New things are happening!

In the past week and a half, Gianna has started crawling, learned to clap, and been giving kisses.  What an amazing time it's been in our house!  Bobby and I were saying how she seems to have matured just in the past few days.  She now has more control over her "walking"(with holding our hands) and standing, and she can pull herself up on multiple objects.  She seems to be soaking in everything we teach her and trying to mimic us.  For example, I swear she tries to say "puppy" everytime Nola comes in the room and I say "look at the puppy!"  She gets the "puh" out, but that's all she can do for now.

Usually I try to capture these moments with my regular camera, but these new things can't be shown in a single picture!  So, we whipped out the video camera so that our family and friends could see the real thing.

I used a cheese puff to motivate her to crawl towards the camera.  A free Gia-kiss to anyone who can tell me what I'm watching on TV in the background.

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For the record, I taught her how to clap :o)

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Bobby and I disagree about who taught her how to give kisses, but either way, we agree it's pretty cute!  The first part is her kissing me, and then her kissing Bobby.

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She sometimes give spontaneous kisses, but when the video camera came out, we had to beg for them.  Makes me think of that song, "Steal My Kisses" by Ben Harper.  Anyone remember that one?  

 

Oh, I love me some bows!

So, I really admire my friends who are artsy and can make amazing things for their homes.  My friend Kelly is a great artist and can make doodles look like master-pieces.  Sarah buys torn-up houses and totally re-does them.  Christy sees a decoration on pinterest and finds materials in India to make crafty things!  Charity takes awesome pictures of her baby & her life.  My Mom draws life-like pictures of birds in her journal.  My mother-in-law can make anything with a sewing machine.  They all inspire me to try new things.

Bows are a passion of mine.  Not really, but I love to accessorize all of Gia's outfits with a matching bow.  If you see my collection, you would think that I would never need to get another bow as long as I have children.  However, everytime I pass a children's store, I drool over the bows and think about the outfits they would be perfect for.  

I got this crafty idea from Bobby's cousin, who has a similar thing hanging in her baby's room.  I also got tired of opening the closet door four times a day to get bows and put them back.... the hamper sits in front of the door, and the door is hard to open because the carpet is so thick.  I am all about efficiency where I can get it.  So, here is what I made:  A bow-hanger!

I got a cheap wooden "G" at Hobby Lobby and painted it brown.  Then I poured some white pant into a plastic bag, cut a tiny hole in one corner and put dots all over the G. 

Next, I bought ribbon and hot-glued two long pieces to the back of the "G."  Lastly, Bobby nailed a bracket into the back of the "G" so that I could hang it on the door.

I've seen these things go for $25-30 in the store, but I made mine for about $5. I already had the paint ($1 per color) and the hot glue gun, so I didn't factor in those costs.  It was easy and fun to make, and now I don't have to open that dumb door to get the bows!  Also, as you can see, there is some room left on the hanger for more bows. So, if anyone is at a loss for what to get Gia for her birthday, a bow would be the perfect gift :o)

Snap shots from our day...

Today has been pretty relaxed, just me and Gia hanging out... and Nola, too.  We had cake with our neighbors last night, so we all went to bed late, meaning me & Gia slept in a little this morning.  When we finally got up, we did our normal routine:  change the diaper, get dressed, choose a matching bow, eat milk & whatever food I can convince her to eat, play a while on the floor, get some chores done, take a nap, etc...  

Today we tried a new food: carrots.  I have been wanting to make my own and start Gia on them, but then she got sick and wouldn't eat anything, so I used the carrots for me and Bobby instead.  This weekend our friends the Zanders donated babyfood to us, and low & behold there were carrots!  I wasn't sure how Gia would respond to them because she is the world's pickiest eater, but she loved them!  Oh, be still my heart!  I was so excited.

After breakfast we went into the nursery.  I needed to organize/throw out some things, so Gia played in the crib while I got to work.  I would look up periodically and see her pulling herself up into the standing position, which she's been able to do for a few weeks now.  For this reason, by the way, we don't leave her in the crib by herself unless she's swaddled and sleeping.  Anyway, I had to put something in the bathroom, so I sat her back down in the middle of the crib and went around the corner.  In the (literally!) 3 seconds I was gone, she had pulled herself up again and was standing in the crib!  I was so surprised!  Fortuantely, I had my camera with me.

