8 Month Update

Elsie Mae is 8 months old today! 

This month she:

-eats cheerios (and would eat them all day if we let her) and eats purees 2-3 times a day

-drinks about 28-30 ounces of formula a day

-pulls up to stand on everything she can

-crawls everywhere and has a super cute fast crawl reserved for when she's really excited (she usually snorts whole doing this haha)

-she has slept through the night for one week now (!!!!!) and fingers crossed that she has just figured out that's what she should do haha 

-her favorite thing in the whole world is Elmo. She absolutely lights up when she sees him or when I put on Sesame Street. She watches it every morning.  

-She can say "bababa" and occasionally will throw in a "mamama" she also makes a cute chewbacca like sound

-she's wearing almost all 9-12 month clothes,  size 4 diapers,  and her chunky little toes barely fit a size 3

I can't wait to see how much shes grown at her doctors appointment at the end of the month!

(our little leopard a few days ago)

We love love love her!

Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Kurbisausstellung in Ludwigsburg, Germany. This is the largest pumpkin festival in Europe. 

Contests are held for the largest pumpkins in Germany and in Europe. These are huge pumpkins!  Last year the heaviest pumpkin was 1054 kg!

This festival is also huge. It doesn't look that big when you first arrive but the majority of the festival is located behind the palace.

There are a variety of pumpkin foods as well as typical German foods. I went out on a limb and tried the vegetarian pumpkin burger. It was delicious!

The pumpkin sculptures (I guess you could call them) were very impressive!

We bought two small pumpkins, which I let Elsie pick out.  I never knew the were so many types of pumpkin!

We had a really good time at this festival and I would highly recommend it! 

Baby's First Cold

A few weeks back, Elsie got her very first cold. She had a very stuffy nose for a few weeks and then got a cough. We are lucky she didn't get sick at all until she was almost 7 months old! So for my future reference and anyone else who's battling baby's first cold, this is what worked for us.

Boogie Wipes Natural Saline Kids and Baby Nose Wipes for Cold and Flu, Unscented, 30 Count (Pack of 3) : for those crusty boogers, and to keep baby's nose from getting sore from all the wiping

Little Remedies Noses Saline Spray/Drops, 0.5 Ounce : to keep thing moist (yuck)

Nasal aspirator: we have the good old fashioned kind, and I'm probably the last mom on the planet to have not used the Nose Frida, but we have managed to suck out many a boogie with the basic aspirator

Crane Usa EE-3186 Elephant Cool Mist Humidifier : works wonders on stuffy noses! I put it on at night and during nap times. I actually plan to use it in Elsie's room all winter because we have radiators here which dry up the air

Also, for really stuffy nights, I have elevated one end of Elsie's crib mattress which seems to help a bit.

It's really tough when baby catches a cold because they just don't understand why they feel so gross but it will pass.

Elsie's 7 Months Old!

Elsie is seven months old today! 

We took some pictures outside and some pictures inside because it is really really sunny this morning!

"I'm gonna eat this"

It has been quite a big month for Elsie! 

This month she:

-started eating a lot more purees about 6-8 oz a day. She had tried pretty much all the stage 1 and 2 purees that don't contain meat. She loves sweet potatoes and bananas but hates green beans. She also tasted a pickle and made a really silly face. 

-also, she started eating puffs and yogurt melts and LOVES them 

-got to spend a week and a half with her Meme! (we miss her!)

-learned how to give sloppy kisses

-got her first 2 teeth! (two middle bottom)

-got her first stuffy nose (we've been lucky)

-started sitting up by herself

-started sleeping on her tummy (but still gets up several times a night)

-started crawling!!

-pulls up to stand

-loves peek-a-boo

Our little girl is so much fun! I can't believe how big she's getting!

Elsie's Favorite Toys (6 months)

Thought I would do a post on what Elsie enjoys playing with most at 6 months.  This is constantly changing but here are some of her faves

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Fisher-price rock-n-stack- loves knocking this over and has even tried to put the rings back on it but she isn't that coordinated yet. 

Exersaucer- the past month or so she's really gotten in to this.  She would sit in it before and pay with the toys but now she LOVES to bounce in this.  She really gets in the zone while bouncing haha.

Glow worm- not so much a toy as it is a bedtime item but she loves it!  I play it for her when she's falling asleep.

Monkey- been a favorite for awhile now,  he talks and songs and she gets the biggest smile when I bring him out

Wooden Blocks - I just brought these out this week but they are already a big hit!  She loves to pick them up out of their cart and knock them over if I attack them up for her. 

Also, in general she loves any plastic/rubbery toys that she can pick up and chew on. 

And now that's she's getting around she loves anything she isn't supposed to have haha.

Us Lately

Thought I'd do a post on what we've been up to lately.

Elsie is starting to get mobile. But she loves to sit and play with her toys.

She also loves to get into the dvds. She can even slide the door open to get to them!  (Sigh)

We had my mom/ Elsie's Meme visiting for a week and a half. Time absolutely flew by! 

The weather is getting a bit chilly so I'm starting to make fall/winter food like this beef roast in the slow cooker. I absolutely LOVE making food in the slow cooker because it's so easy! 

I also got a new shelf for the living room that is, thankfully,  out of reach of Elsie's little hands.  I moved some picture frames up there because Elsie goes for anything she shouldn't have haha.

Talk to you soon!

Youtube!

We recently started making weekly vlogs on youtube! It is quite the learning curve but I think it will be so fun to go back and watch them when Elsie gets older. 

Head on over to youtube and subscribe! :)