Julia is 8 months old!

So wow, what a month it has been! Julia is growing and developing by leaps and bounds. She is a busy little girl trying to figure out the world and investigate. She's mobile now so everyday she likes to go adventuring through the house. We (oh wait I) installed the baby gate at the top of the stairs. The other day she finally found her way to it and was pulling on it like a caged puppy. She's putting everything in her mouth including outlet plugs and those darn sockets always seem to catch her attention. I'm just so amazed at how much she has changed over the past two months but must say that month 7 has been the biggest noticeable change.

Everything must enter the mouth...grass, power cords...

What She's Doing Now:

-pulling up to stand from sitting position (bumpers from crib have been removed)

-can walk if held up

-army crawling - still

-chatterbox - always talking

-likes books - her favorite book is Eric Carle's "Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother too?"

-says dada and maaaaama

-reaches for you if she wants you

-wants me if I'm around however could care less about me if I leave the room - content to play by herself

-eating solids - a combination of baby food and table food

-still loving Gymboree

-down to two naps a day

-three meals a day and three bottles (24 oz)

-plays with friends

-out of her newborn car seat, swing, etc. She's a big girl now!
-20 lbs and 26 inches (thanks to the new growth chart on her wall)

She loves her Dada!

She's Officially Pulling Up!

This morning I entered Julia's bedroom after hearing her stir for about 30 minutes. What did I see?? A little girl pulled up standing as tall as possible in her crib. Then later after her midday nap what did I see? A little girl standing with one foot on the crib bumper. The bumper has been removed and ready for storage. It's crazy to think in months she will be walking and this time last year she was a tiny being growing inside me. She's crawling - army style - and pulling up, and climbing - she's mobile! It's so exciting to watch her grow. She is such a blessing in my life. I can't say enough how she has helped me discover me. I am blessed!

Tomorrow has to be better right??

Oh what a day! Julia has allergies (thank you pollen bowl we call Nashville), it has rained non-stop, Jarred is out of town for Day #4, I have a lingering sinus infection, had to cancel a shoot due to rain, had to listen to "waaaa" all day long from Julia (that sound can take a toll on a mom)....tomorrow has to be better right? It has just been a hectic week with one thing coming after another. I have my mini-sessions coming up this weekend and I really need to get some rest. I don't see that happening. Ohhhhhh - a mother's work is never done.

Memphis: My First Night Away From Julia

My parents came in this past weekend to visit Julia. Of course Jarred seized this opportunity to plan a day away....a much needed day away for me! I'm always in complete mommy/homemaker mode and I'm forgetting to be a wife. So after writing out detailed instructions and organizing all of her food with post-its (that's the teacher in me making lesson plans), we hit the road around 9am.

It was a nice scenic drive filled with conversation and sharing our interests. Once we made it to Memphis we stopped at Chilis to eat before hitting up Graceland. I started with my first margarita for the day at 12:20. I would have had more but for some reason Graceland didn't offer them. We enjoyed our baby free meal and headed to the velvet-filled world of Elvis!

Entrance

I LOVED the Front Room. I would love to have those sofas!

Graceland was definately a must see for anyone that wasn't alive during the 70's unique style of design. Shag rugs (we have one in our living room however), velvet covered sofas and walls, gilded mirrors covering the walls and celings, bright but awkward colors covering the leisure rooms....a sight for my eyes and camera.

Welcome to the Jungle....room!

Tourist pose!

After our touristy trip to Graceland and managing to avoid buying anything but a Christmas ornament (a traditon for us), we headed to The Peabody. What luxury!

Margarita 2 and Jarred's Jack.....let's get this night started!

View from our room - Beale St to the left.

Grizzleys Nuggets - enjoying the night with my love.

It was such a wonderful night. After we left the game we went to a bar on Beale. We were surrounded by single college men and women trying to find the one ....or the one for the night. In the middle of it all I realized how blessed I was to have a man that planned an amazing day away and a little girl at home dreaming about me. Life is so good and I am so blessed!

31

I'm 31 today and man oh man do birthdays change when you have a baby. Last year I got together with my girlfriends and went out to dinner. There was no grand celebration (due to little Julia growing inside me) but there was a celebration. This year...not much celebrating going on. Jarred did send me some beautiful flowers and picked up sushi for me. However, today was spent dashing around from Gymboree to Sweet Peas and Carrots to cleaning the house for a showing...I'm exhausted!

However I must say that at 31 I finally feel like my life is in the right direction. I am in a very content place. I feel like I am doing everything I was meant to do but too scared to do it. I always thought I had something to prove to people but with the birth of Julia, I have discovered my true self. I am a great stay at home mom and love it! It's such a hard job but so rewarding. I think about what life was like before her and it was pretty and painted in pastels...now life is beautiful and painted in every color imaginable. I am starting to my own business doing something that doesn't really seem like work to me...how lucky?? Granted I wouldn't call it a successful business but I do feel successful in finding a "career" that people long for. I enjoy it, it's fun, it fulfills a creative need but most importantly, it lets me stay at home with my beautiful girl.

I wouldn't change a thing about my life right now. I am so happy. Oh wait, maybe a facial and a massage. I don't feel 31 but I definately don't feel as young as I used to...maybe it's that thing called rest that's missing???

Julia is 7 months old (and 2 days)!

I can't believe she is 7 months old now - she's closer to one year old than farther now. Before we know it she will be crawling, then walking, then telling me all about her day when she comes in from school...but for now I'm taking in every moment.

When Jarred gets her out of her crib in the mornings she greets him with a hug and jibber jabber that involves the words "dada". He takes her downstairs and feeds her her first meal of the day involving fruit and a bottle. Thanks to Jarred she's independent (somewhat) in bottle feeding herself. He props her up with four pillows and she feeds herself. INDEPENDENCE is beginning. I just lay in bed, doze in and out, and take in the beautiful sounds of morning. Julia is such a wonderful baby. She loves to snuggle and cuddle, she smiles all the time, has the sweetest laugh and loves people.

Our days are starting to fill with activities and definite routines. Tuesdays are Gymboree (soon Wed will be storytime), she naps everyday at 9 and 12, watches "Baby Can Read" after her morning nap with her bottle, around 3:30 everyday we watch Sesame Street as she bounces in her exersaucer and I'm sure as spring approaches a daily walk and park trips will fall in there somewhere.

Once Jarred gets home around 5:30, it's time for her last bottle and off to bed her takes his princess. Maybe that is why she says "dada" first. He's the first one she sees and the last - I'm just filling in the middle:-)

7 month photos

What She's Doing Now:
-creeping (moving around on her tummy, lifting butt and pushing forward with feet)
- stands on her own by holding on to something
- reaches for toys and bangs blocks/toys together
-says "dadadada" , "yayayayaya", "hiiiiiiiiiii", "oooma" and many other consonant/vowel combinations
-lip noises / spitting
-loves to bounce on anything
-eating 3 meals a day and 3 bottles (stage 2 foods)
- learning to use thumb and forefinger to pick up banana puffs (pincher grip)
- loves any type of fruit
- down to 2 naps a day but goes to bed at 6pm and wakes at 6am
- sleeping in her own crib
- trying to pull up on things including crib and table
- great grasping ability - can lift up a glass bowl with one hand
- can put own paci in mouth
- likes peekaboo, bubbles, pink rattle and her xylophone

Crawling soon....

Playing the xylophone and watching Sesame Street

Bounce!Bounce!Bounce!