10 month update!

Happy 10 months to Bella - Happy 10 months to Bella - wait, what? We are now in the double digits!

One of her new favorite things to do is play peek-a-boo. Even when we're not there she'll play with herself. We'll hear her in the monitor in the morning playing it by herself in the crib. Or we'll catch her in her play yard playing peek-a-boo with the air. She'll turn her face ("You can't see me") and then turn around ("Here I am") and laugh or squeal with a raspy voice. Yes, it is so much fun! The little stinker loves it - and, she loves it when we hide underneath covers or a towel or a blanket or her clothes or anything else to "hide" and then pop out. Here's the play by play action of peek-a-boo.

Where's Bella?
There she is! (Imagine a cute raspy voice trying to squeal and mimic her momma's laugh when she says 'Peek-a-boo')
Then we stand up instead of playing peek-a-boo behind the bumbo.
As you can tell from the pictures we are beyond the point of being able to set her down and know she won't move. Now she wants to move and stand up all the time! Hence, we bought the monster play area that is big enough for her to feel like she has all the room in the world but small enough to fence her in the living room and give her "boundaries".
"I wonder if I can get out of here" - Then, she'll usually proceed to lick the sides. Yes, we are still licking everything in sight!

Another "firsts" from this month is she loves to play in the kitchen. I can have the floor COVERED in toys and teething rings and blocks and place one tupperware top on the floor - what does she goes for? You got it - the tupperware. So, I loaded a bottom drawer (that she can now open) with all my tupperware and she goes to town. It keeps her occupied during dinner preparation or washing dishes.

I tried to get a picture while she was playing in the drawer. This is as good as I got the first try - she's quick!

Try two - Success! Notice the tupperware lids scattered around - and notice that cute smile!Bath time still is some of the best times. She LOVES to splash and splash. I'll also get a bowl of water and pour it slowly in front of her. She'll try to grab it and then laugh when she splashes herself in the face.
Smiling at daddy!
Rubber Ducky fun!
Look at those eyes! She's making the raspy laugh when she looks like that.
Now that she is M.O.B.I.L.E. she will wiggle around in her bed until she can't stand it anymore. Notice the next picture? Case in point.

She now weighs 18.5 pounds (50th percentile) and is 28 inches long (50th percentile). She still has her baby "tummy" that is so cute! But I can tell a little of it is going away. What? They grow up? No one told me that!

Until next time have a great day! Here are her 10 month pictures - with and without her flower. We had to be quick to get any with her flower on!

Fun times with Grammy and PawPaw

It's been nearly two weeks since i've last posted, y'all. Sorry about that! Here's a little bit of an update on what we've been up to. Stay tuned for 10 months pictures and stats later this week.

We took a quick trip to Houston last weekend to see the grandparents! Bella played with blocks...
Took a bath in the kitchen sink...
Wanted to spray the water and did NOT want to sit down in the sink. She wanted to be standing!...
Gave Grammy wet - slobbery kisses on the nose...
Played peek-a-boo for a LONG time when she should have been sleeping...
Cooed, talked, played, screamed, laughed....
Saw MeeMaw...
And of course, got some lovin' from mom and dad and gave some lovin' back.

The sweet thing seemed to have a great time playing with new toys and new "whatever-else-she-can-grab" at Grammy and PawPaw's house. Bella especially loved playing peek-a-boo with anything she could "hide" behind. Grammy and PawPaw - Thanks for letting us come visit!

Being a mom...

Being a mom includes certain joys of teaching my daughter independence of journeying through this thing we call life - but, also experiencing dichotomous times of mommy dependence-attachment. Ok, so i'm the one with the dichotomy. They are only little once and now that she is MOBILE I take all the little hugs and lovin' I can get!

In no particular order, I give you the dichotomies of today...
Being a mom includes:

Teaching your child to go to sleep independently - but, rocking her during her last feeding of the day after bathtime and the oh-so-fabulous smell of baby lotion. When she falls asleep and I keep rocking for oh about an hour - bliss!
Watching your child play independently as she explores the world of colors, shapes, sizes, and the occasional TV remote, shoe, book, or other "toy" she can crawl to and grab - but, snatching her up to get big, wet kisses! (Yes, these are slobbering-full mouth-tongue out kisses - precious! I'll take the occasional zit this causes any day!)
Seeing your child stand up and prepare to walk by herself into exciting adventures of exploration - but, getting hugs before the "wiggles" away to continue walking.

