daphne {week 52}

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{letterboard: Letter Folk (Poet) // top: Oshkosh (old) // jeans: babyGap (old)}

{week 52} Gosh, the last weekly update. I am not ready for this. I will be back tomorrow with Daphne’s ONE YEAR post so stay tuned!

Going forward, I will switch to monthly updates because weekly is well, a lot. Many, many people told me that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with a post every week because two kids are way more work than one kid. But I am happy I was able to do it! This blog is basically my kids’ baby book after all.

And here is Eloise’s 52 week update.

Happy 52 weeks Daphne! We can’t wait to celebrate your first year of life this weekend!

M

daphne {week 51}

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{letterboard: Letter Folk (Poet) // dress: Carter’s (old) // leggings: Target (old) // book: The Little Feminist books // quilt by Amanda with Rifle Paper Co. fabric}

{week 51} Walking. Daphne’s newest trick. She’s still pretty unsteady but she is so, so proud of herself! She is also a lot more confident and tries to walk pretty much any time she can.

Also, as you can see above, lying down on her back when she is not sleeping isn’t really an option these days.

Daphne’s favorite toys right now are Eloise’s Duplo legos and The Little Feminist books. She likes to take the legos apart, put them in her mouth, carry them around, and then try to put them together (and sometimes she is successful). And those little books, there are four of them, are fat little board books with only four pages, but the pictures are bright and Daphne is obsessed. She is always holding one of them and carrying it around.

Mealtimes are still going pretty well. We have some issues with Daphne wiping food off of her tray towards the end of the meal or trying to feed Sadie (she will look around and say “good girl” and then give Sadie food), but she is such a good eater still! Everything. She eats everything. But she especially wants whatever is on my plate. So if there is something that I am eating that she isn’t also eating (generally at breakfast time) she will yell out until I give her my food and she won’t stop until it’s all gone! And, she is obsessed with drinking out of a (sippy) cup. Straw, no straw, she doesn’t mind. She will hold the cup and drink on her own (we are working on tipping it) but will eventually bang it onto her tray which is loves.

Daphne also constantly has something in her mouth, so we have had to be extra careful about what small toys Eloise has upstairs. She sticks something in her mouth and then goes about her business playing with other toys. But having something in your mouth all the time also creates more drool, so she’s like a little snail and leaves a trail of drool all over the floor… But her most loved thing to stick into her mouth is Dad Tiger from our Daniel Tiger family set, though she also really likes the wooden strawberry half and most recently a slice of tomato (which is impressive because it is super wide).

And here is Eloise’s 51 week update.

How (HOW) do we only have one more weekly update left? I swear Daphne was just born. Right?

Happy 51 weeks sweet Daphne!

M

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daphne {week 50}

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{letterboard: Letter Folk (Poet) // onesie: Carter’s // chambray shirt: Carter’s (old; similar) // leggings: Cat and Jack for Target (old; similar) // moccasins: Freshly Picked // lovie: Amazon}

{week 50} Okay, so that little ponytail! The tiny hair ties make me nervous because they are such choking hazards, so we probably won’t do Daphne’s hair like this much, but it’s such a milestone, right?

Daphne, as I mentioned last week, has been a pointing machine. She points at everything. Sometimes it is because she wants that thing (like her milk or water cup) and sometimes it is because that is what she is looking at. But so much pointing. It is super cute!

In the walking department, we are getting much closer! Daphne will still take a few independent steps if is trying to get between two things (like the couch and the table or chair) but took two steps yesterday while FaceTiming with Grammie (and Aaron and Eloise) while I was at Barre. She has also recently discovered that she can get up to her hands and feet (like a bear crawl) from sitting, so she is doing a lot of that. Like tiny yoga. Aaron and I were just reminiscing that Eloise didn’t learn to go from sitting to standing until after she learned to walk, so this may be a game-changer for Daphne!

And again, we are in total denial that it is just TWO weeks until Daphne’s birthday.

And here is Eloise’s 50 week update.

Happy 50 weeks Daphne!

