My New Goal

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8 Months of Macy

Wow! Am I seriously writing her 8 month update? Can we please stop time, just for a little bit??

January 24, 2013

8 Month Stats

Weight: 20.8lbs (according to our home scale)

Height: Long. Tall. Will find out exact height next month at her check up.

My long baby!

Clothing size: 9-12 months. I'm doing my best to still squeeze her in her 9 month jammies until I find bigger ones and I actually skipped 12 month pants and bought some 18 month size pants- crazy!

Diaper size: 3

Nice big bruise on her forehead- a new staple. :-/

Feeding/Sleeping: Not much change here. Still taking 4 bottles a day and eating baby food 3 times a day. I have also started cutting up soft foods in tiny pieces (like bananas and avocados) and letting her figure out how to eat them in her high chair. It amazes me how quickly she picked up on it! She is still taking 2 2-hours naps a day, morning and afternoon, and sleeping from 7:30pm-7am at night. We did go through a rough week of bad sleeping when she was learning so many new things, but I have read that sleep regressions are completely normal when that happens.

Big girl learning how to use a sippy cup!

Milestones: Where do I begin? Last month I said Macy was 90% crawling and by the next day she was 100% crawling. By the next week she was pulling herself to a standing position. A few days later she was pulling herself up EVERYTHING (dressers, coffee tables, chairs, etc) and the crib mattress was lowered! I just can't believe how fast it all happened! Now she pulls herself up to a standing position and barely hangs on to something as she stands. I'm pretty sure she is going to be walking before her 1st birthday.

The BEST money I've spent lately was on this table from Chicco

Barely holding on!

A video of her playing on her table (it was sent to my dad, her Papa)

Loves: Homegirl is a talker! She can definitely make different sounds like "dah" "bah" "mah" "gah". Sometimes I feel like she is telling me off, lol. She also loves to laugh! She is so stinking cute and will "fake laugh" all the time to show off. She is also a fan of opening drawers and pulling everything out of them.

Caught in the act!

All baths are now in the kitchen sink- SO much easier!!

Dislikes: Not much to add here. Except that she doesn't like to be left alone in a room. She is a social butterfly!

Adventures: We laid pretty low this month. It is cold and we are still recovering from our big holiday travels. One new adventure would be spending more time in the nursery -she now goes once a week at the gym and once a week at church. I always get good reports that she was "perfect" the whole time and that "she is just the happiest baby". Makes my heart happy :)

What we couldn't live without: Still such a paci girl! I really want to start weaning her at 1 year so I will tell her "enjoy it now sweetie, only 4 more months of it!" Also still love my Beaba babycook to make her babyfood and the Chicco table.

Growing girl!!

And now for your viewing pleasure... a hilarious video of Macy and a lemon:

A Texas Christmas

This Christmas was a very special for the Regals. Not only was it our sweet Macy Jane's first Christmas, but we got to spend it down in Dallas, TX with my family. My dad, step-mom Sandra and little brother and sister, Trevor (14) and Taylor (12), all live down there and I have been visiting TX for Christmas and summer breaks ever since I moved to Indiana when I was 6. As a product of divorced parents, I spent a lot of my time growing up in both Indiana and Texas, and have such a special place in my heart for that big ole state.

After we had Macy we knew there would be no question, we would want to spend her very first Christmas down there. All of my childhood memories regarding Christmas are revolved around being in Dallas, even before Trevor and Taylor were born. My dad and fam hasn't seen Macy since she was first born and it was the perfect time to get everyone together again. My brother TJ, who lives in Indianapolis, also flew down. It felt so nice to have everyone together!

We left super early at 6am the Thursday morning before Christmas. I was so nervous Macy was going to be "that baby" on our flight so I prayed and prayed that she would be good and that there would be no snafoos on the way down there. God definitely answered those prayers and everything went perfect. Better than I could have imagined. She was a little angel and the star of the flight down there. Thank you Jesus! People were either commenting on how good she was, or how cute she was. Both I agreed with :)

First flight of the day! (6:30am)

We all packed in my dad's house and Taylor went right to work as Macy's primary care giver. She made all of her bottles/food, gave her baths, picked out all of her outfits and matching bows, and even helped put her to bed every night. It was so sweet, a nice little break for Kyle and I.

Mace and Auntie Tay in their animal print jammies!

For mine and Kyle's Christmas gift, Taylor and Trevor paid for us to go to Jumpstreet- an indoor trampoline funzone. I loved it. Besides all of the crazy kids running around, it was a blast!

