Eight Months Old

Mia has had major developmental strides this last month and really during this last week.

The past few days she wakes up in her crib and gets herself into sitting. This is good because I don't have to bend over as far to pick her up since her crib is now on the lowest level.

She also has started doing a pull to stand. She thinks that she can now take off without us only to realize that at least one hand (and really two) is required to maintain balance. Fortunately she has only had one big tumble and only onto soft carpet. I reassured her that that would not be the only fall she would have before she began to walk by herself. Good thing she recovers quickly.

She has also learned to protest things she does not like by shaking her head and repeating "na na na." We try to not use the word "no" and to use more constructive correction. Still she has the innate sense of the word "no" in her vocabulary.

 She also is learning the hand gestures for "Hi" and "Bye."

She is starting to show her adventurous side. She has taken to climbing...  a lot.  If I am on the floor with her, I will be climbed.  The step up onto the treadmill was once a great leap for a 7 month old, but is now one small step for an 8 month old.  A guitar case- of course it needs to be climbed and ridden. A box of diapers, why yes this too can be conquered.

Objects have taken on new meaning. A box was once just something mommy put things in, but now it is entertainment. If it has a flap or hinge all the better. Velcro and shoelaces are wonderful. Books are not just to be read, but handled, and pages to be turned. Pots and pans make noise when you bang on them.
Yesterday was also the first time she discovered that objects in her hands can be brought together to make noise.

We are in learning overdrive.

The sign for "more" at meal time appeared today without prompting and she finally got a piece of banana in her mouth without first completely squishing it to mush. She especially likes to squeeze her food, just to see what it feels like and what sound it makes.  She crunched a puff  with her 2 teeth the other day and was happily surprised at the sensation of it breaking and the snapping noise it made. And now she thinks it is fun to suck on her fingers as I feed her just to make the tactile experience greater. Milk is boring, food is where the excitement is at. Yes, I am starting to consider taking her outfit off during mealtime, we have that much fun.

Grandma and Grandpa are super nice to her at their house, she has free reign of the junk mail. It can be drooled on and torn up happily. Paper is a favorite. It is so crinkly and grab-able. Toy snakes and other pointy objects are also a favorite.

Every day is a new experience with this little one. 

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my dad and my wonderful husband! What great examples you are.

First off to my dad;

Thank you for always working so hard for our family growing up. You worked 6 days a week, and took only a few days off a year to be packed in a car with 6 noisy children, to take us to Disneyland and to the beach. When we visited you at work, you helped us make fun gadgets out of spare TV parts, and create bugs our of burnt-out resistors. You taught us to make and shoot off model rockets in the desert and volcanoes in our sand pile. You could make practically anything work again, even if you had to improvise a solution.



A classic Dad smile. I don't have a lot of pictures with him since he was behind the camera in a lot of them. The snicker was probably for putting the bow on my head. I'm the baby in this one.

This one I put in for my sister Becky. Whispering secrets to dad.








You are a wonderful grandpa and all the grandkids LOVE you, especially Mia. You have a magic touch to keep her calm and and she loves your faces and voices. Mia loves to be babysat by grandpa when I have to go in for work.



With Mia on the day she was born.









And just a couple of weeks ago:

To Dee: Happy First Father's Day!!!

You are the most wonderful husband to me and father to Mia. I don't know how I would do it without you. You are so brave and willing to try everything and to fix anything. You are such a hard worker, and so giving with your time.  All those long nights you stayed up until 1:00 or 2:00 or 3:00 just so I could get a few extra hours of sleep. you kept me sane, and help me be a better mommy. Even now you get up early and let me sleep in when you can. This I truly appreciate! You change any diaper no matter how messy and actually do it with a smile. You are such fun with Mia and she really is excited to see you every day when you come home. She will stop everything, even eating to be with you. I love to see you play. Mia loves to be tossed and to ride on your shoulders. We love you! Thanks for all you do for us.





Just before Mia was born. See how happy he is with anticipation of being a father.

First moments as a daddy. He even changed the first poopy diaper in the hospital!















Already hard at work. She is so relaxed in Dee's arms.















She once fit safely in one arm.















Now she takes both arms (and a third would be nice sometimes) just to keep her close.

Always there to teach her new things, like what a goat is.

With you she always has a smile. (Well... almost always)

You are such a great daddy. It's no wonder Mia's first syllables were "da da da." 

Seven Months of Fun

Mia is ever changing. She is now over seven months old and constantly moving. While she is not doing a full crawl yet, with her army crawl, she had no problem getting where she wants to go. The two stairs (small ones) in the living room can't stop her. Pillows stacked up can't stop her. Furniture cant stop her. We may need baby-gates, but then again she is so strong, they wouldn't stop her for long. She has no fear. Diving off the sofa and out of mom's arms seems like such fun. Right now she can't sit still for a minute. (Unless it's on grandpa's lap. He has some mystical baby-charming magic.) Energetic, yes, but boy-oh-boy is she cute!





