Salt Lake City Mini-Trip (Part 2) - Temple Square

We couldn't go to Salt Lake City and not walk around Temple Square right? We walked around our first night and then again the next morning. It was insanely beautiful. Probably the most beautiful architecture I have ever seen and not just that, but the landscaping was also stunning. 

Since it was so close to Easter Austin and I decided that we would take pictures of the girls in their Easter dresses and I am so glad we did because we got some pictures of the girls that I know I will cherish forever. It was a perfect way to end our trip.

It was 80+ degrees and couldn't have been more perfect. It made it hard to come back to good ole cold Rexburg, but we came back happy regardless.

Salt Lake City Mini-Trip (Part 1)

Austin had some old Netflix friends coming into Salt Lake that wanted to get together for dinner, so we decided to make a little trip out of it by staying in a hotel in Downtown Salt Lake and play tourists around the city. Maisie was thrilled to be staying in a hotel and swimming in the pool until midnight (bed time schedules are nixed on vacation right?) and it was just what we needed as a family, to get out of small town living, even just for two days and explore a new city.

Here are some pictures we took on our phones of our little getaway:

Daddy and his girls outside In-N-Out (of course that would be our first stop).

Did you know you can get animal house style fries... yeah don't knock it until you try it.

Sisters on a hotel bed.

Ellie getting ready to go swimming for the first time.

Both of these girls adore the water. Maisie had been begging to get goggles for the last couple months and we decided this would be a good time to indulge her. Also those puddle jumper things are awesome. Maisie is a little hesitant to "swim" AKA float without someone holding her even with a life vest, but with the puddle jumper she's a swimming champ. Swimming all over the pool by herself. She was so proud. Now she is actually excited for swim lessons this summer. Ellie loved being in the water. She would just smile and giggle while kicking her little legs and slapping the surface.

Watching the fountain show (made by the same people who created the Belagio's) in City Creek (an upscale shopping center- it felt like the Disneyland of shopping malls).

City Creek has an actual creek that runs through it full of trout.

15 minutes into the car ride home both girls passed out and slept almost the entire drive.

Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit

We were having a hard time with Ellie's sleeping (or lack thereof) it seems the older she gets the worse she sleeps. I was getting more sleep 2 days after being home from the hospital than I was getting a month ago. She started waking up 4+ times, wanting to eat sometimes, but mostly just up for random reasons. There were quite a few culprits involved. 

1- She was still sleeping in her rocker. While she didn't outgrow it size wise, she was strong enough to pull herself up and almost overboard. She would also twist until she was pinned face down and that was enough right there to scare me to death, so we knew our rocker days were over. Maisie slept in the rocker until she was10 months old and never attempted to crawl out, so we were a little surprised by Ellie doing so.

2- She still very much liked being swaddled. It was a sure way trick to settle her down. Although she is strong enough to break the swaddle, I was scared to put her swaddled in the crib because I wanted her to have access to her arms at all times.

3- she hated/still hates (remember this post?) food. So I am her complete source of nutrition. Breastmilk  is only filling for so long, and since she's burning more calories now than ever, I am nursing twice as much now than when she was a newborn.

4- Her hatred for the crib. Her rocker had a slight incline and was snug to where she felt cozy and safe, but her crib is spacious and flat and since we didn't feel comfortable swaddling her in it, we didn't, so the lack of swaddle wasn't helping anything.

Austin and I were THIS close to start sleep training because we were so beyond sleep deprived, but every time we talked about it we felt unsettled, nervous and dread. So we decided that was out of the question for us now. All we knew is that we needed her to be in her crib, that she needed to be safe and comfortable, but we didn't know what we could do to get her comfortable being in her crib, let alone sleeping.

So one day I was browsing the internet (not even looking for sleep solutions) when I was reading my lists of blogs that I follow, when one of the bloggers I have followed for a couple years explained that her 8 month old is progressively becoming a worse and worse sleeper, I was intrigued. The things she was describing about her daughter was almost exactly Ellie to a T! I was relieved that I wasn't alone and yet still had no solutions. The same blogger wrote a follow up post a couple weeks later and with the suggestions from commenters on her "no sleep" post, decided to try "Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit". She was skeptical yet desperate. So she ordered one. The first night her daughter used the suit she slept 10 hours straight. I felt hope! I was no where expecting Ellie to sleep that long, but even just going back to 5 hour stretches would be a luxury. We had a lot more factors going into it (list above) and after reading the FIRST Amazon review about someone's baby who wouldn't sleep in the crib and surprise, surprise, it was because of the SAME rocker Ellie was sleeping in- anyway the review concluded that the sleep suit was indeed magic. I called austin at work and told him we had to try it. He hesitantly agreed because of the cost, but I had some Amazon gift card money left over and used it for that.

A couple days later the suit arrived just in time for Ellie's third nap. I put her in the suit (took some pictures because she was so cute) and after rocking her and singing a couple songs placed her in her crib pretty much wide awake. Within 5 minutes Ellie was sleeping! In her crib! I didn't even have to trick her by getting her to sleep in my arms first and setting her in her crib. It was all her and the suit.


3:41 pm


4:02 pm

Ellie is now only waking up twice to eat- once around midnight/1am ish and the other around 4:30 or 5am. The best part? She has been sleeping in her crib for weeks now- NO ROCKER!! All naps and nighttime sleep has been in her crib. The rocker is actually packed away now. We are still using the suit because Ellie is cozy and warm, but probably in the next few weeks we will start using it less and less.