Feeling like a kid again at Jumpstreet

On Saturday night we met our good family friends out for an "adult night out". We had a really great steak dinner and went out to a piano bar. It was super fun and it was nice to have family right in town to babysit. A rare treat living so far away.

Night out with our friends Sean and Brandi

The next couple days were spent time with extended family, shopping for last minute gifts, and getting ready for Christmas. We even made a trip out to the Galleria for the famed picture by the Christmas tree.

First time meeting Santa! (The actual pic is much better!)

My sweet family of 3

The girls!

Love  my family!!

Christmas morning was so special. There is something about having a baby that makes times like this extra fun. Even though Macy thought it was just another day, it was so fun to watch her play with the paper, explore her new toys, and be around all of our family. I would have to say her favorite was crinkling the paper in her tiny hands and eating the tissue paper.

"Mom, what is all this stuff??"

Matching Jammies is a tradition!

Loved her new toy!

 It even snowed - which was a complete Christmas miracle! In my 27 years of winters in Texas, I have never seen it snow like that or stay on the ground like it did. Of course, my sister would not let me get away with observing from the window. I had to garb up and piece-meal together an outfit and head out in the fun.

Fun in the snow!

We had such a great time that when it was time to go my heart broke a little. There were definitely tears shed. It broke my heart that they will never get to see Macy in this stage of her life again. Best case scenario we make a trip this summer, but by then she will be a walking one year old. Good thing we have Facetime and Skype! Praise God for technology!

I am so proud of my little traveler. She adjusted so well and I am happy that I was blessed with such a sweet, happy easy going little thing. She definitely takes after her daddy in that sense ;)

7 Months of Macy

I feel like I just wrote my 6 month update, so it seems crazy to be writing about 7 months... But here goes!

7 Month Stats

December 24, 2012

Weight: 19.9lbs (according to our home scale)

Height: Not sure, but I know she is my looong baby!

My loooong baby. Almost time for a new car seat!

Clothing Size: 9 months, all 6 month clothes are officially too small. All her pants are capris on her!

Diaper Size: 3

Feeding/Sleeping: Not much change in either of these categories this month. Eating about the same -and is much better at it now. It is not such a production (read mess). Sleeping is the same as well. Goes down around 7:30-8 each night and wakes up 7-7:30 every morning. Praise the Lord!

Always ready to eat! Cracks me up.

Milestones: She is 90% crawling! She can easily get wherever she needs to go. She goes about 4-5 paces on her hands and knees, then back down to her belly, then back up to her hands and knees. I sit in awe as I watch her accomplish learning new tasks every day.

Loves: To put ANYTHING in her mouth. She is officially at the age where I have to really watch her every move. She has the amazing ability to find the teeny tiniest things on the floor that my naked eye can't spot out, and put them directly in to her mouth. She also loves bath time!

Happy naked baby

Dislikes: Being left alone in a room (when did this start happening??), HATES when we wipe her face or suck boogies out of her nose. Which is like every hour of every day.

Adventures: Our trip to Dallas, TX to see my family! First plane ride, first CHRISTMAS! It was an amazing and awesome time to experience with her. I'm one proud mama. (More on that in a separate post)

What we couldn't live without: Still loves her paci. And any safe things she can chew on =)

Found her like this when I went to get her out of the car. And yes, she was wide awake!

The most important Christmas yet

Christmas is a special time for most everyone. I have fond memories of laying in bed at night hoping to hear Santa land on the roof and waking up in the morning to the fireplace lit and a mound of presents under the tree. As I grow older though, Christmas has truly taken on a completely different meaning. Even more so this year as a first time parent.

I have always grown up going to church, but it wasn't until my adulthood that I truly understood the role Jesus, my Lord and Savior, played in my life. I read scripture and I understood it. I consistently started meeting with God, investigating His Word, and craving daily time alone with Him. The more I understand Jesus, the more excited and important Christmas is in my life.

Reading the Christmas story I get lost in the thought of how amazing it would be to be around when first hearing the Messiah had come. The long awaited King, had came. How sovereign God was in his planning of Jesus' birth. How God took on the form of flesh, not a king that was born in a palace, but a simple man, born in poverty in a dirty stable, and worked hard with his hands. He was born poverished and died disgraced. He was a human that we all could relate to. He endured pain and suffering, and even cried out to God to make it stop. But he was faithful and perfect. And his sole purpose on earth was to save me, a sinner, and imperfect person. I still have a hard time fathoming God's grace over my life, forgiving me for my inequities every single day, as I continue to fail over and over.

