Nine Months!!

On Friday, April 25th our Pea was 9 months old...oh how time flies. To think she's been on 'the outside' now as long as she was on 'the inside' is kind of crazy. Luci spent her 9 month birthday with her Grammy and her Great Aunt Debra...and boy did they spoil her! While Clay & I were in Mexico celebrating at our dear friend Erica's wedding (congrats again Er & Michael!) Mom & Debra were showering our baby with fun toys & adorable girly clothes. Apparently Luci was mistaken for a little boy and that was all the incentive they needed to hit the mall for some super cute girly wear!

On April 24th...the morning before we left.
She's just itchin to get her hands on some books...
Looking at her pretty bear this morning...I was trying to get a better front shot...not sure it worked...She was totally ready to nose dive off of the chair...
This one would have been PERFECT...except I was a second too late...


Notes at nine months...
-This baby brings us more joy than we thought possible...we are absolutely, positively, enthralled and in love with our daughter.

-Weight: 19lbs, 10oz (50-75%); Height: 29.5 inches (95th%); Head: 18 inches (90th%)
-She's doing lots of independent standing...even playing with toys while standing.
-She loves to push laundry baskets, boxes, push toys, and her highchair all over the house.
-She cruises on furniture from one piece to another.
-She is really into pinching at the moment, and loves to pull her dad's arm & leg hair.
-She falls down & gets 'hurt' several times a day. Right now she has a bruise on her forehead, her ear, behind her ear, and all up & down her legs. She's a rough & tumble kinda kid.
-Her favorite food, by far, is a Cheerio.
-She's still drinking 6oz of milk 4x/day. She also drinks water from a sippy cup throughout the day, but tends to choke on it or not get enough.
-She can hold her bottle, but tends to not get the angle right...although this morning she had less trouble.
-She is in size 4 pampers, but still needs the sensitive newborn wipes. Until I bought some tougher wipes (designed for babies eating solids...if you catch my drift) her diaper area was the least problematic area of her skin...so we've switched back.
-She seems to have a bit of a reaction to strawberries, so we won't try them again for awhile.
-She eats solids 3x/day; fruit & cereal for breakfast, a veggie for lunch, and some type of 'dinner' combo for dinner. She also eats Cheerios anytime we will let her.
-Grammy swears she shook her head no the other night when asked if she was ready to get out of the bathtub.
-She may have shook her head yes this morning when I asked her if she wanted more Cheerios...I'm not sure yet...have to see it repeated to be confident with this new head shaking ability...

-She is big on putting her thumbs together & looking at them (think itsy bitsy spider)
-She gives these huge, slobbery open mouth kisses to her favorite people...

An interesting note on me as a mom of 9 months...I've started to use baby tones, words & phrases with adults...and it doesn't occur to me that it is inappropriate until it is out my mouth...examples include:
-saying 'yaaaayyyy' to my boss & friends when we get some good news
-calling things 'silly' when they disappoint or hurt to lessen the impact...this weekend we were lamenting the luck of the Cubs...to which I replied...'silly Cubs'
-or a non-verbal example...I tried to take the hand of a 2 year old this weekend in Mexico even though I didn't really know her (she was with the wedding group though)...because it seemed that she was looking for a hand to hold...

-Clay LOVES to dance with his Pea...and he already lamenting the day when Luci won't want to dance with him
-and both Clay & I look at kids when we are without our Luci with love now...and pity their parents during meltdowns instead of giving them that look of 'control your child'....

Happy Friday

Lots of posts this week...hope all you email receivers don't mind! Clay can't download photos from email, but he can check the blog...so this is the only way he gets to see his Pea!

She wants to 'drink' her bottle by herself, but really that means she wants to watch the milk spray out all over the floor, and then smear it into the carpet. Thus the cap remains on. Our camera has this bright orange light that always makes her close her eyes! This is a great shot of her teeth though.
Too busy for photos...it is playtime!
Look at her toes! This kid does this funniest things with her toes. They never rest!

