A Toothy Grin

Morgan is cutting a mouthful of teeth lately. The first one showed up a few days before she was 7 months old and now a few days shy of 8 months she has cut FIVE teeth. That seems like a lot at once. We are certainly using our share of baby tylenol, teething tablets and toys to chomp on. Click on the next two pictures and you can see her bottom teeth pretty clearly.

See Grandma!! I have a bunch of teeth now.

Chomping on my fingers helps too...I also chomped on Mommy's finger today and made bite marks. Ouch!

As a side-note, where did this "binky baby" come from? When she was a newborn she couldn't hold a binky in her mouth to save her life. I had a few binkys in her toy basket because she likes to chew on them. A few days ago I was watching her playing and she popped one in her mouth and just kept on playing. I think we're in trouble now! Oh, and check out those "thunder thighs!"

Wordless Wednesday: Time to finish that child-proofing!

Little Miss Independent

Morgan is becoming more and more independent. She can play on the floor by herself for longer periods of time. This weekend I put her basket of smaller toys in front of her and was surprised to watch her remove every single toy, one at a time. David did this as well and that time she managed to turn over the basket and dump all the toys on the floor at once. It is fun to watch her take turns playing with the different toys (mostly chewing on them in some way). At some point she goes from sitting to rolling around the floor. Slowly the toys become more spread out around the room as she plays with them and rolls around on them.

Dinner Outside

On Friday night we thought we'd have dinner outside in our newly completed backyard, using our new patio furniture. It turned out to be a lovely evening. We enjoyed some ravioli and Morgan enjoyed some butternut squash and green beans. Then she decided to pose for a few pictures with her beloved sippy cup. Sometimes she likes the water in the cup, but mostly she likes to chew on it.

Travelin'

Around our family room, that is. Morgan scoots and rolls all over now. She's still working on the crawling. Much to her disappointment, once up on her hands and knees, she usually ends up moving backwards instead of forwards. Here are a few pics of some places she's been rescued from today:

After all that, she's just pooped...

While Daddy's Away...

...Morgan and Mommy will play. Nothing big to post about, but here's a few items from the past few days:

*I discovered yesterday that Morgan's other lower middle tooth is on it's way in. No wonder her usual biting on my shoulder (while I hug her of course) was more painful that usual. Ouch!

* We went to Storytime at the local Barnes & Noble today. There were a few other kids there. There is a story read and then a craft project. Hopefully when she's older she'll enjoy the crafts. She did seem pretty interested in the book and the story though.

* I gave Morgan mashed bananas today instead of pureed. She gagged, then looked at me like I was trying to poison her. Well, that didn't deter her from trying another bite. After three gagging episodes I decided she'd had enough for now. Like her Daddy, sometimes I wonder if she has an "off" button that tells her she's had enough food.

Wordless Wednesday: What is this on my head and how do I get it off?

Our Little Rock Star

Morgan loves her little bongo set. It plays two ways, with the drums side by side (like the picture below) or you can adjust it so the bottom of the drums attach to each other so it rolls on the floor. The tops of the drums are actually buttons that she can "smack" with her hands to play music. She likes them a lot and fortunately the music hasn't become too annoying...yet.

As you can see in these photos Morgan is also wearing her Rock "star" onesie. This is courtesy of her cousin Jamie and the BDS (Baby Delivery Service). When I was pregnant we got clever gifts in the mail from the BDS about once a month. Morgan also has onesies that say "Cutie" and "Little Pig" (as Morgan was born in the Year of the Pig...but it also could describe her appetite). Thanks so much Jamie!

Look at those chubby cheeks and arms!

First Day Home with Mommy (and Daddy)

Though I stopped working last Tuesday, I consider today my first day home with Morgan. We kept her in daycare last week as we had already paid for the full week. Then she had time to play with her "friends" and "say goodbye" to her teachers. Though the daycare center we chose was originally our second choice, it really turned out great for us. She was really happy there and all the teachers loved her. They even made a goodbye present for her with a few pictures on a sheet of paper that all the staff signed. I'll put it in her baby book. They said she was welcome back any time. This is nice to hear as who knows when we'll need childcare again...possibly not until she starts preschool, but if a great opportunity for me comes up sooner we have options.

Today we took a trip to my former workplace (boo). I had to go in to pick up my last paycheck and sign some paperwork that was not prepared for me on my last day (boo again). I will miss my co-workers though, and they were really happy to see Morgan. I felt bad for them as they are all pretty scared because they've heard that more lay-offs are coming. I'm glad I'm gone now and able to move on. It's so un-nerving to wonder if your head is on the chopping block.

