seven months + a love note

current aliases:  emmie, emmie collins, ecb, baby emmie, baby bear, little one, little bear,  bean, princess, emmiekins, tiny chin (because she has the smallest chin), bright eyes

you eat baby food twice a day.  you've tried and loved bananas, peaches, peas, sweet potatoes, squash & green beans so far.  you appear to be the opposite of picky when it comes to food.  i'm so glad that you didn't inherit my bad tastebuds.  you've also tried puffs but are very skeptical.  you make the most awesome bitter beer face when i give you a puff to try.  i don't think you dislike them, i think the texture is just so foreign to you.

 

after you're done eating baby food is one of your favorite times.  i wipe you down with a warm rag (because you make massive messes sticking both fists in your mouth between each bite) and you love that!  you nearly clean up your own face and hands because you love your washcloths so much.

you still nurse just as often and it is still a joy for me.  you are so sweet when you eat and one of my favorite things is that you kick your little feet and play with my or your hair while you lay there.

licking your first skyline cracker [unsalted]

you still sleep in between most feedings but i think we may be stretching to 3 during the day instead of 4 soon which would be great.  and you're still sleeping from around 7pm to 7am.  you scrunched all your bumpers down when you would wake up, which was absolutely adorable...you just wanted to see if anyone was on their way in to get you, but you were also making me nervous when you'd squish your face in them so i took them out.

bum straight up in the air

 then you got your arms stuck through the bars and that scared me pretty bad too so i'm on the hunt for one of those breathable bumpers that will hopefully take care of both issues even though i don't think they are very pretty.  Since you don't have bumpers now, and your curtains aren't opaque (because they're made by your mother) i was forced to hang a sheet up in your window to block the light out for now.  you fall asleep for naps so much easier now that it's dark.  now i just gotta figure out how to line a curtain - yikes...

you started crawling this past week.  you spent about 3 weeks tricking me into thinking that "today will be the day" but at the end of February you finally went for it!  as soon as you figured it out, you were on the move.  you get quicker and quicker by the day.  its so sweet to see your little self get around a room.  you see something you want and you go exploring.  me and your poppa love when you crawl to us.  you're really snuggly and loved to be held (but not in an obnoxious way...yet).

ems being a hoodlum

3 days into crawling, you started to crawl toward tall things, like couches, benches and your parents legs to pull yourself up.  3 days after successfully mastering lifting yourself onto your knees you stood up all by yourself on march 2nd.  you had the help of your crib but no help from a person.  absolutely unbelievable.  how is your momma supposed to deal with you growing so fast!?

your favorite toys are probably sophie and the crinkly bag that holds your diaper wipes.  you also enjoy pulling my hair as much as ever.  you have an almost unbelievable affinity for tags on anything.  tags on pillows, tags on toys, tags on bibs, you name it.  i'm thinking if i could buy you a tag without the toy attached, that might be something.

you went on your first stroller ride like a big girl (not in the carseat but facing outward).  i thought it was warm enough, and when the wind died down it was perfect but when it would blow, yikes.  it was biting.  so needless to say, the walk was brief, just around the block but i was still pretty hype about it.

you celebrated you poppa's 28th birthday and your very first valentine's day where daddy treated you like a princess. 

you got your very first baby trench coat and some knit, bow earwarmers!  you also tried on your very first bathing suit...i die!

we think that you love music.  we watched a guitar documentary and you were enamored.  you try and sing along with the songs in your jumperoo, and you have a beautiful voice.  you love stories and hard books where you can turn the pages.

you also have started talking and babbling more.  sometimes you don't make noise you just open and close your mouth over and over.  i'm not sure if you're practicing to talk or to chew but you look like a precious little old person.  sometimes you scream and squeak and your poppa says you're dramatic like me.  as if.

you had lots of time with friends and family this past month.

and just for good measure, some extra adorableness from my bean:

no monthly report would be complete without a little love note for my little lady.  be back soon with that for you princess tiny chin!

i'm here!  little one, seven months looks good on you. 

i have to admit that i have a "favorite" time with you.  now i don't want you to get all crazy and think that i don't enjoy other moments with you (don't be ridiculous) but hands down, no competition, i love weekend mornings with you, me and your poppa.  my heart could literally explode as i get your little squeaking, and now standing, self out of bed.  you grin as hard as you can when i walk in the door and put your arms up juuuust a little for me to pick you up.  sometimes you even let out a little giggle.  after i lift you out of bed you melt into a little ball of preciousness on my shoulder.  you usually lay your head down and suck your thumb, or squeak, or both until i get you into our room for meal #1 of the day.

you nestle on down in between me and your poppa to eat.  lots of mornings poppa is still a little out of it when you first come to bed with us. it's dim in there, usually about 6:30am, and on a saturday or sunday, who can blame him?  you start out all about the food but a few minutes in you realize that there is a grizzly poppa bear in the bed and try your very best to eat and touch him at the same time.  sometimes its a smack and sometimes you just hold his arm or pat his face.  you don't quit even when he's asleep and unresponsive, you just keep on keepin' on.  it is the best.  when you're finished eating poppa gets pretty much all your attention.  it doesn't bother me a bit.  i'm obsessed with seeing the two of you together.  it looks like you're comforted by me being nearby with your little glances even if your focus never reeeeally strays.  it's my happy place. 

those mornings are what i dreamed of when we were pregnant with you.  i used to ask ben, "won't it be so incredible for emmie to wake up and come visit with us in bed?"  those moments were my favorite when it was just me and your poppa and now with you in the mix...i can't stand it!  it's that undistracted, "quiet" time (quiet in feeling, not in noise) that blesses me so.  i used to imagine it just like this, and it's all i could want wrapped up in a few moments of fluffy pillows and baby wiggles.  i can picture your little toddler self joining us too, and maybe some other little siblings too, God willing.  maybe someday we'll jump on the bed, who knows.

one other little thing i wanted to tell you is that you have the sweetest, funniest personality taking shape.  unfortunately for the world you don't share it with just anyone.  you pretty much stone-face the majority of our friends and family with just tiny glimpses of your silly self and when it is just me and your dad you are a wild woman.  huge smiles, crawling all over, so playful.  i hope someday that you embrace being with all different kinds of people and that you let your little light shine.  not that you have to be the center of attention, but that you wouldn't be afraid to be yourself.  shine little one, shine.  if you're reserved, that's ok.  i just hope you know that you are brave and that you can put yourself out there.  God has made you pretty darn special, don't be scared to be you.

we love you with all our heart. 
momma & poppa