Happy First Birthday Adelaide Penelope!

July 23, 2013

Adelaide Penelope,

July 23rd is a day that will forever be etched in my memory. Your Birth Day one year ago today was one of the best days of my life. I still remember the overwhelming joy I felt as the doctor laid you on my tummy for the first time. I just kept telling you how beautiful you are and how much I love you. And really, I've just kept doing that for the past year. You are so beautiful. And I love you so much.

Here are some of your favorites on your first birthday:

Putting things inside. You are a great helper. When it's time to clean up, I hand you your toys, and you are more than happy to put each toy in the toy box, one by one, by one.

Sometimes we put you inside, too!

Opening and closing. Doors, mostly. We finally got all the important cabinets and drawers baby-proofed, but that doesn't stop you from pulling them out until they catch on the baby latch, and then pushing them back in as hard as you can. I'm amazed at how few times you have slammed your fingers (and toes) in various doors. You also love closing big doors. Sometimes you will close the door to your bedroom while I am in the bathroom, and then you will sit behind the door to your bedroom so I'm locked out. Stinker!

Reading aloud to yourself. When you aren't busy closing the door to your bedroom, you will often occupy yourself by your bookshelf. I've often left you in your room while I put laundry away or clean the bathroom nearby, and every time I pop my head in to check on you, you have a book open and are chattering away, telling your story with the turn of each page.

Brushing your teeth. Or rather, your tooth! You have one lonesome tooth that is just barely peeking out of your gums. But we are earnestly brushing that one tooth each and every day in hopes of getting more. You get so excited when I pull your toothbrush that you immediately say "Ahhhhhh!" and open your mouth wide for me to stick the toothbrush in. Your favorite is sucking on the toothbrush, but we get a couple of brushes on your tooth and your tongue.

Things with straps/handles. At your cousin's birthday party, you got a sand pail, and it quickly became your favorite toy. Since your main method of moving is the scoot, you have two free hands to carry your toys around the house. You LOVE holding the handle of the pail and scooting from room to room. Especially after you fill it with your toys.

Blankie. Without our realizing it, you got attached to a blankie. It began with our habit of putting a lightweight blanket in your crib with you to sleep because you liked covering your eyes with it to block out the light and sound. One day, I noticed that instead of covering your eyes with the blanket, you grabbed it in a hug and rolled over to sleep. And now it's your blankie. I never had a security blanket. I think it's cute that you do.

Feeding yourself. We have mostly transitioned away from pureed foods. Not because you have so many teeth that you are able to chew regular food. Just because you like to feed yourself. So now it's chopping foods into swallowable sized pieces. You love cantaloupe. And peas. And watermelon. And sweet potatoes. And yogurt (but I still feed you the yogurt with a spoon). You'll eat almost anything. But if it's a favorite, you will eat LOTS and LOTS. In those times, I wonder where you are putting it all.

On Saturday, we had a Laidey Bug themed party with our family to celebrate your life. But to me, every day is a celebration of your life. It's hard to remember life without you. I am honored to call you my daughter.

One week old. One year old!

Happy first birthday, Laidey Bug!

Love,
Mama

Happy Eleven Months Adelaide Penelope

....I actually had this post finished on time, but I wanted to add a picture of my nephew. Then, I left my camera at my sister's house before I could upload my pictures. So, it's belated, but I will post it before Adelaide's birthday, TOMORRROW!

June 23, 2013

Dear Adelaide,

Wow! 11 Months. 31 more days, and you won't be a baby anymore. Toddlerhood is right around the corner. And we have been enjoying every last moment of your precious babyhood.

So now you scoot. You have scooted for over  a month, but now you scoot with purpose. You have a rhythm, and when you know what you want, you scoot double-time to get to it. Like the dog dish. And the open refrigerator door. I like your spunk. You have determination. A colleague of mine gave you a onesie with a quote from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream that says, "Though she be little, she is fierce." I think it sums you up perfectly.

Not only do you scoot, you've also learned how to sit up from a lying down position. Which means nothing stops you from moving. You fall over, and no sooner have you caught yourself and used those ab muscles to lift yourself up to a sitting position, with a little help from your arm. Definitely not the easiest way to sit up, but it works for you. And you are going to have some super strong abs and legs.

Summertime is in full swing, and I laugh at my fears that we might get bored this summer. We haven't stopped. As I told your granny this past weekend, the only thing we have trouble fitting in is your naps. So you've missed quite a few. We are testing your sleep boundaries, and while you have managed exceptionally well, there have been some pitifully cute moments where you want to sleep so badly, but won't allow yourself to sleep in public.

So what exactly have we been up to this summer? Well, we began the summer with a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house to renovate their kitchen.

