We have a "scooter"!!

Elena has started to scoot.  She really wants to crawl, but hasn't quite got it figured out yet.  When there is a toy or a book out of reach that she wants, she has figured out how to scoot to get it.  I have a video of her this morning showing off her skills, but it won't upload for some reason...I will get it on here ASAP...maybe in another post.  Elena has been moving around in short scoot spurts for a few weeks, but it is becoming more and more evident with each passing day that her scoots are purposeful and longer.  Before I know it, she's going to be everywhere and we will have to keep an eye on her constantly.  Not that we don't already, but she will be getting into things that she shouldn't be very soon!
Elena also had a visit from our Parents As Teachers teacher this past week and she was evaluated for her 6 month assessment.  Elena is doing SO great. Her fine motor skills are above average...she is able to pick up a Cheerio or a Kix with her index finger and thumb.  I couldn't believe she could do it...that's another video I'll have to take soon.  She is so focused when trying to pick up those little pieces of cereal, but she can do it!  Her hearing and vision appears just fine and she reacts to sounds normally.  We need to keep talking to her constantly and get to to make more consonant sounds back to us.  We read lots of books everyday, but the more talking we do together, the better those sounds will get.
Elena is also falling into a schedule now.  It is really nice that she is falling into a routine already.  I hope it continues.  I wanted to put her schedule on here for my memory down the road...
7:00ish: wake up
7:30ish: bottle
7:45-9:30ish: exercise/play/read
9:30ish-11:30ish nap
11:30ish: wake up/nurse or bottle/cereal
12:00ish-2:30ish play/read/go outside/run errands with mom
2:30ish-4:30ish (not consistent at all): nap (sometimes 2 hours, sometimes 30 minutes)
4:30ish: play
5:00: Nurse/bottle
5:30ish-8:00ish: play/read/go outside/exercise
8:00ish: Cereal/bath/nurse/bed

 This is DEEE-licious!!

 Look...I can sit up in my little tub now!

 oops...lost my balance for a second!

 Out for a morning walk with mom...I'm still tired ;)

 mmmm...frozen hand tastes good on my gums!

 Homer enjoying our little pool tarp.

 This is where mom found me.

Here I go!

Well Baby Check Up!

Elena and I went to see Dr. Hagan this morning for her 6 month well baby check up.  Elena is doing great.  I was so pleased to hear that she is right on track for where she needs to be. She is weighing 15.4 lbs (45th percentile) these days and is 26.5 inches tall (75th percentile).  Dr. Hagan said she can be eating a little more everyday, which means we need to fit in one more extra bottle (6oz) each day to get her to about 30oz of formula/breastmilk. We will continue with iron supplement drops to keep her healthy too. She is getting a little bit of a belly, but Dr. Hagan said he'd like to see it fill out a little more :)  We also got the go ahead for any and all baby foods.  We are SO excited about this.  I am going to start out buying some at the store and maybe next week when I have a little more time I will study up on making some baby food here at home.  We cannot wait to see the awesome faces she will be making after introducing each food.  We were told to try one food for a few days to be sure it digests well in her body.  So far, this girl has had no trouble with any kind of food, so it will be very interesting to see which foods she ends up not liking.  What an adventure we have ahead of us now!!  Elena also got three shots today and she did cry this time right away when the nurse stuck her.  She got two shots in one thigh and one shot in the other.  The nurses at the office are so great, though, because they do the shots so fast and it's over...I'm so thankful for that.  Elena cried one of those cries where she didn't take a breath for a few seconds, but then she let out that big cry after that long breath and she was done.  No more crying since then.  I took the bandaids off when we got home and she went right to sleep in her crib for a nap.  I did have some shopping to do after the appointment, but baby nap and lunch comes first!!  Maybe we'll venture out this afternoon.  We do have a prescription to fill...
Elena has thrush.  I didn't even notice it, but when Dr. Hagan showed me in her mouth, it made total sense.  I guess I never thought much of it since it looks just like milk and after she eats is really the only time I study her mouth.  I feel around for teeth often and rub her gums to "brush" her mouth, but never noticed the thrush.  Elena also has had some diaper rash for awhile now and Dr. Hagan said that the rash and thrush can go hand in hand.  So, he gave us a prescription for meds in her mouth and diaper rash. Hopefully it will be gone in two weeks.  None of this has ever bothered Elena, so that's the great news.
All in all, Elena is growing to be a healthy, happy baby.  We go back to the doctor in 6 weeks to check Elena's weight and then we won't see Dr. Hagan until September for a 9 month check up.  I can't believe it!  What a great summer it's going to be full of happy changes for our baby girl!!

