11 Month Letter:

Dear Skylar Joy, Hey there, pretty girl! You're changing so much every month... and this one is no exception! Your communication with us this month continued to grow and change and get better! You now wave consistently when prompted to say "bye-bye". It's especially cute when you wave goodbye to your daddy when he's about to leave at bedtime. You're telling him "okay, go bye-bye now so I can nurse with Mommy!" You also now communicate with motions. For example: You will point to your head and motion with a toy that you want us to put it on our head like you are. So we'll take it from you and put the toy on our head and you giggle and smile so big! You are more and more interested in telling us about your day and showing us what you want to do and how you want to play. We don't always understand you, but it's been fun trying to decipher what you're communicating.

When you see something new or discover something you say "ohhhhh" with so much wonder. It's incredibly cute. I love hearing you make that sound and watching you learn.

You loved it when your Gram Gram and Pop Pop came to visit. You seemed to know they were special to you pretty quickly. We wonder if it's because of all the video chats you've had with them! You certainly are interacting more and more in those chats. This month you were also away from your Daddy for a while (and in New York visiting with your other grandparents and two of your uncles). We video chatted most days while we were apart from your daddy and you loved seeing him every time. You would smile so big and often clap (you guys clap back and forth a lot as a type of "game"). You also would wave "bye-bye" to your Dad on video chat when it was time to say goodbye.

Speaking of going to New York, you were very good on 4 different flights this month, baby girl (2 each way on the way to New York). On one of the flights back to North Carolina several people in the plane remarked that they didn't know a baby was on board the flight. I was so proud of you in that moment, sweet girl.

You crawled up the stairs for the first time this month (6/23). We're pretty sure you could have done this earlier, but your Mom and Dad were far from encouraging you to start experimenting with the stairs. You cannot go back down the stairs yet (though this is definitely to be expected). It's probably time for us to get a gate and limit your stairs access a bit. We want to keep you safe, little one!

You can turn light-switches on and off with no help now. You like to turn off and on the switch in your room at bedtime. Daddy limits you to doing this a couple times so that you can settle down to reading and relaxing for bed. It's kinda a fun little game you guys play during reading time. :) You also can now close the garage door when we hold you up to push the button.

You started smiling with a "crinkle nose" smile like your Momma this month. You used this smile more than any other expression this month. It was super cute to see myself mirrored in you, but it's funny that you stopped smiling other ways this month and only smiled that way. I'm sure this will change in the coming months, but we'll enjoy it while you're doing it. :)

You kissed me for the first time this month, my sweet girl. You always have your mouth open when you do, but you kiss me when I point to my mouth and say "kisses?" I'm not sure when this started (I didn't keep track of the date), but it warms my heart every time you do it. You are so sweet, baby girl!

You saw the ocean for the first time this month, my little one (7/4). You were not quite sure what to think of the waves at first and I don't think you were super happy about how chilly the water was, but you warmed up to it pretty quickly. Your Dad and your Mom played with you in the water and eventually you started enjoying the ocean just like you do the pool! Sand was a whole different story. You were sitting on a towel under an umbrella and kept looking suspiciously at the sand. We tried putting your hands and feet in the sand and you pulled back like you were scared of it. We think that because it shifted and moved under your feet you thought it wasn't stable enough to crawl on or stand on. Eventually you figured out that sand was at least "okay" to interact with, but it was certainly not something you wanted to have all over you. Your cousins Autumn and Colden were also at the beach when you were. You loved interacting with Autumn and weren't always sure what to make of 6 month old Colden. You also kept looking at him funny when Colden was trying to eat the sand. Your expression was something like "why would you want to EAT that?!?!?" It was pretty cute. You also bumped Colden in the head a few times on different occasions. We're working on teaching you to be gentle, but it's certainly a work in progress. ;) I should also mention that you climbed the beach house stairs while we were there. It feels notable because they are not carpeted and much harder to climb.

The trip to the beach (9+ hours in the car) was not one of your happiest trips, my dear girl. And your Mommy and Daddy will be working on how to make future long car trips better for you. Neither of us wants you to be so upset while traveling again. We're hoping that as you grow up you'll be able to play more effectively with things and maybe watch videos in the car. I guess we'll see what happens. For now 3 hour trips are just fine and we'll limit our travels to that for a few months.

You are SO close to walking, baby girl. You can walk backward with the help of your highchair (it has wheels on the bottom) and while holding on to other chairs you kinda "walk" around them a bit (7/2). You are becoming more independent with things like moving from place to place. You climbed down out of your highchair with very little help this month (7/3). You also stood without having anything to help you stand up (7/6). I'm pretty sure we'll see you walking next month -- before your 1st birthday.

Finally, baby girl, you were very good during a family photo shoot we had with an old friend. We happened to get rained on a bit and you were fascinated by the water as well as by leaves on the trees and so many other things in nature. The photographer did a great job capturing your wonder and excitement at experiencing new things. So, those are the photos I'm sharing for your 11 month pictures. I love you, sweet girl.

Keep growing, learning, and, if you must, getting bigger!

