Bee's Blueprint: 9 Months

Bee revolted against her photo shoot this month and would absolutely positively not lay down for even a second. Such is the life of this active busy Bee! She is always on the go, this one, exploring and discovering the nooks and crannies of our little house. Bee has started giving kisses more freely now and will sometimes surprise you with a big open mouth kiss out of the blue. She is perfecting the clap and the wave, but sometimes it's just funner to lump them both together. A little shy in public, she will usually not wave on command, but will frantically flap her arms as soon as we are safely in the car, saying goodbye over and over to the entire grocery store all the way home. She has discovered music and will bop and bounce when she hears a good tune. It sends us into giggles every time! Bee and momma like to have dance parties in the kitchen every morning to get into our daily grove. We love to chase one another around the couch and she's so smart at anticipating where we will pop out of next. She adores hiding games and the simplest form of peek-a-boo will always bring a smile to her face. Clothing and diaper changes are full-body work outs these days and sometimes it's necessary to take a 5 minute intermission to catch our breath. Often it takes both mom and dad to get the job done! She loves to pull her books off the shelf and bang on her drums and push her walker around and find hazardous things to put in her mouth. Just a busy little body all the day long. She is so much fun right now! But boy oh boy, she sure does wear her momma out ;).  
9 Month Stats:
17 lbs 15 oz (25%)
28.5 inches tall (75%)

A letter to Baby Bee: My Big Girl at 9 months

Dear Baby Bee,
We have started this little game now where I ask, where is mommy's baby? I pat my big round tummy. Then you pat my big round tummy. I ask, where is mommy's big girl? And I point to you. Because you are now a big baby and will be a big sister in just over 3 months. I can hardly believe this is happening to us, Bee, it is so bittersweet that it takes my breath far far away.

You are now my big baby who is doing all kinds of big baby things. You are eating food with your fingers and from a spoon and from the floor when I can't get there in time. You love watching me dance around the kitchen while I cut bananas and make your oatmeal. Our mornings are really fun together. By now you are an expert at crawling super fast and breathe heavily through your nose when you're on the move. We've nicknamed you "bulldog" because we can always tell when you are coming, arms pinned out to the sides, tongue out. You can stand and walk along furniture like a pro and will walk forever holding onto our hands.

You are beginning to really love and comprehend books and will anticipate certain pages of your favorite stories, leaning in to give slobbery kisses to the babies and animals. You are the sweetest little thing. I am lucky to spend my days with you, being the number one recipient of lots of pats and cuddles and kisses. When you wake up from a nap I stand outside your door and knock so you know I'm coming in. I am always greeted with a big gummy smile and I feel a little like a rock star. This is all the fame I will ever need in the world. I swoop you in my arms and you crash your head onto my shoulder and pat my back gently. In those moments I want to drink you up, every ounce of your pure baby sweetness.

You have outgrown taking baths in the kitchen sink and are getting quite comfortable splashing around in the big tub. You will grab at the mysterious bubbles and watch them disappear in your hands. Sometimes I can't resist climbing in there with you. Sharing a bath with you is usually the very best part of my day. You have bath toys of course, but the red Solo cup is by far the most preferred guest. I pour warm water down your back and daddy pours warm water down mine. We cherish these little intimate moments created as a family. The three of us are happiest when we are all together.

You love to be out and about, taking in the world perched in a shopping cart. However, at nine months, you have a strong preference for me or your dad, but not really anyone else. You tend to get very nervous when others hold you. I know you will outgrow it, and someday will not think twice about being away from me. Of course I don't mind for a second being your favored company. I waited a long time to be someone's momma. I'm so lucky to be yours, Bee.

