Rolling over!

So I've been terrible at posting on here lately. But yesterday, without any assistance from us (she had been practicing while we held a foot), Rory rolled over onto her tummy! Over and over again. :) And then, she proceeded to do that all night in her crib and then cry because she was on her tummy. She knows how to roll back over (she's been able to do that for months) but I guess she was stuck. Every single time, lol. I have a little video I'll have to post. Yay Rory!

Looking forward to fall!

Rory went to her first Pittsburgh Irish festival this past weekend. She was a hit with many people there, especially the vendors. It was hard for me to shop! And there were SO many cute things for her, I had to restrain myself. We did get her a little Irish/German t-shirt, and I got an awesome hat! She tried very hard to stay awake for Gaelic Storm (they didn't play an afternoon show this year), but she passed out right as they came onstage. Next year we can dance to them together. :)

Waiting for Gaelic Storm to come on (she didn't make it)

I've been working on her Halloween costume the past month or so and I can't wait! She also has a few Halloween-themed outfits and since a couple of them *might* be too small soon, she wore one today. Isn't she just adorable? What a little ham.

She also seems like she's been growing leaps and bounds lately. She's been practicing her rolling over and we've been working on sitting up. Her legs are so strong since she loves to kick and stand but we are working on her core and arm muscles. She does pretty well with tummy time but she'll turn herself in a 360 degree circle if you let her go! We put her in the jumperoo just a week or so ago and she was still too small for it. And then suddenly this week, she's able to manage it. Growing too fast! Rory also doesn't seem to care for her bouncer anymore. :( Outgrowing baby equipment already!

Everything's Funny to Rory

Well, I've officially gone back to work, started school again, and it's just crazy around here! And Rory seems to be growing leaps and bounds. She'd been working on her belly laugh for the past week or so. And then last week (Aug 24th), Justin and I picked her up from daycare together. She's happy pretty much all the time, but she's always so happy to see us, smiling away. Especially while you're packing her up in the car seat because she can't help but look at you! She started smiling at me and then started laughing when I tickled under her chin. I kept it up while Justin tried to get his phone out and take video. I asked one of her teachers if she'd been doing this at daycare and we just didn't know about it, and she said nope! First time she's heard it! And now she thinks LOTS of things are funny: the other kids around her, me and Justin, the monkey noises her jumperoo makes.

And then a few days ago, (I wrote this post on the 29th), we picked her up and a little boy about 18 months kept following the teachers holding her, putting his hands up and whining/crying. This is pretty typical, since they all want picked up. But when I took Rory from her teacher, he followed and put his arms up at me, crying. And the teacher tells me he's been wanting to hold Rory! He thinks she's just a little baby doll and doesn't understand why they won't give him to her. So funny!

Another exciting moment came when they gave me the September calendar. At the end of the month, they're having a book fair AND I got the Scholastic sheets with all the books in them. I used to LOVE these fairs. I'd have different books circled in pencil and couldn't wait until the book orders came in. Or looking at all of the books, one by one, whenever the fair came to the school with the metal trucks filled with books. Justin thinks I'm ridiculous, but I'm so excited for it!

Avital Miryam: Hebrew Naming Ceremony

Last Friday evening, we had Rory's Hebrew naming ceremony at Temple David, which we just joined a couple of months ago. It took a lot of finagling in schedules to pick a day (between the rabbi, us, and family members, it was very difficult!) but gladly some family and friends were able to attend.

Rory got all dressed up in a pretty pink and green dress that was a present from a relative at my baby shower and wearing the crocheted hat we bought after she wore it in her newborn photo shoot. I love this picture of us right before we left the house, simply because most of the pictures I have of Rory are of her smiling. She does not always smile but I don't usually have the camera handy when she's screaming because I'm trying to get her to calm down. This photo amuses me. :)

We got a lovely cake from Allegro Hearth in Squirrel Hill for the oneg afterward. It was delicious! Chocolate cake (very moist and heavy but so good) with a raspberry icing that even I enjoyed. We even had a little left over to take home and snack on.

I don't have any photos during the actual ceremony (but we do have video!) but it was thoughtful and sweet: welcoming Rory into the Jewish covenant by having her touch the Torah, readings and blessings performed by the rabbi and our family members, and explaining how we chose her name. I could've also explained at that time why we chose her English name but I kind of forgot to do it. :) Her Hebrew name is Avital Miryam. Since I had a heavy hand in choosing her English name, I told Justin he could choose her Hebrew name. He liked the name Avital and that was that. Recent Ashkenazi Jewish tradition is that you name a baby after a deceased relative. We originally opted for just the one name and it's not after any relative.

