Ocho.

Eight months. 2/3 of a year completed. I can't believe it!

You started off this month very frustrated that you couldn't crawl.

Those were some trying times for your Dad and I because you wouldn't let us set you down whatsoever, you just wanted to be held.

I wanted you to crawl so badly because I saw how frustrated you were and it was heartbreaking!

Towards the middle of the month you became a little more content with your lack of mobility and only occassionally tried to crawl after that.

And then, on the very day of your 8th month birthday, you started crawling! Hooray!

You said your first word this month, "Mama". Music to my ears.

The other night you had a sleepover with Oma and when I went to say goodbye to you, you said "Mama" and then reached to give me a hug.

It is incredible how those little moments can make all frustration and tiredness dissapate immediately.

You went to Lake Tahoe for the 4th of July. You screamed for two whole hours in the car ride up there.

You didn't sleep very well over the 5 days and I could tell you were getting continually more exhausted.

To top things off you got sick for the first time and it was the flu!

Mom and Dad talked for a long time about having to drive the six hours home with you when you were sick and exhausted and decided it would be best if we flew home with you.

So you and I did our first solo flight together.

It was.....an adventure.
While we were in Tahoe you went boating for the first time and loved it! How cute you were in your little lifevest!
You were pretty subdued while on the boat and wouldn't really move much but for several hours after any boatride you were in a magically content and happy mood.

I know you weren't feeling well and you really were well behaved considering but I think I am done travelling in close quarters with other people around for a while.

It is stressful, especially when I'm nursing you and then realize ten minutes later that your legs are all over the very quite elderly man's lap next to me. Whoopsies.

You still love to eat and eat most everything I give you, except you have stopped eating bananas and aren't crazy about turkey.
We took you swimming at Grandma Mary's and Grandpa Greg's and the water was so cold that I really thought you would have a fit. So cold that I wouldn't even get in! But after ten seconds of adjusting you were in heaven! It was so fun to watch you scream and kick your legs in the water. I think you would have stayed in there all day if we had let you.
It is incredible to me how mobile you have become. I honestly see the babyness evaporating out of you and it pulls at my heartstrings and makes me excited all at the same time.
I know I will miss hodling your little body and feeling the weight of you against me but I can't wait to watch your personality develop and to continually explore the world with you.
I know you are really going to grow up over these next few months so I am trying so hard to savor this time now.
I love you so much, Little Ol Riversie Bunsin.

Becoming my mother.

I pulled on my stretchy skinny jeans today and watched myself in the mirror as I pulled them up as high as they would go to cover that area of my body that has not bounced back very quickly post baby and I suddenly realized that I had just made mom jeans.

Seven.

L-O-R-B (Little Ol' River Bunsin)

Poor thing, you have so many nicknames and must be so confused.

Each nickname has its own song and your Dad and I walk around the house together singing them.

This age has been so special for me.

You are trying to give kisses and are really showing your love.

You are extremely silly and blow more raspberries than any baby I have met.

This past month you even developed a rash on your chin from the drool produced by nonstop raspberry creation.

You are getting two more teeth on the bottom, on either side of the ones already there but still have no evidence of top teeth. You must know vampires are really hot right now.

You had a love affair with your pacifier one weekend and must have sucked it for 18 of the 24 hours in that day.

By the following Monday you refused the pacifier and screamed when we tried to give it to you.

We tried a few more times throughout the week until we realized your pacifier has been retired.

And we were so concerned about having a four year old walking around with a pacifier! Thank you for making it easy on us.

You make half hearted attempts to crawl but you have realized that rolling back and forth can sometimes get you where you want to go.

It is too funny to watch. You will roll from your tummy to your back and then back to your tummy and you will have scooted about half an inch in the process. You repeat until you get to your desired destination.

You are finally loosening up with your smiles! You are way less selective on what makes you smile and laugh - or maybe my stand up has dramatically improved.

Your face lights up when you see me and you track me wherever I move throughout a room.

You have set your own sleep schedule and go to bed around 9 and wake up around 6. I feed you and then I can usually put you down for another 45 minutes or so while I get ready for the day.

You are an eating machine!

You have tried rice cereal, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, avocado and peas. You like everything except avocado. You looked at me like I had betrayed you when I fed it to you.

You love your Ralpherson so much and think his barking and singing is hilarious.

We watched out the window as your Dad took the trash out the other morning and when I looked down you were smiling watching your Dad and it melted my heart.

You are pure joy in a little/big bundle.

Half a Year

I blinked.

Six months and you are so far from the little newborn I brought home from the hospital.

I am already kicking myself for not savoring the time more but I have learned my lesson for the future.

17 lbs 14 ounces and 28 inches of sweet baby goodness.

