Crawling Videos

Brooke was crawling at 7 months, but here are some videos of her progress. 

April 11, 2014

Brooke just started crawling after weeks of rocking on all fours.

May 12, 2014

Brooke has mastered crawling by 8 months and is so proud of herself too.

May 30, 2014
Here she is moving one knee up and one knee down. Michael says she learned that from her dresses getting in the way, but perhaps it is a step closer to walking! And of course fussing at the end because I was making her go soooo far!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

I am a little late in posting Brooke's first photo shoot in flowers...from April 25th. These pictures are too cute not too share!

So I didn't have the willpower to take her on a drive far enough to get into thick blue bonnets this year. Just as they were starting to bloom, Brooke started getting fussy in the car. Where she once used to sleep, even if it was only a 5 minute ride, she know fusses if she is strapped in and confined to the backseat longer than 15 minutes. So to go to Bellville for a picture in some pretty flowers seemed like a big fat no!

My mom's friend suggested visiting Bridgeland, a neighborhood southeast of Grand Parkway and 290. I had my doubts, but was pleasantly surprised to see how thick the flowers were surrounding the neighborhood lake. It was beautiful! It was after lunch with some friends and the sun was beaming, so we had to be quick. I managed to get some great shots before getting my blue-eyed, fair skin, baby girl out of the heat. Perhaps next year, we will be able to see the bluebonnets when we have a "big girl" on our hands... 

It was close to nap time, so we had a hard time getting a smile. She is a very observant and content baby; she loves to take it all in, just like her parents. You'll really see her personality coming out in some of these pictures. And her beautiful, blue eyes really pop with her blue dress (from Grammy) and the colorful wildflowers. 

   

 

   

 

Custom band by Birdie Baby Boutique. "Summertime Sweetie" floral dress from Carter's.

A Teething & Sick Baby

Our little Brooke has had her bottom two teeth since March 23-24 (just shy of 7 months). I wrongfully assumed her top two teeth would be in at 8 months. Come to find out there really is no set schedule for baby teeth, especially with our little one. Above is merely a rough guideline for teething. 

Brooke's lateral incisors broke through the gums last week (May 13th)...before her central incisors even came in. In layman's terms, we had a baby vampire on our hands! This morning her top left tooth broke through. Yay! Our poor baby is teething like crazy and I know it does not feel good. Only good thing is they are all coming in one after another, which means it will be over soon. I wish I could do more for her, but there just isn't much you can do. She puts anything and everything in her mouth and is drooling a lot! She has been running a low grade fever, and we have occasionally put a dose of children's tylenol in her bottle before bed. She also started chewing on the inside railing of her crib. I have read so many bad reviews about the adhesive protectors. Apparently, they don't seem to stick long, so I am not going to even waste my time or money. A couple mornings I walk in to see white specs of paint on her face. I am graciously assuming that the paint they use on baby cribs is non-toxic for these reasons, and I am sure Brooke is fine. However, I don't want her to chew down the whole rail and ruin the crib. It would be nice to use this crib for baby #2 one day! My cousin Kelly sent me this link about a DIY Teething Guard and I am hoping to get around to it soon. Seems like a very inexpensive and cute idea to solve our problem. Now I just have to find the time to do it...

On top of teething, she ended up with an upper respiratory infection last week. Apparently she is still too young to take anything for it. So for now, all we can do is use the nasal bulb and suck out the snot! Every morning, she wakes up with a crusty nose and face and I can hear the congestion in her nose and chest. I feel so bad for her. I wish I could tell her how to blow her nose and it would help her breathe so much easier. Now she has associated that little blue bulb going in her nose and sucking out her insides...and she hates it! She swats my hands away and shakes her head from side to side. It is a losing battle for me. So I have resorted to Boogie Wipes which do help, but she also tries to eat them! They are grape-scented saline wipes and right now they are our best friend!

Saturday night Brooke opted to chew
on her bib rather than eat her carrots.

I love so much that Brooke's personality is shining through. As she gets older, she gets bigger and stronger. And with her lack of talking, she knows how to show us what she likes and doesn't like with her actions. She puts things in her mouth when she wants to explore them and she throws, swats and bangs at things she refuses. Oh...our little angel. I love her to pieces! She keeps us on our toes as she is getting faster and faster at crawling and pulling up on everything. She loves to climb into her PBK chair and pull at the blinds and bang on the window sill. She also loves crawling to the wall outlets in attempt to pull out the plug-in lights. She will put them in her mouth if she gets them out before you get to her. I am trying to teach her no, as that is the one thing she consistently does that she shouldn't be. She is obsessed with lights!

