Luke in Lewisland

Yep – once again….I’m taking care of babies (that don't belong to me.) Meet Luke:

My dear friend, Chellie, gave birth to sweet baby Luke back in November and has returned to work this week. They have an awesome pair of ladies in place for daycare, but unfortunately they don’t have an opening until June 1st. Sooo, guess who’s helping out for a couple of months?
Juggling an almost 9 month old and a 4 month old is a bit trepidatious for me, but I think we’ll be just fine. (If I keep saying it I'll eventually believe it, right?) Today was our first day and, to my surprise and delight, it actually went remarkably well. They each took three honkin’ naps – at the same time. Woo Hoo!

Looking forward to making some sweet little baby-friend memories….and maybe a Masters in Baby Boot Camp.

(The Monkey trying to get one of her toys.)

Funny Face

She's got a new face. She wrinkles her nose and breathes in and out of it super fast. Apparently, it's great fun for an 8 month old.....and MUCH more fun than the grunting was for her poor Mommy! Below is a little taste of "the face" in action. (Funniest part for me is hearing her daddy coaxing her in the background!)

Toys R mUSt

"Be sure they have lots of black and white toys for their eyes." "You MUST have the Baby Einstein toys for proper brain development." "You MUST get the Disco Elmo, Tickle Me Elmo, Baby Elmo etc." All those "MUST haves" even before they're a year old."

As I prepared to rotate Gianna's toys (most of which are borrowed or gifts) and redistribute them to various rooms, I thought I might dump them all out in front of her to see what she would do. I usually only have a few toys out at a time - so I figured it would be an interesting experiment. Hmmmmm....

She carefully looked at all the colorful toys strewn about her, touched some, reached for a few, and then went in for her favorite....

....yep. An old measureing cup. I keep one in every basket of toys because she will almost always choose that over anything. My conclusion: a measuring cup, a crumpled sheet of newspaper (with supervision), and a remote could save hundred of dollars and prevent a pretty potent toy addiction!

Splashtown

From the very beginning.....bathtime has always been a big hit.

One night while Iain's folks were here, we hauled the duck tub out of the bathroom and put it on the kitchen counter so they could be a part of the "festivities." Little did they know that they were buying a ticket to Splashtown. I don't know what got into her -- but that little monkey splashed more than Shamu at Seaworld. It was hysterical. Iain didn't have to shower that night AND my kitchen floor got mopped. Woo Hoooo! Win-Win. (Check out the trajectory of those water droplets!)

Grandparents

Iain’s parents arrived in Lake Charles last Sunday for a visit with their granddaughter (and us too – but we all know who they really came to see!) They were here at the end of August for Gianna’s baptism when she was almost 2 months old, so you can imagine what a HUGE difference they saw.

It’s not often Gianna has both sets of grandparents doting over her at the same time. (Poor kid is in an “over-stimulation coma” as I write this.) Here are some pictures of our week.

Waaaa

It was almost three weeks after we brought her home from the hospital as a newborn that we actually heard Gianna cry. Since she was a super smiley baby (we have pics of her smiling at 3 days old!) we got a kick whenever she would sport a grimace, frown or even manage to squeak a few tears out.

People ask me all the time, "Is she always so happy and pleasant." I usually answer, "About 87% of the time she is......and the rest of the time - OH BUT, NO!"

Lately, she's been a little more "verbally assertive" with her grunting, squealing and even crying (especially the manipulative kind at bedtime.) Just as I was going to post a picture of one of her fits the other day, and remembered that I had a "Waaa" file I've kept since she was tiny. Here are a few pics from that file.

Mode of Transportation

Nope – still not crawling…..but can this baby girl roll! Rolling has actually become her main mode of transportation lately.

A couple of days ago we were playing on the floor in her room. I went to the laundry room to get her clothes out of the drier (5 minutes tops) and I came back to no baby! I didn’t get worried, because she left me a clue --- a little tiny leg peeping out of the dust ruffle of her crib.

I knew it was only a matter of time that I’d find her there. When I lifted up the crib skirt (camera in hand) I got that gummy little grin full of pride and wonder. So funny. This one’s gonna give us a run for our money. Her other new thing is pulling the bumper pad down to her mattress when she summons us to get her. She’s got her face pressed upon the slats – making her important request known.
Even though she's coming into her own - asserting herself, and making her needs CLEARLY known....she's still full of joy.

I am woman...

This was one of my favorite Christmas gifts from my friend MB. It held my coffee with honor today.Okay - help me understand this.....my child sleeps through the night but it's ME who wakes up and cannot go back to sleep. And how is it that on those days - Little Miss Sunshine doesn't see the need for hefty naps? Go figure.

So having had little sleep last night, today seemed extra LONG. I was worn out and just when Iain usually gets home, I got a text from him saying he'd be late. (Wouldn't you know it!) I was too tired to cry. This is what he found when he got home: Here's hoping for a simple, restful day tomorrow.

Belly Laugh

Just never know what'll make a baby laugh - but, boy, when you find something, it's so fun to run with it. We thought this video would be a good follow up to her nutty grunting video last week. Have a great weekend - filled with laughter.

Jaunt to Jackson

Up until now, all our excursions in the past eight months have been just Gianna and me. This last weekend in Jackson was our first mini family road trip together. I much prefer traveling with two adults and a baby over just me!

I can’t say enough about how well Gianna adjusts to whatever curveballs we throw at her. This was her first time staying in a hotel. She was a little off kilter – but really she did amazingly well. We just fell in love with Jackson/Ridgeland and are amazed at what that area has to offer. We’re actually a little sad that Laurel and Phillips are moving from there this summer – but we enjoy New Orleans just as well.


{Gianna in her first hotel room.}

It was SUPER cold last weekend so we couldn’t do as much outdoor things as we would have liked. It was so cold in fact, that it actually snowed. (Not much – but you know us Southerners – Snow is Snow!) Iain was impressed that within her 8 months of life – Gianna’s experienced 2 hurricanes (well – RUNNING from 2 hurricanes) and 2 southern snowfalls (I use the term loosely!)
The climax of the weekend was Isabel’s baptism. She was absolutely beautiful - wearing the gown her mother and grandmother wore. And even more special – I became Isabel’s godmother. What a gift and honor. It was a treat to visit with all of her family.

{Maria & Isabel.}

{Beau and Gianna. (I started babysitting for Beau when he was this age!)}{Gianna and Isabel questioning the antics of their mothers.}

Eight Months

First off, we're back from our weekend jaunt to Jackson - and still recovering. (More later on our trip.) We have learned that having a routine is amaizng for baby and for parents -- until you blow it to pieces in one fell swoop. Actually, Gianna is the best little trooper and traveler and adjusts incredibly well to changing situations. (Maybe it's just US who are having the rougher time!)

On Sunday, our lil Sweet Potato turned eight months old. Typically when I post stats, we've been to the doctor for a well baby visit. I'm not overly impressed with the accuracy at the Clinic, so I figure my own attempt can't be that much different. We'll see next month when we go for her 9 month checkup.