10 Months!

10 MONTHS!!!!  10 Months feels OLD!  Look at those teefers (teeth) up there... Just the two bottom ones so far, but the top two are breaking through as i type.
I'll tell you what, these photo shoots are becoming a lot harder to do with little miss busy body up there.

Speaking of Busy Body.. we were really busy this past month!  After New York... we went Camping with the Chobot's to Yogi Bear JellyStone Park  We picked the coldest weekend in July in years!    Layne's first camping trip was great, and we were glad it was NOT 100 degrees.
Photos below:

Welcome Yogi Campers!

We've gotten so much use out of this Go-Pod 

Gramma & Pops (and Liv)

Sleepy Camper

Then we went to our friend Nick's parents family's farm in Indiana the weekend after that.... With Steve, Hayley, Nick, and their "Indiana Friends" The boys went fishing, and we hung out and grilled and drank and Layne had her own room! Such a beautiful home and wonderful weekend..... I really should have taken more pictures though.  oops.  

Just the LAKE in Nick's parents backyard with Nick in the Canoe (no big deal)

flying baby! (house in the background) 

Then we had a BBQ the weekend after that with my Stay at Home Mom's Group and all the husbands got to meet and hang out.  It was fun to get all the girls together (and our dudes!)  This is my group that meets every other Wednesday since Layne was about 5 months old.

L-R - Me & Layne, Abby & Madeline, Tina & Mckenna, & Lauren & Lola, Jenn & Ayla, Heidi & Sophie and lots of pink bows!

the babes.  (hard shot to get with a bunch of crawlers!)  Age range 7 mos- 10 mos (Layne is the oldest)

Then we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo with Grandma, Auntie Aimee, Tyler, Mason & Alivia.  This zoo is beautiful and in the middle of the city. and FREE all year  round!

Tyler picking on the little guy

cousins!

Then we went to the roof top of Andrew's work for our third annual rooftop viewing of the Air And Water Show    It's my most favorite festival and last year I was super pregnant with Layne, and this year..... she hung out like a champ with my crew of Hayley, Steve, Nick & Andrew and I. 

Hayley & I

Layne and my sun blocker contraption 

My new Facebook profile photo. ;) taken by Andrew (my back was fried!)

And a bunch of playmates thrown in the mix....

pool time, in the smallest pool in town

Crawling face off

"where's my menu!?"

Needless to say, this has been a very busy month.  This past weekend was our first weekend all month that we didn't have any plans, and we celebrated our six year wedding anniversary, by have a few beers on our front porch with the baby monitor and our dog Chai.  As long as we are all together right?

At 10 months Layne is:

Still exclusively had only breast milk (momma is proud!)

eating three meals a day. Oatmeal and a fruit in the morning, lunch whatever i have and dinner whatever we eat- she's a good eater!

Crawling like a master champ.

She pulls up and stands and cruises while holding on to the couch.  We are days away from walking folks.  Time... please SLOW DOWN.

Her top two teeth have literally been coming in all month.  But i finally see the right one busting through. Baby Tylenol and Amber Teething Necklace to the rescue.. and Hyland Teething Tablets... so many options....

Today she went to Ikea for the first time.  That's an important first to notate.  We love Ikea.  

And here she is in a shopping cart for the first time... at our other favorite.. Target.

She loved it too!

It's been a busy month and we are ready to slow down a bit, with Andrew starting teaching tomorrow.  He'll be teaching Tuesdays and Wednesdays this semester (he teaches Art Appreciation) and will be working two 12 hour days in a row!  We will miss him, but boy oh boy can we use that extra paycheck. It's been a long summer on lots of credit card purchases ;)  

I have already started planning Layne's first birthday party.  Oh yes!  I booked the place in May to make sure we got the date of her actual birthday (Sat. Oct. 19th).

More on this later.... I have a theme people. WHO AM I?  

Next weekend my parents are coming in to town for a couple of days before they head off to Mount Rushmore (I wonder where i got my traveling bug from?)

Then the weekend after that we are headed to Portland, Oregon!!! CAN'T WAIT! (Layne is coming on this trip)

Then no more traveling till Thanksgiving in Dallas.  By this time Layne will have been on a plane 100 times.... (practically) and she'll be a year and probably walking and driving....

Till next time.... Love you Layner Bee! 

xo

9 months and 19 days

Layne did a free photo shoot with one of our new mama friends. She was a photography major in College and wanted to practice shooting baby's!  So i volunteered up my little Layner Bee.  And these are some of the results.  That first picture is the best picture I ever did see.  It's really hard to get a good shot of a 9 month old crawler, but I think she did a great job.
I love them so.
xoxo

In New York....

This was a big trip for us.  First official trip without baby Layne out of state, left for 3 nights and 4 days.  Andrew was in a wedding of our college friend Bryan in Westchester New York.
So we flew into NYC on Saturday morning and took the Metra North Train up north about 30 minutes.
Got there and went to one of the most beautiful (fancy) weddings I have ever been to.
The food and drinks were amazing and the view was just as great!

After a super fun night- we were off to the city on Sunday.  We stayed with our old friend Kelly who lives on the upper east side. (she's not old, we have just been friends a long time) ;)

Her street.  

