Sleep Monsters

I have learned one thing about babies and that's they are creatures of habit. So whatever routines you start with them you need to continue or it's real hell to try to break those traditions, such as swaddling and white noise. We started white noise when Fallon started getting colicky at night. The white noise would help her calm down and put her right to sleep. It works absolutely beautifully but getting her off the white noise is another story. Fallon also prefers to be swaddled still because it's a comfort thing to her and when she doesn't get swaddled she wants to play all the time. We don't swaddle her the "right" way. We just pull her arms in tight to her sides and wrap her up all good and tight.

So trying to change all these things so we can just lay her in her crib and let her go to sleep is a nightmare. We did get her to start sleeping in her crib instead of her swing and I am very thankful for that. I was very worried that because she was so comfortable in her swing that we wouldn't be able to transition back from the swinging motion to the non-motion of the crib. But she has adjusted very well in going back to her crib.

I have learned though that those few little things that you do to get your child ready for bed makes a lasting impression. Hopefully sometime in the future she won't want the white noise and I think that when she's comfortable enough she won't want to be swaddled either. I don't want to rush things because I don't want to rush her growing up. She's growing fast enough as it is.

Half Year of Fallon

David and I are truly blessed when it comes to our daughter. Yes, she has her little issues like the milk protein allergy but that just makes her unique in her own way and we are all hopeful that she will grow out of this. It seems like there are new things that she learns sometimes almost every hour. It's amazing to sit back and watch her.

I still think "how can I be a mother?". I never thought that it would be possible or that God would provide me with these small little hands to wash, tiny little feet to kiss, and a beautiful set of baby blue eyes. She has been the love and highlight of my life since March 20, 2009. I look forward to the next 6 months to next 30 plus years because she'll always be my little girl.

New tricks

Rolling Rolling Rolling from Jessica Barnette on Vimeo.

There certainly has been a lot going on in the past few months with here in Cleveland. We are starting to get ready to put up our Christmas Lights for our huge Christmas lights show. We are having doctor's appointments for Fallon and trying to resume on this diet.

Fallon is coming up to her being 6 months old. I can't believe that it's been 6 months already but on the other hand it feels like it should be a little bit longer though too. I am now having to chase after her as you can see from the video above. Of course she doesn't choose to move until you sit down in your seat. Last night she just rolled from her back to her belly once and we praised her for it and I saw her do it once this morning so I got down on the rug with her and praised her. That's all it took from there on out she's a rolling machine!

First Foods

Now that Fallon is coming on to her 6 months or 1/2 year birthday. We decided to go ahead and start her on some solid foods. I didn't start her on rice cereal but have slaved over a hot stove and steamed some apples to make applesauce. I steamed the apples until the were soft, then I put them in a food processor to blend them and mixed some of the water from the steam bath into the apple mixture to thin the sauce out some. Then I filled a couple ice cube trays and froze the sauce into 1 ounce ice cubes. It makes it very easy to take a cube out of the freezer and pop it into the microwave for 45 seconds and I have baby food. I mix a little bit of the rice cereal in with it sometimes too.

I believe in making baby food for her because of the allergies that she might possibly have. Well the apples were the green apples, granny smith I believe so the applesauce came out a little tart. Fallon seems to enjoy it after her first tasting of the apples. Hopefully she'll take after her pappaw and enjoy apples as much as he does.

First Foods from Jessica Barnette on Vimeo.