Memory Loss

OMG. I am so behind on blog posts! I blame it on the busy summer and my loss of memory. LOTS has happened since the end of July!

Miss Tinley is 9.5 months old and officially a crawler. She has her moments when she gets stuck and bangs her head on the floor, but she is getting really good at getting around and getting into things. She loves playing with the buttons on the Direct TV receiver, which happens to be the perfect height for her to get to.

She is a healthy 21 lbs and is wearing 12-18 month clothing! I am hoping for the cool weather to come and stay because she has outgrown all of her summer clothing. She has been living in onsies for the past couple weeks because it's too hot for pants. :)

She has been given the OK from doc to start experimenting with table foods! Tin loves whole grain bread, turkey, cheese and carrots. She is just so cute sitting in her high chair and concentrating so hard on picking up little pieces of food.

I am in the early stages of planning her first birthday party! December 17 or 18th will be the date. Looks like I will be searching for cakes without eggs!

As for the rest of the fam . . . . School is in full swing and the boys are loving every second of it (ha!). Chad and I are still dreaming of a Caribbean vacation.



Stay tuned . . . .

Feelin' Hot Hot Hot!

I know, it's been awhile! Summer is going by way too fast and it's a HOT one!Tinley has reached many milestones since the last time I have blogged! She is officially a "sitter" and is pretty good at it! Doc was very impressed at her 6 month appointment. She is 19 pounds and 27 inches long. 90ith percentile for her age! Hopefully, she will be nice and tall, like her mommy.

We have only been to the pool a few times this summer. She loves the water and splashing around!

She loves to talk. Her words of choice are, of course, "ma ma ma ma." She kinda says "hi" too and is also starting to say "ba ba". Oh, and she loves yelling and making loud noises in public!

She loves playing with magazine, walgreens ads, and pringle cans. Weird, i know. But, it saves me money on buying expensive toys! She is also loving her new bounce-a-roo that we are borrowing from my friend Kari! She goes crazy in that thing!

We have discovered that she is allergic to strawberries and egg yolks. When we moved up to stage 2 foods, I gave her a strawberry/banana mix. She broke out in hives. Last week I gave her a vanilla pudding with bananas and she broke out in more hives. The second time, I rushed her to the doc with the food packaging and doc said it was probably from the egg. She ordered a blood test at the Children's hospital. We had to go to the Children's hospital because doc said they are better at drawing blood from "chubby" babies. ha! Results should be back this week. Apparently, there is a good chance that she will outgrow this since Chad and I don't have any food allergies.

As for the rest of the family . . . . I am busy taking pix, editing pix, cleaning the house, couponing and running around town. I am counting down the days until school is back in session.
Hunter is in full football practice mode. Next week he will start having practice 4 hours a day. In this heat. Yuck. Cody is officially done with his summer job at the local baseball field concession stand. He is currently staying at his moms for the rest of the summer. Chad continues to clean and organize the garage. Milo has been trusted to go outside by himself. No leash. (Yes, I used to put my cat on a leash)

School starts August 23. Fall begins on September 21. Tinley's 1st Birthday Bash is tentatively for December 30. Yes, summer has definitely flown by.

Time Flies When You're Always Busy!

Schools out (boo), my photo business is booming (yay), and I need more time in the day. Some days around 2:00 p.m., I realize that I haven't had lunch yet. I guess that's a good diet plan for the summer! I have officially ended my gym membership because I feel really guilty giving them free money. My plan . . . I am stepping out of home premises with computer in tow two nights a week to "work". . . . . no distractions, no answering to anyone. I am dedicating my daytime to cleaning, shopping (me likey), pool time and hanging out with the kiddos. Life is too short, peeps.

Busy as a Bee!

As the weather gets warmer, the Arndt family gets busier and busier! Hunter's baseball season is in full swing. Chad is the official Assistant Coach this year. And, of course their team name is the Cubs . . boooo. Once it gets warmer, Tinley will have to make an appearance in her White Sox outfit. :)

Cody got his first job yesterday! He will be working at the concessions where Hunter plays baseball. He is excited to start making some money. . . . . maybe for a new car next year? yikes.

Tinley is officially 4 months old! She is weighing in a 15 lbs and 25 inches. She finally is lifting her head. I was getting a little worried there for a second. Now, just waiting for the infamous "turn over". She is getting close, but no cigar.

