The Hoeys

The Past 5 Months!

2010-06-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

Dustin taking Blythe down to the water

Blythe sporting her "Shea hat" and sunglasses

Pickles and Blythe watching the Mullaney's out the window

Blythe thinking she can hula hoop

Easter Sunday

Blythe at her first birthday party

So, since the last posting Blythe has turned one, started walking and talking. And boy howdy is she talking. I never knew they could say so much at this age.

Blythe's birthday party went great and she had a great time. Right around her birthday she started walking and had it perfected by 13 months. She started saying her first words around 10 months, with "Daddy" and "dog" being the first. She now says just about everything and repeats anything I say. My favorite words of hers right now are "sunshine" and "butterfly".

Blythe's also got a sibling on the way-a little brother, due November 12th. She, of course, has no idea and doesn't know that anything is going on. Except Mommy eats all the time and steals her snacks. And may be a bit grumpier.

She loves the beach this year and loves the pool. Perhaps we will be starting swimming lessons soon!

9 1/2 Months, Christmas

2009-12-30T08:09:00.000-08:00

Blythe turned 9 months old on December 12th. She's finally mobile, but I have to say its the easy kind of mobile. She's not interested in going anywhere too far and she's pretty slow. She just started crawling last week-right after Christmas. Watching her crawl is pretty neat; apparently she does the same odd crawl I did as a child. I've always heard how oddly I crawled and now I can see it in my child. I find it fascinating that the way you crawl can be hereditary. She looks like she's doing a split while she's crawling because she keeps one leg straight out to the side that she pushes with and the other knee moves forward. Hard to explain but very fun to watch.
She had her 9 month well check; it went very well. Her weight was in the 75%, her height in the 25% and her head in the 90%. So she's back to being short and stocky with a preciously large head.
She has two more teeth coming in-she now has four across the bottom, no top teeth.

Her first Christmas was a wonderful whirlwind. We spent one night with my dad and stepmom and also went to my nanny's to see all of our cousins, aunts and uncles on my dad's side. We stopped by Lilah's and put out some Christmas flowers for her; we wished her and Brandy a Merry Christmas and let them know just how much they are missed and loved. Then Christmas Eve we went to Grandma Carol's and Grandpa Harrison's and headed up to Rock Hill to see Dustin's aunt, uncle and cousins. Blythe was on her best behavior and had a great time playing with Kendall. Christmas morning was very nice and Blythe received some great presents from Dustin's family. Last, but not least, we went over to my mom's and stepdad's. She got some great stuff from my mom and later we went to my grandmother and paw paw's to see my aunt and cousin's on my mom's side. She had a good time over there and got some wonderful books. Before we left town on Saturday, we stopped by the Hoey's again to celebrate Grandma Carol's birthday. It was a blessed trip and everything went very smooth. Praise God!
Now that we're back home, winding down, everyone has some form of the crud. But we're hanging in and enjoying the great memories.

8 1/2 Months

2009-12-01T11:19:00.000-08:00

Blythe is growing, growing, growing! She is a little over 20 lbs and the chunk is going nowhere as she is still determined not to be mobile. She might be slightly closer to crawling than last month, but not by much : ) She can wave goodbye and hello, give high 5 and loves to clap. Those are her new tricks. Dustin and I have decided to focus on her language skills since the motor skills right now seem to be on the back burner. I have not been fretting over her crawling until now since we are creeping on the 9 month mark and she doesn't even seem to be trying! I think she looks so big now that she seems like she should be moving instead of just sitting there. Plus, I can tell she's mentally ready, because she's not satisfied hanging out in one spot anymore.
Blythe was a cute little lady bug for Halloween and she stayed up with the big kids. We got together at our neighbor's and went trick or treating. She had fun watching all the kids and I'm pretty sure she was the cutest lady bug ever.
We went home for Kendall's first birthday in early November and Blythe had a good time. Kendall was precious and showed off her amazing motor skills ; ). We were happy to be there and spend the time with our family.
Thanksgiving was hurried but nice. We went to Irmo Sunday for the day to have lunch at my Nanny's. Blythe was not in good spirits, but I think she was a trooper for having such a tiring day. On Thanksgiving Day, we had lunch with my mom, Bill, Lauren, Gil, Amy and Ben, Grnadmother and PawPaw and Angie. Then we jetted over to the Hoey's for the rest of the time for a second lunch with all of Dustin's family, including Della, Greg and the girls.
Lauren spent the rest of the weekend with us down here at the beach, which was nice and relaxing.

7 Months!

2009-10-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Blythe is now over 7 months old and she has quite a personality. For the most part she is a happy baby and she has been sleeping wonderfully. I am proud to say she is now a true napper-it took a lot of work, but we got there.
We went to Columbia and had her dedicated/baptized on October 3rd. Uncle Ronnie did it for us at my Nanny's house. It was beautiful and sweet and Blythe was on her best behavior that day. Dustin and I went out of town the following week to Disney World for our birthday/anniversary. And we left Blythe...she stayed with Dustin's parents the first part of the week and my mom the last part. She did very well and didn't seem to have any problems. We came home a day early-we were past ready to hold her and squeeze her.
She still only has her bottom teeth and she's not crawling yet. I'm not even sure if she's close to crawling. She's been very busy with her vocabulary and loves to chit chat. Last night she laid in the crib for half an hour just talking away.
She is precious and beautiful and we fall in love with her over and over and over.

