Week 44: Movin and Groovin

Week 44: 06/17/13 - 06/23/13

We've been quite the busy duo this past week.

Lots of errand running.

Organizing.

Planning. *Someone has a big birthday coming up soon.*

Socializing.

Splishin-and-a-splashin.

You know.

The good things in life. 

And you've been moving and shaking.

Dancing *to the beat I might add* to music.

Waving your hands in the air. 

And moving all over the house. 

I mean, I turn my back for one minute *literally*. 

And you're across the room. 

Now tell me something.

How does a 10 month old who doesn't yet crawl move from place to place?

By bending.

Rolling.

Scooting.

And crawling backwards.

That's how. 

I've had to rescue you a time or two. 

From evil chairs who capture you. 

Because you haven't quite figured out how to get unstuck.

Silly Beans. 

Oh. 

And it's been Fuss-Central-Station around here.

If this top left tooth doesn't make its debut soon, 

I'm going to have to go in there and break it through myself. 

And we're still dealing with stranger anxiety. 

But it's so hit or miss. 

Sometimes you sing and laugh with people you've never met.

Other times, you burst into tears if someone you see fairly often bends down to say hello. 

One thing's for certain.

You're terrified of other babies. 

They're too unpredictable for you, I guess. 

You aren't a huge fan of getting pushed or having your hair pulled. 

You do, however, love your toddler friends.

Like your sweet friend, Breckyn.

You light up when you see her. 

It's really because she's the older version of you. 

Gentle. Quiet. Sweet. 

Needless to say. 

We're working on thickening our skin. 

Because there are going to be many pushes and pulls. 

And lots of head bumps ahead. 

This baby stuff is tough.

But so much fun. 

And, I sure don't mind being needed.

And I especially don't mind hearing that sweet little voice.

"Mama" has the best ring to it. 

Heart. Burst. 

Loving every second with you!

Ten Months

10 Months Old: 06/19/13

18 pounds 6 oz. and 27.8 inches

Double Digits. 

How did that happen?

This has been my favorite month yet. 

I know. I know. 

I say it every.single.month.

But I'm serious this time.

This has really been my favorite. 

Because I've been home with you.

Sweet summertime. 

With my sweet Chunkin. 

And because you have been particularly fun.

Funny even.

Making all kinds of faces.

And noises.

Mimicking what we do. 

Exploring everything around you. 

And you've been quite the cuddly snuggler. 

Never wanting this phase to end. 

Milestones. You are actually "mobile" this month.

I say "mobile" because you still aren't crawling. 

But you're rolling everywhere.

And scooting backwards.

And getting stuck under and in between things.

I like to think that you aren't quite as strong in the gross motor skill department because you are perfecting your fine motor skills. 

You have those mastered. 

It's quite fun to watch.

You can often be seen picking up a speckle of dirt.

Just to observe it for 5-10 minutes.

Definitely detail-oriented.

You've finally mastered the sippie cup.

It took trying 4 different brands/kinds. 

You really prefer drinking from a cup, but that's too messy for Mom.

So, I finally picked up a sippie with a straw.

Love at first sip. 

Now you can't get enough water!

And you have become quite the talker.

A girl after your mother's heart. 

Our daily chats are my favorite. 

You talk to just about everything around you.

*Except to strangers of course.*

Firsts.  We've had some big firsts this month. You started swimming and got in the big kid pool, you spent your first overnight away from Mom and Dad, and you said your first word. You said "mama" last week. And you've been saying it ever since. *Swoon.*

Everyday moments. Mom has had to work more than she anticipated this summer, but you've been quite the little sidekick. You've joined me for most meetings, and you've spent a great deal of time in my classroom. You just scoot around the room and then nap in your pack-n-play. 

We've been working on two signs: "more" and "all done". I was so excited when you started signing "more"!! You actually don't do it completely correctly, but when you want more food, you sort of clap your hands together and grunt. 

You're no longer a huge fan of your own toys. You much prefer mommy toys - pots, pans, spoons, measuring cups, and my iphone. 

You're still nervous around some strangers. It's kind of hit or miss. Some days, you will go to anyone who wants to hold you, other days, you burst into tears if someone you don't know says hello to you. My goal is to get you comfortable with more people!

