10 Reasons I Love You: 8 Months

{8 Months}

1. You waved bye bye to me at day care!  It was more of an elongated flick of your fingertips, “Miss America” wave, but nonetheless, wave it was!  Just as the door was about to close you lifted up your tiny hand, tipped your fingers upward and shrieked your sweet baby squeal.  Made my day!

2. Perhaps you are preparing for new teeth, but you’ve started this new habit of sucking on your gums.  Every so often we hear this slurping sound, which I assume is anything but you, sucking on the inside of your cheek or gums.  Self discovery, I tell ya!

3. You have inherited a trait of your grandpa Bud - the point.  Bud is famous for his point, thrusting it across many a family member in order to ensure that they don’t miss a thing!  Lately, you are pointing at everything; airplanes, birds, kids, helicopters, leaves even.  You often accompany an enthusiastic point with the word “dair” which Nana swears once came out as “airplane” plain as day.  

4. We took you in the ultimate bath tub - the pool!  Daddy and I took you to your first swim “lesson,” more of a water babies class, but you loved it.  The pool was a touch cooler than I’d anticipated, but you handled the temperature like a champ.  You kicked your feet, and splashed around, and even floated on your back with your ears underwater.  At the end, you were kicking with such gusto, it was obvious you weren’t ready to get out!  Yet, you didn’t seem to mind the relaxing dunk in the hot tub shortly thereafter.  You are a born swimmer girl!

5. We took you on your first zoo outing.  It was a beautiful sunny day, the stroller wheels newly inflated with air, it was quite an adventure!  Now, mom and dad might have enjoyed the animal experience a tad more than you did, however, you were smitten by the duck sighting in the giraffe, lion, and zebra habitat.  Yes, it was those common Northwest bird ducks, not those wild safari animals that captivated your attention as you gleefully cried, “Du!”  “Du!”.  Just another reason why we love you.

6. A big girl you are, as you’ve decided sippy cups are for babies.  After experimenting with several sippy cups, I just tried the cup sans lid, and voila!  You loved it.  I hold the cup up to your lips and you eagerly lean forward opening up your mouth to drink.  You always seem thirsty and Mommy is perfecting the art of tipping the water ever so slightly as to not douse you with cold water (since that’s happened a time or two).

7. You’ve started to enjoy peek-a-boo played around the corner of the bathroom mirror.  Here’s how it goes: we stand at the edge of the wall separating the bathroom and the hallway.  I lean into the bathroom, and look at myself in the mirror and you slyly follow with your eyes, delighting when you see your reflection.  It’s a game of cat and mouse, hide and seek, as I hold you intentionally away so you have to slowly lean to peer around the corner. You love it and giggle endlessly every single time.

8. You are all over your crib these days, flipping on your tummy, propping your feet up against the rails, I think we’ve reached the end of the predictable back sleeping era.  Oh boy!

9. Your love of airplanes has only increased exponentially!  We often go to the park, lay down a blanket, and watch for the path of airplanes crossing the sky. Turns out, we might be living right underneath a popular route, as you’ve now picked up on the sound of the airplane from inside our home, and you often gesture towards the window when a passing airplane passes overhead.  Do I see a future pilot in our midst?

10. You are so anxious to crawl!  Daddy crawls around the floor, and you excitedly slap the ground and rock forward, as if to take off after him.  I can see the wheels turning in your head, as you carefully observe, and mentally make note of all the steps to complete the process.  I think it will only be a short while before you’re ready to move!

10 Reasons Why I Love You: 7 Months

{7 months old}

1. You have discovered that your tongue is quite the object of amusement.  Sticking it out while blowing raspberries makes for quite a wet kiss, but you love doing this on repeat!  On our flight to LA, I was afraid our neighboring seatmates might get an unwelcome spray from your noiseblowing antics! But instead they smiled and played along and even let you catch a glimpse of Frozen on their laptop.

