the sweetest sound

Amelia has been babbling now for some time. She often babbled things like "mmmmm" or "aaaaa", sometimes it sounds like she is saying "hi". Two weeks ago she figured out how to say dada. She loves to babble dada dada dada all day long. I have been waiting patiently to hear her say mama. This morning while crawling around the living room she slipped on a toy and started to fuss. She got back up and crawled over to me and pulled up on my leg. Once she was standing by me she looked at me at said "mama". I have to say - it was priceless. How is it possible that my baby can say 2-3 words! Where has the time went? Her daddy and I both agree, we love to listen to her babble - regardless of what she says.

Cruising

I am now cruising the furniture! While momma was chatting on the phone she noticed I had pulled myslef up at the end of the couch. Didn't know I could do that? You must have missed an entry! I have been pulling up for at least a week!! Back to my story - while mommy was talking to her friend Lori (they talk a lot!), I slowly made my way down to where she was in the recliner. Mommy was so surprised to see me standing next to her! Here are some pictures of me playing!

I am eight months old!

I am officially eight months old. I am growing by leaps and bounds. In summary for this month, I have learned how to crawl, pull up and I got my 4th tooth! I can also stand with help and drink from a cup. I was also sick this month. I had a small bug but it took it's toll on me. All I wanted was to roll around my momma's lap and be held. Luckily it only lasted 2 days and then I was feeling back to my old self again. Looking forward into month 9 I predict that I will be walking before it is over! Or at least by the end of month 10! I am on the move!

Yesterday I had a lot of excitement. Not only did my new friend Zoe come over, but i got to see all my friends from my St. Louis playgroups! Zoe came all the way Iowa to see me. She was a lot of fun to play with. Here is a picture of me and Zoe!

Happy St. Pat's day!

Today is my first st. pat's day! Mommy and Daddy had big plans for me. We were going to go to my first Ancient order of the Hibernians Parade in Dogtown. I was just in dogtown last week at Seamus Mcdaniels! But unfortunatly the weather guy said it was going to rain and possibly snow! So mommy decided that we were going to go shopping! Mommy wanted to pick up some new clothes before we leave for Chicago. We spent the whole day shopping and had lots of fun. I wore my very cute t-shirt that says "daddy's lucky charm!"

It's official - i can crawl!

Today was the day. The day that Dr. Nancy warned my parents about. She warned them to child proof the house because I would be mobile. And today is that day. i am a crawler. I crawled across the the living room today - about 7-8 feet! I am also getting better at pulling myself up! I am really growing!

Being sick is no fun!

Well, after almost 8 months it happened. I got my first fever. It is no fun! I am crabby and cry alot. And like all babies, when i am sick i want my mommy! Don't put me down, don't try to clean, don't do the laundry - just sit and hold me. Hold me as I cry and flop around trying to get comfortable. Mommy stayed home with me so she could do just that - hold me. It did make me feel better! After about 36 hours my fever broke and I was feeling much better, but then I refused to eat. I hope it's a long time before I get sick again.

Cubs gear

Harry

Camille

Aunt Kate just returned from a trip to Chicago and brought me back some goodies. She bought me a cubs hat that says " my first cap", a cute ribbon so everyone will know I am a GIRL and a very cute jacket that says Chicago on it! Very cute! Thanks a bunch aunt kate! I love it all - and daddy did too! We also went with aunt kate to get a new cat. It was a hard decision. There were a lot of great cats there! I really loved a tan and white one that was meowing a lot, aunt kate liked a big gray and white one and then there was this funny one who was flipping around in her cage and chasing her toys. Her name was Camille. She was too sweet! She let Kate carry her around and was purring 5 seconds into our meeting. Kate was sold. Welcome to the family Camille! Hope you and Harry become fast friends! Don't let Harry boss you around - he weighs about 25lbs - you can always outrun him!

My Red Hat aunts!

Tonight I went with granny De and mommy to see my red hat aunts. We went to a place called Dogtown. They all had dinner at Seamus McDaniels. The food sure did smell good! It love seeing my aunts! Aunt Ruth bought me my first easter basket with a bunny for me to play with and two to set on my selves. Aunt Dani bought me the most adorable outfit - it is jean capri's and a red gingham shirt. so cute. I can't wait to wear it! Granny De also bought me some beautiful summer clothes. One says "so pretty" i can only guess because she thinks i am pretty! the 2nd one has butterflies on it and is purple (my favorite!) and and short and shirt set!! I love them all! I can't wait for warmer weather so I can put them on! One at a time of course :) Thanks everyone!