Ellie @ 7 months (a late post)

likes:

the broom. watching and trying to grab it and chew on it to be exact.

this song

Anything in a wrapper- last night she played with a wrapped Almond Roca bar for hours.

rolling underneath chairs.

picking up tiny microscopic carpet lint and then trying to eat it.

the itsy bitsy spider.

3/1when i sign "milk" she smiles so big. she sometimes does it while she's eating, but has yet to do it to tell me she wants milk. UPDATE 3/9 she signs milk now to tell me shes hungry!! she giggles every time she does it and i respond with "would you like some milk!?"

chewing on my hair. or just pulling it. it feels awesome...

loves feeding herself- i gave her a slice of a nectarine and she throughly enjoyed mashing it all over her body and getting small amounts in her mouth. which of course made her gag.

playing "where's Ellie?" under her blankets. she's so good at ripping the blanket off her face.

trying to watch tv. Baby girl will crane her neck in very unnatural positions to get even the slightest glimpse of the tv.

Maisie/people watching.

being swaddled... STILL

Outlets... time to baby proof those bad boys.

dislikes:

Almost all food apart from Greek yogurt (especially strawberry) and little bits of bran toast.

Getting stuck underneath chairs or any tight spot she can't manage to get out of.

The crib.

When maisie takes toys (mostly unsafe ones) away.

Not being able to see any one when she's in a room.

When i save her from some precarious position... it's like i ruined her fun, but baby girl doesn't have any self preservation skills, so I have to do that part sometimes and sure, sometimes it makes me look like the bad guy.

When maisie yells really loud... about who knows what. Maisie isn't quiet.

She is starting to experience some separation anxiety, when I leave the room even if Austin and/or Maisie is in the room with her she will pout.

Firsts this month:

First nap in crib- she woke up 30 minutes later LIVID!

First pony tail:

First movie theater experience- for my birthday we went and saw Big Hero 6. After a good nursing session within the first 10 minutes she was out like a light pretty much the duration of the movie.

First time saying mama knowing it gets my attention. She usually only does it when she's upset and wants to be cuddled, but I'll take it. It is the most pitiful little vies for attention "aaaa mama!! Aaamamamaaaa".

First time falling off the bed... oops! Thankfully we have a low bed.

First time sleeping in her crib at night without being angry.

Maisie-isms

We went and exercised at the University gym/indoor track. Maisie ran laps ahead of us and every time we came around the start again Maisie would be waiting for us just like this just waiting for us to finally catch up.

Maisie one morning made a "nest" or "cozy spot" on the bottom shelf of the changing table complete with the iPad streaming either Phineas and Ferb or Octonauts.

Maisie is hilarious. This isn't new information I know, but lately it seems she has been extra funny. Just the things she says and how she says them crack us up! I decided to write a few down...

Upon walking into the family room and seeing Austin on the couch:

"Daddy are you taking a siesta?"

"Is that Tom Burgeron?" We may or may not be watching AFV together...

Maisie had a really bad ear infection, so Austin had bought her a little special bunny stuffed animal to help Maisie feel better and she brought it to her doctors appointment. After the doctor noticed the bunny austin said "maybe he has had ear infections too." then maisie responded "Dad, its not real. If it was real it would poop on my bed." Yes Maisie. Yes he would.

"Ellie is really cute huh mom? But she poops in her diaper and thats gross." Truth.

"Mommy, the pilot fish is my favorite fish! Oh and the flapnosed ray!"

"I can't be sick! Now I'll have to cancel my summer party!"

The girl has been obsessed about planning a summer party in summer. I'm sure we will oblige her.

Austin: ok, Maisie it's time for scriptures... are you going to read yours first?

Maisie: yeah. The spatulas say... spatulas!?! I said spatulas! I mean scriptures!

"Oh that looks like a fun place to live... I want to live there. But that means I would have to live in Mexico... and talk Spanish... and I don't know how to talk Spanish."

"My mommy made blueberry bread this morning! I am so proud of her."

"Are you so proud of me?" nothing makes this girl happier than when we say we are proud of her, so we say it a lot :)

I could and should do a weekly Maisie-isms post. She is just too much fun right now. I love my little Maisie Moo.

Ellie's 6 1/2 Month Stats

Here are Ellie's stats from birth to her latest Doctor's appointment just a few days ago.

birth:

 7 lbs 8 oz & 19 (?) inches

5 days:
7 lbs 9 oz & 19.5 inches

2 weeks:
7 lbs 14 oz & 20.5 inches

7 weeks:
10 lbs 8oz & 21.7 inches

9 weeks/ 2 months:
11 lbs 6oz & 22.3 inches

4.5 months:

14 lbs & 24.3 inches

33% in weight & 22% in height

6.5 months:

15.7 lbs & 26 inches

30% in weight & 33% in height

I still am having a hard time wrapping my head around how fast time has flown by! Every day Ellie is a little bigger and a little more silly. Her personality is coming out more and more and we are discovering that this mellow child may also have quite the stubborn streak (see this post). I wonder who's going to win the stubborn-ness battle between the sisters.... that could get interesting. 

Ellie bug/ Hazelnut/ muffin is just the most content baby I have ever met. She is effortless to love and makes me feel like I know what I am doing. She is predictable and easily soothed and such a stress reliever to hold, squeeze and kiss. When I get a little wound tight from trying to keep up with home maker duties and being the mommy to a spirited/energetic/down-right-tiring 4 year old, sometimes the best remedy is a chubby baby hug, or a relaxing nursing session. She forces me to slow down and for that I thank her so much.