2. You ride in the stroller like a big girl now, no more of this backward facing carseat strolling, you are facing outward and taking in your world!  Of course, in typical fashion, you kick your feet throughout the entire ride, occasionally getting a squeak or two out of Sophie (or Sophie #2 since we lost one at Greenlake).  It’s amazing to see how interested you are in the world around you, you are in awe of everything; from kids running to loud noises, everything is bright, shiny, new, and exciting...it’s truly amazing to watch.

3. Speaking of strollers, you’ve now recognized how the stroller and carseats work, unhooking equals your release.  Now you gladly outstretch your arms, inviting us to pick you up the second that button releases.  It is so cute, your whole body leans forward as your arms outstretch, elbow locked, eager to get out of the seat and climb our body for a better view.

4. You’re such a happy girl, you’ve discovered the magic of clapping your hands!  It was such a delight to see you clap your hands for the first time.  You clap out of happiness, to simply make noise, and in appreciation of your grateful parents :)

5. Babbling up a storm, dadada, mamamama, babababa, we love to hear you talk!  You babble and squeal.  Sometimes you seem so calm and mellow and then you let out these squeals, talking in your own little language.  I so wish I knew what you were saying!

6. You’re latest new toy - a stuffed sea turtle compliments of my godmother Judy.  This turtle is rotund, round with soft fuzzy flippers.  While I’m getting dressed in the morning, you nestle in the middle of our bed, and reach enthusiastically for the turtle, grasping, reaching, leaning, and eventually plop...faceplant.  You’re much more eager to risk the chance of falling on the soft bed, but it’s a great place to learn. Your latest trick is to nibble the poor guy, if we swim turtle in for a kiss, you open your mouth and playfully gnaw on his fuzzy fins.

7. Drum, drum, drumming!  Daddy will lay on the mat with you and slap his hands against the floor mat tiles, and you willingly join in the musical charade.  Pretty soon you are tapping and slapping together to a beautiful beat.

8. I guess you’ve decided back sleeping is boring, and felt necessary to mix it up in the crib.  First, you somehow rotated 180 in crib, making your body perpendicular to the length of the crib.  How you did this exactly is still a mystery, though I’m confident some was fueled by kicking your feet high up on the crib sides and pushing off, which simultaneously landed you wedged in the width of the crib, somewhat stuck.  Oh dear!

9. Our adventures in solid food have continued: kale, spinach, butternut squash, cottage cheese, carrots, peas, asparagus, among others.  Sometimes, mid-meal you decide to pop your thumb into your mouth, which we affectionately call “squash...with a side of thumb.”  

10. You had your first experience with a babysitter that wasn’t a family member for Aunt Katie and Uncle Greg's wedding - and for two nights in a row at that!  Mom was a little nervous (not gonna lie), but the sitter took good care of you and your pal Myles.  Truth be told, Mom ended up enjoying herself a little too much on her night off…  And as always, you were a lovely little peach.  

10 Reasons Why I Love You: 6 Months

{6 months}

1. Sitting up - I don’t know when this happened exactly, it feels like it was literally overnight.  One minute you were content laying down, the next, you were sitting up, unassisted, happy as a clam playing with your blocks or activity ball.  Occasionally we still put the boppy or a smattering of pillows behind you, just in case, but girlfriend, you’ve got great balance!  

2. Your latest trick is waving at yourself. You turn wrists out, and delicately close and open your fingers in on your palm, admiring this fascinating motion all the while. You do this with such finesse, it’s almost a fanning motion, as if you’re too hot and you’re cooling yourself down for the day.  

3. You have your first two teeth!  The shadow of your two bottom teeth appeared just a few days ago, and then all of a sudden, they were real teeth that broke through!  No more gummy smile!  Whenever we ask you to show us your teeth, you almost immediately stick out your tongue to cover your little chompers.  It’s our own little game of hide and seek teeth.

4. You are a raspberry blowing machine!  You love making noises with your mouth, blowing noises and spit all over the place!

