Crosbi: 11 & 12 Months

It's true. It's been such a busy season that I'm having to combine months 11 and 12. Still, I'm doing much better blogging about Crosbi than recording everything in her baby book. This morning I flipped through it and noticed my last addition was during month nine. Oops. Good thing I can reference this blog and jot down all the notes I made here. If I have another child, that poor kid will be lucky to have a baby book at the rate I'm going.

We've been making lots of good changes in our home. Now that we're on the cusp of winter, we're slowing down and really enjoying our time as a family. Today I backed out of two of the three parties we were invited to. It pained me to do it. I love both of the hosts so much and I know I would have had a wonderful time, but today was the first Saturday in weeks that the three of us have been home, and the only Saturday this month to spend most of the day together. I had to draw the line. I'm also drawing the line when it comes to social media as well. I deleted Facebook from my phone. I was starting to feel so guilty for missing things. Birthdays, engagements, new babies. The thing is, most of these people are friends of friends or people I haven't spoken to in person for years. I can't beat myself up for not being in the loop. I decided that if it's imperative I know something, I have to believe that somehow I will get the news. I'm releasing the pressure and it feels so good. I still have my account and will take a look every now and then, but for now, Facebook is not a priority. Not even close.

Now to the good stuff.

Stats:

*Walking! At this point, she's almost running. She took her first steps just a week after turning 11 months and has been cruising along ever since.
*She can tell you how old she is. Just say, "Crosbi, how old are you?" and you immediately get her little pointer finger sticking straight up to let you know that she is one. It's adorable.
*She can give you five, wave bye-bye, and when she's getting dressed, we say "arms up" and her arms go up to get her shirts on or off. 
*Crosbi wants so badly to be able to talk. She can now say mama, dada, uh-oh and ball. She understands several other words like paci, baby, and bottle, but can't quite repeat them yet.
*Girl loves to read. She received a box of Sesame Street books for her birthday and is obsessed with them. Each morning she goes to her bookcase and gets them down to read. She "reads" out loud and we love to listen to her sweet voice talk away.
 *Catch is one of her new favorite games. She played catch nonstop while we were in Missouri and still adores throwing and catching a ball. Today Todd got out his football for her to try. While it was a little tricky at first, she caught on fast. We definitely have a little tomboy on our hands and I couldn't be more proud.
*Weighing in at around 25 pounds and still eating just about everything in sight.
*Still my little cuddle bug. She now pats us on the back when she gives us hugs. Melt my heart.

I love that she is becoming a little person with a bubbly personality and a passion for life. Each day I'm excited to see what she will do next.

Sadly, this marks the end of my monthly post entries. But, I do plan to blog more in 2013 to record all of the fun new things my sweet girl is up to and to capture the memories we're creating as a family.

Until then, it may be a little quiet as we prepare for Christmas. Hoping to enjoy this season with my two loves and to start teaching Crosbi even now what this season is all about.

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Crosbi's First Birthday

I just realized I never posted an 11 month update. Eek. I'm just happy that I'm getting Crosbi's birthday posted. It has been incredibly busy around here. Trying to stay on top of work while chasing a very fast walking toddler is daunting. Throw in a trip to Missouri and we're a bit behind. But I will get that 11 month post on here soon.

Speaking of Missouri, last week we traveled home for Thanksgiving and to celebrate a very special little girl's first birthday. I can't believe a year has gone by. I have a toddler. A toddler! I sure miss my baby, but I have to admit that this stage is so much fun. This past year has definitely been one of the most challenging, but I can very confidently say it has been the best year of my life.

Happy birthday, my beautiful girl.

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Almost Thanksgiving

Is it too early to make New Years resolutions? If not, I'm resolving to blog more. Hoping to get more thoughts and photos recorded in 2013. Until then, I'll stop by when I can!

It's hard to believe this time last year I was 9+ months pregnant, praying that I would go into labor. To say I was over being pregnant is an understatement.

A year later that little girl who kicked and flipped in my belly is now a ball of energy and joy making my life happier than it has have ever been.

We're visiting family and enjoying this incredibly warm weather. My memories of Thanksgiving have always involved bundling up and hoping for snowfall. This year we left our coats at home and played barefoot in the grass.