You are still above the 95th percentile for height, I wonder if this will continue.

I always measured large as a baby and height isn't really on my side anymore.

Everyday with you is so much fun as you are learning to explore your world.

You are grabbing anything within reach and if we give you the opportunity it goes directly into your mouth where your two teeth and gums munch on it.

You are really giggling and all Dad and I do is try to make you laugh.

Momma spent her first night away from you to go to a friend's birthday in San Diego.

It was awful for her but Daddy did such a great job with you.

I mastered pumping and driving. It was about as hilarious as you can picture it. You're welcome.

You fight sleep so badly now! If we even dare to venture near the rocker when you are drowsy you throw a serious fit.

Sometimes you are happier to just be laid down in your crib without rocking. 

That makes me so sad - you are growing up and getting independent!

We love to put our faces really close together and make each other laugh.

You think it's hilarious to try and put my nose in your mouth and it is actually pretty hard for Momma to get around it - maybe because you are tightly holding onto my hair on both sides.

You were fascinated by The Kentucky Derby and considering how much you love your pony rides on Daddy's shoulders, we are thinking you may be our little equestrian.

But truthfully, we hope not because it is expensive and dangerous.

You are sitting up and this seems to please you very much.

You are also sitting in highchairs at restaurants and this also makes you very happy.

We have had some close calls with you grabbing plates and threatening to toss them on the floor but up to this point we have managed to prevent them all.

You don't mind your car seat anymore and I think it's because you know you get to go somewhere.

I have never met a baby more well behaved in public.

You are truly our party girl and people watcher.

6 months? 6 MONTHS? 6 of the best months of my life.

Now please stop growing.

Thank you.

The Beast is Done

Three months ago I was inspired to sew a quilt for Rivers. I got the whole quilt top assembled and then stopped because as a novice quilter, I was unsure of the next steps. I read blogs online, I consulted books but something about the process still intimidated me and I just abandoned the project. The quilt top sat draped over the back of a chair in my sewing room, looking quite lovely, but forgotten. Then last week my friend Stephanie posted an entry about her quilting group and then Sherry from younghouselove posted her first quilt she had finished for her daughter and I thought to myself....it's time. I was off from work on Wednesday, so Rivers and I headed over to Beverly's looking for some fabric that would make a cute quilt back. We were uninspired in Beverly's so we bought some batting and then headed next door to Village Grill to eat some pancakes and say hello to my mom. After the grill, we decided to stop by Strawberry Patches on the way home. Even though their fabric is expensive, their selection is wonderful and we quickly found the polka dot fabric that would serve as our backing. Back at home, I trimmed the batting and backing to the size of my quilt top (which I should mention was not quite proportionate as I didn't use a pattern for my quilt and simply made things up as I went along).  I started to do some topstitching when I ran out of thread. I thought about abandoning the project for a few more months but instead I loaded up Puddin Buns and we went to the quilting store that I remembered existed about a mile from our house. From this point on, I was a machine! I was dedicated to my project and could focus on nothing else (thank goodness Rivers loves her jumper, bad momma!). I was working on the bias tape until late in the evening and was about to sew it on when the instructions no longer made sense to my tired self. I called it a night and went to bed already dreaming about Friday when I could finish my project. Which brings us to today, Friday. The quilt is done! It is far from perfect, in fact it's a hot mess in many locations, but it is complete and hopefully, like the quilt from my grandmother, Rivers will find it very special one day. For now, she seems content to lay on it and even expressed her approval with an ounce of spit up - which if you know her, is her marker of anything good - clean clothes, people's carpet, her Dad. And because you are riddled with suspense.......

Ralpherson can't be left out of the action. 

EASTER 2011

What a beautiful and busy Easter Sunday! We woke early and Dave went on his scavenger hunt for hidden giant eggs around the house. We made a simple breakfast and chatted with our houseguest Stefan, before he left for San Diego. We picked up Mom and Nick on our way to Easter Service at the park. There were 5,000 people there! What a beautiful day! After church we headed back home so I could finish my deviled eggs. I didn't realize how stinky of a project that was. We headed over to my mom's around 1 and enjoyed some Cheesy Chicken (thinking of you Stephanie). Around 3:15 we loaded up in the car and headed over to the Bynum celebration where we sat out of the meal because we were too full. We got home around 6:30 and were exhausted! Puddin and I fell asleep around 7:30. We just can't party like we used to!

Easter Morning Service at the Riverwalk Amphitheatre.

Rivers holding her own parasol during her nap.

With her best baby friend Audrey.

A little angel in her dress made by Oma.

I could smooch those cheeks all day.

Hanging out with Uncle Dude.

5 months!

