Day in the Life of an Eight Month Old

While we were in Jacksonville for the 4th of July holiday, something else happened that I haven’t mentioned yet.

Gabriella hit the big 8 month mark! So hard to believe!

Instead of doing my normal ‘I can’t believe she is already 8 months old… and the whole ‘each month keeps getting better’ (which it REALLY does!), I thought I would do a post about the day in the life of an eight month old. I figured it might be a bit more fun, and you can see what my day consists of.

So here you go, a day in the life of Gabriella:

Between 7am & 7:30- She wakes up. (I actually set my alarm & wake up anywhere between 5am & 6am- depending on how much work I need to get done.) We bring her downstairs, and play with her for a bit before feeding her breakfast.

This morning happened to be a little bit of oatmeal, fruit and homemade baby pancakes. (recipe to come!)

I feed her after Craig leaves for work (around 7:45am) and we watch a bit of the Today Show before heading out for my morning run.

Most days I will nurse her around 7:45am/ 8am before I run, to top off her little tank. (& also for some relief- ha! Nothing like running full of milk. )

8am – 10am/ 10:30am : We run, well, I run and Gabriella naps.

She will usually fall asleep about 30 minutes into my run, and then I will run anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours- just depends on if I am doing a long run, speed work, or an easier run day. I typically run at least 8 miles a day, and once I finish my run I will walk until Gabriella wakes up. (& to cool down) Once she is up, we head to the park.

She loves just watching other kids run around, she will just stare & laugh. Once she is done at the park, we walk home while she chugs her water. (it’s hilarious!)

11:15am – 12pm: Pool time!

I’ve been trying to take her at least three times a week. She loves it, and she really tries to swim- I believe it’s a natural instinct that they have. She kicks her little feet like a frog and LOVES to be dunked under water. The very first time we ever did it, she cried for a second, but then was fine. Now, she wants me to do it! Crazy little girl. It’s definitely a good thing though, I don’t want her to be scared of the water. She is a water baby! I almost have to drag her out when it’s time to go home. She’s always a little prune when she gets out.

12pm – 12:45pm: Craig comes home, I make him lunch & he will play with Gabriella for a bit. She will also have a little snack.

She loves Gerber Puffs or plain Cheerios. That day happened to be vanilla puffs, which are also my favorite. Bite for me, bite for G.

Sometime between 1pm & 1:30pm I will feed her (nursing) and then put her in the crib for her nap.

Between 2pm – 3pm (sometimes, if I’m lucky even 3:30pm) She wakes up from her nap. It’s ROUGH when she only gets an hour nap, which was yesterday. Eek! Little time for me to do ANYTHING. I use her nap time for work and to clean the house once my work is done. But Tuesday she had other intensions…and those intentions were NOT to work.

Around 3:30pm: Snack time

^a picture that I plan on showing her future boyfriends

This girl LOVES yogurt. I always have a ton of Stonyfield in the refrigerator for her, but I happened to see a new line from Yoplait for baby yogurt, so I tried it.

I think Gabriella was getting mad at me for stealing a bunch of bites. Ooops It was SO good!!!

Depending on her nap, anywhere between 2:30 & 4pm we just play. Lately her favorite thing is seeing how far she can ‘test Mommy.’ We have a ‘baby jail’ around the entertainment center & stairs so that she can’t get to these things.

That would be the whole process above. The whole time while she is crawling over there (OH, and girl can CRAWL full on now, there’s no stopping her), I am saying ‘Gabriella, NO. No Gabriella, come here.’ Repetitively. Hopefully this is not a sign of what’s to come.

Her favorite toys happen to be ANYTHING in the entertainment center…especially DVDs. Thousands of toy & she wants those. Little stink

4pm – 5:30pm: I go on another walk with her, usually I go with my neighbor. (She has a 2 year old son that Gabriella just adores.) Sometimes I will run again, just depends on where I’m at in my training. We walk/ run for an hour & then I’ll bring her to the park again sometimes.

Between 5:30 & 6pm Craig gets home. He will take Gabriella and play with her, while I start dinner- or at least prep dinner.

Between 6pm & 6:30pm: Dinner time for Gabriella!

We decided to try giving her pasta (you just over cook it, so that it’s almost mush), and she liked it!

She wasn’t quite sure what to do with it, she kind of played with it for a while but eventually figured out that it was for her to eat. She also had some sweet potatoes and apples. Girlfriend has quite an appetite. I say she gets it from her Daddy!

Oh, and you may wonder why she is suddenly without clothes…well, we strip her down when it’s feeding time. – Meal and snack time. Just because she is very messy, as all babies are, and sometimes the food will stain her clothes even AFTER using stain removers and letting the clothes soak. (Mom’s out there: have you found a stain remover that really does remove stains entirely?)

