maybe

We put Rachel into bed at 6:00pm last night. She had no trouble falling asleep, and I hoped we had done the right thing by putting her down so early. She slept well all night, until...5:00am. She woke up well-rested, refreshed, and ready for the day. I was none of those things. I tried to nurse her and put her back in the crib, but when she realized I wasn't coming back, she got pretty mad. She wanted to play! So we were up. An hour and a half later, at 6:30am, I kindly asked Jarrad if he might be willing to play with her so I could get a little more shut-eye. He obliged, and even fixed Rachel breakfast and fed her while I snoozed until 7:30am. It was wonderful to get that "extra" hour (I think I'm still missing a few hours of sleep somewhere). We had an uneventful day, except that Rachel's schedule was pretty much shifted an hour early. I did hold her off a little on her naps, but she was tired an hour earlier than the usual naptimes! She napped well, though, 1 hour 15 minutes for both naps, so I put her down at 6:50pm tonight (I couldn't hold her off any longer than that). Maybe she will sleep just a tad later in the morning. Maybe.

My friend John came over for a few minutes this morning. Rachel took right to him and let him hold her and play with her. She showed off her walking and even her split! John was so proud.

I forgot to mention that I finally bought Rachel her high chair, and she loves it! She looks so cozy and safe, and she really seems to feel a lot more comfortable and secure. It's also really nice to have the tray, now that she's able to feed herself some.

Progress Report

	potty	diaper
peepee	6	1
poop	1	0

I hope this means she is snapping out of whatever was bothering her the past few days!

cute moment

Rachel woke up not long after she went to sleep tonight, and she cried longer than usual. I went to check on her, and I picked her up (because I wanted to) and rocked her. She lay her head on my chest and rubbed my arms for a minute, and then she suddenly sat back, looked me square in the eyes, and did her modified sign for "more" (which she uses whenever she wants to communicate anything at all). She looked so serious. "What, Rachel? Potty? Hungry? What?" She burst into tears and buried her face in my chest, clearly frustrated that I didn't understand what she was trying to say. She calmed down and tried to communicate with me again. She ended up nursing and peepeeing on the potty, but I'm still not convinced either of those things was really the message.

non-toy toy of the day

I was putting away Rachel's freshly washed diapers today, and she got her favorite two out of the basket and carried them around all afternoon.

long time no blog

Friday afternoon, Rachel and I went to GiGi's house so Jarrad could do some work in the house without worrying about waking the baby. We stayed through Saturday afternoon and came back home after her second nap. I was so happy that the change of setting didn't really phase Rachel; she slept as well as she usually does (not that great lately), she was in a great mood the whole visit, and she played with GiGi and Pop even when I was nowhere to be found (they let me go back to bed Saturday morning when Rachel woke up at 6:30am). It was, again, SO nice to have the chance to go straight back to bed until 9:00am. Now that Rachel is nearing her first birthday, I am suddenly getting some freedoms back, like being able to hand Rachel over for hours at a time while I have a chance to do whatever. Anyway, Pop really fell in love with Rachel on this trip. He told her of all the mischeif he planned for the two of them, and he told her she has him wrapped around her finger! She got a big kick out of him too, especially since he got right down on the floor to crawl around with her, playing hide and seek, and chasing her all around. So sweet! Rachel also had a great time watching GiGi and Pop's cat, Sadie. Sadie is a very old, set-in-her-ways (some may say "snooty," but I won't say it) kitty who was not interested in Rachel's antics. Rachel still loved trying to figure her out, though!

Today we went to the park for a picnic with Koen's family and the local chapter of HITCHUP. It was a beautiful day for a picnic, and Rachel got to experience swinging for the first time. She had a blast, and I had a great time seeing some families I worked with in the school system a couple of years ago. It hasn't been too long since I worked with some of those children, and they all looked so big and grown-up...it made me think about how fast Rachel will grow up.

Progress Report

Rachel did so well on the potty while we were at GiGi and Pop's house this weekend, but she's having a rough time in general. I don't know if the sleeping and the pottying might be related, or might be caused by the same thing (a growth spurt? teeth coming in?), but I'm praying we figure it out soon.