5. How have I not written about this earlier!  Every since you were a tiny babe, you’ve loved to kick your feet.  Whether it be nursing, on the changing pad, dangling off the edge of our lap, or laying back in your stroller, you kick those little toes like it’s your J.O.B. It’s something I’ve come to expect when holding you, or cuddling you.  Kick, kick, kick, we’ve even worked those three little words into some of our silly songs we sing together, mommy’s ever inventive lyrics. :)

6. One of our new favorite games is having you sit up on our bed, and mommy intentionally falls onto the covers around you, sending you into fits of sweet, baby giggles.  You laugh and smile and giggle like it is the most fun you’ve ever had.  It’s the sweetest music, I could listen to you giggle all night long.

7. You’ve went on your first swing!  The bucket swings are quite the ticket at our local park, at peak hours there’s even a line for swings, if you can believe that.  Doting parents that we are, we patiently wait in said lines, and indulge in pure giddiness as you gently swing back and forth, offering up a few smirky smiles, even baring those teeth buds a time or too in enjoyment.  

8. Our solid food journey continues.  You've dabbled with rice cereal, bananas, sweet potatoes, apples, and pears at 5 months.  Ultimately we tried oatmeal and you've never looked back, kid.  Oatmeal makes everything taste better in your eyes, mama might beg to disagree...  

9. I brought you in to school for my “Star of the Week” presentation for my first grade class.  You sat in my lap and cooed and babbled so sweetly, the kids sat there in awe of your little feet kicking, hands waving, and sweet gummy smile.  One of my students even asked so sweetly, “How does she do her hair like that?” referring to how your hair sweeps to one side. I chuckled and smiled, explaining that I brush her hair every night after her bath, but it tends to sweep to the right on its own.  So sweet.

10. Daddy loves to encourage you to crawl.  You sit up with gusto, but you’re not quite ready to turn tummy time into crawling, though you love to watch him crawl around all the furniture, kicking your feet in delight.  Sometimes, he puts you on a blanket and drags you alongside him across the hardwood floors, so you’re “crawling” together.  You love it!

10 Reasons Why I Love You: 5 Months

Two months late, but better late than never…right?

{5 Months}

1. You rolled over, back to front, for the first time unassisted!  February 15, 2014.  We were in Big Sky, Montana on a family ski trip, and you casually rolled back to front like it was no big deal.  Dad led us in a rousing cheer, and you smiled your sweet gummy smile in silent pride.  We’re so proud of you!  You then continued to show off your mad roll skills a handful of times later that day.

2. You are such a calm, mellow baby.  Many people have commented on your relaxed, easy going, and calm demeanor.  And they’re completely right, you are a pretty “chill” baby, your dad says you definitely get that from him and not me.  He’s probably right...  

3. You’ve become much more skilled at finding your thumb while sitting up. In the car seat, seated on the airplane, leaning on mom’s shoulder, you’ve improved your aim at engaging that left thumb with a comfortable suck.  It’s the sweetest.

4. We’ve discovered your infatuation / fear of bubbles.  It is hysterical!  You are awed by the soapy bubbles floating through the air, but often terrified as they pop before your eyes, throwing your hands back with a sharp gasp.  It provides endless entertainment.

5. Since you mastered thumb sucking at a mere 6 weeks, I guess it was only a matter of time before you discovered it is also possible to suck your toes.  This is your latest endeavor on the beloved changing table, grabbing your feet and pulling them up to your face, with an occasional  toe meeting lips.  Oh, my flexible daughter!

6. I love your deep, contented sigh.  Sometimes, after a gaze that takes it all in, you exhale this deep breathe and shrug your shoulders a tiny bit.  It’s the most adorable thing.

7. You’ve discovered how to sit up in the bath tub, reaching your little fingers forward to grip the opposite edge of the bathtub, reaching for the little rubber ducky and frog.  It makes mommy a little nervous, but you’re always eager to explore, and I don’t want to stand in your way.

