Wordless Wednesday: Moral Support

(Taken before he mastered the big potty. But still just as cute.)

Eight Months.

Dear Naomi,

Today you are eight months old.

Yep, that's right, count it: EIGHT.

Good grief, be still my heart. Four months away from the big One Year? Really? I can't believe it. I truly can't.

You, little Mouse, are one bouncy bundle of joy. Let's get to it.

Sleep:

You go to bed around 7:30 and sleep until 7:00. You take two long naps and one catnap, but that catnap is subjective every day. Sometimes you need it, sometimes you don't. With your early bedtime, that last nap usually isn't necessary. But, in some instances (like today, in fact!) where you wake up early from one nap (by, say, getting your foot stuck between the rails of your crib), you need one more nap to hold you over until bedtime! You have taken to a routine like a champ and we are thrilled for it. You are, too.

Eating:

This month you decided you liked puffy snacks and yogurt melts. We introduced them two months ago and you scoffed in disgust, so I waited a bit and now you love them. Watching your little unsteady hand tryyyyyy to pick up a puff is the most precious thing ever. You examine it and then it begins the long and unsteady journey to your mouth. You're doing so well! You are a sippy-only girl now, taking formula five times a day (breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, bedtime) and eating solids three times a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner ... and now, snacks!). Your breakfast usually includes oatmeal and a smashed up banana. I could feed you smashed bananas all day and you would not complain one bit. You also like baby food prunes. Good for you, though, honey! For lunch you typically eat one fruit and one veggie, and then the same goes for dinner. Your snacks include puffy snacks, yogurt melts, and Mum-Mums. You gaze longingly at the food on our plates, so there are days where I'll toss some of our rice and veggie into the food processor and you eat what we eat. You tried cornbread this month and thought it was yummy, too (until you took a massive bite and gagged ... you didn't like that too much! Little bites, baby girl, little bites!). No teeth yet of which to speak. Gummy baby girl.

Development:

You are getting stronger and stronger when it comes to rocking on all fours, but you have yet to commit to crawling. You also love to reach waaaaay out in front of you for a toy, even if it means doing a face plant.

However, your newest trick is to "scoot".

While seated, you suddenly begin bouncing up and down, lifting yourself off of the ground, and in doing so, you actually move forward. It is HILARIOUS and adorable. You can make your way across the wood floor with no problem. It's quite efficient, really--you're able to maintain your poise whilst moving. Such a lady.

You love to bob your head from side to side and will do so on command if I say, "Shake it!" You've discovered that your voice can reach great volume, and you choose to exercise this newfound talent frequently. You also like to do this hilarious open-mouthed "HA!" sound. You giggle and smile constantly and it's pretty adorable.

We've had another new development as well: HAIR! You hair is finally coming in and it is a lovely shade of baby dark blonde. It's tough to tell. Straight out of the tub freshly-dried, your hair is blonde. The next day, it's darker. So, meh, dark blonde. Either way: Beautiful!

You can now wear your clips without a headband; however, your hair isn't quite thick enough to keep them in for very long, so we still employ the headband for most outings. It took you a while to realize that it is within your power to remove said headbands or clips, an ignorance for which we were very thankful! You have now discovered how to remove them; however, for the most part, you leave them be. Your babbling has kicked it up a notch, with lots of "MAAAAMMMMAAAAMMMMAAAMMMAAA's" when you are in distress. I'm going to go ahead and say it: You are a Mama's girl. You have yet to experience stranger danger, but, when we are at home, you want me. It is truly a precious thing. You like your alone time, but when you're done, you're done. I love this stage, where you are more and more independent, and thusly your personality emerges bit by bit. I feel now like I am getting to know you as Naomi, not just you as Baby Naomi. Your facial expressions, your preferences, your voice ... I'm so excited to see you continue to develop and become a little lady.