How many steps are there in a crawler?

If the answer is 4-5 then I am officially a crawler!!! I am starting to really take off now. Things that motivate me to crawl are: the remote, the phone, dirt, dust, the kitty, the newspaper and plastic bags of all kinds. Basically, things I am not supposed to have or things mommy and daddy don't want me to have. I am quite funny when i do crawl though - i kind of kick my leg out to launch me forward. It's very funny to watch! I also pulled myself up on my exasaucer. I was in a standing position for a few seconds, then i tumbled down. No crying though - i am not a sissy!

My weekend in review

This weekend went by so fast! Friday night was spent with mommy and daddy. We just hung out at home, enjoying each other's company. Saturday we went to see my Buela. She was at home recovering and was so happy to see us! We stayed and played with her for awhile and I showed her how i can do the baby 2 step now! I am so talented! I also showed everyone how I can be a mockingbird! Mommy was saying dada to me and i finally said it back to her! I say it all the time, but this was my first time repeating it back to her! Of course I wouldn't do it for daddy when I got home - I am not a performing monkey! I spent Sunday with Daddy while mommy slept! She worked the night before and had to go back that night. Before I knew it I was off to Christa's for the day! Time flies when you are having fun! Here I am after I had my first taste of spaghetti. It was yummy!

Very bad news

Yesterday my buela was in a very bad car accident. She was taking my cousin Alyssa dress shopping and somebody ran into her head on! It was very scary and mommy and daddy were very worried. Thank goodness everyone was able to walk - or roll in my buela's case - out of the hospital with sprains and bruises. The ER doc told buela she was fortunate to have a car with good air bags and smart enough to have her seat belt on. He said the combo saved her life! I always wear my seat belt and my buela is proof that you should too!! Get well soon, we love you!!

Doing the two step - baby style

I finally managed to crawl more than one step - I crawled two steps! Mommy and Daddy find it great fun to yell to the other person "to come her real quick!" when I am doing something new. And this was no different. Mommy and Daddy are quite funny! What will they do when I start walking? Some people think I will walk early! I hope so - that way I can pick up some speed and catch bootylicious. She is the Roadrunner to my Wile E. Coyote. I will keep trying to get to her!

Off to see pastor Kim!

Today mommy and I got up early so we could get all dressed up and go see pastor Kim! I love going to see her! Church service was great! I was on my best behavior. I wore my dress that my Nana bought me. Everyone stopped to see me on the way out and told me how cute I looked! I love getting dressed up and going to church. And after church I got to see my Buela! Grandpa Butch came over too. Buela was so happy to see me - she kept hugging me and kissing me! We played for a long time while grandpa butch made a lot or noise in the living room. He was sanding our doorway for us. We all had lunch together after that! It was a great Sunday!

I'm on the move

Well, I am in the early stage of being on the move. I have figured out how to take one crawl step forward!! I have mastered the reverse crawl. it's a snap. Now I can get up on my hands and knees and get one crawling motion out before i flop on my belly. Here is a pic of me in my tutu, trying to crawl! How do ballerina's do it - crawling in a tutu is hard work!

Bring on the steak...

I'm ready - let's go!

I have four teeth!! Can you believe it?? Four teeth!! Wow. What will I do with four teeth! Maybe mommy will start feeding me table food. She bought me yougart and some new fruit puffs to try! I can't wait. The other day it was beautiful here in Illinois so mommy got my stroller out and we went for a walk. I have to say I looked very cute. I love it outside. I could stay out there for hours. Mommy made sure I was safe and strapped me in, put my flappy hat on and my sunglasses. If you look closely, you'll see that angel bunny made the trip with us too!

Proof I am growing!

The other morning when Daddy came in to get me he was shocked to see I had pulled myself up and was 3/4 of the way up over the rail. Mommy and Daddy decided it was time to lower my mattress! Mommy also decided to take down my mobile! After I woke up from my nap I managed to get ahold of mr. giraffe and was pulling the mobile over when mommy came in. I was having a great time until mommy took it away from me. Luckily mommy could seperate the base from the mobile and I can still listen to my "radio".