M

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daphne {week 49}

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{letterboard: Letter Folk (Poet) // tee: Old Navy (old) // jeans: babyGap}

{week 49} First of all, can you tell I am slightly obsessed with Daphne’s baby jeans? Seriously. They are the cutest!

About as soon as I hit “publish” on Daphne’s eleven month post saying that she wasn’t signing, she started signing! Just like that she signs “more” which then almost always turns into clapping. It’s just so cute.

This has been a really big week and a bit hard for this mama since Daphne weaned herself this past weekend. I knew it was coming but I was holding out for her hitting 12 months first, so it is a bit of a shock. It’s emotional for me partly because of hormones but partly because Daphne is more than likely our last baby, so this mama is done with nursing. Hard to believe since I have spent just over two years (out of the last 3.5) nursing babies.

But, the most important thing is that Daphne is still doing well and we have replaced that morning nursing session with a cup of milk (formula) with her breakfast. It didn’t make sense to give her a(nother) bottle since we are anticipating weaning her from bottles when she turns one year, so we have been using this ThinkBaby cup that has a soft nipple and was great for transitioning Eloise from a bottle too. At lunchtime I also offer milk in a cup (rather than a bottle) since it is a mealtime, but we keep the bottles after her afternoon nap and at bedtime, and will eventually (in the coming weeks) start moving those servings of milk into a late snack and into dinnertime.

Daphne is really chatty these days and her very favorite thing to say is “good girl.” Any time she sees (or wants to see) Sadie, she says “good girl.” But it is also used when she sees the Roomba (which she LOVES) as well as Eloise! Daphne also says “mama” which is pretty fun, though not as much in context as “good girl.” We have also heard her say “baba” for bottle and “mo mo” for more. Daphne is also pointing a lot with her index finger at things that she likes or sees. And also points to herself!

Cruising along the furniture is happening all day every day, but Daphne doesn’t seem too interested in trying to walk this past week like she was last month. I know it will come and probably sooner than I am ready for, so I am happy that she is taking her time!

There is also clapping. So much clapping. Any time Daphne is happy or excited. Or when she sees something she wants. Like her bottle. She claps and claps and if you don’t give it to her right away (if it’s warming up), she will cry and keep on clapping. It’s the sweetest and saddest thing you have ever seen!

I am in complete disbelief that Daphne will be ONE in just three weeks. But I have commenced party planning and we are looking forward to celebrating this sweet little one! I also scheduled a one year photo shoot since we definitely didn’t do 6 month photos like we did with Eloise…

And here is Eloise’s 49 week update.

Happy 49 weeks Daphne!

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daphne {week 48}

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{letterboard: Letter Folk (Poet) // tee: Carter’s (old) // jeans: Gymboree (old) // rattle: Manhattan Toy Company}

{week 48} 5 weeks. Guys, 5 more weeks. How is this baby going to be ONE already?!

Look at that belly Daph! This is one of my favorite shirts of Eloise’s which is an 18 month size, but with Baby D’s belly, I knew we had to try it on earlier (plus I think Carter’s runs a bit small). And sure enough, it fits her perfectly!

I am going to leave this short and sweet because Daphne turns ELEVEN MONTHS on Thursday and I will do a big monthly update!

And here is Eloise’s 48 week update.

Happy 48 weeks Daphne!

M

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daphne {week 47}

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{letterboard: Letter Folk (Poet) // onesie: Primary // jeans: babyGap // socks: Cat and Jack for Target}

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{And here is the outtake for this week which is a great representation of what almost all but a couple of the photos from our weekly shoots looks like! Always. On. The. Move.}

{week 47} 47?! How is this possible? We are getting so close to 52 weeks and it is so bittersweet. Daphne is such a joyful little soul and as much as I want her to stay little and be my baby, I am so enjoying watching her grow and become a little person.

I mentioned last week that we are still nursing in the morning. This session lasts about a hot minute because there are always SO many things for Daphne to look at or do during this time. So I am not sure how much volume she is actually getting, but for now it seems to work for her. And, these feeding sessions are apparently when Daphne likes to work on her acrobatic and contortion skills! It really is amazing that she can be still attached to me and maneuver herself all around. Again, I am hoping to keep this feeding session until she is one, and then let her self-wean (which Eloise did at 14 months).