We have hit a HUGE potty milestone, though. Today while we were at our picnic, it became apparent that Rachel needed to poop. I wasn't sure what to do, so I thought I might try to find a bathroom and just see if she would use a regular potty. I didn't find one, and her diaper was very wet, so I changed her. It was time for us to leave, anyway, so we packed up and headed home. All the way home, Rachel was grunting, her face got flushed, then pale. I was sad at the prospect of changing a poopy diaper (I haven't changed one in at least a month), but I encouraged her to let it out. When we got home, I rushed her inside, and she had not pooped in her diaper. I put her on the potty, and she immediately let it all out! I was SO excited that she had refused to poop in her pants, but I felt terrible that she had held it so long (isn't that dangerous??). She had appeared to do the same thing Friday (but I was unsure she really had held it), when I thought she was pooping during lunch, but didn't actually go until I went to change her and set her on the potty. I guess we're carrying the potty with us from now on, and I don't think I mind!

cute moment

Rachel is working on several new skills, not the least of which is walking. I am hoping all her new knowledge is the source of her sleep and potty problems, but only time will tell. Today, Rachel was playing with one of her burp cloths (she loves small pieces of cloth). She carried it over to the Boppy pillow and tried to wipe off a stain that's been on it forever! Later, she was playing with her cell phone from her "My First Purse" Aunt KiKi gave her, and she put it up to her ear for the first time, like she was really talking on the phone! This week, she has also begun making all the signs I've been using with her: "more" "eat" "no" and "potty" (she doesn't always use them correctly). At GiGi's house, her potty was set up right next to a wall with an outlet, and she kept looking at it and making the sign for "no." I can't believe how much she is learning and imitating now. We have to start really being careful of our own behavior so she doesn't imitate any of our bad habits!

non-toy toy of the day

GiGi let Rachel play with a really big [empty] oatmeal container. Rachel is really into putting things in containers and taking them back out again, so that was great fun for her.

rocker baby

We had a fun day today, especially since Rachel slept in until 7:00am, and even played in her crib happily until 7:15am, when I greeted her for the morning. Her morning nap was 1 hour 40 minutes, but her afternoon nap was less than an hour. I put her down really early again tonight, at 6:30pm. The sleep book says to make her bedtime earlier to cure the night waking and the super-early mornings. I hope it works! She was really happy and hyper when I was getting her ready for bed, but she went to sleep in no time, which is exactly what the book says should happen. She usually starts rubbing her eyes and face, tugging on her ears, and getting really fussy by her usual bedtime, and the book says that means we're putting her to sleep too late! We'll see!

We had a visitor in the middle of the day--Rachel's friend Leah! Leah is coming close to figuring out how to crawl, so she seemed pretty interested in watching Rachel crawl circles around her. I took several pictures of them. In almost every one, Leah is looking straight at the camera with a beautiful smile, and Rachel is turning around, stealing Leah's toy, looking at her toes, just being a busy-body. Koen and Bob also came over late this afternoon. Bob had fun playing hide-and-seek with Rachel, and he got a big kick out of her love for Little Rex.

Aunt Mamber came over for her usual Thursday visit. She and PopPop will be running in a half-marathon in Nashville this weekend, and Rachel is excited to be rooting for them from home!

Progress Report

	potty	diaper
peepee	2	3
poop	2	0

cute moment

She talks a lot on this video, AND she shows off a couple of her tricks.

non-toy toy of the day

I let Rachel play with my Valentine's Day candy hearts necklace today. They make a great noise when she shakes them around, and she loves to examine the little beads.

worth looking into

Rachel's sleeping has still been crazy today. She woke up at 5:30am. I tried to put her back down, and I think she went back to sleep for about 15 minutes or so, but then she was up for good. Her morning nap ended after only 40 minutes, and her afternoon nap was 1 hour 15 minutes (which would seem good, if any of her last three naps had been longer than an hour).

I did get to clean out some drawers and closets that desperately needed attention. I am discovering that, in spite of my best efforts, I am a packrat. I keep STUFF, and then I forget I have it, which means it's rendered useless, even if I end up needing it. So I threw STUFF away, probably to make room for more.

