Milestones in a nutshell

I just want to recall all her milestones that I can think of in this post instead of writing several separate posts.  Let's see...

• 9 months: saying "da-da-da" indiscrminately
• almost 9 months: fairly good with pincer grip, imitate waving "hi"
• almost 8 months: saying first consonant sound "bap-bap-bap"
• started to sit around 6 months but not steady until about 7.5 months
• Crawling at 7.5 months (July 7th) 

• 5.5 months 1st tooth! (lower incisor)
• 4.5 months discovered her thumb while in Boston (her first plane trip!) and never looked back at her pacifier again...seeing braces in her future =\
• Rolled over at 4 months and 1 week, just as her pediatrician predicted at her 4 month check up!
• First day at Montessori Learning Institute Feb 11 with Ms. Le.  Avi and I handled it pretty well when she was dropped off but when I came to pick her up she was wailing sitting alone in her swing.  I didn't feel so great about that.  

Look! She had a double chin and hardly any hair!!

• Had her first bottle at 3 weeks old and had no problems.  Little did we know, she decided she liked it straight from the source A LOT more.  Struggled with the bottle i.e. hours of tears and screaming every time until a couple of weeks into daycare when she realized she had no other choice.  Even then, she was unpredictable about whether or not she would take the bottle.  Hence, we were never able to have Daddy help with night feedings...lucky him!  Finally by 7 months, she started to love the bottle...reaching with eager eyes every time she sees it.  
• Laugh out loud by 3 months
• First professional photo shoot at 8 days old with Jayka Photography.  It took almost 4 hours including feeding and getting her into poses.  She was quite the fidgety one so it wasn't easy getting her into certain poses.  Did I mention it was also a nude photo shoot??  She managed to poop on our blanket during one of the poses.  

Hi Avi!

I've been saying "Hi Avi!" very enthusiastically and waving my hand like a total dork for the past few days because I realized she's able to mimic me now!  She's not quite as adept as I am.  Her waves, her give-me-fives, and her hand smacking on the table look pretty similar but I promise you her responses are not coincidental!

An update on the sleep training: She's just as sporadic as she was when our sleep train goal was 9 hours.  She did 10 hours w/o a sound, then 11 hours w/o a sound, and then took a few steps back and woke up after 9 hours and every hour after that.  She likes to vary it to keep us on our toes.  

We plan to go to SF for a wedding in September and our plan was to take her with us.  However, she's been especially difficult to take out lately and very stubborn about sticking to her bedtime (7pm).  Last weekend we went to eat for lunch.  We didn't time it well and it ended up being close to naptime.  Boy was that a mistake.  After a lot of loud screaming and people staring, we had to have get our order to-go and hubby had to take her outside while I waited for our food to be packed up.  In addition to this, SF is 2 hours behind...do the math...she will start getting cranky around 3 pm...blegh. 

One little monkey jumping on the bed...

Last Friday, I put her in her play yard so I could get her bottle ready.  (These days, she's so mobile, there are only a few places I can put her and be sure she doesn't go after a dog toy or get into any other trouble.  It's a rotation between the bouncer, play yard, and high chair)  We haven't lowered her crib or play yard yet but I knew it was time because during her earlier nap (or failed nap rather) I found her with arms hanging over the rail...yikes!  So as I got her bottle ready, she had pulled herself up in the play yard and had her arms and head peering over the edge.  I thought, there's no way she can climb over.  I was right, she couldn't climb over, but she was able to push her legs, reach, and slide out head first.  I couldn't get there in time =\.  Her first big fall and she handled it quite well--better than me!  No bruise either!  Needless to say, both play yard and crib are now lowered because we've got a little monkey on our hands!

Sleep training Part Deux

For some reason, the first time we did sleep training, I was eager to not have to get up to feed her every 3 hours and her crying didn't seem to bother me that much.  This time, now that we've finally gotten her to sleep 9 hours, feed at 4am, then sleep more til 7/8am, I'm hesitating to sleep train to eliminate that one night feeding altogether.  I think it's because I know that she's much more aware now so I feel guilty leaving her crying.  Anyhow, night one: cried at 3:55am, fell back asleep on and off on her belly until she finally turned on her back and slept continuously from 5:08 til 7:20am! (and continued to play in her crib until we went to get her at 8:30!).  Not too bad for the first night.  Now, if only I can relax myself and actually sleep when she's sleeping.

B-B-B-bap!

So it was July 19th, around 4am, I just fed Avi and I'm changing her diaper and she starts to say, "bap-bap-bap".  Er?  Out of nowhere, she says her first "word" i.e. consonant sound that has no meaning.  I remember the date and time because the date is her daddy's bday and the time is the usual time she's been waking up.  We started sleep training her at 5 1/2 months.  We did everything by the book.  We let her cry it out and never went in until the 9 hour mark (7pm-4am=9hours).  Unfortunately, it's apparent that Avi did not read this book because it took her 3 months to finally consistently not wake up sooner than 9 hours.  Now that she finally figured it out (or so we think she has), she's old enough to sleep 12 hours without a feeding so we're thinking of sleep training this weekend!  Yikes, for the first time in almost 9 months, I won't be waking up at night to feed her!  I know I should be relieved but I feel torn!!  My baby's growing up fast!

Weeeee!

Last Sunday, around 5pm, Avi was getting really fussy (an every evening occurrence), so I suggested taking a walk to the park and trying out the swing.  Avi loves being outside so any time she's fussy, taking a walk outside usually helps pass the time.  I think her first swing experience was a success!  It only lasted less than 5 minutes because we were melting in the sun but she didn't cry and seemed to mildly enjoy it.  First thing she did when we put her in, like she does with everything else, was taste it =)

Gotta love those chunky legs!

Just to start off...

I honestly hate writing (and to think, in 5th grade, I told my parents I wanted to be a writer...) so I apologize in advance if my writing consists of ramblings, run-ons, and incompletes.  At least I won't be ranting about my dental school patients (lol...good 'ol xanga days).  You're probably wondering, why "bambino"?  I'm really not sure where or when I started using the word, but it's fun saying it and it usually elicits a smile from, well, the Bambino =).
Now it's time to backtrack through 8.5 months and see what I can remember....stay tuned!