Georgia Is Nine Months Old!

Georgia-you are NINE months old!

{First off-Happy Birthday (yesterday) daddy!!! I will post on his special day at another time. I'm sure he is chomping at the bit waiting for it HA! We love you!}

Here's what's going on in Georgia Grace's world:

• I am a day late on your monthly update post because I wanted to wait for your 9 month check-up that we had today (more on that later). You are 16 pounds 11 ounces (15th-25th percentile) and 27 3/4 inches in stature (50th percentile). You grew 2 3/4 inches in 3 months-wow!! You continue to be a petite mini but you are following your growth curve beautifully.
• You are wearing 6 month clothes mostly, an occasional 9 month dress or 6-12 month outfit. You are wearing size 2 diapers and size 1 shoes. Tiny footsies!
• You have two bottom teeth that are very sharp and very cute.

• Your sleeping schedule is 8:30-9pm to 7am. You usually take a morning nap and a long afternoon nap. You LOVE to go to sleep by being sung to and with a soft blanket wrapped around you. You like comfort!
• Your favorite "toy" right now is the door stop behind the front door. You gravitate to it like a magnet and thump it over and over again. So funny!
• You love exploring our side tables, fireplace, Owen's treat basket, and all lower cabinets in the kitchen. Operation childproofing is well underway.

• Since you started riding in your big girl carseat you are a much better traveler. You love a good car nap. Mommy and daddy on the other hand do not! Nothing messes up a good routine like a car nap.
• You have started recognizing strangers and can identify people you are familiar with. The word mommyitis has been used a time or two this month. It's not full-blown mommyitis but you know who your momma is and sometimes you just want her. And momma is totally ok with that!
• Another word(s) that has been used to describe you this month-drama queen. I hate to paint you with that brush baby girl but... For example, the other day you were feeding yourself cereal puffs and one got stuck to your finger and you couldn't get it off and you got so mad and threw your head back and just wailed with flowing alligator tears. Life as a 9 month old is just so unfair sometimes.
• You strongly dislike having your nose picked or wiped. Since we had our first sickness this month we have been doing this quite a bit. Bless it.

• When you're mad, you're mad. When you want something, you want it NOW. I must confess this is probably your mommy coming out in you. 
• You LOVE driving granddad's electric riding chair, riding in your carrier on mommy or daddy, grabbing O-dog's tail, and feeding yourself finger foods.
• You talk and squeal so much. We get the biggest kick out of listening to you and watching your facial expressions when you're telling a story. 

This month I started jotting down significant daily events in my planner which has made it much easier to keep up with when things happened. I am a numbers girl so I know this will be handy to look back on.

July 13th-first time riding in a convertible carseat

July 14th- put up pink Jeep (sad day but she's too on-the-go for it now. It's safely tucked away in storage for future use!)

July 18th-first time skinny dipping

July 19th-first WORD. Which was "crackle". What can I say we like to be original!

July 21st-first sickness ;(

July 26th-first time trying a pickle-LOVED

July 28th-first time in church nursery

July 31st-first time trying scrambled eggs-LOVED (no allergy-yay!)

Today was our 9 month checkup as I mentioned and it was just not a good time. At all. Here we are pre-meltdown city. We had to wait a while in our room before her pediatrician could see her so we were trying to keep her entertained. 

She eventually started scaling the walls. The picture is pixilated because it's nearly impossible to get a clear one when your child is climbing a wall!

So the bad news is she has a left ear infection. We couldn't believe it! No fever, acting perfectly normal, no tugging at her ear. He said it was pink and bulging so he prescribed a 10-day dose of amoxicillin. I am "anti-antibiotic" but I knew she had to have it to clear up the infection. She has had two doses and no side effects so far. Believe me I will be pumping her full of yogurt over the next week and a half!

Her pediatrician also wants us to switch her to table food (lightly seasoned). I told him about the struggles we have had with her acceptance of baby food. He reminded me that breastfed babies typically do not do as well on baby food due to being satisfied with mommy's milk. Makes sense.

So tonight I have developed a feeding schedule. We will see how it goes and make adjustments as needed. It is dietitian approved :).

I must confess feeding my baby has been hard. I thought the transition to solids would be so easy and effortless. But it hasn't been. I'm hoping changing her food choices (per pediatrician recommendation) will create better acceptance of solids. I think she is probably going to be petite and never going to be a big eater but I want to make sure I am providing the best nutrition possible. I haven't breastfed 9 months to give up now!

See, it's not always peaches and cream. But the good FAR outweighs the bad. I can handle little bumps in the road like this. I'm thankful for my support system who offered words of encouragement to me today (as I was emotionally proclaiming I was the worst mother of the year and possibly shedding a tear or two. Hey it happens!)

