Official One Year Stats

Anika had her 1-year checkup last week and was a champ, per usual :-)  She wowed the whole facility with her Lance Armstrong-esque lung capacity all the while charming everyone with her vibrant personality.  I wonder where she gets that from?

Here's the nitty gritty:
Length: 28 inches
Weight: 18 lbs 11 oz.

So, she's still facing the rear of the car in the carseat, which is perfectly fine with her, since she talks to the dogs the whole time.  I'm not sure how their relationship will change once she's strapped in facing the front of the car, but I'm sure we'll all get used to it.

I've gotten lots of comments about her "being small" from a variety of people and my standard response is that "she's petite, and enjoying every moment of it."  Funny, though, she's pretty much right on with clothing sizes.  When she was between 3 and 6 months old, she wore...3-6 month old sizes.  Now that she's between 12 and 18 months, she's wearing 12-18 month clothes - rather convenient, if you ask me.  Her feet, however, are still rather petite...more on the 6 month sizing of things - and holy, cow, whomever designed kids shoe sizing must be the same person that came up with women's clothing sizes!  I don't quite see the logic in it.  But, I'm not about to revamp the system, so we're just rolling along with it :-)

Here are a couple of shots on her quilt - she's a bit of a wiggle worm and is trying to become the world's first baby pilates champion by lifting her feet and head off of the ground while staying in the middle of things.  It's quite a feat, you know.  On a side note, a few months ago, I decided to make Anika my workout partner - whenever she raised her feet, I did the same.  Whenever she rolled around, I did it too.  Lets just say, our partnership lasted until naptime, and will never resume.  She's too tough for me!

Pilates Queen

Lizzy Lou, the bunny, is holding her down!

Anika's 1st math problem

So that's the down and dirty on Miss A.  As for BB#2, we heard the heartbeat yesterday!  The due date right now is mid-June, but subject to change, which is typical.  Supposedly the kiddo is 1.5 inches long and is sprouting arms, legs, fingers, toes, and eyes - it blows my mind to think that Anika was in the same boat as this one not too long ago...she looks so...non-Area 51/Roswell! 

6 Month Stats

Eek!  Where did the time go?  I realized today that Anika will be 7 months old on Thursday...and then I remembered that I haven't done her 6 month post yet. I guess this little one has been keeping me busy!  She's been on solids for a while now and is working on drinking water out of her sippy cup.  It has a bite-valve and I actually think she likes chomping down on it when her teeth are acting up (or lack thereof...no actual teeth yet, but she certainly has symptoms of them coming in).

So, without further ado: Anika turned 6 months old on April 20th, 2010 and had her check up on May 3rd...and for those who have been waiting with baited breath...heeeeeerrrre's Anika('s 6 month info)!

Weight: 15 lbs. 5 oz.

Height: 24.5 inches

"Official" 6 month quilt photo

I know she looks thrilled...she's actually just resting after going nuts trying to catch the jackalopes attached to her feet...maybe she'll be able to launch her *surprise attack* next!

We went out for a walk to see if Peli and Biz could catch those dang jackalopes!

Here are some shots of Anika playing and doing her latest "tricks":

Don't you just love the determination on Miss A's face? 

 She's gonna get that floating blue frog one of these days!!!

She doesn't have to hitch her wagon to a star...Anika just eats the sun!

Playing with blocks in the Bumbo.

Even sitting up!!!  

Whoops...looks like it's really a game of "where's the baby?"

...otherwise known as baby tipping over while mommy tried to capture the special moment for posterity...

Back to using the boppy pillow for the time being :-)

Now...to bed for me!!!

Months 4 & 5...even though its Month 6

Even though we were sans a home computer for a while, we still took pictures to chronical the monthly progress of Miss Anika. 