Love Always, Your Momma

(Pictures taken by Anne Ryan Dempsey of Poema Photography)

Skylar's Favorite Things

Since this month is Skylar's birth month I thought I'd do a post telling you guys about the things she loves most right now. Enjoy: Remotes

Remotes of all shapes and sizes are a major favorite of Skylar's. It's not that they DO anything (she hasn't yet figured out that she can use them to change things on the tv), but it's the buttons! She loves pushing buttons. She likes it even more if the buttons light up. We have one remote that lights up a lot when you push the buttons and we've used it before (Jimmy more than me) to help Skylar stop being super upset and calm down. We try to only rarely let her play with the remotes, though. And she does have one remote that is "hers" and that's the one she's allowed to play with anytime.

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Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes

(Can be found here)

Skylar loves music. That's becoming quickly apparent to us. She started dancing to music we played in the room and music on tv shows we were watching as an little babe. Now she loves toys that make music, play songs and that she can hit to make music herself. She's still growing into the "making music" part, but I'm pretty sure she'll be a little music-lover just like her mom and dad.

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Dry Erase Markers

So. This one is kinda strange, I know. A few months ago Skylar found the dry erase markers that I leave in the bathroom to write notes on the mirror for Jimmy (and he occasionally uses to write notes to me). She likes to take them out of the glass jar I keep them in and roll them around on the floor and then put them back in the jar. She has not yet discovered that the caps come OFF of the markers and I'm trying hard to prevent this discovery. For now they're just colorful sticks that she plays with. :)

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Electronics (phones, laptops, iPads)

I think this one is probably pretty typical (at least it seems like it from the babies I've been around). If it has a screen on it Skylar is fascinated by it! She picks up my iPhone and says "Oh!" like she's discovering something brand new that she's never seen before. Recently I walked away from my computer for a moment and came back to find her typing away (see picture above). She's not usually the gentlest with electronics, but we're trying to teach her how to use them correctly... sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. :)

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Prunes

I know this is an odd one... but truly she loves them. It's the one food that Skylar will eat, without fail, always (though to be fair she's not a picky eater typically -- but I'm keeping this under my hat just in case that changes sometime in the near future). She eats the pureed version of this currently, but I plan on letting her have pieces of whole ones in the near future.

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Swimming/The pool

Almost without fail Skylar loves the water. There are rare exceptions of course, but typically she is excited at bath-time and always excited in the pool. She also likes the ocean, but that took a bit of warming up to (she wasn't quite sure about the waves at first). But it only took a little while and she was excited to be in the ocean too (the sand -- not so much, but that's a whole other story for another time). I'm so glad our little one likes the water. I'm looking forward to lots of swimming and beach trips in our future!

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Taggie Books

(The above book can be found here)

I don't remember who gave us taggie books... But it was someone. And I'm thankful to that someone because Skylar loves them! As part of Skylar's bedtime routine Jimmy reads to her every night. The taggie books have been the books that Skylar "plays with" while Jimmy reads her another book (sometimes Winnie the Pooh stories, sometimes animal stories, and sometimes other books). Specifically the Itsy-Bitsy-Spider taggie is her favorite of the taggies and it's also the first book that Skylar has requested Jimmy read repeatedly to her (I think he read it 3 times one night).

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Nursing/Teething necklaces

I bought these beauties from a lovely lady in Russia. Yes, that's right Russia. Her Etsy shop is here if you wanna check her out. The penguin was a "special order" that I requested, but I think she offers it now regularly. Skylar was never all that into these while breastfeeding (I would wear them around my neck for her to touch/play with while eating), but she loves them for teething. She most often uses them in the car and when we're out at the store (it "ties" around the cart rail pretty easily and is colorful). She doesn't seem to have a major preference between the rainbow one and the penguin one.

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Baby Teether Ball (orange)

(This can be bought here)

It's simple enough and definitely something I randomly bought to help Skylar with teething. She loves this little ball. She'll put it in her mouth and walk/crawl around and play with other things while chewing away on it. She also prefers this one to any other colors. I bought another because I thought I had lost this one and the one that came wasn't as bright orange as this one... then I found the original (of course). When she can choose between them she always goes for this one. I'm wondering if she's going to love bright colors just like her Momma. ;)

9 Month Letter to Skylar

Dear Skylar Joy, Mommy loves you so very much! I wish this wasn't late! But I do want to celebrate all the milestones you achieved your 9th month of life!

So, here goes... Last month I told you about how you started standing up! It was such a fun new thing for you and you were standing often, baby girl! But you weren't able to get down (you would yell for me when you got tired of standing) and were afraid of letting go to let yourself "fall" on your bottom. Well, on your 9 month birthday (also your mommy's birthday) you finally figured out how to get down from standing!!! This was quite a relief for your Momma! No more "Ma-Ma-Ma-MA!!!" yelling from you to get helped down from standing (though I do have to admit looking over to see you stuck standing up somewhere will be something I miss on some levels... you were so cute stuck and calling for me). Your independent streak took off this month starting with being able to sit-down and get down from standing.

You also said "Da-da" on your Mom's birthday and we were pretty sure you meant your Daddy. We confirmed this a few days later when I was out of the house and you called for your Daddy saying "Da-Da-Da!" (4/10) You're trying to say other various words too. You often repeat words that you think sound interesting. A good example is that you repeat "click-click" ... it sounds more like "kik-kik," but you're trying to say what we say. It's pretty cute. The only other word we're sure you're saying with meaning is "kitteh" (4/16). You say "keh-keh" when you see Harley and you still try to pet her -- though very roughly (we're working on the concept of "gentle," but it's slow going).

In terms of food: You're a pretty good eater. You eat pretty much all the purées that your Mommy makes you. You also have started trying some pieces of fruits and other foods with mixed results. A few "successes" are when you you tried pineapple at Kroger one day while shopping and when Aunt Mary gave you a strawberry (4/10).