So much to be thankful for.

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Crosbi: 10 Months

My baby girl turns one in less than a month. Can someone tell me how that is possible? If this is any indication of how the next 18 years will be, I don't know if I can take it. I want her to stay a baby forever. This stage has definitely been the most fun. I adore Crosbi's personality. She is such a joy and completes our home in a way I could have never imagined. She's just fun to have around. There is no denying that she can light up any room she enters. I'm just a bit obsessed with her.

As we get closer to wrapping up our first year together, I'm learning so much about myself and my faith. I have written many times about how hesitant I was to start a family. Not just because I feared the hard work, I honestly just didn't know if I was interested. Some of the biggest fights in my marriage were over having a baby. Todd was for it, I was against it. I thought I was ready, Todd wasn't sure. There were ugly, screaming, crying fights. The most extreme was on our way to a dinner with friends. Todd and I got into a discussion about having children and I was so adamant that I was not mommy material. I even got out of the car to walk home. That is until other friends drove by and asked if everything was okay. Talk about humbling! (Susan - remember that??)

Now Todd and I often joke about that fight. He loves walking in on Crosbi and I playing and giggling and saying, "And you thought you didn't want kids." I am so thankful that God broke through my stubbornness and made me see what I was so blind to. As I look back, it was never about not wanting a baby. It was about fear. Fear that I wouldn't be a good mom. Fear that I would fail. Fear that my marriage would suffer. Fear tends to get the best of me. But Crosbi has shown me that sometimes facing my fears can bring about the most amazing joy. I hope she continues to make me more fearless as the days go by.

10 months:

*Weighing in at almost 23 pounds and 29" long (as of her last appointment)
*Cruising around furniture, but no real walking yet.
*Dancing is her new skill. Girl loves to dance. She'll dance on command. It's hilarious.
*She's enjoying books so much. While she has always liked to turn pages, she is really liking being read to. She'll listen and look at me and smile at the "funny" parts.

*Such a foodie. Todd and I recently picked up Olive Garden for dinner. I think she ate more eggplant parmigiana than we did.
*Da or Dada are her go-to words. If Todd leaves the room, she yells "Da?" Sadly I only get a "Mama" when she's upset. I'll take what I can get.
*Her favorite toy: my iPhone. I said I wasn't going to be that person who let her child be consumed with techy things. But she loves it. I'm choosing my battles.

Happy ten months Crosbi Adelle! I love you bunches!

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Crosbi: 9 Months

Nine months. How did we get here so fast? This past month has been packed with emotions. I have laughed louder and cried harder than I can remember these last few weeks. I'm actually wiping away tears now. I just put you down for your morning nap and even when you're falling asleep you melt me. You laid on your back, with one arm under my neck so that you could play with my hair. Todd and I always joked that when we had kids, they would have to get used to affection because they were going to be kissed and squeezed nonstop, but you entered this world with that already figured out. You show more affection than just about anyone I know. I hope that never changes. Especially when you start school and kissing mommy and daddy is no longer the cool thing.

I literally thank God for you continually throughout each day. I have never thanked Him so much for anything like I do you. I think because I feel so undeserving of you. I didn't earn you through hard work or good grades. It wasn't that I knew the right people or was at the right place at the right time. You are a gift that God handpicked for me. I am learning so much about grace through you. If I had ever questioned God's love for me, that doubt was erased the moment you entered my life. If God loves me half as much as I love you, it's enough. But can you believe He loves me more than that? He loves you more than I love you too. Amazing, isn't it?

I have found myself praying fervently for my friends who dream of holding their own babies. My heart breaks and sometimes I cry so hard that I can't catch my breath. I want them to know this love. I wish I could give them a baby, but I can't, so instead I trust God and his sovereignty and know his timing is perfect. Even when we don't agree with or understand it. To my mommies-in-waiting friends, I'm praying.

Whew! Alright, I need to lighten the mood a bit.

Nine months. The stats.