After a little bit more thought (and a week before the ceremony!), I liked the idea of giving her two names (Justin and I each have two Hebrew names) and naming her after a living relative, my mother-in-law. Justin was on-board with the idea and the rabbi (after pointing out that Sephardic Jewish tradition names babies after living relatives but not Ashkenazi), went along with it. We honor Miriam with the naming and know that she will have a strong role in Rory's upbringing, will help provide a Jewish education, and will share with Rory her compassion toward others and giving nature.

After the ceremony, the rabbi presented us with this beautiful naming certificate which has a Noah's ark theme. Just gorgeous. And later, Gammie Miriam and Pappy Rob gifted Rory with a mezzuzah for her door frame with a Noah's Ark decoration. Perfect! I'll have to get a photo of it when we're hanging it, hopefully this week. (I'm now reminded of a beautiful hand-carved wooden Noah's ark set I saw in a boutique in Ligonier...I wonder if it's still there).

And then party time! Lots of sweet desserts and chatting with family. Mazel Tov, Rory!

The rabbi holding Rory.

Return of Happy Rory!

Today, finally, Rory seems to be returning to her usual self. I'm sure at any point her little personality could change. But for now, she tends to be pleasant and curious, not screaming. Thankfully, her teething symptoms are gone after about a week, so I don't know what was growing in that tiny little mouth but it's stopped for now...

Tuckered out after splashing around in the kiddie pool.

Her naps continue to be fairly short (except her morning one, still at about 2 hours) and her exercise gym now occupies her attention for at least 15-20 minutes each time I lay her on it. She loves the lights, the music, and best of all, the dangling toys she can kick kick kick! Rory is not so much into grabbing things yet, but the kicking....oy! We were at the kiddie pool yesterday and I was swishing her in the water and making her kick and splash a little. Another woman there was commenting that she should be a little swimmer since she apparently has toes that are turned down and perfect for the breaststroke. And she was born right around the summer Olympics, of course!

We also went for a walk later to pick up our dinner and Rory is adjusting more and more to the Baby Bjorn, especially since I let her face forward now. She's still a little short for it, but she has good enough head control and DEMANDS to see everything. How can I deny that cute little face?

All ready for her walk!

Tomorrow is her Hebrew naming ceremony and we're so excited for her. There's a surprise or two and I'm *really* hoping some of her cute dresses fit her. So far she's been swimming in them and this is the perfect time for one to fit!

Small but mighty!

Those were the words of both the pediatrician AND the nurse (separately mind you) at Rory's 2 month check-up last week. She's still hovering around the 10th percentile in her height (21.5 inches) and weight (9lbs on the nose), but her muscle tone is FAN-tastic. The pediatrician commented that she is acting like a 4 month old with how well she holds her head, bears her weight on her legs (she loves to stand), and sits up. Because apparently the 4 month old crowd is WAY cooler so she's trying to fit in. So much so that now I suspect she might be teething. (Early I know, but they just get into trouble younger and younger these days. I'll have to sneak into her room to see where she hid her diary. I'm SURE someone has been secretly showing her how to walk) Well, she has to wait TWO more months before she can try rice cereal and consider attempting regular formula again, so she is just going to HAVE to be patient. :)

She did NOT enjoy her shots, of course; the oral vaccine with its sweet taste was also unexciting for her (although it would be disappointing if she didn't have the sweet tooth Justin and I both have, it will be MUCH healthier for her!). My happy little girl would smile like usual until she moved her legs and realized how sore they were. At one point, she was smiling and crying at the same time, trying to be chipper!

Sucking on her WHOLE fist, prior to gagging herself.

And then the fussiness started a few days ago. Nothing too serious, but enough to notice that something is off. She wakes up and INSTANTLY starts screaming before you can even get a chance to make the bottle. Nap times have been cut short to cat naps. Normally, Rory loves to have her diaper changed and is all smiles and giggles. Now, you have to work hard for those smiles. She is one unhappy, whiny, confused little baby. I also thought at first that she had finally found her hand (she's been sucking on it like crazy) but I'm noticing how she tries to shove the WHOLE thing in to chomp on, gags herself, and drools the entire time. Combined with the low fever she's been running here and there, plus the ear pulling/massaging while she chomps on her fist and the dwindling appetite, means something's up. And that something sounds like teeth. Perhaps she's just starting to feel some and it will be months yet before any teeth are cut.

But knowing my daughter thus far, I wouldn't be surprised to see a tooth in a week or two. Sigh.

Rory is growing like a weed...