Seeing your child laugh and clap and play with nothing more than the air around her (she seems to spontaneously laugh which is one of the greatest joys so far!)and all the tupperware tops in the kitchen - but, laughing with her until you both can't take it any more.

Asking yourself "Am I doing this right?" and "What do I do now?" and "Oh my goodness, they don't have a book about this do they?" - but, enjoying the sweet times of reassurrance when she giggles from getting zerberts and oobers amount of lovin'.

Teaching her how to clap (she can do that) and wave (we're working on that) and play pic-a-boo (see below) - and, seeing her catch on (kindof) to her new skills. ("Mom, is this how you do it?" 1. Hide behind shirt/object/hands, 2) Lower shirt/object/hands, 3) Squeal, 4) Stick out your tongue as far as you can, 5) Smile, 6) Squeal again, 7) Melt the parents heart, 8) Ok, i'm done, 9) Squirm away or repeat)

Going to work at a fab job - but, coming home to this sweetie-pie.

Watching her smile and make noises and try to "mimic" your facial expressions - but, letting her make her own silly-faces and crazy noises/squeals/screams.

There certainly have been lots of times of questioning and times where I just want to sleep or read (that's for another blog post). However, I continue to be amazed at how much I am loving being a mom. Considering I didn't really "like" kiddos or babysitting growing up and Bella was my first diaper change EVER I am pleasantly surprised at how much I love being a mom to Bella. Considering I love my job and research and writing and what I "do" outside of the home and wondered if I could really have it all (aka. being a working mom [I use "working" loosely because all moms are "working" regardless if they stay home or work outside of the home]). I am pleasantly surprised at how I still love to work and research and have ambitions for my PhD one day...while loving coming home to take care of Bella and putting my apron on to make homemade bread and cleaning my home (Mike is great at doing these things too since we enjoy an egalitarian relationship - I just enjoy doing these things! Just ask him - sometimes I get upset when he cleans the kitchen since it's one of my favorite things to do at the end of the day...I know, i'm weird).

So, I know I've said it before but being a mom has not been what I read about in the books and certainly not what I had in my mind. It's full of wonderful dichotomies that i'm sure will only continue to get more challenging and rewarding.

The End.

Week in review

Bella is standing up like a "big girl" - that's what I tell her. The little cutie is pulling up on everything now! We have had our first (and i'm sure not the last) encounter with bumping our head on the coffee table, TV armoire, bed...kiddos are resilient though, aren't they! A little crying and then she's ready to go again. Other firsts for the week include:
1. Another tooth on top - that makes 4 top teeth and 2 bottom teeth.
2. She is "walking" while holding on. She will stand up in her playpen and "walk" around the parameter while hanging onto the sides.
3. She is wiggly wiggly wiggly! Ok, so that's not a first. And, we already knew she was wiggly - but she keeps getting wigglier (is that a word?)

Here are some fun pics from the week:


Hanging out with daddy in the backyard.
Melt your heart?!? Yes!

Standing, Standing...

Our little shugah is standing up! Now she is pulling up on everything...as you can tell by the pictures in this post. Oh boy! Here's the progression....

"Daddy, I want to be up there with you and that guitar."
"Here I go." (If these pictures came with sound you would hear grunting and uh, ah, oh, uh..sounds of determination coming from the cute red/blonde haired kiddo.)
"I made it! What's that? Daddy's laptop he doesn't let me touch?" (If these pictures came with video you would see two wobbly legs balancing and a cute little bottom trying to stay up!)
"I'm still trying to get to that laptop." Notice she took a step forward to steady herself - smart girl!
"Aww, dad. I want to play too." Notice Mike's face - trying to discipline but laughing at the same time.
Busted.
The first time we saw her standing was in her crib. Mike went in to go get her after a nap and she was standing up waiting for him! We'll put her down for a nap and after a while we think she's sleeping since she is so quiet. Sometimes she's sleeping...other times this is what we see!

I think she is cutting another tooth - look at that tongue! She wants to lick, chew, suck on EVERYTHING!
Another fun photo from the week - look at those curls!

This one is blurry but it's too cute not to post!
Standing in the living room. Yes, she's licking the table.

Until next time, y'all have a good week!