We did it!

Arlee made it all day without a bottle, no problem!!  I did give her a night bottle because she didn't drink much at all.  Until she starts drinking more through the day I will give her a night bottle I think!  I am so proud of her!!

Major Milestone (I hope)

First off, Arlee went down for her nap today without a bottle and without any fussing for the first time!  I am so excited because I have been so torn between taking the bottle away and letting her make that decision herself.  Last week I started her on whole milk, just mixing it with her formula, next week she will be all  drinking just milk no formula.  I also started giving her a sippy of just milk with her meals.  I just sit it there and if she drinks it fine if not fine.  Well she spits it out every time. She will go for a drink and immediately realize.  I have been worried that if I take the bottle away she will get no milk at all.  Some people tell me she will drink it if she gets thirsty enough, but part if me thinks that's kinda cruel to force it like that.  Arlee is pretty good about letting us know when shes ready, and if we push to hard she fights back if shes not into it.  She has been showing some signs of not needing a bottle, like if she eats enough food she doesn't seem to mind not having it, and shes going longer between feedings.  So I had made up my mind to bite the bullet and take her bottles away this weekend and see what happens.  And, to get her to take milk in the sippy.  She has never wanted formula from her sippy, she hates it, but she will drink water and juice from it.  Someone told me to try mixing Ovaltine and milk in her sippy and she might like drink it that way until she gets used to it plain.  At least then she would drink enough milk. With all that said this brings us to now, I decided to try a little experiment today.  When Arlee gets up around 9 ish I feed her oatmeal or an egg for breakfast, then at 11ish she gets a bottle and goes down for a nap, then she wakes up for lunch and so on.  Today I fed her breakfast then at 11, instead of getting her bottle I gave her a big snack and gave her milk in a sippy with a straw , she ate and drank a little milk.  Hey a little is better than none and she acted liked she liked it!  Then I laid her down for a nap, and she did it no bottle!!! Yes!!  She is ready!  Lets just see how the day goes!!

Cake Pics

I finally got ahold of some cake pics from Arlees birthday

She's just starting to figure out the cake was pretty good.

It was like she struck gold, she loved the cake!

We had to hose her off she has never been that messy!

12 Month Update

Arlee had her 12 month check-up yesterday.  Everythings good.  Shes 31 1/2 inches long, 22lbs, and 17 inches around her head. Which basically means shes in the 60% for weight, 97% height, and can't remember her head but it was high to.  Arlee had to get 5 shots!!  She was so upset she cried all the way out of the dr.'s this time, then once she settled down she slept for 3hours.  When she woke up she was completely fine, we filled up the pool and went for a swim.  Arlee thinks shes a dog she was panting and trying to drink the water, it was cute.  One thing that was not so cute:  we get outside ready to swim, just get in the pool and she decides it's time to poo!   We were all wet and had to go inside and take off her lil swim diapers, thats hard to do when your wet!  So we made a huge mess, yuck!  Finally we made it back in the pool! Ever since Arlees birthday party she has been a wild animal, she loves to run around outside.  Thats turned into our new thing to do. 

Arlee's Birthday

Saturday was Arlee's birthday party.  We had it at our house and did a bbq, and man was it a HOT day!  It was a great day, alot of work though.  We kept things simple but it still seems like alot when you are cooking and getting your house set up to accommodate so many people.  Arlee had a 2 hr nap before the party so she was in a super good mood.  Then seeing everyone and having an audience she was having a ball!  There was plenty of things for her to do!  Here are some pics I need to get ones from a few people because they got the good ones of her eating cake and stuff.

Sorry my camera kept fogging up from the heat

The cake turned out soo good! 

4th of July

This was Arlee's first 4th of July. Crazy to think that last year I was ready to pop her out!  I knew she wouldn't be to into fireworks but I wanted to introduce her to the whole concept.  So we went and picked out some kiddy fireworks and went to my parents to shoot them off.  Really she wasn't to thrilled, we didn't even pop all that we got since she wasn't diggin them.  She did look cute in her 4th dress though.  That night Arlee stayed with her Grandparents so we could go to a 4th party.  Come to find out Arlee stayed up til around 10 pm watching night works.  Apparently she was enjoying them.  She has never been up that late, I was very surprised she made it that long when she's usually in bed by 8pm every night.  She was very tired the next day and slept for a while longer when she napped. 
Here are some pics to enjoy

This pic is so freakin funny!! This was my moms rocking chair my g-ma just gave it to us!