This year as a parent, I am even more emotional thinking of Christ's birth. God sent his son, his baby, knowing fair well the life of suffering he would endure. The heartbreak that God had for him, and for all of us. That God loves us so much, that he would send His only son down to save us. A love that never fails, a love I could never return.

 As Macy and our future children grow, I want to make a vow that Christmas will always be about Jesus. About what a gift he is, and that he is enough. Of course we will get our children gifts, and have traditions just like I did as a child, but we will worship Jesus, not the presents that lay under the tree.

After this past weeks events, I am even more confident in my Lord. That I need him, that I can't live my life without him. Since the day Adam and Eve sinned against God, the world has been a dark place. It is not a question of "how could God let that happen" but a statement of "wow, we need a savior". And God sent us just that. Your salvation is so important, this world of darkness can easily consume you, and now we must cling on the the Promise. The promise for redemption, forgiveness, and for salvation. Life here on earth is but a breath, our eternal life awaits us. Let it be on Heaven, let it be in a place of no pain, no darkness, no monsters.

I can't wait to share my first Christmas as a mommy with my family and sweet baby girl. Rejoicing in everything that Christmas truly stands for!

"O holy night!

The stars are brightly shining

It is the night

Of the dear Savior's birth!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till he appear'd and the soul felt His worth

A thrill of hope

The weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks

A new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees

Oh hear the angel voices

Oh night divine"

6 months of Macy

6 Months! Wow, I know I say it every month- but where does the time go? I feel like I also say this every month, but I think this is one of my favorite ages so far. She is learning so quickly, full of personality, and I feel like I'm finally really in-tune with her needs. Love my precious girl!

Sitting up unsupported like a big girl!

Weight: Macy girl weighs exactly 18lbs. I was shocked to hear she has remained right in the 50th percentile. I was convinced my little chubster would be off the charts.

Happy happy girl

Height: 29inches long. This was off the charts! No wonder we are having trouble squeezing her in to her jammies at night!

She seriously cracks me up.

Clothing size: We just started buying 9 month jammies, but I think we aren't going to buy anymore and go straight to the 12 month size. Otherwise she still fits in her 6 month onesies and wears 6-9 month clothing in everything else.

Diaper size: Still wearing size 2 diapers (which goes up to 18lbs). Size 3s are up next as soon as we finish these size 2s that we have.

Feeding/Sleeping: We have started Macy on fruits and veggies this month- which she loves. We got a Beaba Baby Cook that makes making food SO EASY. It steams and purees the food all in one. All we have to do is peel and chop whatever we throw in it.  Our freezer is overflowing with frozen bananas, apples, carrots and sweet potatoes. As far as her feeding schedule goes- I nurse her every morning when she wakes up around 6:30-7, she eats breakfast (cereal and fruit) around 8:30, a 6oz bottle around noon (my sitter usually feeds her lunch too -she loves to feed this baby), another 6oz bottle around 4, dinner at 7 (cereal and veggies) and then a bottle or nurse right before bed. So 4 bottles/nursing a day plus food. Doc says that's right on track.

Her sleeping has vastly improved too. We have been able to get her down to 2 solid naps a day. She usually wakes up around 7 every morning and goes back down for her morning nap around 9:30-10 and sleeps for 2 hours. Her second nap of the day is usually around 2:30-3 and again, she sleeps for 2 hours. After dinner at 7 we usually give her a bath, give her last bottle and put her down by 7:45-8. By that time she is ready! She could be wide awake but does not complain at all when I lay her down. Sometimes she goes right to sleep, sometimes she plays for a little bit and falls asleep within 15 minutes. She is the easiest baby to put to bed at night ((knock on wood)). Naps are hit and miss. Sometimes I can just go up stairs and lay her down without a whimper, other times she cries so I pat her butt for a bit, and if all else fails I pick her up and rock her for about a minute before I lay her back down.

She is such a good little eater. She literally keeps her mouth open like this the entire time. I can't help but laugh!

Milestones: Besides trying new food, her biggest new trick is sitting up unsupported. But we are always near, because she topples over easily. She also army crawls across the floor and will get up on her hands and knees and rock back and forth really fast. Its super cute. She has also started making new sounds with her mouth. She has always made "Ah" and "Wah" noises but this month she has started making "Bah Bah" noises too. It's pretty much adorable. Like everything else she does.

Loves her bath time!
(not a huge fan of this seat - but it was $40 so I feel like I have to get my money's worth out of it)

Loves: We got her a "Johnny Jump Up" and this kid could spend HOURS in it. It is hilarious to watch her in it. She still loves her activity center and playing with toys. She also loves to grab on to Peyton's fur and pull her down to the ground. Surprisingly, Peyton just lets her maul her.

