To My Sweet 7 Month Old Baby Girl

Munchkin,

This month you have been busy!!

For a few days you were super cranky, cried at the littlest things, and had the snottiest nose ever, and then last week you had two teeth pop through.  First the bottom left, then the bottom right.  You are always feeling them with your tongue, lips, fingers, and gums.  You love to say the sound "Bah!" because I think you can feel your teeth when you do.  You have been extra drooley since the teeth came through, but now you are as happy as can be again.  It's exciting, strange, and a little sad to see little teeth in your mouth when you smile at me.  It's so fun to see you growing up, but everything is going by so quickly that I find myself clinging on to everything I can, trying to hold onto my little baby, because before I know it, you will be a toddler.

You figured out crawling this month, and my goodness you keep me running after you.  You have a mischievous streak that is coming through now that you can move yourself around.  When I take showers in the morning, if you are awake I will pull you out of your crib and surround you with toys to play with while I'm gone.  Last week while I was in the shower I could hear you babbling to yourself, but then you got really quiet.  I was almost done with my shower when I heard you again, but you sounded a lot closer.  You had crawled out of your room, down the hall, and then sat in the doorway of the bathroom.  You babbled into the room as if to ask "Hey, Mom!  Are you in this room?"  I peeked out of the shower and said hi to you, and you just crawled across the room to the tub like it was no big deal.  That day you really did just wake up and decide "I'm sick of just sitting here, I will crawl today."

Now that you are crawling, nothing is safe.  You are moving faster and faster every time you try to crawl, and you want to explore and put everything in your mouth.  You love to crawl around my feet as I am cooking dinner in the kitchen, and you remind me of a little puppy. You also are starting to pull yourself up onto things, which means I'm sure you'll be bonking your head a lot more this month (you gotta learn somehow, I suppose, but I wish I could protect you from everything).

You are learning that things exist even if you can't see them.  You love playing peek a boo with me, it always makes you laugh.  You also love to drop things off of the edge of the couch or bed and then lean over to try and find it again, when you do see it, you get so excited and kick your legs and do this "excited face" where you scrunch up your nose, pucker your lips out, and breath really fast (it's adorable).  You don't understand that you could fall off and hurt yourself, though, so we have to watch you closely.

We are finally diligently starting you on solids now.  You hated them at first, but after a week of "practice" you are now opening your mouth to take a few bites before you start clenching your little gums together.  You really liked peas, you LOVED bananas, you hated the chicken puree we gave you last night (but honestly, it seems funky to me anyway), carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes are okay in your opinion, maybe you will like them more as you eat them more.  You would much rather have smaller chunks of food we are eating, so I will often give you tiny pieces of bread, or squish up some veggies we are having for dinner that night, and you love that.

You are such a happy baby, and I love being your mommy.  I am so blessed to be able to hang out with you all day every day.  Daddy just finished school this week, so he will have a lot more time this summer to play with you, and he is so excited!  This summer will be our funnest summer yet!

Until next month,
Love,
Mommy

To My Sweet 6 Month Old Baby Girl

Smiley Sadie,

This month you are go-go-go.

One morning you woke up and you decided "I think I'll sit up today," and then you were just sitting.  You are pretty darn steady too, you've hardly ever fallen over, and even when you do you have never cried.  Your favorite thing to do is to sit in front of a pile of toys and pick each one up, cover it with slobbers, and then put it down.  You look like such a big girl sitting up, I had a few moments where I panicked that you are growing up too fast.  I have to keep reminding myself that you are getting more and more fun the older you get, and that it is okay, great even, that you are learning new "big girl" things.

