Nine Months!!

Charla, you are NINE months old!!

Here's what's new with you this month:

You weight 14 pounds and are 26 1/2 inches long.

You wear a size 2 diaper but we've started putting you in a size 3 at night. I didn't think the size 3 would fit you but they do!

You wear 3-6, 6-9, and 6-12 month clothes depending on the brand. The 3-6 months are starting to get a little small and you're finally filling out the 6-12 month clothes better.

You are so mobile! You are fast when you crawl and you are constantly pulling up to standing. You seem to move from one standing location to another - from the chairs in the kitchen to the coffee table to the fireplace hearth. If you can use it to stand up, you do!

You have recently discovered the cabinets in the kitchen and you love to explore what is in them. This last week you entertained yourself this way while I put together our dinner. One evening you played in the basket of kitchen utensils for a half an hour!! Maybe you'll grow up to be a great cook...

You're eating better these days. This last month we added pumpkin, yogurt, and green beans to your diet. You really love the yogurt!! You also love your puffs and you're starting to feed them to yourself instead of always waiting for me or Dad to feed you one.

You said your first word and it is Mama!! Usually it comes out as ma ma ma but I'm counting it! I try and get you to say it all the time because I love hearing it so, so much.

You seem to be requiring less sleep. You go to bed between 10:00 and 11:00pm and get up between 7:30 and 8:30 in the morning. You still take 2-3 naps a day and most days it's three. Your last nap is in the evening (somewhere between 6 and 7 pm) but if we try and get you to skip it, you just wake up 30 minutes after we've put you to bed thinking THAT was your nap. So we've given in and just enjoy some quiet time together as a family since you usually take this nap in the living room.

You had your first illness this month and it was a stomach bug - yuck!! I had it first so I wasn't too surprised a few days later when I discovered you'd been sick in the night. It didn't last much more than 24 hours, thankfully!

You love story time and I hope this is the beginning of a life-long love of books! When we sit down to read (especially before your nap because you can anticipate what's coming) you breathe faster and make a little high pitched happy noise while I get the book. Once I put it in front of you, you turn and look at me with the sweetest smile. I just love that look and I love that you are liking books. You'll often look at one on your own when you're playing on the floor in the living room.

I can't believe you have been with us as long as I was pregnant with you! In some ways it seems longer than that and in other ways it seems much shorter. You continue to amaze, delight, and keep us on our toes!

Can't wait to see what this next month brings baby girl!

Catching up...

Christmas Tour of Homes

It's been FOREVER since I blogged, but I just had to take part in the Christmas Tour of Homes again this year. I majorly simplified our Christmas decorations for 2009 because a) our 9 month old is keeping me BUSY and I don't have a ton of time to decorate and b) I don't want to spend the season stressed out and frazzled because I've spent all day every day keeping the little one away from the decorations. I've pretty much limited the decorating to our mantel and the piano.

We just put up our little 3-foot tree and hung only non-breakable ornaments on it.

This piece is new this year and is already a favorite. I love the magic of Santa Claus but want to be sure Charla knows what Christmas is really about.

Charla's stocking - I can't believe I found a Classic Pooh stocking for her (Tar-jay)!! It's perfect since her nursery theme is Classic Pooh.

Another awesome Classic Pooh item - this one will be treasured for years!

This Advent calendar is so sweet. We've really enjoyed this opening each day's window and reading a piece of the Christmas story to Charla.

New this year and one of my favorite decorations - a basket of Christmas books to read to Charla.

Ornaments in a glass hurricane on our kitchen table

And by far, this is my very favorite and most special Christmas decoration this year...

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

DipTacular!

To honor the beginning of the college football season (and heck - the NFL preseason is already underway), BooMama is hosting a DipTacular recipe exchange. I love football and I love dip, so I'm taking part! I wish these were original recipes from my kitchen, but alas, I cannot take credit. They are delish though!!

Corn Dip
from Mish Mash

- 2 cans Mexicorn, drained
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix all ingredients together and chill. Serve with tortilla chips.

Reuben Spread
from Southern Living Slow-Cooker Cookbook

- 1/2 pound sliced deli corned beef, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup sauerkraut, drained and chopped
- 1 tsp. cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. caraway seeds
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
- 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Stir together first 7 ingredients and 1 cup Swiss cheese; spoon into a lightly greased 2 or 3 quart slow cooker. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese.

Cover and cook on LOW 2 to 3 hours. Serve with rye Melba rounds or pretzel rods (I like to use the Keebler Townhouse Flipsides crackers - one side cracker, the other side pretzel). Makes 3 1/2 cups.

ENJOY and Happy Football watching!!!

And...this has nothing to do with dip or football, but I thought I'd post some pictures of the little one since I haven't for a while. She's working on sitting up...


Definitely Daddy's girl...


Happy Friday of Labor Day weekend!

Fall is in the Air

I've got mums in my planters...


Our CSU flag is flying...


Last weekend we took a day trip to the mountains and look what we saw...