8. Every day you become more aware of your environment.  The lights glowing on the ceiling, the clouds in the sky, a car started behind you.  You look, stare, survey, and gaze at everything, knowingly taking it all in. I wish I knew what you were thinking as your big blue eyes gaze around at this big world we live in.

9. You’re a ticklish little one.  I hold my fingers high above your head and slowly wiggle my fingers creeping closer and closer to you. You usually giggle in anticipation as my fingers come closer and closer, and you definitely burst into a fit of giggles when my fingers meet your skin.  It’s so much fun to play with you.

10. Every night we tell you what we’re thankful for.  You, of course!  We share specifics, thankful for a family member, a good day at work, but usually our thanks are everything to do with sweet, wonderufl you, the latest giggle, a new milestone, we are thankful for you every day.

10 Reasons Why I Love You

{4 months}

1. You have the cutest little dimple just above your elbow.  Finally, you’ve gathered enough fat to create those adorable, pudgy, baby rolls, albeit only in your arms and legs.  I could eat them up!

2. You love touching our faces.  You palm our cheeks, cup our chins (and attempt to bite with gusto), tug at our hair, all the while sharing your sweeter than sweet gummy smile.

3.  You’ve discovered your feet.  On the changing table (which for the record, is still your favorite place IN the world!) you lift your feet up in the air, grabbing them toward your face - usually mid diaper change, and roll back and forth boasting your flexibility with bravado.

4. You are growing so fast - already wearing 9 month, even 12-month clothes and you're only 4 months!  While the clothes hang around your mid-section, your lengthy physique causes the need for the bigger size, you are one long little babe.

5. Your hair is growing in! You have a tuft of long, dark hair atop your head that curls across your forehead in a wisp of straight bangs.  Of course, countering that, is a patchy bald spot centered on the back of your head where your hair has rubbed away from laying on your back.  When your dad and I look back through pictures of you from birth until now, we’re amazed at your full head of hair and how quickly it has grown.

6. You are a giggler!  You love to laugh, giggle, coo, and blow raspberries much to your delight and our own.  We love hearing your sweet chortle, it’s the sweetest music my ears have ever heard.  I could listen to you giggle all day long.

7. You definitely enjoy your naked time.  At the end of the day, just before bath time, we turn up the heat and allow you to indulge in a little naked time, letting you wiggle, roll, kick, and play in the buff.  You love every minute of it!

8. You have grippy little toes, just like mommy.  I've been able to pick up items with my toes since I was young, and I’m predicting you’ll bestow the same talents.  When I kiss your toes, you can grip my lip with a single foot, which makes you giggle as your grip is steadfast.

9. You continue to play with your hair as a self soothing technique.  While eating, you extend your fingers, and palm your face, running your fingers back and forth from your eyebrow, across your forehead, to the nape of your neck, and back. It's the sweetest thing.

10. Sometimes, when you're tired, you'll lay your head gently upon my shoulder, tucked in the nook between my chin and shoulder, and exhale a deep sigh.  I enjoy these quiet little moments of closeness together more than you'll ever know.

10 Reasons Why I Love You

I'm falling behind on my posts...

{3 months}

1. You’ve discovered your hands!  While you’ve already been captivated by your thumb, you’ve made the recent discovery of your hands.  You hold one over the other, knitting them together in your grasp as if to say a tiny prayer.   This hand holding alternates pretty steadily with tucking them in your mouth, your whole fist sometimes!

2. You still adore your changing pad, especially around the bewitching hours of 5-6 o’clock.  We place you on there, lock eyes with us, and there’s this spark in your pupils as you begin your kicking, reaching, “flailing” routine, it’s like an above water swim or something.  Both Daddy and I can recognize that spark in your eyes, it’s as if you’re showing off your mad skills.  We look forward to this every night.