You love to be on your hands and knees now.  You do something we call "rocky-rocky" where you rock back and forth from your head to your bum.  I laugh at this because I spent a lot of time at college studying the fundamentals of movement, and how babies all start moving, and you are taking the exact steps in movement I learned, and you are fantastic at them.  It is so cute because I think you can even understand me, because you will be on your hands and knees just looking at me and I'll say "Hey Sweetie, could you show me your rocky-rocky?" and you just take off, rocking away, only to stop and look up at me and smile as if to say "Hey Mom, look, I'm doing it!"  You also love to get your feet up underneath you and do something that looks a lot like the yoga pose "downward dog."  You can get up and down from that, but you can't figure out how to move your arms too.  I can tell that you are so incredibly close to crawling.  I'm waiting for that morning that you just wake up and decide to do it, and then there will be no stopping you, you will be crawling everywhere.

You are a determined little girl.  If you want something, you will figure out a way to get it.  If it is a toy just out of reach, you will scooch, roll, and reach your way over there to get it, and you are so proud of yourself when you accomplish your goal.  Hang on to that quality, sweet girl.  Set good goals, and don't be afraid to work for them.

You have become extra wiggly this month.  You usually think it's pretty annoying to be held in my lap anymore, but you love to be sitting next to me.  If I try to hold you, you will just squirm and twist around until I put you down.  However, you hate being by yourself.  If you can see me in the same room as you, you are fine, but if you see me walk away from you, you panic and start to fuss.

Braxton is your favorite cousin right now.  He can make you laugh better than anyone in the family, including your daddy or me.  You think he is absolutely hilarious, and he loves that you give him so much attention.  You usually see him a few times a week, and I love watching him play with you.

We have been working on baby signs with you for a few months, and this morning you may or may not have showed me your first sign back.  You were laying on my bed and I looked at you and you reached out your hand and squeezed it shut like the sign for "milk."  When I asked if you wanted milk, doing the sign back, you got very excited.  I don't know if it was a coincidence or not, but I like to think that maybe you are picking it up and beginning to understand.

A funny little trait you have picked up this month is you are always sticking your little tongue out, especially if you are concentrating on something, just like your daddy.  I think you are so dang cute like this, and can't get enough of watching you do it.  You also love to pat your hands on things...your knee, the floor, your toys, me, whatever is near you.  It's like you're saying "Hey, I like this thing right here."

You love your baths so much! You could lay and sit in the water for an hour and be happy to just splash around.  We should probably get you some bath toys, huh?  You love getting me wet with your splashes.  You will kick the water and splash me in the face and then laugh and laugh.

You are keeping me on my toes, little one.  I can't believe I ever survived without you in my life.  You are the best thing that has ever happened to our family, and I am so glad I get to be your mommy.  Thanks for choosing us for your family!
I love you,
Mommy

To My Sweet 5 Month Old Baby Girl

Sweet Girl,

This month was a month of lots of fun with you. Some of my favorite highlights of this month have been:

• Taking you on your first road trip to Flaming Gorge.  You loved Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Flinders so much.  You loved sitting on their laps and talking to them.  They are almost completely deaf, so I'm not sure if they heard you, but they loved singing you songs and talking to you and just enjoying your sweet company.
• Watching you became a professional roller.  I used to leave you on the bed to do quick things, like take a shower, or load the dishwasher, or switch over a load of laundry.  You used to only roll once, and then stop, but after I ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth and came back to find you right on the edge of the bed, we had to stop doing that.  
• You sat in your first high chair at "Dairy Keen" in Heber.  You are so tiny that we had to shove a sweatshirt behind you to keep you from slipping all over the place, but you thought you were pretty dang cool sitting up with all the adults.
• You love to hang upside down and look around the room. You will lean back in our laps until you are looking upside down and then laugh and laugh.
• You also are starting to recognize when Daddy is coming in from school.  You hear the front door open and close and then start looking around, kicking your legs with excitement, for Daddy.  You love him so much, and I love watching you two together.
• You LOVE blowing spit bubbles.  You are constantly a drooly, wet mess because of your constant bubble blowing.  
• You have also discovered your voice this month.  While you are sitting in your bouncer in the kitchen while I cook dinner, you will chatter away at me the entire time.  I can't stop laughing at you, and you think it's pretty great to be getting attention, so you keep talking my ear off.
• You love to be naked, so every morning I will take off your jammies and change your diaper, but then I will bring you into our room and let you lay on our bed and wiggle around for a few minutes before getting you dressed.  You are all smiles during your morning "nakey time" and I love giggling at you.