 She likes to choose her activities. "I think that I would like to swing now, please."

"I might sit still for you to take one picture of me, but no more than one... I have stuff to do!"

"Are you still taking pictures? I thought we were done with that."











Mia has started talking more. Her favorite sounds are da-da-da-da and ab-a-dab-a. She just started making ma-a ones and th-a too.  One day last week she had a  full 15+ minute conversation with herself while playing and looking at herself in the mirror. Funny how the girl in the mirror seems to repeat everything she says. I try to video her, but as soon as she sees any technology, she is so focused on grabbing it that she stops all that she was doing.

She loves to ride around on Dee shoulders. Holding onto his hair is also the best!

We have been pretty busy, and in the chaos of life there were pictures that I was remiss in posting.

We went to the International Wildlife Museum. There are a lot of things for kids to touch and feel there and Mia was excited to be able to grab so many things. It was also small enough that she lasted through the whole museum. Dee had never been there and I hadn't since I was very little. If you aren't into taxidermy this isn't the place for you, since all the animals are stuffed.

Riding the buffalo- I am not sure if we were supposed to do this, but Mia had fun.

Under the giraffe. I think Mia was underwhelmed. Everything looks that big to her!

Also in March we went to the Zoo and a petting zoo/ranch with Dee's family and with my sister and her family. It was a lot of fun and Mia enjoyed looking at the animals, but she got tired easily and had to take a couple of eating breaks while we were there.


Becky and her family were there- well, Paul is in the picture behind Becky looking at the peacocks. Tom was off chasing James since that day he had great disdain for the camera.

Enjoying the elephants putting on their log tossing show.











At the ranch; Petting the ponies with Grandma. Poor pony, it might have lost some hair that day.

 Her first pony ride

As she gets older it is both easier and harder to take her on outings. She is much busier, and wants her independence. Keeping her safe is more of a challenge, but she enjoys it more and you can see her learning about the world. I am sure there are many more adventures to come!

Happy Mothers Day -long post warning-

Happy Mothers Day to you all! And a special one to my mom, and to Mia's birth mom too! I love you both! Without these two amazing women I would not be here, be the woman I am, and not have the blessing of our beautiful Mia.

They say it is for all women, mothers or not, but honestly it was depressing being wished "Happy Mothers Day" when a child was all you wanted and everything you couldn't have at the time. To those who do not yet have children, or cannot, or are single, or have lost their child, I LOVE YOU.
This post may not comfort you, and you may not even read it, but maybe it can bring a glimmer of hope, because a year ago, I didn't know we would have what we now enjoy. Life changes everyday. Ours certainly has!

In previous years I would celebrate to honor my mom who is wonderful, righteous, strong, and selfless, as well as a great cook and baker, only to name a few attributes. I celebrate her today! I love to be with her, work with her, decorate cakes and cook with her. She makes daily chores easier, and just having her in the room gives you confidence. She has always been a teacher and hands on in our lives.She sewed our clothes and Halloween costumes, made all our birthday cakes, kept 6 kids entertained, and taught us to be responsible adults. Having a daughter gives me greater appreciation for all that she did for us and continues to do for us. Thank you mom for everything!


Mom and Me. You can see where I get my hair growing ability.

Pumpkin carving at Halloween. Me the baby. She made it through two more kids too. Sorry I don't have an old picture with all of us at my house.

We travel together.

I love working on activities with her.

She doesn't think that she has patience for crafts, but then makes cakes like this. This was our wedding cake, and I might be biased, but it is pretty much the most beautiful cake that ever was!

This is my first Mothers Day as a mother.

 Our cutie family.

Dee got me these beautiful flowers, and donuts for the morning, since he has a 7:00 meeting, and unless he wakes me at 6 there will be no breakfast in bed. I vote extra sleep:)










Our little Mia grows and grows, and will be 7 months soon. I am so grateful for her birth mom that has made this experience possible for us.  She is moving around more and more and nothing will be unreachable soon. I look at our house differently and think " how tall is Mia? can she reach that yet? How much longer till she can? Where should I move this or that?" Don't get me wrong, our house is fairly baby proof, but set her free and she WILL find something unexpected to play with.



"I will find all your cords, disconnect them and play with them, then drool on them"

"You think you can fool me? If you take those cords, I will just search until I find more"











She loves to eat, but sometimes gives us this look... "You want to feed me WHAT?"

   

 She finds entertainment in dress-up already, She kept pulling hair bows out for me to add to her hair.





She loves books to read, to eat. She will crawl across the floor for books.










This is how she interacts with her cousin, Liam. He seems thrilled doesn't he?

I might be biased but I think that she gets more beautiful every day, and more fun, more interactive, more curious, more loved!

 Waiting years for a child makes this Mothers Day all the more sweet.

I wouldn't change anything in this experience.... well, maybe not getting tendinitis from holding her so much.