You are enjoying story-time with Daddy as part of your bedtime routine. Your Dad likes to read you Winnie the Pooh stories and sometimes reads you stories about animals. During one of those animal stories you recognized a cat illustrated in the book and pointed out "kit-teh" to your Daddy. You showed your Mom when I came in to finish putting you to bed. You're so smart, little one!

One of your most exciting "new things" you've done during your 9th month was standing on your own without holding anything. You did this for the first time on the couch where it's soft. You were standing up holding onto the back cushion and you just pushed off and stood on your own (4/26). Your Daddy saw you do this first and then you did it again so your Mom could see! I'm sure you'll be standing without holding on very soon!

You like to offer your teether and other toys to your Dad and Mom. You do this especially during storytime with your Dad. It's fun to see you sharing so young. Hopefully this will be a trend, baby girl! :)

Other changes include a few more teeth: You have 6 teeth now! And that you are able to help more while getting dressed. You push your arms through sleeves when I say "push" and still love to laugh when clothes are over your face and when you "pop" out of the neck hole.

You are growing so much every day. We cannot wait to see what you discover next.

I love you, baby girl. Always. Forever...

Love, Your Mom

These pictures are from when you tried the strawberry... you were so uncertain but wanting to try it with Aunt Mary's help. You were so very cute!:

8 Months Young!

Dear Skylar Joy, Hello sweet girl! This month is pretty exciting! First, your "8 month birthday" was on your Mommy's birthday! How cool is that? We were excited to have two things to celebrate that day! Your Mom turned 30 on the 8th, but she largely celebrated her birthday the weekend just before that. You were such a good girl during the festivities! I think about that weekend and how perfectly you behaved with your baby sitter and with all the guests and I am just so proud of you! Thank you for such a lovely "gift" baby girl!

This month has been filled with changes and exploration (as every month has been thus far!). The "big" thing you learned to do this month is stand on your own. It was crazy how quickly you figured out how to pull yourself up to standing. One day you were trying to get to my water bottle up on a chair and couldn't quite make the "leap" to put your hand up and pull yourself up to standing so you could reach it (3/17) and the next day you stood up using another chair to get to my camera gear (3/17). I wasn't expecting you to figure it out so quickly, but once you did you started standing all over the place. The only problem with this development is that you are scared to get DOWN from standing. So... you tend to start babbling "ma-ma-ma-ma" with increasing intensity the longer I let you stand without helping you down. It's cute, baby girl, but someday you will figure out the sitting down from standing thing... Until then I'll keep helping you. ;)

I mentioned that you say "ma-ma-ma," and we can officially say that "mama" is your first word, baby girl! You call for me to help you when you're trying to get down from standing, to come get you when you're up from a nap or at night, and when you're ready to be fed. You're very close to saying other things too... and try out sounds and syllables a lot. At times you make noises like you're trying to say separate words -- like a phrase or sentence. You do this most when you're in the car talking with your travel toys (your owls and your bunny are still major favorites for traveling). Your Dad noticed that you were saying a syllable that sounded like "get" over and over while trying to grab something (4/4). We're not sure what you're really trying to say, but it's obvious that you are continually trying to figure out how to express new words and information to us and your toys.

At the beginning of this month you still did the "arms only" crawl sometimes, but now you're just doing a standard crawl everywhere -- and fast. You can get from one area to another surprisingly quickly! One day this month you crawled right up to the stairs and were trying to get up them (4/4). Of course it was after your Dad and the kitty had just walked up the stairs -- you didn't want to be left behind. We figure it's only a matter of time till you'll be able to climb up the stairs. All of your crawling and adventures are awesome for us to watch. Your Mom and Dad are having to be extra vigilant lately to make sure you don't get into anything that can hurt you, but we both love watching you learn and explore. :)

Speaking of crawling, you crawled into the kitchen for the first time this month and then proceeded to crawl to the bathroom to "find me" while I was in there (of course I was looking out at you to make sure you weren't getting into trouble anyway) (3/13). You used to crawl up to me and then flail about for me to pick you up, but now crawl right up into my lap. In fact you now crawl over any obstacles in your path -- including legs and arms and the cat and toys. You also crawl up to your Mommy and Daddy while we're standing and reach your arm up on our leg to get picked up. It's so cute to see you learning to communicate -- even in non-verbal ways!

You had juice for the first time this month, darling girl (3/19). It was apple juice and you liked it a lot. You also had prune juice (you had some "plumbing issues" for a while and your Mom and Dad were doing all they could to fix the problem). Your first juice was out of a regular cup because you weren't able to get the juice out of the Tommee Tippee cup (it's surprisingly difficult to suck liquid from!). Just a few days later (after we offered you the cup every time and you tried each time) you figured out the Tommee Tippee!! Now you have no problem getting juice and water from it.. This is super helpful, little one, because the Tommee Tippee doesn't spill easily! It will be very useful in the car and such. :)

You are in size 3 diapers now and are wearing 9 month and 12 month clothing. I weeded out a lot of clothes that don't fit you anymore this month... and we're stocking up on 12 month and 18 month clothes at the moment. You're getting so big, my sweet girl!