Next we headed to the grocery store. This was Morgan's first big trip to the store where she got to sit in the shopping cart! She loved it!! Everyone commented on how cute and sweet she is. She was so good. This trip also cleared up a dilemma for me. I have one of those shopping cart covers, but when I was laid off I decided I was going to return it because it seemed somewhat unnecessary. Well...I changed my mind. Morgan was too interested in sucking on parts of the shopping cart. Yuck! I kept trying to get her to stop, but you can imagine how successful that was. Next time I'll bring the cover. It also has some spots you can place toys as well. Then maybe she'll play with the toys and not try to constantly grab (and eat) my shopping list. We did have a fun time there. I was proud of her for being so good.

She's actually napping in her crib right now (shocker!) and she's been there for about 45 minutes so far. I think this has something to do with being tired from a busy morning, and she has herself wedged in a corner with her WubbaNub in her mouth (see pic below). She's just at the right angle so it hasn't fallen out yet. Don't worry, I keep checking to make sure she's breathing. Tonight we're headed to the "Coach's (radio) Show" for the Shock as a local restaurant. Morgan will have fun seeing her buddy Elijah and we'll see our friends too.

One other great thing about today is that Morgan got to see her Daddy quite a bit. He fed her this morning and let Mommy sleep in a bit (can't seem to get rid of a lingering cold). Then when we got back from the grocery store he fed her some lunch, then he gave her kisses before her nap.

I promise you won't get a full synopsis of every day from now on (though I know the Grandparents would love that!). I just thought this was a significant day worth the details.

Going for a Swim

Our friends Steve and Nerissa (and 15 month old Luke) were visiting from the Bay Area for Nerissa's high school reunion. We were so excited to see them! It's so nice to see friends from home. We met them On Sunday at a park not too far from our house. There is a community pool there so we decided to take the kids for a swim. This was Morgan's first time in a pool! We'd tried to go a few times before but were thwarted by illnesses or just plain busy-ness. The water was a little cold, but she got used to it and had a great time!

Morgan with Daddy - It's a little cold!

With Mommy

Here's an extra pic for the Grandparents and Auntie!

Hands and Knees

Morgan has learned how to get up on her hands and knees, but then is not quite sure what to do next. She rocks there for a bit, then falls down again. I think we're going to have a crawler before we know it! Did I get all those outlet covers...?

Look at this sweet face!!

Our New Backyard

Our backyard landscaping is done!! We think it turned out really nice. We took these pictures yesterday before we put our new patio furniture together (you'll see a box or two on the patio in a few of these pictures). I tried to get all the angles of the yard and some photos are a little shadowy. It's not big, but it's just the right size for our little family. Morgan will be running around on the grass in no time! I'll add some more photos the patio furniture as soon as I can.

Now David's hankering for a gas barbecue...just show me the commission, honey...Momma doesn't bring home the bacon anymore (and that landscaping was not cheap). Hee hee!

It finally happened...

...Morgan fell asleep in her jumperoo. I've been told it has happened before, but I was never there to witness it. She woke up at 6:00 am this morning and still seemed pretty sleepy when she finished her bottle. She was pretty whiny so I put her in the jumperoo so she could play. Sometimes when she gets whiny it just means she wants to keep moving. She's not crawling quite yet, so she gets frustrated when she's on the floor too long or even if we're trying to hold her.

But this time, she was just tired. I sat down on the couch next to her and watched as she started to nod off. She was still even trying to jump a little and play with the toys in front of her. It was like she was telling herself, "must keep jumping...I am not falling asleep." Too cute. Right after I took these pictures I pulled her out of the jumperoo and she took about an hour long nap with her Daddy.

An Expected Surprise

Of course that title makes no sense, but it's sort of how I feel about the events that happened two days ago. I was laid off from my job on Tuesday afternoon. There were several people in our company that were let go, with apparently more to come if business doesn't pick up.

This did not come as a surprise to me because sales for our company has not been good (high-end real estate). For several reasons, in my position I've been the "odd man out," so I knew if layoffs happened it would be me that would go. It was only a surprise because of that moment when your boss calls you into his office to break the news. It's never news you want to hear, even though you knew it was a possibility. You just hope it never happens.

Now, David and I had been making some plans for me to stay home with Morgan anyway...it just wasn't quite this soon. I had days where I couldn't wait to be home with her and days where I was enjoying my job and thinking that it would be OK to stay...and the extra income was nice.

