4 months.

Halli had her 4 month doctor appointment and here are her stats:
length: 23.5 in 14%
weight: 11 lbs. 3 oz.  3%
head: 40 cm  33%

She went down 1% for weight. So my doc/her pedi(it's hard because Halli's pediatrician was also my OB throughout the pregnancy, so what do I call her? Our doc? haha) told us to start her on solids once a day before bedtime.
Wha?? Halli starting on solids??
I was excited I didn't think she would need to start on solids this soon because she is still so little so her body doesn't need more than breastmilk to thrive..but I guess that's another reason to start on solids. SHE'S STILL SO LITTLE. She needs to grow!
So we started her on rice cereal two nights ago. Here's a video of the first feeding attempt. I would be surprised if any of it made it to her stomach haha.

When we fed her again last night she did better so I know she'll get the hang of it.

But now I need your help!!
I'm supposed to introduce one new food every 3-4 days...what do I feed her?? I've heard avacado is a good one to start with...then what??
Is making your own baby food better than store bought??
Honestly, between washing bottles, breast pumps, milk storage bottles, Halli's clothes, OUR clothes, OUR dishes, keeping the house presentable(for the most part) I don't know if I can handle making Halli baby food! Is that selfish? Am I being lazy? Maybe.
Once Halli is six months W.I.C. will start giving us baby food. But we have two months to go..I have no idea what the cost of baby food is. SO maybe i'll make a trip to Walmart and do some calculations.
Anyways, I would love any advice, experiences, opinions on this matter.

Exclusively pumping is beginning to wear on me..sometimes I have really busy days or weekends and I just don't have time to pump 3 times a day! Then I get engorged, my milk supply starts to go down etc...ugh it's stressful! So we'll see how much longer I can keep this up. Tyler and I are going on a cruise with our high school friends in December and i'm not so sure I want to bring my breastpump and worry about pumping...hmm. By then Halli will be 6 months and can start eating more solids. Hopefully my next kids will be better eaters because I want to experience what successful breastfeeding feels like. When is comes to breastfeeding the things I would do differently for my next babies if I could go back would be:
-start breastfeeding within minutes of birth, even if it means people waiting outside have to wait longer.
-if I can help it, not to use a nipple shield BUT if I have to,
-not to stress so freaking much about having to use one.
-not go to a WIC lactation educator who makes you feel like a bad momma for using the shield and that you need to get off it ASAP or you will ruin your child and all chances you have of breastfeeding!
-not to take all advice(like from the WIC wannabe lactation specialists) and feed Halli with a spoon to get her off the shield. That pushed me to my breaking point which in turn is why I introduced the bottle(when Halli was 6 days old) because I just needed a break and sleep.
-if i can help it, not introduce a bottle until completely off the nipple shield. Lots easier said than done but I think that is why Halli wasn't successful in breastfeeding. She liked the steady flow of the bottle. Even now if I have to take the bottle away before she's finished, INSTANT meltdown! That's how it was EVERY breastfeeding session. The letdown would get too fast for her or the flow slowed down, she would detach and then....INSTANT meltdown =(

We have had so much fun having my sister and her girls here again since they got evacuated by the government from where they were living. Scary things going on! I'm thankful to live in America.

Eskimo kisses!

love her!! Every time she sees Halli she says "Baby Halli my cousin!"

videos! =)

we had to put a blanket around the jumper because she is still too small.

Lots of pics!! =)

Celeste, one of my best friends since 7th grade finally got to meet Halli!

 Celeste helped convince me NOT to change my name to Halli back in high school but instead name my first daughter Halli Ann. She ALSO decided my wedding colors(black pink olive green) for me since I had not one clue, AND helped give me that extra push to me to ask Tyler to Spring Fling '06(our first dance and what sparked our relationship) and was best friends with Tyler before I was in high school. She has pretty much shaped our lives =)

4 month photoshoot

 Halli flirts with herself in the mirror

 Saw this bow at Baby Gap with Tyler's mom aka my other mama =) We loved it!

 But daddy vetoed it =( started calling her dumbo =(

But I got this cute Halloween sleeper and pumpkin hat. Daddy okayed that =)

Halli Ann tidbits:  -Halli laughed for the first time on Oct. 3rd.  But it still proves to be a challenge to get her to laugh again =( -She loves the johnny/jenny jump up. Helps momma get stuff done! =) Except I wish I had a door frame in my kitchen. That would be awesome. -Regrettably we had to introduce formula for one of her feedings because I wasn't able to pump out enough for her and she takes it okay but I can tell she likes breastmilk better. -Likes getting kissed on the nose. So cute! -Has started to love to put everything she can get her hands on in her mouth.   So what are the mommyanddaddy up to besides being new parents?? not much.  Tyler has been painfully busy with school and work but is having loads of fun making, creating, brainstorming new website ideas. I've been helping him with them too. It's really complicated to explain but he would love someday to make money of his websites so he's been teaching me how to help him with SEO. Here is his current website about park rangers where people can go to learn more about the occupation. He hopes to make it to the top of google when people search "park rangers." Tyler hopes to graduate spring 2014 with a bachelors in information systems and business. I will hopefully start going back to school spring 2013 and graduate ?? someday. I'm still planning on a bachelors in respiratory therapy. But I still have to apply for the program..which is about 2 years. Sooo..I don't have an estimated graduation date. I've also been throwing lots of parties =) Book parties, colored jeans parties, Maxi skirt parties. It's been fun =) I love maxi skirts!

I got my hair cut and colored again finally! After over a year since getting it chopped I decided it was time. I didn't want to go as short as last time. I couldn't even sport a ponytail! I went to a hair lady that one of my girlfriends goes to and loves. Not my usual one in Murray(tyler says it's too far to drive for a haircut..i somewhat agree), and it was a good experience. I really like her. I don't love love the cut but I definitely like it more than how it was before. So blah. Maybe i'll like it better once I wash it. It's just super dark. I feel washed out when I don't have make up on. Basically I want an easy to style and take care of cut. And mostly out of reach for little hands.

We still find time to do things we used to do but it's hard. We're lucky to live so close to family who are always so willing to watch Halli. Having a baby helps you appreciate a million times more the time you get to spend together alone! Not that we don't love doing things with our little goose but..sometimes it's nice to have it be just the two of us again.

This photo is not enhanced =)

Visited our spot in the mountains =)

We went to Tyler's mission reunion on Friday at BYU. SO FUN! Mostly because it was such an awesome turn out. I met so many of Tyler's companions that i'd only seen pics of while he was on his mission. I recognized them and the special part was they recognized me! Tyler wasn't shy to show my picture off on his mission. ;)

Halli did really well for the most part. Near the end she got overwhelmed and didn't know what to do with so many people around her. The weirdest thing since Halli was born happened to me at this party.  One of the every so friendly returned sister missionaries came up to me and said the line I hear so much and love: "on my goodness your baby is so cute!" I was about to say the usual "oh thank you she is four months..." but then she said something unexpected: "can I hold her?" And before I could even say anything she was already reaching for her and before I knew it Halli was out of my arms and into a total strangers! That has never happened. It was weird. Especially because she had just gotten home from her mission and had no idea who Tyler nor I of course was. Unfortunately, Tyler wasn't at my side when this happened or i'm sure he would've been just as uncomfortable as I was. It was odd trying to make small talk with a stranger holding my baby..I would very much not like this to happen again! Haha.

"Be the girl you want your daughter to be, be the girl you want your son to date, be classy, anything but trashy."