9 months

so, girlfriend turned nine months a week and a half ago and I should probably blog about it. I would have sooner, but G and I are having the best time up here in NorCal visiting my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and all my gorgeous nieces. since we've been here we have gone to a children's museum, made colored rice and noodles, successfully put Gemma down for naps that did not happen in her own crib at home, bounced on the trampoline with a baby on my hip (you should have heard her laugh), helped baked and decorate a cake, made a regular pizza and a fruit pizza, have had basil in all our eggs (yum), went to a crossfit competition, took all five girls to petsmart, PRd on my dead lift!!!!! (235#) and Amy and I just finished watching Legends of the Fall. .... I don't have any words for that movie yet. Lets just say we will be naming NO child of ours Tristan, ever.

but, back to G being nine months...

She now....

- takes steps!! The first couple happened on Easter and now if you hold something interesting in front of her, magic happens. It's adorable.. She looks like a wobbly penguin.

- GIVES KISSES!!!!! I die. They are the best. They are totally open mouthed and sometimes she sticks her tongue out, but when you say "can I have a kiss?" She leans forward to kiss!!! I love it.

- holds her own sippy cup and is learning to tip her head back to get more. You should have heard the fit she threw the first time I handed it to her and she couldn't get the water inside. She kept putting it back in my hands to hold it for her.

- learning NOT to pinch or pull hair. I didn't think the 'pulling hair' part was an issue, but since we've been up here she seems to have gotten an affinity for pulling poor little Abigail's pretty red hair. Not cool, girlfriend.

- at home she now drives her little car all around the house to follow me and she has gotten really good at ramming and hitting my ankles. Which isn't frustrating at all.

- she misses her daddy up here. Every time I say 'dada' she looks at me... And then looks around, then back to me and then gets a very concerned look on her face. It will be a happy reunion on Tuesday.

easter walker

this was such a fun Easter weekend.
not only was it an amazing time to reflect on Jesus and his sacrifice and atonement, but Good Friday always seems to bring me to tears.

I'm pretty sure these next thoughts are all because this is my first Easter being a mother, but I couldn't help but think of his mother, Mary (Matthew 27:55-56) , and wonder how her heart was sick and wrung out with grief and sorrow, watching her son, her firstborn, the one who made her a mother, being tortured and hung on a cross and eventually die right in front of her.

I wonder how she didn't lose her mind completely. I believe she knew with all her heart that he was The Messiah, but I don't know if that made his death any easier, because... still... He died.

And then I think about that Third Day. that glorious, miraculous, best-day-ever. Did her heart feel like it was going to explode with joy and relief and happiness that couldn't be measured when she saw him alive with her own eyes (Matthew 28:9) ?

this weekend we were at my mother in laws house (Judy) and we spent most of the time playing, talking and holding Gemma. Then, earlier today (Easter Sunday) us three girls were in the kitchen and Gemma was holding onto my legs as Jude and I were talking.
After a minute or two I realized G wasn't holding onto me anymore and I looked down and watched her take her first couple steps.
I instantly felt joy, happiness, fear, amazement, and thankfulness. Interestingly enough a couple minutes later I thought of Mary and I wondered if she felt those same things when she watched Jesus take his first steps.

After all... we are both mothers.

8 months!

Girlfriend turned 8 months on march 3rd and is keeping all of us on our toes.

- she is full on crawling and pulling herself up to stand.

- she's eating solids, but hates the chunky baby food with a fiery passion of a thousand suns.

- if she sees you or me eating something, she will want it, whatever it is. that's basically how she's been introduced to most of the solid foods she's eaten.

- she will often use Singer to help her stand up. she's lucky Sing has wrinkles to grab on to. Sing is unlucky that she has wrinkles that can be grabbed.

- the bumbo is now completely OUT OF THE QUESTION. time to look for a high chair.

- if we forget to put up Singer's food bowl we will often find Gemma sitting quietly at it packing her chubby cheeks with kibble. it is DIS-GUS-TING. G will also throw a major fit if and when you fish out all of those kibbles... as if you just tried to pull her tongue out.