You still enjoy being in various carriers on your Mommy, but you rarely fall asleep in them now. You usually love to interact with people in stores and typically smile at them. You are sometimes getting shy, though, especially when tired. One interesting turn of events is that you are afraid of men with beards. It's comical how easily you cry if a man with a beard picks you up. We're working on exposing you to more bearded men, but since your Daddy doesn't have one you aren't around them daily. It's important to tell you that you do warm up to guys with beards -- it just takes some time and you're not as friendly for a while around them. You're definitely starting to recognize people you know from strangers. You're much more cautious about who holds you, but are usually okay as long as your Mom or Dad are holding you when you're around new people.

Your grandparents (Mom's parents) visited you for the first time in North Carolina this month (see the photos below with your grandma and Momma!)! While they were visiting your Mom & Dad left you for the first time! You were juuuuust fine while we were out on a date (a late "Valentine's Day" date). We enjoyed spending some time alone just the two of us, but missed you and were glad to be back home with you after a few hours. Now that we've broken the "baby sitting" ice we may have to find other people who can watch you from time to time. :)

You experienced your first Easter this month (3/31)! It really wasn't all that different for you, but you did get a fun Easter package from your Gram-Gram and Pop-Pop. You also got to enjoy some toys from your first Easter Basket that was left on our doorstep by a loving neighbor (anonymously). We're looking forward celebrating with you next year when we can interact more about the true meaning of Easter (and enjoy a good egg hunt as well).

You started teething again hard-core this month, Skylar Joy. It's been difficult to comfort you at times and you haven't slept well at night for a lot of this month (this has been tough on your parents, but we all made it through and are doing better now!). The sleeping issues led to a more strict "bedtime routine" and you now are typically in bed sleeping by 8pm at the latest. This is quite a change from your flexible bedtime previously, but you're definitely needing the structure now. The teething led to two brand-new teeth! You now have 4 teeth in your little mouth: your two bottom front teeth and your two top front teeth. Your Mom forgot to note which day the top two "cut," but it was one of the first few days of April. Even though the teeth have cut you're still teething so it's likely you will have more teeth poking out next month! ;)

We love you so much, baby girl!!!! Keep growing, learning, exploring. We can't wait to see what you're going to do next!

Love Always, Your Momma

Except for the bottom one these pictures were taken by your Dad (edited by me, though):

This final picture is a preview of the "spring" photos of you and Daddy. I'll be posting the rest on their own in the near future:

7 Month Skylar Photos: The Outtakes

A week and a half ago I posted my 7 Month Letter to Skylar along with lots of pictures taken in celebration of 7 months (really, they were for 6/7 months -- I didn't get 6 month ones the way I wanted, but that's beside the point). These are the outtakes. The ones that didn't "quite make the cut," but deserve to be posted anyway. They make me laugh... mostly because my daughter is a sillyhead. Enjoy:

The kitty watched the whole time:

♥

Learning Balance (and other tales)

SO. One of my "goals/resolutions" for 2013 is posting more frequently/regularly. You may have noticed that I haven't really been making much progress with that resolution. And there's got to be some irony to the fact that part of why I haven't been posting much is because I've been spending every free second I have lately READING Harry Potter (irony because, if you remember, one of my other resolutions was to read more). What I've found is that I need to work on balance. I kinda already knew that... but I need to think about and pursue it more. I want to have balance in lots of areas of my life: my leisure time, my "working on the house time", my eating habits, and so many other areas. I also want to be able to truly RELAX and enjoy just "being" sometimes.

One time I do usually relax and chill out completely is while feeding Skylar right before bedtime. It's one of the most calm, balanced, sweet, times we have during the day. She snuggles up against me... and nurses... really well. I watch her and usually hold one (or both) of her hands. And I sigh in contentment, I smile at her with wonder at how much I love her. And then I get sleepy (what can I say, apparently oxytocin and prolactin make me sleepy -- who knew?) It's one of the few times in my day when I'm not trying to multitask and I'm just sitting, still, taking everything in. It's often when I take pictures of Skylar nursing, too... mostly because those are some of the moments when I feel most connected, and crazy in-love with my little baby girl.

So, I guess this is what I'm seeking elsewhere... balance, the ability to enjoy whatever I'm doing in that moment and not feel like I "should be" doing something else... (because when I'm nursing Skylar I truly feel like that's EXACTLY what I should be doing in that moment):

(Not sure how or why this became a post about breastfeeding, but oh, well, sometimes posts have a mind of their own).

Until next time, Emily

P.s. I'm still working on Skylar's 6 month entry! It's coming! Promise!

Farewell Virginia, It's Official

It's odd. I really expected to be happy to be free of the tiny town where we once lived in Virginia. But when we were driving out of town for the final time (in separate cars) on the way to our new home in North Carolina I found myself crying. True, I was only around 4 weeks postpartum and I happened to have a crying baby in the back of my car at the time, but really, I was truly sad to be losing Lynchburg as our home.

A couple days ago our house officially sold. Yesterday the funds were transferred to our account. And today Jimmy confirmed that the "money is in the bank". So. It's official. Our house is sold and gone and we are no longer tied to the small town of Lynchburg in Virginia. Except that we are. Never-mind the good friends we still have there (and there are many!), but Lynchburg will always be the place where I grew up. The place where I moved after leaving my parent's house. The place where Jimmy and I started a life together as a married couple (heck, it's the place where I MET Jimmy -- truly the love of my life). It's where I had my first "grown up" job working full time hours for "the man" (heheheh). It's the town where we put down some roots (albeit small ones) and bought our first house.

