{8 months}

 

Hey everyone! It's Lucy checking in this time! Mom asked if I could drop by and say a few words about what it's like to be 8 months old. Gosh, I'm old! Okay, not really. 8 months is pretty great so far. I love being able to get around more. I'm not really crawling yet, but I did figure out how to rock back on to my knees. For some reason, I can only push myself backwards! I don't understand! Mom and dad put toys in front of me, and I just seem to get further and further away from them! Oh well...I know it won't be long now before I figure out how to go the other direction. and then they'll really be in big trouble.

Speaking of toys (they are so much fun!), my favorite ones right now are my LuLu ladybug rocker, my pink babydoll, and my stacking rings. I especially love when mom puts my super soft blue bear in the crib with me. I cuddle with him and he helps me go to sleep...I think mom and dad really appreciate that!

I love food. Seriously...I can't get enough of the stuff. Avocado, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, waffles, apples, bananas...I could go on and on! I could really live without butternut squash though. yuck. It's too bad mom and dad made so much of that. Anyway, I especially love when I get to feed myself. Just give me a big old pile of puffs or frozen peas...and I'd be a happy girl! I also still love nursing from my mama...I think that makes her pretty happy!

The dog and I really seem to be getting along pretty well these days. I think I'm finally growing on her..although I think it might just be because I am dropping so much food on the floor for her now. It's okay...I'll take what I can get!

So yeah, things are pretty great these days. Mom and dad take me out and about a lot, which is super fun. I get really bored when I'm stuck in the house too long! I love going to visit my little friends, to restaurants and going to visit mom-mom and pop-pop in Cincinnati. 

The only thing not-so-great right now are these two teeth I have coming in on the top. Mom keeps calling them my "fangs"! They sure do hurt a lot and it makes me have a real hard time sleeping sometimes. Mom and dad give me gripe water before bed and that helps. Just give me something to chew on...please!!!

Well folks, that's it for me. Mom says it's nap time (aka...my least favorite thing in the world), but I'll try and be a good girl today. Over and out!

Love, 

Lucy

{naked as we came}

In the months before Lucy was born, I spent a lot of time carefully selecting music that I wanted to play while I was in labor at home. I compiled CD's from my personal collection as well as from the library and set them neatly in a stack next to the CD player so they would be ready when the time came. I chose music that was calming, relaxing, and inspiring to help me bring my baby into to the world.

I ended up being in labor for about 34 hours after all was said and done. When things were easier and much less intense in the beginning, we opted to watch the Harry Potter movies. We've seen them all many, many times and it was something we could watch but not have to be too engaged in. We also love the music in the movies and thought it would make for some good background noise. We watched, we snacked, we snuggled, we talked...until the power went out the first night. No more Harry Potter for us. The power did come back on the next morning though...and back on the movies went. (Seriously...anytime we watch those movies now, I am immediately reminded of labor...)

But I digress...

The last 6 hours or so of my labor were the most intense. This is when it was time to turn off the movies and turn on the music. I was really needing to focus at this point as I quickly spiraled into the deep space that I like to refer to as "labor land". I sat on the couch with my dear friend and doula, Michelle on one side...and my husband on the other side. I felt myself melting into my own body and the music as the contractions came quickly one after the other. At one point, the song "Naked As We Came" by Iron and Wine came on and it felt so perfect right in that moment. Between contractions, I focused on quietly singing along. This has now become my song for Lucy.....the little girl who has changed my world.

{art is love}

Anyone who knows me knows I love crafting and painting and just about anything of that nature. I certainly don't have the time these days to do nearly as much of it as I'd like to...so I thought why not just get Lucy in on the action and we can do it together...

So....out came the finger paints!

She absolutely loved getting messy with me on the floor. She loved squishing the ooey gooey paint between her fingers and spreading it all over the paper and herself and ummm...putting it in her mouth (which is why the pacifier stayed in most of the time) I'll say...she did need a little help getting the paint on the paper, but hey...she did it...and it was fun!

Her first project was making a beautiful painting for her cousin (my niece), Ella who is turning 10 this week. (Side note....10?!?! How did my little Ella get to double digits already??!?!) The package went into the mail and off to Colorado this afternoon. I think Ella will love it :)

I can't wait to do more art projects with my girl. Next time I will probably make some homemade finger paints using this recipe...

...and if you need some more inspiration...check out this sweet baby art...

{delicious}

Lucy loves her new highchair (thanks mom mom!)..

She LOVES when you put her in and wheel her around the kitchen and dining room..and she loves being a part of the action in the kitchen and being able to feed herself. Puffs are a definite fave right now...and just this morning I gave her some frozen peas to munch on. She was put off by how cold they were at first...but after finally surrendering it to the mouth...she was a happy girl. Daddy and I made a giant batch of butternut squash last weekend, and so far she is not a fan. Avocado's are not a favorite either....even though this is mommy's favorite food!! oh well. She's a good eater either way...so I really can't complain. My girl has a healthy appetite...and I'm super grateful for that!

{fox in socks}

Have you ever read the book "Fox in Socks" 

by Dr. Seuss?

You should. It's absolutely hysterical.

It's a super wild giant tongue twister.

"What do you know about tweetle beetles?
Well…

When tweetle beetles fight, it’s called a tweetle beetle battle.

And when they battle in a puddle, it’s a tweetle beetle puddle battle.

And when tweetle beetles battle with paddles in a puddle, they call it a tweetle beetle puddle paddle battle.

And when beetles battle beetles in a puddle paddle battle and the beetle battle puddle is a puddle in a bottle…

…They call this a tweetle beetle bottle puddle paddle battle muddle."

 Fun for the whole family :)

{click}

Considering how obsessed I am with taking pictures...I'm pretty sure Lucy needs a little baby camera of her own (personalized with her name, of course)...

{found here}

{just give mommy a minute!}

Today was one of those days. Lucy could not be put down for ONE second. I sure had a heck of a time getting ready for work. I swear I almost wore my pajamas today. I never got a chance to eat breakfast and was finally able to eat lunch when I got to work at 1pm....

So, yeah....after a full on screaming fit pretty much all morning, with a morning nap also being an epic fail...I put her in the crib for a minute so I could go wash out her cloth diaper. She screamed, of course, because I left the room. She was burying her head in the blanket and had her butt up in the air. Then all of the sudden....it stopped. Quiet. I rushed in to see what happened....and she had the blanket pulled tight over her head. When I moved it off of her face, I see that she is out cold.

Of course....she finally falls asleep 5 minutes before we needed to leave the house! Oh man...I did have to laugh, though.

It's these kind of days that I wish I really could just sit and hold her all day long. Obviously she is needing extra love for some reason and I want to be the one to give it to her! But unfortunately, today was one of the 3 days in the week that I actually go to work. I felt terrible handing her off to the babysitter...partly because I know Lucy was needing some mommy time, and partly because I knew it would probably make for a rough day for the babysitter. Zach said things weren't any better when he picked her up this evening...

It really must be frustrating to not be able to say exactly what you need at that moment. "mommy, my teeth hurt!", "mommy, I don't feel good!", "mommy, I just want you to hold me!", "mommy, I'm bored!" So all we can do is try our best to meet her needs from moment to moment. I think we're doing a pretty okay job around here most of the time :)