Happy 15 months Rowan!

Can't believe my baby is 15 months! I swear we just brought her home from NICU! Honestly, this has been the best summer. Rowan is so much fun right now and enjoying all the fun perks of summer. With that brings her sassy toddler side, but she is still such a joy!

Age:15 months, 13.5 months adjusted.

Weight and clothing size: 
Rowan got weighed to day at the doctor's and she is a few ounces away from 26 pounds! My arms and back are already aching, LOL! Size 2t in clothing, size 4 diapers, but size 2 in shoes, LOL!!




Eating:
I'm forever thankful my baby likes to eat. I have heard horror stories of babies and toddlers refusing everything. I know this can change, but praying she keeps the way she's going! Still doesn't like meat. I have to be creative in how I give it to her. She also STILL doesn't like pasta. Who is this girl?!?!?


Rowan can:
-more of a confident climber. Thanks to starting My Gym (a post on that later), she is super curious and loves to climb on anything she can get her hands on!





-crawls even faster and even on her tippy toes, lol!




-a much more confident cruiser on furniture, though she gets  so scared when she falls!




-can sign "all done", along with "more"




-last month she could point out nose and mouth, now she can also point out ears and eyes.
-"pretends" to put on her shoes and head bands. Sounds weird, but she will grab her shoes and tap them on her foot or grab her bows and try to put them on her head! So cute!



Rowan loves:
- the ocean. Holy crap! I didn't think she would like it because its loud and the water is freezing, but it was quite the opposite! She loved getting splashed by the waves, would joyfully shake and scream. She would get angry if the waves didn't hit her, or if we tried to take her away.


-Quesadillas! She is a massive quesadilla fan. She loves them! She also took a huge shine to Greek yogurt and smoothies!


- She loves to bang on everything!


-She loves to scream at the highest pitch level when she gets excited. It can be funny, but now I think I am partially deaf!
-showing off her belly. Sis likes to lift up her shirt or dress and show off that yummy belly! She's a nut!









Rowan doesn't like: 
 -being left alone even for a second. She is going through MAJOR separation anxiety, and will cry real tears. Its so sad! Even if I'm just tossing laundry in the wash, she will melt down. 
-once clicked in her high chair, she doesn't like waiting for her food. She literally loses her mind if she doesn't eat immediately. What a diva.
-hates falling! While pushing her walker, she has taken a few tumbles. She gets so afraid and will often refuse to try again. We keep encouraging her, but she gets so scared.
-when I hold other babies! I work nursery each month, and for the first time she nearly lost her mind when I held another baby! She has become quite jealous, lol!
-eggs. She's decided she's off eggs, which stinks because she already doesn't like meat. Oh Rowan.

 Sleeping schedule:
OMG. This month has been horrific for sleep! Her schedule was completely destroyed because of our vacations. However, the last week and a half she has been in the process of cutting her back molars. Nights have been HORRID and you would think we have a newborn in the house! She will constantly scream off and on, sometimes stand up wide awake and scream! We are beyond exhausted! I do try and remind myself that this is temporary and this will not be our life forever!


 New happenings this month:


-Lots of travels for our babe! It has been so much fun discovering life through our baby! She did her first beach trip, first train ride, first boardwalk experience, first strawberry picking, etc LOL! It has been so fun!
-Rowan is officially a member of My Gym, which is essentially baby gymnastics! I plan on doing a proper post, but I have been so excited about this! She does everything but walk, so I am super hoping this will help with her gross motor skills! She loves it!


This has been such a fun month! I start back at work in 2 weeks and the thought of leaving my babe is making me sick to my stomach! Love being with my baby girl!


My obligatory Rowan dump:

Angels and beaches

This sure has been one crazy summer, filled with lots of fun and memories!


In between play dates, pool time and enjoying Rowan, we have done 2 family vacations and they were wonderful! I am not planning on recapping every minor detail, as I pretty much talked a lot about it here.


Our first trip was to Angel's Camp with my family. In theory, it may not be the fanciest place to visit, but its super relaxing for us and especially for the year we had, we need to relax.