And Lynchburg will always be where we first found out I was pregnant and where we welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world. Because of that huge change in our world: It will also always be where I learned about pregnancy, labor, and delivery and where I felt incredible connection with other mothers at "The Motherhood Collective". It's where I met an amazing Doula named Laurie Flower (seriously, if you're having a baby in Lynchburg -- look her up!) who became a friend as well. And in early August I experienced what it meant to become a Mom.

There was something simple about living in a place where I knew how to get (virtually) everywhere and could drive there within about 30 minutes (end to end). And there was something comforting about having friends throughout the area -- including those we had known for, literally, 10 years. But every chapter of life has it's end... and Lynchburg was not destined to be our final home. I'm not not sure that Raleigh is either, but we'll see.

For now I've enjoyed getting to know some neighbors... and am slowly figuring out how to get places (even some without the GPS! Gasp!). Driving back to NC after a trip finally does feel like we're coming "home" -- though it's a home where we're maybe not quite as comfortable yet... but have so many plans and hopes and dreams.

Newness has it's place...  It's exciting to start anew! But today I'm just a bit melancholy and memory-ridden as I think about the "could have beens" and "used to bes". As I remember the "snowed in" parties of old and all the past fun we had in our previous home.... And I miss people and relationships and all that support and love... but those memories will always be with me, locked in my heart -- forever the first place I truly called "home" that was ours and ours alone.

So here's to the future. And all that it has to hold in this new home (always remembering and loving, but looking forward -- ever hopeful).

-Emily

P.s.

We will visit. We DO visit and often. So, while we've said "goodbye" officially to Lynchburg as a "home" it will always be a destination that we love.... and that will be true as long as it holds those we care for and care for us. ♥

5 Months Old!

Dear Skylar, It's been quite a month! Many highs and a few lows, but ultimately it was a good month with you, my love. It's hard to know where to start, but here goes...

You have learned to love the bouncy seat this month. You don't always want to be in it for super long, but you've figured it out and can now jump as much as you want! You also have learned to turn the bouncer around to see one way or the other and can do it quickly at will! Since you're pretty savvy with the bouncer now Mommy sometimes puts you in there when she's taking a shower or trying to get chores done. Your Dad likes to sit on the ground when you're in the bouncer. He talks with you and plays with you while you jump. One thing you don't like is being in the bouncer for a long time by yourself. You are very social and much happier when someone is interacting with you -- even when you are playing. You remind me of myself very strongly sometimes, baby girl.

Speaking of jumping, it's still one of your favorite ways to interact and play with your Daddy. He holds you and you jump on his lap. You've gotten really strong and can jump for a very long time without getting tired! You also don't like to jump slowly and usually jump at a very quick pace! It's so fun to watch you jump!

You're not eating foods yet, but often show interest in our food and what we're drinking. You sometimes drink water out of our glasses -- especially out at restaurants. You also suck water from my Nathan water bottle and we were able to get you to drink from a straw (12/17)! Lately we think you're wanting the water because it's cold and feels good on your teething gums, but in general you seem curious about what Mommy & Daddy are doing when we eat and drink. Food is probably coming in the next month or so. We'll see... it's a big step, but one you seem increasingly ready for!

You are turning over all the time now, baby girl... and you use it to help you get around and see things in your world. If you want to move from one toy to another on your playyard you "roll to it". You also have used this to roll around the living room/kitchen nook area. You're sooooo close to crawling, but rolling helps you get around for now.

Speaking of crawling: You may not be doing much with forward motion yet, but you can turn in circles. You turned all the way around several times on the office floor with Mommy & Daddy cheering you on! You still do this to a lesser degree to "get around" downstairs when left to your own devices. Mommy is having to watch you much closer to make sure you don't get into anything that you shouldn't. When you're really crawling we're going to have to keep a much closer eye on you -- at least until we can get some gated areas for you to play in.

Some of your other "firsts" this month are:

You experienced your very first Christmas, sweet girl!! You are still too little to really grasp much of what is going on, but you did enjoy the attention you got while opening presents. You're not quite old enough to really "open" them yourself, but you did try. You have enjoyed the lights and colors of the season. I have loved watching your eyes sparkle as you take it all in.

Your first tooth has peeked out of your gums. It's still not all the way up, but you "cut" your first tooth a few days after Christmas. You actually seem to deal with the pain pretty well, but do get somewhat whiny and needy when your mouth hurts. You also have the typical "symptoms" of drooling and chewing on everything when teething.

Crying when something is taken away from you! Before this month you didn't seem to care if we took a toy away or put something down that you were playing with, but now you whine or cry when we take something away that you're not finished enjoying. The first time you complained was when we put away the iPad.

You now grab for toys and other items with purpose. You can control your hands so much better and tend to grasp toys instead of just flinging your arms out to try and "catch" something with your hands. You also lean towards toys that you want. You seem to understand that you have choices and can pick which toy you would like to play with at that specific moment. You can definitely see better and understand objects better this month.

On Dec 18th you shook a rattle for the first time. You shook it after Daddy showed you how -- it is so neat watching him teach you things. I know this is just the beginning! You continued to shake rattles and other toys throughout the month as you learned that you could make noises yourself!

You first enjoyed looking at the world upside-down this month. You were on your daddy's lap on the stairs by the office. You leaned all the way back in his lap and were so excited to see the world in a whole new way! (I need to add pictures of this at some point!). You have continued to do this out throughout this month. It's a whole new perspective that excites you!