This month you also moved into your new car seat (woot!) thanks to your length. You're still a lightweight, but you're a long lightweight, and when we saw your feet dangling over the edge of your infant seat, we knew it was time to make a change. Your brother moved into a new car seat that will eventually convert to a booster, and you are now riding in style in his plushy convertible seat. Backwards, of course. You love the change. The seat swallows you up and you don't mind one bit!

Sigh. Mouse.

You seamlessly joined our family and opened up a dimension of extra joy we could not have imagined. Your exuberance is contagious and there is nothing greater than peeking over the edge of your crib to see the most precious grin spread from cheek-to-cheek on your sweet face. I know God has big plans for you, little Mouse, and I feel blessed that He has chosen us to witness them. I'm so proud of you already and thrilled for what is ahead.

We love you, baby girl.

Love,

Mama

Because It's Fun.

Heart-shaped pancakes.

On heart-shaped plates.

And a card taped to the steering wheel of my husband's car.

(It surprises him, even though I do it every year.)

Simple love for the ones who make my heart full.

What do you do for Valentine's Day?

Love {Organic Puffs and Baby Blues}.

Noteworthy.

While my corner of the world has been covered in white, there have been a few honorable mentions that have made the experience of being cooped up just a little more bearable. A constant reminder that it really is the little stuff that makes the big stuff not quite so bad.

1) Candlelit

My little guy decided that he would like candles when we eat breakfast, please. He loves "FIRE!" when it is blazing in his grandparents' fireplace, so the concept of a much smaller fire being on the table while he eats is pretty fascinating. Every morning, I've lit the tapers on our table, and there is a sudden and simultaneous elegance and coziness amidst our eggs and oatmeal, while the world of white continues on outside.

2) Lofty

My husband flipped over Cub's big boy bed to its lofted position, and Cub is absolutely amazed. He LOVES the new setup and constantly asks to play on his bed. I say he asks because, while he is perfectly capable of climbing up and down the ladder (and has done so several times), he still prefers to be hoisted or at least helped when he makes his ascent. So funny. He's loving his "BIG FORK!" (big fort) and I'm loving the extra storage.

3) Rolling Up My Sleeves

I attempted homemade chicken stock for the first time last week and we loved it. I did it again this week, too, and I'm fairly certain it will become a household staple. My sister-in-law first explained it to me and it sounded slightly overwhelming at first, but, once I did it, I understood why she loves to do it, too. I am sure that many of my readers already do this, but for those of you who are green in the homemade broth area such as myself, I thought I might share how to do it in case you are interested (or, at least, how I was told to do it ... a family recipe then, right?). :)

: Take a whole chicken and remove the innards (gah, I know). Stick the bird in a stock pot and begin filling the pot with water, until the chicken is barely covered. Throw in your desired ingredients. I chose parsley, bay leaves, sea salt, carrots, celery, garlic, peppercorns, and onion. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for a few hours (and allow the delicious aroma to fill your house ... yum). Once the chicken is cooked, grab another pot, a strainer, and a large mixing bowl or platter. Very carefully remove the chicken from the water (it will probably fall apart) and place it on the bowl or platter. Grab your strainer and place it on top of your extra pot. Dump the remaining contents of your original pot into the new pot, straining out the vegetables (and possibly the remainder of the chicken!). I pour mine into the crock-pot and use it immediately for chicken noodle soup (pictured above, sans noodles), but you can store it in containers if you'd like and place them in the refrigerator (you may want to skim the top after its been refrigerated). Do what you'd like with the veggies ... I put mine in the soup. Take the chicken and once the skin is removed, you can shred it and either store it or use immediately. Voila! Now you have a supply of broth and chicken for your use. Healthier than canned broth, and more yummy, too! I pureed my chicken noodle soup in our food processor for Naomi, and she loved it. A real family meal! :) :

While the cold temps are making me long for summer, I know the muggy days of August will have me begging for January once again, so I'm trying to enjoy it while I can. I find that, regardless of the weather, having two joyful little kiddos, a hubby who makes me laugh, and a home I love to keep, makes these days all the more special.

Yay for joyful moments.