Some fun things that we did was go on a family hike in Big Trees! I hadn't been there in ages, and it is SIMPLY amazing to marvel in God's beauty and these gigantic trees! We carried Rowan in the Kelty backpack. She actually really enjoyed everything and the sights, but mid hike she WIGGED out. She was a hot, hungry mess and this newbie mama left the snacks in the car, d'oh! She calmed down thankfully during lunch and even tried her first homemade cookie! She was HYSTERICAL to watch with that cookie!

The rest of the week consisted of exploring the little town of Angel's Camp, family games, eating, relaxing and LOTS of swimming. Rowan could barely contain herself with swimming and just loved it! Since my mom was with us, we were able to do a double date with my sister and her hubby! Since Angel's Camp isn't a booming metropolis, we ended up seeing a movie which was still super fun!


Some of our pics below (FYI I'm not posting my sister's babies since my blog is public, per her request :) )

After being home for a week and half, we repacked our suitcases to go to Santa Cruz!


Our first stop was a mini reunion with some of my dearest girl friends from college! We met up with  Kristen, Vanessa (with her baby in tow) and their men in Los Gatos. We brunched, the babies enjoyed each other and we did some shopping around town while the boys hit up a pub.
I am very fortunate to have made some pretty amazing friendships with a incredible group of girls! Even though we all graduated college 10 years ago (WHAT!?!?) we still get together as much as we can!

After we went up the hill towards Santa Cruz! We stayed in a beautiful beach house that was so neat! I am SO bummed I didn't take the time to take pictures of it, but it was charming, cozy, and big enough to accommodate 2 families! One of my favorite things was that you could see the boardwalk from our balcony!

 The week consisted of many trips to the boardwalk, strawberry picking in Davenport, lots of beach time, a trip to Roaring Camp, gorging on yummy food and zip lining for the boys! I wasn't sure how Rowan would handle the beach, but she LOVED it! She would shake and joyfully scream at the waves, try to sit in the water, and laugh! She would get angry when the waves wouldn't come to her, lol! I truly believe we have a water baby in our hands! Rowan also enjoyed her first train ride at Roaring Camp! My sister's in law family joined us, which was so fun! Rowan also loved strawberry picking, but would get furious when I wouldn't let her eat every berry, LOL! She had fun squishing some in her hands!

One arrangement my sister and I had was that we would babysit each other's kids so the other could have a date night! That was glorious! We went to a adorable Italian restaurant practically on the beach! The wait was a little long, so we went to wine bar next door. We had a bit too much fun there, LOL! We bought a bottle of barbera (our favorite!) and brought it over for our dinner. It was so nice to getaway, and reconnect with my hubby. After, we went to the boardwalk and went on some rides. It was perfect!

Our fourth of July was low key. We went to brunch, and got the beach early. We stayed nearly the whole day on the beach and it was the most perfect weather for it. After, we came home, ordered in pizzas, and made s'mores. My niece Abby was a little sad we weren't going anywhere to see fireworks (Santa Cruz doesn't actually have a show). However, we saw so MANY illegal fireworks near the board walk that it felt like we had gone to a show! Some people were setting off some pretty big fireworks! It was nice to stay in, because Santa Cruz was a ZOO on the 4th!

I was so sad to see our beach vacay come to an end, I almost cried! However, we had one more stop! The boys and Rowan went home, while my sister, niece and I drove to Palo Alto to visit the American Girl store! My niece Abby brought her doll, as well as me! I know it seems super weird for a 32 year old woman to be carrying a doll, but it was so fun! I got my Samantha doll when I was 8 years old and I knew someday I wanted my daughter to have her! I brought in Samantha mainly to get her cleaned up so I can eventually pass it on to Rowan. My doll got a full "spa treatment" and even got her hair done, LOL! She's all ready for Rowan! That store is no joke! There is SO much to look at! My inner 8 year old was thrilled!

