One year ago...

 We found out we were having a baby girl.

 

Today she is an irreplaceable part of our family...

And I didn't realize how much Cian has grown. He just looks like a big boy now!

Isla is Seven Months Old!!

One through Six Months

Seven Months

Another month has passed.  Going, going, gone!  My child is growing and changing every single day.  It feels that way anyway.  She is the coolest little girl I know.  I am constantly amazed at the person she is and I feel so lucky to be her mom.

My little Isla,

• You are sitting up on your own baby girl.  Sometimes you are a bit wobbly, but you love to sit up!
• You are really trying to crawl.  You pull your knees under yourself and then start rocking back and forth trying to gain momentum and then...fall face first.  You will get it soon.
• You are kinda clingy to me and secretly I love it.
• I do all the wrong things at bedtime.  I rock you to sleep or stay in your room with you while you fall asleep sometimes.  You will lay on your side and grab onto my hand then pull it close to you like a teddy bear.  I will totally be your teddy bear.
• Speaking of sleep, you are a stomach sleeper right now.  Sometimes when you are screaming  trying to fall asleep we will pat your bootie and it will put you to sleep. Sometimes it doesn't help and when I stop you just look up at me like, "oh no lady, you are not finished." 
• You are a manhandler.  When anyone holds you, you like to grab onto the skin of their neck and hold on for dear life.  This hurts like a mother.  You are also getting pretty rough when nursing.  My appendages are connected to my body so please don't try to take it with you when you stop eating.  (Was that tmi??)
• Two weeks ago you said "dada".  We were driving in the car on the way you church and you were just in the backseat saying da da over and over again. I called Steve to tell him and he was like, "Yeah, she was doing that all day yesterday." No babe, that is not something I would be interested in knowing. wah wah.
• You are babbling like crazy now.  Saying buubbbuuhhh and daadaa.
• Your brother gets so excited when you have an accomplishments.  He is excited when you say a word or when you grab a toy. He is your biggest cheerleader.
• We gave you puffs this month.  They are a dissolvable food thing that you love.  They melt in your mouth but they also stick to your hand, you legs, your high chair and pretty much anything after you have slobbered on them.
• You are loving your baby food.  So far you love any fruit and most veggies. You are definitley a good eater, in face we can't get the spoon to your mouth fast enough.  You grab the spoon as we are bringing it to your mouth.
• You love, and I mean love swimming.  I took you underwater (go on, judge me) and you didn't cry at all.  I think you even figured out to hold your breath.  Yeah, I did it more than once.

I love you sweet baby!  I am trying to freeze time so I can cuddle you a little longer but you are already moving and wiggling.  You might escape my grasp but you are forever etched into my heart. (Did that sound too psycho stalker?)

Love,

Mommy

 

Mothers

I realize Mother's Day was Sunday. No, I haven't given my mom a gift yet.  Lay off me ok?

My mom and I in the hospital when my brother was born

My mom and I

But really, I couldn't let another year go by without talking about my mom.  (And I will talk about my mother-in-law one day this week too.)  My mom is probably the smartest lady I know.  So smart she can ruin a movie that is not historically accurate in 2.5 seconds.  All kidding aside, my mom is pretty amazing.  She has been a support system for me pretty much as long as I can remember and especially before I can remember.

My mom:

• Waited during my entire first swim meet (which was hours long) to watch me swim in one thirty second race. She also let me sit in her lap when I was upset about this.
• Coloring me photos just because
• Sat through every dance recital and dealt with all the fluffy, frilly costumes.
• Watched me play soccer. This had to have been gruesome and painful. (i.e. I sucked)
• Cultivated my love for reading. I watched her devour books every summer in mere days and I emulated that.  I still try to.
• My mom is the best lullaby singer ever.  She won't say so, she hates her voice but I remember her calming melodies.
• My mom wouldn't let me slack when it came to studying for a test.  If I wanted her to quiz me and I didn't know the first couple of questions she would send me packing back to my room.
• You won't find a photo of my mom since 1987. Except for the ones I am posting here.  It is true, she is known for ripping herself out of them.  I think this is silly because my mom is beautiful.
• My mom is notorious for thinking things are lost when they are really in her purse. The rest of my family is notorious for poking fun at her for this.
• My mom is a really good teacher. I didn't take her class but I know she has just enough wit to keep high school brats engaged and just enough sarcasm to keep them from running all over her.  Her class is also hard. I know this because people used to always ask me to give them copies of her tests in high school.  Ok genius, I will risk being grounded for eternity so you can cheat on the test.  
• My mom helped with my wedding plans, she pretty much did all the leg work and research. She put up with me and helped me put my dress on that day. She helped with so much more, like becoming the woman I was that day and the woman I am today.
• My mom answers the phone every day without fail and listens to me ramble on about my life and the it's daily trivialities.
• She will call me if I go without calling her for a few days, just to check in.
• My mom is an amazing grandmother.  She loves her grand kids and dotes on them constantly. She thinks they are the cutest things ever, which they are.
• My mom taught me to be strong but loving and kind at the same time.  She has always listened to my crazy ideas and then didn't balk too much as I made them realities.  
• I know she has done more than I can remember.  I know that especially now that I am a mother.  I appreciate every tear she dried, every scrape she bandaged, every diaper she changed, broken heart she mended.  I am thankful for all the dreams she made possible.