We brought her in for her 4-month well baby check-up and she was a champ.  We're pretty well known at the Pediatrician's place for a couple of reasons - one is that we're using cloth diapers and it doesn't seem that many babies are sporting them here in Montrose.  Another is that Anika has impressed the staff with her large lung capacity and strong will when nude and being picked up by strangers...can't say that I blame the kiddo!  And there is always the fact that we have just a super cutie for a daughter that wears cute outfits and hats :-)  She was a Jack-O-Lantern for her 1 week check-up, and has worn her strawberry hat the last few times.  Anyway, enough text, on to some pictures!

Above is the monthly quilt photo. 

Her 4 month stats:

Height: 23.75 inches

Weight: 13 lbs., 7 ounces

We played around quite a bit and this day was the first time Anika held her ball on her own...and she licked it - pretty funny!

 

We didn't get her official stats for 5 months, but we do have pictures!

5 month quilt photo

Happy girl getting up from her nap

And...fingers in the mouth!!!

The 6 month post won't be until after May 3rd, which is when Anika's next appointment is...but I'll take her quilt photo sooner than that!

Happy 3 Months to Anika!

Anika is 3 months old today!!! I won't have any updated statistics until next month (her 4 month check-up is Feb. 23rd), but she is certainly growing and exploring and delighting us every day. She's been sleeping from about 10pm to between 4:30am and 6:30am for a few weeks now. After she eats, she's back down until about 10am - we are very happy to have this little sleeper!!! We have discovered that swaddling is awesome for getting and keeping her asleep. She has become a bit of a Houdini with regard to escaping her swaddle, but the other night Ben invented a new containment technique to keep Little Miss A contained. The inspiration came from http://www.miracleblanket.com/. Thanks, Jori, for the tip! As Ben mentioned in the Christmas Eve post, Anika has been a champ with her playset. Here's a video of her showing off her stellar bapping ability and her rock-hard abs - leg lifts are nothing for this kiddo!




And, here is her official 3-month picture on her quilt!

I also had Miss A do a couple of her tricks today...




Here she is doing a modified tummy time with her boppy. She really enjoys looking at the octopus mirror!

Bumbo seat time! Anika has been holding her head up so well and her bumbo time has been getting longer and longer.

For the sake of comparison, here she is right before Christmas...tipping over :-)

I've been trying to take pictures of Anika with her eyes open, but I just had to take this one a few minutes ago - I'm on the couch writing this blog entry, and she is snoozing away next to me. What a peaceful little girl!

2 Month Stats

Anika had her 2-month check-up yesterday.  She's doing great! 
She now weighs 11.75 lbs and is 22.5 inches long.  She gained over 3 lbs. and grew an inch in the last month.  She was such a trooper - she got her first round of shots yesterday.  The nurse came in and promptly handed Ben and I each a lollipop - she said the shots hurt the parents, too :-)  Boy, was she right!  To see Anika cry was terrible!  The boo-boo strips that Anika got from Nurse Val had the Tasmanian Devil on them - very appropriate.  When Anika got home she was still pretty awake, but after her afternoon nap, she just wanted to be held and cuddled the rest of the day - poor kid.  She's better this morning, though - just in time for her first Christmas Eve!

Here's our Berry in Daddy's arms right before her check-up.

Getting ready to stretch out to her full length for her checkup!

How Anika spent most of the afternoon.

Official 2-Month Photo

Happy Christmas Eve Girl :-)

One Month Stats

I know that these posts are a bit...umm...non-chronologically organized.  However, at some point we will be caught up!  For now, enjoy the...creatively timed postings :-)

Anika had her 1-month check-up on November 20th, 2009 (conveniently timed, huh?).  Her weight was 8 lbs., 10 oz., and she was 20-ish inches long (I don't have the actual stats in front of me, but I know she grew!). 

Here she is at the doctor's office - I had my camera on me, and I couldn't resist!  Plus, it was a good way to pass the time waiting for her exam...

Here is her "official" 1-month photo.  She's on the quilt we had just gotten from her Great Aunt Frankie (I've always thought she was "Great" - Anika gets to title her that way!)