3. You’ve begun to grasp at everything!  The toys hanging from your play mat, the tassles on mommy’s hoodie, my hair, and may I say you’ve got quite a grip!  It’s amazing how the world is coming alive to you, things you used to just look at are now becoming objects you can touch and connect with.  It’s amazing to see you grow and interact with your world.

4. Since about 6 or 7 weeks, you’ve been quite the talker, but you save your true personality for mom and dad.  It’s funny, because others will try to cajole a smile out of you, and while you often oblige, it’s as if you’re saving your true colors for us.  Your laugh, giggles, sweet smile, and wiggles, we love to make you smile, it melts our hearts every time.

5. You’ve almost rolled over!  You’re more interested in rolling back to front than front to pack.  Your latest move: lay on your back, arch your back and twist, thus propelling your body on its side.  Just one little elbow tucked underneath stands in your way from a full body roll over.  It’s bound to happen soon!

6. You’re such a happy girl!  You light up whenever your dad comes home.  When we hear the keys turn in the door, and his footsteps in the hall, you look up and around, and reward him with a big gummy smile when he walks in the room. It’s priceless!

7. Your noises have multiplied!  From cries to “cat calls” to chirps and gargles, your range of sounds and vocals has quadrupled.  We love hearing you talk, babble, and communicate with us.

8. You’re a copy cat!  One of your favorite things to mimic is sticking out your tongue!  We stick our tongue out at you, and instantly you’re mesmerized; intently studying and watching, before you try this “trick” yourself.  Another move you enjoy mimicking is when we roll our “R’s” and you gargle back, that and blowing raspberries…you love to copy us blowing your lips together to make us laugh.  

9. Sitting up!  The Bumbo is your new best friend, although it’s a tight squeeze with a cloth diaper on (haha).  You enjoy sitting up on the counter, giving you the best vantage point in town as we make dinner.  

10. You have the cutest way of crossing your feet as you lay on your back.  You rest one foot atop the other, and often switching back and forth as you wiggle and play.  At night, in you snooze in your crib, we can see the two little feet, nestled across each other in the bottom of your sleep sack.  

10 Reasons Why I Love You

1. I love how when you're sleeping in our arms or lap, your hands fold gently across your chest, one atop the other.  It's the sweetest thing to watch when you sleep, you look so peaceful and content.  The soft folds of your hands, the smoothness of your sweet skin, I could stare at little baby hands all day long and be wholeheartedly content.

2. You've found your thumb!  After we put you to bed one night, but before we retired ourselves, we heard this loud sucking sound coming from your crib.  I tiptoed in to check on you, and there you were, sucking your little left thumb with gusto.  I hissed at your dad to come in and see, and together we quietly leaned over the edge of your crib, watching you in awe, so proud of your feat.  It's truly amazing how you're already learning and discovering new things for yourself.  Now, a few weeks later, as you're getting more skilled at consistently finding your thumb, you had this adorable habit of sucking your thumb with one hand, and twirling your hair with the other.  It's the sweetest!

3. You've become such a talker, you coo, and smile, and flirt.  It's as if we're having a secret conversation that no one else understands.  Your dad and I have been trying to capture this magic on video for a few weeks now, and I finally got it.  You cooed, smiled, and babbled up a storm.  I've watched that clip on repeat.

4. Oh, how I love your snuggle!  At our mommy and me movie, after I burped you, you curled up on my shoulder, and nuzzled into the soft fabric of my shirt, burrowing your head around until you found that sweet, comfy spot.  With one arm curled around my back, the other resting across my chest, your eyelids grew heavy, your head grew heavy on my shoulder, and you snuggled in for a good nap.  I love  these moments, the closeness of your heartbeat against mine, your warm breath against my neck, our heads nestled against each other in pure bliss.  You can nap on me anywhere, anytime sweet girl.

5. I love your smile, you are such a happy baby!  When we tickle and smile at you, your gummy grin lights up right back at us.  You also love to smile in your sleep, it makes me wonder what you're thinking and dreaming about.