On Christmas Eve you cried and yelled because you were being left out of what was going on in the room next to you. You are very social and you continue to show us that as you grow!

A big first for you this month was seeing (and touching) snow! While in NY around Christmastime it snowed! You were quite interested in the cold white stuff and while you won't remember it, we enjoyed introducing you to snow for the first time! :)

At the end of this month you got sick. You actually were having trouble breathing and because of that we ended up at a pediatric ER with you. A few days before your "5 month birthday" you were being treated for Croup. Watching you struggle to breathe was super hard for me, but I do have to tell you how proud I am of you! You continue to be my little fighter! Even when it was difficult you worked hard to breathe and get all the oxygen you needed! Your oxygen levels never dipped below 97% and because of that you were never in danger of any lasting negative effects from being sick. You also still greeted people who came in the room and tried to smile at times -- even when you were obviously miserable.

While sick (especially in the hospital) you never wanted to be out of my arms. Your constant need for me was tough sometimes, but at the same time I was so glad to be able to offer you comfort and give you a safe place in my arms. I will never forget some of those sweet cuddle moments in the hospital when I knew I was giving you everything you needed and sleeping on me was helping you feel better.

You are much better now! And your Mom & Dad are both super thankful for that! I could go the rest of my life without seeing you in pain again and it would be just fine with me! (I know that's not realistic, but I'm your Momma -- so I will try to make it so!)

Favorite Toys this month: You still love your taggie and hanging rattle while traveling. In addition to these you've started loving your playyard a lot lately. You also are fascinated by your crinkly winged ladybug toy! Another fave for you right now is playing with the "Little Gems" game on Mommy's iPad. You love that you can "throw" the shapes on the screen. You are enjoying toys that make noise a lot. One favorite is a musical toy that your Aunt Lynne gave you for Christmas! It's a great distraction for you when you're upset about your mouth hurting.

I can't wait to see what you learn and are excited about next month, baby girl! Keep growing, keep learning, keep becoming you!

Love Always & Forever,

Momma

Snowy Day Pictures (featuring photos by this momma):

 

The Merriest of Christmases!

Today has been a wonderful day already... different, but wonderful! (lots of changes this year -- but we still have the important traditions and family time).

My daughter is napping next to me and I can hear Christmas dinner prep going on in the other room. I really don't have much time to post, but I wanted to say:

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Everyone!

With Love, Emily, Jimmy & Skylar

4 Months!

Dear Skylar Joy, You are 4 months old today! You're growing rapidly, little one. We're not sure how much you weigh yet (your 4 month check-up is next week), but I'm willing to bet it's 15 pounds or more. You're already in 6 month clothes and will probably be in 6-9 and 9 month clothes pretty soon!

It seems like every day you are learning something new, trying to touch a new item, or getting better at a motion you learned yesterday. My precocious little girl, you are always curious, and always touching and exploring your world. Mommy & Daddy have loved introducing you to many new toys this month.

The firsts for this month are very broad! Momma will try to list them all, but they are many! You are learning so quickly, baby girl!

Okay... This month Mommy noticed (while stopped at a McDonalds on the way to Virginia) that you smiled when I kissed you! Previous to this you didn't seem to understand (or know what it meant) when I kissed you. But in that McDonalds you first seemed to realize that it's a good thing! And something to smile about! This warmed my heart and made me so very happy. Ever since kissing you usually elicits a smile or a giggle.

This month you had your first looooong road trip (the first of many I'm sure). We drove from our old place in Virginia to Ohio for the week of Thanksgiving (and then all the way back to NC the Sunday after Thanksgiving). You rocked the trip, little one! We stopped 3 times on the way there and twice on the way back! Impressive! You were easily entertained in the car and slept most of the way there and back. Thank you for being such a good little traveler!

This month you started wanting to pull yourself up with your stomach muscles. When you do this it looks sort of like "baby crunches" and you can't get all the way up to a sitting position without help. Daddy has loved helping you do this, though, and you guys often practice this move. You started doing this the most while at Pop Pop & Gram Gram's in Ohio for the week of Thanksgiving. As part of the "crunches" you're learning more about your feet & I'm pretty sure you know they're yours. You grab your feet often and pull your socks off a lot. You also hold your legs or feet back for me when I'm changing you! You do this fairly consistently. It's so cute. It makes me laugh. Thank you for being so helpful, little one!

I mentioned we've been trying out new toys and items with you... well, one of them is your play-yard. It's basically a mat with hanging toys. You actually used it for the first time right before we flew to NY, but it's been used quite a bit this month and you've really gotten the hang of playing in it. A new item you started using this month is a bouncy swing that hangs in a doorway. You tried this out for the first time while in Ohio. You're still getting the hang of it, but you can bounce pretty well and seem to enjoy it! You don't like to stay in the bouncer seat for very long right now, but Mommy & Daddy are hoping that will change as your legs get stronger. :)

While in Ohio you also started teething for the first time. You still don't have any teeth, but we can see (and feel) some under the surface and you were chewing on anything and everything (including fingers) while we were visiting family in Ohio. You also were having trouble sleeping -- we think from the pain -- and we found creative ways to give you some Tylenol at bedtime. That seemed to help. Your teething has backed off some since we got home, but you still have some incredibly drooly days paired with lots of chewing. No teeth yet, but we're guessing you'll probably have some soon.