Cooling off with Dad while he takes a break

Enjoying Grandma's backyard

We also made a trip back to Illinois just a week later to celebrate the end of a life well-lived by your Great-Grandma, who passed away at the age of 97!

During the in-between times, here in St. Louis, we have gone to Baby Bookworm time at the library, met friends at Hartford Coffee Company, taken daily walks with our pup Fitz, visited the animals at the zoo, and gone swimming with your Aunt Jessica. Just to name a few.

Swimming with Aunt Jessica

Soooo tired!

You are now the proud owner of one tooth poking through your gums, and another is on the way.

Both your daddy and I could not be more thrilled to see your love for reading blossoming. I love to have you sit in my lap (one of the few times you will actually sit still) and concentrate on each page as I read it aloud before you excitedly rush to turn to the next page and see what new adventures await as the story continues. I hope this is the beginning a lifelong friendship with books.

And best of all, you get to share the 23rd day of the month with a new baby cousin, who was born on June 23, exactly one month before your birthday. Welcome to the world, Jared Parker Davis!

And the countdown till your birthday begins...

Our hearts just burst with love for you, Adelaide Penelope!

Happy Ten Months Adelaide Penelope

May 23, 2013

Dear Adelaide Penelope,

Happy Summer, Baby Girl! Today was the last day of the school year. We have 10 weeks together with lots of plans to play at the park and the pool.

Since last month, your speech has really taken off. You babble with inflection--like a real conversation. I love creeping into your room after your nap and watching you chatting contentedly in your crib.

You are also mobile now. No crawling yet, but lots of scooting and rolling. You will scoot across the room if there is something you really want, like daddy's lunch box or the sound machine in your room.

We recently got our first family photos taken since your birth. It was a beautiful afternoon in Forest Park.

We also celebrated Mother's Day with lots of family time. Making breakfast together, napping, walking in the cemetery. My favorite.

Happy Ten Months, Bugaboo!

Happy Nine Months Adelaide Penelope

April 23, 2013

Dear Adelaide,

Today you turned nine months old. Your Aunt Jessica was here babysitting you today--she's here every Tuesday--and she stayed and helped us cook dinner. Chicken cacciatore. YUM!

You helped us in the kitchen by being your cute self. You sat in your chair and ate orange yogurt bites and super purple puffs. You kicked your feet in your chair, twisted around to try to grab anything within reach, and chatted away with yourself, and us, and anyone else who would listen. When you got antsy from sitting in your chair, we put you on the floor and you showed us your new skill of rolling back to tummy. You've become quite the log roller lately. Put you on one side of the room and you will roll your way to the other side.

However, your FAVORITE new skill is clapping. Your daddy was the first to witness your claps, but you wouldn't show the rest of the world until just recently. Now you won't stop. The funniest is when I am changing your diaper and you are cranky and fussy because you just want to be playing with your toys, when, mid-fuss, you clap your hands. The wrinkle never leaves your brow, and yet you clap.

This past month, we visited Chicago. It was your first stay in a hotel. We went to Shedd Aquarium and you loved all of the brightly colored fish. You also enjoyed watching the jellies swim around. When we visited the Beluga, you and Daddy stood next to the underwater window and a beluga swam right in front of you. We thought it was so cool, but you got kinda freaked out and started crying.

Your mama also turned 30 years old this month. To celebrate, we visited Ted Drewes. No ice cream for you yet, but only three more months and you'll get your taste of sugary sweets.

Now that spring has finally started to make an appearance, we have been spending a lot more time outside. Often, when the weather is nice, we sit on a blanket in the backyard when I get home from work. Then, when Daddy gets home, we all go on a walk together, oftentimes in the cemetery, our favorite walking grounds. Much as we are enjoying spring, we can't wait until summer.

Happy Nine Months Laidey Bug!

Happy Eight Months Adelaide Penelope

March 23, 2013

Dear Adelaide,

Playing with you is so much fun. Daddy's loves to copy all of your sounds. You two get into yelling matches. You will say, AHHHH, and then Daddy repeats it. Then it's AH, and again, Daddy mimics you with his AH. You think it's great. Daddy's favorite sound is when you say "Da da da da da."

You and Daddy also play a game called "Let's get Mommy!" where Daddy holds you facing out, and then pretends he is going to throw you to me, saying "Let's get Mommy!" He never actually throws you, but you have fun "getting me."

Along with the games Daddy plays with you, you're good about playing by yourself, too. You have a purple bin where we keep a lot of your toys. Any time I need to get something done, I just set you on the floor with your purple bin and you are quite happy to entertain yourself. You love to play with your laptop from Granny (opening and closing it is your favorite!). You also enjoy taking all the different shapes out of your shape box. The best is when I peek in on you and you are curiously peering over the side of your box of toys, trying to figure out which toy to pull out next. If I leave you for long enough, you will have all of your toys spread around you and your bin will lie empty on its side. Then you will notice me watching you and your face will break out into a smile that lights up your whole face.

