Happy 7 months, Miss Bethany!!

Happy 7 months Sweet Pea! It’s hard to believe it was 7 months ago we were blessed with your presence in this world. It became sweeter that’s for sure! You were busy this month! I guess that’s why it flew by as fast as it did. I sure hope it doesn’t mean the months are passing faster. : /.

I don’t know your exact weight or height, but I’m guessing you’re about 19.5 lbs and about 29ins.

You looking cute as always!

You started eating fruit this month and you LOVE the peaches and pears the best!

Ha- not a very good picture...but had to put it on here because you can
see her teeth! :)

Pretty baby girl!



I started putting you in your crib at night. I was worried you wouldn’t sleep all night and the whole your not beside me anymore was hard at first, BUT you did/are doing great! During bubba’s Christmas break you got off schedule for whatever reason and was waking up at night, but you have since been ok since he went back. Thank Goodness! HA.

One morning when I woke you up...I always put you down the same way
every night, but you are always in a different postion when I go to wake you up. :)

You officially became a sitter December 7^th! Which helps out a ton and you can tell you enjoy you’re independence.

Playing before bedtime. :)

Momma gets the joy of fixing your hair now!! It's finally long enough to put up in pig tails...So far you do awesome while I'm fixing your hair. You're hair is crazy all over the place if its not up in pig tails, but I refuse to cut it! Ha.

So precious!

You had your first Christmas this month and you cleaned out good! Momma had to clean out your closet for the stuff we didn’t need anymore just to make room for toys! You can sure tell we have a baby in the house again. You did good opening up presents even though I would have to take the paper away from you before it ended up in your mouth like everything does. Ha.

You and Kaden with your cousins. :)
Makalya, Chloe, Bethany, and Kaden.

You and Papa (My daddy).

Some new clothes...12months! Yes you're growing like a weed!

Ducky! You love this!

At Nannie and Papa's house playing with your new toys.

Playing with your new toy!

Daddy getting you started early...he the same
thing to your brother about the same age.

You and your daddy...

Memaw, Kaden, Papaw, and you. : )
(My wonderful grandparents)

Daddy, Gramps(Derek's step-dad), and Bethany.

You and your Aunt Amy...(Derek's sister)

My precious babies. : )



Kiddos in their chairs their Great Memaw gave them.

You are getting close to crawling. You will get up on your knees and try to push off but you won’t get completely up on your hands yet. (Maybe you will be like your daddy and do the “army crawl”). I know it will happen in your own time.

We went to bubba's Christmas party at school and the little girls all said,"Aww" as soon as we walked in and Kaden said..that's my little sister. He loves you soo much! It was priceless. :)

The outfit you wore.

Your Christmas outift...I had to order a bow to match it...

Precious picture with the bow. :)

Love this picture...I asked Kaden to watch you for a second
while I was getting both of y'alls clothes ready so we could go to the
heart doctor and this is what he did...he gave you a controller and you
looked like you knew what you were doing...TOO cute!
He's always taking good care of you!

You also started reaching to us on December 27^th. It’s soo cute. You just don’t reach out you pat our hand when we open our hands to you.

You had your first vacation this month! Actually the first one Daddy and Mommy had with you kids period that was out of state that is. We went to Tompkinsville, Kentucky to see mommy’s best friend Lizzie. So in your first 7 months of life you’ve been to Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky (It has taken me 24 years to do that. Ha). We left out December 30^th at 7 pm and arrived December 31^st just before 8 am in Kentucky. You were a great traveler! Maybe it was because we traveled at night, but either way it went better than I had expected. You had a great time. You didn’t get too fussy the whole time were gone. It was your first time to meet Lizzie and you LOVED her just as much as she loved you! : -)

Having fun swinging! :)

Love her! I hope and pray you're able to find a true friend like
her in your lifetime. She's awesome.

She loves him too of course. :)

 We also went by to meet some of her family and you didn’t fuss one time…ok you did, but it was just when I was putting you back in your car seat to leave. Her grandma loved you and you obviously loved her! I’m so glad you are such a happy baby.

You are pretty much content with anything and anyone holding you, unless momma gets out of sight then here we go. Ha. You also loved Coy, Lizzie’s soon to be husband. You were content with him too while he was holding you at the New Year Eve party his family was having. I can’t wait until we go back up there in October for their wedding. : - )

On our way back through we stopped at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.

