Nine Months

A few days late, but I wanted to get her stats from the doctor's appointment in this time.

She is still in the 50% for height and 5% for weight. 15lb 12.5oz and 27 inches.

This month has brought a few changes. More teeth are on their way. I see two white dashes on her upper gums. Finger food is getting easier and keeps her entertained for a while. Polly likes it too because sometimes a few fall to the floor. I tried to tell her there would be treats galore once Jolynn arrived.

Movement: she is rolling front to back and back to front. I haven't actually witnessed the back to front, but when laid in bed all the sudden I will look at the monitor and she is on her stomach. She also pulled herself up in the pack and play. This brought us to moving the crib down. That was a big step. I packed up 3 more boxes of clothes. She is onto the 9-12 month clothes. She has also started scooting backwards and in circles. Crawling isn't there quite yet, but soo close. We really need to get that banister up :)

I love waking up in the morning hearing her talk to her "friends" in her crib. Then I go in and peer down at her. She gets as excited as when I pick her up from daycare. It's a great way to wake up.
We also had her 9 month photos taken at Flash over the weekend. See facebook for all 26.

Brookings, SD

We were able to take our first family trip last weekend. Jolynn has been for a long trip to Florida, but not a long trip in a car. This was a four hour trip. She did very well. We went to visit friends. While there, we went to the Children's Museum. It was very cool. I can't wait to go back when Jolynn is more mobile. They have a great outdoor part too, which will be nice to visit when it is warmer.

I can help Grandma Benson gather eggs.

Official weight at time of Brookings visit=15 1/2 lbs

Heather helped Jolynn look at the kids in the toddler play area.

They had a cool room with a window and water color like paints. I probably shouldn't have used red, looks a little creepy.


The boys waiting for us to check out from the gift store.


Pooped out from her exciting day at the museum.

Eight Months

Again, not much has changed since last month. The grandparents would beg to differ - since they see her every few weeks or only on the weekends. I see her every day. I still love picking her up from daycare and seeing how excited she is when she sees that it's me picking her up. She starts talking/screeching and waving her hands and kicking her feet. Pure excitement - all to see me! I love it! Physical progress: still not rolling over. Sitting much better, even without using the tripod method. If you put her on her stomach, her arms are stretched out and her stomach is off the floor. Knees are pulled up almost like she wants to crawl. When she is in her exersaucer she goes crazy. Sometimes I think that thing is going to flip over she makes it rock so much.

She is still a big eater.
Breakfast: 6oz formula, 4 T oatmeal, 3.5oz fruit (stage 2)
Snack: 6oz formula
Lunch: 6oz formula, 4 T oatmeal
Snack: 6oz formula
Dinner: 6oz formula, 4 T oatmeal, 3.5oz veggie (stage 2)

You would think eating all that she would be this chubby little thing. She's still tiny. Another month and she will have her next doctors appointment. At the 6 month appointment he said she was doing just fine and would be on the small side because of being premature. So far she does what she is supposed to do so I guess we are doing something right.

Communication has kicked up a bit. Besides her normal babble and squawks, we think we may be hearing mama and dada. Or just wishful thinking. When you put music on sometimes she sounds like she is singing along. She also loves to dance (with you of course).

At the end of this month we will be taking a trip to Brookings, SD. Besides going to Florida, this will be Jolynn's first long car ride. Since we are leaving after work, I'm sure she will sleep the whole way there. This will also be our first family trip, as Jon usually works the weekends. It is my birthday weekend and I am so excited to be able to be with him and her and on vacation.

Seven Months

This month has brought more milestones. Jolynn moved up in servings for cereal and to stage 2 food. She still really likes her food. Nothing different has developed as far as what she doesn't like from last month. She can also sit up (tri-pod) much better than last month. Still not rolling over. At this point I'm thinking she may skip that part and go right from sitting up to crawling.
She is just fascinated with Polly. Loves to pet her and get licked by her. We have to reign Polly in a little on that because she gets carried away with the kisses. I can't wait for Jolynn to be able to through the ball for Polly. Hours of entertainment for both :)

At the end of this month we (me and the moms) will be taking our annual trip to BOW. As excited as I am to go, I am really going to miss Jolynn for 4 days. I can't imagine how much she will grow while I'm gone. Hopefully if she gets that rolling over thing down while I'm gone, Jon will tape it.