Between 7pm & 8pm: Bath time, and then I nurse her to bed.

Since we have been sleep training, and it’s been going pretty well (I say that with caution because every time I’ve mentioned something about her sleeping better, she has a WILD night.) and she is also getting up to eat once- around 3am/ 4am. She may cry or fuss for a bit around midnight, but we just let her cry & it’s REALLY short and she puts herself back to sleep. Thankfully.

And there you go, a day in the life of Gabriella! Needless to say, she keeps me busy!! I LOVE every minute (or almost every minute ) of it- I’m so blessed to be able to work from home so that I don’t miss a moment with her.

I also love that I have the best running buddy – she keeps me motivated. Looking down at those chunky thighs while I run just cracks me up. I’m starting her off right….

…with only the best shoes: Mizunos!!! I really think Gabriella needs some baby Mizunos to match her Momma!

Mom’s out there: If you stay at home with your child, how does your schedule look? Similar to mine? Favorite activity?

Runners: Favorite brand of shoes??

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Top 10 Things for a Six Month Old

I know it appears that this has turned into a Mommy blog. Sorry…well, I guess it’s one of those ‘Sorry, I’m not sorry’ kind of things! 🙂 My whole world right now is Gabriella and I really don’t see that changing much anytime soon. I know you Moms can relate 😀

Now with that said I do intend to have other things on here besides just baby stuff. I promise it WILL actually happen! I have a workout that I will share tomorrow, but today I wanted to do a follow up to my post ‘Top 10 Things for a Newborn.’

Since Gabriella is now a HALF of a year old (?!?!?!?!), I have a whole new list for you. Now, of course, please keep in mind that these are what work for US, all babies are different.

1. Jumperoo

Girl cannot get ENOUGH of this toy! Sometimes this really is my saving grace. I can clean the kitchen while she jumps all around. I have the CUTEST video of her jumping all around in it, but it was too big to send from my phone to my email…anyone have any ideas of how to do this?? It is hilarious! She was just cracking up! She really loves that hanging fly/insect on the side- (the one with the black & white dots) she just chews on it like crazy.

2. Seats

Let me clarify. One a baby is starting to crawl (or trying with ALL of their might to crawl), sitting up alone, and showing more signs of independence the LAST thing they want to do is lay down. They constantly want to sit up & look at the world around them. I picked up the adirondack chair above from Bed, Bath & Beyond yesterday. G liked just sitting in it & looking around. I had it inside for a while, then we went outside.

She also really likes her Bebe Pod. (which is the same thing as the Bumbo)

^the red seat.

I bring it EVERY WHERE. I put her on the counter while I cook, or I put it on the floor while we read books.

She also just enjoys sitting UP in general.

^my little sass

3. Sippy Cups

But not just any sippy cup, the kind with the rubber mouth piece. There are two types that we have- the kind with the hard mouth piece, and the kind with the rubber mouthpiece. The rubber one is more like a bottle nipple. Gabriella actually started drinking water out of these around 4 and 1/2 months. Of course she refuses pumped breast milk in them (little stinker!), but she will chug water in it! I always put ice in the water for her because I think she likes it really cold- it feels good on her gums- with all of the teething going on!

4. BOB Stroller

Seriously, this is a LIFE saver. I use this stroller NON stop. Once in the morning, for my run-  usually 6-10 miles- which is where she takes her morning nap & then we use it in the afternoon for our walk- which is usually around 30 minutes. Thankfully Gabriella loves it.

We started playing this new game a couple of weeks ago on our afternoon walk. There is a little window on the top of the stroller that I can see in. I put one of her toys on the top of the window & she looks up at it & starts CRACKING up. It is the BEST!

^ you can see the window above, and one of her crinkly toys in the window- a monkey.

^she tries to get it, and when she can’t she starts laughing 🙂

I know these strollers are expensive, but if you are a runner & plan to run with your baby, this stroller is WORTH EVERY PENNY!

5. Walker

^that picture is almost two months old…she can now touch the floor in it.

I know a lot of pediatricians will tell you NOT to get a walker because it causes irregular bone & muscle development. But this walker is actually designed NOT to do that, which is why I bought it. Gabriella loves being in it, for a brief time. This isn’t like the jumperoo, where she will spend a TON of time in, but it is good for a little bit of entertainment. I think once she can really move, it will be more entertaining. But I love that this one has a place on the side to attach additional toys.

6. Soft Cushioning for Floor

Girl is ON THE MOVE! We have hard wood floors, and the thought of Gabriella potentially falling on them is not a pretty picture. We always have her on blankets, but are going to get some foam blocks to cover an area of the floor as well.

7. Spatulas

I know I JUST talked about this, but these spatulas have really helped us with all of the teething. Her little two bottom teeth are JUST about to break through & she is gnawing on EVERYTHING she possibly can. A cold spatula, which she can hold on to herself, is the BEST! She gets all excited when I pull it out of the freezer, it’s adorable.