Happy 9 months baby girl! You are one tough cookie. We are so proud of you and love you soooooooooooo much!

Letting The World Go On Without Us

This weekend felt like we really scooted under the radar and I didn't mind it one bit. No big plans, no time table, no agenda. It was heavenly!

I had a three day weekend because on Thursday I co-coordinated a fish fry fellowship at my hospital. It turned out to be so much fun and we had a great turnout. My friend Robin and I were in event planning overload all day. We even went to her house to cut cattails when we realized we weren't going to have enough as the RSVP list grew. It's all about the details. This event reminded me of what an amazing organization I work for. I'm thankful God placed me at TLRMC.

Friday GGH and I hung out at the Hidden Valley Golf Resort while these two played nine holes. The sweetest story-Jagger, Marcus' student he has had for the past 3 years, called him Thursday to ask if he wanted to play golf with him. He had recently started taking lessons and wanted to show Marcus what he had learned. Is that not the cutest thing ever?!? The boys had a GREAT day. Both of them chipped in for birdies!

Mommy and baby chillin' and polka dot matching on the porch at Gammys. The pool is ALMOST ready! (insert gritted teeth emoji here-we are excited and READY)

Saturday we met my dad, my grandparents, and Paige and Eric at Garcias for lunch. Paige and Eric were in town for a wedding, we hadn't seen them in two weeks and Paige couldn't believe how much Georgia Grace had grown and changed! We love having them home.

The rest of our Saturday was spent at Lake Malone celebrating Marcus' birthday (early). Georgia stayed home with Grandma Harrison (thank you Shannon!), we didn't want to chance taking her since she had been under the weather at the beginning of the week. We (my dad) supplied the boat and they (Rachel's dad) supplied the cabin. Rachel took her first boat ride and first tube ride, the men caught 47 fish, and Rachel and me caught up on girl talk that was long overdue. The guys fished until dark and we ended the night with a good ol' wienie roast and a juicy watermelon (running down our chins of course). The weather was perfect for a lake day. We actually welcomed the fire once the sun set. It really felt like early fall instead of the dead of summer. We are loving these lake weekends!

This is one of the pictures I received while we were at the lake. It's too bad they didn't let her have any fun while she was there...

Today Georgia stayed in the church nursery for the very first time. Our cousins had nursery duty so I thought this would be a good test to see how she would do with people she was familiar with. They said she did great (doubt they would tell me otherwise though ha!) and even started reading her bible while she was in there! Our nursery starts them young :)

The rest of our Sunday was spent eating BBQ and homemade Heath bar ice cream (my all-time favorite) at Mamaw Carolyn's and exploring the church where my sister will be getting married in December!! They have set the date-December 14th, 2013! Five months! Ahh!!

I'm thankful for this low key weekend. I checked my phone sparingly, I never opened my planner and I don't believe we turned the TV on one time. We let the world go on without us. It was nice to just live in the moment without a care in the world.

My heart is full!

Our First Sickness

The debate between whether she was sick or just teething turned out to be no debate-my baby was sick! She has had a runny nose and just hasn't been herself for about three days. She has wanted to be held and would just lay around on us. Totally not Georgia's personality. Tuesday morning when she woke up Marcus said she was so stopped up she could barely eat and then that made her mad which led to major meltdown city. I can't blame her.

 

On Tuesday we started using a humidifier in her room, vaporub on her feet and chest, and I used a nasal aspirator a few times (I think this has potential to be really handy with future sicknesses but she hated it this go around). She had been getting up during the night crying and she wasn't eating as well as she normally does. We were considering a trip to the doctor on Tuesday but...

 

She is much much better today! Her nose has only ran a little bit and she has played and ate good all day. I could have cried I was so happy to see her smiling and back to our Georgia Grace! And her appetite seems to be bigger than ever. I guess she is making up for the few days she was lacking ha. And she is full of energy too. As I type this daddy, Owen, and Georgia Grace are all in our bed "rassling" with each other. I think she is going to be rough and tough. She won't be getting that from her momma! Praise the Lord our healthy baby is back.

And I couldn't not mention such a heart-warming event that took place this week-the birth of the prince! I just love Kate. She is the whole package. And now Kate is one of us-a mommy! :)

George and Georgia, sounds good to me. :)

Outdoor Weekend

We had a fun week/weekend enjoying the beautiful weather we were blessed with. It finally feels like July here in Kentucky.

Thursday night we went to grams for homemade pizza and a little nighttime skinny dipping (Georgia Grace only). My girl is a water baby. She loves pools and baths and she really loves gram's kiddie pool that is like a pool/bath combo for her. It has a shallow end (6-8 inches deep I would guess) and a deep end (18-24 inches). Granddad built the pool himself several years ago for AKK and it's so stinkin' cute! She can sit on her own in the shallow end and ride in a float in the deep end. This girl is never lacking entertainment!