Brooke pulled up in her chair and then fell back on her bottom...with her feet still up.
She is very flexible, which often leads her to get into some strange positions.

It appears my days of going to the bathroom alone are over... 

And yes, that would be Brooke's head
at the bottom, crawling to get in the picture!

In a couple more weeks our precious Brooke will be 9 months old, 3/4 of the way through her first year of life. Oh my goodness!

My First "Official" Mother's Day

Last year I celebrated Mother's Day, with a baby in the womb and this year was even more amazing to celebrate her being part of my life! It was this day one year ago, that we confirmed our decision and told our families that we chose a name for our baby. It was on the way from Deer Park (celebrating Mother's Day with Michael's family) to Houston (to celebrate with my family at Maggiano's), and I will never forget it. We were talking about the baby and I said "Can we decide on a name already?" And Michael responded "I thought we already had..." We both agreed, without hesitation, that it was Brooke Leigh Taylor. :) My heart was full.

Every day of the last 8 months have been a joy to wake up and know that it is because of her my life has been forever changed. God blessed us with this precious angel and we are beyond gracious to be her parents. Becoming a mother is the greatest joy I know. I thank God every day for bringing her into my life. She has taught me so much about myself, life, faith and family. I can barely remember what life was like before her and I wouldn't trade it for the world. She has my whole heart and I am so proud to call her mine.

   

After celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and Easter with both of our families - packing up Brooke and driving around town, I selfishly decided I wanted to stay at home for my first Mother's Day. It is physically and mentally exhausting to do two holidays...with a baby. Don't get me wrong, we love seeing our family and I could never imagine not spending a special day with our loved ones. However, I figured since it was Mother's Day, and I was now a mother myself, I got a say too! We extended the invitation to both of our families, not knowing what would come of it. We just knew what we didn't want to spend the weekend doing; not sure we knew what to expect.

With that said, we ended up with 17 people planning to come to our house on Sunday! Michael got a new smoker & accessories for his grill and an 11-lb piece of pork to smoke. He was super excited! Everyone offered to bring the sides and drinks, we were set! A couple hours before people were to arrive, I had a brief panic-attack, but it was under control. My parents were able to watch Brooke for an hour, while I got ready and Michael did last minute cleaning and prepping. Everything went off without a hitch; the day was an all-around success.

All of the fabulous mothers

Brooke with her Mother, Grandmother & Godmother

Sunday morning Michael surprised me a beautiful bouquet of white roses (my favorite), in addition to the flowers he already brought home on Saturday, 10 bottles of my favorite red wines and an electric, rechargeable wine opener set! He made french toast and sausage and then proceeded to clean the dishes and mop the floors. Talk about heaven! This guy knows the way to my heart - food, cleaning and wine! 

   

Brooke woke up with a low-grade fever, which was consistent all weekend. Our little one was cutting teeth and in so much pain, she wouldn't even let us reach in her mouth to feel her gums. She kept a pacifier/wubbanub in her mouth all weekend, with the exception of an occasional finger or toy. I finally was able to sneak my finger in at one point and felt 2 rigid spots and a bump. It seems like she has 3 teeth on top coming in at once, no wonder she wasn't feeling well! She was a little fussy and more needy than usual, but having a teething baby on Mother's Day was the perfect opportunity for me to be there for her. That's what it's all about anyway!

Saturday we visited Grandmere's graveside and memories lingered more than usual this weekend. It was especially hard this first year without her, as was to be expected, but we made the most of it. At one point on Sunday, I remember just standing in the hallway at our house and seeing everyone talking and laughing, and I just felt blessed. Michael's family and my family all under the roof of the house where I live with Michael and our daughter? Wow. It was breath-taking and I felt God's blessing in that moment (and I knew Grandmere was with us too).

The food was amazing, the gifts were more than expected, the love I felt from everyone and the memories made were something any mother would be proud of. I will never forget this Mother's Day! Thanks to everyone who made it so special.