Chad is still busy, busy at work. Like I said earlier, he is the assistant coach for Hunter's baseball team. He loves to clean the garage now since the weather has gotten better. I got him watching Extreme Couponing and he is now pushing me to search for coupons for EVERYTHING.

I am starting up two businesses to accommodate my shopping addiction. :) Chickpix Photography and Cutie Pie Props. Thanks to friends and friends of friends, I am getting quite busy with my photo business! I am also busy busy crafting, which has started Cutie Pie Props. I was making props for my photo business and thought "hey, I can totally make these and sell them!" I am busy promoting and participating in blog giveaways to get my name out there. I am loving it and can't imagine myself working for the "man" again. Soooooo, if you are looking to get your kids or your family's pictures taken, give me a shout!

www.chickpixphotography.com
www.facebook.com/chickpixphotography
www.facebook.com/cutiepieprops


Can't forget a cute pic . . . .

Not a Peanut Anymore!

Where did my little peanut go? Tinley is approaching her 4 month birthday very soon! She has reached many milestones in the past few months. Our little one is getting stronger by the day. She is holding her head up and prefers sitting propped up so she can see the world! She is a smiler. She smiles at anyone that will talk to her. She is close to laughing. Her brothers are the best at getting her to chuckle. She loves her brothers! Little Miss Tinley is also a talker! Once she starts, she keeps going and going and going . . . . she must get this trait from her dad. :)

I was going through my camera memory cards the other day and realized that I still had the pictures on there from the day she was born. For some reason, it's hard to take them off! I am afraid that they will get lost in the transfer, I guess. :)

Her next doctor appointment is April 18! I am excited to see how much she has actually grown! She is wearing 6 month clothing right now. I have a closet full of 6 month summer clothes, so I am eager for the warm weather to get here and stay. She has way too many cute summer outfits that I don't want to see go to waste!

Overall, she is the perfect baby. She is sleeping about 9-11 hours a night. She only cries when she is hungry or has a wet diaper or when she wants attention. She loves her hand held when she eats and when she is about to fall asleep. And, most importantly, she loves shopping with mommy. :)

Full Time Job

So, one thing I have realized in the past 8 weeks . . . . being a stay at home mother to a baby is a full time job! I mean, I didn't envision myself sitting around all day munching on bon bons or anything (yes, i did) but who would have thunk that I would be wishing and praying that I could just get a 30 minute lunch break. I clock in at around 7:30 a.m. Change her, feed her, burp her, playtime, tummy time and repeat. If she decides to get a cat nap in, I am cleaning bottles or cleaning something else in the house. I know people say to "sleep when your baby sleeps", but that is a bunch of crap. My house would be a complete pit and everyone would be wearing dirty, stinky clothes. Soooo, in lieu of my sanity, the whole family benefits with a clean house and clean clothes. I get to clock out around 5:30 p.m. when Chad gets home and then it's his turn!

It's amazing how fast the day goes. I think that's why people think their kids childhood goes by so fast! Next thing you know, she'll be heading off to kindergarten. I mean, tomorrow is already her 2 month birthday. It just feels like we brought her home yesterday. At the end of the day, when I am exhausted and would do anything for a foot rub, nothing beats seeing her big wide smile. I think it's her way of saying "thank you, mommy, for taking care of me today." :)

Zzzzzzzz

Ok, so I am sure there are a couple moms out there who have new babies and are going to be pissed when I say this . . . .my 7 week old sleeps through the night. I know, I know, I have heard how lucky I am. The pediatrician said that if both parents require a lot of sleep then, more than likely, your baby will too. In fact, she has been sleeping through most nights since she was about 4 weeks old. How did you do it, you ask?? Simple. Chad annoyed her and kept her from falling asleep at 9 p.m. Her bedtime is 11 p.m. We don't put down a minute earlier. And, if she tries going to bed, we do our best to keep her awake. She wakes up between 7:50 - 8:00 a.m. everyday . . .right after Daddy leaves for work. It's like she knows he is gone and immediately wakes up when she hears the garage door shut. She will eat and then usually go back to sleep around 9:30 a.m. and then back down around 1:30 - 2:00 p.m. These are my "work" breaks and I cherish them dearly! :)