Rachel has added one more sign to the mix: the sign for "potty." She doesn't do it exactly right, and she doesn't do it when she actually needs to use the potty, but she has a consistent gesture (which is almost correct) she makes whenever she hears the word "potty." So cool!

Tonight, I let Jarrad put Rachel to bed while I went out to run some errands and meet my friend John for dinner. This is a first for us; I have always put Rachel to bed, but she is definitely old enough that she doesn't need me to nurse her at bedtime anymore (she never falls asleep when I nurse her anyway). I was nervous (I know--that's silly), but I kept reminding myself that he could call if there was some problem. Of course, there was no problem, and she went right to sleep, as usual. I'll have to admit that, although I was very relieved, I was a little sad that she no longer needs me in that way. I guess I'll have to look into having another baby sometime.

Progress Report

	potty	diaper
peepee	6	2
poop	0	0

cute moment

If you've been to our house, you know we have a sunken living room, which means there is a step down into it. It used to be a nice boundary when Rachel first became mobile, but it wasn't long before she figured out how to crawl up the step. Almost since the day she could crawl up it, she has been able to dive right back down without fear...until yesterday. Now, she is timid to go down the step! Here's a video of her trying to work up the nerve. As an added bonus, in the video, when she abandons the idea of going down, she performs her new monkey crawl. She monkey crawls, I think, because she really wants to stand up and walk, but doesn't want to stop moving long enough to do it.

non-toy toy of the day

Rachel got into a stack of her daddy's coupons today. She spread them everywhere, balled them up in her fist and carried them around, got them stuck to her hands and feet, and scooted across the floor with them. At one point, she was carrying 4 or 5 around. She kept dropping them, and she'd stop to pick them up, which caused her to drop the others, and so on. She was determined not to move on without them though!

fezzy sleep

Today was a long day. Rachel was up at 4:30am again. I went to check on her to be sure she didn't have a dirty or leaky diaper. I rocked her for just a minute and then put her back in her crib, where she whined for the next 45 or 50 minutes. She woke up again at 7:00am. Her morning nap was less than an hour, and her afternoon "nap" was only 35 minutes. She was so cranky immediately following her afternoon nap, and she could hardly hold her head up because she was still so sleepy. So, at 3:15pm, I did the whole nap routine again and put her in her crib. She didn't argue, and she rolled around a bit and got quiet and still, but I peeked in several times, and I don't think she ever really went to sleep. At least she rested some.

My childhood friend, Jared, came over this evening. It was fun to catch up with him. He spent 2 years in India, so he has some great stories and insights. Rachel loved showing off her newest skill of walking with her walk-behind toy, and then she went straight to bed to make up for some lost sleep.

She started using another sign today! She used the sign "eat" for the first time, and seemed very pleased with herself. I think it's so cute that she uses those signs for everything she wants to communicate.

Progress Report

	potty	diaper
peepee	4	5
poop	1	0

cute moment

Rachel has two silly new habits:

1. She has figured out how to gasp. So she is constantly sucking in air and sounding like her Poppy hiccupping after a big meal.
2. She turns her tongue over in her mouth, something I can't do. She does it all day, and it helps her make some very interesting sounds, too!

non-toy toy of the day

The ninja turtle that visited us yesterday gave Rachel a "Tiny Fez." She played with it all afternoon.

ketchup

I hate getting blogged down (I know--corny). Let me start from the beginning...

Saturday was a really fun day. Rachel slept just okay Friday night, so she went down early, at 8:45am, for her morning nap. She woke up at 9:30am (of course), just as our friends Koen(8) and Bob(10) arrived to spend the day with us. Their parents had a fun wedding to attend, so they got to hang out at our place until about 3:00pm. Bob loves video games, so he brought those along, and Jarrad even got to play some too. Koen enjoyed Rachel and Rachel's singing bunny that wiggles his ears and taps his foot. I attempted to make kid food for lunch: hotdogs made to look like butterflies. They turned out rather well (it's not rocket science), although, as predicted, they weren't as pretty as the picture in the magazine. Jarrad had fun teasing Bob about eating butterflies. Koen enjoyed the french fries. Rachel slept better in the afternoon, which was a big relief. Jarrad managed to get some work done on the house Saturday evening, and we all turned in early.

