Dear Kiley,
Once again, it has been a very busy month as we've transitioned from summer fun into the new normal of our regular fall programming.
Your
brother started pre-school, which meant that we adjusted our childcare situation slightly and you started spending some days at our next door neighbor's house when Ryder has school in the afternoon. You're a pretty easygoing gal, and you seemed to adjust right away to the new situation. Plus it's nice that you don't have to spend almost an hour driving back and forth from the nanny's house anymore.
At the beginning of October I had to leave you overnight with Daddy for the first time while I went to a work conference.
Later in life you should remember to thank him for taking such good care of you, and for getting up with you at 4:30 in the morning, which is when you decided to start your day that morning while I was gone.
Besides a quick trip down to Olympia to visit Nana and Papa, we've been laying pretty low this month following a a crazy summer of traveling and trips.
It's been nice to hang out at home and get back into a routine again.
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| You still love sitting in your balance chair and hanging out with the family downstairs. |
You sit up independently now, but we have to surround you with pillows or blankets when you do, because quite often you lose your balance and end up toppling over.
Ryder often likes to join you in your little nest.
You're really starting to enjoy toys, and you'll hang out in your Pack 'n' Play alone for short periods of time playing independently every now and then.
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You like sitting in your high chair and munching on finger foods. You're practicing, but so far I can't tell if you're actually ingesting much...
You don't seem interested in standing or pulling up on anything yet, but you still enjoy rolling around on the floor.
We try to make sure and get you outside whenever we can, because it's going to be a predictably wet and gloomy winter here in the Pacific Northwest. Sometimes Daddy loads the two of you up and walks down to my office for a lunchtime visit, which I love.
One Saturday when the forecast looked clear, we met up with some good friends for a day at Remlinger Farms. We all had fun adventures on the rides and visiting the pumpkin patch for the first time.
Football season is in full swing, and you will quickly learn that we are very loyal Seahawks fans. Daddy and I like to attend all of the home games while we leave you in good hands with Nana and Papa.
You developed a cough while we were at
Priest Lake for Labor Day weekend, and unfortunately you have been under the weather ever since. At one point, after you were up almost the whole night miserable with a cough and congestion, I took you to Urgent Care to check for an ear infection. You were diagnosed with a viral upper respiratory infection (nothing serious) and sent home to rest.
You have not followed doctor's orders.
For about your first six months of life, you were such a great sleeper... what happened?!?
You've gone through quite a few developmental changes all at once, and it has seriously affected your mood and sleep patterns. These days, your night time sleep stretches are never longer than an hour or two at a time, and you're refusing to nap for more than 20 or 30 minutes, if that. You are pretty much perpetually over-tired, which often makes you cranky and fussy... sometimes. Other times, like when you wake up for the day at four o'clock in the morning, you couldn't be happier. In these situations I occasionally just curl up next to you on the couch and doze while you play and laugh happily.
Girlfriend, you're crazy!
About a week and a half after going to Urgent Care, your cold and cough still hadn't cleared up, so we went in to our regular doctor, who prescribed you a round of antibiotics, which we just started. I really, really hope that once you start feeling better you'll also go back to sleeping again. Trust me, we'll both feel a lot better when that happens. At that visit you also got a flu shot, and clocked in at 17 lb 13 oz (55th percentile).
Despite the sleep deprivation, we still enjoy the vast majority of our waking moments with you. Your smile is infectious, and I love hearing you laugh. Ryder in particular can easily make you crack up at any time, and I love watching the two of you as you become more interactive and playful. The time is going by so fast, and we just watch in amazement as you grow and change.
We love you so much, little girl!