*No idea what you weigh, but you have to be close to 25 pounds. We'll find out at your next doctor's appointment.
*You are standing on your own and climbing. I can't leave you alone for a second.
*You are an official foodie. There is nothing that you don't like. You tried polenta this week and loved it. I think the reason my baby weight is falling off is because I typically share my plate with you. Even after you have had your dinner!
*Sleep has gone a bit backwards. With teething came short nights. You have been consistently waking up around 2:30am. Throw in a trip to the beach where you shared a bed with us, we're a little off our routine and have become partial co-sleepers. I don't mind too much, I just hope we're not creating bad habits!
*You love the ocean. We were so thrilled that you enjoyed the beach. When the waves came up, you would chase them back out. So fun.
*You have two teeth now! I think those top teeth will be making an appearance very soon.
*You have so much joy. Belly laughs continue to fill this house, sometimes for no reason at all. I can't get enough of your giggles.

Love you sweet girl. Happy nine months!

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Folly Beach 2012

Video created using the 8mm camera app on my iPhone; music by Lavender Diamond.

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Outtakes

Life has been busy. A little too busy for my liking. I haven't had any time for this blog, and for the first time in my life I'm dealing with stress/tension headaches. I'm daily learning how to juggle all of my responsibilities. Who would have thought taking care of a nine month old (who isn't the world's best napper) would take up nearly all of my time? I've been spending a lot of time praying about and seeking wisdom on simplifying. I'm currently reading Organized Simplicity written by Tsh Oxenreider who blogs over at Simple Mom. If you need a good book to add to your reading list, I recommend this one.

***

Today while Crosbi was playing I got out my camera to try a couple of tips I had seen online. What better subject than a baby on the move? These photos aren't polished by any means, and to be honest, I don't put photos like these online much because I often care too much about what people think to show my real life. That's another thing I'm working on. It is a growing season around here!

Back to the photos. Here are the outtakes. Crosbi isn't in a cute outfit. In fact, she's not wearing clothes at all. Her diaper is totally full. She's teething, so she's drooling and has a runny nose, yet her blue eyes still sparkle like diamonds. She's beautiful no matter what. That's a lesson that will be taught early in our house.

This is my real life. Even in the outtakes, I'm one blessed girl.

Those eyes! Are you kidding me??

 I just love that squinty-eyed smile.

Todd calls this her Popeye face. A little blurry, but still hilarious!

 My big girl learning to climb up and down the step.

 She claps at all of her accomplishments. I hope she always has such beaming confidence.

I'm sure thankful for that little girl. She's helping me keep it real.

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Crosbi: 8 Months

What a month! I feel like I'm barely staying afloat. I'm definitely struggling with time management these days. I really thought working part-time to stay home with Crosbi would allow me to be somewhat of a supermom. I'm learning that's not the case. Thankfully it just takes one sweet smile from my little girl to help melt the stress. These days I'm needing lots of those smiles!

Crosbi, where do I start? This month has been a big one.

*You spent most of the month visiting family. You were sure sad to see them go.
*You are pulling up and getting into everything! If you find anything with a knob or handle, you are into it.
*Not only are you pulling up, you are beginning to stand on your own for a few seconds at a time.
*Because you're pulling up and standing, this month has been full of bumps and bruises. It's not easy for me to see you hurt, even if it is part of the process.
*The baby gate went up this month.
*You adore books. I hope this means you will love to read as you grow. I can't wait for us to have our devotional time together and bookstore dates.
*You are really into hair. You have liked playing with my hair for a long time, especially when I'm nursing you, but now a sure sign that you're tired is when you start twirling your own hair.
*Still my champion eater, your favorites these days seem to be fish, mac & cheese and black beans.
*You are trying so hard to say a few words. We get the occasional mama and dada. There's nothing better than hearing your sweet voice!

I'm not sure how it's possible, but I fall more in love with you as each day passes.

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Food & Family

They say when it rains it pours, and that seems to always be the case, but I'm learning that this saying doesn't have to be negative. It has been pouring around here, but we've been soaking in the best kind of rain. Cool, refreshing rain that you want to dance in. Rain that brings life. Rain that you wouldn't mind staying around awhile.

Since July 26th we have had family in our home. First my family, then Todd's. Our days have been busy and full and with all the craziness, they flew by. When I woke to a quiet house this week, it felt strange. Crosbi spent most of the day looking around, expecting someone to pop out and play with her. She had no shortage of playmates these past couple of weeks!