I am truly thankful that we have had these super fun vacations! Not only did we make amazing memories, but it was awesome to see life through Rowan's eyes! Next up, Disneyland!!

traveling with a "toddler"

Ahh, the joys of traveling. Prior to having baby, we enjoyed many little vacays and trips. Our love for travel started with our honeymoon to Ireland. Since then, Shannon and I were constantly going somewhere.  Sure, our vacays weren't sunning in Monte Carlo or traveling all over France, but we had so much fun. We built a lot of memories in our 5 years of just us. We vowed that once we became parents, our little travels would continue. Rowan went on her first trip when she was 3 months old. Honestly, I think we would have gone earlier except I was so paranoid about her getting sick!




Rowan was a champ that trip, and from then on we went on various road trips with her. Each time she did great and adjusted well to her surroundings. Sure it wasn't all sunshine all the time, but I felt mighty proud I had what I called "an easy traveler". I felt like we had it down and I was quite smug.


 I'm sure the good Lord got sick of my cocky attitude, because that all changed once she turned one.


This past summer, we had 3 trips planned, 2 of those trips would be with my awesome family. Our first trip was to Angel's Camp. Rowan once again did decent on the drive, enjoyed discovering our cabin that we were in. However, the night was crazy. Usually on trips she would settle to sleep. Her first few nights she would scream off and on throughout the entire night. She wouldn't settle down, would wake up ready to go at 4:30 am, etc. It was  crazy. I had no idea what the heck she was doing, lol. Naps were even harder. We tried to respect her schedule, but she would take horrible naps those first few days. Thanks to that she would be an ABSOLUTE pill, rightfully so thanks to her lack of sleep. I felt frustrated and I wanted her to enjoy her trip.


After awhile, it got better and she was able to enjoy her vacation. Next trip was to Santa Cruz, and we would be gone a little over a week. I felt a little wiser and made sure to pack a little differently to help her transition better. Sure enough, the first two nights were rough. Her naps got completely messed up, despite our best efforts. However, the trip overall was great, and we created some incredible memories! I have to say a major shout out to my family, who were beyond amazing, flexible and helpful with the baby!


So, what did I learn, as a newbie mama?


1. The first few nights might be rough- In general, when I travel, I often don't sleep great the first night or two. That's the same way with Rowan. These surroundings are so different to her, and she needs time to adjust.


2. Be flexible-I am a stickler to her routine, mainly because she does so well with it. During these trips I have learned that she may not always take a great nap, and every little snooze counts. Sometimes even a half an hour would be enough to perk her right up. With that being said...


3. Sometimes a stroller nap isn't an option-I learned my child WILL NOT sleep in the stroller. Good grief we tried every trick in the book, she wouldn't cave! I did learn that she doesn't mind conking out in the moby wrap. She would sometimes sleep almost an hour in it! Despite that I have a chubby baby, the moby actually provided a lot of support and it wasn't so bad on my body! I love my moby wrap!


4. Keep your expectations low- I have a tendency to build things WAY up in my head. I tried as much as I could to keep an open mind and just simply go with the flow. Things would always end up better that way!


5. If you are traveling with family, consider it a blessing!- We did Angels and Santa Cruz with my family, and they were BEYOND helpful with Rowan! I know it may not always be like that with every family, but I felt so supported on these trips. I was so thankful for their help! Also, we got to have a date night on both of those trips, which is a MAJOR bonus!


So, what's next? Only a 6 hour drive to Southern California, and a trip to Disneyland! This time, there is no family, just us! Precious Lord help us, LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy 14 months Rowan!

I am pretty sure I am beyond late with this post. I thought I would have been a much more efficient blogger, but in reality, I suck. I am determined to keep up with these posts though. Rowan is changing so much. It blows my mind how much babies change. I am trying to soak in every minute! I truly can't believe how fast time is flying! So, this post is a bit old, but here we go....







Age:14 months, 12.5 months adjusted

Weight and clothing size: 
Rowan is a sturdy 25 pounds! Officially done with 24mo and wearing 2T clothing. Wearing size 4 diapers.



Eating:
Holy crap, I think I have a teenage boy on my hands rather than a baby! This girl finds so much joy in eating, and eats a TON. NO JOKE. She can pack away food like a guy, and in return, her poopies are HORRIFIC, LMAO!!!  Breakfast consists of a whole waffle, milk, and lots o' strawberries. Lunch is some sort of protein, sippy of water, and a good amount fruits and veggies. Dinner is usually whatever we eat, plus fruit and water. She gets snacks with water and a bottle at bedtime. Phew!