I've noticed little by little that some of Rory's newborn clothes are getting a tad tighter or harder to put on her. And just this past weekend, we officially switched to the size 1 diapers (she's getting big so fast!). And now Justin noticed today while dressing her that her little fishy onesie was a wee bit tight in the crotch when he tried to snap her. She has it on today but it'll be her last time wearing it. *sad face*

But look at how wide these sides are! I guess she's at least getting longer and not just rounder, lol. She can eat like a champ (I call her my little hammie), downing 6 oz bottles already. At the family reunion yesterday, it seemed like all she did was eat. Everyone saw her with a bottle in front of her face all day!

This week, she also really discovered her hands. We've caught her putting fingers and her thumb in her mouth before, but she's moved on to shoving nearly her whole fist in her mouth and sucking while she plays with her ear with the other hand. This coming Tuesday is her 2 month checkup and she gets her first set of shots, poor baby. But I'm eager to see what she weighs and measures. I know she's over 9 lbs!

2 months old now!

It's Bumbo time!

Now that Rory's been holding her head up most of the time, we've started (today) to put her in the bumbo. She can continue building up on those muscles so she can sit up. And boy, does she like to sit up and look around. Rory is not typically a fussy baby; when she's crying, she knows EXACTLY what she wants and what she does not want. Even as a less-than-24-hour old baby, she liked to take in her surroundings. So now that she's bigger, Rory does not want to lay on her back or on her stomach for tummy time where she can't see anything. How dare we do that! She likes to be sitting up on our laps and looking around, locking in on her target visual. She's also finally big enough to fit into the Baby Bjorn carrier (versus just the Moby wrap) but I've had to amend it a little. She's still supposed to be facing me with the head support up around her until she grows another few inches. But Rory will have none of that: screaming will ensue. What a terrible view to see just my t-shirt. So instead, she faces me with the head support folded down like you would for an older child and sometimes I just sit with one side loosened so she can turn. And she can kick with those legs when she's angry!

Her first 4th!

Rory has had a busy couple of weeks since our last post. She's been to parties galore, visited her Gammie, Pappy, aunts and uncles, and cousins (crossing the state line!). Her one month checkup told us what we already can tell-- she's growing, growing, growing! Her weight was 7 lbs 11 oz and her height was 20 inches, both putting her in the 10th percentile. Her head circumference if I remember correctly was 36 cm (maybe 35), which put her in the 25th percentile. She's been chugging down the formula pretty constantly!

We did have to try some new formula with her because the soy is causing some minor constipation. Per the pediatrician's recommendations, we tried an oz of water a day for a week (didn't help much), then an oz of pear juice for a week (helped slightly more), and then switched to Nutramigen. THAT was a terrible mistake. Although it's lactose-free, it still seemed to upset her stomach, causing her to spit up (which she normally does not do), have a great deal of gas pain and fussiness, and explosive diarrhea. Rather the opposite effect from what we were hoping for.

So we went back to the soy and we've been trying varying amounts of water and then pear juice to get a good result. Especially since her constipation is still just minor. 2 oz of pear juice a day seems to finally help enough! As she gets a little bigger, we can play around some more. But she needs to get enough nutrients from the formula.

Rory also celebrated her first 4th of July this year. Thankfully, she didn't seem to mind the couple of hours of firecracker noises all around the house. She does enjoy sleeping through noise! Must be from the noisy kitties and the loud foghorn our town uses as a fire alarm!

Welcome!

Welcome! Justin and I thought this blog would be a great way for our friends and family to be involved in Rory's day-to-day activities; not to mention, a great way for us to remember the funny little anecdotes we might not recall later. After all, we ARE sleep deprived!

Today (well I guess yesterday since it's after midnight) Rory was 3 weeks old and it's amazing how much she's already grown and changed. We need to try and capture video of her facial expressions--they are so funny! We were dying of laughter at a few of them and I know it's not just because she's our daughter. Rory went to a retirement party with me at work today and all the women who held her commented on how expressive her face is.

She's quite the social butterfly already--we've been out more days than we've stayed home! She's been shopping numerous times, attended a birthday party, graduation party, and retirement party. Rory's already been to her first Shabbat services, hung out at Starbucks, Eat n Park, and Denny's. Now if only we could get to the park more! The heat the next few days will make that difficult though, which is too bad since we finally bought a Moby wrap. Rory is still too small for our Baby Bjorn carrier and I wanted something to make it easier to cart her around and still get stuff done around the house. Luckily, she seems to like the Moby wrap (it puts her right to sleep!) but it's a little warm. She sweats a lot even in the air conditioning so 93 degree weather is definitely out.

Tomorrow Rory and I are visiting Justin's work so I need to try and get some sleep. Wednesday can be a stay-at-home day, thank goodness!