The Things I Don't Want to Forget

Reagan is already 9-months-old today! I just can't believe how fast time is flying. Realizing that Reagan's baby days are quickly becoming memories, and knowing how quickly a baby turns into a Preschooler, I find myself trying to etch into my memory the things I love about baby Reagan and really trying to cherish the time I have left with her sweet "babyness".

I know, no matter how hard I try, the memories will fade. I know because there are things that Reagan does that remind me of baby Jocelyn--Things that I haven't thought about and things that as time went by, just escaped from my mind. The things about Reagan that I always want to remember are simple things, like how it feels to kiss her big, squishy cheek. How she smells when I kiss her forehead. How her hand and arm meet in a such a chubby way that the only evidence of a wrist is the wrinkle that lies between chubby hand and chubby arm. The way she gets so overjoyed just to see that I have entered the room--smiling and screeching. The dimples on her elbows. The way she smiles and shows only her bottom teeth. The way she tries to get everyone to laugh by blowing raspberries. The way she pushes her head down toward me when she wants a hug. Her open-mouth baby kisses, which are so slobbery but too cute to resist. Sock lint caused by having too-chubby of toes. The way she scratches at my back and stares at me with those big blue eyes while she nurses. The way her cry sounds.

Every day I find myself thinking of new things and certain moments I want to hold on to forever. I can't believe Reagan is already 9 months old. In three short months we will be celebrating her first birthday. I can't believe how fast time goes by. I try to remind myself of all these things when I am having an overwhelming day where she just wants to be held and I can't see to get a thing done. The days of holding a baby will be a distant memory, and I know when the girls get too big to hold, I will look back longingly at the days when all I could do was hold one of my babies!

Reagan is Beginning to Crawl!

Reagan crawled a couple of times today. Here's a small clip of one of the times. It seems she will crawl on hard floor rather than the carpeted floor...please excuse the fact that I am allowing my child to pick a carrot up from the kitchen floor. I grabbed it away from her before she ate too much of it! ;-)

First Zoo Trips

Jocelyn in August 2008 during her first trip to the zoo!
Reagan in February 2011 during her first trip to the zoo!

A Sippy Story

Mommy finally decided to let me try a sippy cup back in February when I was 7 months old. I'm pretty sure I heard Daddy saying she let Jocelyn try it when she was 6 months old.

I wasn't too sure about it at first.
But the cup looked interesting!

The stuff inside tasted weird and was cold. I'm used to warm liquids. What is this stuff?

Now I'm a pro!

Another one for the baby book!

Today when I went to get Reagan after her afternoon nap, I found her sitting up in her crib and trying to pull up to standing. Time to put the crib mattress down lower!

One for the baby book!

Reagan pooped on the potty for the first time today. No, I am not confusing my children. Reagan, my 8-month-old, pooped on the potty. That's what happens when the grunting begins in the bathtub...

I Hate Baby Food

Let me start out by saying that Jocelyn never ate baby food. I tried and tried, but she never took to it. She went straight to table food. I mention this because I think it is important to note that me feeding Reagan baby food is a whole new experience. I'm like a first-time mom all over again.

Reagan likes baby food. It took a little getting used to, but now she enjoys eating it. It was a much easier experience starting Reagan on baby food than it was with Jocelyn. I was excited to get her on solids...The thing is that now: I hate it. It's so messy! Reagan wants to feed herself, so unless I tie her hands down (which I'm thinking isn't a good idea due to CYS concerns) she's grabbing the spoon. When she grabs the spoon she usually grabs it very close to the spoon part rather than the handle part, which means half the food goes on her hand and half goes in her mouth. Or her eye. Or on her head. Or in her ear. What a Mess!

The other thing about Reagan that makes baby food messy is that she's a spitter. She loves blowing Raspberries. Let me just say she's great at blowing raspberries. I'm sure I need not explain any further than that.

Then there's the spoon-throwing. Fun! I just can't believe how quick she is to toss that spoon on the floor once she's done making a mess of herself with it. I know it's coming but I can't, for the life of me, catch it before it makes it to the floor!

So when eating time is finally over. I take the bowls and 300 spoons to the kitchen, get a washcloth (or 5), and go back to my messy baby. She HATES being wiped off by the way. So, I wipe down a wiggly, whining baby. Her face, her hands, her ears, her head, her arms. I take the bib off to find that I might as well have left her bib-less and wore the darn thing myself (raspberries). I then must find a new outfit to put her in before I can possibly sit her down somewhere. Change her clothes and then tackle the highchair, floor and dishes. Too. Much. Mess!!!!!!

Table food was MUCH easier and a ton less messy! Some table foods have already been introduced and will continue. She likes those too and does a great job feeding herself which seems to be what she really wants. Little Miss Independent. We just love her! Mess and all! Oh, and that picture above was one of the lucky she-let-me-feed-her days. Notice how little of a mess was created. Her left hand was trapped under the tray. Oops! ;-)

Reagan Live

Valentine's Day Cookies

The Tale of Two Balloons

Today was speech day. After every speech session Jocelyn wants to go to Chick Fil A. We pass it on the way home. I can't get her to forget about the place! Today I gave in and said YES (thanks mom for the gift card--it helped with my decision).

After lunch, and playing, and ice cream for dessert, Jocelyn spotted the other kids getting balloons. She wanted one too. We went over to get one and Jocelyn insisted on getting one for Reagan as well (she's such a nice big sister). The lady asked her what colors she wanted and Jocelyn picked out yellow for herself and green for Reagan. I just knew she was going to pick out those two colors. We had a similar problem at PALS the week before the AFC championship game when she wanted to color her football player Jets green. No way! Not happening!

Normally, I would allow her free reign of choice, but not today when it came down to these two colors. Not this weekend anyway. I very calmly looked down at my beautiful daughter (who was dressed in black and gold), and then looked at the lady and said, "I don't think Daddy will be very happy with green and yellow balloons floating around in his house!" Thank goodness the lady, was also adorned in black and gold, and agreed with me completely. Jocelyn picked out two new colors without a fuss. Blue and Orange. So what if they are Broncos colors? They aren't' in the Super Bowl!

Jocelyn's First Car

A Conversation Between Sisters

Reagan: Looking at Jocelyn and blowing a raspberry

Jocelyn: "Reagan, you are just a baby and you don't know better. When you get bigger you will know better." "You're just a baby."

Reagan, still looking at Jocelyn, has a two-second delay (to process what Jocelyn has just told her, of course) and then blows yet another raspberry.

Jocelyn & Mommy: Laughter

Reagan: Laughter

What a wonderful lunchtime conversation! I love it!