Best bagels ever

We went out to dinner and drinks Sunday night- and then Monday Andrew and I hit the city!  We went to the Guggenheim Museum and saw the James Turrell Exhibit which was great.  Andrew the art teacher says :   he focuses on light as a sculptural medium  
I say:  There is lots of light and it changes colors.  :)

When we walked in we saw all the people laying on the floor looking up. That in itself was almost cooler than the art.  I mean I know it's apart of the art.....Art.  It's all art. ha!  

Andrew the photographer

What everyone was looking at.

Super cool. 

We also went to the Metropolitan Museum and saw a exhibit about PUNK! Fashion. Also super cool (no pictures allowed in that one)

Then we went to Time Square- just to see it again.  I have been to NYC many times but I gotta see Times Square when I go. The theatre dork in me always gets a little nostalgic walking on Broadway!  

NYC Taxi

Thank you again to Auntie Aimee for watching Layne.  I must say I am so blessed to have her here and so happy she loves Layne so much that she can handle her and the three kids she already has !  THANK YOU!  

Also- As i mentioned in my 9 month update. I am still breastfeeding.  So this trip was very interesting for me. I had to stop where I was every 4 hours- and Pump!  

I am so proud of myself for doing it and I saved and brought back on the plane 40 ounces!  (i didn't keep the milk when i was drinking).

I pumped at a bar called American Trash

I pumped in Times Square at Toys R Us.  Note to future nursing mama travellers- Baby's R Us has a "mothers room"  And i sorta remembered that they did, this is why I chose this store when we hit times square. 

I pumped in Laguardia Airport in a corner while people were waiting for their flight.

I pumped at the wedding. 

And i carried my milk all over the city and back home where its now safely in my freezer.  (pats self on back). 

When i got home- Layne latched on just as I had never left.  Thank goodness.  I was worried.  

Back to NYC- It was such a fun trip and I was so happy to be there but even happier to come home to my little one.  

Next big trip- Portland, Oregan for another wedding and to see our friend Sarah.  This time, we are bringing Layne. Sarah had a baby (Baby Ike) A week after me, so I am so excited to get the babes together. 

Till Next Time New York!  Thanks for the hospitality Kelly!

9 Months!

9 months seems so old doesn't it?  IT DOES !!  She is a moving/ crawling/ pulling up/ lifting/ standing/ never sits still toddler!!  JK.  I know she's not a toddler yet.  She's still my little baby Roo.  But man how things are changing.  No more sitting around the park or play dates holding on to my non mobile baby.  Now I am at play dates up and on the move following this little one making sure she doesn't get in to any trouble!  :)  Cute trouble of course.

Let's see- this past month as i mentioned above she's grown leaps and bounds!  We had her 9 month check up.

Stats:
Weight: 20.3 pounds - 75th percentile
Height:  28.5  75th percentile
Head: 45.2inches (forgot the percentile)

We got a new pediatrician this month (our other one changed professions)  So I was excited to meet her and i like her so much more than the old one.  Andrew went with me to this appointment and thank goodness he did... because at the 9 month appt. they DRAW BLOOD!  From the baby's arm!! it was heartbreaking and so wrong to see. Just a warning out there... no shots on the 9 month... but yeah blood drawn- just as bad.

before 

her poor little arm. 

We celebrated the 4th of July!  A lot of my friends were asking me how she did at the fireworks- and she did great!  To be honest it didn't even cross my mind not to bring her with to see the fireworks.  She was only up a little bit later than her bed time.   And we had a fun day spending time in the burbs with the Chobot's/ Adair's

Momma got a momma hair cut:

10 inches!  And donated to locks of love

Layne is a crawling machine (as previously mentioned)

Lots of fun activities!  Went to Millennium Park for the first time

Cruz and Layne

Went Swimming for the first time (she's an old pro now)

We went to more festivals! Logan Square art Fest and West Fest

She went to her first funeral.  RIP Baba.  Andrew's 99 year old grandmother past away.  She lived a long wonderful life and left behind a HUGE Family!  Layne was apart of the 44 great grandkids.
We love you Baba!

Pulling her self up and standing!

Girl Group! (i picked the picture where layne looks the happiest- it's my blog!) ;)

Lola, Sophie, Layne, Ayla, Mckenna

Lots of pictures!  Happy 9 months Layne.  Momma and Daddy went to NYC and left you with Auntie Aimee but that was technically after your 9 month b-day. I'll do a separate post about nyc.

At 9 months:
we started her on 3 meals a day. and snacks throughout the day.  Still making our own food and giving her finger foods.
Still on a pretty strict napping schedule.  Up 2 hours- nap- up 2 hours- nap- up 3 hours- sleep.
She is still sleeping 12 hours a night with a wake up after 8/9 hours then back to sleep. Mama's little sleeper- thank goodness.  Anyone who knows me- knows i am a SLEEPER.
This weekend we are going Camping with the Chobot's! Baby's first camping trip!
Breastfeeding still going strong! Although our sessions are much shorter and she is much more distracted lately. moving around/ kicking/ pinching my arm.  ha!  I still love it though. :)

ps. Summer is over.
xo