Yes you had shoes...we just had to get you out of your stroller to take
a picture and well you were almost asleep - thats the reason for your hand in your mouth too. Ha.

It was wonderful. I wish I remembered my camera and we could have taken some better pictures, but we were in a hurry and wanted to leave the house as soon as we could to get on the road. (It was Daddy’s last minute decision to take a road trip. Lol) We got back home around 2 am on January 2.

Don't mind the hair. Ha. She just woke up and I just happen to snap this picture
and her eyes just popped out! ♥ it!! Her eyes always look like a different color.

It's a joy watching you grow and learn! This next month should be interesting to see if you start crawling and getting into everything! I guess I better get ready and start baby proofing the house for one last time. I love you sweet baby girl! You bring so much joy to our family that only you could have brought. Not everyone gets to say we have two kids...one boy and one girl. Our little happy family of four! God is amazing! May you always keep him first and the rest will just fall in place. Happy belated 7 months precious girl! Daddy, Momma, and Bubba loves you soo much!!!

Bethany is 6 months old!!

Well Miss Bethany you’re ½ a year old already! This year has just flown by, but I have a feeling it was because I didn’t want you growing up too fast. I love you baby girl. I wish you could stay little forever and be my little cuddle bug even if its only just when you want me to put you to sleep. You’ve grown so much in this past month it makes me wonder where our baby girl went to. I know I’m late on this update, but you didn’t have your appointment until Monday then momma got carried away with making you a winter dress.
: ) But with out any more waiting…

You are now 18.8 lbs and are 28 ins long and have 18in head circumference! That puts you in the 95 percentile for everything!

You are indeed our big girl. But as in the words of Dr. Shaw, you’re no where near fat you are just a big girl…You are going along your growth curve just like you’re suppose to be, its just you are on top of that curve for your age. Ha. Dr. Shaw informed me on your 4 mon check up, you were the size of an average 6 mon old…well at your 6 mon check up he said you’re the size of an average 9 mon old!! So momma didn’t get to enjoy your “little” stage as much because you decided to just start off growing with no signs of stopping! I’m just hopeing you make all the 6-9 mon old winter clothes last until winter is over! You are sure making this clothes thing hard! Lol. I think you just about skipped the 3-6 month size all together.

You started eating vegetables on Nov.7 and we stayed with each one for about 4-7 days. I give you them around lunch time before I give you your bottle. First was carrots…you didn’t seem to like it, but after a while you were loving every bit of it. Then we proceeded with green beans, squash, peas, and sweet potatoes. Yes, I went ahead and started you on them, you just seem like to me you were ready for them and I wasn’t going to hold out another month just because the doctor recommended it. Ha….Next month we’ll work on fruit. : )

You are still taking about 6 oz of formula every 3-5 hours, I say five because there is always a strectch at least one time during the day (usually after 10 am) you will fall asleep and will wake up about 5 hours (12:30- 1) passed your last eating, wanting the bottle. Other times its 3 hours on the dot pretty much. : )

This is how I have to put you to sleep...
Laying on the left side, sucking your right finger, while we softly pat you on the bottom.
Ha..you just wont' have it any other way.
Stubborn girl! :)

You’re still being a good girl and sleeping through the night. After you get over your congestion I’m going to start putting you in your crib at night since we got the baby monitor. As you can tell momma is wanting to put that off as long as I can (I sleep better knowing you‘re right beside me vs. nearly on the other side of the house.). Ha. You’re just starting to get to big for your bassinet. : (.

Your precious little hand. :)

You have officially won the battle with the paci vs. your finger. Agh. Momma tried, but you insist on going to sleep with that precious little finger…index finger on the right hand to be exact and won’t take any other one, even the index on the other finger…instead of the paci. Hopefully it won’t be hard to get you off of it.

We gave you and early Christmas present this month. Ha. We were going to get you this for Christmas, but since we knew you were growing like a weed we just decided to go ahead and let you use it now so you can get more use out of it…Exer saucer…and man do you LOVE it!!

Having a grand ole time!

And so does your brother...Ha.

You said you’re first word this month…Da-Da…on November 12^th…although you don’t know what you said. Ha. No, daddy loves it and enjoys every mintue of it although you haven’t put the two together yet I’m sure you will soon. You are daddy’s little girl, but just as much as you’re momma’s. : )

We went to the park for a little bit this month and momma put you in a swing for the first time and you loved it! Too bad it’s starting to get cold now! At least we know what to do when it starts to warm up. Your brother has always and still does love the park. His favorite thing used to be the swing too, so it looks like you got the same genes far as that goes. Ha.