6 Months Old!

 Elena Elizabeth turned 6 months on May 30th!  I attempted to take some photos of her with her 6 month sticker on her onesie, but she was not a fan of having pictures taken the other day.  Now that she is aware of the things she wears and the sounds certain objects make, instead of just laying there with a scowl on her face before taking a picture, she had to make sure she played with the sticker on her onesie.  I admit, I was getting kind of annoyed that she wouldn't stop playing with it so I could get a good picture, but I suppose that is what 6 month olds do, right?  Geez, settle down mom...ha ha  I'm sure we'll have just as much fun at the end of June for the next round of monthly photos.  The hard part, honestly, is that these monthly pictures seem to come by too often.  Our little baby is growing...and too fast!!
Elena went to see the pediatric dermatologist this past week to check on her birthmark on her outer left thigh.  When she was born, it was just a red birthmark (I think it's called a hemangioma, but don't hold me to that), that was even with her skin.  Ever since birth, though, the mark has raised a little off of her skin.  So, to be sure nothing was wrong with it, our pediatrician wanted us to see the dermatologist just to make sure there were no other growths under the skin to worry about or the possibility of infection.  Everything turned out just fine and the dermatologist is not expecting to see us again anytime soon.  I was relieved to know Elena's mark is totally normal and may even go away after a year or two.  We go back to see our pediatrician this coming Wednesday for the 6 month well baby check up and more shots.  I'm hoping Elena does just as great with this round as she has done with all the others.  We've been SO fortunate to have such a healthy, happy baby so far.  We are truly blessed!
Last weekend was Elena's first Memorial Day weekend.  We were SO glad that it was hot out so we could go get our famous baby pool and fill it up for Elena's first swim.  I must admit, I got butterflies in my stomach when we were filling up the pool last week because I was just remembering how just one year ago we were doing the same thing and I was struggling to stay balanced on a raft in our little pool.  Now we have a baby girl to balance on her floaties.  It's amazing how much things can change in one short year...and make your life so much better. The water was SO cold getting in the pool the first time, but it felt great because it was so hot and sticky outside.  After getting Elena all dressed up for the pool, we got out there and took a dip.  At first, she really didn't know what to think.  She preferred to have me hold her while she held onto the sides of the pool and proceeded to "eat" the side of the pool.  At this point, everything new goes into her mouth, so why would the pool be any different, right?!  When I showed her how to splash a bit, that's when she got more comfortable in the water.  She even started splashing and giggling at herself.  It was so much fun.  Too bad it's just a little too chilly today for a dip in the pool.  I guess we've got all summer, though!!!  It still doesn't seem real to me that I don't have any school this summer. I get to stay home and be with this baby.  Wow.
Juan starts summer school on Monday and he is really excited about it.  It's going to be a fast month with lots of activities and we are looking forward to everything.  I'll post more later next week after Elena's six month appointment with how much she's grown and if we're ready to move onto REAL baby food!!  We are SO excited.  She continues to eat huge bowls of cereal now and taking 6 oz bottles with no problem.  We are ready for the good stuff.  I haven't decided yet if I'm going to make some home made baby food or buy some.  My gut tells me to do a little of both, especially since I'll be home more often now to do some of these "stay at home" mom activities.
Happy Summer Everyone!! 

Just watching a little Sesame Street.

 I'm busy, leave me alone. ;)

 Happy Memorial Day! This dress won't fit come July 4th!

 My new shades.

 It was a long day.

Ugh...pictures.  I'm SO done.

Almost there!!