Daphne’s newest trick (thanks to Aaron!) is that she will stick out her tongue if she sees you stick out her tongue. Guys, this is the BEST! If you go “Daphne!” and then stick out your tongue, she will stick out hers too. And she is pretty proud of herself. Simple pleasures, right?

Daphne is sort of in-between sizes right now as she is almost too long for 12 months onesies but too small for 18 month onesies, and tee shirts don’t stay down over her belly! We have the plain white Carter’s onesies in about every size, but since I moved Daphne into the 18 size, I dislike the sleeves. They are too long and seem really wide? So unless I roll them way up to her elbow (which defeats the purpose of long-sleeves, right?) they just stretch out into a big old mess. Anyways, this is all to say that the Primary onesie that Daphne is wearing in this week’s photo fits her really well. She is in a 12 to 18 month size (so I would say it runs slightly small) but the sleeves fit well because they are cut to be more slim! I think I will pick up a few more of these long-sleeved onesies (the peter pan collar is adorable) in this size and the next size up!

In the last week I have watched Daphne stand on her own for about 2.5 seconds before she realizes she is standing and sits down. And she has always had something in her hands. Which made me remember that someone told us when Eloise was this age that babies are much more likely to stand if they have something to hold (since they forget they are standing and focus on what they are holding). It makes sense and I remember this being true with Eloise. I am surprised, given the fact that Daphne was rolling and crawling so early, that she isn’t walking at this point, but I know it will happen overnight! So, I am trying to prepare for that…

And I was chatting with Aaron just this week about how crazy it is going to be that in just a few weeks we will have TWO toddlers! {Though Eloise doesn’t seem like much of a toddler these days!}

And here’s Eloise 47 week update.

Happy 47 weeks Daphne!

M

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daphne {week 45}

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{letterboard: Letter Folk (Poet) // sweater: made by Aunt Kelly // top: Old Navy (old but similar) // leggings: Target (old) // slippers: Hanna Andersson}

{week 45} This week we have been at Mimi and Paga’s house (my parents) for the week to attend my cousin’s wedding and to have a late Christmas celebration with family.

The drive over was long (10 and a half hours) but Daphne did SO well! She is really such a great little traveler. We woke up the girls early (6 am) to head out of town and Daphne was back to sleep within a few minutes of leaving the house. She also was in a really happy mood when I woke her up which always helps! We kept to the regular routine with mealtimes and naps, stopping for breakfast and lunch, and then Daphne put herself to sleep on the road. Her naps weren’t quite as long as they are when she is in her crib, but she wasn’t fussy so no complaints!

Daphne has done pretty well sleeping. A few nights she has had really good nights where we put her down and she doesn’t make a peep until morning, but we did have one night where she was up and crying for hours (HOURS) before I finally rocked her in the living room and slept with her on my chest on the couch. That entire night was kept thinking “this stinks, please go to sleep” but also “thank you so much for not doing this every night!” We have been using this travel sound machine and it is awesome! {Our old one went thru a crazy amount of batteries but this one is USB. We looked high and low for a good travel sound machine and finally found this one!}

The biggest thing that happened this week was that Daphne learned to clap! And just in time for the wedding. Daphne spent nearly the entire wedding ceremony on Saturday clapping and babbling! It was really sweet and everyone couldn’t stop laughing at her! She is also working on waving too. A big, full arm wave. I love this stage.

And here’s Eloise’s 45 week update (also on my parents’ living room rug)!

Happy 45 weeks Daphne!

M

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daphne {week 43}

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{letterboard: Letter Folk (Poet) // tunic: Target (old) // leggings: Target (old)}

{week 43} This past week has gone so quickly, mostly because we were leading up to Christmas!

Daphne visited the dentist last week for her first check-up. We were already taking Eloise in for an appointment (she goes every 6 months) and since Daphne had teeth this time, the dentist went ahead with the first check-up. Mostly it was just having the hygienist clean her teeth with a gauze pad and then having the dentist check to make sure her teeth are coming in correctly. And while Daphne did NOT like having her teeth looked at, everything looks good!

