Adeline Virginia - 5 Months Old

Date: December 4th, 2014
Height/Percentile: 27 inches, 95th percentile
Weight/Percentile: 19 lbs 4 oz, above 95th percentile
Sleeping Patterns: Sweet Adeline is still sleeping through most nights! There have been maybe three nights that she got up to nurse! It has been amazing!
Eating Habits: Breastfeeding on demand. Like last month, she's been nursing on both sides and hates being burped between sides! She has started looking around when she's nursing. She'll stop, look around, and then go back to nursing! It's the sweetest thing! And, at times, kind of annoying!
New Discoveries: Her feet! She'll pull them up as best as she can so that she can try to teethe on them! It's the cutest thing since she's so chubby! She is starting to discover what cries will get her fed, held, cuddled, etc.
Accomplishments: Rolling from her belly to her back, and then onto her belly again! She is almost sitting up on her own! Her huge thighs help with that!
Places Visited: Church, Caitlin and Rosalie's schools, the YMCA, Walmart, HyVee, Fareway, friend's and family's houses, MATURA building, Massena, Des Moines, GRMC, and Pizza Ranch!
Loves to: Breastfeed, smile, coo/talk, giggle, kick her feet in excitement, play on her play mat, take baths, snuggle/cuddle, rolling around, chew on anything she can get her hands on, and look at the lights on the Christmas tree!
Doesn't like: her car seat, being woken up by her big sisters, getting stuck under the Christmas tree!
Milestones/Firsts: Rolling completely from back, to front, to back again! Her first carnival at the school! Her first Thanksgiving! First time she got to meet her new best friend, Kylie!
What Mommy/Daddy love: We love her new blonde hair! She has only one patch of brown hair left on the back of her head and a few strands of long brown hair at the top of her head! Seems like this happened overnight! We still love her chubby self! She's so squishy! We love that she is more mobile now and that she's exploring and discovering things!
Photos:

Cinderella outfit her Fairy Godmother gave her as an early Christmas present!
Giving Mommy smiles while on her play mat!
Happy Squishy after her nap!

Major poop explosion after a trip to the store!
Adeline's hair changing to blonde with her few leftover long brown strands!

Sleeping Beauty!
Happy girl after nursing!
Playing on a water mat that Victoria brought over for Parents as Teachers!

Big sister Caitlin was in the hospital becuase of the flu, so we had to camp out for a day until she got better!
Adeline did very well and napped quite often on the comfy hospital bed!

Wearing an outfit that all of her big sisters wore!

Adeline meeting Kylie for the first time!
They were born about 20 weeks apart!
Adeline looks huge compared to a newborn!

Happy First Thanksgiving to our little Turkey!

Adeline helping us with decorating the tree! Holding a golden ornament!
Trying to get a better look at the lights on the tree!
Rolling to the tree to get the ornaments that were hanging down lower!

At Pizza Ranch, looking at the menu!
Rolling around the floor, trying to get to the tree!
Squishy's favorite time: Bath Time!

Photos from my Instagram!

Month to month progression photo!
Newborn, 1 month, 2 months
3 months, 4 months, 5 months

Adeline Virginia - 4 Months Old

Date: November 4th, 2014
Height/Percentile: 26 inches, 95th percentile
Weight/Percentile: 18 lbs 0.5 oz, above the 97th percentile
Sleeping Patterns: Adeline is sleeping through the nights! I cannot even believe this is happening! She started last month with sleeping all night and has continued into this month! The extra sleep for Charles and me is much needed and very appreciated!
Eating Habits: Breastfeeding on demand! She nurses from both sides and hates being burped between sides! She's started singing/humming while nursing and it's the cutest thing ever! She'll eat every 2 to 4 hours during the day, cluster feed before bed time, then wake around 6:30 a.m. to nurse again! Still haven't started actual food yet since she's sleeping through the night!
New Discoveries: Giggling! She's been giggling up a storm! She LOVES playing peek-a-boo and giggles the entire time! She is talking/cooing more and more! She's even started shrieking when she gets very excited! She has startled herself on more than one occasion! She has also started grabbing things and bringing them to her mouth to teethe on!
Accomplishments: Officially rolling from her back to her belly, and then trying to roll back to her back! She gets stuck and gets mad, but it's more cute than anything! She's pushing up more and more on her hands so that she can look around! Her head control is getting better, too!
Places Visited: Church, Caitlin and Rosalie's schools, the YMCA, Walmart, HyVee, Fareway, Osceola for the Trunk-or-Treat activity night, friend's and family's houses, and the doctor's office for her four month check-up!
Loves to: Breastfeed, smile, coo, talk, take baths, swing, suck/teethe on anything she can get her hands on (especially any type of cloth!), roll over, play on her play mat, and cuddle/snuggle!
Doesn't like: the car seat, tummy time for too long, getting stuck trying to roll over, the cold, and being woken up by her sisters.
Milestones/Firsts: Rolling from her back to her tummy, not on accident! Had her first family photo shoot! She did NOT like the colder weather! Her first Halloween! We dressed her up as a black cat! She also moved into her crib from the bassinet!
What Mommy/Daddy love: Our squishy baby! She is so chubby! She has rolls for days and we cannot get enough of them! Even after four months! We also are loving that she is looking around and exploring more! The world is a big place!
Photos:

Daddy talking to Adeline while she was swinging!
Adeline chewing on her fist while on her play mat!
After Adeline rolled over!

Adeline after she rolled over again! I had to take some pictures of her giggling!

Our girls ready for a walk after trick-or-treating in HyVee and Walmart!
Adeline wearing her black kitty costume!
Adeline wearing her "first Halloween" outfit!

First time in the blue rocker seat! She LOVED being able to look around and be up!
Adeline loving on Karmen's baby belly! Giving kisses/teething on baby!

Getting ready to trick or treat in HyVee and Walmart!
All of the girls had a blast!

Adeline's first Halloween!
Our one year anniversary of finding out we were pregnant with her!

Smiling and sitting in her bumbo seat!
Adeline graduated to her crib! The bassinet was working pretty hard!

Trying on her first winter/Christmas outfit!
Ready for church in her Ladybug outfit!
Minnie Mouse outfit that all of her big sisters wore!

Rolly Polly Adeline!

Adeline's photo from our family photos! So beautiful! Slobber and all!
All the girls ready to go Trick-or-Treating on Halloween!

Photos from my Instagram!

Month by Month Comparison
Newborn, 1 month
2 months, 3 months
4 months

Adeline Virginia - 3 Months Old

Date: October 4th, 2014
Height/Percentile: Not sure
Weight/Percentile: 17 lbs 2 oz (according to my at-home scale)
Sleeping Patterns: Adeline cluster feeds from about 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and then sleeps  until 6:00 a.m.! Very rarely, she'll wake up to nurse during the night! And I am LOVING the sleep! She'll nap after her morning feeding, and then nurse and sleep every two to four hours during the day!
Eating Habits: Breastfeeding on demand! She's quickly changed from only nursing on one side to nursing from both sides! She gets very angry in-between sides! She hates having to be burped, but if she doesn't, then she'll projectile puke all over! Mommy only wants what's best for her! Even if she sounds as if she's being starved!
New Discoveries: Cooing/talking to get attention as well as crying/wailing to do the same! She's discovered that if she reaches her hands out far enough, she can touch the toys that hang from her floor play-mat!
Accomplishments: She has officially started rolling from her back to her side! And has rolled all the way to her belly a few times! I'm sure she did it the first few times last month on accident! It is happening more and more now, so I know it's because she's doing it on purpose! She has also started teething! There are no teeth in sight yet, but she LOVES to have her gums rubbed! She's started gnawing on her hands and hurting herself! Poor baby! I've found some smaller hand-held teething toys for her to chew/gnaw on instead!
Places Visited: We've taken Adeline to Church in Lenox for her name and blessing, to the Elementary/Middle school for a PTO meeting, SWCC for a Policy Council meeting, Imogene and Shenandoah for Mommy's half marathon, the Winter Quarter's Temple, and a few friends' houses!
Loves to: Suck on her hands(but Mommy and Daddy are trying to stop her!), talk and coo, take baths, breastfeed/nurse, kick her feet/legs with excitement, play in her play-mat, and smile!
Doesn't like: The car seat, tummy time, getting dressed/undressed, having to wait to be fed (even if it's for a few minutes!), the colder weather, and sudden, loud noises.
Milestones/Firsts: Giggling and laughing when getting tickled or loved on! Officially rolling from her back to her tummy!
What Mommy/Daddy love: Adeline's cheeks, chins, and thighs! Baby girl is seriously chubby and we cannot get enough of her! Our Squishy! We also love how vocal she's getting! She just loves to coo, talk, and make sounds! And we LOVE to hear her!
Photos:

Adeline's baby blessing on September 6th!

Our family at the start line to Mommy's second half marathon!
Mommy breastfeeding Adeline in the van pre-race!
Caitlin and Daddy loving on Adeline!
Adeline breastfeeding post-race, Mommy was more than ready to feed her!