6 Months!

2009-09-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Blythe has now blessed us for a full half year...she has come so very far! She got her bottom teeth Labor Day weekend; boy is she stingy about letting you take a peek at them. But I must say, they are super cute; like little pieces of rice.
Trey, Jamie and Kendall came to visit for a weekend and we had a wonderful time. We got a precious picture of the cousins together, if you can excuse Dustin's chest hair. We went to the beach and Kendall had a great time, but Blythe hated the water.
Scott, Rebekah and Bradlynn also came for a visit. Blythe got a little cold while they were here, so she wasn't in the best of spirits, but she played it out like a champ. Bradlynn gave Blythe hugs every chance she got...precious.
Blythe had her 6 month well check last Thursday. It went great, she weighed in at 17 lbs 11 oz and was 26 1/2" tall. She is currently perfectly proportioned-she was 75th percentile on everything.
She has gotten so big and I get that they grow up fast. It has felt so very bittersweet to see her little face grow and change-I can no longer see Lilah in her, which I knew had to happen, but its hard letting that go. I would like to thank each of you who voiced to me that you could see Lilah in Blythe. Its hard to explain how much it means to hear her name and have her life recognized. I know that its difficult/uncomfortable to find words for situations like this and I just want to say thank you to those of you who put those feelings aside and expressed your thoughts to me.

5 Months

2009-08-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

Blythe turned 5 months Wednesday, last week. She is really perfecting her grabbing skills and she's getting close to being able to sit up on her own. She also rolled over for the first time last week and she's been focusing on that skill-especially at night. Joy!
So much for thinking she might be getting on a nap schedule. She's now back to just a couple of 20 minute naps for the whole day. However, I think it may be due to us being gone for almost a week to Columbia. Boy, did that mess her up a good bit. But we had a good time and she got to see lots of loved ones.
Gil, Amy and Ben came down and hung out with us and we got some pictures of Ben and Blythe together. She also saw her Auntie Della, Uncle Greg and cousins which I know she enjoyed (no matter how awful she was that day : ). We spent some time with Nanny and Cissy; Blythe was on her best behavior that day. Harrison had the pleasure of babysitting her while I went to a doctor's appointment. It took an extra long time b/c they evacuated the building while I was there due to a fire issue. He claims she was fine, but when I called I heard her screaming : ) She's started the seperation anxiety and it can get pretty intense. She can go from 0 to 10 in a heartbeat.
I love watching her eyes now-you can see her taking so much in and you can see the wheels turning in her sweet little head. I'm pretty sure you can already tell she's a genius : )

4 1/2 months

2009-08-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

I have moments when I'm doing things with Blythe where I feel like I'm having misplaced deja vu. Like I can see exactly how my mom did things when I was small. And it makes me wonder how many generations my mannerisms go back. Obviously, having a child brings a different kind of appreciation for your mother. You realize she was not perfect, but she had perfect intentions. Thank you, Mom, for loving me no matter how much I refused to do what you knew was best for me. And for your patience when I cried through the night. The list goes on and on.
Well, Blythe is doing wonderful and she is eating like a champ. We have tried carrots, avocado, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas and peaches. I've had much fun making her food; the crafter in me takes much delight in purreeing her food and making the neat little half moons in the freezer. She's working on bettering her napping routine and I think it won't be long before she has her morning and afternoon nap down pat. I'm just happy that she's taking naps! We're only a week into her having a 2-3 hour nap. So we'll see if it sticks.
My mom came the weekend before last and Carol, Harrison, Adam and Katie came this past weekend. It's been nice to have our family around and everyone is so sweet to our little girl. We are so very blessed.
I'll put some pictures on soon...

4 Months!

2009-07-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

Blythe just had her 4 month check-up yesterday. Everything went great, she has gained in height from last time, so she's not such a shorty anymore (she was in the 5 percentile last time for height). This time her weight was in the 75th, her height in the 60th and her head in the 55th. Perfect, I believe. She got her next round of shots and she handled it very well.
She hasn't been napping very much, but she sleeps pretty good at night. Some day's she'll nap, but most days here recently she'll just take a couple of 20-30 minute naps.
The pediatrician told us we could start feeding her, so last night, for fun, we fed her for the first time with a spoon. She did better than I thought she would but she didn't last very long. We tried it again today and she got more down.
She's making the switch from breast milk to formula. After weeks of thrush, tissue damage and mastitis I had just been pumping, which is difficult on many levels. But then I got the shingles and she can't have any of my milk for 2 weeks, so we decided to make the switch. She seems to be doing well, and I'm very thankful for that. The guilt is horrible, but I'm praying and working on leaving it in the dust.
She had her first church visit the other Sunday. She wore her pretty pink dress from Nanny. It was so sweet on her. It was precious-Nanny had given Lilah one too and that was what we had chosen to bury her in. So it was a little emotional, but she looked beautiful! She also has a precious bracelet that her Grandma (Dustin's mom) gave her that looks way too cute on her chubby little arms. Its a special gift, too, for it was intended for Lilah on the day of her birth, but Ms Carol saved it for Blythe and I love that. I think she will cherish it.
She's been a partying fool-the other weekend we went to Owen Jackson's birthday, Bradlynn Sturkie's, and Uncle Adam's party's. All in the same day! We celebrated 4th of July in the cul-de-sac with friends and then we went to Shea's pool party this past weekend. Whew!