You are such a content baby, and I love being your mommy.  It takes a lot for you to cry, and you are usually all smiles and giggles while you are awake.  I love you so much I can hardly stand it!

Love,

Mommy

4 Generations in Flaming Gorge

My mommy's parents live in a cabin up in Flaming Gorge.  I have always loved going up to visit them.  They are seriously the cutest old people ON THE PLANET.  I have a thing for old people, I think they are adorable, and my grandparents top that list with golden stars.

My mom found these picture frames that said "Four Generations" on them and after she bought a couple, she became antsy to visit her parents with Sadie and me to get the picture to put in them.

 Four Generations

My grandma is the youngest of 9 or 10 kids, and her mom was almost 50 (yes, you read that right) when she gave birth to her.  Her oldest siblings were easily old enough to be her parents, and I'm pretty sure she never even met her grandparents.  If I remember correctly, her grandpa crossed the plains, as in with the pioneers. My grandma's grandpa knew Joseph Smith.  That is just wild to me!  My grandma was telling us these stories and kept saying the only 4 generation picture she would ever be able to hope for was one in heaven, but she isn't so sure if there are cameras there to take the picture for her!

My grandparents seriously loved Sadie Lady to bits and pieces.  They just wanted to hold her and squish her and talk to her and watch her play.  I am in love with this picture of my sweet old grandpa holding my sweet little girl, just having a little chat.  I have been blessed with amazingly kind and loving grandparents, and I am so glad they were able to meet the most precious thing I have ever had in my life, my wonderful daughter.

We had a great weekend full of stories of my grandparents' past, crafting, cooking, and just visiting.  I love being in their home, and can't wait to get up there to visit them again as soon as Logan is out of school for the summer.

Adalyn Comes Down from Heaven

Well the triplet cousins are all here now!  

January 27th Brynn and Casey had their third baby, but their first girl, Adalyn. She has so much hair she looks like she is wearing a wig.

She squeaks like a little bicycle horn when she cries.

She is teeny tiny and very sweet.

She makes my baby look like a giant.

 Here is their first picture together, all three of them looking a little doofy.

Probably this picture will be on their wedding slide show.  I just love these girls.

I seriously get all giddy and silly inside when I think about these cousins all being so close in age.  I am not really close with any of my cousins, and was always jealous growing up when people at school would talk about how their cousins were their best friends.  These girls are so dang lucky!!  I am hoping they will all be the best of friends.  I'm hoping I have a house full of girl cousins in the future, all painting their nails, or giggling about boys at school, or having sleep overs, or getting ready for school dances together.  And honestly, how sweet of a deal would that be...we mommies would all know and trust our daughters' best friends' families, because hey, they are our family too.

I love my family so dang much!!  

Logan and I are so blessed!!  Sadie is so blessed!! Our other future babies are so blessed too!!

New Years 2012

This past new years eve was pretty chillaxed.  We spent the evening at Autumn and Doug's, eating food, and chatting it up with friends.  I made some pretty rockin' jalapeno poppers that I was pretty proud of.  We got Aaron to stop by our party with his date, Kim, who is a girl I used to dance with in high school.  We rang in the new year at midnight, but by 12:15, we were already packed up and headed home.  I don't know if we are just old farts now and are incapable of partying it up, or if we are just experiencing parental tiredness (in which case, I'm sure the tiredness will wear off just in time for the old fartness to set in...so are we going to be party poopers for life now?).

2011 was a good year, we found out we were having Sadie, I graduated from UVU, we traveled lots, we laughed a lot, we had Sadie, we found out what "tired" really feels like, but we found out what "love" and "joy" really feel like too.  I'm sure 2012 will treat us just as well, if not better.  Honestly, every year since Logan has come into my life has just gotten better and better.  Oh dear, I love my little family so much it hurts a little.