Friday night we went to Music at the Mural. We helped paint the mural back in April  and we enjoy supporting our community and their efforts to make our town fun and thriving. Georgia Grace had fun playing in the grass and crawling off the blanket. We called it an early night for bedtime but we had fun listening to the talented musicians while we were there.

Saturday morning my mom, mamaw, Georgia Grace and myself went to Bowling Green to shop and to meet Marcus for lunch [he's taking a weekend class for his Rank I certification. He's not happy about it but he loves his professor and the class only meets 4 times so he's finding the silver lining and bearing down.] Saturday afternoon we spontaneously threw a trip to the lake together with the Ross' while my mom kept GGH for us. We had never been to their lake cabin before but trust us this will not be our last time!

It's seriously the cutest lake cabin ever. Just look at that fireplace-swoon! There's a big back porch with an amazing view and an adorable dock that we spent most of the day on.

The weather was perfect. We explored their ancestor's homesteads and did a little fishing.

We had such a great time and can't wait to go back. We had planned on eating at a fantastic fish place later that night but they closed early and then I got a call from mom on our way home that Georgia was not feeling well. 

I was fearful that she might be teething again because she had a runny nose that morning and was chewing on everything. I think mom and Stan had a rough time trying to take care of her and I hated seeing her not feeling well and that I had not been there to take care of her. When we got her home she woke up two times through the night but went right back to sleep. I stayed home from church with her today and she seems to be feeling better. No fever, just feels bad and has a runny nose. The verdict is still out if it is teething symptoms or her 1st sickness. Time will tell.

Even though the end of the weekend hasn't been great we still had fun enjoying the outdoors. We have already planned another lake trip next weekend for Marcus' birthday! Hopefully our baby will get to feeling better. I hate to see my sugar girl down.

Growing Up

This post is completely devoted to my Georgia Grace and how quickly she is transitioning from a baby to a little girl (despite this momma's selfish attempt to keep her little forever).

It's not about her age because she is still technically a baby and for that I am grateful. It's about her independence and abilities. Marcus and I just sit back some nights and ask each other, "When did we get here?".

Today she said her first word!!! Well, we think ha! Now technically she has been jabberin "momma momma momma" and "dadda dadda dadda" for a long time but we knew she wasn't really saying those with purpose so I haven't counted those but today she said the word and we are confident she knew what she was doing.

The word? Crackle.

Yup, my baby's first word was crackle. And I'm sure you are wondering why so let me explain. When Georgia Grace was going through a period that she did not like having her diaper changed grandmomma started saying "Snap, Crackle, Pop" when she would button up the snaps on her outfits. That saying stuck with us and we still use it to calm her down, get her attention for a picture, etc.

So today Marcus and Aunt Shanna were saying it to her and she repeated it right back after they said it. It freaked both of them out! They said it was plain as day. 

Of course she wouldn't say it again for me when I got home and she may not say another distinguishable word for six months. But the first one is in the books! 

So congrats baby girl on saying your first word and for making it one of the most memorable, strangest words I can think of :)

This month she has really started using crawling as her means of transportation. If one of us are in the other room and she wants us off she goes. For the longest time she would crawl a few times and then kick out her right leg and rest. And then start the process all over again. Now, she's wide open and has really increased her speed. We have learned when she is wearing dresses (which is often) to tie them up in the back so she doesn't get "hung up" :)

She loves to be standing up. This is how we find her in the mornings and after nap time wearing the biggest most precious grin in the world. Who cares that the nap was only 20 minutes when this face awaits you!!

She can now sit unassisted on riding toys. This picture is just too much for me-where's my baby?!? 

As much as I want to keep her little I'm blessed that she is healthy and growing. I need to get use to this as bad as I don't want to. We are on our way to becoming a "big girl"!

Old, New, Borrowed & Cute

Old

Something "old" that I have made "new to us" is this basket that I thrifted last weekend for 6 bucks! The handles were broken so I took those off and you could never tell they were ever there.

The basket made a perfect filing cabinet which we plan to use for Forever Home documents. So much cuter than a sterile filing cabinet. I might actually enjoy filing things in this.

Nah, it's not that cute.

New

Georgia Grace is the newest member of the Junie B. Kids' Reading Club! I signed her up a couple months ago and she received a newsletter and a book in the mail this week. She Mommy and daddy were excited about this piece of snail mail this week!

Borrowed

We transplanted boxwoods from Marcus' grandparents in August 2011 in hopes of the six plants growing together to form a solid hedge.

