7 Months New

My perfect little package. I keep finding myself looking back at the pictures from the day you were born trying to imagine how small you were. My 5 lb bag of sugar. You are still so perfect to me, and I'm soaking up all the precious moments spent with you.

Your 7th month new has been a busy one and I'm beginning to think that's just how it's going to be from here on out...busy. Thanksgiving was a highlight, my little Tiger Lily.

You got so much loving from your cousins, I'm surprised you weren't rubbed raw from all of their smooches. Even Bobcat got in on the lovin.

We cheered on the Tigers to a win over the Gamecocks. And literally, it was just you and me (but you were napping) cheering them on in a house full of Gamecocks. You were really polite when you woke up and found out we won, even though you wanted to say "In yo' face!" to anyone dressed in black and garnet. You were the cutest Tiger fan ever. Yes, I said evvvvvver.

Your elf arrived after Thanksgiving with your cousins' elves. Fisbee and LoLo had to show Sugar the way. Sugar has been keeping an eye on you, and I'm sure she is telling Santa what a sweet girl you are.

This week we started decorating and getting ready for the Christmas season. You are enjoying kicking off ornaments from your bouncy seat and watching Christmas shows with me. It is going to be a busy month, little girl!

At 7 months, you are rolling over and squealing.  This week you have started clicking your tongue.  You have learned how to put your paci back in your mouth.  You are eating everything from mangos to peas.  You love to play.  You are so fun to watch as you are just figuring out this great big world around you.

You still melt my heart and make me smile. I love you, Sweet Girl. Happy 7 months. They have been my happiest. 

Thankfulness

As I sit here waiting for the sun to wake up with this sleeping baby (who has been up) in my arms, I'm reminded I have a lot to be thankful for. Really and truly I could sit here and type a list of my thanks for days. I'm thankful. I just don't always remember it. I sometimes lose sight of all things precious in my life and dwell on insignificant troubles.

I'm thankful for my little family and our big family. I'm thankful that we still come together, enjoy one another, and love on each other. I'm thankful for my husband who really tries to be a better husband and father every day - and who in turn makes me better, too. I'm thankful for the home we share and the amazing place in which we live. I'm thankful for our beautiful daughter and to be able to raise her with her daddy.  I'm thankful for her smiles (they are truly precious). I'm thankful for the memories we have and the ones we have yet to create. I'm thankful for the warm snuggles from our pets.  I'm thankful for our health.  I'm thankful for our freedom.  I'm thankful for the lessons of the rough storms and for those friends who have guided me through them. 

I'm thankful for my life and that God chose me to live it. Sometimes I need the reminder to be thankful and to soak it up- every last drop and every little snuggle. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

6 Months New

6 months.  Does that mean I have to start saying you're old and not new?  Mama's not ready for that.  You still smell new.  And every day you are doing new things; and Lord knows, we are both learning new things.  You're still new.  6 months new. 

I swear this month has flown by.  I mean, really, where did October go?  It high tailed it and jammed- leaving November in its dust.  This month you have been busy.  We spent weekends in Chapin, spent time with family, celebrated Halloween, and kicked off the fall season.

You had your first sucker with your Papa, against my wishes. But you loved it (secretly, I loved watching you), and you were stinkin' cute. Now I imagine you'll be under his spell just like your cousin, The Bobcat. 

One of the weekends in Chapin, we woke up early and went to the Walk for Leo. Leo is, by far, the bravest little friend of yours. He is battling a really ugly disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA); but he is ferocious, like a lion, and he has the biggest smile all of the time. He and his sweet family have been very inspirational to all of our family. The walk was such a fun way to start our morning. We were all there- complete with our lion whiskers for Leo's Pride. 

At 6 months, you are loving apples, pears, prunes, and sweet potatoes. (We continue to work on the avocado.) You're favorite trick is to take your paci out and hold it. (We are still working on putting it back in.) You still gurgle and drool like it's your job. You smile a lot, and you are starting to play more with toys.  Panda is still your best pal.