Time is passing too quickly.

Everyday you change before my eyes.

What a big month this was.

You rolled over! You did it several times within a week and haven't done it again. I think you feel like you've already mastered that trick and now you're over it.

You are giggling! I don't know how to describe the sound but it is pretty deep and sounds like you're trying to cough out a hairball - but it is the sweetest sound I've ever heard.

You still REALLY love your feet and you stick them in your mouth every chance you get.

You went on your first airplane ride to Washington D.C. and were such an angel the whole trip.

We could not have timed it more perfectly because just two days after we got back you started to really struggle with your first tooth.

After a long week, it finally made its way to the surface. 

About two weeks later, it's neighbor came to party but you didn't have as hard a time with it.

You are STILL not sleeping well at night. In fact, I think it got worse. (As I'm writing this a little late we have since started to let you cry in the night rather than get up with you and after only a week you are already sleeping through the night again - either that or I have become really good at tuning you out. Whoopsies)

You have started to go to daycare on Wednesdays because Momma is too busy at work and had to pick up another day.

When she drove away after leaving you with a stranger for the first time it felt like someone was ripping her heart out. She had a pretty bad panic attack and had to call Daddy to calm her down.

You seem to really love the daycare ladies which makes Momma happy.

You are spitting up less and drooling less so sometimes Momma lets you go without a bib so your cute clothes aren't covered.

You went to your first wedding! The music was so loud and you weren't really feeling the protective earmuffs we had for you, so we left at 8:30 and went back to the hotel to have FST (Family Snuggle Time)

I prefer FST to most anything these days.

You think dogs are hilarious and laugh at them more than anything else. Maybe that's because Ralpherson and Bleuie are pretty funny looking dogs.

Mr. Leonard E. Font is your favorite toy and you like to chew on his trunk. (Isn't your daddy clever, L.E.Font)

You are the best. We love you so!

Worst Fear Confirmed

Sometimes I take Puddin Pop to work with me. This is what we look like should you be standing in the doorway to my office. Sometimes I can't take Puddin Pop to work. On these days she stays with her Grandma Moggy or her Oma. On those particular days I am forced to pump at work since I have no little vulture with me. I am always careful to warn the girls I am unavailable for the time being and I even put a sign on my door.....my door that doesn't lock.

Today.....it happened.

One of the older maintenance guys, not paying much attention to my sign, opened the door during the most oppportune of times. I instinctually crouched down (pumps in hand) and just looked at him while saying very eloquently "No no no no no no no no no". It was like slow motion as it registered in his brain and then he said "Oooo sorry" and shut the door. The damage was done. My vanity is lost. Isn't it humiliating enough that I have to walk out of my office twice a day with a bag full of white liquid and stand in the common area to carefully cleanse and dry my lady liquid drainers?
You should see the size of my new sign. Let's hope nobody misses it.

Puddin Pop Goes to Washington

       We are fresh off the plane from our first out of state adventure with Miss Puddin Pop. I might have mentioned that we have been blessed with a very easy baby but that didn't completely dispel the anxiety I felt before we left on our first cross country trip with the little darling. My fears were unfounded and she was truly the most pleasant travel companion of the bunch of us. She was definitely much more well behaved than her mother when we were mid park and the skies opened up on us with a downpour and heavy winds. I pouted my whole way to the metro stop, which was a far walk, and complained that it was the coldest I had ever been. The puddin pop? She just hung out in her moby wrap that was currently around her dad just taking everything in. I had packed virtually everything that currently fits her body as she is known to destroy her outfits from one end or the other sometimes every hour on the hour. At home we would generally have to change her bib every 30 minutes to an hour because it was incessant. In DC? Only a few drops here and there but for the most part we had bibs that lasted us all day and outfits too! It was so easy and fun to have her there. What other 4.5 month old baby can say that have been on top of the Capitol of our nation and looked out over all of Washington DC?  Or dined in the Members Only dining room in the Capitol with the Majority Whip? Or met Barney Frank? Ok...starting to sound a little boastful.

4 months

My four month old Puddin Pop.

You are so big and healthy.

You have yet to be sick (knock on wood).

You are 15 lbs 9 ounces and 26.25 inches long.

You are above the 95th percentile for height...aka you are loooong.

You love to pick up your feet and grab them with your hands.

You rolled over two months ago but have yet to do it again so I'm sure it is coming any day now. (As I'm writing this you are teetering heavily onto your side and your dad is trying to encourage you to go all the way)

You are no longer sleeping through the night which is an adjustment for Momma.

You wake up around 2, then 4 and then again at 6. Bummerpants.

I am pretty sure your gums are doing some serious work at producing teeth.

Poor baby.

