9 months

It's hard to believe that Banks is already 9 months old!

She is really on the move now and will be walking in the next few weeks.  During the day, she crawls around the house and follows me from room to room.  And if Meiko or Wrigley pass by she moves at mach speed to catch them.  She gets stronger every day and is pulling up to standing all the time.  This past weekend she starting trying to balance on her own and lasted about 5 seconds.  I am trying to resist the urge to put a helmet on her...it kills me when she falls and cries.  There have only been a couple real bumps and the rest just startle her. She is a little bit of a drama queen, but recovers quickly.  

This past Friday, Banks went for her 9 month well check.  She is doing fantastic...growing and progressing up the charts right on schedule and meeting all of her milestones.  There were no shots this time so that makes everyone happy! 

Here are the stats from the visit...

Height - 27 3/4 inches - 50th percentile

Weight - 18 lbs - 25th percentile

Head Circumference: 44.5cm - between the 50th-75th percentile

what's cooking?

I have been a slacker on the blog - sorry!  We have been having lots of summer fun and I have the pictures to prove it!  I will be uploading them soon and you can see just how big our little Banks is getting.  Its hard to believe that she is already 9 months old.  We go for our 9 month well check this Friday.

This girl loves to eat!  I am still making about 90% of her food.  We are trying new foods every week and have incorporated yogurt into her diet. Of course she gobbles it up!  I am starting to add some new flavors into our recipes.  This week I have made...

granny smith applesauce with cinnamon
roasted summer squash with olive oil and herbs
mixed vegetables with parmesan

The new veggie this week is spinach...I mixed it with pear and mango and Banks ate it like she was Popeye!  

yum! yum! yum!

Banks has been eating solids since she turned 6 months old.  She loves to eat and looks so cute in her high chair.  We started with the classic rice cereal - I chose brown rice cereal - but that didn't work for Miss B.  It really slowed things down, if you know what I mean...so we switched to oatmeal cereal which she LOVES!  We also have to make sure she gets her prunes at least every other day.  I laugh and say she has the breakfast of a 70 year old woman - oatmeal and prunes.  I am making a lot of her baby food, organic of course, with the exception of bananas (she didn't like the homemade ones), mangoes (its cheaper to buy them already made), butternut squash, and prunes.  I have scored some great deals on organic baby food in the pouches so I do have those for when we go to the beach and travel to visit family.  I try to make sure she gets 3 fruits and 3 veggies in every day, plus her cereal.  Anyways, here are the fruits and veggies Banks has added to her food palate over the past several weeks!

Apples - her first love :)
Pears
Bananas
Prunes - to keep her tummy happy.
Sweet Potatoes - her absolute favorite!
Butternut Squash
Peas - not crazy about them at first, but likes them now.
Avocado
Kiwi
Apricots
Peaches - didn't hate them, but didn't really like them either.
Carrots
Mango - her new favorite fruit this week, especially mixed with bananas for a tropical breakfast.
Green Beans - just added yesterday and she seems to like them.

Coming up next will be some more green veggies...zucchini, spinach, broccoli.  We'll also try a multigrain cereal to mix things up a little.  It is so much fun to see her try new foods, taste them, examine the flavor and smile (most of the time.)  I love being able to make her food and I think it will be fun to come up with more flavor combos as we go along!

7 months

Banks turned 7 months old last week...here is her newest pic!

Miss B is getting so strong!  She is sitting up really well and even rode in the grocery cart yesterday...and loved it!  She is starting to scoot backwards when she is on her belly and pushes herself up on her toes, but she isn't getting her knees underneath her yet.  She loves to stand and while you support her, she will take a few steps...especially if Maestro (our cat) is near by.  When she is in her bathtub, she tries to grab the side and stand up!  It won't be long before she is on the move.  I can see that childproofing is in our near future!

Catching Up in Pictures, Part 2

A few more pictures to catch up on the past month...
Granna (Brian's Mom) came to visit the weekend after Easter and we took an overnight trip to Charleston.  See my post HERE about that.  Banks also had her 6 month well check that week - see her report HERE.  Granna really helped me out by getting my front porch and flower beds looking great.  Banks really enjoys being on the front porch and seems to nap really good when we are out there.

On Miss B's 6 month birthday we went to the beach to enjoy the sunshine.  She was in true diva mode!

6 months old!

Granna, Banks and Daddy at WB

Wheeeeeee!!!!