This past week, you rolled over for the first time all on your own; and you were so incredibly proud of yourself. But then you rolled back, and haven't made it back over since.  You get to your side and then it's like "SIKE! Just kidding! I'm gonna just lie on my back." You wiggle all around your rug in your room.

You love your daddy and turn every time you hear his voice.  You smile every time you see him. Sometimes, it really grinds my gears after you've been hollering at me or stone faced, and then your daddy walks in and you are all smiles and giggles.  But I get it.  I still love my daddy like that, too. 

You make me late almost every morning, but these extra morning snuggles are worth it.  I know there will come a day when they will be no more.  There will be a day when you are "too big" for me.  Oh, how I dread that miserable day.  So for now, I will be late.

  (Sometimes, even Cricket joins in on the snug fest.)

There are still so many moments I can't believe that you are mine. My beautifully made daughter. A perfect little bundle of 12 pounds and 8 ounces. You are the sweetest part of my day, and I'm so proud to be your mama. From our favorite book, How Do I Love You- "I love all that you will be and everything you are."  Happy 6 months, my sweet.

 

Halloween

As a kid, Halloween was for dressing up and candy. I loved it. That feeling of coming home after a long chilly night of running from house to house, and dumping out my pumpkin head full of candy in the middle of my bedroom floor. I'd spend time separating them into groups- fruity candy, chocolate, Milk Duds (yes, they get their own category), and then candy I'd give to Dad (i.e. those dreaded Whoppers...barf). I'd marvel in my earnings, and more than likely, do a candy angel or two in the pile of diabetes. Yes, I loved Halloween. 

In college, Halloween was for dressing up and drinking. I was really successful at Halloween in college. I spent Halloweens dressed up as a crayon, a penguin, a hunter/skeet shooter- just to name a few. The night was full of remaining in character and making each of those characters a true fan of whiskey. I was probably guilty of a few candy angels then too, but they were probably done in a front yard without any candy. Yep, I loved Halloween then too. 

But this year Halloween was more than just dressing up for me. In fact, I didn't dress up at all. This year it was about making your costume, going to the pumpkin patch, you wearing your adorable pumpkin hat and your pumpkin pjs as much as possible, carving our pumpkin, and getting pics with our family.

Dressing you up as Sophia Petrillo was hilarious. There is no other word for it. Thank you for wearing that wig and not starting to try to eat it until it was late. 

It was one of the all time best Halloweens!  

Confessions

I confess...

I am that mom. You know her. The one that only posts pictures of her adorable baby on Instagram. It's not that there isn't anything else fantastic in my life right now, but none of it is pure sweetness crossed with beautiful toothless grins and complete with a scrunched up nose wrinkle. I remember thinking I'd never be this bad about taking pictures of my baby.  I'd never take so many pictures of my baby for social media. Ahhh...young grasshopper... How could I have known that she would be this stinkin cute? I mean, really and truly, she makes the filters look good. I don't care if anyone hates that I'm that mom. Those people probably hate ice cream, rainbows, kittens, and all things good in this world. My baby is presh.

I confess...

You probably wouldn't want me for your child's teacher this year. Ugh. There. I've said it. I'm really ashamed of this one. With not having slept a full night in several weeks and being a slave to the boob, I wouldn't describe myself as the most patient human being when it comes to 5th grade silliness...scratch that...hormones. Your tears over the tear on your math homework will most surely get an eye roll and deep sigh from me. Your girl drama trifecta will each get the "You are being a pot-stirrer and need to mind your own business. You need to be nice. And YOU need to toughen up!"  And don't even dare tell me "You never told us that," or I may just tell you something else complete with unpredictable sentence structure and creative word choice. Boom!  There's your writing lesson, kid.  Like I said, you don't want me teaching your kid this year. 

I confess...

I am still rocking maternity pants. My poor husband doesn't know how to answer when I ask, "Do I look pregnant in this outfit?" Uhhhh...well...you have a giant band of elastic stretching up to your bra; but no, you're all good. I'm sure that's what he has to be thinking. He would never dare say it out loud though. I never planned on sporting these amazingly forgiving britches for this long. I think I must have figured that my hips would pull back towards one another like long lost loves. But no, apparently, they are content on keeping their distance.  I'm holding out hope for them though and encouraging them as often as physically possible. For now, a big thank you goes out to all elastic in my closet. And for all you pants with buttons, I haven't forgotten you. 