I am a funny girl

I have figured out how to cluck my tongue! Mommy and Daddy cluck their tongue at me all the time. I thought it was so funny that i kept moving my tongue around until I could do it. I am quite a girl! I have also figured out how to feed myself. I still haven't mastered the pincher grasp {well, except for mom's nose and lips. i can really grasp those!} so I just grab the food and keep trying until it reaches my mouth! I have a 50 to 60% success rate. The ones I miss end up in my high chair or on the floor for Hugo-Dog. Hugo-dog loves me.

standing {with help}

My new favorite activity is standing. I am totally unaware that I need help, but luckily my momma knows that I do! I love to stand. Love it. If you try to sit me down I will straighten my legs and land on my feet like a gymnast sticking a landing. I find it a lot of fun! It's a good thing i have a lot of people that love me! Everyone can take turns helping me stand. Here is a picture of my cousin Brent and me, practicing my standing.

The Princess Bride

Before Amelia was born, we already knew we wanted to incorporate reading into her life at an early age. While in the hospital, Darrin started reading the princess bride to Amleia. He read to her for awhile, but once we arrived home, we moved on to Mr Brown can Moo, can you, daddy kisses and my favorite, i love you through and through. But recently Darrin has started to read the Princess Bride to amelia at bedtime. So far, she seems to love it!

7 months

Another month has come and gone. I am now 7 months old. I weight about 20 lbs and am about 30 inches. What a big girl I am getting to be! I am eating cereal, fruits and veggies. I am starting to eat real table food too. i love crackers and sweet potatoe puffs right now. I still love my angel bunny and my giraffe blanket. Both of those make me smile just to see them! I get all excited when mom hands me one! I love to sit on my blanket and play with all my toys. I have discovered how to hold a toy in each hand, how to scoot and crawl backwards, how to hold my bottle and how to throw a tantrum. Be advised if I have a toy or piece of paper and you take it from me I will show you how loud I can scream and how red my face can get! I am quickly leaning no-no when i scoot near something I can't have.

I'm stuck in reverse

When mommy got home today, Daddy told her about last night. Apparently i went from a sit to my belly and was not happy. I managed to get up on my hands and knees and started pushing. I pushed till I hit the recliner and kept pushing. Eventually I ended up pushing myself into a sit! WOW! I went from belly to booty! And crawled backwards. Daddy says he can't wait for me to crawl forward, but look out when I do! Nothing will be safe. Bootylicious will probably takeup residence under the bed! She already runs when I get near her.

Stuck in Reverse

I am stuck in reverse. I have figured out how to crawl backwards. I have also figured out that if I continue to crawl backwards I will eventually run into a piece of furniture and I can push myself into a sit! Once I am sitting, I love to look around, most times I have a big smile on my face. I am quite proud of myself and feel like such a big girl!!

Cousin Alyssa

Mommy and Becca 1986

You're not seeing double - that's

Becca's outfit I'm wearing!

Alyssa and me 2006

Me and Alyssa 2007

Today my cousin Alyssa Michelle came by to see me. I think she is great! Mommy was telling me the other day how when she was 13 yrs old, Tia Laura had a baby - that baby was Sara Rebecca. Mommy loved Becca and doted on her all the time. She was a living doll to her. It was fun to dress her up oh so cute and take her places. Mommy said she almost walked the wheels off Becca's stroller!! When mommy found out i was coming, it dawned on her that Alyssa would be 13 when I arrived. How funny is that! I hope Alyssa and I get to go places and do fun things together too!

It's finally here!

I finally did it! After 3 months of chewing, drooling and crying - i have a third tooth! It is my upper left tooth. It is just through the skin now so mommy doesn't have any pics yet! Check back later for that. There are two things in my house that i really like - i get excited every time they enter a room or I hear them in the other room. They are bootylicious and Hugo dog. I think they are so funny. Sometimes if I am quiet and play with my toys they come check me out. Today I was playing with Pop and they both came in - of course mom snapped a pic! look at those glowing eyes! crazy.

Happy valentine's day!!

Hello everyone! Just wanted to stop in and wish everyone a happy valentine's day! My first velentine's day has been a rough one. I am trying so hard to cut these silly teeth and it is not easy! I did get to spend the whole day with my poppa. His work was cancelled because of the snow! He got to stay home with me for 2 whole days! And i was not easy to spend 2 days with. I'll sure be glad when these teeth are in! Here is a picture of my valentine greeting that my momma made!