I love you mom!

My mom, my grandmother and I at my wedding

Four Generations

My mom with Cian

Growing

My tiny baby girl is growing right in front of my eyes.  She is not sitting up and saying "DaDa".  When did this happen?  She has this adorable personality that is coming out more and more with each day. 

Isla is a good little money but always very curious.  She is still snuggly but her snuggles sometimes include hair pulling or grabbing at whatever is around your neck or within arms reach.  She can now sit next to me while I fold clothes or do just about anything. Watch out though, she does the wobble a bit.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Isla is not the only one growing before my eyes.  Cian is becoming so independent and can do about anything himself.  He laid his clothes out for me to see the other day before putting them on.  I'll show you what matches is what I imagined him saying in his head.

I can tell Cian is growing up because he wants to be more and more like daddy.  Gone is the baby and toddler boy who clung to mommy all the time and here to stay is the boy who wants to be a "muppet of a man".  I love it that he is starting to idolize his daddy, I knew the little baby boy attachment to mommy couldn't last forever.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad to see it go, but I am happy that he wants to be just like his daddy.  Mommy will always be there to dry tears, no matter how old you get my baby boy.

Like Father, Like Son

I will watch my children grow and I will continue to marvel at the lightning speed with which it is happening.  My life will not slow down and neither will my babies.  I am thankful for each and every moment I have with them because I know one day these will be the "good ole days."

It's a Zoo Around Here

Some days just need to be zoo days.  Monkeys, dinosaurs, lions, zebras, elephants; sometimes you just need a little wild in your life.  Wait, did I say dinosaurs?  The Nashville Zoo has a Dinotrek exhibit that I have been really excited about visiting since I heard it was here.  I did it for Cian, I promise.

That Monday was a little cold (and by cold I mean 60 degrees, those two years in Florida ruined me for "cold" weather) but we trekked it to the zoo.  I hadn't been there except to run a 5k and I run with blinders on so I was really excited about experiencing the zoo with Cian, who has been one time with Steve.

We went through Dinotrek first and second.  Yes, we went through two times in a row.  As we made our way into the dino infested wood we noticed a dilophosaurus. Think the dinosaur that blinds Newman (Nedry) in Jurassic Park.  This meat-eating little sucker spit on us and tried to blind us.  Luckily we ran screaming and barely escaped him.  We were a little shaken after almost being eaten alive so we tiptoed through the overgrowth and found a baby next to a triceratops.  Not sure what kind of parent would leave their child unattended in a dino-infested forest but luckily we came along to save this cute little girl.

 With the cutest baby girl in tow, we set off to escape the other sharp-toothed creatures lurking around the corner.  We made friends with some herbivores and they sent us on the safest path out.

 As it turns out, even the safe path led us to another predator.  Luckily his dino-sized brain was no match for our wits and we snuck right past him.  All we had to do was tell him he had something in his teeth.

 After making it to a safe zone we were free to practice our scared faces.  The sweet baby girl didn't seem too scared since she took a nap.  We, on the other hand, perfected the scared face.

 I wondered here what Cian was worried about and then I looked up to see ole sharpie in the background.  I didn't need to run on this day because I was getting my exercise in being chased by scales.

 We finally made it to the last swinging bridge but there was one small glitch.  This guy with the short arms.  We tried to sneak under him and again went by singing "If you're happy and you know it" but he was roaring loudly!  He was distracted by the clap your hands part...

 We made it!  We ran out of there but one of those guys followed us!  He was in quicksand so he couldn't get to us.

I think out dinotrek wore little Cian out because we didn't make it all the way through the rest of the zoo.  Cian said he had to rest and then started feeling bad and wanting to sit on every bench.  I guess that means we will have to go again soon!

Wardrobe Wednesday

You know what looks better on me than any outfit I have?  A baby.