Packing Up the Pump

This post is about breastfeeding, pumping and everything in between. It may not be suitable reading if you are 1) not a lady, 2) do not have children of your own or 3) blush when hearing the word nipple. I was very unsure about posting this blog, but after spending 8 months breastfeeding I feel that it deserves a post. It is also very hard to write about my emotions without sounding like I am making commentary on formula feeding or long-term breast feeders, but I'm not. The last thing I want to do is make someone else feel bad about their choices. Our society gives moms (and dads) a hard enough time as is; I don't want to add to that. I just want to express my feelings about my experience.

With that said, this post is going to be a huge compilation of thoughts (aka mind dump). Prep yourself...

Thursday, May 1, 2014 is the first day of no pumping! For the last 8 months. I have breastfed and/or pumped milk for our baby every single day since I gave birth. Wow...that is a long time! Let me start by saying this is the most selfless thing I have ever done in my entire life. The sacrifices, time, sweat and tears put into it are far greater than anything else I know. And the benefits are so rewarding. The outcome makes it all worthwhile. Becoming a mother was a blessing in itself, but having the opportunity to provide for my child in this way was an even greater blessing. So many people are not able to breastfeed for whatever reason, and therefore, I feel honored to have been able to do so.

When I first got pregnant, I was petrified of the mere thought of breastfeeding; it was all very unappealing to me. However, I kept an open mind and ear about it. I did my research, discussed it with our OB-GYN and Michael and decided to give it a try. In the hospital, I nursed our daughter about an hour after recovering from my c-section. I spent the next 3 days working with nurses and the baby on getting down the technique. In no way, shape or form, was it easy. I will tell you that right now. It is painful, stressful and exhausting. Neither you nor the baby have a clue in the world what you are doing. Nurses and family members can provide some support, but really it is down to the two of you working together to master the skill. 

In the hospital, I remember thinking we really had nursing down good. Then it seems like you get home and you don't know what in the world you are doing! Trying to teach a newborn to latch is one of the toughest things a woman will ever experience. I would clench my jaw, grasp the pillow, tighten up and have tears rolling down my face, as my daughter would attempt to latch on. The pain I endured was intense and I know it was no easy task for our little one either. The pain, frustration and exhaustion sometimes tempted me to throw in the towel, but I didn't. I kept with it. 

It wasn't just when she was nursing that it affected me either. When my milk would let-down, I felt it. When I took a shower, the water hitting my chest was unbearable pain; I had to shield my engorged breasts and cracked nipples from the water. I remember getting out of the shower and having to hustle to dry off because I was already leaking.  I lived in nursing bras and tank tops, constantly leaking through nursing pads and shirts. For the most part, she ate every 3 hours; so every 3 hours, we were back at it. This also kept me from being out of the house or away from Brooke, because when she was hungry, I had to be there. It was all part of the routine. 

When Brooke was about 1 month old, I tried pumping for the first time, just to see how much milk I was producing. From that moment on, I began pumping, for a number of reasons, but especially because Michael (and other family members) were able to help with feedings, which also gave them a chance to bond more as well. I occasionally nursed, sometimes when I was so tired during nightly feedings or if I was in the need for some special one-on-one time with my sweet daughter! 

Pumping became a part of my day. I would pump about every 3 hours; whenever she ate, I pumped. However, I soon felt like I was having a hard time keeping up with her needs, and began trying everything under the sun to increase my supply. I increased the fiber in my diet; eating more oatmeal and nuts. I drank milk and large amounts of water, also kept caffeine to a minimum. Nothing seemed to do the trick. Then I heard about Fenugreek, a natural supplement that supposedly increases milk supply. Our pediatrician said it wouldn't help; only nipple stimulation would increase you supply. However, my OB-GYN said she has heard a lot of positive feedback. So I gave it a go. Within 2 days, I was storing bags in the freezer! So I kept taking it...for months to come. I took pills 3X daily = 9 pills per day! At first, they made me (and my urine/sweat) smell like maple syrup. I guess it could have been worse, but it took some adjusting to smell like a walking Waffle House!