I celebrated my first Mothers Day and it was perfect.  We went out for breakfast at my favorite place, Sweet and Savory.  Then we went to Home Depot so I could get some new accent lights for the flower beds.  And later that afternoon we took Banks for a nice long walk at The Loop. 

my sweet girl

Our weather has been great on the weekends and we have been to the beach a couple times.  Banks seems to love it...just like her parents!

her 1st time modeling the new bathing suit

We had our monthly photo shoot a little late this time, but here are a few pics.  Banks is sitting up now, as you can see!

Catching Up in Pictures, Part 1

Here are some pictures to catch everyone up on the past month...
We had a great visit with both of our families over Easter weekend.  It was quite the event since my nephew, Hudson, was also christened on Easter Sunday.  I have the honor of being his Godmother.  Its so hard to believe that Banks and Hudson are only 24 hours apart...he's so much bigger than her! 

playing with cousin Hud

We spent Saturday over in Greenville with Brian's family.  Everyone was so excited to see Miss B!

Banks with Granna and Grandad

Banks with Aunt Nat and Cousin Syd-Syd

Of course the Easter Bunny came to visit...

digging into her basket

the sad bunny

Hudson's christening was on Easter Sunday...such a special day for everyone.  My Mom and I went shopping and got Banks the perfect Easter outfit.  The church service was great...Hudson was such a little man.  Banks got hungry during the service, so Brian made a quick exit and fed her while I stayed for the christening.  Afterwards, everyone came over to my parents house for Easter lunch. 

Gotta love her!

Daddy's Little B-Bug

Banks and Hudson with Fancy and Grumpa

Fancy and Little Fancy

Me with Hudson on his big day

what's happening

This has been a big week for Miss B...

She spent her first night away from Mommy - see previous post.
She turned 6 months old this past Sunday (I need to upload the pics)
She has mastered rolling to her tummy and does it all the time - even in her crib.
She is sitting up more - especially in the bath tub, on my lap, and on the changing table.
She had her first taste of cereal.
She had her 6 month well check today!

Today Banks had her 6 month well check and third round of vaccines.  I always dread the shots but look forward to seeing how much she has grown!  She is doing fantastic!  She weighed in at 14 lbs 10oz...has grown to 26 inches...and her head circumference is 42 3/4 cm.  She is now in the 50th percentile for height and head circumference, but still in the 25th percentile for weight.  Such a dainty girl!  But for such a dainty girl, she handled her shots amazingly well!  She had 3 total - didn't even whimper at the first one, but did start screaming when the second one went in and cried for about 10-15 seconds after the third one.  Then she was back to her smiling, sweet self.  She was a little needy and tired this afternoon, but I expected that.  She is such a trooper!

smooth as butter

Last night was the first night I spent away from Banks.  Brian and I are in Charleston for an event with his work, so Miss B and Granna (Brian's Mom) are getting some quality time together.  I have done alot better than I thought I would, but still, I can't wait to get home and kiss her face!  We left yesterday morning and will be back this evening. 

Yesterday, I walked around downtown Charleston and got a little retail therapy.  The weather was perfect and it was nice not really being on a schedule - Brian was in a meeting all day.  I bought a ladybug charm for my bracelet since I was missing B and it was my first night away.  When I saw people with their babies, my heart did ache a little.  We had a dinner to go to last night and I couldn't help but watch the clock in anticipation of bath time.  It really is my favorite part of the day with Banks because she just loves her bath so much!  The report from Granna after bath time was "she went down at 9pm smooth as butter."  Mommy was feeling good about that!

Today, I am hitting the spa (on the company tab!) and getting a Mommy reboot.  All of this is fun, and I know that Banks is in the loving care of Granna, but man, I really miss that smiling face.  B-Bug, Mommy will be home soon! 

ready for my close up...

Here are some pics from Banks' photo shoot this week...AMAZING!

jump around

Banks really enjoys her jumper now!  She is almost ready for us to remove her mats from underneath, but not quite.  Just 1 more inch and she will be ready for no assistance.  Here she is letting us know just how much fun she is having...