Attacking Momma's earphones...
I wish this picture showed your eyes better...you have the prettiest eyes,
but I can never capture them. :(

But this is the only way I could get you to look at me for pictures. lol.

So precious!

　
Speaking of you and your brother…He’s getting where he LOVES talking to you and playing with you! And you just laugh at everything he does. I think that’s why he loves it so much. He seems to get you laugh so easy compared to your daddy and me, but then again I’m glad you two are getting and building that close bond already! He can just bark at you and you start laughing so big. He can just start talking and you start looking around trying to find him and then just smile the biggest smile at him. He loves pushing you around the living and kitchen while you’re in your walker although I have to remind him to go slow and be easy. Lol. When you’re asleep in your crib for an evening nap we have the monitor in the living room with us watching tv, every move he hears you do he thinks you are awake and wants to go see you…by see you I mean wants to get in your crib with you to play. Lol. But I have to remind him just wait until you start crying because you could just be moving while you’re sleeping. He's pretty good with you though, just as long as you don't put his toys or blankets or anything really of his in your mouth or drool on them...he' ok with you. I just love seeing/hearing y’all together. Just brings a smile to my face thinking about it. :)

Bubba barking at you...and you just cracking up laughing...
*ahm...don't mind the stuff bear under her exer saucer we were waiting
for the company to send us the stablizer feet for it* lol



Bubba talking to you...



Trying to get bubba to take a decent picture...

At least you are being good and smiling lol...

Oh well I gave up...bubba started making funny nosies and
you had to look to see what was going on lol..

My precious babies...



Finally a picture with you both smiling! lol..

 You had your first big holiday this month…Thanksgiving. It was nice celebrating it as a family of FOUR this year, you complete our family. : ).


Not the greatest picture, but didn't have my camera with me,
just my iPhone...



I was trying to take a picture of your brother and me,
but like always he won't stay still. lol.

You and your Great Grandma.

 You’re the only girl on your daddy’s side far as little kiddos. (Kaden:5, Garrett: 5 (8 wks younger than Kaden), Travis: 16 mons) but you and Travis are going to be a tag team to get your brother and Garrett. : ). You were so interested in him and his paci. But you seem to love all kids no matter what size. : )

You and your Great Grandpa and Travis.

Bubba being goofy as always...

Aww Sweet Hugs. :)

Ok Travis...hand over the paci! :-)

You and MeeMee

 As far as my side, Kaden is the only boy so you fitted in just fine (Kaden:5, Makalya:5 (81/2 months younger than Kaden), Chloe:14 mons) now you and Chole will be a team against your brother and Mak.
We had a great time together on Thanksgiving and of course I loved showing you off. You are just the cutest baby ever…even though you are my kid. Ha.



Such a happy girl!!



Before the teeth popped through. :)

You sprouted your first tooth this month on November 29, 4 days before you turned 6 months. (bottom right center) Followed by the left center a day later. And you already know how to use them! Hopefully you won’t be a biter. They sure are sharp. I see some on top that look like it will come any day now, but then again you’re not drooling near as much so maybe not too soon.

 You are getting VERY close to setting and staying that way by yourself. You will set for a while until you see something you want and start to reach for it, then there you go toppling down. Ha. But I know you will accomplish it this month. : )

It's blurry, but you reached for a toy, and lost your balance. Ha.

It's a work in process!!

Your such a happy baby and I LOVE that about you. You are pretty good while at the grandparents and church, but I have seen signs of you starting the separation axitey when you leave your momma. :/ I can't walk by you while you are in your exer saucer or bouncer without you wanting me to pick you up and if someone wants to hold you at church you make sure they don't get too far from momma. lol. Dr. Shaw says that is usually in full swing by 9 months but hopefully you won't be too bad, but then again you're at home with me all day long so we will see how it goes.  I love you baby girl and enjoy having a girl oh so much! After all I have started making you clothes already! :) I can't wait to see what this next month holds for you, and see you at Christmas. Hopefully you will be setting up by then at least. :) Happy belated 6 months old sweet pea! Momma, Daddy and Bubba love you oh so much!

Bethany and her Sunday school buddy and future best friend
who is 4 days younger than her, Miss Brenna Ollila. :)
(Bethany is in the 95% and Brenna isin the 15%. Ha)

My babies with Santa! :-)