Going back to work was another big part of this journey. Not only was I a pumping mom, I was a working, pumping mom. I had to pack up and carry the pump with me to and from work everyday. One more bag on top of my purse, laptop bag, lunch and any extra work supplies for events. Mondays and Fridays especially I looked like a crazy bag lady, moving into/out of the office. I was lucky enough to have an office with a door (and a lock) that I could pump whenever I needed. I will never forget the first time I pumped, I was so nervous that someone was going to unexpectedly walk in and I kept looking over to ensure the door was locked. Also wearing a dress to work for the first time made for a very "breezy" pumping session at the office! Nothing else I could do about it but laugh. I was on the on phone one day with my Mallory and she asked me if there was dogs barking! We laughed so hard; it was the sound of my pump in the background. I always kept working while sitting in my locked office, but that was probably the last time I talked to a coworker while pumping!

My "Do Not Disturb" sign at work and
my coworkers knew pumping was in progress.

I got very comfortable with pumping and talking about it too. Never really sure if I ever offended or embarrassed anyone. It was just second nature to me. I would pump at home, in front of almost anyone. I also pumped in a number of unusual places: my office, at least 3 family member's houses and even a deacon's office (after my grandma's funeral)! You gotta do what you gotta do.

Washing bottles and pump parts every, single day got tiring. When Michael got home from Ennis, he sort of took that duty on. THANK GOD! It was so nice having him help do that, as I was already spending so much time pumping (at least 20 minutes, 4-5X daily). 

The comments I heard over the last 8 months in regards to my breastfeeding or pumping from family, friends, coworkers and strangers were not easy. Among the looks and rolling eyes, some people thought I had ulterior motives for pumping: to lose weight, because I got pleasure out of it, to get out of work, etc. Some of the remarks made directly to my face included: 

• You're a pumping fool!
• Are you going to pump until she goes to kindergarten?
• Why don't you quit already?

It was hurtful hearing those comments from loved ones. It was not easy, but I took them all with a grain of salt. Perhaps that person not able to nurse their children, or maybe they didn't have kids of their own and unable to understand the selfless gift I was able to provide to my child. Whatever the case, I tried to take it with a smile and know that deep down in my heart, I was doing the right thing for my me and my baby.

There were a few times I thought about giving up. One point I even considered using donated breast milk rather than supplementing with formula. I know that was a little extreme and we concluded that was not right for us. I never would have guessed that being an option for us, especially considering my initial lack of interest in breastfeeding this time last year. Receiving support from Michael and fellow mommas was the only thing that kept me going as long as I did. It was so easy for others to tell me to "stop already", but they didn't understand. This whole experience has graciously created a bond between Brooke and I that I will be eternally grateful for. 

There is no doubt that I am very emotional about this decision. I knew this day would come, but I had no idea that it would be this hard. For the past few weeks, I have slowly cut back from pumping 5x daily to 3x, and I stopped taking Fenugreek when my last bottle ran out. I was only getting about 5-6 ounces in the morning; after going all night without pumping, I used to top out at 12 ounces. And here lately, I have only been getting about 3 ounces the rest of the day. That is almost nothing, when your baby is drinking 25+ oz a day! It was surely drying up and I knew it was time. Plus I know that Brooke will be able to drink straight formula, as we have tried on a couple occasions and has already been getting a combination of breast milk and formula. She is gradually eating more foods, and will eventually be getting even less milk. She was blessed to have gotten some breast milk for the last 8 months, as the AAP (American Association of Pediatrics) suggests at least 6 months for babies. 

Now what in the world am I going to do with that extra time every day? I will probably spend it with Brooke...or maybe sleeping! Every morning I would get up and pump, then get myself ready, before getting Brooke up and ready. During the day, I had to plan my outings and meetings at work around pumping. I often seemed to run late for things, as that 30 minutes it would take to pump would sneak up on me and could not be rescheduled. At night, I would always have to pump before going to sleep. So late nights, being really tired, I still had to pump. Oh...and let's not forget it was just a few months ago, before I could really go all night without pumping. I would spend a good 20-30 minutes pumping before going back to sleep. I think it was hardest when she was only a couple months old old. I had just started pumping so that was all still new to me, plus Brooke was still a newborn. Michael and I would take turns with the nighttime feedings, so when it was my turn, I still had to pump after she finished her bottle. Looking back on it now, that pump and I have been through a LOT! In some sense, pumping has ruled my life for the last 8 months. It was the first thing I did in the morning and the last thing I did at night. It was always on my mind, wondering when and where I would pump next. Now moving on without this daily chore, to wake up without full, leaking breasts and go to bed when I want to? Perhaps I may even be able to go back to wearing some of my pre-pregnancy bras that haven't fit since I hit my second trimester. To return to that freedom is bittersweet.

