Maggie: Seven Months

Likes/Dislikes: A few of Maggie's favorite things right now are sitting up, her bouncer, playing with toys and pulling hair or grasping at faces. She's not really a fan on being left alone in a room for a minute or when she can't see someone, loud songs coming from certain toys or when her sister bites her (I would be mad too!).

Development: Like mentioned above, Maggie likes sitting up and it is crazy in the matter of the last couple weeks how much stronger she has gotten. She literally just sits there and plays with whatever is in front of her. She's also now learning to get up on her hands and knees. She cut two teeth this last month and I am convinced more are on their way since her hands are constantly in her mouth or is chewing on anything she can get her hands on. Maggie is still such a happy, content girl. Seriously, she smiles just if you look at her and she is squealing/finding her voice more each day

Sleeping: Knock on wood, Maggie has been doing really well with bedtime and typically goes down between 6:45-7:30 and then wakes between 5:30-6:15ish. We usually have to go in there once to pop her pacifier back in, but other than that she is doing good (unlike her sister). She is still taking two naps a day with a shorter one in the morning and a couple hours in the afternoon. On a rare occasion she takes an early evening nap for 15-20 minutes if she hasn't napped well during the day.

Eating: A typical day has Maggie eating seven ounce bottles four times and then a veggie/fruit once or twice a day. She is doing way better eating and hasn't tried a food that she doesn't like.

Family Update: We are doing good. Basketball season is always long and hard for our family - Matt works seven days a week and is gone a lot, the girls rely on me for everything and I grow exhausted. We are lucky to have my family so close to offer up help so I can get some "me time" and friends/co-workers that offer encouragement. Aside from that, we are thoroughly looking forward to spending the holidays here in Ames and for a few days off as a family.

Sleep Regressions Suck

Seriously, sleep regressions may be my least favorite phase ever. I thought we were done with them with Emma but I have been proven wrong. Let me tell you, this one is a doozy

Maybe it's my fault/karma for being blessed with a great sleeper for the last year and a half with consistent bed time, waking up and just an easy kid to put to bed. We are all about consistency and setting a good routine at an early age: bath, pajamas, chill out for 30 minutes, back to bed, read, water, prayers, hugs/kisses and out the door. Wouldn't hear from Emma and then when she woke in the morning, she would be talking in bed. We were rockin' bedtime and then it switched on a dime.

Now, it is stalling, whining/crying/screaming and us going in there anywhere from three to four times to get her to sleep. This goes on for about 15-30 minutes. Then it is waking through the night, sometimes not at all or like last night it was every hour for nearly five hours. We are tired. I am tired. Let's be real, Matt gets a break from this most night with it being basketball season.

I have researched a million websites so many times and often the same ones just to be reassured. This has been going on for nearly two months and has been the worst in the last two to four weeks. I remind myself this phase, but shoot, can this phase end NOW?

This better be a real thing and I hope this thing is done shortly because this mama is tired.

Ho Ho Ho

I love this Ames Santa and what he does for the community. He sets up an adorable lawn dispay and offers free visits to him for the four Tuesdays leading up to Christmas for kids to come sit on his lap in his sleigh. All you have to do is bring non-perishable food items for the local food pantry. How awesome is that? I find it absolutely appalling that the malls make you pay outrageous fees ($27 in Ames) to get a lousy picture. What this Santa does is pretty awesome and we will continue supporting him and our community by visiting him in the years to come. 

Turkey Day

I could listen to Emma say all day. When she wants to watch Charlie Brown, she calls it the "turkey one". It is adorable. She made this colorful turkey at Miss Amanda's house a couple weeks ago and was so proud we had to stop and show Nana on the way home.

Thanksgiving this year was tough. Matt was in Florida with the basketball team while the girls and I stayed back. Working full time and then being home with the girls for four straight days while both were getting up through the night, one was teething and another one was testing limits was a challenge. I was broken down and completely had the boo hoos. Thank God for my parents who saved me (us) on multiple occasions by taking Emma to spend the night one night, letting her nap down there a few times and totally letting us crash there when we wanted. We then didn't have to be at home alone and venturing out in the cold trying to find ways to occupy our time. Seriously you guys, I could cry just thinking about how much help and patience my family showed me last week. 

Mom cooked a delicious Thanksgiving dinner in which Emma ate bread/butter, ham and jello. The necessities :) They opened their pre-Christmas gifts (pajamas and a special shirt/outfit) from my parents, Blake read and played with the girls and Alaina let Emma take over her phone. We are lucky to have family close by year round, but especially when Matt is gone.