Our four girls in the bed at the hotel!
Adeline wrapped up in her blanket, sleeping on her boppy pillow!
Smiles and serious stares!

Adeline in the bumbo, talking to Miss Vivian!

Adeline's second trip to the Winter Quarter's Temple on September 20th!

Chubby baby girl! I LOVE her outer thighs!
Sweet sleeping girl!
Mommy working on Adeline's cradle-cap!

A trip to the park! Mommy and Adeline hung out while Daddy went with big sisters to play on the playground! Mommy got lots of smiles and coos from Miss Adeline!

One of Mommy's favorite outfits, so she needed a few pictures of Adeline wearing it!
Adeline and Rosie at bedtime!

All photos from my Instagram!

Month by month comparison!
Newborn, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months!

Adeline Virginia - 2 Months Old

Date: September 4th, 2014 (Happy Birthday Grandma Tina and Aunt Lisa!)
Height/Percentile: 23 inches, 75th percentile
Weight/Percentile: 14 lbs 3 oz, above the 95th percentile!
Sleeping Patterns: On August 18th, Adeline slept the entire night for the first time ever! It was glorious! She's done that about three more times since, but her usual pattern is awake for an hour or two, then nap for an hour or two, all day long.
Eating Habits: Breastfeeding on demand! She's been nursing on one side at each feeding, but during the last few days, she's been nursing from both sides at each feeding! She'll space her feedings out in the morning until the early afternoon, when she'll switch it up to nursing every hour. It gets tedious for me, but it helps her to sleep more soundly when it's bedtime!
New Discoveries: Crying for attention! Which I LOVE! I love how Adeline will go, "WHAA! WHAA!", when she wants something! As soon as I respond to her cry, she'll give me HUGE smiles! She's a little stinker! She has also started sucking on her hands when she gets fussy and is hungry! I'm making sure to stay on top of it because I don't want another child that sucks on fingers for comfort!
Accomplishments: Not sure if it was an accident or not, but she has rolled from her tummy to her back twice! Again, I'm not sure if it was just because her head/face is large and she lost balance and rolled over or not, but I'm proud of her either way!
Places Visited: We've taken Adeline to the doctor's office, A&G's restaurant, Church, a few friend's houses, the Mormon Trail Center and Winter Quarter's Temple in Omaha, Nebraska, Caitlin and Rosalie's school, my Aunt Norma's house in Red Oak, and Walmart!
Loves to: Nurse/Breastfeed, kick her feet and legs, look around, be talked to, coo, be propped up, sit up(with help), have her big sisters talk to her, take baths, and smile!
Doesn't like: Laying on her back, bright lights, getting dressed/undressed, and really loud, sudden noises.
Milestones/Firsts: She is supporting her own head for longer than a minute! She is starting to coo and talk more(I LOVE this stage of her development!)! She can see farther than she could at birth! We know this because when we come into her line of vision, she'll be startled and either start fussing or smiling! Rolling over from tummy to back!
What Mommy/Daddy love: Adeline's cheeks and chins! All of her fat rolls and baby chub! We seriously can not get enough of this little girl!
Photos:

Getting some tummy time and holding her head up!
"Daddy loves me more than BACON!" which is SO true!

"May the Fourth be with you" has SO many meanings for this little lady!
Star Wars, our fourth daughter, born on the fourth of July, in a red/white/blue onesie!
She is also our little firecracker!

One of my all-time-favorite photos of Adeline's smile!
Getting some tummy time!
Wearing one of the first outfits that big sister Caity got when she was a baby!

Caitlin, Adeline, Rosalie, and Vivian at the Mormon Trail Center!

Two of the many faces of Adeline!
Adeline's signature Panda outfit finally fits her! It's 3-6 month size!

I got the little plush back in 2002 from my Grandma and I never opened it from it's original baggie.
Until now! What a perfect gift for my Fourth of July baby!
She wasn't too thrilled with me taking multiple pictures! Caity wanted in, too!

Chubby baby!
Vivian talking to Adeline!
Adeline after bath time!

Baby sister gets to help with her big sister's bed-time routine!
We'll lay her next to her big sisters so that they can give her hugs and kisses!

All photos from my Instagram!

A month-by-month comparison!
Brand New, 1 Month, and 2 Months!

Temple Trip, August 2014

Charles and I have gone to the temple each month this year! It was one of our New Year's Resolutions! We didn't even go twice last year! But since we've been going, it's made things much better in our home life! I love the temple and I love how it's changed us!