Sunday was crazy, as usual. Rachel woke up at 4:30am, but I didn't hestitate to put her back to sleep myself, praying she would sleep late (since she always misses her morning nap on Sunday). She obliged, and didn't wake up until a little after 7:30am; it was so nice to "sleep in" a bit. We had fun at church, and Rachel, though tired, was in a good mood on the way home. She took a normal afternoon nap before our mystery guest arrived, in full ninja turtle attire. Actually, he is a friend of mine from home who likes to dress up and be crazy. He was in town to watch the local Roller Derby bout. We gave the little boys (5-year-old Jackson and 4-year-old Mason) across the street a big thrill by ringing the doorbell and having the ninja turtle (Raphael maybe?) greet them.

Aunt Julie came over last night to babysit while Jarrad and I went to Bible Study. I know I say it all the time, but we are SO blessed to have such willing family members. Aunt Mamber was originally going to come Sunday night, but ended up with a stomach ache. We called Aunt Julie, who loaded up her knitting supplies and came right over! Landin joined her after we left, so it was nice to see them for a few minutes after we got home.

Rachel slept through last night for the first time in a long time. She got up at 6:00am, which seems really early, but I'll compromise for the uninterrupted sleep. She slept one hour 15 minutes this morning and 1 hour 40 minutes this afternoon. Between her naps, we went to the mall, where we got to see Aunt KiKi and Cousin Tyler (again!) and our friends Denise and Jon David (who is two days older than Tyler). Jon David WON the BabyGap casting call this winter, so there is a huge poster with his cute little face in the front window of the Gap store (look for it next time you're at any mall!) The employees at Gap let him play around in the window and look at all the pictures of himself. It was so cute!

Progress Report

To sum up the weekend pottying: Saturday was a good day, Sunday was not. She was wet both mornings, but dry today.

	potty	diaper
peepee	4	4
poop	2	0

cute moment

Rachel loves Little Rex. While she was eating Cheerios last night, I remembered Little Rex was in my purse. I stuck him in my pocket, head first, so only a little of his tail and feet were visible. It took her a couple minutes, but she finally noticed him, and she went nuts! She grinned and kicked her feet and waved her arms. She squealed and screamed at him, and stretched to get him out of my pocket. This evening, Rachel fell and bumped her lip, and she cried and reached to hold Little Rex!

Also cute, and a little strange, are Rachel's developing fears of...things. So far, she's shown definite timidness around dogs and singing bunnies. Today I sat her down in the grass to get a picture. She was afraid of the grass. She tried her best not to touch it at all, and she was shaking when Aunt KiKi rescued her. Sheesh.

non-toy toy of the day

Yesterday, I occupied Rachel by letting her play with a styrofoam plate while I tidied up the kitchen.

smelling sauce

I stripped Rachel's diapers tonight--one of the joys of cloth diapering. The funny (not really) thing is that it's my most expensive diapers that smell sooo bad. The cheapest ones, the ones I started out using exclusively, are made of several layers of cotton--and that's all. The pocket diapers have a waterproof layer on the outside and a fleece or microsuede layer on the inside, and you stuff something absorbent in between, usually a microfiber insert (microfiber can absorb ten times its weight in liquid). All the layers in the pocket diapers are made of synthetic fiber. The waterproof part does not smell, but the fleece and the microfiber inserts reek of ammonia. My cheapO, bulky, not-so-cute cotton diapers smell FINE. Go figure. Anyway, what causes the odor is usually detergent build-up. I knew it was there, I was just in denial. My friend Christina left a comment on yesterday's blog that made me admit I had a problem, which is the first step. Tonight, I soaked and scrubbed the dipes in Dawn dishwashing liquid (which supposedly cuts through the detergent buildup much like it does grease buildup on dishes), and I'll be running them through hot wash cycles until there are no bubbles in the final rinse. As much of a pain as this all sounds like it is, it's also kind of an adventure. Sure, I'd rather go to bed early tonight, but it is fun to problem-solve.