Rowan can:
-Is starting to cruise a little! She also is slowly learning to walk with her learning walker. She also likes to "walk" while holding our hands. No official walking, but again, not too worried. I remind myself that walking takes place between 9-18 months.





-do some climbing! She likes to climb into her toy box tubs, climb all over us, you get it. She is SO busy, and crawls so fast! She gets into mischief just fine. If she's this busy now, I can't imagine what she will be like when walks!




-mimics noises we do. If I clear my throat, she will do it. If I make clicking sounds, do silly screams, you bet that she will mimic almost immediately.




-can sign "more". We are teaching Rowan American sign language (daddy is fluent in ASL). We try to sign as much as we can. She now can confidently sign "more",which has helped from her screaming when we don't feed her fast enough. Oh Rowan.




-can point to where her nose is when asked  and knows where "ears" are. Love my smart cookie!




Rowan loves:
- to eat. I know this is repetitive, but seriously, she screams and squeals for meal time. She especially loves fruits and vegetables. Its quite hysterical! She starting to say "mmmmm!!!" with her favorites too, LOL!!
-actual babies, LOL! She joyfully screams at babies, points to them, and wants to touch (sometimes roughly) them. It's the cutest thing ever!

-puzzles. Girl is obsessed! My in law family got her some for her birthday and she is nuts for them! Now she isn't putting them together of course, but she likes to feel the pieces and put them in her mouth.


-the pool. We have gone at least 6 or 7 times in the last 2 weeks. Thank the Lord! Shannon and I were swimmers and water polo players all throughout high school. Shannon has been coaching swimming for nearly 25 years. So obviously we want her to carry on what we call "the Potter swim legacy" (it's even a hashtag, LOL). Anyway, she LOVES the water. Despite our best efforts to stop her, she also loves to drink it. I find that part so gross, LOL.




-her wubbanub pacifiers . I know people have opinions about pacis. We didn't have a choice since day 1 the NICU nurses put one in her mouth. Thankfully she mainly only uses it for bedtime, but y'all, wubbanubs are amazing! I love the precious little animals attached to them, and she loves them too! She has the: caterpillar, elephant, duck and giraffe (we keep it at mimi's). Yes, we may have a problem with buying them.





Rowan doesn't like: 
 -meat, mainly because of the texture. If I cut it into super small pieces, she does fine.


-HATES when we put her  puzzles back together. If she sees we put the pieces back, she will literally stop whatever she is doing to tear it apart. OH ROWAN.


-well this isn't a "dislike" per se, but she is into the tantrum stage. I am beyond ashamed to admit this but I sometimes get frustrated when this happens. I seriously don't tolerate tantrums well at all. I know this is just the tip of the iceberg, which makes me nervous for the true toddler years. I think part of it for me is I just want to help her and take away what's making her upset.  However, I quickly remind myself the reason she is throwing these little fits is that she can't talk yet. This girl sure has some sass!

Sleeping schedule:
Little babe still has the same sleep schedule. However she was having a tougher time with naps. Thankfully she got back into her routine and its pretty cut and dry. The only drag is Rowan STILL wakes up at 6:30, a few times even at 6. I know she can't help it but man it sucks, lol!


 

 New happenings this month:


-Getting a taste of the SAHM life! I am with Rowan all the time and it sure is different from working. Whoever says being a SAHM is easy needs to get punched. Its a lot of work, but also so fun! Going back to work is going to be a serious RUDE awakening!
-Rowan has gone to many birthday parties, but this month she got invited to her first Chinese 100 day party! It was super cool and fun! We were so happy to support our friends Logan and Anna in their journey of parenthood! Their baby Liberty is so beautiful! Rowan LOVED her but I think Lady Liberty was indifferent! Their little pic is below in the first set of pictures!
-Lots of pool time so far! She enjoys it so much!
-We did a road trip to Angel's Camp with my family. It was super fun and relaxing! However, I am noticing traveling is starting to become more difficult, uh I mean different with a "toddler" LOL.