A lot of new things happened while we were in Ohio! You also drank from a tiny little cup while Mommy and Daddy were visiting friends. It was just a bit of water, but we tried it out after you were interested in Mommy's cup. You definitely drank water and swallowed it from the cup. It was so very cute. You started getting more interested in toys and interacting with us and the toys. You're still not really into being by yourself with toys -- but this isn't surprising considering how much you like attention. One of your favorite "games" while in Ohio was pulling magnets off the refrigerator with Pop Pop. It was neat to see how quickly you figured out how to "play" and you learned to grab just the right way to knock off the smiley magnets -- often in one swipe.

Another first was turning onto your side. But you didn't stop there! You turned all the way over several times in one day while in your "play-yard" on the living room floor. You also turned over a week or so later upstairs on your changing mat. I missed seeing you actually turning over each time because you did it right after I started to work on something. Silly girl! You're not turning over all the time, but you definitely can do it on purpose when you want to.

You are pretty social, baby girl, and seem happier when out and about with people. You still love being held and interacting with people. Being in Ohio with tons of family was a huge treat for you. It's been interesting getting back to "normal" with just Mommy & Daddy, but not too terrible... you just like a lot of attention!

One of Mommy & Daddy's joys this month was watching you work to "figure things out". You get this very serious look on your face and use your hands to try and grasp/touch things. Playing is very serious business and we love watching you! It's incredibly cute to see you care so much about what you're doing and we both love seeing you figure things out and explore.

You seem to have gotten over being easily startled and scared by things. At least you don't scream much anymore if you do get scared. It still happens -- but really rarely. This is a relief for both of your parents! When you scream in fear or pain it's hard on both of us! Fortunately you've never been too terrible about it anyway -- but it being more rare is definitely a good thing!

Your speech is getting almost like real words. One thing you say over and over is the sound "ma." You say "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma...." Over and over! We're thinking maybe "momma" or "mommy" will be your first word, but who knows if we'll even know you're saying it for real!?! ;-)

Another special moment I have tucked in my heart is the first time you put your elbows up on my chest while I was wearing you and stared at me until I looked down at you. It was *so* cute for you to do that and your expression was adorable! You do this from time to time in the Mei Tai (a loaner from the baby wearing group -- but we like it so much we'll likely get one of our own sometime soon!) and I love it every time. Speaking of the Mei Tai carrier, we did a successful "back carry" a couple days ago and 2 other times since then! You don't really seem to know what to think, but will sleep and chill in that carry for a while. Usually until you're ready for more interaction or until you want to be fed. It's really useful for me because I can get more done when I'm wearing you like that! & I'm so proud of my big girl being able to be on my back and relax there!

The final "Mei Tai" memory for this letter happened just a couple nights ago. We were out with the neighbors and I started nursing you at the table (you were hungry and letting me KNOW it!). Well, I was talking particularly loudly at one point and you stopped eating, pulled back, and waited for me to look down at you. You GLARED at me with the angriest look I've seen yet because I was being loud while you were eating. You kept this expression for a good 20-30 seconds until your parents laughing (Daddy had joined me by then) finally made you smile and then giggle. You definitely wear your emotions on your face, Skylar Joy. Just like your Momma.

As I typed the last half of this note you've been sitting in my lap. This is yet another new thing for you! You sit and watch TV with daddy & sit with me while I'm on the computer. The very first show you ever watched was a MythBuster's episode with your Dad. You loved the movements and all the colors. You also have started to love on the kitteh! You pet Harley for the first time this month. I love you two becoming friends! It's so cute & Harley is patient with your tugging -- to a point. We'll keep working on being gentle with the kitteh!

Some of your favorite toys this month were: your pink taggie made by Lora of Tater Tots! The soft penguin your Gram Gram got you while in Ohio, Your "first doll" who has very yummy feet, and the rattle attached to your car seat (it is the ONLY thing that will keep you from crying when you've become impatient with being in your carseat). I can't wait to see what your favorites will be next month!

Well, little girl, this letter is long enough! I'm sure I could go on for several more paragraphs about all the things changing, but I won't. These are the big things -- the things I will forever remember about this time in your life.

I love you, baby girl. Always & Forever!

-Momma

Some of my favorite pictures from this month:

   

2 Months Old (10/9/2012)

[Originally Posted on Facebook 10/19/ 2012] Skylar Joy,

This month has been filled with changes and growth. Your 2 month check-up at the doctor showed you are 12 pounds and 7 ounces. You're 23 inches long. You're in the 87th percentile for weight and the 75th for length! You're such a big girl! And so very strong. The doctor and nurses were surprised by how well you hold your head up and move your head around. Mommy wasn't surprised since I've watched you do that for a long time, but it was cool to hear others oooh and ahhh over you!

Here are your first this month, baby girl:

This month you started showing Daddy and Mommy that you are hungry by moving your mouth and tongue -- instead of just crying to eat. You still cry if we wait too long to feed you, but you've definitely started communicating more with us.

You slept longer than 5 hours for the first time this month! You actually slept for 7 hours two nights in a row while we were in a hotel room for our house closing. You surprised both Mommy and Daddy by sleeping for so long.

You smile consistently now and always smile "hello" to your Daddy when he gets home at night. You have little cooing conversations with your Dad to tell him what's going on. I love watching you two interact. It warms my heart so much. You talk to Mommy now too! It's usually while you are breastfeeding.