After Gia took her nap, it was bathtime.  Gianna LOVES being in the bathtub, especially since our friend Emma donated a sitting-up thing so that she could sit by herself in the tub and play with the focet.  Nola was particularly interested in this bath, so I thought I'd include her in the fun.  You know those pictures of brothers & sisters playing together in the tub?  Well, Gia is the first child, so I chose the next best thing.

We were in there so long that her little toes got pruned.  So cute.

Then we had lunch and took a trip to the grocery store... to "make groceries" as my Westwego friends would say.  Yep, I've got New Orleans on my mind because it's Mardi Gras time. Just a side note, I wish I was in N.O. at a parade catching beads.  So, one of Gia's favorite things is to ride in the cart.  I take her to the store when she gets fussy, and she has the time of her life!  Today she wasn't fussy, but we needed to get baby wipes, so off we went!  And although it took us forever to get through the check out line, we had fun.  I told her all about the things we were buying (I got carrots for 50 cents a lb!) and she smiled a lot.

And now we are back home.  Gia was fussy and ready to go to sleep, and then... Bobby came home.  And now she's riled up, which means she will not get her nap and will be cranky all night.  Sigh.  Oh well, that's how it goes!  

Mix 101.5 Radiothon for Duke Children's Hospital

This event is near and dear to my heart.  I love the people involved and am passionate about the cause.  The radio station I listened to when I lived in NC (Mix 101.5... this is not a product placement, but I do love them :o) ) has a radiothon every year to raise money for the kids at Duke Children's Hospital in Durham, NC.  I drop everything to listen to them, including TV (which, if you know me, means that I'm serious).  I've listened since the first year, when I was 7, and began volunteering by answering phones when I was 13.  My friend Rebecca and I were the youngest ones in there, and we still talk about and treasure those memories.  

Over the years as I volunteered (up until I moved to New Orleans after college), I met so many amazing people.  Jeff, who lost his daughter Haven to hydrocephalus.  Kathy, who lost her son to cancer.  Susan, who also lost her young daughter.  Alan, Cooper and Jonathan, who survived their battles.  Vanna, Jim and Bill, who remain my friends to this day.  All of these amazing people have changed my life forever.  The radiothon changed my childhood, and now impacts how I parent my own daughter.

It started out as a 5 day event, where the radio hosts would literally wear themselves out, getting no sleep for 5 days, raising money.  Then, I assume thanks to internet technology, they went down to 3 days and raised even more money in a shorter time!  Now it's down to 2 days.  I know this makes sense because they can raise just as much money in that amount of days, but selfishly I wish it lasted longer.  I wait for it every year, like connecting with old friends and coming together to celebrate the miracles Duke has given to children, and remembering the children we came to love who lost their fight.  

Linda, Bill's co-host, spoke a message today to people who were listening to the radiothon as first-time parents.  She said maybe we listened in the past, and we pledged and we cared, but now that we've held that little baby and moved into this new stage of life, we get it. I cried listening to her, as I was rocking my sweet baby to sleep.  I think that I cared whole-heartedly before, but I desperately care now.   Maybe it's that I have more emphathy now, although I can't begin to truely emphathize with parents who have actually walked the Duke road.  There is more of a heart-ache in me for these children and, more so now, for their parents.  

I do proudly own t-shirts from volunteering, a signed coach K viser and basketball (although I gave the basketball away to raise money for another children's medical charity... ironic, huh?), and they remind me throughout the year of this amazing fund-raiser.  It's important to me to give every year, although I can't give as much as I used to, because it feels to me like I'm helping my family.  These people have become like family in my heart, and I want to be a part of helping the kids & parents.  

The radiothon reminds me to charish each moment I have with Gia.  I know that we are not above having illnesses strike our family, but sometimes I take our health for granted.  I let myself get stressed when Gia has a bad night or is crying all day.  I think about the friends I've made through this event, and how they would give anything to have a bad night with their baby.  I pray that the Lord will protect Gianna from any sickness and spare her from pain, but if something were ever to happen, I'm so glad there is Duke.  If no one else can help, Duke can give hope.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is Valentine's Day, and we are trying to be as festive as possible.  I mean, there's really not much you can do to celebrate this holiday with an 8 month old.  So, I put Gia in a very pink outfit with a cute bow from her grandmama.  

