Little Martian Baby

My boss told me last week that we (Traci, Sarah & I) had alien kids because they are always getting sent home with diarrhea, rashes, fevers, etc. I think he might be right? AJ called me when he picked her up from daycare on Friday and said everyone was calling her the martian baby. I asked why and all he said was he didn't know (he had a little surprise up his sleeve). When I saw her, I immediately knew why. I couldn't stop chuckling. She was too adorable with her little pig tails.

Completion

I'm having a moment that I think all girls have every once in a while....a crying moment. A moment when nothing particular triggers it, but you just feel the need to have a good cry. I was thinking about what a wonderful day I had with Peyton and I just started to cry. Although it was a happy cry, it was a cry that I couldn't stop. What a blessing she is! I feel like I'll never be thankful or grateful enough. She completes everything I'd dreamed about. Thinking back at all of the memories while I'm typing this brings more and more tears to my eyes. Words will never express all the love I have for my baby girl. My mom always told me that by having my sister and I, it completed her. I always listened to what she said, but I never really understood. Not even when I had my own. Not until this very night when I went in to check on her before bed and there she was......an innocent bundle of pure joy. Sleeping so sound on her belly with her little rump in the air. So pure, so innocent, so perfect! And there I stood, above her crib, weeping away in happiness.

Peyton, I hope you know how much you complete me sweetheart! I love you more than you'll ever know!

Peyton likes pies......

.....MUD PIES

Yep, that's dirt on her face and in her mouth. AJ was BBQ-ing and I was dead heading my flower pots on the deck, while Peyton was crawling around and checking out the deck. She came over to the pot I was working on and crawled up and stood at it with me. I saw her playing in the dirt and although it's hard for me to let her get her hands dirty, I also know that is how she learns the texture of things. I know babies also like to learn about things by putting it in their mouths, but I thought things like different foods, toys, books, etc. Not dirty things like plant soil. I looked over at her when AJ asked me if I was going to let her eat that. I wasn't sure what it was she was going to eat since last I knew she was just rolling it around in her hands. I looked and sure enough, she was exploring with her mouth. I wasn't sure how much of it she ate, but she ended up taking down enough to throw up later.

I thought all girls were dainty and petite and didn't like to get their hands messy? Now I know better.

The crawling milestone....and much more

Although the blog has been quiet lately, our lives sure haven't been. In the last month, we have taken Peyton to the lake and to the beach (at the lake). She got a new friend at daycare, who is just her size. We've been to Auntie Meghan's pool a couple times, swinging at Gpa Rouchka's and using the "big girl bathtub". Hummm, what else? Oh, the big milestone....she started crawling!

We went to the lake Memorial Day weekend with the Feezell family and Meghan and Steve, and had a blast! The weather was perfect Saturday and we got to sit out on the dock, ride the waverunner and take Dusty's boat out. The water was a little too cold to actually swim, but it still didn't stop us girls from "showering" in the lake on Sunday. After a couple days of no showering, we decided it was time. And why get in the shower to shave when you can do it right off the dock? We had lunch at Frankie and Louie's on Sunday and the kids played in the sand. Peyton had fun until mommy decided it was enough when she started to eat it. She had french fry pieces and a bite of chicken for the first time. We can't wait to go back and get our little water baby in the water!

Bailey is the new "baby" at daycare. She is Peyton's age and it's so adorable to see them together. The first day she was there, they sat across from each other and just talked up a storm. It was as if they understood exactly what each one was saying. There were squeals and arm throwing in excitement and Peyton even tried to steal her sandal.

We got Peyton a baby float to use at the pool and sat in it for an hour and 15 mins. Quite content I believe.

Gpa Rouchka put up a baby swing for her in a tree at their house and I think she would have slept in there. She was very relaxed in it while swaying back and forth with a little breeze on her.

And the movement has begun! She started crawling a week before she hit 9 months old. It seemed to come all in one day. Over Memorial Day weekend she figured out that she could stand with things and "dance". It's become very difficult to get her down for naps and bed now because it's a fun game for her to stand in her crib and "talk" (not using an inside voice either). Miss Jessica at daycare taught her the "shimmy shimmy" dance. She didn't do it very long because she more occupied with moving and crawling, but she would tilt her head to the side, smile and shake her whole body back and forth.

She was showing signs of wanting to figure out how to crawl and she would put pressure on her hands and knees, but didn't go anywhere. She had it mastered by the next Monday. It's been so much fun. We have a lot of baby proofing to do, but she is pretty good about going from toy to toy and to the spare bathroom. I think she likes the maroon rugs in there? Or maybe it's becuase she started using the big bathtub? She loves bathtime and we quickly learned that we needed a bath seat, otherwise one of us would have to bathe with her every night.

She's dumped the dogs water bowl once and she ended up sitting in water. I had no idea she could go that fast, but she was determined. I'll need to get better at telling her no. I never want to hurt her feelings or make her upset so I let her get away with a lot. The dogs have also quickly learned that she doesn't stop when she starts going towards them. Molly, our older dog, will watch Peyton come towards her from the other end of the hall. She'll look at us and then watch Peyton and then look back at us as if she's saying "help me". Then when she is within Peyton's arm reach, she usually does a little growl, as if she's disgusted, and trots into the bedroom to pout. I don't think the dogs are as excited about her crawling as we are.

We went for her 9 month check-up and she weighed 18 lbs 9 oz and was 28 1/4 inches long. She's still in the 50th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. Nothing has changed there. The doctor discussed the possibility of her having asthma with me. It breaks my heart that she would have to deal with something like that at such a young age, but it sounds as if it's more common than I thought? She has been coughing at night and it's gotten to the point where she'll vomit. It had been happening for a couple weeks so I decided to mention it. They put her on albuterol, which really scared me to do, but I don't think they would do anything to hurt her, so we're trying it. It's been almost a week and she does better at night, so hopefully this will be the remedy?

Stink Bomb

A little boy at daycare ran up to a little girl who was just arriving and warned her "Don't get close to Peyton! She's been farting all morning and she stinks".

The rest of the day all I could picture was my baby sitting there as an outcast and nobody would go up to her and play. Poor Peyton...I'll teach you what Aunt Marie taught us growing up....."it's always better out than in".

The First Up-Do

Miss Jessica at daycare did Peyton's first up-do. It wasn't for any special occasion and it didn't even cost $35. I wonder how she got her to sit still that long?

Jeep Jeep

Mommy says don't text and drive!