the boogeyman

I think that Banks had her first bad dream today, poor girl.  She woke up from her afternoon nap SCREAMING and had a scared, dazed look in her eyes.  It really startled me how scared she looked.  Brian got home about 1minute after it started and even he was surprised by how scared she looked.  She finally calmed down, but was a little clingy and needy.  During dinner she was happy and playing in her jumper.  Bath time was normal.  Then it was time for bed.  She had started to doze off during her bottle, as usual, but as soon as I turned off the lights, she was screaming again.  Brian and I took turns trying to calm her down...rocking, walking, shhhing, patting her bottom, rocking in the glider.  We gave her gas drops, a teething strip, but nothing seemed to help.  Each time she started to close her eyes to sleep, she would wake up with that scared look on her face.  After about 40 minutes, she sounded like she was going to hyperventilate.  I decided to turn on the light, check her diaper and make sure nothing else seemed wrong with her.  I checked her all over and she seemed fine.  She was so fine that she finally stopped crying.  She calmed down, I rubbed her stomach, gave her kisses, and she gave up a couple yawns.  I picked her up off the changing table as she was dozing off to sleep.  As soon as I turned off the light, she cried again.  So, after an hour we finally got her to sleep with the light on and I left an extra nightlight on for her.  Bless her ♥
I hope the boogeyman stays away tonight...if he shows up, I have some choice words for him!

spring has sprung

Ahhhh, finally the warmth has returned!  After several cold, dreary, windy days, the sun came out and we all headed outside to enjoy it!  Brian has been travelling like a mad man, so he is taking a few days off this week.  Banks is very happy to get some Daddy time!  We went out to the park today and since it was sunny, Banks wore her sunglasses.  I am shocked that she doesn't mind wearing them.  She's a natural born beach bum!


At the park in her diva shades

This is the first year that our azaleas have bloomed and been able to keep their blooms.  Really, I am surprised that the cold snap this week didn't kill them.  I figured we would get some pics while we could.

Little Green Me

In order to keep this blog solely about Banks (and not interrupt her cuteness with my couponing posts) I started a separate blog - Little Green Me.  I have daily posts about living healthy, living "green," and saving money!  Be sure to check it out and "like" my Facebook page for even more cool stuff!

5 Months

Miss Banks is 5 months old today...WOW! 

Here are some pics from our monthly photo shoot.



Hanging with her critters



A smirky smile like Daddy




always smiling...



...and drooling :)



sleeping beauty

For about the past 2 months, Banks has been getting up only once during the night (usually around 3:30am) then goes back to sleep pretty easily after a snack and sleeps until 8:30am.  Well, I am not going to get too excited yet, but we may be turning the corner on sleeping all night.  3 out of the past 5 nights she has slept all night long!  The first night was Friday and I woke up in a panic when I opened my eyes and saw the sun outside my window.  She had slept from 9pm-7:50am!  Then the past 2 nights she has done the same thing!  She kind of stirs around a little bit between 4am-5am, but goes back to sleep without us even going in her room.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all this extra sleep...ha!  

happenings

Last week was a great week!  The weather has been beautiful (until the last couple days) so Banks and I have been outside almost every day.  She LOVES our walks and I do too.  It is so nice to finally be able to get outside!

Hanging with Daddy in Southport

We took a day trip down to Southport and strolled Miss B around.  We had lunch at Provision Company and enjoyed being by the water.  Banks always draws the attention when we take her out.  She knows how to turn on the charm!

The most exciting thing is that Banks got to meet Aunt Kat!  Kat came up from Florida this past weekend.  We had a fabulous but way-to-short visit.  She got to spend some quality time with Miss B and we put together the shadowbox for Banks' room.  It looks like we will be taking Banks on her first vacation in July...when we go visit Kat in Ft. Lauderdale!


Shopping with Aunt Kat



over the hump

Banks rolled from her back to her tummy today!  She has been trying for the past couple weeks, but always got stuck on her shoulder.  She has been so determined and finally made it over the hump and onto her belly.  Of course, I missed it...I looked up and she was all the way over.  Hopefully I will be able to get some video tomorrow.  She really is doing something new everyday! 

baby pterodactyl?

We finally got some footage of Banks laughing...it is really cute, but she does kind of sound like a baby pterodactyl!  Be sure to turn down the music below so you can hear her...

wake me up, before you go-go

Banks is a morning girl...all smiles and giggles.  I love seeing her smiling face to start my day.  When Brian is home, its a race to see who can get in her room first to see the wake up show (but I always let him win!)

Here she is...our little Morning Glory ♥

wiggles and giggles

We are here!!!  Sorry for the lack of posts.  It has been a long 3 weeks because Brian has been on the road non-stop.  Being a single mom all week is exhausting and at the end of the day I just didn't have energy to blog.  I have missed it and I hope that you missed us!

Banks is a wiggle worm now!  She is trying her hardest to roll from her back to her stomach, but keeps getting stuck on her shoulder.  I know she will make it one day soon...she is little, but determined!  Her newest thing is scooting around in a circle on her playmat and scooting backwards when she's on her back.  She loves "standing" on my lap and just beams with accomplishment when she gets "tall."