My parents had sent us two cards, one for me & Bobby and one for Gianna.  Bobby's parents sent us a Valentine's package filled with goodies.  I love getting things in the mail!

Tonight instead of having our usual Valentine's meal together, Bobby and I celebrated it with our Life Group (Bible study).  We had a great time eating Mexican food and talking together.  I'm so glad we're all done being sick so that we could go!  Of course, the little lady pooped all over herself and had to use one of Jennie's kid's old outfits... funny thing, it was the only one that fit her, and it was a Valentine's outfit!!  These are a few of our friends.

I made a festive dessert for the occasion.  It's sugar cookies put together in the shape of a heart (sort of), covered with tons of cream cheese frosting and topped with peperment and regular red sprinkles.

Bobby and I will have our Valentine's celebration on Thursday.  So, for us, the holiday is to be continued.

Almost there!

Gia has been working really hard on her crawl.  It has upgraded from pre-crawling to "gimpy crawling" as Jennie would put it.  I think it's classified as army crawling, but anyway, I decided to document it.

It starts with Gianna on her belly, rolling over onto her side:

Then, she rolls back onto her belly and pushes up:

After this, she gets up onto her knees and tries to put her arm out:

Next, she gets on all fours and pushes up with her toes:

And finally, she can't quite figure out how to coordinate her arms and legs, so she rolls back over on her side.

You can see from this picture that we use the dog's bone to motivate her.  But don't worry, we don't ever let her get it.

I can sleep when I'm dead

For the past 4 days I have been tending to my sick little family.  Bobby caught the flu or something, causing a fever and congestion, and then Gia caught it from him.  She has been so pitiful, just wanting to cuddle with us until the advil kicked in (this is rare... she usually wants to stand up or move around after about 20 seconds).  She has not slept well in 4 nights, which of course means that I haven't either, because her nose is all stuffed up and her fever kept spiking.  I really hope that she will not develop a fever today, as it is boarder-line right now.  This is why I am so anal about not bringing her around sick people and only wanting her to chew on her own toys in the nursery.  People probably think I'm ridiculously over-protective, but it's for this reason.

So, my house is a mess.  If you come over, just expect it.  I have been sitting with my sick baby for all 4 days because she does not want to be left alone, so I've managed to do a few dishes and one load of laundry.  Other than that, forget it, nothing has gotten done.  Usually I get stuff done during her nap, but she hasn't been taking good naps, and I have also been trying to catch up on sleep when she does.  

Our house looks like a pharmacy, with saline drops, advil, tylenol, water spiked with grape juice, tissues.  Poor Gia is so tired of having her boogers wiped and her temperature taken!  

Gia even looks sick, and you can see in her eyes when she has a fever.  They are all red and un-focused, and it just makes me want to kiss her all over and hug the stuffing out of her.  

I'm emotionally and physically exhausted.  It has been a hard few days, but I am soaking in the moments I get to cuddle with my daughter and make her feel better.  I do miss sleep, that old friend I depended on who abandoned me, but I know I will look back and miss these days when I got to spend 24/7 with my baby.  As my dad's coffee-magnet says, Sleep when you're dead.

 

The Hippo

Gia got a toy hippo from Nana and Papa Joe for Christmas.  It bounces balls in it's tummy, and then they fall down a hole and come out it's mouth.  You can trigger the bouncing by hitting the middle (or throwing a ball in the middle) or spinning the little thing on the front (you can see it in the picture, I'm not sure what to call it).  Remember the game Hungry Hungry Hippos?  It reminds me of that.  It's one of Gianna's favorite toys, and it can usually calm the crying.

She began playing with it by sitting up and leaning over the opening.  She would chew on the plastic rim and drool all over it!  Now, she can get herself into the crawling position and lean over it in a different way.  She no longer chews on the side, but rather grabs the balls out of the tummy to chew on!  It was just too cute not to put in the blog.

Baby Burrito

Around 6 weeks old, we began swaddling Gia after it was suggested to us that it might help her sleep better.  It worked, so we kept on doing it.  6 months later, Gia still has to be swaddled every time she sleeps, unless it's in the car.  You would think that she would hate to be strapped down, and that it would keep her from sleeping, but she seems to really get comfort from it.  In fact, the few times I've tried to put her down without the swaddler, she cries, plays with her hands, pulls out the pacifier, and can't get to sleep.  