So, I really think this was God's way of cutting through my wishy-washiness and making it happen. Unfortunately there was no severance pay offered (this was another surprise!), but I do qualify for unemployment. I may look into that, but since I'm not looking for a new job in the near future...I don't know how that works.

So, that's the latest. On to a new, exciting chapter!!

Wordless Wednesday: Bath's all Done!

Activity Center Fun

We have one of those "activity center" toy things that converts into different uses as the baby grows older. It starts with the mat on the floor and the toys hanging over the baby's head. She would lie there an bat the toys and kick the ball until she was all worn out. We usually would switch between this and the "tummy time" mode where you could move the toys from overhead to down at eye level when the baby is on it's tummy.

Since we never use it in those modes anymore the other day I decided to convert it to it's final "tunnel" mode. The mat becomes a tunnel for baby to crawl through. Of course, Morgan is still working on the crawling, but I put in over her when she was sitting in the floor to see what she would do.

This is another instance where I swear I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was asking "What is this? It looks familiar, but it is different." And "What am I supposed to do now?" It made for quite an entertaining evening.

"Oh no! The walls are closing in on me!!"

I have no idea how she did this, but she is pulling on the toy and lifting up the tunnel. No one is helping her.

Our Babbling Baby

Morgan is discovering her "voice." For a long time she's been gradually making progress on new sounds, but now she's starting to string them together...and sometimes, quite loudly. We don't know what she's doing, babbling-wise, at daycare during the day, but the babbling seems to increase the closer she gets to her bedtime with the loudest time while she getting her lotion/massage and jammies put on. In fact, this evening she even babbled a while in her crib before falling asleep. Mostly its the "da-da-da" sounds mentioned previously, with a few shrieks thrown in for effect. She's seems to be having so much fun!

BTW: Despite much encouraging, there has been no attempts at anything resembling "ma-ma". Yes, this comes later in the language skill set, but this Mama can try right?

Push-ups

In the last two weeks Morgan has started this interesting workout routine. From her tummy she lifts herself up into this push-up position and then gets stuck. We're waiting for her to figure out how to bend her knees to get on all fours. Sometimes she'll scoot forward a bit and sometimes she'll move herself backwards. Someday it may even result in some crawling!!

Splish-Splash

Morgan has learned how to splash with her hands! Well...her left hand. Two nights ago she was in the bathtub and I finished washing her. As we do lately, I turned her around in the tub so she could sit straight up and play for a bit. She likes to play with two little toy ducks. In the past she had splashed a little with her legs, but not quite as much lately. While she is playing she is always fascinated with the pink "pad" on the other side of the tub. This is the cushioned part on the side that is at an angle. She was touching it with her left hand and she moved her hand a little faster than usual causing the water to splash. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she put it together. Then she proceeded to splash again with her hand, she thought a bit more...then she splashed again...and again...and again, then she splashed some water in her eye. Oops! She stopped for just a second to consider this and decide if she was OK, then started to splash again harder and harder, splashing Mommy quite a lot in the process. She was very amused with herself.

Last night I was curious if she'd remember the splashing and sure enough, when we turned her around in the tub she started splashing again...again, only with only her left hand. Too hilarious! And tonight she added her legs to the equation. But...still only her left hand. Does this mean she will be a lefty? Who knows? I love watching this learning process. We're almost ready to give up the baby tub. I can't wait to see what fun she'll have in the big tub!

A Backyard for Baby

When we bought our house it wasn't built yet. Only the front yard landscaping was included. So, for the past year and a half we've had an empty backyard without even a fence. We are finally making some progress on it! We now have a fence and a patio:

Since these photos the landscapers have now added the irrigation system, so we should have it mostly done this weekend. Maybe some shopping for patio furniture??? Fun! We can't wait to have friends over for a BBQ! We are also looking forward to having a place for Morgan to run and play as she grows.

Thoughts on Blogs and Loss

Every day I have a routine of checking in on a few message boards I'm a part of and reading some various blogs. The blogs are so different from each other. I am still so new to this blogging thing and it just fascinates me. People use them for many reasons. Like me, some use it to keep friends and family informed of events in their lives and everyday things as well. Others use it as an outlet for emotion, frustration or whatever they need to "talk" about. I read such a diverse bunch of blogs that run the gamut of "styles." It is almost like reading different types of literature as the point of view of the author is so unique. Some blogs make me laugh hysterically. Other make me cry....a lot.