- she is fearless, which also means she crashes, bumps, falls and bangs her head, arms, legs, back and front into everything. I'm not the type of mom to hover. I think it's good for her to explore and figure certain things out on her own, which is kind of hilarious because BFF Amy (and myself) thought I would be the opposite. with that said, she will often be sporting a bruise or a scrape here or there.. but always a smile.

- AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT HAS HAPPENED IS..... she said "mama" to me. I was feeding her and raised the spoon to her mouth and she looked at me and said.. "maamaa". I froze.. And then I was like WHATDIDYOUSAY?! of course she wouldn't say it on command. And then the next day she said "dado" to Todd. We don't even know how to explain how much joy those little words have brought us.

We are blessed.

where did my baby go?

this morning (even though its not yet 8am) has been perfect.
Gemma is now fully crawling and pulling herself up to stand on and hold onto everything. She also sprung up her second tooth this past weekend. Snotty nose and all.

We drove to pick up Sing from my moms yesterday and Gemma was so excited when I plopped Singer beside her in the car. They talked the whole way home. Well.. Half way. Mostly Singer spent the whole time eating up chips crumbs from the cracks in the seat left by my darling eldest niece last week. I knew Singer would enjoy them.

This morning Todd brought Gemma into bed with me after making coffee and changing her diaper and she talked and rolled around and chewed on a nail polish bottle. After Todd left for work I made her a bottle and we snuggled with Singer on the couch.... For like an hour. It was so fun. Girlfriend is now a constant wiggle worm so anytime she is still is amazing/ I don't want to move a muscle in case it reminds her that she wasn't moving. She spent most of the time eating and either petting Sing or pulling her ears.

This is such a fun age for G. She's discovering thing on her own and loves when she does something new or when she's getting into something she isn't. And believe me.. She knows the difference.

7 months!

Gemma turned 7 months old on Saturday.
she is nothing but fun and smiles all day long.. unless her teeth popping in are hurting and then she's fussy, uncomfortable and crying, but I mean... other than that she's perfect.

At 7 months Gemma is...

- sitting up in her own.

- her first tooth popped through the other day and it's ADORABLE.

- trying to feed herself with her spoon. (unsuccessful) (every time)

- pulling anything and everything off low shelves.

- talking all the time (blah, blah, dada...)

- smiling at strangers and making their day.

- sitting up in the bath, which actually makes the whole process harder.

- she is thisclose to crawling on her knees. (maybe next month?)

my favorite month

happy February!
here are a few things that happy this month..


// MY 25th BIRTHDAY
// Gemma turns 7 months
// my dads birthday
// my best friends birthday
// my mother in laws birthday
// my cousins birthday
// Ash Wednesday (the beginning of the Preparation Season)
// Super Bowl
// February is Responsible Pet Owners month (I kid you not.. therefore, Singer will get a bath and her nails clipped.)
// and of course...... VALENTINE'S DAY.

I love this month.

this and that

things I've learned lately:

- it would take me five minutes to whip up a doll for Gemma, but because I can't figure my fracking sewing machine out... It's taking me days.

- a few weeks ago I did a kipping pull up UNASSISTED! (Google it)

- AAAAAAND last week I learned how to do handstand push ups. I love crossfit.

- we have a crawler in the house. Therefore I'm watching her like a hawk. she discovered Singer's food and water bowls this past weekend. Ew.

- we also have a teether! I stuck my finger in her mouth (because she likes to chomp on them from time to time) and I felt a tiny tooth poking out! I was so impressed that she really hasn't fussed at all....... I should have known I had jinxed myself right then and there. The past two days have been so hard for her. She's so uncomfortable and squirmy. Homegirl took FOUR naps today. Growing up is hard.

- Todd and I are going on a date this weekend. I am thrilled that we are seeing Silver Linings Playbook. I am so excited to spend some time with him.

- and in this moment, at 9:35pm.. After Gemma has been asleep for two hours already.. I am fighting the urge to go wake her up and hold her. This happens more often than not most nights. Todd and I will often say to each other that we miss her after we put her to sleep. We love that child so, so, so much.