8. LOTS of Towels/ Wipes

In case you didn’t know, babies are MESSY! They like to feed themselves and it gets EVERYWHERE. Places you would never think you would find baby food, you WILL! Gabriella’s favorite food is sweet potatoes, and heads up…they stain if you don’t wash them out right way. Dreft makes a great stain remover. Once I get G to bed, I end up having to shower again because show how her food ends up all over me as well. It’s lovely 😉

We have towels and wipes EVERYWHERE. Car, diaper bag, strollers, downstairs, upstairs, you get the idea!

9. Books

You already know my experience with the book above! 🙂 One of my favorite things to do is reading books with G. I put her on my lap & hope I can keep her attention at least for a few minutes. I love the books that are the ‘touch and feel’ ones. She is just now ‘getting’ it- like how she can feel the pages, but mainly she enjoys just chewing on them. (again, the teething monster has arrived in FULL FORCE) I have read that even if they are sort of paying attention to you, babies understand what you are saying. Like they get that you are reading them a book and they ARE actually listening even if it appears they aren’t. (I would love to know who does these studies- haha!)

10. Stuff for Outdoors (Sunscreen, hats, etc)

Babies skin is EXTREMELY sensitive and living in Florida makes it SUPER important to make sure baby is always dressed appropriately. I started using sunscreen on Gabriella right around 4 months. I called the doctor’s office to make sure it was ok, since most sunscreens say wait until 6 months, but they said it was ok to put it on at 4 months.

Another key accessory are hats. Her doctor reminded me at our last appointment how important hats are, especially for babies with light and fine or thin hair like Gabriella has. (she got that from me) She has blonde hair & it’s very fine, so the sun can go right through it.

Hats are very important, not just because she looks adorable in them (if I do say so myself 😉 ) but because we have to protect that little head.

Of course I have to end with a funny picture…

A face only a mother could love! And you better believe I went in for a big ol’ kiss! …and then proceeded to clean BOTH of us up. 😉

Hopefully my favorite ten things will help someone else out! If you have anything to add to the list, please feel free!!

Sleeping in the Crib & NEW Workout

Happy Friday!

This week got off to a rough start, so the blog took a back burner. Once we got past Monday & Tuesday things got MUCH better! It’s amazing how much HAPPIER my little lady is once she gets a nap…and how rotten she can be without one. 😉

I have a new workout to share with you that I think you will really like. It’s a workout for the gym, but you could probably convert it to an at home workout as well. I did it on Monday & forgot how much I LOVED it- mix of weights & cardio! It was at the bottom of my workout binder. I’ll post it at the end of this post because it’s kind of long, so if you aren’t interested in any Gabriella stuff, please feel free to skip to the end!

Last Monday Gabriella turned 5 months old. Yes, FIVE whole MONTHS!

This is a REALLY fun age, and her personality is really shining through. Her laugh is the BEST sound in the whole world. I LOVE when we really get her going- she is SO ticklish!!

Another big step in her little life was that she is now in her CRIB! I know, you’re probably thinking…umm ok, aren’t babies supposed to sleep in their crib?! Well, yes, yes they are, but it’s quite a process if you don’t start them out there. (usually)

Until two weeks ago she slept in the Rock n’ Play.

^OH. MY.GOSH. look how teeny tiny she was. She was not even a month old in that picture! That is her sleeping in the rock n’ play.

It was nice & snug, especially this last month. I had NO idea how she was comfortable, but she HATED the crib. She would SCREAM the minute I tried putting her in there. Well, I finally KNEW it was time. She NEEDED to move to the crib, and I knew once she got used to it, she would be SO much happier.

So it happened. We did it. The night I decided to do it, she slept four hours in it before waking to eat! No cries, nothing. I got up, fed her, and put her in the rock n’ play. I wanted to do it gradually, and it worked out well. Finally after three nights, I packed up the rock n’ play & it was the crib. And only the crib. The first night was rough, but that was pretty much it.

One suggestion I have is to get a battery powered mobile. (like the one we have- Fisher Price– and WELL worth the $50)

We had a mobile before, but it was a crank one, the kind that come in most baby nursery sets. I don’t use the mobile much, but when I do it works out perfectly! Typically I will use it when she gets up to eat around 2am and then decides that she would rather party than go back to sleep. So I put her in the crib, turn on the mobile (we don’s use the projector that is part of the mobile- too stimulating), and then she stares at it & goes to bed eventually. (it is in 20 minute time increments & has a remote that you can use to turn it on from outside of the room)

Sometimes the mobile doesn’t work, but thankfully she has learned how to self soothe. She just sucks her two little fingers- her thumb & pointer. BEYOND cute!