The ones that touch me most are stories of loss. Since I myself have dealt with the sadness of miscarriage, I know many people who have been through a similar loss. I also have learned of many people that are dealing with far more devastating situations such as infertility, mid-late pregnancy loss and the death of an infant. My heart just breaks for them. Nothing is more devastating. While I cry along with them I also admire their strength. Along with their pain is a hope. I am always in awe of when I see a situation so terrible that you can't imaging there could be an inkling of hope...but it is always there. I'd like to say that is the presence of God. Some of these women are Christians and some are not...but there is always hope that they will survive their circumstances and move to a more hopeful, joyful place in life. I guess when you hit bottom, that's the only place to go?

I'm going to be gradually adding some additional blogs to my list here. I will label them per their topic, so you will be fair-warned to the content. Though all our stories are different, I feel a connection to them. Some from message boards I frequent I like to call my online friends. Others are stories I've read through links on these friends' blogs. They go on and on. As there is sadness, there is hope. It is comforting to read the story of someone who has been through the same tough situation as you have. You should never be alone in that. Maybe someone will link to someone else's blog or "story" from mine and find hope in it. Happy Blogging!

Wordless Wednesday: I think I'm gonna "boot"!

Thanks Grandma B!

Morgan has a new piece of furniture in her room. Grandma B (Meg's Mom) mentioned a small bookcase and baskets she saw at Target...and we went to take a look. Grandma wanted to have a place for Morgan's books and stuffed animals, which we are ashamed to say were sitting on the floor since we did not have a place to put them.


From Morgan:

"Thanks Grandma B for my bookcase and baskets. It looks so pretty and matches my room so good. I can't wait to get bigger so I can pick out my own books and put things in the baskets. You're the best!"

Love, Morgy-Porgy

Don't you hate it when people pretend they know what their babies would say or think?! I used to...but now it's kind of fun. Also, Grandma and Grandpa B are just home from traveling in Spain and we've missed them! They are checking in on our blog, so I wanted to let them know we got the bookcase! We'll see you in August.

Teething...for real this time!!

Morgan is showing signs of getting more than one tooth! Last Thursday at daycare one the teachers commented on how she was getting a tooth. I'd been checking pretty regularly, but had not actually "seen" a tooth. It's tough to get her to move her tongue so I can actually see her gums. The teacher and I tried for a few minutes with no luck. When I picked her up later that day I got an opportunity to look again...and sure enough there is a little lower/middle tooth just below the gums ready to erupt!

Then, on Saturday Morgan and I were lying down for a nap. She was doing her usual fussing and I decided to inspect her upper gums. Well, what do we have here? I saw a TWO little white tips of teeth peeking through. Not her top middle teeth, but what I call her "fangs." I did a little research on the order of teeth and I found that as a rule the bottom middle teeth come in first, but after that it is random. I though she'd get her top middles ones next, but this was a surprise. We'll try to get some photos, but we probably won't be able to get much until they break the surface of her gums.

That teething fussiness is for real too. The last week she's been extra fussy, and some of it is combined with her having croup and a cold, but she is also showing all the classic teething signs: drooling more than ever, grabbing her ears, a low-grade fever, runny nose...I could go on and on. She also has been waking up more at night and needs a little extra soothing. Even so, most of the time she is still her happy, smiley self.

7 Months Old!

I think these pictures say it all. We love our precious little girl!!

4th of July Fun!

We had an eventful Fourth this year! We started the festivities at the Liberty Lake parade. This is a cute community parade where residents decorate their golf carts, make up fun dances/routines to perform and create rather crude, yet creative floats. The best part is that the parade participants throw candy into the crowd for the kids and it's a big race to grab as much candy as you can. Trauma always ensues as some get more candy than others, but the parents try to keep everything as fun as possible. Here are a few photos of our friends and Morgan's friends Kirsten and Kelsey. Notice the cute Old Navy outfit from Auntie Ali. One of our friends declared Morgan "best dressed baby" of the day.

We headed home after the parade to get ready to go to the beach...and Morgan started to act a bit odd. She was really fussy and her head felt warm. We took her temp...102.7! Of course all the Urgent Care centers are closed on a holiday...then we remembered one of our neighbors is a pediatric nurse practitioner. She came to the rescue and said it just sounded like a cold combined with some teething (more on that in a post to come). She gave us some baby Advil and within an hour or so her temp was back to normal and she was much more herself. Another nap helped out a lot too.

Later in the evening we went to our friends' home on Liberty Lake for the fireworks. We were a little sad because we had wanted to take Morgan swimming in the lake, but that will have to wait. Here a few pics from the rest of the evening. Our little one nodded off before the fireworks started and only stirred a little at the really loud ones.