Feed Me

We are going through a "funk" around our house these days. I think Isabel is going through a growth spurt and really needing more food. We had a solid month or two of good night sleeping. Yet as of a couple weeks ago, Isabel seems to need a couple meals in the middle of the night...which is starting to get old REAL FAST. I don't know if I'm not keeping up with her hunger needs or if she is just testing my limits or if she is just using me to pacifier herself....OR all of the above?!

Our pediatrician said we could start with cereal at 4 months, but I mentally wasn't ready for my baby to eat foods yet (not that I want to breast feed until she is sixteen or anything). As our late night feedings continued, I started to consider the idea of cereal more. So we started by putting together Isabel's highchair and letting her test it out. She loved it right away. It puts her at a nice height to see what is going on. Plus she has this sweet suction cup toy stuck to her tray that can't escape her hands...which is brilliant I must say!

"Yea, I'm a big girl...sippy cup and all! Don't worry...there is nothing in the sippy cup...I just hold it to be cool"

"Come on Mom, I told you to leave me alone when I'm playing with my toy!"

Finally, one night this week Isabel was sitting her chair while we ate dinner and I just thought, why not?! So I made a little cereal, gathered the camera and video camera and tested it out. The first night of cereal was a joke, but we have tried it every night this week. I think she is slowing starting to get it. She doesn't really keep anything in her mouth as her freakishly long tongue is in the way (I'm still working on capturing this on camera). Even though she spits a lot out, she will instantly stick her thumb in her mouth after I give her a bite and that usually forces something down the hatch! So we will take it slowly. Hopefully she will get the hang of it and start feeling a little more satisfied.

"Not too bad"

"Stop taking my picture and stick the spoon in my mouth so I can chew on it"

"All Done"

I Can't Resist

Isabel just loves bathtime. She is always so good and loves the water. I can't wait to take her swimming someday. One day I had Ben helping me out with bath time and he made me fetch the camera to take these pictures. Someday she will absolutely hate me for these pictures, but in the mean time, they just make me smile. I couldn't resist sharing with you!

Look at that baby butt...precious!

And she caught on to what we were doing...

Four

Wow, Isabel's fourth month was a CRAZY month. I started back to work part-time in December, so that sadly cut down on our time together. Although it was a rough transition, I think it was a wise move to slowly ease into the reality of work. In December, Isabel spent her mornings with Uncle Mikey (until he quit), Grandma Nancy and Aunt Amanda. In January when I went back to work full-time, Isabel spent lots of time with Grandma Nancy, Aunt Amanda and Aunt Jenny. I like to think she misses me, but since my office is right around the corner, I can hear her squeals of delight when hanging out with all of the above! We are so blessed to have family with such flexibility to come to our home and take care of our baby girl. Maybe this arrangement will buy us a couple more months of a sick free baby (knock on wood). I know she will need to build up her immune system at some point, but can't we wait until she is a little older before she gets sick? Besides, I still need practice with the "snot sucker"!

In other news, Isabel spent the past month ROLLING...all over the place. One morning we awoke to her squealing with delight in her crib...check the video monitor and she is on her tummy. DOUBLE TAKE...did I put her in her crib like that last night (read, did I have too much to drink last night)?! Nope...she spent all morning showing me her new skillz! Now she won't stay on her back for more than 30 seconds. I really need to take a camera in her bedroom with me when she first wakes up. I always peak through the crib slats and see Izzy on her belly with the most adorable baby girl smiles!

Isabel also has a new hobby...ISU basketball games! Grandma and Grandpa took us to three home games and Isabel loves the action. She startles easily at the horn, but loves looking around at all the lights. Go Birds!


We also found out that Isabel is finally at the age where she can play. As noted in my earlier blog about Mr. Butterfly, she now really grabs and holds onto all kinds of toys, hair, necklaces, clothes, etc! This works every time about 60% of the time. She can really entertain herself in the car seat, church, etc...until she drops the toy!

Our little girl has also started to work on her voice! She spent the past month talking away. She constantly jabbers away and tries to put both hands in her mouth at the same time. Ironically, she also puts herself to sleep in this fashion. She will be chatting away one minute and asleep the next (usually with a toy over her eyes).