Eating. Who knew mealtimes could be so much fun! You get so excited to eat that you start swirling your hands and feet around and around. And then comes the grunting. You are a foodie already. And I've been trying to incorporate spices and flavors whenever possible. We've been doing lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. 

I still make all of your baby food, but you no longer only eat purees. I often feed you straight from my plate, and you mostly eat finger foods. I'm trying to get you into the habit of eating what we're eating. You like everything so far!

Some new things you've tried this month are: feta cheese, jalepeno cheese (made by your Aunt Deanna), black beans, hummus, beef, yak, chicken, mixed veggies, strawberries, blueberries, garlic potatoes, pesto pasta, and grapes. 

Sleep. We were at a friend's house with a bunch of other babies around the same age. All the babes were moving all over the place - some walking, some crawling. Meanwhile, your were sleeping in your Pack-N-Play in the next room over. Everyone was being quite loud and was so impressed with your ability to sleep through the ruckus. Your dad leaned over to me and whispered, "Other babies may be skilled in moving, ours is skilled in sleeping". I spit out my drink from laughing so hard. 

But it's so true. We can take you anywhere and stay as late as we want because you will go to sleep and then go right back down after we wake you up and get you home. And we often get the mumbling-under-the-breath, "They surely won't be that lucky with a second baby!" I desperately want to refer them to my previous sleep post. Because it isn't all luck. But you are definitely a skilled little sleeper.

Loves. You love talking and playing in your crib. You've been skipping naps lately because you're so fond of playing with your animals. You love being read to - you've finally stopped trying to yank the book out of my hands to suck on. Now you just like to sit and listen. You love your pink adirondack chair and your water babies class. Oh, and your baby pool. Pretty much anything related to summer. You love to make us laugh. Currently, you've started the new "scrunchie" face. You blow air in and out of your nose and squish up your face. And you love to roll off of Daddy onto the bed. Your most favorite game of all time. 

Dislikes. Being startled. Getting your face wiped off. Being in your carseat when it's hot out. Sweating. When you are finished with your food. Teething. Pulling up your wet swimsuit.

Personality. So shy. And you're definitely not a performer. My favorite thing to do is secretly spy on you after putting you down. You talk and move all over that crib of yours. But the moment you see me, you stop moving and talking. You get stage fright. Or you could be jabbering away in the car, but when I talk back to you or ask you a question, you stop talking immediately. Even your little voice is shy. It's like you're nervous try out your new sounds. So.sweet. 

Favorite Playthings. Still loving your wooden blocks and puzzle. I gave you some tupperware with dry macaroni in it - you shake it all day long. You love to play with the inside of my nose and anything with tags. 

The following photo series pretty much defines you at this phase.
Sweet.
Talkative.
Inquisitive.
Pretty much the biggest lovie ever.

Weeks 42 & 43: Big Firsts

Weeks 42 & 43: 06/03/13 - 06/16/13

Ahhh. 

Summertime.

I was just sure things would slow down.

I pictured a leisurely summer with lots of tanning.

Eating ice cream.

Catching up on the books that have collected dust on my bedside table.

And frolicking through lilac fields while learning photography.

But we've been go-go-going since the last day of school bell rang. 

And it's taken me 10 months to accept the fact that nothing goes as planned with a baby.

And things take longer than expected.

A lot longer. 

But. We have enjoyed every single moment of our busy summer. 

And are so very thankful for the sweet memories we're creating. 

Lots of girl time.

Besties. 

And the past two weeks have been quite exciting.
Eating lots of new foods.
Rolling all over the place.
Scooting backwards.
No crawling.
Still scooting.

And chock-full of exciting firsts. 

First time in the pool.

We started a water baby class at the Y.
*Mostly so I had an excuse to put you in a bathing suit.*

I was actually more nervous than you were. 

But you loved the water immediately.

We started off by just getting you used to the water.

Blowing bubbles.

Reaching for toys.

Kicking.

All the other babies kick their little legs fast and furious.
You on the other hand do what I call "The Lyla Kick".  

Just a few dainty leg lifts here and there. 

No surprise there. 

