When you turn four months...

...you get your second set of shots! EEEEE!



So yes, that happened today. On recommendation by Sarah (THANK YOU!), I called Dr. Baker yesterday to try to set up and appointment to get Corbin in to meet him and get her next set of shots. Awesomely enough, they were able to schedule me an appointment for today at noon! Nuts! I was extremely pleased.

I had to work today until 11:30, so I rushed home afterwards to grab Ryan and Corbi-lou and get them up the street to the pediatrician's office. Lucky for us, his office is in the same medical complex where Dr. Merritt was located, and they are also in the same medical group, which meant they already had access to her files and records. Nice. :)

As always, they took her measurements and weighed her. The coolest thing about Dr. Baker was that he keeps a chart and he showed up where she ranked percentile wise. She was 14 lbs, 4 oz, and I believe that was in the 75th percentile (okay, so we have a big baby, sheesh!), and her length was 25 3/4 inches, which put her in the 90th percentile! She's a long baby! Ryan and I speculate that wont last...we are both short people. :P

After talking with Dr. Baker about baby diet (we're about to start her on solids, fun!), he left us and the nurse came in to administer the shots. She was brutal! Maybe it's just me, but she was not very nice and just in way too much of a hurry. As we were leaving later, we saw her leaving, and I'm pretty sure she was going on her lunch break. EXCUSE US for holding her up. Oh well. And of course, Corbin cried during the shots. I'm glad I wasn't there alone with her this time. For a change, she didn't want to have anything to do with Ryan, and it was mama who soothed her. I got her to stop crying and gave her the paci. She was totally fine and fell asleep.

Later when we got home, I gave her some Tylenol (just in case, not that she was cranky or anything), and then we laid in the bed and played a bit. She's so cheerful, still! This sets of shots didn't slow her down one bit! That made me so happy. She's such a good baby. :) Here she is showing off her awesome yellow bandaids:



And I was finally able to capture some pictures of the foot-grabbing. She's completely fascinated with herself right now, especially her feet. It's adorable. :)


(She's looking so intense about it, lol)



I also think Corbin was channeling her inner pin-up girl, because she gave me some very posed shots that had me thinking of what her future might hold! Haha!





So yes, all is well. We are happy to have a new pediatrician that both Ryan and I really liked upon our first meeting. He was just really helpful and said that anytime we called him, he would always call back, usually within the hour, and that if Corbin ever got sick and we called him, he would get her in THAT DAY. So reassuring! I loved Dr. Merritt, but she never said things like that, and the way she just canceled our last appointment (without even warning me, by the way. The only reason I found out was because I called to double check the time of the appointment a few days prior. They couldn't fit me in at all the next week either, which was her last week at that office. I was very hurt, like my child and my family didn't really matter at all.), it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

What's in store for Corbi-lou now? Well of course, more mistaken gender issues (comes with being a girl with a boy's name!) and hopefully solid foods! I'll keep you posted! :D

Happy Four Months!

Corbin turned four months old last Wednesday, on the 20th. I can't believe how fast time flies on by! She's trying very, very hard to roll over, so that's our latest development. She's due up for her four month shots, but we're looking for a new pediatrician around town because ours has decided to take a break from pediatrics! It's really stressful, because I liked her so much, but you do what you have to do!

Otherwise, all is peaceful on the home front, even with the teething.



Totally the best way to spend a Saturday. :)

Tu + Tu = Tutu!

I have an obsession with tulle. I'm not exactly sure why, but at least I can admit it. A few months ago, I bought several yards of tulle and ribbon and fashioned my own homemade tutu. It is fantastic. I have wanted to make one for Corbin for a while, but I've been putting it off because of how painstaking it was to make mine (granted, mine will be MUCH larger than hers, but still...I can be so lazy sometimes!). Cutting tulle is nothing short of torture, just know that.

My tutu is dark pink + light pink and very full and flowy. So much fun! But I don't really have many opportunities to wear it, so it just kind of sits in a corner in my bedroom. Bummer. :(



Well, last Saturday I went to the Mall of Georgia with Emma (again!) and we went to Claire's and found the most fun, fun, fun tutu EVER! Already made! With a big pink bow on it! For only $7.50! A bargain! Especially considering the one I wanted to get her from Gymboree was $26! And this one is cuter! And will fit her for much longer! Yaaaaaaay!

So I'm kind of saving the mommy+baby tutu photoshoot for another time since we just had fun with matching socks, but I did manage to snag a few shots of her modeling her latest frilly accessory. :D



[That was photoshopped in a hurry, as I wasn't really trying to go for portrait. I'm saving that for another time!]

Is it horrible that I spoil my child so? Am I living vicariously through Corbi-lou? :P

Eye Color

So I found this website while I was pregnant that lets you input some data and then it predicts what chance your baby has in a percentage form of having a certain eye color.

Being the genetics nerd that I am, I find these things absolutely fascinating, and have always wondered what color eyes a baby between Ryan and I might have. So here's what I got, using the chart on the website:



As you can see, there is an almost 73% chance of Corbi-lou having brown eyes. She already looks so much like her daddy, identical even, so can't she have my eye color?!

