EIGHT Months

Dearest Elyse,

I know I keep saying it, but EIGHT months! Wow, time does fly by when you have a baby. You are growing so fast. Now, be prepared for lots of pictures as always. I know I'm definitely "that Mom" who takes a ton of pictures of their child, but I don't care! Taking pictures of my favorite little gal is such a fun way to explore my own interests in photography while getting to capture all of your changes. I do not think you can take too many pictures of your babies. I even excitedly just ordered the book Mamarazzi: Every Mom's Guide to Photographing Kids. If I have any regrets, it is actually that I wish I'd been with it enough to take more pictures of you when you were a newborn. But, that was a pretty intense time, so I'm making up for it now!

Libby is so good with you. Actually, both the cat and the dog are. You were playing with your toys and eating a Baby Mum Mum and Libby just sat their patiently. I'd given her the command "leave it" so she knew not to snatch anything from you. But, if you dropped it... well, it was then up for grabs.

We got the coolest bathtub from the neighbor girls. It allows you to safely sit up, feel the water all around you and reach all your toys. It has made bathtime so MUCH fun for you! Thanks, Morgan and Brooke!

One day I came home from work and your Daddy met me at the garage door saying, "Shhhh..." Seems you'd fallen asleep in your high chair. It was too late for naptime, so we just let you snooze their for a while. Sweet girl.

You LOVE your swing. You have one at Grandma and Grandpa Ds and they gave us a spare for you to have at home. Plus, we also go swing next door with the neighbor girls. You LOVE it. We always get big smiles and shrieks of delight.

We had a photographer come to the house and she gave me the best advice. She said this window seat was the best light in our house for photographs. She said I could take photos of you here for the rest of your life and not be disappointed. I had to try it out - she wasn't kidding.

See that curled left foot? You do that constantly and always when I'm trying to put shoes on you. What would normally be frustrating instead makes me laugh. You do it almost as a reflex and I've had to try all my tricks to get you to unflex that foot so I can buckle your shoe!

I don't know what is more precious - those cheeks or that bottom lip. Good thing I don't have to choose just one.

Sweet baby girl.

I adore this expression. And I'm getting prouder of my photography skills. All those nights with my nose in camera books is slowly starting to pay off! Turning off that flash and shooting in manual mode has opened up my world!

Your two little teeth. You can see them well these days!

Yes, babe - you are growing so fast.

Mama is still making all of your food. Sweet potatoes are still your favorite. I bought a box at Costco and it made LOTS. Good thing you love it.

I think this might be my favorite picture right now. You can't help, but smile. What a look!

And this one. How can such a messy baby still look so precious? You had really enjoyed this dinner. Finely grated cheese and steamed peas you'd chase all around the tray and would end up flying for Libby who'd happily gobble them up mid-air.

Morning at the Farmer's Market with Mama and Daddy = Happy Baby.

And this one is to prove to you - yes, she is not ALWAYS happy!

Your eyes. Everyone thought for sure you'd have brown eyes. However, they are blue, but sometimes look hazel and we're still waiting to see if they will keep changing. It seems every photo I take they look different. Definitely beautiful - just like you!

One morning before work, we somehow ended up ahead of schedule. Gave us some time to play a bit and sneak in a few pictures.

You love holding my lens cap for me. Such a helper. And, yes, you caught another cold. Pardon the drippy nose. Part of life as a baby.

Still loving Sophie. Poor little giraffe. She gets contorted every which way.

Yep, those little teeth are just too cute.

As you grow, more and more of your personality shines through. I would definitely say you are independent. And, yes, I love that.

You are very inquisitive. You will often turn a toy or object around and around inspecting everything about it. You are a very curious girl.

Since it is only a mere four months away, your Aunt Marcie and I have already started thinking of ideas for your first birthday party. Yes, we are crazy party planners. We know we want to do cupcakes, but want to get that gourmet frosting like you get at the specialty bakeries. We did a test batch. This frosting was super yummy, but the color and texture weren't quite right (Grandma Jo thought I brought her deviled eggs). We'll get it perfected by September, I'm sure.

We spent Mother's Day as a family in Tacoma. We took you to the zoo. I brought my zoom lens and everything and was so sad when I discovered I didn't bring a memory card. That's OK - we had a great day and I'll have plenty of opportunities to take pictures of you at the zoo in the future. You loved looking at everything and taking it all in. Here's what I did capture of you on my phone. You were so tired afterward.

Phones have been a great invention in terms of being a parent. From staying in touch with text messages to sharing pictures and videos, it sure has helped me stay connected to you. Gram-E sends a few pics/videos a day and Daddy and I always swap pictures on our days when one of us is with you and one is at work. Here is one we sent Daddy to show him how much you enjoyed your breakfast!

I got a great tip (thanks, Kim) for how to keep a bow in your hair. A bit of gel and then twisting the hair before putting the bow in - voila! A bow that stays in all day! You have quite a bit of hair, but it is incredibly fine and I hadn't had much luck before.

You definitely like to discover with all of your senses - including using your mouth. Yes, sweet pea. You taste everything. I thought grocery cart covers were so silly and a waste of money until you tried to lick the cart at Costco - yuck! Yes, I forked over the $15. Well worth it. You love to suck on drawstings on hooded sweatshirts and jackets and if there is a zipper in your sight - it will most definitely end up in your mouth!

You've been a vocal girl since you were very young. You say, "hi" and "hey" now as well as "Dada Dada Dada". Right now, you love "O" sounds.

You have been fighting off a cold all week. At first, it didn't seem to cause you any discomfort - you just had a runny nose and cough. Monday night it came to a head and you were up much of the night. I stayed home Tuesday and we spent much of the day like this. You just want to be held and even took naps this way. The last couple of nights you have been so upset Daddy and I have taken turns sleeping with you in the spare room. You snuggle up - wanting to be as close as possible. You'd cry so hard the cries would turn to soft moans that would slowly get slower and quieter as you'd snuggle in deeper. Poor baby girl.

This is a cell phone shot taken by me - I just wanted to capture your not-feeling-well-sweetness.



We found out Wednesday that not only do you have a cold causing all that congestion, but you also have an ear infection. Poor baby. Baby Tylenol and antibiotics will help you feel better real soon. 

Here's to another month of changes. We love you angel!

Mama