Although you love to smile, you don't give away belly laughs easily. Early in February, we visited Grandma and Grandpa for the weekend. At church on Sunday, Grandma took you back to the nursery midway through the service because you were being too social for the rest of the congregation. During your time with Grandma in the nursery, she was able to coax your first belly laughs. You thought one of the nursery toys was the funniest thing--for about five minutes. By the time I came back to pick you two up after church, the toy was old news. We still haven't been able to replicate that laugh.

You do, however, enjoy a good game of peek-a-boo. I have a great video of it, but my phone is not cooperating.

Earlier this week, you and I took a nap together and you reminded me of one of my favorite habits you have. When you really struggle to fall asleep, you do the cutest thing. You turn your face and push it right up next to mine so that our foreheads and noses are touching. Sometimes you lay your hand lightly on my cheek, too.  It's the most comfortable feeling in the world to lay with you, face to face, as you sleep peacefully.

Happy Eight Months, Sweet Laidey Bug!

Happy Seven Months Adelaide Penelope

Dear Adelaide,

Happy Seven Months, Laidey Bug! Your biggest milestones for month seven are sitting and eating. Now that you can sit up on your own, you aren't happy any other way. When I lay you on your back, you strain to pull yourself up with your abdominal muscles. You are pretty strong, but not yet strong enough to pull yourself up. You also hate being on your tummy. Your dad and I often wonder how you will ever learn to crawl with as much as you hate being on your tummy. Any time we put you on your stomach, you immediately roll yourself over to your back. And then you proceed to strain to lift yourself off the ground into the sitting position. :)

You have started to eat solids, too. And by eat, I mean put them in your mouth, suck all the liquid out, and then throw the food on the floor and watch with rapt attention as Fitz devours your dinner. You have tried all sorts of food: squash, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, avocado, pear, mango, apple--and your reaction is just about the same to it all: you make a horribly sour face, sometimes sticking your tongue out, and then you open your mouth for more. Since we are taking the "baby led weaning" approach, almost all the food you have been given thus far is whole chunks of food, and you seem to prefer it that way. The couple of times I've tried to puree food and spoon feed you, you don't seem interested in eating. But, put a slice of mango or a few green beans on your tray, and you will have them in your mouth in no time.

These days, Fitz is one of your favorite friends. You smile at him whenever you see him, and you eagerly reach out to grab his fur whenever he is within reach. You are particularly fond of grabbing his mouth--it's  a good thing he is such a patient dog. He lets you do pretty much anything without responding--all with us right there, of course.

The past two days have been our first snow days together. You aren't one for making snowmen or building snow forts yet, but we did take you sledding for the first time. I think you had fun.

It's funny, it was just earlier this month that we took you to the park and put you on a swing. Swinging and sledding all in the same month.  That's St. Louis weather for you.

Bit by bit, you are growing up. Each month brings new treasures and delights, for you and for us!

Love,
Mama and Daddy

Happy Six Months Adelaide Penelope

Dear Adelaide,

Happy Half-Birthday, Kiddo! You are six months old. Wow. Recently, I've started to get nostalgic in thinking back to your birth and those first few weeks after you were born. Mostly about how tiny and, well, newborn you were. Up to this point, I've been excited at every new milestone (and I still am), but now I find myself battling a mixture of excitement at your new growth and sadness that the days are already slipping by too quickly. I want to enjoy you growing up, so  I will, for the most part, keep the nostalgia to myself henceforth.

Let's see, this month, your biggest milestone was rolling over. You were soooo close to doing it last month; you first rolled over on December 26, the day after Christmas, and three days after you turned 5 months. I guess all the festivities of the holidays weren't enough--you wanted to give us another reason to celebrate.

You also found your tongue. You like to roll it around in your mouth, chew on it, and most of all, stick it out. There were a few weeks where, instead of smiles, all we got was the tongue sticking out, for all your pictures.

Your daddy and I made another leap into adulthood this past month. We bought our first family vehicle--a brand new mini-van! Now we can cart you around with all your stuff, and your pal Fitzy. No more tilting your car seat to just the right angle in order to slide it into the back door of my old Nissan Sentra. No more pushing the passenger seat forward until my knees (yes, even my 5'4" frame was cramped) hit the dash so that your car seat fits behind me. No more piling groceries around the already-full (with your stroller) trunk. Now it's heated seats and auto-sliding doors. We are enjoying the luxury!

