Giddy Up!

Little Miss Active definitely wants to be on the move. She'll hang out with you on the couch for a little bit, but then sends up the signal (fusses) telling you it's time to move around the house. Because her head control is so good and she's pretty used to the seated position, Daddy thought he'd try to carry her around on his shoulders. She seemed intrigued by the change in perspective and enjoyed looking at new things, like the cereal on top of the refrigerator. Daddy was initially worried if they'd be too tall to fit through doorways, but I assured him there was no issue and around the house they went. It's a different way to 'babywear' than I prefer, but they enjoy it and that's what counts.

It's a Hard Knock Life

For some inexplicable reason, when not trying to hold the bottle to feed herself, Little Miss Thirsty puts her hands above her head. It's really cute, yet odd. I just wanted to be sure to remember this moment someday.

Jason's Deli, Take 2

Jason's has the distinction of being the first restaurant we took Sugar Pop for dinner. If you recall, she started crying before we made it out of the parking lot and we had to hold her the entire time over our shoulder to keep her from having a meltdown. Fast forward a few months and she was calm entering and ordering at the restaurant, we were able to sit in the main section with other people, and she was able to sit on our laps facing forward while we ate. She stayed happy the entire time and entertained herself by pawing at the table and blowing bubbles. We still had to take turns and eat one handed, but she's definitely come a long way, baby.

Just Grab it

Little Miss is starting to develop better motor skills. She's reaching for things, putting them into her mouth, and moving with intention. I recently hung some rings from her play mat. She likes grabbing at them, taking them apart and eating them when she can reach. It's fun to watch her move from just looking at objects, to touching them, to interacting with them. Hopefully next she'll be able to move towards toys she wants to play with and move them around.

Live on the Green

We're lucky that we live in a city that supports lots of free events for the residents and has tons of great live music options. Last night we met a friend for one of the events- Live on the Green. Thursday nights in August and September the city hosts free concerts for everyone on the green roof in front of City Hall. There are food trucks, vendor tents, lots of spaces for blankets and chairs, and, of course, music. The food truck lines were so long they were considered a fail, but we enjoyed the rest of the event. And, we were able to get a rare family photo snapped. Never mind the awkward position of Sugar Pop's arms...any photo of the 3 of us where at least 2 are looking at the camera and smiling is considered a win these days. Oh, and I forgot to mention, the best part about this event? It's walking distance from the house.

Memphis

Last weekend we went to Memphis to celebrate our nephew's first birthday and to introduce Little Miss to the extended family. As usual, I got so wrapped up in what was happening that I forgot to take pictures, but hubs did manage to snag this one of Aunt Judy helping cousin M hold the baby. What is it about little girls that makes them love babies so much and want to hold them? Is it the real world doll thing? A nurturing thing? Either way, the moment was pretty darn adorable and I'm glad that it was caught by the camera, even though we forgot to take pics with everyone else.

TGIF- The Thirsty Edition

This photo was taken 4th of July so is a bit old, but I love it. Nothing gets in the way of hubs and his milkshakes! By the way, if you haven't tried Sonic's Summer of Shakes, they really are worth a try.

Taggie!

This past weekend while we were in Memphis, Mamaw gave Little Miss a homemade taggie. It's a thing with young babies that they often love to play with the tags more than the stuffed animal or toy that they're on. Many people have capitalized on this and made taggies...squares of fabric with nothing but tags sewn on the edges. Usually it's ribbons with different textures so it can double as a tactile experience. Little Miss is starting to grab at things, so it's a prime opportunity to introduce this to her. Mamaw beat me to it and made one out of super soft minky with ribbons of different sizes, colors and textures on the outside, oh, and her initial embroidered in to make it really special. We didn't have anything to entertain her for the car trip back (she usually just sleeps), so we threw this in. When she woke up after a 2 hour nap guess what she wanted to play with? She also played with it at home and held it through diaper changes and feedings. This would make a great 'lovie' as it's educational, small, easily washable and special. Only time will tell how much she attaches to it, but it could be around for a while.