We had a rough night last night...she went to bed at 8p, was up at 9p, 10p, 2:30a, & 6:40a before finally getting up at 7:40a. No fever, so maybe she's just getting a cold? Or working on those top teeth?

I'm more than ready for Clay & Mom to arrive on Sunday. I miss adult interaction...like this morning...I want to discuss with someone how it is that Willard Scott doesn't age!?!?!? Seriously, I watch him in high def & he looks exactly the same as he did when I was little!

Miss you & love you Clay...we can't wait to see you. Be very safe.

hi Dad

we miss you. thanks for calling tonight.
again, practicing the back arching technique... playing with burp cloths & a sweatshirt
she wore the monkey shirt today just to take a fun photo for Dad...
guess what she was workin on...

we miss you & love you! be very, very safe ;)

Wednesday dose of Luci

Hi Dad!
we miss you & love you!!
xoxoxo

communication

We miss Dad already... Trying to get a nice shot to send to Dad for his daily dose of Luci...
Illustrating the back arching technique....
Not holding still....not even for a second!
See my teeth? See the bruise in the middle of my forehead?

Luci is communicating with us more & more everyday. No words or sounds yet (my money is on cat or dad for her first word), but she is definitely getting her point across. Here are a few examples...

Cheerios: The girl LOVES her some Cheerios. When we put her in the highchair, she immediately starts arching her back, kicking her legs, and fussing/whining...it escalates when she sees the box of Cheerios...but when she receives said Cheerios...she loudly communicates her pleasure with an MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM & a big grin as she gums them up.

Contraband (cords, remotes, DVR buttons, DVD buttons, the laptop, Mom's flip flops, anything she isn't supposed to have): I say, "Luci, [insert object] isn't for babies...ducks are for babies...let's play with the duck!" and then I take away the contraband item...and she arches her back, kicks her feet, throws her head back, and starts crying...real crying...with tears! For awhile it was amusing, but it is getting old...her hard, hard noggin hit my jaw so many times yesterday I had a headache. How do you deal with tantrums from an 8 month old?!?!

Cats: She adores the cats. She giggles at first sight of them, talks to them by saying 'oh, oh, oh', and has even started to giggle at photos of cats in her book while pounding on the book with her palm (as if to pet them, I think). She also does this silly snort/laugh thing at them. Cracks me up...but not so much Tallulah & Milo.

Diaper Changes: Good heavens...SUCH an ordeal! She tries to sit up, roll over & crawl off of the changing table...all while kicking her feet non-stop every single time now. Oh, and not to mention the whining/fussing/crying that takes place the SECOND you try to lay her back. Needless to say there really has been poops poops everywhere as a result. It seems that proper planning is the key...I must find a VERY interesting toy to occupy her or it is a mess!

Light switches & bottles: These are things she wants to touch the minute she sees them. She does her usual whining/fussing, but she also lunges for them...like leaps out of your arms to get to them...we must hold on very tight...

One of the biggest struggles we have these days is NAFOD (per her dad)...or to us non military folk...no apparent fear of death. She is FEARLESS. She'd climb off stairs headfirst onto the cement floor, jump/push herself loose in the pool and sink to the bottom (she put her face in the water about 10 times in 30 minutes yesterday at our swim class...and sputtered & choked every time!), jump out of the stroller, crawl right off the sofa, and climb up her parents to get out of their grasp...and she's getting stronger & stronger everyday. Clay laughed earlier this week & said he was certain this was God showing His sense of humor...I wanted to say, what about her very safe mom!?!?! I want her to be a very safe hermit type like me, not an adrenaline junky like her dad!

Happenings

What a week! Luci has been pushing around/walking behind all sorts of things this week...diaper boxes, toy pianos, laundry baskets...so we decided to get her the real deal and sprung for a $20 push & ride toy at Target. It converts to a ride on toy once she learns to walk...but it is a bit rickety (sadly you don't get much for $20 these days) so it requires more balance...which we are hoping is a good thing?