Unfortunately I didn't get many pictures with my family. My dad is the proud owner of a new iPhone, so he and my Stepmom were the official photographers, but I got a few shots of our time together.

My parents came armed with new toys and books. Crosbi is definitely the center of attention these days.

It was great catching up with my sisters. We spent the evenings talking as we took long walks, burning enough calories to justify homemade cookie and ice cream sandwiches.

It's not a successful visit until we go to Mellow Mushroom. If my family is going to pick a must-visit restaurant, they picked a good one. Todd and I never turn down the House Special.

Shaye, my youngest sister had never had self-serve frozen yogurt (gasp!). I had to fix that immediately. Todd and I treated her to one of our favorites - Sweet Cece's.

Nine days later my parents returned home, just in time for Todd's family to arrive.

 

Stealing Papa's hat.

Crosbi showing Granny Sue (Crosbi's Great Grandmother) her toys.

Crosbi has developed a love for books. I can't think of anything that could make her Grandma more proud.

We are so spoiled when they visit. They love our daughter so well and it doesn't hurt that both grandmas are amazing cooks!

A little dish Todd's mom put together. Yum!

Life is slowly returning back to normal. We're enjoying a wonderful break in the heat, spending lots of time outside, and trying to rest before things get busy again later in the month. More on that soon!

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Crosbi: 7 Months

I have a love-hate relationship with my iPhone. I love being able to FaceTime with Todd when he's away for work. I think instagram is the coolest and having the ability to read my favorite blogs while I'm nursing Crosbi is so convenient. Especially since I rarely have time to sit and read these days.

But my phone can be a time zapper. I'll lie in bed and scroll through Facebook when I have three new books, and more importantly, my Bible, on my nightstand that I should be reading instead. I'm guilty of giving Todd a nod and a checked out "Uh-huh" when he's sharing his day with me and I'm reading e-mail. Crosbi learned how to scroll on our phones at 6 months old. While that is pretty impressive, it's also a good indicator that my phone is in her view more than it should be.

And while the iPhone 4S has a pretty outstanding camera, I have let the camera that we saved so long for, my Nikon, collect dust. Today I decided to put down my phone and pick up my camera. I need the practice and it has a way of capturing my girl that my phone just won't ever be able to do.

Here we are at seven months! I feel like I barely blink and another month passes. These days, while challenging at times, are the most fun I've had. I am loving seeing the world through Crosbi's eyes.

*Weight and height I'm not sure of, but girl is growing! She towers over other babies her age.
*Crosbi learned two new tricks this month - waving and clapping. She claps all the time and no matter what we're doing, if she claps, Todd and I clap with her.
*She may have just crawled for the first time a few weeks ago, but you would think she's been crawling forever. This has made bedtime a little difficult. Now that she's mobile, she refuses to lie down. It makes for some long nights going back and forth from her bedroom, although it has been fun to see the crazy sleeping positions she gets herself into.
*Sweeter than ever. Crosbi continues to give the best hugs and kisses. I could spend hours cuddling with her.
*We're seeing signs of two bottom teeth! It's more bittersweet for Todd than me, as he keeps saying, "We'll never again see her without teeth." I try not to think that way or I'd be a sobbing mess.

Thankful for seven incredible months with my baby girl!

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Remember

Remember the day you rubbed oatmeal all over your face and your hair?

Remember that while I was cleaning the oatmeal mess, you crawled around on the floor and found something tiny to put in your mouth?

Remember when I started digging it out to realize it was a bug? Remember how I was so grossed out I had to use a spoon to get it out?

Remember how I took you upstairs to play and you wouldn't leave the cord to the fan alone?

Remember how while I moved the fan you knocked my tea over and it spilled all over the carpet?

Remember how I decided it was nap time, but you had other plans?

Remember how you're still awake as I write this, refusing to lie down?

Remember how I was in tears before 9am?

Remember that your gummy grin erases all of my stress. Remember that while this may be the hardest job I have ever had, there is absolutely nothing else I would rather be doing.

If you remember anything, remember how much I love you. Because I sure love you a whole lot.