You laughed in your sleep a few times during this past month. You also have giggled a couple times when interacting with Mommy and Daddy. You're not consistently laughing yet, but so very close to it! The first time you giggled Daddy was around and you giggled at Mommy first and then Daddy when he came over to see you. Your timing was pretty perfect, little girl! Good job!

This month has had some ups and downs, but you've relaxed a lot, sweet girl. I think The stress of moving and everything that was going on took a toll on you. You were pretty fussy for a while, but have settled into a much more calm pattern.

Recently I noticed that you seem to be able to see much better. You watch the world from the safety of the Moby carrier. You also seem to be seeing much more from the carseat in the car. You look outside and watch the lights and everything passing by and are entertained by it. This is a huge relief to me because hearing and watching you cry in the car was really rough for me!

Another "first" for this month is you learning to fall asleep without having to be nursed or rocked soundly to sleep. When Mommy puts you down for a nap or at night you usually open your eyes and wake up some, but consistently you have fallen back asleep on your own without having to be picked up. I'm so very proud of you!

One new change that's very hard for your Mommy is that you are crying tears now. When you cry your eyes fill up and tears spill down your little chubby cheeks. It breaks my heart to see your tears, but I know this is just another way that you are growing and changing. Another thing that was tough for me was that you had your first cold this month, baby girl! You were very needy along with your cold symptoms. For several days the only way you would nap during the day was in the Moby. Mommy held you close and helped you feel better using the Kangaroo technique of skin-to-skin contact in the Moby. You're all the way better now and I'm so glad!

Recently you have found your lips and tongue. You smack your lips and brush them against my arm, my shoulder, my chest and you blow bubbles with your drool. (Oh, yeah, lots drool is another new thing. But that could be partially from your cold.) You play with your tongue and try pushing it against things. You often lick Mommy's shirt or chest (depending on how you're in the Moby) and pretty much lick anything that comes close to your mouth. It's cute and gross at the same time. But we love that you're growing and learning about your environment, baby girl.

Keep growing little bean -- but not too fast. Mommy wants you to be little and in her arms for a long time!

I love you. Always. Forever.

-Momma

1 Month Old Already! (9/8/2012)

[Originally Posted on Facebook 9/21/2012] Skylar Joy,

You are one month old, baby girl. And what a month it's been! From the first time I laid eyes on you I loved you, but this month has taught me so much about what the word "love" really means. My heart is full and my eyes teary as I type this. I already cannot imagine my life without you in it. I cannot really describe how much I love you, but I will try: It's a whole lot, a bunch, a bushel, to the moon and back a bazillion times. It's a lot, little jellybean. More than a lot... and more than I can say -- but I know it's just the beginning!

I can hardly believe that you're one month old! So much has happened and you have grown so much! At your last check-up you were in the 75th percentile for height and weight. You weighed 9 pounds and 11 ounces. Breast-milk is doing your body good, little girl! I'm so glad you're growing, but my heart also longs for you to stay little as long as possible.

Since my last note you had a lot of firsts... You slept overnight somewhere other than your home for the very first time. The next day you had your first shopping trip with Mommy! And you did really well! Everyone loved peeking at you in the Moby carrier and thought you were so cute and sweet! I loved showing you off!

You now grab things consistently and really strongly. A good example of this is: my hair. You grab and do not want to let go and it usually takes me a while to get my hair out of your grasp. Even though it hurts some, I love seeing this example of how strong you are!

Daddy built your swing for you this week and you love it. You watch the Betty Boop poster on the wall while you swing and seem oh-so-entertained by it. I think it's her eyes that make you so enthralled. When you're somewhat fussy you tend to fall asleep in the swing and Daddy and I are really thankful for that!

Some of your newborn clothes officially stopped fitting this week. And that makes me a bit sad! Some of them were so very cute! But I guess 9 pounds is pushing the newborn baby clothing limit! I'm so glad you're growing -- but don't grow too fast, okay!?!?!

You met your uncle Luke this week and were really good when he held you. You also started talking and smiling at Grandma B this week! We are quite certain you are smiling for REAL now and it has made us all really happy (your mom, your dad, your grandparents... people on the facebook, all of us!) Daddy and Mommy now do things to try to make you smile and what a fun game that has become!

You slept in bed with Daddy and Mommy for the first time this month. It was while Mommy was dosing and Daddy was sleeping. You were so cute and cuddly that I couldn't resist letting you join us. We both got up and you stayed asleep for quite a while in the bed by yourself.

During a dinner out with friends I discovered that I could calm you by singing to you while you were in the Moby. This discovery made my heart warm and I loved that my voice could do such a thing. So I sang to you over and over and over the same tones and you calmed and eventually slept.

You also had your first all-day-event out of the house for a movie marathon. You slept on me for a lot of it, but really, I was surprised by how well you did. You had your fussy moments, but even the explosions from the many superhero movies didn't wake you typically. And I enjoyed the snuggle time we had during the movies.

Thinking back over this last month it's really hard to believe that not that long ago I was struggling to bring you into this world. Those moments of pain were so difficult, baby girl, but I would do them all again to have you in my life... to hold you close and smell your head and to have the chance to love you. I am so thankful that you are healthy and growing. After all we've been through that gift is amazing in it's simplicity.

I love you, little one, more than I could have ever imagined. Keep growing, keep learning, keep becoming you! I can't wait to know you better. You are beautiful and special already, my lovely little girl!

Loving you Always, Your Momma