New Year's 2013 marked your second calendar year of life. We celebrated by putting you to bed early, only for you to wake up to ring in the New Year with us. Did I mention that the holidays were a bit rough sleep-wise for you? Nevertheless, it was fun to celebrate the turn of the year as a family.

Just one week after New Year's, your Aunt Jessica married your (now) Uncle Chris. The very day of their wedding, while I was busy getting all fancied up for the ceremony, your daddy sent me a picture of you holding your own bottle.

You are such a big girl, holding your own bottle and everything. Aunt Jessica's wedding was a beautiful day, and in addition to celebrating her and Uncle Chris, we had a great time dancing the night away. You even made it an hour past bedtime before daddy took you home. Tired girl!

Your latest thing is to kick your legs. You used to sigh in bed while trying to sleep; now, you kick your legs methodically against your mattress. I hear a WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! upstairs, and I don't worry that there's an intruder. I know it's just you, working out all that extra energy before you go to sleep.

Now on to sitting. You can sit for anywhere from 10-15 seconds without support. You have the strength and balance, you just have to figure out how to remain upright when you want to look at something above your head.

We love watching you change and grow before our very eyes!
And we love YOU.

Mama (and Daddy)

Happy Five Months Adelaide Penelope

Dear Adelaide,

The month of December flew by in this house. Before we knew it, you were approaching your 5 month birthday.

We began December with a new babysitter. She is wonderful and we love taking you to visit Meme! You have adjusted well and it gives your mama much more peace to leave you in such loving and capable hands.

You continue to be a smiley happy little girl. You love to talk--lots of squeals and shrieks as you test out those vocal chords and figure out how to make different sounds. You have also started an exaggerated sigh. Particularly when you are getting ready for a nap. You will take a deep breath, then sigh. Take another deep breath, sigh. It goes on for several minutes at a time before you put yourself to sleep.

On December 9th, our families and friends stood up with us at church to celebrate your baptism and to embrace God's covenant promise for you. We look forward to teaching you about Jesus and how much He loves you. It is our hope and prayer that you will follow Him all the days of your life.

This month as also been a month of almosts. You haven't quite managed to roll over yet, but you love to roll onto your side and tilt your head back with those big bright eyes. You are also trying to figure out how to blow raspberries. You haven't quite figured that out either; instead, you just close your lips and make a "puh" sound as you make effort to get your lips to vibrate.

One highlight this month was our family trip to see the meteor shower. Even though the meteor shower didn't start until after your bedtime (and mine, too!), we decided to make it a special event. We crept into your room, scooped you out of your crib, buckled you in your car seat, and headed out to our favorite star-gazing spot, hoping you would fall back asleep on the car ride. That didn't happen, but you seemed content enough that we thought we still might be able to see a few falling stars. Unfortunately, no sooner had we arrived and set our chairs out for a midnight viewing than you decided you had had enough of being out of bed in the middle of the night. So, we caught a few falling stars through the car windshield and called it a night. It was a fun adventure nonetheless.

We finished month five with your first Christmas. You got to stay up late, play with your cousins and aunts, and open up lots of new toys that you will play with for years to come. In addition to many adorable outfits, you got your own laptop, mini-kitchen, blocks, and a special Pooh bear who has become your first sleeping companion.

We love you, Adelaide! Happy 5 Months!

Happy Four Months Adelaide Penelope

Dear Adelaide,

You are a third of the way to your first birthday. This past month you battled your first cold. It was no fun to see you congested and miserable. Thankfully, it hit when I had four days off so I could spend extra time with you. Lots of cuddles and naps together. We also watched President Obama get re-elected for the next four years. Your first presidential election. Crazy to think you will be fours years old the next time we elect a president.

The weather has been beautiful. We took lots of walks together. You are so bright eyed as you soak in the big wide world. One Saturday was even nice enough that we spread a blanket out in the backyard and basked in some warm sunshine.

You started batting at and grabbing for toys. One of your favorites is a moose that hangs from your play yard. Another is this ball. You love to try to put it in your mouth. One game you love is airplane. I put you on my legs and lay down so that you are flying above me and you get so excited. You also drool a lot. I call you my little drool monster. But I can't complain. You have yet to spit up on me while playing airplane, which is a success if you ask me.

Another one of your favorite games is what I like to call "Who's that baby in the mirror?" You LOVE looking in the mirror.  Any time we see a mirror, I say to you "Who's that baby in the mirror?" and you smile so big and squeal with delight. Granny likes to play it with you, too . You've got a killer smile, kid!

We also celebrated your first thanksgiving this month. Not only did we get a great photo of you and your cousins, but we also threw a bridal shower for your Aunt Jessica, who is getting married in January.

Happy Four Months, Bugaboo! I love you.