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Playroom Dreaming

This September will mark five years in our home. In the past five years our house has remained largely undecorated for several reasons. One, I will admit, I have relatively expensive taste (I would recreate Pottery Barn in my home if I could!) I wish I was a flea market / garage sale girl, but I'm just really not. I do have those moments where I find a good deal on great pieces, but they're few and far between. That doesn't mean I won't go to garage sales or flea markets, I just go with extremely low expectations. Second, we have always been on a tight budget. The one time in our lives when we didn't need to be on a budget, I got pregnant. Which meant everything went to savings (unbeknownst to me at the time) so that I could stay home with my daughter. So, expensive taste on a small budget doesn't go far in the world of home decorating!

I'm fine with letting a room sit empty until I have saved for the items I truly want. I never feel like I need to throw something on the walls or buy furniture because it's on sale just to fill a space. I would rather save my money than buy something I will ultimately be unhappy with. But, I'm finding that I can't let a certain empty room in our home stay empty much longer. We are in need of a playroom and I've got the decorating bug, so it's time to get busy.

We have a bonus room that we have done nothing to. We've had lots of ideas. At one time we were going to make it a man cave with old sports photos and a wet bar. Then we talked about making it more of a media room with comfy furniture for our friends to hang out in while we watched our favorite shows. But a cute little brunette changed all of that, and now I can't envision the room as anything but a playroom for my girl. I want it to be her space, but not so kid friendly that adults don't want to hang out there. I'm thinking bright colors, fresh and airy, but clean and orderly.

While Crosbi napped I played around with an Olioboard and came up with something I think I could live with. It might take a little while (due to that pesky little budget issue), but I'm ready to get started. Plus I'm going to have two of my sisters visiting in a few weeks that are easily the most creative in my family. I'm totally going to put them to work ask them to share their creative expertise so that my empty room might become fun and inviting.

I'm hoping by the end of the year our playroom will look a little something like this...

Thoughts? Too much blue? I'm open to suggestions!

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Crawling

Folks, she did it. Crosbi crawled for the first time yesterday. I'm not sure I'm ready for her to be mobile, but here we go! So proud of my little mover and shaker.

Since I hadn't originally planned to post this video, kindly ignore my daughter's lack of bloomers and the messy house.

Enjoy!


 


Once she mastered getting to the laptop, she headed straight for the outlets. Those things are baby magnets!

Things just got a little more interesting around here.

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Crosbi: 6 Months

Here we are at the halfway to a year mark. Actually, we're well past that. Crosbi is more than a week into her seventh month. I really want to blog more regularly, but I've been too busy spending time with my girl. She and I are really finding our groove and daily I'm reminded that leaving my career was God's best plan for us. I give her lots of time to play and explore our home and in return, she's pretty great about running errands and meeting friends with me.

She has such a sweet spirit about her. Mornings are my favorite. When I pick her up out of her crib, she'll typically let me hug her for a good minute or two before wanting to start the day. I can't get enough of her.

Six month stats:

*Sleeping has become really consistent. We no longer have those 11+ hour nights of sleep, but we're almost guaranteed a full ten hours. I try not to get too used to this since she's showing signs of teething.

*Weighing in at 20 pounds, 2.5 ounces and 28 inches long. Still in the 94-95 percentile for both height and weight. She's still outgrowing her clothes quicker than I can buy them. Good thing I like shopping for her!

*Eating like a champ. At this point she has tried several fruits and vegetables. She seems to be a big fan of apples, peas and sweet potatoes, but I try to mix it up as much as I can. 

*We're slowly introducing finger foods. She can eat puff cereal and has had little bites of tilapia and chicken.

*She's "this" close to crawling. She has figured out how to scoot around the house and can definitely make her way to the edge of our bed. No more letting her play on her own while I walk out of the room. It's looking like safety gates will be going up very soon.

*She's talking up a storm. She loves to say "num num num" when she's eating and while she can say "mama," I don't think she has realizes what she's saying yet, but I'll take it!

Just for fun I put together a little collage of Crosbi to see how she's changed these past few months. I can't get over how much she has changed in such a short time. It's hard to think that before the year ends I'll officially have a toddler. Yikes!

I sure do love that sweet girl.

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