Rachel took terrible naps again today, and she was up in wee hours of the morning again. I decided to put her to bed early, in hopes of fixing what is probably over-exhaustion at this point. Unfortunately, she talked to herself for several minutes before falling asleep, so she really only ended up about 10 or 15 minutes early. Oh, well!

Right after Rachel's morning "nap" (should 45 minutes even count as a nap??), Rachel and I went to visit Aunt KiKi and Cousin Tyler. Tyler is 7 months older than Rachel, and the gap in their development is getting smaller and smaller. They are beginning to interact a lot, and they even both had cheese (and Cheerios, since Tyler stole some of Rachel's) at lunch! Aunt KiKi let Rachel bring home Tyler's walk-behind toy. She looks so proud to be independently walking!

Progress Report

	potty	diaper
peepee	5	2
poop	0	0	I hope this doesn't mean we might have a midnight diaper to change!

cute moment

Tyler has a new habit of backing up to people and sitting in their laps. It's fun for his mommy and daddy, although sometimes he does have ulterior motives (like today when he gave me his sweet face and sat in my lap because I was holding the camera and he wanted it). Today, as 17-pound Rachel sat innocently on the floor playing, 30-pound Tyler tried numerous times to back up to her and sit on her lap. As obvious as it seems to us, he didn't understand--that will never work!

non-toy toy of the day

I tried my best to get a good video of these two kiddos playing. The window of time they were able to play together was small, since we were there close to lunchtime, and Tyler only takes one early-afternoon nap right after lunch these days. This is the funniest video I took. I told Kim I think it's a glimpse into our future. As you can see in the pictures and video, it seemed whatever one was playing with at any given time, the other wanted. And, since they were both ready for a nap, it was a funny exchange to watch. Rachel took it all in (and took notes, I'm sure). In the video, Rachel and Tyler are fighting over a water bottle, and I'm behind the camera laughing silently. It was so much fun to see them play together!

raspberry wars

What a blah day it has been. The weather is cool and dreary, and I've been in a somber mood. Rachel woke up at 3:30am and whined and fussed for awhile before I gave in and nursed her. She went back to sleep by 4:30am and woke up for the day at 7:20am. She took two horribly short naps today, and I can't decide whether to blame the night waking or the later wake-up time. Either way, I didn't get much done today, and, by this evening, Rachel was cranky.

We went to visit our friend Koen today. Rachel stayed in a decent mood for most of our time there. Carla fed her Cheerios, which keeps her fairly happy, and she showed off her new "more" sign. On the ride home, I broke out her sippy cup of water to keep her happy. She sucked it down (probably 2 ounces or so). When we got home, she was really antsy, and refused to sit still to eat a real dinner. After only a few bites, I had to let her squirmy little self get down to play with Aunt Mamber.

On a fun note, Rachel's hair is getting longer every day. Yesterday, I broke out her tiny bows, and actually was able to put one in her hair. It even stayed put for a few minutes, but she just wanted to put it in her mouth when it fell out of her hair, and it's definitely a choking hazard. But it sure was cute while it lasted, and she thought it was quite amusing when I put it in my hair, and even more hilarious when Jarrad put it in his hair.

Progress Report

Rachel's diaper was so wet this morning that the ammonia smell almost knocked me out. Thank goodness it didn't leak!! I wonder what will happen tonight after drinking all that water.

	potty	diaper
peepee	5	3
poop	1	0

cute moment

This evening, right before bedtime, Aunt Mamber was being silly with Rachel, and the two of them started taking turns blowing raspberries. It sounded like they were having a little raspberry conversation!

non-toy toy of the day

At Koen's house, Carla got out some wonderful [non-breakable] drinking glasses for Rachel to play with. She (Rachel--not Carla) also enjoyed chewing on her shoe, which was on her foot, on the way to Koen's house.

miles of stones

We had another great day. Rachel woke up at 6:30am again, and took two great naps. Rachel was really glad to see GiGi, who came over this afternoon and played while I mowed the yard. Mowing is a chore I actually enjoy doing, and our yard is small (for now) and flat, so it's easy. Today was a beautiful day to enjoy being outside for a few minutes.