Bonding with her sister.

Dislikes: I'm going to have to put being tired on this list again. She definitely needs her rest. We've also experienced her first head cold as well as signs of teething this month. Neither of those have been fun.

First Thanksgiving! We let her have a tiny bite of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie!

Adventures: We took her down to Nashville which was a blast. She is a pretty good littler traveler. And we love the opportunity to make memories with her.

Happy and healthy... we are so blessed!

What we couldn't live with out: This list hasn't changed much this month either. She loves her activity center and jump-up. We love her sound machine and we can't forget her paci!

Dear Sweet Macy Jane-
It was only 6 short months ago that I held you in my arms for the first time. I had no idea how to be a mommy, but you have taught me every step of the way. You are so sweet and light up any room you are in. Everywhere we go we get stopped by strangers commenting on how beautiful you are, and you always smile at their compliments. You love to explore things with your little fingers and put anything you can find in your mouth. You whimper when you are tired but a little cuddle time with mommy and you go right to sleep. You love to eat and aren't picky at all. If you are fussy all we have to do is go run errands and you are a happy girl. You love to look around at people and buildings. I can tell you are going to be a smart little girl. Your doctor told me that you are reaching milestones that 9 month old babies reach and that you are absolutely perfect. I told her that I agreed. My favorite sound in the entire world is your giggle. Sometimes you think you are so funny, and it almost seems like you are trying to get me to laugh at you. You skin is so soft and you are my little chunk-a-munk. I love your little rolls and love to blow raspberries on your tummy. Thank you for being the missing piece to our family's puzzle. You make getting up in the morning exciting each day. I can't wait to get you up out of your crib each day and give you a thousand kisses every morning. I love being a mommy and my heart is truly overflowing with a love I never knew existed.
Happy 6 months baby girl! I can't wait to see what the next 6 months brings!
Love, your mommy



Our First Family Roadtrip

This last weekend we took our first "real" family road trip down to Nashville, TN. I was born in Nashville, and have a lot of family strewn through middle and east Tennessee, so I always look forward to visits to the capital of country music.

Hopped in the backseat on the way down - she loved that!

Kyle at the wheel. It was weird riding in the back!

My cousin Allison is recently married and a mommy-to-be so we were excited to go visit her and her new hubby. I would have to say the hardest part of preparing for the trip was figuring out what to pack for Little Miss. I didn't want to over pack, or forget something we really needed- but I  must say, I actually think we brought the perfect amount of things. For entertainment we brought a blanket and toys and her johnny jump up. We also brought her Bumbo that has a tray on it to feed in her in, her pack and play, our monitor and her sound machine too.

Saturday we went out to eat for breakfast in a cute little area near Vanderbilt University then headed to Opry Mills outlet mall to walk around. Later that night we grabbed yummy pizza and watched Notre Dame go 10-0.. Go Irish!



Ally and I at lunch

Little Miss helping her daddy pick out something to eat

I was so proud of my little bug, she slept great both nights in her pack and play. And even slept until 7:30 Sunday morning (which would have been 8:30 Indy time!) We put her in the empty spare room with a sound machine and monitor. I am not a fan of sleeping in the same room as her because I feel like we would have to go to bed when we put her to bed (at 8pm) and I'm sure we would be waking each other up (us and her) between all the noises we make. So sleeping in her pack and play, in an empty room, was the way to go!

Auntie Ally at 23 weeks with cousin Jackson!

My cousin Tonja and her family drove in from Knoxville to visit with us as well. Her dad, my dad, and Ally's mom are all siblings. It has been fun growing up with them and sharing life together through out the years. Kyle and I have always said we "want to be parents like Tonja and Steve". Their two boys are well rounded, love to play outside, don't own a cell phone or a game system! They can hold a conversation with you and aren't constantly glued to an electronic device. Model parenting right there!

Took Macy on her first Carousel Ride at Opry Mills



She absolutely LOVED it!

On Sunday we headed down to Franklin, TN, which might be the cutest town I have ever been in, and walked around and grabbed lunch before we hit the road. Tonja was sweet enough to capture a couple of pictures of us that I just love to death.

The two loves of my life in Franklin, TN

Overall, our first family road trip was a success! Macy did great, although 5+ hours in the car may be her max at this point, and it was so nice to escape the daily nuances of homework and housework.

Just us 3. Not a worry in the world.

(( Have to say though-So glad we are FLYING to Texas over Christmas. We had debated driving and now I know that would have been miserable))

So very grateful for this special angel. God is good!!