Happy Birthday Nana!!

Today is my nana's birthday! I hope she has a wonderful day! I was able to spend the evening with her on Saturday - as well as my extended family too! We all went to eat at the Ponderosa buffet. I tried some ice cream, green beans and had some club crackers. What a variety! I got to see my cousin Payton too, which is always fun! I'll be glad when I can run like her. Right now I am focusing on crawling. Happy Birthday Nana!! I love you!!

What a great invention!

While at the baby store, mommy found me a very neat gadget. It's a mesh feeder bag. The purpose of the bag is safety of course! It has a mesh bag that locks shut and you can put food inside. So far mommy has given me canteloupe, honey-dew melona nd peaches! The food is frozen so it feels SO good on my swollen gums. Mommy tried to sneak some broccoli in there. I threw that one on the floor. yuck!

Lamaze - It's not just for pregnant mommies!

I have a lot of toys - A lot! But it's pretty clear that I have a few favorites. One is my angel bunny - another is Ellie the Elephant. Ellie is a Lamaze toy and I really like her! She is very colorful, has 2 great rings that i can chew on and a ball that jingles. She can hang on my pack n play or my car seat or she can play on the floor with me! She is so much fun!! Here is a picture of her that my mommie took. I also have a new Lamaze toy I haven't named yet. It is a boy - a puppy. He barks when you squeeze his nose and I think that is very funny!!

Ten percent

This post is going to be from my mommy. She decided to make a post all about me!!

I often look at Amelia Rose and wonder what she will look like when she grows up. She is simply beautiful to me and I could stare at her for days. We have a long history of looking at each other. When she used to breast feed, we would sit and stare at each other. Even now when she eats we tend to look at each other for long periods of time. When she was born she had blue eyes. Everyone commented on them, especially since Darrin and I have brown eyes. Mine are plain brown, Darrin's are a smidge past hazel brown. Sometimes they look like they have some green or gold in them. We always assumed Amelia would have brown eyes too. I think the eye color predictor said there was a 90% chance for brown, only a 10% for other colors. Both my dad and Darrin's dad have blue eyes. My dad called his hazel, but they were a steel blue to me. Amelia's eyes right now are hazel - they are brown around the iris and blue around the outer rim. We are calling them hazel right now. They are so beautiful I hope we can call them hazel for good! Maybe she'll be in that ten percent.

Fruit puffs

Today while at Christa's house (she is my new sitter), i saw her giving these little star shaped foods to Carson and Austin and I wanted some! So naturally I started to make some noise so I could get some too! Christa called my mommy and she said I could have some. I loved them! They were yummy! I ate them so good. Next up - veggie puffs!

What are they feeding me??

Sometimes I can't figure out what mommy and daddy are feeding me. Lemons maybe? whatever it is, it makes me scrunch my face up! Recently, mommy has noticied that I have figured out how to chew on things and on my food. I chew on my fingers and my toys. When I went to see Dr. Nancy, I was not really chewing yet - still slurping and sucking my food off the spoon. Now that I can make a chewing motion, I can have more fun things! Mommy bought me some sweet potato puffs and I can't wait to try them! Dr. Nancy said I could start on some table foods too. Yummy - table foods! I don't think mommy is really ready to give me table food yet. I heard her tell her friend over the phone that her baby was growing up too quickly and she (mommy) wasn't going to give me table foods just yet!!!! Dr. Nancy also warned her to get ready and child proof the house - that her and daddy were about to have a crawler on their hands! Ha! I can hardly wait to explore the house on my own. Mommy is including

Granny-polooza

Today when I woke up from my morning nap I was surprised to see my Nana was there! She was in the neighborhood getting a hair cut and came to see me! I was so excited to see her. We sat and visted for awhile and then she fed me breakfast. I had Barley and applesauce. Yummy! I love my barley. Nana also got me a very cute valentine's outfit. It is a shirt and a pair of pants with hearts all over them! i bet mommy takes some pictures of me in them! Later that day after I took another nap, I woke up and my buela was there! Two granny's I one day! What a lucky little girl I am! I visited with my Buela for awhile - we had a grand time! Thanks for coming over to see me! i had a great time with you both!