You love your Bumbo and like to sit in it and box at the toys hanging on your activity mat.

We like to say Baby Rivers is the Million Dollar Baby.

We also like to call you Baby Gaga and I think that will be your Halloween costume.

You have your Dad wrapped around your little finger. 

He is a big sucker for your little cherub face.

You give your daddy big smiles all the time and then just stare at Momma when she tries to get one out of you.

It is starting to hurt her feelings.

But then you snuggle her a lot and she feels much better.

You LOVE your swing. You chill buns in it for hours at a time.

We just ordered you a jumper and I can't wait to watch you bounce in it. Mostly so I can sing "Bounce, too much booty in the pants"

We are gearing up for our first flight with you. Momma is nervous but you are such a good baby she knows in her heart it will be fine.

You are grabbing everyone's faces which means you are pulling on your Dad's facial hair and Momma thinks it is hilarious.

You are already wearing 9 month clothing because you are so loooong.

You hair is really starting to grow and fill in and it is definitely red.

You are so much fun that Momma is already begging Dad for #2, #3, and #4. 

You have inspired Momma to start sewing and designing again and Daddy says if she becomes a famous children's wear designer that she can create as many siblings for you as she wants.

She is now working very hard towards that goal. ; )

One year ago today Momma stood shaking with a little plastic stick in her hand after she had just learned of your big existence.

What a little miracle you are.

3 Months

My Sweet Rivers Simone

You are three months old.

You are so lovely.

Everyone says what an easy baby you are and your momma agrees.

You hardly fuss as long as you are allowed to be a part of the party - I think the concern I had when I was pregnant with you about worrying about you and your college years because I could already tell you  really like to party, is valid.

You are a very curious baby.

You are able to focus on objects for a very long time like you are dissecting them.

You are a healthy and big baby.

Your dad stepped on the scale with you today and you were 14.8 lbs, I can't wait to see how long you are next month at the doctor's office.

You are really talking a lot and you really like girl talk because your momma is your favorite person to talk to.

You really like watching tv with your dad and he is happy because he finally found a girl who would watch a movie with him since your momma always gets up and wanders around during movies.

You get really excited after you get out of the bath tub but you always get very quiet and still when I massage your feet with baby lotion right afterwards.

You found your hands a few weeks ago and make the cutest slurping sound when you suck on them.

You are very stingy with your smiles and make us work really hard to get one out of you -

but when you do.......oh it melts us.

You cry everytime we put you in your carseat but as soon as we give you a pacifier you are happy.

You REALLY love your pacifiers.

You are really strong and can pretty much stand up as long as we hold your little waist.

You are the BEST sleeper and have been since you were born - it is pretty common for you to sleep from 10 until 7 am........thank you.

I need to clarify, you are the BEST sleeper at night. During the day you hardly sleep at all and I attribute this to your need to party. But you sleep when it counts so thank you.

You love your Mondays with Oma and your Thursdays with Grandma Mogg. I know they treasure that time too.

You have made motherhood so easy and natural for me. It is such a joy to be your momma and to spend the precious moments of your beginning life with you.

A Year of Sudoku

The day was Monday, February 8th and Dave and I were spending a few extra hours in Bakersfield before driving to LA for our honeymoon because we had just learned of our flight's delay. We decided to head over to Borders for some reading material for our trip. I am quite the sudoku fanatic so I immediately headed over to the puzzles section to find a new book. As soon as I saw 365 days of Sudoku, I immediately thought of completing one for everyday of our first year of marriage. Did I really think I would complete it at the time? No. Did I have any idea what memories of the year those pages would eventually hold? No. I am so glad to have completed this project and so glad to have memories of what this wild year has brought us. There are funny anecdotes from our life as newlyweds - from our first married fight, the night Dave locked me out of the house and I was extra mad because my pants were unbuttoned and I was too bloated to button them up, the day we found out we were pregnant, the first time we heard the baby's heartbeat, the day we learned Ralpherson can howl really well and on command, to the delivery of our baby girl and every magical moment in between. Sure, the majority of the book is quite boring and to be quite honest it is mostly a diary of what we had to eat for dinner and what we watched on tv but even that is fun to look back on. In fact, from the diary I realized that I cooked more than Dave gave me credit for. Also, I have a record of exactly how many movies we watched in one year and it was probably about 35. Ridiculous. While all of this has been fun and I will treasure it forever, I cannot tell you how relieved I was as I sat down to complete the final remaining puzzle in the book. I even told my mom the next day how happy I was that the book was over and I didn't have the stress of trying to complete the puzzle everyday. Well, tonight at my birthday dinner I was given a 365 day calendar of sudoku puzzles......ayyy. Here's to year 2.