Thursday, I went all day with no pumping and seemed okay, so I thought it was going to be smooth sailing. Well Friday afternoon, things took a turn. I was burning up and sweating, along with severe engorgement. I hadn't felt that for months. I took a hot shower to relieve some of the pain, and milk was shooting out (sorry to be graphic)! I still felt so much pressure, I decided I had to pump, despite all the recommendations of quitting cold turkey. I pumped for 5 minutes and got 5 ounces (more than I had gotten in weeks)! However, the milk had a bluish tint and seemed very watery, which was probably my body shutting down the supply. Regardless, I immediately felt better! I even celebrated that evening with a few beers, since I no longer had to worry about the alcohol affecting my milk or having to stay up later to pump. It was well deserved.

It is now Monday, May 5th and I haven't pumped since. I think it dried up for the most part and saying that is so bittersweet. I honestly did not know it was going to be this physically or emotionally hard on me. Again I am grateful for being able to provide for my sweet girl for the last 8 months and I know this was the right decision for us, as I was no longer producing the amount or nourishment she needed. Although I am selfishly glad that I can return to being free of this chore, it was an experience with lots of lessons learned, a roller coaster of emotions for me, Brooke, Michael, family & friends, numerous physical obstacles & triumphs, conversations that I never imagined having, many milk stained bras and shirts, eating extra calories to ensure my supply, really crying over spilled milk, going through multiple freezer storage bags & nursing pads and countless of hours of washing pump parts. There were surely some awkward moments leaving us with no choice but to laugh hysterically and no doubt this journey was full of memories for us all. I constantly relied on God, Brooke, Michael, family, friends and support groups to see me through. I couldn't have done it without them. I am so thankful for this experience and I can only pray for the opportunity to do it again if we are blessed with more children.

And that my friends, is the 100% complete honest truth about it all. Confessions of a pumping mom.

8 months

Brooke is 21.6 pounds per our bathroom scale. She is eating 3 meals per day plus 4 bottles = 12+ oz of baby food and about 26 ounces of milk (formula & breast milk combo). She still won't eat any green vegatables, but has recently tried chicken & apples (and loved it!). She has completely mastered crawling and is standing/pulling up on everything. She started saying "dada" within the last week, as well as babbling an assortment of other sounds. She loves to laugh and squeal and has really found her voice. She is clearly attached to mommy, and will follow me out of the room or crawl from her playroom to the kitchen or bathroom, wherever I may be. Daddy gives her a bath every night and she loves it! She still goes down to sleep about 7-7:30 and stays in bed until at least 8 am. She is taking 2 naps per day; usually a longer nap around 10 am and a shorter nap in the afternoon. She may have had her first cold, along with mommy this past week. She wasn't too fussy, but had some nasal congestion in the morning and was sleeping more than usual. Although it may have been from teething; I keep thinking any day her top teeth are going to cut through but not just yet. She is so good with her hands and grabs everything, including the bow off her head (just to put into her mouth). She is nothing short of a blessing from above and I am so proud to call her mine. She keeps me on my toes and is constantly making me laugh. For example, in her monthly chair pictures, she kept leaning forward out of the chair just to crawl up my lap. It made for an impossible photo shoot, but a great laugh and memory for us, which is what it's all about.

She had two play dates this last month. One with Maryn, who is 11 days older and the other with Lincoln who is 1 month older. It is so much fun seeing our babies interact and how different they all are.

This weekend Brooke got in a park swing for the first time. I was so leery about putting her in without the highchair/shopping cart cover, but I guess we have to introduce her to some germs to build up her immunity. As gross as it was to mommy, she loved it and that made me smile!

Brooke is so blessed to have 3 great grandparents still living and 4 grandparents. Here's 4 generations of the Bayer family.

With Mother's Day right around the corner, I am so blessed to have this wonderful women in my life, as well as Brooke's. I continue to learn from them, lean on them for support and cherish the memories we have together. However, with this celebration, I am also grieving the loss of my sweet Grandmere, who left this world just 6 months ago. 

Happy Mother's Day to all of the special women in our lives and in our hearts!