps a day: 9:30-11:00 and 1:00-3:00.  The catnap is still going strong and starts around 5:15.

Likes
This month was the month that switched from playing with her own toys to everything else in the house.  Leni is on the move so she only plays with her own toys for a little bit.  Then it is on to all her sister's toys :)


Dislikes
Leni hates when she is left alone in a room.  She yells for somebody to come back and keep her company.


Milestones
Army crawling started this month.  She is quite slow at it right now and can get to places faster by rolling.  The pincher grasp also started getting much better this month.

Other Thoughts
Just as with Charlie, this was the start of everything clicking together!  We have started hearing more sounds than just babbling (no words yet though!), wanting to be picked back up after being sat down, and enjoying meal time with the family.  We know we are on the brink of our little baby losing that babyness soon so we are trying to enjoy every second of these months.  This month was so enjoyable and full of laughs.  Charlie and Leni have started spending more play time together and it is so fun to see.

Leni- 7 Months

Clothes
Changed over to 12 month clothing this month.  I don't know if I'm trying to slow time down, but it made me super sad to bring out these clothes for her!  I can't believe how fast she is growing.

Health
Everybody got a cold earlier in the month.  Leni woke up the first night she got sick in the middle of the night.  We had no idea what to do because Charlie had never woken up, haha!  We ended up giving her a little bit of milk and some medicine and she went right back to sleep.  Other than that, Leni is a healthy baby girl.

Diet
This month, I stayed constant at pumping 3 times a day.  I was pumping about 19 ounces a day.  At the very end of the month, I decided I was ready to call it quits!  I'll be working on weaning next month, yay yay yay!!

Leni takes 4 bottles/day: 3- 7 ounce bottles and the last bottle has 8 ounces.  We are still using Similac Supplementation.  Most days I'm happy with it but others I'm wondering if I need to switch because she still spits up a lot.  If it's not drool, it's spit-up soaking bib after bib.

Still working on solid foods.  Leni doesn't love texture yet.  Although, we have had some fun with yogurt bites.  Leni is getting much better a picking things up herself so she is able to self-feed.

Crying
This month was the biggest game changer for us.  The fussy evening time is gone for good.  WAH-Freaking-Hooo!  Leni has also stopped crying before naps as well.  She will occasionally let out a cry as soon as we lay her down for a nap, but she is quiet by the time get down the stairs.  Most of the time, she is our happy little girl.

Sleep
Super great month for sleep.  Besides, the one time mentioned above waking up, Leni is asleep every night by 7:15/7:30 and then I get her up at 7:30am.  Most mornings she is still sleeping.  Earlier in the month, she was waking up around 6 and talking to herself.  This has stopped most mornings.  Leni takes 3 naps a day: 9:30 and 1:00.  Both are 2 hours and the cat nap is anywhere from 5:15-5:30 to 6:00.

Likes
Leni likes about everything.  She likes her play-mat, sitting up and playing with toys, jump-a-roo, books, anything involving her sister, and sitting in the high-chair.


Dislikes
Leni loves her alone time to play, but when she is ready for attention, she lets you know.  In the evening she likes to be in the same room as everybody.  She also dislikes a dirty diaper (yay, maybe this means this one will be easy to potty train!).


Milestones
Starting to feed herself and sitting up for long periods of time

Other Thoughts
This month was so much fun!  It was amazing to sit Leni down with toys and have her be content.  So different from Charlie girl who was always on the move.  We loved to have our happy-smiley Leni back full time.  Leni also took lots of trips this month to Columbus and Athens.  Both trips she was the best little baby and enjoyed being held by everybody.

I cannot get enough of watching Charlie and Leni together.  Seeing sibling love is probably the greatest thing as a mother.  Charlie brings pure joy to Leni.  And Charlie is the best big sister and will play with her in the evenings to keep her occupied.

Leni- 6 Months!

Clothes

All 9 month clothing

Health

So thankful that we are all good in this area!  

Diet

Still pumping :)  I eliminated a pump right at 5 1/2 months and am down to pumping 3 times a day.  As soon as I did this, my supply took another nose dive.  Right now, we are supplementing 10 onces a day.  As long as I can keep up that supply, I'll continue to pump a little longer.  I'm starting to look forward to being done though!

We have turned a page with solid foods.  After feeding her mashed potatoes at a restaurant, she discovered she loves food!  

Crying

Wow, this month brought lots of fussiness and crying!  All in the evenings.  If Leni, does not have her cat nap, then she requires all hands on deck.  If mommy or daddy are not the ones giving her that attention, it is 1000x worse!!  Thankfully the past week has been night and day different.  She is her super happy self and smiling right up until her last bottle.  Even going out to eat is easier now too!  Still crying before every nap, yuck!

Sleep
This is another category that I'm so thankful for!  Another amazing month of sleep!  Leni goes down for her first nap around 9:30.  Wakes up at 11:00 and the back down for her other nap around 1:00.  The cat nap is all over the place depending if we are home or out and about, but it is usually sometime between 5:00-5:30.  Leni is in bed on or before 7:15 and we get her out of bed in the mornings at 7:30am.  This month, she has been waking up every morning around 5am and chatting up a storm.  She falls back asleep until we get her :)

Likes

Play time in bouncer, play mat, and jump-a-roo.  Leni loves being held.  She especially loves watching her sister or talking to her.  Leni is a rolling machine so I would say that she's a fan of rolling everywhere.

Dislikes

Leni still has stranger danger, especially when she is tired.  Leni does not like to be left in a room alone...she likes her company.

Milestones

Rolling around like crazy, sitting up by herself unassisted, noticing her feet, and so much more engaged and laughing!

Other Thoughts

This month brought so much changes!  The lights are on upstairs and everything is clicking together for Miss Leni!  She is so interactive with us.  It is fun to have her mimic us and hear her try to talk.  This month Leni discovered yelling and is so loud now haha.  A lot of the time, she is just testing out her voice, but now when she cries, it is at a much louder volume!  The drooling also increased so much this month!

 And always love a good comparison :)

SaveSave

Halloween Recap!

This year we had a monarch butterfly and a bumblebee :)  I wasn't originally planning on dressing Leni up since she goes to bed so early.  But on Monday morning I woke up and felt really bad I didn't have a costume for her.  I ran to Target and they had the cutest bumblebee costume that actually matched Charlie's polka-dots.

Charlie LOVED trick-or-treating.  She was gone for 1 1/2 hours!!!  I stayed back and handed out candy/hung out with Leni.  Our cul-de-sac camped out on the street with fire pits, table for the candy, and a keg of course.

Of course I cannot get a picture with both girls smiling at the same time!  I should probably get used to that, right?

This was at the end of the night when all Charlie wanted to do was lay down and eat candy :)