Let's Go Walking

The weather here has been outstanding this summer. We've had some hot days, but nothing like it could be. The humidity is often low, there's often a breeze, and it's generally incredibly pleasant to be out and about at morning and night. Little Miss loves to be outside and go for walks, but Daddy and I are concerned about mosquitos. There's been West Nile virus found nearby and we're paranoid that she'll be exposed.
Mamaw to the rescue. Before little bean was born, Mamaw was busy snapping up deals on all sorts of things that would have never occurred to us to buy. Mosquito netting for the stroller would be one of those things, but we use it all the time. It's easy to throw on the stroller after she's strapped in, she doesn't seem to mind it at all, and it gives us peace of mind. It also saves us from spraying her with any sort of chemical. This is especially useful because I recently met another mom in the neighborhood with a daughter the same age as Little Miss. She and I have taken to walking in the park for about an hour in the mornings. This is a great way to get some exercise while also getting support. The netting lets me do these walks with no worrying. So, next time anyone wants to go walking, Sugar Pop and I are in! (Puppy also loves to join)

TGIF- The Hunger Edition

When Little Miss wants her milk, she definitely lets you know. I imagine she'll be something like this once she starts eating food. (Imagine Uncle Daniel helping her bang the utensils on the table.)

A Tender Family Moment

Awwww! We already established that Little Miss loves being read to, and I suspect that Huck just likes books about animals with big ears.

Happy 3 Month Birthday, String Bean!

This post is a little late, but on July 30, our little one turned 3 months old. This marks the end of the 'fourth trimester' where babies stop being infants and start being babies. We definitely feel that way about our little one.
She's really starting to smile and we're discovering new things she likes everyday. It's a great feeling when she's crying and you can distract her with something she loves and get her laughing, or at least smiling within moments. In the last few weeks I've been meeting lots of moms with girls around the same age as her. There's 2 things I can say about Little Miss with certainty- she's really strong and she's a giant baby. Each time a mom tells me how old her baby is I'm always thinking, 'really?' as our little one is always much bigger. Here's the month, by the numbers...

Weight- 15 lbs
Diaper size- 2
Bum genius- 2 snaps open in middle
Clothes size- 3-6 mos.
# oz drunk/day- 7 4oz. bottles, plus some nursing
Road trips- 1 to Indianapolis
Max # Stores in one day- 3
# times went to gym- 1
Favorite things: drooling, chewing her hand
Mama's favorite thing: sleep nursing for 2 hour afternoon naps
Least favorite thing: waiting in the car seat while Mom does physical therapy
New discovery: looking at books, grabbing/pawing at objects

Ready to Roll?

In the mornings I leave Little Miss on the play mat while I run around the house trying to get things ready for the day. She shows a particular affinity for this frog and will often look at it, grab it and coo at it while laying on her back. Today when I came through the room to check on her, I found her laying on her side with the frog in her mouth. I'm really curious what would've happened if she weren't blocked by the frog and actually had enough room to roll over completely. There's no doubt that she's strong enough to do it- it's just a matter of having the right conditions and proper motivation at this point so she can figure it out.

More Cousin Love

This past weekend we packed up the car and headed down to Atlanta.  Hubs and I are interested in redoing our kitchen soon and wanted to check out the cabinets and organizational options at Ikea.  His sister just moved there last month with her family and it gave us a great opportunity to hang out with them and check out their new digs.  The cousins have met before, but it was a quick thing on their way through town.  This was the first time that they spent any real amount of time together.  I think that Sophia loves having a little girl cousin, and if this picture is any indication, my little Chunky Monkey loves her cousin right back.

 

We had a good time hanging out on Saturday and catching up.  On Sunday we went to Ikea and shopped it up.  We bought large quantities of chocolate on sale and had fun exploring all the different spaces with everyone.  Before we left, we got all the cousins on the couch and took this picture.  I love the expressions/hand gestures of the youngest cousins.  

 

And then, all too quickly, it was time to drive back home.  We're getting to be pretty seasoned road trippers at this point...

Miss Independent

Little Miss is starting to get more hand control. She likes to grab her bottle during feedings and can actually direct it both to and away from her mouth. Daddy's been working with her to hold it on her own, but she's still to young to support that weight for long periods, so it only lasts a few seconds each time. However, it is fun to think about the day when she'll be able to feed herself an entire bottle.