Nearly 2 years later we have our hedge! My mom was discussing landscaping for her pool the other day which jogged my memory to how much our "curb appeal" has changed since we bought our house. We went from waiting for shrubbery to grow to having to keep them cut back on a regular basis (which Marcus had done a few weeks prior and they already look unkept!). I love our little hedge and how it makes me feel like I have a green thumb.

Cute

And our cutest "new to us" item that is a big hit at the Harrison Homeplace is our new baby carrier! I totally want to be that mom that packs her munchkin around while she does housework. And Georgia totally wants to be that baby being packed around while mommy does housework ha! She absolutely loves it. How cute is she grinning ear to ear for a mommy/daughter selfie? She can be mad as a wet hen and we put her in this and all is right in the world again. I had a moby wrap and wasn't a big fan. I'm sure there is a learning curve and I probably didn't give it enough time but it was just too much hassle. By the time I got it all tied on we were both over it. This works much better for us. I only wish I had purchased it sooner. [I must add it was a total steal for $10 bucks on a classifieds list-woohoo!]

Weekend Warrior & Wedding

Friday night we went to Rolling Oaks farm to visit Uncle Jake and Aunt Shanna. They had us over for a cookout and some clay pigeon shooting. While we were there Nathan found this turtle in their yard so I had to get a picture of Georgia Grace with it! Look at my little priss touching it with one finger. She wasn't scared but she was very much a little lady about petting it. Our southern belle is a girly girl through and through. 

We had a fun night just visiting and being outdoors. I love their farm and how quiet and peaceful life is there. Owen had a hay day chasing the cows! I am praying for God's timing and provision for a larger place for our family to grow and call home some day.

Here was my weekend to-do list. I accomplished about 50% of it so I consider that a success. The carseat was installed and Georgia Grace took her first ride in it and did really well! She has strongly disliked riding since we got back from the beach so we are hoping a bigger carseat will do the trick. 

I stained an old adirondack chair that we have had for two years and never got around to-oops! The curtains are half done and the laundry soap supplies are all bought and now I'm just waiting to find time to put it all together. I am really excited about trying this laundry detergent recipe that you can find here. Feeling very June Cleaver and Michelle Duggar all rolled into one over here ;)

Saturday night we attended the wedding of our dear friends Sarah and Jim. The wedding and reception were perfectly "Sarah" and I loved every detail. Drinks were iced down in a canoe, chandeliers hanging from tree branches, pulled pork displayed in a suitcase---it was to die for! I cannot wait to see their wedding pictures and ooh and aah all over again.

Picture isn't great but it's the only one we got ha! Oh the joys of taking pictures with a wiggly 8 month old.

It was the perfect July evening for an outdoor reception. We have had such a mild July and I love it. Polar opposite to last July when everyday was nearly 110 degrees while I was wagging a 7 month pregnant belly...enjoy these days current mommy-to-be's!

My friend Brandy took this of my Georgia at the reception and I'm in love. My beautiful baby girl! This picture will always be special to me because of who it is from and when it was sent. Brandy's dad lost his battle with cancer tonight and my heart grieves for her. Randy has been in my prayers for such a long time. He fought so hard for so long and now The Lord has called Him home. Please join me in praying for this family.

First Blogiversary

One year ago today Harrison Homeplace started with this post about our vacation to Hilton Head island. I remember writing that post and hoping that there would be many more posts to follow and that I would make blogging a part of my weekly routine. 365 days and 166 posts later Harrison Homeplace is still going strong! 

Blogging for me is my digital scrapbook. I am the world's worst about taking the time to scrapbook or keep written records. I have the best of intentions to do those things but I have never made them a priority. I am keeping a baby book for Georgia Grace and, not surprisingly, I am behind. And when I get behind I refer to this blog for all my data on her life. For me this just works and I love that it allows me to share our memories with family and friends.

To commemorate one year of Harrison Homeplace, I have made a list of my 10 favorite posts. I enjoyed this trip down memory lane:

Ten

2012 Year In Review

Nine

DIY Shower Dress

Eight

My First Mother's Day

Seven

Marcus' First Father's Day

Six

Georgia's Virtual Nursery Tour

Five

Georgia Grace's 1st Beach Vacation

Four

Flashback-Gender Reveal Party

Three

Six month portraits here and here

Two

Remembering Papaw

One

And of course my favorite post of all is Georgia's Birth Story. Her life is the primary reason I started blogging and she has given me so much good material to post about ha! All of her firsts are scattered throughout the pages of my blog book and I can't wait to share them with her someday. 

This is my piece of the "then" that I can hold onto forever.

Thanks to my readers for taking an interest in my little corner of the www! One year down and many many more to go!