discovering

I love watching Lucy figure things out. She starts with an observation, asks a few questions, then either solves the issue or moves on to something else. Tonight, it was putting things (a washcloth, a ball, a toy much too large) into a plastic cup while in the bath. A few weeks ago, she was exploring the effect of the light coming through my green water bottle.

ooh, pretty!

look, this green stuff is spilling off the table…

what's up with that?

hey! now it's on my arm!

does it taste good?

can I shake it off?  wipe it on my shorts? 

look at it cross-eyed?

sorry mom, somehow I got green stuff all over me.

don't worry, baby girl, it isn't permanent…

dear javi

I loved getting to live at your house for a while. You have some pretty great toys and you were really nice to let me play with them. I'm glad I was able to help you out in the clapping and crawling departments. I told you it was no big deal and you'd just be able to do it one day without even trying.

I'm glad we got to spend some time together while our mamas clicked those things at us. Does your mom still do that to you? Mine does. I'm okay with it for now, I guess. But I'd really like to take a look at that thing she clicks and bang it around a bit to see how well it's made, but Mama won't let me.

I don't mind that you put your arm around me while they were clicking, but I think maybe the kiss was too much, too soon. I mean, I liked it and all, even with the grass tickling my face...but it scared me a little. I'm only used to mama and daddy kissing me. And grandparents. No one else my size kisses me. So I'm sorry that I ran away right after. Maybe some other day I won't.

love,

Lucy

I like Javi. This is nice. Just hanging out on a beautiful day, leaning on my friend…

Look at her looking at me. She totally wants me to kiss her.

Smooooooch!

Stink. Probably should have dropped the grass before makin' my big move…

Waitaminnit…whaddid he just do??

Wait, Lucy, don't go! 

Mama! Help me! He kissed me!

Oh man, I blew it.

You can read Javi's letter to Lucy here.

exhausting (happy) birthday

Three hundred and sixty-six days ago, we served you your eviction notice and then forcibly dragged you out into this big crazy world. You've charmed pretty much everyone you've come into contact with ever since.

Here's some photos from today, one year after your entrance.

You woke up so happy! Mama sang Happy Birthday to you…the first of several renditions you would hear today.

You conked out in the car on the way to the Doctor's office. I know. Who schedules a doctor's appointment ON your birthday?? Sorry.

Sleepy.

You had a great time climbing around in the exam room…

You were a bit perplexed by the bandage on your finger…it didn't take you long to get it off! No tears for the pinprick, though. Brave girl.

How about going grocery shopping on your birthday? Fun, right? Okay…not so much. Again, sorry, baby. Maybe when you have a clue what a birthday is we'll do more fun stuff on it!

Your first cup of milk! More, please.

You were so very tired by the time we got to your cupcake. You want me to do what, Daddy?

Okay, I guess I'll try it. Meh.

And then you swooped that cupcake right into your arms and snuggled it to death.

The end.

outside vs. inside

You've now been outside my body as long as you were inside it!

Milestones this month:

Official transition from your infant car seat to a convertible car seat. Which also means you get to ride in the shopping cart seat now, and ride facing forward in a stroller. I am amazed at how much you have loved stroller riding when you can see all around you. You hold onto the tray and sit up straight and just smile and smile, occasionally waving your arms around. You love the feel of the wind in your face. On a long walk, you eventually slouch back, pop one foot up over the side and just chill. 

Time with the grandparents! They have all really enjoyed getting to know you at this age, and you've enjoyed lots and lots of love from all of them. 

Road trips! After your first plane ride on your 8-month birthday, we had a couple of days of longish road trips on our way to meet up with Daddy. You do really well in the car…such an improvement from when you were mere weeks old and screamed the whole time.

Beer! Just kidding. I just think this picture is funny.

Cousins! (And their parents!) You met your cousin Gabby for the very first time, and the two of you have had a great month+ getting to know each other. I think you'll both be sad when we are back on the other side of the country and can't spend time together. You got to spend a weekend + with your cousin Esther, and she just can't get enough of you! 

Food…let's just say you don't follow all the books. You think it's funny when I try to feed you with a spoon, and would much rather take the spoon and chew on it. I manage to get some food into you this way, but you are still just not very interested in baby food. You were almost all the way to 9 months when I offered you some avocado…and you ate it and wanted more! Ever since, we've been offering you bits and pieces of lots of things we're eating, and you really like most of it. Still not eating very much of any one thing, but you have tried lots and lots of new foods.