The time has almost come for summer vacation.  Only one day left of school for me on Monday and Juan has to give finals this coming week.  I CANNOT believe how fast this semester has gone by.  When I went back to work in February, I thought time would drag so much since all I was waiting for was summer, summer, summer.  Now that it's here, I realize how fast our time flies and I know summer is going to go by even faster.  I have a feeling Elena and I will fall into a routine quickly and enjoy our special time together this summer.  Juan is looking forward to teaching summer school with his middle school students.  It's going to be a great experience.
I always said that once school was out, Elena was going to sleep in her crib full time.  Since she was born, Juan and I have had her pack n play set up next to my side of the bed.  It has just been so easy having her right there for the middle of the night feedings.  Now that summer vacation is close, I have been thinking about getting her crib all ready for her to "move in".  As of now, it's full of stuffed animals, blankets, and other soft things to play with.  Very soon, I'll be moving all of those things out to get Elena used to sleeping in her crib.  I honestly don't think she's going to have much of a problem sleeping in there since she falls asleep with no problem for now.  Maybe it's wishful thinking, but here's to hoping!  She still gets up to eat one time in the middle of the night and then doesn't usually wake up until around 6am.  I'M the one who will have to get used to getting up and walking to her room to feed her in the middle of the night if she gets hungry.  I'm hoping that these middle of the night feedings start to dwindle soon, though.  We should be starting on more solid baby foods very soon.  Elena is just one great eater.  She LOVES her cereal and takes a 6 oz bottle like a champ.  I think the cereal before bed helps her sustain her hunger longer through the night.  We shall see how other baby foods help with this too.
Elena goes back to the doctor in 2 weeks for her dermatologist check on her birthmark on the back of her thigh.  It is just a small strawberry, about the size of a nickel, but it is raised a little bit and the doctor just wants to have a specialist look at it to make sure it's not growing or something we need to be concerned about. Elena will see her pediatrician for her 6 month...yes, 6 month check up the first week of June. More shots...but I'm not worried...she takes those like a champ too...she's one strong girl!!
The pictures below are from the last few weeks...and my first Mother's Day!  What a special day that was.  I enjoyed some quality time with Juan and Elena that day and went out to lunch with Juan's mom, dad, and sister. I can't wait to get some good use out of my Mother's Day gift...a Dyson vacuum!!  Don't hate on it...It's EXACTLY what I wanted!!  I love to vacuum...just ask Juan. I also got some great cards and daisies from Juan.  All in all, it was one of the best days. I feel so honored to be a mother now.  It truly is one of the most amazing jobs in the world.

5 months Old!

Our baby Elena turned 5 months old on April 30th.  She was not all that interested in having her picture taken, so this bright-eyed one is the best I got!!  These months just seem to fly by faster and faster.  For now, I'm not complaining because summer is on the way.  However, in a few months when it will be time to go back to school, I won't be singing these praises of time moving quickly.  I am forever thankful that I love my job so it doesn't make returning that horrible. ;)
We had a big weekend this past week in that Elena spent her first night away from us!  She stayed with her grandma and grandpa in St. Louis on Saturday night.  She did a great job sleeping and not keeping grandma up all night long.  I was so happy to hear that.  We were able to celebrate my grandma's birthday during the day and Elena stayed and enjoyed all the company for the evening. Mom and dad brought her back to us on Sunday morning since dad had a few projects here at our house he wanted to complete for us...including a new screen for the sliding door...THANK YOU!!!  Now Homer and Mittens can't get out when we want to have the door open! 
Elena is also using her new high chair to eat her delicious cereal in.  She sits up so great and she even loves to play with her toys while I get food ready to eat.  I have a feeling we will be spending lots of time in the high chair very soon!!
One other milestone that has occurred is that Elena is starting to say my name!  Yes, it may only happen when she's upset, but nonetheless, I'm starting to hear mmmaama sounds!  Kinda cool...now to get going on those "dada" sounds too!
Well, since today was my last day off until summer, and Elena just woke up from her nap this afternoon, I need to go see what she's up to now.  We had a long morning out shopping for Mother's Day.  Elena was so good, so I am glad she slept for awhile this afternoon.  We'll catch you up again soon!!

 Gangsta.

 Big yawn...yes, that was my rabbit when I was little...

 Watching Arthur before going to Brenda's

 This is how she really felt about having her 5 month picture taken.

 Homer's just waiting for her to drop some.

 mmmmm...books.

 At grandma's party having fun!

 Great Grandma and I on her birthday weekend.

 Precious girl.

 Just hangin' out.

 My new highchair!

 Oh so cute...

Now I'm done.