Month Eight

Dear Maren,

This week you turn eight months old and you've just mastered your own unique version of the crawl. You can scoot yourself around the house at will. We've discovered the best motivation to get you to demonstrate this new skill is to place one of Oliver's toys within sight. It becomes like a military operation. You sight the target, lock it in your radar and attack. All of your colorful fluffy toys pale in comparison to the fantastic-ness of Oliver's toys. Just yesterday I sat you in the middle of the room surrounded by your favorite toys so I could run to the bathroom. When I came back 10 seconds later you were across the room devouring Oliver's racquetball. Gross!

The doctor assures us it wasn't the ingestion of dog germs that caused your first fever last week. Nor was it exposure to germs in the community pool. Your dad and I were trying to identify the source of your illness so we could NEVER DO THAT AGAIN! Apparently, the fever, the vomiting and the heat rash were due to a bout of bad luck. One of those things that's out of our control. Go figure. I thought we controlled everything.

Last week the three of us went to a meeting with the DJ that's going to rock our wedding reception. I was in the middle of describing how I thought the father/daughter dance would play out when out of the blue Brent grabbed my hand to shove my finger in your mouth. I was sitting there talking to the DJ, thinking your dad had lost his mind. Then you started gnawing my finger and I realized it was no longer the soft baby gumming. I felt a hard jagged edge protruding from your gum. Your first tooth! Or, as your Aunt Mary would say, you have your first toother!

We're still pureeing all of your food but the menu has expanded from just rice cereal, avocado, and sweet potato to include green beans, peas, and lentils. You love the green veggies but the lentils don't yet have your vote.

Breakfast is such a time of discovery. Who knew? Not only discovering new foods, but new body parts. I buckled you in to your high chair for breakfast last week and noticed you discovered your fingers. You've been aware of your hand for some time, but just recently you recognized that you have multiple digits capable of operating in a coordinated fashion. You hold your arms out to the side so your hands are at eye level and rotate your wrists in a circular motion. The speed of rotation indicates your level of enthusiasm.

Maren, you're crawling, you're swimming, you're teething, you're getting sick, you're experiencing so many new things. It reminds me of one of our favorite books. We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Whether the journey is good, bad, happy, or sad...remember:

"We're goin' on a bear hunt.
We're gonna catch a big one.
What a beautiful day!
We're not scared."

And then something unexpected happens:

"We can't go over it.
We can't go under it.
We've got to go through it!"

We'll get through it all together. I'm loving the ride.

Love,
Mama

Happy Sunday

On the Move

Maren's figuring out how to get around. One day I turned around and she was up on her knees rocking back and forth. She's not quite coordinated enough for the crawl but she has multiple variations that propel her in the direction she wants to go. Sometimes she'll balance herself on her hands and toes with her butt straight up in the air. Girls got some moves.

Every Time I Hold Her I Smile

I asked,
"What's the best thing about fatherhood?"

You said,
"Every time I hold her I smile."

Happy first father's day.

Crazy Fun

The last week and a half has been one big crazy fun blur. The best part was spending time with Grandma and Grandpa Gill. They visited for a full week and Maren loves, loves, loves them both. From the moment they walked in the door she was all smiles. Enamored with Grandma's voice, following her every move. And obsessed with Grandpa's hat and glasses. I can tell Maren is going to have a special relationship with her Grandparents. As it should be.

This weekend was my first glimpse of how it feels to watch your baby grow up and have more interest in the external world and other people than she does with her parents. But what a gift that she's confident enough to explore the world and approach it with a sense of adventure. One of the reasons I've always wanted kids is to enjoy watching them grow and discover their own adventures. I can't wait to find out her favorite color. Her favorite animal. Her favorite season. Does she love peas or does she hate them? Does she love spicy food or avoid it? Who is this little person going to be? Does she love art or science or both? Is she an introvert or an extrovert?

There are so many fun times ahead!

The last week was a whirlwind of activity. And with it came several firsts.

1. Sweet potatoes (loved em).
2. Bottle of water (Eh, where's my milk? Shortly followed by Hey! I have a sippy cup and it leaks. Yes!).
3. Sitting up by yourself (no longer happy in any other position).
4. Scooting backwards (and in circles).
5. Trip to dog beach (being outdoors always calms you).
6. Spending all day with Grandma and Grandpa Gill (now two of your favorite people).

Avacado!

We went in for Maren's six month check-up and got the ok to start solid foods. Yippee! What an adventure this will be. We were advised to introduce a new food in the morning, but couldn't wait to see what her reaction would be. Starting with the veggies, baby. What do you think?

Month Six

Dear Maren,

You turn six months old today. Your dad and I have been talking for days about how we can't believe it's been six months already. It seems like just yesterday we were still anticipating your arrival. We were reminiscing over the weekend about how right our family feels yet we're still in such awe that we are a family. And it's been six months already. What? Somebody stop the time machine.

This month you've spent most of your waking hours shoving things into your mouth. If it's within your grasp it's in your mouth. It all started with your thumb and has since expanded to include dolly's braids, cold teething rings, books (of any kind, but mama's are your favorite), the iphone, other people's clothes, and any face that's within grasp. That's right. If we're close enough you'll grab our cheeks and pull us in for a wet slobbery kiss. And since you've learned how to grasp hair you've perfected this maneuver.

Oliver still isn't sure what to think about you. He's still in denial that he's not the center of attention any more. But sometimes when we're not looking he'll sneak over to check you out. For a moment we think this might be it. This might be the moment Oliver shows his love for Maren. But it always ends in some display of disinterest. Like, oh yeah. Her. Right. Get this blob off my corner. But that's just Oliver being melodramatic. Everyday when you get home from daycare he comes over and sniffs you. He licks your toes to welcome you home. I think he loves to be annoyed with you.


Another skill you love to demonstrate is rolling over. But you can only roll from your back to your stomach. And then you get pissed off because you can't get anywhere. You end up in the Superman position grunting, groaning, flailing your arms, and wailing for someone to hurry up and help you out. Eventually something will capture your attention and you'll forget you were upset. The best remedy is always a book. You're fascinated with books - looking at bright images, grabbing at pages, and listening to the sounds of the words. It's by far your favorite activity to lay on a blanket with one of us while we hold a book overhead reading to you. There's a silence and certain reverence that comes over you.

But don't be fooled. The reverence is just momentary. Farting is much more fun. Yes. Laugh and fart. Burp and fart. Cough and fart. You get the idea. It seems like every time something comes out your mouth, the other end has the final word. Your dad and I have been laughing over this for months. You, on the other hand, are completely oblivious. Don't worry. It's on my list of "things to capture on video for future bribery." Cherish the moment.

So let's talk about your hair, Spike. You take after your Mama in that department. First, there's a lot of it. Second, it stands straight up from your scalp. That's exactly how my hair was at your age. You still have several longer wispy strands from when you were born that are mixed in among the spiky hair. It makes me want to give you a comb-over. Just think of the memories.

Maren, you are so happy. Such a content, happy baby. You make each day worth getting up for...and at 5:30am that says a lot. I find myself waking up at 4am and every 30 minutes after until I can finally go get you out of bed. I know I have to approach you quietly, speaking in soft tones until you realize I'm in the room, and then you light up. Like I'm the best thing to happen in your day. I know as a baby there are a lot of best things that happen in your day, there's so much to discover. But as mama you are the best thing in my day. I can't wait to pick you up out of bed at 5:30am so we can wake up daddy and Oliver together. Sometimes we lay in bed together talking, sleeping, laughing until 8am. Family time is our favorite time.

Love you, Missy.

Love,
Mama