Late last month we had a tooth that was just starting to break through. It is fully through now and the second one has started to cut through. I thought she would be a lot crankier than she has been. She has her days of major drool and wanting to chew on everything. That's when we know that it is coming through a little more or a new one is coming.

Six Months

We're at the half way point. Six months have gone by in a blink of an eye. Jolynn will have her 6 month appointment in a few days and hopefully this weekend we can get her photos taken at Flash. This past month has brought on a new milestone - FOOD! She was drinking so much formula in one sitting we had to switch her early. At the 4 month appointment the doctor did say she could have solids, but I didn't want to start her too early. When she started drinking 8 oz at a sitting I said okay. So we started by reading the directions on the container for first time feeding. It looked like soup. Jolynn didn't like it either. We made it more like mashed potatoes and she gobbled it right down. A couple weeks ago we started on the Gerber veggies. SHE LOVES THEM. She's like a little bird with her mouth open waiting for the next spoonful of green beans. Her favorites so far have been green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash. She does not care for peas - image that. She also didn't like the bananas that we tried for breakfast. I'm okay with that. At least she likes her veggies. Next I'm going to try making my own food - since she likes stuff that is easily cooked and pureed.

She is making progress on rolling over. She gets about half her body over, but hasn't figured out that if she just flips the one arm over she would go all the way over. I still think she is learning more from the other kids at daycare than she does with us.

We introduced her to the jumper at Grandma/Grandpa Moritz's house. She was so funny - she would spin herself around and then pick up her feet and spin back the other way.

Jolynn is still very talkative - especially in the morning.
She has been sleeping through the night for a while now - goes to bed anywhere from 6-8pm and doesn't get up until 5-7am.

Christmas 2010

Jolynn's first Christmas was fun even if she was only 5 months. She loved crinkling the paper and all the toys she got from family have entertained her for hours so far. I didn't think she would be able to work some of them, but she has. She is so smart!

I made a lovely turkey again - 18 lbs! There was lots of left overs. We've been having turkey sandwiches, turkey with penne, you name it. Even Polly has been having left over scrapings in her food.

After dinner we laid a spread of desserts and everyone nibbled while playing Wii Bowling. It was Bumby's first time playing. He smoked us all.

Five Months

Can you believe it! I can't. Another month has flown by. Jolynn is such a happy girl. Jon can really get her going. She is such a Daddy's girl. She likes to snuggle. Sleeping has gotten longer. She still goes to bed around 7pm and doesn't get up until 4 or 5. She is on full formula now because pumping is no longer producing anything of significance. The only reason I am still pumping is to relieve some of the pressure. She still does well at daycare and the kids really like "little Jolynn".

Today is Jolynn's 5 month birthday - she is taking a very big step today. Boarding a plane for her first vacation to Florida. This is not the Florida/Disney trip that we have planned for her 5 year birthday. This is just a get away with both grandparents. Unfortunately, Jon and Bumby are unable to make it because they can't get off work. I really wish they would have been able to make it. I think I am most nervous about keeping her occupied during the flight. That's a long time for a little one to sit in one spot with nothing to do but coo in your face.

Some other happenings with Jolynn: she likes to pull her pacifier out, and is getting close to being able to put it back in her mouth. She is very verbal. She really only cries for two reasons - hunger and tired. If you satisfy the hunger she usually passes out after.

Her 4 month appointment went very well. Her stats were: 10lbs 14 oz, 24 1/2 in, Head Circumference=16 in. She had the same shots as her 2 month appt. She did very well with those again. Cried a little more than last time, but was okay once it was over. She fell into the 50 percentile for height and head, but was in the 5 percentile for weight. The doctor said she will probably measure in the lower percentile for a while because of her prematurity. He said other than that she is right on track developmentally. He expects her to probably be rolling over in the next month. Most of her development will be a month behind full term babies because she was a month early. There are many things that I think she is ahead of if you keep up with Babycenter or Planning Family.