Another big event was our first "Mommy & Me Swim Class." It doesn't teach the kiddos to swim (obviously), but it attempts to get them comfortable with the pool. We signed up for the class with our mommy & baby friends Christina & Rachel...and it is just the 4 of us in the class! So Christina & I are enjoying each others singing voices, as most of the class is singing & moving your baby accordingly...think hokey-pokey in the water. Luci was fine as long as I was holding her tight, but she was skeptical of anything resembling the assisted back float...no kick, kick, kicking for her in the water just yet! Pardon Dad's closed eyes...every time I took a photo he blinked!

In other news, this week I started making homemade baby food for Luci. It seemed like a good idea because she is ready for thicker textures & more finger foods (besides puffs & Cheerios). I went out and bought some kiddy cookbooks (with the Christmas gift card from Uncle Ben, thanks Uncle Ben!), an electronic food mill, a steamer (just a stockpot kind for the stove) and some freezer storage accessories. Three hours and about 3 days worth of food later, I decided this business was for the birds. We calculated out that I saved $6 for 3 days worth of food by making it at home. Which...had I just worked those three hours...well...let's just say I'd have earned more than $6. So I'm going to give the whole homemade food thing another week (maybe there is a learning curve that will lead to a reduction on time spent?) but so far I'm not sold. And the worst part was that Luci has refused to each green food for the first time since we introduced it to her... I think maybe it will just take awhile to get used to the thicker texture.

Today we helped our friend Caroline celebrate her 3rd birthday! The party was at a place called 7 Acre Wood and featured a petting zoo & pony rides! Luci didn't really 'ride' the pony, but she did sit on him & seemed to think it was (as her Grandpa Pierse would say) "interesting." Happy Birthday Caroline!

Clay was home a few extra days this week while he waited for the pink eye infection to run its course. We had a wonderful week with lots of family time, which was great because Clay will be doing another stint with the Navy next week for 7 days. We will miss him!

Texas Bluebonnets

The bluebonnet is the Texas State Flower...so being the proud Texans we are...had to join the masses...



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2008-04-01 Luci Pierse

Taking a photo of your child in the bluebonnets is just one of those things you do down here...like getting a photo with Santa at Christmas time. It was really hot & humid that day (shocking), and Luci was skeptical at best. Not professional photos by any means, but they'll work for this year.

I just wanted to say another Thank You to Luci's Grandma & Grandpa Pierse. Luci clearly thrived while we were gone, and while it makes me feel a little un-needed, it is also a bit liberating. The trip was great for Clay & I (I recommend an alone trip to all new parents) and I know Luci loved the time with Grandma & Grandpa. And soon enough Grammy Rosonke (and Granpy, you are MORE than welcome too...although we understand it is planting season...or Aunt Deb...we heard a rumor you might be able to play!!) will get her special time with Luci as Clay & I take another trip...this time to Mexico for our friend Erica's wedding. While the GC was awesome & I would like to do something like that again, the beach & an all inclusive resort is a little more my speed....

YAY!

I MADE IT IN & OUT OF THE GRAND CANYON. WITH AN 18LB PACK.

Not to toot my own horn here, but this was no small feat. We hiked down 9.8miles and went from 6890 feet in elevation down to 2450 feet. And then back up again the next day! The way down was ROUGH. It was tough getting used to the pack, and it was even tougher to make sure that each foot placement wasn't going to lead to a broken or sprained ankle. Trekking poles saved the day...they kept me balanced when my body wasn't up to the job. The first bit of the trail was icy & that lead to exhausted legs & joints just 3 miles into the 9.8 mile hike. Somehow when we got to the half way point I decided the hardest part was over and my spirit was up! Then a short 1.5 miles later just as we were starting 'Devil's Corkscrew' I twisted my ankle a bit & my spirit plummeted. I didn't think I could make it back up any distance, yet I couldn't imagine getting all the way to the campground knowing we had almost 4 miles to go! I sat down, pouted a bit, and then got back up & kept going after some encouragement to turn around from Clay. He knows me so well ;)