I've been watching the changing of her eyes for a while now, and some days they look darker, like they are definitely turning brown, and other days they look lighter, almost blue-green. It would be really neat if she ended up with my daddy's green eyes!

Dr. Merritt, our pediatrician, said that her eye color wouldn't be settled until sometime between three to six months. Well she's almost four months now, and they are still changing! More likely than not, she'll have those beautiful brown eyes just like Ryan, but I'm still hoping that maybe, just maybe, I'll have my blue-eyed, dark-haired baby just yet. :)

At-Home Portraits

Over the past few months, I've really gotten into photography, and really have had a lot of fun playing around in Photoshop. It's especially exciting now that I have a baby because I can finally take pictures of her! It's so fun to get some amazing photographs, and not even have to pay a professional! So far, these are my favorites:



This first one I did when Corbin was about two months old. We were just hanging out in bed one day while Ryan was at work and I decided to break out the camera. I sat it on the windowsill, and this is all natural sunlight. I hate to use the flash because it ruins pictures and makes weird shadows. My favorite thing about it is the highlights in her eyes. She's staring so intently at the camera. :)



This one I did very recently. She was hanging out in her baby bed, post-bath, and I decided to sit her up and see what I could get. The look on her face here cracks me up SO MUCH, because she looks JUST LIKE RYAN! I had to photoshop out the cord behind her head from the baby monitor and I changed up the colors a bit, but it's fun!



This last one I managed today! I went to the mall because our Hot Topic store is going out of business, and I got these stripey knee-high socks for $3! Pretty much the reason I bought them was so I could do a picture like this, because Corbin has these amazing leg-warmers from my awesomely awesome friend Summer that she hasn't been able to fit into yet. Lucky for me, today was the day they fit! :) And Corbin made a perfect face just in time for a picture. She is more adorable than words can say!

I'm so proud of myself! I did all of these pictures with a Canon Powershot SD500 7.1 megapixel digital camera, nothing fancy at all! And I LOVE doing these pictures, so if you ever want some baby photography, let me know! It would be lots of fun! :D

Fun at the Park

There is an amazing playground in Athens called World of Wonder, and it is the largest community built playground in the state. Ryan and I had went there before we were married once and had a lot of fun! My friend Emma decided that she wanted to take her daughter Dejanae up to the playground, and so Corbin and I hopped in the car and drove across town!

As soon as we got there, Dejanae was off and Emma and I hit the swings. Corbin was just chilling her carseat, stirring from her afternoon nap.


Emma on the swing next to me.



Corbin waking up, more than likely wondering where she is and why it is so bright!

After a few minutes of swinging myself, I noticed the baby section of the park, and I saw this man and his little baby playing on the swings. I decided that since Corbin is pretty good at holding her head up, she should give it a try! I sat her down in the bucket swing, pulling her little legs through. I then directed her tiny fingers to where she should hold on, and she gripped the little railing like she was a swinging pro! And then we were off!



She seemed a little tentative at first. She kept her head turned to the side and kept staring off in that direction. I think she was just getting adjusted to this new swinging idea.



Then she starts to get a little more brave!

She really loved the swing. Soon she was all smiles!





She sat in the swing like this, as happy as could be, for about fifteen minutes before she got tired of it. It was so fun to be able to take her to the park at such a young age and still watch her have a good time! And it was lots of fun for me, too! We'll definitely have to go more often!



The sun was a little overwhelming, though, so we had to skip out on the swingy-bouncy whale thing. We were getting blinded!



Maybe next time!

And Dejanae had a great time, too!



Too bad they aren't a little closer in age!

And at the end of the day, we had a nice Mommy & Corbi-lou photo-op. :)



This day at the park was just a brief glimpse at the fun that we can have together in the future, and I look so forward to every minute of it!

The Costs of Raising a Child

Everyone always told me when I said that I wanted a baby that having one would be very expensive.

Then I got pregnant.

And of course, I began to hear about these costs more than ever. Formula, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, clothes, bottles, extra nipples for bottles, hair bows, shampoo and baby wash, toys, the crib, bedding for the crib, a car seat, a swing, a bouncy chair...there were so many things that you'd need to buy! It was a little daunting, I must admit.

But so far, we've been pretty lucky on the cost front. I have found that the most expensive item by far that we've had to almost continually purchase are batteries. No joke! Everything takes batteries! And not only does everything take batteries, everything takes all different sizes of batteries! So I'm buying AA for the mobile on the bassinet, AAA for something else, C for the swing, D for the bouncy chair...I mean, will it ever end?!

Of course the answer is "no." Gone are the days of good old fashioned toys...we live in the age of technology! Everything has lights and sounds and good vibrations!

But honestly, I can't complain. Not when it makes her this happy:



This is the first time the bouncy chair has had working batteries in it since she was old enough to appreciate it! She gets SO EXCITED when I hook this thing up!



All smiles! :)

And of course, there are some things that are just priceless. Like moments such as this:



Despite the costs, I couldn't be happier. I'd rather struggle a little bit and have my baby girl than have all the money in the world!