Rachel has been working up to standing on her own without using anything to pull up. She mastered the skill today, and used it often. I'm expecting her to soon switch from crawling to walking as her preferred mode of transportation. It's exciting!

She also has mastered the pincer grasp--which lets her pick up small objects between her thumb and forefinger! She's been feeding herself Cheerios really well (although she does get lazy and just put her face right down on the Cheerios at times). She's also starting to use the sign for "more," sometimes spontaneously and sometimes when I say "more." She does the sign exactly right occasionally, but, most of the time, it looks like she's just clapping. I'm waiting to see the sign for "eat," and I'd love to see "potty" and "all finished," but those require more dexterity than she has. Plus, it's mostly impossible to distinguish between her normal silly gestures and possible actual sign language. Here's a (sorry-so-long) video to prove my claims:

Progress Report

Rachel's diaper was wet this morning.

	potty	diaper
peepee	5	4
poop	1	0

cute moment

Jarrad was outside Rachel's window working this afternoon. I opened her window so she could talk to him. When she heard him banging around, she headed straight for the gate in her doorway and said, "Dada." I pointed to the window and told her Dada is outside. She was confused. Then Jarrad called her. She snapped her head around at the doorway again and looked all around the room for him. I finally carried her over to the window and she caught sight of Dada. Oh, the grinning and squeals that followed were priceless.

non-toy toy of the day

Rachel got a bath today, and when Rachel bathes, she prefers playing with a wet washcloth (or two) to any of her bath books or toys. One day I let her hang on to the damp washcloth all afternoon, and she held it regardless of whatever else she was doing.

ten down, two to go

Happy 10-month Birthday to Rachel! I can't believe how fast the past 10 months have gone by. It's amazing to see her grow into this little person, with a definite personality and will all her own. And I can't believe how I can possibly love her more every day.

10th month Shameless Photo Count: 462 beautiful pictures of Rachel Mae

Rachel slept all night until 6:30am, AND she took two great naps today. That all means she's pretty well recovered from our weekend. She's become pretty easy to slip back into the routine of things, maybe because we are careful to try and preserve her naps, even when we're away from home. She often surprises me when we're traveling, that she will sleep once she gets used to our new surroundings. I guess she knows what to expect, and I think she appreciates the predictability.

I, on the other hand, was still extremely sleepy this morning, and Rachel was being a snugglebug, so we hung out in her room until breakfast. I love when she's feeling cuddly because she'll play for a few minutes and then come over for some loves, and then go back and play some more, and so on. And I never run out of loves for Rachel!!

I have been aching to shop (it's been forever, and I need some clothes), so I loaded Rachel up right after lunch, and we went to Marshall's. We were there about 45 minutes. Of course, we ended up in the baby department for the majority of our time. I bought a dress for myself, but I haven't tried it on. I'll probably end up returning it. I also bought a fancy wool dress for Rachel for next winter, originally marked $59.99 (at Marshall's--the tag says it retails at $100). I paid $15 for it (which still seems like a lot to me). The brand is Bimbaló - made in Italy. Whatever, I just knew it must be fancy when they let me keep the hanger.

Progress Report

Rachel's diaper was just a tiny bit wet this morning, and she used one other diaper today! Progress indeed!

cute moment

Tonight, Rachel was playing with a little kitten that meows when you squeeze it. She always picks it up and hands it to me (I assume she's asking me to make it meow). She grabbed the kitten and attempted to offer it to me, but accidently dropped it on the way up. She didn't realize she'd dropped it, so she was sitting there, looking at me, holding her clutched hand in the air. After a couple seconds, she caught sight of her empty hand and whipped her head down to see what had happened.

non-toy toy of the day

We haven't said anything about this until tonight, not knowing how our family would react to the fact that we allow Rachel to participate in an extreme sport. Well, the cat's out of the bag. Rachel is an up&coming X-games book surfer...

homeward bound

We finally got home from the mountains last night. Poor Jarrad drove the whole way in terrible weather, which made the trip take even longer than usual. We left around Rachel's bedtime, so she slept the whole way (thank goodness). When we were driving away, it was pouring snow, and there was already about 1.5 inches on the ground! Luckily, there was none on the roads, and that turned out to be the easiest part of the drive. Driving in slushy snow is much easier than driving in the dark in pouring rain. I had hoped to go shopping yesterday afternoon (there are some outlet stores near PopPop and Uma's house), but there really wasn't time, and I did not like the thought of taking Rachel out in a blizzard! She probably would have loved it, but it would have stressed us out.