Lauren's Visit

2009-06-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

Lauren came the weekend of the 12th and it was wonderful to have her around. It was like having an extension of myself when it came to helping with Blythe and things around the house. Dustin even made a crack about how nice it was to have a nanny. Her presence is most certainly missed. Oh! And she had her first laugh with Aunt Lou and myself in the tub on Sunday June 14th. I put a washcloth on her head and she giggled. It was precious and she hasn't done it since.

For Father's Day I took Blythe to Picture People and got a few pictures made of her and some of us together. She wasn't in the best of moods, so I plan on returning in the near future. It was a spur of the moment decision at the mall so it wasn't my first choice in outfits. But she could be in a potato sack and still be super cute : ) We spent the day doing much of nothing-Dustin was actually sick all weekend. But Blythe and I cooked for him all day and we just took it easy.

She's just recently started doing better at night and she's now in her crib. Its strange to put her to bed and not have her around; in many ways we've been looking forward to this moment, but then I'm not sure how to feel now that its here . I imagine I'll stop checking the monitor every 10 minutes soon, too. She's sleeping better, but its taking me time to adjust. Funny how that works.

3 Months Old!

2009-06-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

Blythe will be 3 months old on Friday. I think she's pretty happy with her first quarter in the world. I must say I get much delight out of watching her sweet little hands and she has this way of spreading her toes that amazes and amuses me.

She's been much happier recently and isn't so stingy with her smiles. She's also more interested in things now so she can entertain herself for longer periods of time. My cooking is thankful for this.

We've moved backwards on the sleeping thing-oh well. She's back to getting up every 2-3 hours. I'm sure this is the first of many sleep changes.

She got to meet her cousin, Anna, this week and hang out with Rebecca, Emma, Amanda, Jackson and Angie too. She slept half the time, but I'm pretty sure she enjoyed herself. I was a slacker and didn't bring my camera, but Beccer's took some photos so if she sends them out, I'll share them.

Lauren comes Friday and we can't wait!!

Almost 11 Weeks

2009-05-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

Blythe's 2 month doctor appointment went very well (May 12th). She weighed 11 lbs and got three shots. She screamed pretty bad with the shots and I cried, but as soon as I could hold her she was fine.

She's been much more colic-y over the last few weeks and has learned how to take her screaming up a few decibals, which is quite ear piercing (hope this doesn't mean she'll be a screecher!). But she is also smiling a lot more and sleeping better. We had our first full night Saturday-she slept from 10 pm to 6 am. And then last night she did about the same with just one feeding. Yea!

My mom was down for the weekend which was nice and the Hoey's are all here for the week staying in Surfside. Trey and Jamie got married on the beach Sunday and Blythe tried to ruin it at first with a screaming fit : ) but fortunately she feel asleep right before the ceremony. I put her in my sling, which always helps, and she passed out.

She's having a good time hanging out with her cousin, Kendall. They like looking at each other and crying when the other one starts crying. It will be a lot of fun when they get a little bigger and can play together.

7 Weeks and One Day!

2009-05-01T18:42:00.001-07:00

Blythe is now 7 weeks old-we can't believe it! I really can't believe how big she has gotten. I thought seeing her daily would keep me from realizing how quickly she is growing, but its like one day I woke up and she was huge. She still loves to eat, but she's finally slowed down from her huge guzzlin' days. I guess we're on the down slope until the next growth spurt.

She is smiling at us now-it takes some coaxing, but everyday she does it more and more. How much can your heart really swell? It feels like it will burst sometimes when I look at her.

She's been a traveling fool going back and forth to Columbia with us (for Dustin for work). She's taken it in stride, and we're thankful for that. This upcoming week we'll be here, which will be nice. I'm hoping we can have some kind of unstructured predictability.

We go back to the doctor May 12 and I think she's gonna be over 10 lbs. We'll see!

2009-04-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

4 Weeks and 4 Days

2009-04-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

Today Blythe is 4 weeks and 4 days...in a way it feels she has always been here and yet sometimes I feel like its a dream. She is getting so very very big every day! I love every ounce of chub.
Dustin and I haven't been the greatest about sharing pictures, but we're gonna try to get better. Blythe eats very very often so its good to us that we take pictures, but getting them posted and sent it out is a whole other business.

She's still pretty much a newborn...just eats, sleeps and poops. But boy does she do them in such a precious way. She's a pooping machine; her favorite thing to do is wait until we're doing changing her to release her bowels. It never fails : ) She loves to take a bath and she looks very cute in the bath tub. She grunts like you wouldn't believe and sometimes it seems like she might never stop grunting.