Sightseeing! we got to take you to some historic spots near where we were staying. 

Restaurant highchairs! Since we're not home, we're eating out much more often, and you are getting good at sitting in your own chair (and getting strangers to talk to us).

Teeth! Those first two bottom teeth showed up about halfway through this month after not much fussing at all…just lots and lots of drool and a few nights of interrupted sleep. You're a dream baby.

Swinging! Both in the park and at Uncle Chris' house…you get all mellow in the swing.

Spectator sports: Daddy's been playing softball, so we get to go watch. You chill out in your stroller and take it all in.

New toys! At both cousins' houses, you've gotten to play with way more toys than you have tried as of yet. Toys requiring batteries (help!). You have enjoyed all the exploring and have figured out quickly how to make the noises you want to hear.

Clapping! You've figured out how to put your hands together…the clapping noise comes a bit later on :)

You manage to scootch yourself backwards, but haven't yet figured out forward, purposeful mobility. You still love to "fly" on your belly with arms & legs going like crazy. 

You love being outside and I can generally count on a walk to calm you down if you're cranky. You love textures and sounds and exploring how the two relate (spent several minutes rubbing your head on the foam mat, then the laminate flooring, curious about the different feel & sound!) You cluck your tongue and think it's great when every adult around you starts doing it, too.

You love doggies & cats & birds & airplanes & being outside. You get super excited when you hear the door and know that Daddy is home.

I love being your mama. As much as I loved the 9 months of holding you inside of me, I have loved these past 9 months of holding you and loving you and looking in your eyes and watching you grown and learn and discover. 

eight months already!

Better get her 8-month post up before she's 9 months!

She's stolen the "C" … apparently wants to be known as "Luy" from now on?

She's enthralled by fire, and enjoys sitting with daddy in the man chair watching the flames. If daddy's not home, she'll watch the fire by herself…all comfy on the floor like so:

She's super content to play in her play pen or on the floor with a few toys. Once she knows I'm watching her, though, she wants mama time! She caught me sneaking up on her here.

She had just woken up from a nap and gave me the sweetest series of faces, from totally zoned to grabbing for the camera. Here's one of the ones in between. Love how her eyes match the chair.

We love spending the day in SLO, doing some shopping and finding yummy food. Okay, mama loves it…Lucy enjoys being along for the ride. Here she is on the table outside at the Urbane Cafe. Some day I'm sure she'll have a Senior Portrait to match this shot.

Sleepy-eyed girl at her first Easter sunrise service, after getting up in the wee small hours to bring daddy to the airport. She was a trooper. Even though she looks less than thrilled.

Later on Easter Sunday…she was just talking and gesturing away…she's such a sweet, happy girl!

Even later on Easter Sunday…in her official first Easter outfit. 

More talking and gesturing and posing…wish I had set her up with better lighting for this one!

Trying out our new Kozy carrier…she needed some snuggle time and mama needed to get some things done! Conked right out. Yay.

A walk along the riverbed. Loving the new carrier…and her new Gap hat. There were some days this month that the only thing that would calm her down was heading out for a walk.

And here she is on her 8-month birthday, enduring her first plane ride! She slept the whole first leg, and this shot is of her just waking up at the end.

 

Lucy, it's been a big month for you! I'm trying to feed you baby food, but you are much more interested in sucking on your bib and tasting the paper towel I clean you off with. You still aren't rolling over or crawling, but you do love to "fly" on your belly…arms & legs waving and kicking. You get up on your hands and knees and rock back and forth a bit and sometimes even scootch backwards, but you have yet to move forward on purpose. And that's okay. Life is still pretty easy, knowing you're not going to disappear on me if I turn my back for a minute :)

You love to talk, and wave your hands around like you're conducting some invisible orchestra. You think your hands are the coolest things ever. You love playing with paper or anything that makes that fun crinkly noise. You rarely nap for more than 40 minutes at a time, but most of the time you sleep the night through with just an early-morning nursing and back to bed. You've been working on your teeth for a while now (and there will be more on that in your 9-month post!). 

We love your grin and your squeals and your babbling and your half-hearted attempts at locomotion. We love your snuggles and smiles and drool (well, daddy is still a bit drool-shy). We love watching you learn new things. We love all the compliments you receive from total strangers. We love you. More and more all the time.