The custest thing is her little laugh.  She started laughing out loud last week.  It's hilarious because she starts smiling so big that she can't get her mouth any wider and then she lets out the giggle.  That wide, gummy smile always brightens my day.  I hope to have some video soon, but Banks seems to freeze up and just stare at any camera that is in her face.  Great for pictures, but not so great for action shots.  

click, clip, save

Since I am a stay-at-home mom now, my new job title is "Home Economist."  There has been alot of buzz lately about couponing and how much money it can save.  I tried it in the past, but it didn't really seem like it was worth my time.  Working 50+ hours a week, I was happy to pay for convenience foods and just get my shopping done each week.  Now, I feel like it is my duty to save our family as much money as possible...become a "Couponista."  We are not going to save as much as some people because we are specific and health-conscious in what we eat and we incorporate alot of organic products into our diet.  It really is a shame that it cost so much more to eat healthy!  I do not have enough storage room to truly "stockpile" as many coupon sites suggest, but I do stock up on certain things like toilet paper, paper towels, detergent, cleaners, canned tomatoes, pasta, frozen veggies, etc. I am not going to be a crazy coupon lady...clipping for hours a week, walking around the store with my 3 inch thick binder.  I am a lazy couponer.  I found a site called Southern Savers (see the link to the right) and it does all the work for me!  I have to say that it is a little addicting to see how much you can save.

My track record so far:
1/31: $111.13 in groceries - spent $63.67, saved $49.42 (first real try at couponing)

2/6: $74.18 in groceries - spent $37.94, saved $36.32 (49% saved!)

2/13: $91.96 in groceries - spent $58.84, saved $33.12 (had to restock our meat supply that week)

2/21: $299.02 in groceries - spent $166.77, saved $132.25 (super double coupon week so I stocked up!)

2/27: $32.42 in groceries - spent $23.72, saved $8.70 (didn't need much after the week before)

3/2: $60.11 in groceries - spent $29.40, saved $30.71 (saved more than I spent & got Huggies for $3.50!)

I really want to work the system so that I am saving more than I spend every week...we'll see if I can become a true Couponista!

4 Months

Banks went for her 4 month well-check yesterday.  She is doing great - growing and thriving!  She is still little, but now in the 25th percentile across the board. 

4 Month Stats:
weight: 12 lbs 10oz
height: 23 3/4 inches (3 inches taller since her 2 month visit)
head circumference: 40 3/4cm.

Yesterday morning, Banks woke up so happy - excited to see Daddy - and I was dreading putting a damper on her day.  I am so thankful that Brian was in town and able to go with us to the pediatrician.  Banks was all smiles the entire time we were there, giggling and cooing...that is, until the vaccines.  Oh, how it breaks my heart to see and hear her cry.  And now the real tears flow too.  She really was a trooper and recovered pretty quickly.  I did pretty well myself...my eyes watered to the brink of tears, but I was able to keep the waterworks at bay.  The rest of the day she wasn't her happy little self and I know her chunk-a-munk thighs were hurting from the injections.  I gave her infant Tylenol, so I hope that between some medicine, Bugs Bunny band-aids and Mommy's kisses it wasn't too bad.  She slept good last night, but has still been fussy today.  I hope my happy girl returns soon!    

Roly Poly

Banks rolled over today!  We were outside taking our 4 month pictures and she caught me off guard.  She has been trying to roll from her back to tummy, but today she rolled from her tummy to back.  I was taking pictures, so I missed recording the first roll, but I was able to capture the second one. 

Be sure to pause the music below so you can hear the music on the video.

♥'s day

The best valentine I've ever had...

tummy time

Every day we have tummy time and Miss B has really been making progress this week!  She is starting to push up on her arms and roll over to one side...a little more each day.  Its so exciting to see her smile in accomplishment. 

Here is some footage from today!

it's all about the benjamins

Yesterday was money management day.  I made the trip to Wachovia to upgrade our personal accounts and to open a minor savings account for Banks.  It's never too early to start saving for college!  The minor savings account is free, with no threshold or minimum balance requirement.  I am the fiduciary of the funds, but Banks is the beneficiary.  I started it with $300 ($100 for each month of age) and our plan is to deposit $100/month for now.  In addition, we'll add any gift money that Miss B receives.  I'm sure that we will increase our monthly contribution over time, because at this rate, Banks will only have $21,600 (before interest and gift contributions) when she turns 18.  Definitely not enough for 4 years of college, but a good start!

so fresh and so clean

Banks loves her bath!  I knew that she would because when I was pregnant she cut flips every time I took a bath.  Bath time is 8pm and I truly look forward to it every night.  We have our bubble bath followed by a massage with lavender lotion, sometimes a story, then a bottle, and she is off to slumberland.  It is an hour in my day that I wouldn't miss for anything.  She is so sweet during her bath and massage, beyond cute wrapped up in her towel, and that smile always ends my day on a positive note no matter what.  When she is on the changing table she "talks" more than any other time of the day...as if to coo and gurgle "I had a great day - thanks mom!"