Meeting Mema

Yesterday morning we packed up the family and headed down to Macon, as I had to take my baby sister school clothes shopping with my Nanna. ("Baby sister" seems like a joke since she's about to be 18 in two months!) It was a long ride, but Corbin does great in the car. Sometimes I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that shortly after she was conceived she was in my tummy riding around in a vehicle for hours and hours everyday...Just a thought!

When we got to Granny and Granddaddy's, Ryan dropped us off to take his brother home. There we hung out with Aunt Ashley for a while, waiting for Granny and Granddaddy to get back with the truck so we could go shopping (whoohoo!).

It got cold and so Corbin became a little cranky. I realized her feet were very cold, so I broke out the diaper bag and found a very cute pair of socks that Emma got for her that she hasn't had the pleasure of wearing yet. They looked TOO cute on her!



The funny thing is, they actually matched the onesie she had on! It had a kitty cat on it that was light pink with dark pink sewn around it. Too cute! Corbin has always been the stylish one! Heehee.

Finally Granny and Granddaddy returned so we took Pop's truck to Nanna's. It was sad driving Pop's truck because the last time I was in it, he was driving it himself! I miss him everyday, and I'm always sad that he never got to meet Corbi-lou. They would have loved each other.

At Nanna's, we saw Aunt Franki, Uncle Richard, and cousin Allison. Franki wanted to keep Corbin while we were shopping, so Nanna, Ashley, and I were off alone to hit the stores before the tax free weekend was over! Even though we were shopping for Ashley, we still managed to sneak in a few cute items for Corbi-lou! We ended up with two outfits that I just couldn't choose between:

THIS tennis dress, which she is currently wearing now (pictures later!), and this outfit from the Cradle Will Rock collection (aptly named, considering the pattern on the outfit!).

After a few hours of fun, we headed back to Nanna's and I took my sleeping child back to Granny's. (Seriously, she slept almost the entire day away! I think it was the long ride. Usually she is awake and happy all day long!) Shortly after, Mema came to visit! It was her first time meeting her newest great-granddaughter.



Meeting Mema! She gushed over how beautiful Corbi-lou was. Of course she's beautiful! :)

Now it's time for kisses!



Oh no, the red lipstick!

TOO LATE!



Sigh. The life of a baby. Heehee.

And TODAY, Granny had me take Corbin up to her job (she works in a doctor's office) so she could show her off to her friends. They loved her, and Corbin loved them, too! She was all coos and smiles and then suddenly...ERUPTION! She was screaming the hospital down! But daddy saved the day because he quickly took action and fixed her the bottle she so desperately wanted.

Peace abruptly resumed. :)

So it's Monday, the start of another wonderful week! Corbin is now three and a half months old! This time flies by so quickly! She's going to be all grown before I know it!

Teething & Target

Wednesday we had an appointment with our pediatrician to talk about Corbin's teething. Of course I have read up on how you should handle teething and I've asked for lots of advice from other moms I know, but I wanted to hear from our doctor what she personally recommended. I really like her and she has yet to disappoint me, so I was really looking forward to this appointment.

So she came in, checked Corbin, said she was DEFINITELY teething, and checked her ears to make sure there was no infection, as ear infections can be common during the teething process. She told us Baby Tylenol was okay every four hours as needed, Baby Orajel doesn't do any good, and to get some teething crackers for her to gnaw on. Everything was great!

Also, Corbin weighed in at 13lbs even. Such a big girl!


Hanging out with daddy while waiting for Dr. Merritt.


Always in such a good mood!

The next day we went to Target to return some Huggies and exchange them for Pampers, our preferred diaper. We've tried Huggies before, but they give her diaper rash! And don't even get me started on store brand diapers! THAT was a fiasco that involved soaking PJs, soaking baby, soaking sheets on my bed and in the crib, and a very, very angry mommy at 5am.

While getting our Pampers, we looked around the baby section because now that Corbin is holding herself up so well, I wanted to get her more age-appropriate toy. We saw the perfect one, too! They had it up on display so Corbin could "test drive" it. I think she liked what she saw whole-heartedly!






Corbin was so cute bouncing her little legs up and down in that thing! Not to mention she wanted to chew on it. We also loved that it matched all of the other Rainforest-themed stuff that we have! Unfortunately, the price tag was a little disheartening. It costs $90 in store. I'm HOPING to maybe get it for her this weekend, though, one way or the other. I want her to have it so bad!

[Also, please note that Corbin's hair is out of control! It's so unmanageable! It wants to fall straight down her face in a point making her look like Baby Dracula! I try to brush it to the side in a cute little swirl, but that never lasts very long. I guess I'm just going to have to start clipping bows in it everyday so it will look decent!]

We also tried on some dazzling shades, and of course they HAD to be pink!


Yeah, not so sure about these!


Think I'd rather get the cute Hello Kitty ones that I saw at Academy!

And we have a fun weekend to look forward to because we're going to visit Granny and Granddaddy, and hopefully see a bunch of aunts! We have to take Aunt Ashley and Nanna school clothes shopping tomorrow. It's going to be loads of fun! :D