6. You have the cutest little rolls on your wrists, it's the perfect little fold of skin, right where your arm and hand meet.  It's as if you have a rubber band or hair tie right folded right at the crease of this joint.   It's such a small detail, but I love it.

7. You are soo long! At your two month check up this week, the doctor exclaimed, "She's so long!" You are topping the charts at 24 1/4 inches!  Officially in the 95th percentile for your age, you're going to be a tall girl just like your mom!  You're a long and lean little baby, growing more everyday.

8. Turns out, the love for the Detroit Tigers pacifier was short lived, your dad and I joke that you're a fair weather fan, as you gave up your fondness for it shortly after they lost to the Red Sox.  Your latest interest, your lamb Wubbanub, affectionately known as "Lambie."  If we're out and you're feeling fussy, you can bet mom and dad are scrambling going, "Where's Lambie, do you have Lambie?"  However, Lambie does play second fiddle to the built in soother known as your thumb, occasionally we'll find Lambie (who we left on your chest, mid suckle), thrown across your crib in the middle of the night.  Guess there's no substitute for the real thing!

9. You're an active little one.  Lately, the changing table has become center stage for windmill arm and leg acrobatics, kick, kick, kickin' and flailing all around.  It's a mini workout on your back.  We love watching you play.

10. You think mommy is hilarious!  One of our new morning routines is for you to gently rock in the swing, while I playfully dance around the room in faux ballet poses and stretches.  It's a sight to see, let me tell you :)  You smile and crinkle your eyes when I goofily dance around, while you wave and kick and coo happily, amused and entertained by my silly antics.
Mommy appreciates this vote of confidence, by the way.  Love having you by my side. :)

10 Reasons Why I Love You

1. You are such a sweet and curious baby, always turning your side to side to soak up your surroundings, I always wonder, what are you thinking about?  You are usually wide eyed and alert when awake, pensively staring as you take it all in.

2. You love to stretch!  When you wake, you arch your back, slowly shrug your shoulders, and move your head gently from side to side.  This is followed by clenched fists as you reach your arms upward into the air, shoulders twisting from side to side.  Your stretching is often accompanied by a great big yawn, and you are most definitely your momma's daughter, not easy to rouse after a restful sleep.

3. You love sleeping with your arms above your head; arms up, elbows bent, head tilted to the side, as if you're a referee calling a touchdown.  While you enjoy your swaddle time, you almost always find a way to wrangle those arms free of that swaddle blanket to resume this comfy position.

4. You have the best facial expressions!  From sleepy to happy to quizzical to amused, we're doing our best to capture each and every expression in photographs.  We can already tell you're growing so big, we look back at pictures of you as a newborn and you look so tiny!

5. You have been a rockstar baby for visitors. When friends and family come over, you either coo sweetly or lounge contentedly in their lap, snoozing as they ooh and ahh over your sweet face.  It's as if you're saving your louder personality just for mom and dad :)

6. You are a snugglebug, we love how you're so eager to curl up and nestle your head into our shoulder or snuggle into your daddy's chest.  I love peeking down at you, as you rest your gentle head on my shoulder, and seeing your wide open mouth; content and fed, and happily asleep.

7. You love your changing pad - it's so funny, I would have never thought the diaper station would be a preferred location for a baby, but you're always happy and content to wiggle and lay there while we're rummaging through drawers or clamoring for wipes.  I think you like the vantage point, being able to lay comfortably and stare up, as you'd much prefer laying here your crib :)

8. Of all the pacifiers in the bunch, you much prefer your Detroit Tiger's pacifier to them all.  No Soothies, Nuks, or Wubbanubs for this baby - at least not yet.  Your dad thinks this is a good omen for his beloved sports team.

9. You have the cutest sleepy just-after-eating smile.  Your forehead crinkles up as you raise your eyebrows, and a slow sleepy smile spreads across your face.

10. You have changed our life forever.  We love you so much already Riley, and our hearts are growing with love for you every single day.