And on a related note, I noticed this week that she has another tooth (on the bottom) making an appearance and it has already cut, so here’s to SEVEN teeth for little Daph!

We got to get together with some of Eloise’s PEPS friends late last week for a play date and chose the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center play gym since there were so many big kids. But Daphne had a good time climbing around and playing and watching all of the kids (nearly all were bigger than her). The only tricky part was that Daphne was really interested in trying to climb on all of the big bikes and scooters… keeps me on my toes!

Weaning is still going well and I am holding strong on the first morning feeding. We have had some biting during that feeding, but not too bad. I just am not ready to completely give it up yet! But I started weaning her from the lunch feeding, offering just one side, and it has gone well. So this week I will completely wean her from nursing at lunchtime and offer her a bottle instead. And at some point the bottles will become cups of milk. Crazy that we are so close to that!

We also celebrated Christmas this past weekend, and since it was Daphne’s FIRST Christmas it seemed extra special. She has been in love with the Christmas tree (and specifically the lights!) but has mostly left it alone. I was a little worried that she was going to destroy it or try to eat all of the needles, but she has done a really good job still. I can’t blame her for being curious about it since it sits in the “play area” of our living room, and it sparkles with lights, and there are presents underneath. Daphne would help open some of her presents if we started ripping for her, but mostly she just wanted to chew on everything. So Eloise was happy to help her open everything up! We started letting the girls open one present starting a few days before Christmas because there were so. many. gifts. And even then, Christmas morning was overwhelming! It took us all day to open presents and there was so much over-stimulation. Daphne was interested in some things and the ribbons, but there was just way too much going on. I think next year we will take a note from our Jewish friends and spend 8 nights opening Christmas presents!

And here is Eloise’s 43 week update.

Happy 43 weeks Daphne!

M

daphne {week 42}

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{letterboard: Letter Folk (Poet) // jammies: Hanna Andersson // Santa hat & blanket: made by Aunt Kelly}

{week 42} This week has been fun (& a little different) because it is the start of Aaron’s paternity leave. Well, the second half of it; he took the first half in the summer. So we have had a lot more time with Papa which has been so fun!

This week’s photo really captures how Daphne is these days which is that she wants to be up and interacting, and not lying on her back. At all. She is go-go-go and never wants to keep a hat on!

We have also started being a lot more consistent with water in a cup at mealtimes this week. I know we are approaching a big transition soon where Daphne will go from a bottle (or breast) to a cup and we just haven’t been offering it, mostly because it is just one. more. thing at mealtime. Sorry Daph! But she is learning how to drink and swallow out of a cup (we use a plastic shot glass which actually works so well since it is small enough for her little mouth) and she LOVES it! And Aaron re-taught her how to use a straw the other day and now she is drinking out of a straw and (mostly) swallowing the water. We haven’t started offering (breast) milk or formula in a cup yet, but that will probably be starting soon.

The biggest update for this week is that I had to start weaning Daphne from nursing to a bottle for two of her feedings (late afternoon and dinner). I have mentioned it before, but I have had SO many issues with Daphne biting while feeding and I got to the point last week where I was just done. I want to continue nursing her and will try to do so for her first two feedings where biting doesn’t seem to be as much of a problem, but I guess blood was the end point for me. I don’t want to bleed while nursing! So, I am still nursing her when she wakes and right before lunch, but then we are offering bottles (4 ounces) in the late afternoon, evening, and at bedtime. We still have some frozen breastmilk available that we are using along with Holle formula. It has been a change for me/us but Daphne doesn’t really seem to be phased at all (which is great)! Since Aaron is home now during the day on leave, it has been nice to feel like we have a bit more flexibility in the afternoon since I don’t have to be home or with Daphne to nurse her. It has been a little hard for me (mostly emotionally) because I am not ready to wean Daph just yet, but I think it was a good decision for everyone.

And here is Eloise’s 42 week update.

Happy 42 weeks Daphne!

M

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