Feeling Fancy

We had another photo shoot...here is Banks in the hat that Fancy got her!

flower child

3 months old already (sniff, sniff)

Banks is 3 months old today!  Its hard to believe that this milestone is already here.  I was cleaning out her closet the other day and packing up all her newborn size clothes when I came across her preemie pajamas.  Its amazing how much she has grown so far (and just from eating milk!)  Everyday I see her taking in the world around her and learning new things.  I love her more everyday and when she looks at me with that big gummy grin I feel like my heart could just explode.  I am trying to slow down and enjoy every moment, but as every mom knows, there is no down time.  Today, I captured one of those moments...

tech fun

I finally upgraded to an iPhone!  I have had my Samsung phone for over 2 1/2 years and it was finally time to get something new.  The great thing is that with the iPhone4 you can have "FaceTime" calls where it is a video call phone-to-phone.  This is awesome when Brian travels because he can still see Banks (and Me) every day.  Also, the iPhone takes great pictures and video so I am able to get more footage on the go and get it uploaded instantly.  I downloaded a couple of free photo apps so I can have a little fun with my pictures - Instagram and ColorBlast.  Here is a pic turned retro with Instagram...


Banks with Gigi Giraffe



arrrgghhh!

I downloaded an app for my iPad called BlogPress that was supposed to allow me to post from the iPad...I thought that I had 2 posts from this week, but evidently they are lost in cyberspace somewhere.  I will start playing catch up tomorrow, but in the meantime, there is a new video to the right...check out Banks with her "grab apple."

visitors warm the heart

This week Brian was in Miami for work, so my Mom came to visit us girls.  Well, I think Banks really lured her up here more than me.  It was a fun time and I enjoy seeing my Mom and Banks together...the way she looks at her makes me smile.  Now that I am a Mom I have a better understanding and appreciation for everything my Mom has done for me...even the things I thought were just horribly unfair. 

Instead of the typical Grandmother nicknames, my Mom has coined "Fancy" as her nickname of choice.  Anyone that knows her understands exactly how perfectly this suits her.  In true Fancy fashion, we had to get Miss B some accessories for her wardrobe.  A few headbands with curly bows and an adorable pink hat with HUGE flower for her "statement piece" in her wardrobe.  Fancy says every outfit needs to make a statement! 

Fashion pics coming soon...   

spelling bee

Is is Banks's or Banks' in the possessive form?

I have gone back and forth on this and it appears that both are acceptable.  I have asked 2 English teachers and Googled it, and have decided that I will spell it Banks' simply because it looks better.

So with that settled, I have updated Banks' blog!

snow day!

We had a little fun in the snow today!  It wasn't Banks's first snow (that was Christmas Day) but it was her first time being outside while snow was falling.  She wasn't too crazy about it and likes her cozy snuggle time inside much better.  I just love her little bear suit and would be willing tolerate more cold weather just to dress her in it more often.  We'll enjoy the rest of the day cuddled up and warm while the frozen stuff makes the beach a winter wonderland.

 

Who's that girl?

Banks McKenna Nix
Born October 31, 2010 at 10:34am
6lbs, 5oz - 17 inches

just a few hours old

After having a great pregnancy (chronicled at http://turkeyfortwo.blogspot.com/) our little girl decided to make her debut exactly 3 weeks early on Halloween.  Little did I know that I was tempting fate with my Halloween costume...



at work on 10/30



Her cousin Hudson was born the day before and I believe that Miss Banks did not want to be left out of the excitement!  Or maybe she just wanted a date suited for fabulous birthday parties!  

She was 100% healthy but a little thing!  We had to buy preemie diapers and preemie pajamas for her.  She is still wearing newborn size clothing, but not for too much longer.  She has definitely been growing...at her 2 month check up she weighed in at 9 lbs 6oz (50% increase) and was 20 3/4 inches long (almost 4 inches of growth!)

New Year's Day