Truth be told, I'd like nothing more than to snuggle my little sweetness all day, snap countless photos, and watch her learn new things about her world- all from the comfort of my yoga pants. But unfortunately, I haven't found a way to get paid for that yet. For now, I'll continue to strap on my stretchy pants, smile, and tape up this homework on long division while I mediate girl troubles.  And I'll keep on being that mom with the adorable artsy pics and the witty hashtags; because let's face it, my babe is just too cute not to share.

5 Months New

5 months.  Really?  What a big month you have had!

We spent a weekend with friends at Lake Wateree. 

Mommy's girlfriends, their husbands, and their babies all drove up to Aunt Boogie's house. I laughed about how far I've come from packing my pillow, one bag, and a case of beer.

The weather was delicious, the laughs were infectious, and the food was to die for.  When I am with those girls and their families, I never have a bad time.  My heart is so full, and my confidence becomes unbreakable.  I pray that you find friends like these in your life.  It's hard to make it through anything without them.  I have always said that if you put the 5 of us girls together, you would make a super woman.  This weekend made me realize that you don't need to put us together for a super woman.  Each of them already are rock stars in their own way, and I am so incredibly blessed to call them "my girls".

You found your feet this month and have mastered the happy baby pose. Needless to say, you are quite the happy baby.

We made a trek up to Chapin to Nettie and Papa's.  You hadn't snuggled with your Papa since the 4th of July, so this was a much needed trip.  You got some great snuggles in to hopefully hold you over until our next visit.  Even Yancey got some lovin.

We've added some apples to that rice cereal you love.  You have hardly seemed to even notice. I can't believe we are starting solids. Pretty soon I'm going to look over and you're going to be cutting up a steak. This is crazy.

This past week you gave your first real giggles.  O.M.G.  It has to be the most adorable sound I have ever heard in my life.  Seriously.  It's cuter than puppy whines and kitten purrs.

I'll be honest with you...Going back to work hasn't gotten any easier. 

Every day I'm thinking of ways I can stay at home with you.  As my sweet friend, Meg, put it- I pull in to work on 2 wheels and I get out on 2 wheels.  I think about you all of the time in between.  The only thing that makes it easier is knowing you are in a place where you are loved on.  This month you started going to Miss Christina's in the morning.  You've made some friends there and I'm pretty sure you've stolen Miss Christina's heart. Panda remains your BFF. You are a doll, my sweet.

4 Months New

I can't believe you've already been in our world for 4 months. Time, please slow down. This mama can't keep up. Sweet Girl, you continue to make our days brighter and our smiles wider. We can't get enough of you.

This month you have turned into quite the chatterbox weighing in at a whopping 11 pounds. You are learning so much every day!  You gurgle and coo all of the time. Your Nettie says you sound like a raccoon.Your constant smile still melts me.

You still love your hands- your right one in particular mesmerizes you.

You still love your bath, too. You are quite the splasher these days. You began eating cereal last week and you actually seem to like it. The first few times you wore more of it than you ate, but that's okay because you were cute doing it. You are starting to get the hang of it now.

You like to stand and look around, because you hate to miss any of the action. 

 

You are still working on rolling over.  You've got tummy to back down pat, and you are so close to rolling from back to tummy.

You spent an entire weekend with your daddy while your mama and your aunts went off to celebrate Nettie turning 60. We had a blast and I knew you were in the best hands.

Your Daddy did a great job with you even though many doubted him. You watched football and learned all of the Clemson Tigers' cheers. Okay, maybe not all of them. But I know your daddy was busy explaining to you what all the special teams needed to work on for this season. Nonetheless you've got yourself a good Daddy. You are his sunshine and he loves you ridiculously. But I mean, who wouldn't? You're crazy cute. 

This weekend your cousins came to visit. I think SAS is finally warming up to the idea of you.

 

 

 

 

I love you, sweet pea, and I'm so very thankful for you.