Oh, and also...this is what Sadie did basically our whole party:

 Even with 9 other kids running around screaming their guts out.

Even with all of us blowing our new years horns.

Even with everyone talking and laughing super loud.

She stayed asleep.

It's almost as if she has a parent that also falls asleep at various locations, 

and could sleep through nuclear warfare. 

(hint: I'm not talking about Logan)

To My Sweet 4 Month Old Baby Girl

Baby Girl,

Your personality is starting to shine more and more, and it makes it so much fun to be your mommy.  You have learned so much this month, and it is seriously the coolest thing ever to watch.

The day after Christmas, you rolled over for the first time.  I was sitting in the basement with Grandma Deana at her house, and you just rolled over from your tummy to your back, like it was no big deal.  I got so excited about it though, I think I scared you because your eyes got all big and you looked very worried.  You don't do it all the time, but you do try so hard to roll from your back to your front.  We will lay you on your back and show you our phone, then we drag the phone so it is above your head, and you'll arch your little back to look up at it.  You can get your legs to roll over, but you can't figure out how to get your elbow out of the way so you can end up on your tummy.  You'll figure it out soon though, I'm sure of it.

You like tummy time a lot more than you have in the past.  You can hold your head up so strong, and even reach out to grab a toy in front of you.  You love toys now, and can hold onto them and bring them to your mouth.  We think you might be in the early phases of teething because you like to chew on everything, but your most favorite thing to chew on are your own fingers.  This, sweet girl, drives me a little batty. You are constantly a slobbery, wet (and cold) mess.  You suck and chew on your fingers basically from the second you wake up, to the second you fall asleep.  You aren't picky about which fingers get in your mouth, in fact, sometimes you will stack your hands on top of each other and chew on all ten of them at once, gagging yourself the whole time.  We try to stop you, but you don't seem to listen.

This month we found out you have a bit of acid reflux, and you're on some medicine to help that.  You spit up a lot now, and I constantly smell like puke.  Not my favorite, but you're too cute to get upset at.  The medicine is helping a little, I think.  You spit up, but you don't fuss as much about your tummy hurting.  Hopefully you will stop spitting up so much, though, because you are a tiny little bug, and seem to be struggling a bit to gain weight.  You are about 55% for height, but only 5% for weight, and you're dropping lower every month.  What can I say though, with Logan for a daddy, you're bound to be tall and skinny.

You laugh and chatter all the time.  Daddy and I can't get enough of it either.  You also recognize us and prefer us over other people now.  Grandma Ilene will be holding you as you scream, but then I pick you up and you settle right down.  You love it when Daddy comes home from school or work, because that means it's play time!  He will "fly" you all around the apartment, sing songs to you, or get down on the floor with you to play with your toys.  He loves you more than life, and you have him wrapped so tightly around your baby (slobbery) fingers.

I love being your mommy.  I try to tell you I love you, kiss you, and snuggle you about a trillion times a day.  I feel like I'll blink and all of the sudden you'll be 12 and too cool to snuggle with your mommy, so I'm doing my best to soak it in.  I'm so glad I'm your mommy, and I'm so glad you chose to be my daughter.  I feel like I'm finally adjusting to my new normal of hanging out with a baby all day, rather than running around from school to work and back again like I have been for the past ten years or so.  Sometimes I miss my old life, but honestly, I would never trade it in a million years.  I get to hang out with you, my bestest buddy, and cutest friend all day long.  Plus, you seem really like me too, which makes me feel like a total rock star.

I love you so much my rib cage might just explode from trying to hold it all in.  I love you so much, sometimes I think I might have to scream it from a roof top.  I love you so much that sometimes I have to remind myself to not squeeze you too tight.  You are amazing, little girl.  I'm learning lots, and you are patient with me.

More love than you could ever imagine (until you have your own baby),
Mommy