And then, without warning, the instructor said, "Ok. Now it's time to dunk."

Come again?

And without time to get nervous or make excuses, we said a little nursery rhyme, and I dunked you. 

Underwater. 

You were a little shocked.

And sputtered a little.

Then we did it again.

Over and over. 

And you couldn't get enough!

Now, we look forward to our pool time every Tuesday morning.

*You did not enjoy your first trip to the neighborhood pool. 

This one was not heated like the Y pool.

You preferred sunbathing instead.*

First Girls' Trip.

Mama and her teammates needed to get some things to prepare for next year.

So we organized a girls' road trip.

This was my first time traveling without Daddy.

You did much better than I expected.

We got completely off schedule.

And I'm pretty sure you didn't nap for two days straight. 

But you hung in there like a champ.

And you even let Mom go out with her friends. 

You slept back at the house without a peep. 

Now if only we could just master napping in our stroller.

Or in the car.
Either way, we had some good girl time.

First overnight without Mom and Dad. 

Mom and Dad had their first weekend trip without you.

Two and a half days.

That's a long time to be without any Chunkin-Chunkin Time.
Saying goodbye was emotional for a brief moment.
For Mom, at least.

But it was a great thing for Dad and I. 

We were both in a wedding.

And had a blast with friends. 

We had some much-needed adult time.

And luckily Gigi and Pops texted plenty of pictures.
They even captured your feisty scrunchie face.
My fave.

You did amazingly well.
Such a good babe.

First Word. 

You've been jabbering for a while now. 

Making ma-pa-ba sounds.

But you officially said your first word the day we returned from our trip.

This is one date I won't forget.

June 16, 2013.

You looked right at me and said "Mama". 

I couldn't believe.

In fact, I thought I was hearing things.

Luckily Daddy, Gigi, and Pops were all standing there to witness it.
One of the most touching moments...ever.

Big week.
With lots of big girl things.

No Seven Year Itch Here.

Seven Years.

Mostly blissful.
Exciting.
Comforting.

And real.
With plenty of chaos.
Scary life decisions.
And heated arguments discussions.

Seven years ago, we were babies.
Getting ourselves hitched.
And now, we have a baby.
Crazy, I tell you.

There are so many directions I can go with this post.
The sweestsie I-love-my-honey-cutie-boo-boo route.
Or the let's-take-a-walk-down-memory-lane route.

So I decided to combine the two ideas.
Because I do have seven years worth of blackmail memories.

Happy Anniversary to My Love.
Here are just some of the many reasons I love you.
And our marriage.
*A lot.*

1). You love adventure. 
I need you in my life.
Because I am a nervous nellie.
And you are fearless.
A risk-taker.
With you, my life is a whole lot more exciting.

2). You like to bust a move. 
You never really shook your groove thing until about year 3 of marriage.
This is when you came out of your social shell.
And I must say.
You've got some pretty mad skillzzz.
You are usually the last one to leave the dance floor at most weddings.

3). Ordinary is not in your vocabulary. 
I love that you love unique.
Even when it completely goes against the grain.
Even when your wife tells you you are completely uncool.
You just don't care.
Going barefoot all.the.time. (And now Five Finger shoes. Ugh.)
Eating at local places, not chains. 
Enjoying French press coffee instead of Keurig. 
Forgoing steak dinners for a picnic at the park. 

4). You work hard. 
Whether it's demolishing a bathroom in our 3 day old house.
Or driving across the country for 24 hours straight while I sleep or read a book in the passenger seat.
Or packing my lunch, washing bottles, and helping me grade papers.
You work hard.
And are a solid provider for our family.

5). Working hard means sleeping hard. 
Having a new baby is especially exhausting.
This includes the fur-baby kind as well.
Giving birth just takes it out of you, huh babe?

6). We make one pretty awesome team. 
You and me.
Me and you.
Can't imagine it any other way.

7). Your new role makes me love you even more. 
You are a dad.
This time last year, we had no idea what was about to hit us.
*We may actually win the award for most clueless.*
But you have made the transition into your new role quite effortlessly.
You make parenting FUN!
Lyla is so lucky to have you.
And so am I.

Happy Seven Years, Babe.
No seven year itch here.