I've been shopping for fall clothes for Charla and have discovered the plethora of baby clothes on ebay. I've always liked ebay but I am loving it even more now! Look at all these sweet fall/winter clothes for my sweet baby girl...


The days have been sunny and warm and the nights are cooling off nicely. Fall is DEFINITELY in the air and I couldn't be happier!!

Five Months!

Charla Grace, you are five months old today!!!

Here's what you're doing at five months...

You weigh 11 pounds, 14 ounces. I'm hoping that by the next weigh-in you'll be over 12!

You're wearing mostly 3-6 months clothes, although some of your 0-3 clothes still fit. You outgrow things in length because you are so little around.

You had a few sleeping "issues" this month. You started getting up more frequently in the night, but the past week or so has been much better. You're still taking 30 minute naps about three times a day, although on Monday you slept for 2 hours - that was a wonderful surprise - and this morning you took an hour nap!

You've got rolling over figured out and you roll every which way whenever you feel like it. It's fun to put you on the floor on a big blanket and see how you roll (ha!) and where you end up.

You started noticing Jasmine this month and you love to watch her. If you're on your blanket and she lays down nearby, you lay there and stare and stare at her. You reach to touch her but we always make sure our hand is guiding yours when you pet her. This insures that you just pet and don't grab. This morning you were "talking" to her too - it was so cute.

Speaking of talking and sounds, you have learned how to scream and you do it so much. You did it occasionally at first and starting this past weekend you do it much, more more. I think you sound like a cross between a monkey and a bird. You scream when you're awake, as you're going to sleep, and when you're just playing around. Thankfully your screams are happy sounds - even if they are loud. We wonder what the neighbors think!

Last month you discovered your feet and this month you have found that they make a great thing to suck on. I knew you would!

You took your first overnight trip - it was to Grandma and Grandpa's house. You didn't sleep in the car as much as we were hoping, but once I rode in the backseat with you, you became a much happier traveler. Your really liked seeing Grandma and Grandpa's two dogs and two kitties.

You don't like it when you can't see Daddy or me. If you don't see us you get your pouty lip and then the tears and cries follow. I feel badly for whoever is holding you, but it's kind of sweet that you are attached to us.

You love to touch people's faces. If we're wearing glasses, that's even better.

Your grip is strong! You are learning a new word - OW! - when you grab my hair and pull.

Your favorite song right now is "My God is So Big." You smile, laugh, and squeal with delight when I sing it to you.

You do this funny thing where you open your mouth and put it on our face. We're not sure what it means, but we like to think you're giving us kisses. :)

We started giving you a little bit of rice cereal a few days ago. You seemed interested in it the first night, but since then you take a few bites and then get frustrated, so we're probably going to stop and try again in a couple of weeks. Hopefully we'll have better luck with it then.

You are a blessing to us and we are so thankful for you, Charla!

Yummy!

We've started giving Charla a little rice cereal each day. It's so funny to watch her "learn" how to eat. It's amazing how many things we know how to do that we take for granted.






We're not sure if she likes the cereal, although she hasn't given us any faces of disgust. She does really like the spoon - she's always trying to grab it as we bring it to her mouth. That's the start of half of it ending up on the tray/bib - ha! Another milestone for the baby book! :)

This weekend we went to Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Denver. We were in Denver for the morning anyway and I though Charla might like to see the fish and animals. I didn't realize the fish tank wasn't illuminated so I'm not sure if she actually noticed the fish. She did enjoy a nice little tour around the store though!

I bought Charla a bow band and bow last week to try the whole bow thing. My thought is that if she and I both like it, I'll get some more. I may even try my hand at making a few. She won't be wearing a bow every day or anything, but for a special occasion or holiday I think they're cute. And I know I'm biased, but I think she looks so incredibly darling!

Heavy Heart

My heart is heavy this morning for this sweet family. The Rowe's two-day old daughter, Reese Catherine, went to be with Jesus last night. Please keep Katie, Jason, and Zach in your prayers as they grieve and heal.

Over the river and through the woods...

This past weekend was Charla's first weekend away from home. We went to my parents' house Saturday morning and stayed until Sunday afternoon. After we arrived we went out for lunch at the Garden of the God's Trading Post. We're thinking that Charla might be about ready to start solid food because she is really starting to notice our food and drink at meal times.




These photos are four generations and have been taken for at least 80 years. My grandma has a photo with her a baby, a mom, a grandma, and now a great-grandma. What a blessing that we're able to continue the tradition!



It's so fun to watch my parents be grandparents and to watch my grandparents be great-grandparents. Charla is so adored and loved!

Charla and her Great-Grandma

Charla and her Great-Grandparents

We spent the rest of Saturday hanging out at my parents' house. They just added a sun room on the back of their house and we loved spending time out there. Charla is working on sitting up - she does fairly well when she's propped.

She LOVES her feet!

After church on Sunday I took a little nap and my parents enjoyed some grandparent time with Charla. You can see that she finally got to wear her Easter dress - ha!

We came back Sunday evening and Charla slept the first half of the drive home. We stopped for dinner once she was awake and I finished up the trip in the back seat with her. Our first trip as a family was a success!