She is so cute when she is swaddled with just her little face sticking out, that Bobby and I gave her some nicknames.

Baby burrito

LIttle Cannoli ( an Italian dessert... if you've never had it, you NEED to)

Houdini  -  Sometimes when she wiggles her way out of the swaddler, we have to strap her back in.  We are very strategic with the velcro and we say, "Get out of that, Houdini."  

Papoose (a native american baby all wrapped up)

 

So, as much fun as the names are, the swaddled-sleeper doesn't make for a great picture.  So, when I can, I snap a picture of the rare time she is sleeping with her arms out.  I took this one after unwrapping her at the end of a nap.  

Gia -- 8 months old

Have 8 months really gone by?  I guess in someways it does feel like 8 months because I've gotten to be with her all the time, watching her grow in every way.  But on the other hand, 8 months seems like a big age!  She is doing new things that seperate her from being a helpless baby and being a mobile baby.  I just can't say enough about how special she is in my life and how much I love being a mama.  I can't wait to hear her say "I love you," and to have her run to me when I come back to get her from things.  

Here are some of the ways she has grown during her 7th month:

Started eating baby food and now eats 3 meals a day

Rolls around to get where she wants

Crawling backwards (sort of)

Her first tooth

Creating a deeper bond with Bobby

Sleeping 11-12 hours a night with only waking up once

I can finally clip a bow in her hair!

Finally fitting into 6 month clothes and outgrowing her 3 month clothes (towards the end of the month).

Likes to play peek-a-boo

Her personality continues to stay cheerful and friendly, although we battled some seperation anxiety in the beginning of January.  She takes two solid naps a day and then sleeps well most nights.  Her favorite food is sweet potatoes, followed by squash... although her favorite thing to do is suck on orange slices!  She loves to chew on anything plastic, mostly water bottles and her teething ring.  Her newest adventure has been trying to take the bone away from Nola so she can have it for herself.  She rolls and stretches her way to Nola, and Nola just continues chewing as if nothing is happening.  Such a good dog.  

We love to Skype with the grandparents, Josh and Kelly, and we wish she could see more of them.  Plane tickets are cheap right now, by the way :o)  Bobby and Gianna have really bonded this month.  There is no one that makes her as excited as Daddy, as she bounces, wiggles, smiles and coos when he comes home.  Gia has taken to talking LOUDLY, especially when it's most inconvinient.  To sum Gia up, she is a bundle of excitement and joy.  We couldn't ask for a greater daughter.

Here are some pictures to document her 7th month.  

Dedication service

Christmas at the cabin

First semi snow day

Taking Nola's bone

Eating her first cracker

Date night with Daddy

Reading with Daddy

Happy 8 months, baby!

Gia, there are boys in your room!

On Tuesday, my friend Dawn and her twin boys came over to play.  Her sons are 10 months old, just a little older than Gia, and they are so active!  I love watching them and seeing what Gia will be doing soon.  Dawn gave me some good tips on how to baby-proof the house, as well as info on how she started her boys on certain foods, sippy cups, etc...  We worked together and became friends at LCA and are now enjoying being stay at home moms (for a while, anyway).  Everytime I have a tough situation with Gia, I think, "If Dawn can do this with 2 babies, then I can do it with one."  She inspires me!

I showed Dawn around Gia's nursery and we let the babies play on the floor.  Dawn said, "does Bobby know that there are boys in Gia's room?"  I laughed, picturing how protective Bobby is going to be as Gia gets older and starts dating.  

I really love spending time with other moms.  It helps me know how to be prepared for changes that Gia will go through (like crawling!) and to learn from their experience.  It also can be a little lonely some days since I spend most of my time in my house with just me & Gia, so I appreciate the time I get to spend with other adults.  Moms also understand if you have to run out of the room to change or feed a baby, or if you have to leave because your child is being fussy.  I don't ever feel guilty if I only get to spend 1/2 hour with Dawn because I know she understands and just enjoys hanging out even for a little bit.  I live so far away from any moms with babies at my church and don't get to have play-dates often, so this visit with Dawn was a nice treat.  

Gia is much smaller than the boys, but her head is almost as big :o)

Dawn shared her snacks with Gia.  She loved them!!