One of the tricky things this year has been the fact that up until six weeks ago, I was pregnant! It was much easier to travel 2+ hours to the temple with a baby in my belly. Now that she's out, it's been more difficult. Last month and this month, I decided to not go through the temple, but to have Charles go through alone. Adeline is just not ready to be away from me for more than 2 hours at a time since she's breastfeeding. And I don't like the thought of leaving all four of our girls with one person just yet!

All that being said, last month when Charles went, he got to go with some friends from our church. I stayed home with our girls. This month, Charles and I decided that we wanted to take all of our girls! Which sounded like a good idea at the time! Charles would go through the temple with his Dad and I would take our girls over to the visitor's center.

The morning started off fine, but we were running a little late. About half an hour into the drive, both Caitlin and Rosalie had to go to the bathroom. We stopped at a gas station and I took the girls inside. When we got back out to the van, I got into the diaper bag and realized that I only packed one diaper for Adeline. ONE diaper for the whole day! I had forgotten to pack more... That's when things kinda went downhill for me.

The drive there was fine. I rode in the back between Caity and Rosie. I was asked almost every three minutes, "Are we there yet?! How much longer?!". By the time we got to the temple, I was so ready to be out of that back seat! Charles and Dad went into the temple and I had to take the girls to the store down the street to get diapers for Addy. Going to the store with four kids is quite a feat for me. It's very stressful. But we made it quick! In and out within five minutes! Then I took the girls to the visitor's center!

I had to feed Adeline. I ended up feeding her in the bathroom, which made me feel even worse. The other girls ran around, flushed toilets, and played with the water faucets. I kept telling them to stop, but they didn't really listen. I was getting frustrated, so I prayed that Heavenly Father would help me!

I brought along our pink Evenflo Snugli for Adeline to ride in while we went through the visitor's center. She HATED it. She wouldn't ride in it. Our other girls loved the thing! So I'm not sure if she was just too full from nursing and she couldn't get comfortable?! So that was frustrating for me because I had to hold her the entire time. (I am going to be bringing a stroller with us from now on!) We left the bathroom and started our tour of the center.

The girls did good! They only got out of hand a few times. The Sister Missionary who gave us our tour was excellent with my girls! She totally understood how hard of a time I was having chasing three kids with an infant in my arms and a diaper bag on my back. I was flustered more than once, but I prayed for peace.

Here are some photos from the Visitor's Center!

Afterwards, I loaded the girls back up and went to the Temple's parking lot. I brought the girls into the waiting room and they met a group of kids in there! My girls got to play some letter and color games on someone's cell phone! It kept them preoccupied while I fed Adeline again!

Charles and Dad ended up walking over to the Visitor's Center to find us, then had to come back to the temple because they didn't think to check the waiting room! By that time, I was getting flustered again. My girls weren't listening very well and there was a huge wedding party that had just come in. I was trying to finish nursing Adeline and my other girls were running around. I was trying to whisper yell at them... but it clearly wasn't working. Then Charles FINALLY walked into the room. I was SO ready to leave... I tried my hardest not to cry, but some tears came anyway. And I let them fall.

We went over to my grandparent's house afterwards so that they could meet Adeline for the first time! We fed the girls their lunch and changed them into comfy clothes for the ride home!

Then we loaded the girls back up and started on our way home! We went the old route home so that we could go through Red Oak and see my cousin Chelsey and her family! She was going to have her baby shower that Sunday and we couldn't go, so I asked her if we could meet up and visit on the way home! We met at the park and let the kiddos run around! I gave her our gift and she got some baby snuggles from Adeline! I was hoping that by holding Adeline, Chelsey's baby girl would want to come out and see her cousin, but no luck! Our kiddos had a blast and they did NOT want to get back in the van to go home!

We drove by my brother Bob's work. He wasn't there, which was a first, so I had his friend/coworker call him and tell him that I was stopping by to show him the new baby. Adeline is the first baby that I've had that Bob hadn't seen in the hospital! But I had her on a very busy holiday weekend, so it's understandable! I didn't get any photos since we kept all the girls buckled up in the van. But it was so cute to hear my girls' squeals of excitement to see "Uncle Bob-o"!

After that, we headed home! All of the girls fell asleep about 10 minutes into the drive! And all in all, while the day was very frustrating for me, I had a wonderful experience! I realized just how different my girls are and just how strong their spirits are! They are all one of a kind! I don't like the fact that I didn't have a very good time, especially when temple trips are usually very spiritually uplifting for me, but it's okay! I'm still trying to figure things out with four kids and I haven't quite gotten the grasp yet, but I'm figuring it out! One day at a time, with a LOT of help from the Lord!

And I figure that by the time I've figured it out, I'll be adding another little one into the mix!

Then it all starts over!