You are absolutely the light of your dad's life. And the feeling is quite mutual! He hopes that you wake up early enough in the morning so he can see you before work. In the evenings you now recognize the sound of him coming through the door and rush to his feet for a hug and kiss. The two of you will wrestle gently on the living room floor for hours. You climb up and over every angle of him, smiling and giggling the whole way. For a momma, there is nothing like this feeling in the world.
We've started the weaning process, you and I, and OH my baby girl. This has been much harder on me than I ever expected. Part of me never wants to give this up. Nursing you has been one of the greatest joys of my entire life. These days we are down to just two feedings per day and I feel the end is drawing near for this special time between us. Pretty much everything about breast-feeding has surprised me, including how much I have absolutely loved it. I've wept for hours at just the thought of stopping. It becomes especially difficult because my time alone with you is growing short. And while I will never love you any less, I know having a little brother in our lives will change everything.

We have 3 more months baby girl, lets make the most of it.  
Love,
Momma

Thirty-ONE-derful

Today I'm celebrating Thirty-ONE-derful years of life. I have a feeling this year will be wonderful! My thirties have not disappointed me even for a minute. I truly feel that I am becoming the real me more and more every day. 

Print

I woke up to the sounds of a wonderful baby babbling mumumumumum from the next room. This baby. My oh my. This baby, who loves to squish mandarin oranges in her hands and rub the pulp through her hair. This baby, who I can still nurse to sleep each night while I tickle her face. This baby, who flashes a crooked little grin and somehow brings my world back into focus. This baby, who crawls to my feet and climbs up my leg and looks up at me with the biggest bluest eyes I ever did see. This baby, who loves to take a bath with mom and splash like only a champion bath-splasher could.

I woke up to the kick, flip, flop of a wonderful baby boy dancing in my belly. This baby. My oh my. This baby, who sometimes I forget is even in there until I walk past a mirror and gasp. This baby, who is already loved endlessly will forever go down as the biggest surprise of my life. This baby, who will be here in another minute if I just blink my eye. This baby, who can wiggle and jiggle inside me like only a champion wiggle-and-jiggler could.

I woke up to sounds of plates clinking in the kitchen where a wonderful man was prepping my favorite breakfast of avocado toast. This man. My oh my. This man, who loves me even though I'm chubby. This man, who gives the best foot rubs in the greater 48. This man, who works hard to support this family we have sprouted together. This man, who is prayerful and deliberate and thoughtful about the way he goes about his life. This man, who will kneel at the tub and pour warm water down my back like only a champion water-pourer could.

So you see, this day was wonderful before I even got out of bed. After a morning nap Bee and I ventured on a brisk wintry walk while the sun was shining and warm with our besties. We stayed for corn dogs and lemonade and Bee watched with great envy as Leah ran circles about the place. She must have known it was my birthday because that sweet little Bee of mine took an unprecedented 3 hour nap that afternoon. What a gift! When daddy got home he scooped us up and out the door for dinner, just the 3 of us. It was a near perfect, wonderful day.
Happy Thirty-ONE-derful to me. Thank you, friends and family, for all the love sent in texts, phone calls, emails, gifts, cards, and otherwise. How wonderful you are to me.

We Heart Valentine's Day

 

For her first Valentine's Day I had these darling homemade Valentine cards worked up in my mind for Phoebe to make and send out to grandparents and little friends. Hand prints. Hearts. "Bee Mine." You know? Well. She wasn't AT ALL into crafting that day and certainly did not approve of her hand being dipped into yogurt paint. I had to take a deep breath and let it go. Mommy lessons, I suppose. 
We gave her a push walker for Valentine's Day and she was completely enamored with helping daddy put it together. Maybe she's more of a mechanic than a crafter? It took her no less than two minutes to figure out how to walk behind it, and she was off. It felt a little like giving her the keys to her first car. She is a quick learner, that Bee.
We took a little field trip to our favorite bakery to snatch some Valentine's treats for BD and Grandpa and visited them at the office. BD surprised me with my favorite take-out for dinner and a few sweet gifts.
Speaking of baking and treats. This pregnancy has yielded the most bizarre food craving: sugar cookies! Sometimes I honestly wake up thinking about sugar cookies. And to eat one...it's possibly the most satisfying thing I've ever put in my mouth. So we baked some. Ate some. And loved every crumb.  
xoxo