(don’t mind the squash everywhere)

She’s still not a huge fan of the bottle, BUT we have had some success with a sippy cup. She’s still trying to figure out exactly how to use it; it’s happening though! I don’t mind skipping the bottle & going straight to the sippy cup at all! Whatever works. (THANK YOU, Kendra!!!!!)

As you can see my day is full of spending time with this little lady & I absolutely LOVE it!

I do get some work done when she naps, at night once she has gone to bed & on the weekends. It works for us, and I’m just thankful my boss has been so great about me working from home.

As for running, it has been great! Gabriella & I go running everyday- she LOVES the BOB!! Usually her morning nap is spent in the BOB- I’ll usually run between 6- 10 miles a day- I just keep going until she wakes up. And then we’ll go for an afternoon walk. I’m just happy she enjoys being outside! I let her play in the grass for the first time yesterday, and it’s so funny to see her discover things! She just sat there for about 15 minutes pulling it & digging her feet in the ground.

I really cannot imagine my life without her. I don’t know what we did before her. She really means the WHOLE world to us, and has brought SO much joy into our lives!!

Now for the workout I promised. I did each round circuit style (one exercise after the other), and sprinted in between rounds.

Warm up: Run 800m (or 1/2 mile)

Round one:
-Squats: 3×10 (heavy)
-Tricep Dips: 3×15
-Calf Raises: 3×15 (heavy)
-Russian twists using medicine ball: 3×12 (each side)
–Suitcase crunches: 3×15

Sprint: 400m (or 1/4 mile) – I did this at 10.0 speed

Round two:
-Upright rows (use barbell or dumbbells): 3×12
-Cable Crossovers: 3×12
-Sit Ups on Incline Bench holding weight (I used 10lbs): 3×15
-Plank hold: 60 sec (just do this once at the end of the circuit)

Sprint: 400m (I did this at 9.0), Jog: 200m (I did this at 6.5)- REPEAT Twice

Round three:
-Step ups holding dumbbells or barbell on back: 3×12 (each leg)
-Cable Bicep Curls: 3×12
-Back Extensions holding plate (I used 25lbs.): 3×12
-Bosu ball crunches (holding weight): 3×15

Sprint: 400m (I did this at 10.0)

Round four:
-Lat Pulldowns: 3×12
-Tricep Pushdowns: 3×12
-Oblique crunches: 3×25 (each side)

Cool down: Run or jog 1/2 mile to a mile (or more- up to you!)

If you try it, let me know what you think!!

We Got a BOB!

Welcome to a new week!

This weekend was pretty on the go for us. My Mom & Aunt came down and we went to the Winter Park Art Festival. It wasn’t as good as I remembered it, just a LOT of paintings…not much crafts. I just remember that two years ago there were more crafts & ‘fun stuff.’ But it was still nice to get out- it was absolutely gorgeous outside.

Gabriella was her usual ‘social’ self and again was in the Ergo the whole afternoon. 😉

Other than that, I had an AWESOME run on Saturday morning- ran all 5 miles (I had planned to do at least 6 or 7, but my Mom & Aunt arrived earlier than I thought…but it ended up being a very good thing because I pushed myself to get home faster 🙂 ) under 8 minutes, and then my last mile was in 6:45! I was pretty happy and the best part was that I wasn’t tired at all- could of kept running for much longer.

Speaking of running, guess what we got?!

A BOB!!! It was an early Baptism gift from Mike, Steph & Nathan. I must say, I think it may end up being our MOST used gift for Gabriella. I already go running twice a day- well, at least once…and usually twice (or a do a long walk, if I did a long run in the morning) so it is going to pack on some miles!

I couldn’t wait to show Gabriella her new gift when she got up the next morning. I knew she would love it! 😀

How goofy does she look?! Haha! The flash always makes her have the funniest faces. 🙂

We took it for a test drive that morning…and it worked like a charm. I had a sleeping baby in about 10 minutes. LOVE that! Perfect for nap time 😉

Afterwards I figured we would take some more pictures of it…G found her feet FAR more interesting that looking at the camera. Like I said…her new best friends.

(don’t worry, she was strapped in during the run 🙂 )

That picture above just makes me laugh. She’s like ‘c’mon Mom…this is getting ridiculous.’ 😀

I picked out the Plum color for the Ravens. I almost went with the Orange, because it’s nice & bright…but then I saw plum & well, I’m a bit obsessed with purple.

Needless to say, I’ve been enjoying this gift VERY much! It is SO much lighter than the other stroller I was using- like my brother in law said ‘It just glides across the pavement.’ So true, so true.

Anyways, yesterday was a bit emotionally draining…I don’t know exactly what it was, but I’ll talk about it more tomorrow. It’s Monday, no sense in getting into deep conversation.

I hope you all enjoy your day…and that you can make the most of this Monday!