Here is a link to all the pictures from this month (if you have a lot of time on your hands)!

Beautiful

Say Cheese

Almost sitting up...

LOL

Warning, this blog may just melt your heart. This is by far one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard in my life! My little girl has started to laugh. She did it once in the middle of the night a couple months ago and it was amazing...but now she does it pretty regularly, especially when playing with Daddy!

Here is a video clip of daddy making Isabel laugh. I may need to keep this one on my desktop eternally...it might be helpful to play this again and again as she grows up (especially through the teen age years)!

Girl Time

Over the holidays we got to visit lots of friends...and meet a couple new ones! First we got to meet Izzy's double mint twin, Vivian. These two cutie pies had the same due date...what are the odds?! Yet, they ended up nine days apart. The girls had the chance to meet while Monica was in Bloomington. Check out these adorable pictures!

Isabel meet Vivian :)

How beautiful is this baby girl? The biggest blue eyes I've ever seen...and the hair! Where did she get all that hair?

Isabel & Vivian outtake number 95...

The next night we decided to do something absolutely crazy. We drove up to Chicago for a mini-Delta reunion. Since so many girls were in town for the holidays, we had a gathering...a BYOB (Bring your own baby) gathering! Amidst the chaos, we had a lot of fun catching up! Isabel and I decided to really test our luck and we spent the nigh at Katie's...along with Monica, Vivian and Ali. CRAZY. Seriously, we should have taken the BYOB theme more seriously and brought more booze!

Of course we had to have a photo session...like one I've never seen before. There were more flashes in 30 seconds than I have ever seen. No wonder I have a dozen pictures and all the babies look like zombies!

Left to right: Jack Hager (1 year), Jonathon Brown (5 months), Vivian Ramsey (3 months), Aidan Butscher (4 months), Isabel Funk (3 months) and Leah Schreiber (3 weeks)

Just a couple more...with the momma's! L to R: Katie & Jack; Ami & Jonathan; Monica & Vivian; Staci & Aidan; Kristy & Isabel; Leslie & Leah

Mini Me

If you have the opportunity to meet my baby girl you can instantly see that she is a spitting imaging of her father. My friend Rachel's husband said it best..."I always wondered what Ben would look like with long hair." So I went digging for pictures at my mother-in-laws house and look what I found. A confirmed "Mini Me" of Ben!

Baby Ben

Baby Isabel

Baby Ben

Baby Isabel...the cute expressions never stop!

Mr. Butterfly

It never ceases to amaze me how little Ben and I know about parenting. Seriously, I have a lot of experience with children. I babysat every summer growing up...plus so many of my friends already have babes...so you would think I understand the simplest of things. Yet one day Isabel was fussing away...we tried the typical routine of changing her diaper, walking with her, putting her in her swing, jumperoo, rocking, feeding...nothing really seemed to satisfy. And then we saw it...the mound of toys in this girls room. Ben holds out Mr. Butterfly in front of Isabel in hope of satisfying her and instantly she reaches out and grabs the toys right out of his hand. She did it with such skill that you would think she practices this as night after we go to bed. What were we thinking...she wants to play...well that and put things in her mouth. The poor thing is teething...er, at least I think she is teething (remember my earlier disclaimer about my inexperience). She drools all over the place and puts everything in her mouth. I have seen the outline of the bottom two front teeth for over a month, yet I still don't feel anything sharp.

So anyways, back to Mr. Butterfly. Ever since this day we don't go anywhere without Mr. Butterfly. He goes up the stairs with us, down the stairs with us...in the car, to church, to the grocery store, to the ISU game, etc. He has saved me repeatedly.

Mr. Butterfly even gets Isabel to fall asleep in her car seat. It's a great alarm clock too...when she wakes up she just starts playing with it and the crinkle noise lets me know she is stirring.

Look at these adorable legs. She is still a bit little for the Jumperoo, but with a pillow under her feet she goes to town!

In the jumperoo hanging onto Mr. Butterfly...she is in 7th heaven.

Again, Mr. Butterfly lulls her to sleep. It probably helped to have the "lights off" with her hat over her eyes :)