We got to the campground around 4:30p, set up the tent quickly, and rushed to the 'steak dinner' we had signed up for at the Phantom Ranch (a hotel at the river). We were a bit late & my steak was still mooing...so that left something to be desired. Next time we'll just have a backpacker meal (yes, I said next time). Sleeping in the tent was surprisingly okay & comfortable...and somehow even kind of fun. We were plenty warm and the sound of a rushing stream right next to our campsite should have lulled us right to sleep...but we were a bit freaked out about getting out the next day given that it took much longer to hike down than we thought it would. The next morning we started out about 7am (later than we intended, but it didn't get light until 6ish).

We worried needlessly! Somehow the first 5 miles FLEW by!! By 10am we were at the half way point!! I was starvin marvin by then, so we had a backpacker meal...BIG MISTAKE. I got back up, put my pack on, and felt like I was going to throw up. I had eaten too much (big surprise, huh ;)! The next 1.5 miles and 1100 feet up to the 3 mile rest house were the worst of the entire trip. Ugh...it was really, really, really hot & awful. I told Clay I was never, ever doing this again, and that this was NOT my idea of fun. He was very sweet, encouraging & patient. After a 30 minute rest at the 3 mile rest house I started to feel better & we were off again. The next 1.5 miles to the 1.5 mile rest house was only 800 feet of elevation, and it wasn't so bad. Shortly before the rest house I recognized someone coming down the trail...a guy I went to high school with!! I said, "Jeremy Haskovec", and he said, "Brittnee Rosonke". GET OUT. Crazy small world huh?!?!?! He was on the way down, and given we were almost back out so we didn't chat long, just talked about how bonkers it was to run into each other in the Grand Canyon!

We saw the 1.5 mile rest house and were so excited to get out that after a short bathroom break we just kept on 'pickin em up & puttin em down'. Finally, at 4pm, we excited the canyon. I've never been so relieved in my life...

Random notes...
-Lots of mule trains go down the trail...and they poop EVERYWHERE! Clay's little diddy was, "poops, poops, everywhere, poops, poops on my boots".
-Note to self...NEVER CARRY AN 18LB PACK UP OR DOWNHILL FOR 10 MILES AGAIN.
-I want to remember how proud I am of this body of mine. Sure I wish it was a little leaner (or maybe a lot leaner), but how astonishing that a short 8 months ago I had a baby & destroyed all of my core muscles, and yet somehow, I made it 10 miles...downhill...then uphill...with a pack...with only sore calves! Every time my mind started to pout about not wanting to be there anymore, I would remind myself of a comment that a clerk in the general store made to us...he said the trip was 70% mental, 30% physical. And for me that was totally the case. Sure, I was dirty & tired, but how remarkable that my body was just fine...I kept reminding myself how blessed I am to have a healthy body...and that I needed to 'man up' and keep on truckin. If my body could handle this task then certainly my mind could.
-Leave it to me to bring the camera battery charger, but to forget to actually charge the battery...and of course, it died Friday morning....so photos are sadly limited. That being said, I've posted our few photos (or click here if you get this emailed to you):

2008-04-06 Grand Canyon

Luci notes...
She changed so much in the 3 nights & 4 days we were gone! She's quite a bit more giggly, has gained some serious strength in her legs, and is eating more than ever! She's also quite a dancer! :) She obviously had a WONDERFUL time with her Grandma & Grandpa Pierse...when I came down to say hi on Sunday morning (for the first time since Tuesday late afternoon), she was skeptical of me & perfectly content to stay with Grandma. She also has perfected a cry that appears real (it even has tears), but is just because she is mad. I can see her spirited little eyes looking out through the tears wondering...will this work?