Yesterday was a dreary day all over our state, I believe. I couldn't shake sleepiness all day. Rachel woke up at 5:30am, but went back to sleep until 7:15am, at which time PopPop and Uma took over while Jarrad and I got to continue sleeping. I finally got up at 8:45am. I haven't really slept in like that since before Rachel was born, and it was so nice. In spite of the extra sleep, and maybe because of it (maybe my body got a hint of sleep recovery?), I was sleepy all day. I took a nap in the afternoon while Rachel slept, and I dozed some on the ride home too. Jarrad is so nice to rarely make me drive on trips like this. I think it's fair, since I always get up with the baby. Even Stevens, if you ask me.

I have mixed feelings coming home from "vacation." We had such a great time relaxing and being lazy at PopPop and Uma's, but, somehow, it's always nice to get home. Rachel seemed glad to see her toys this morning. I guess going away is nice in itself, and it makes home that much sweeter too.

Rachel is getting so close to just taking off walking. She's still gaining confidence, but is getting more and more adventurous. She likes to walk next to a wall, so she can drag one hand for stability.

Progress Report

I may reinstate the chart soon. Rachel did quite well on the potty yesterday, although Saturday, I lost count of how many diapers she used. She was really busy today, too, and had a poor potty day. I think she may have used 4 or 5 diapers today. Sheesh.

cute moment

Rachel is toddling about more and more. Today, she was getting cranky and ready for her nap, when she tried to sit down right on the corner of her dresser. She whined a little and I picked her up and sat her on my lap. She began to settle down and decided to venture off my lap to play. As soon as she started crawling, her hand landed on the edge of one of her toys, flipping it up and smacking her in the lip. Her whimper turned into a betrayed cry. Poor baby!

non-toy toy of the day

Yesterday, PopPop and Uma continued creatively finding non-toys for Rachel. I think her favorite was learning to play the metal bowl drums with plastic measuring cup drumsticks.

mountain mama

Yesterday afternoon, we drove to the mountains to visit PopPop and Uma. We love coming here because it's so peaceful. It always feels like we're on vacation. Plus, they enjoy Rachel so much. It's fun to watch them play with her, and it's nice to get a break from feeling "on duty" all the time. Uma cooks yummy food and even cleans up after us! PopPop likes to feed Rachel and give her new experiences, like putting pears in her hand and encouraging her to lick them off. I love that Rachel gets fun, different experiences with our families. I think it's important that her grandparents don't always try to follow my rules. After all, what fun would it be to go to Grandma's house if she's mean like Mommy??

Rachel is having a great time in the mountains, watching silly yellow birds, squirrels, and ducks. I'm ashamed to say we haven't been here since Rachel was 7 or 8 weeks old, so this feels like a completely new place to her (and it kind of is: PopPop and Uma have completely redecorated, and their home is beautiful). She's been crawling around and finding fun things to explore. I am most excited with how friendly she was with PopPop and Uma, right off the bat. I think PopPop reminds her of her daddy.

Rachel slept well here last night, although it took a while for her to get settled down. She did wake up early early, at 5:30am, but she played full-speed ahead until I finally put her down for a nap at 9:25am, and she didn't argue.

Progress Report

Rachel was dry in the morning and used 2 diapers yesterday (altough I think she may have wet her travel diaper twice before we got here). She was wet first thing this morning, and completely uninterested in the potty (there are way more interesting things to see and do here), so I didn't bother her about it before her nap, and, consequently, she has used a diaper (once or twice) already this morning.

cute moment

Rachel is enjoying PopPop's booming voice and silly grin. This morning, he came downstairs and dropped down to the floor, eye-level with Rachel. She smiled and crawled all the way across the room to get right in his face.

non-toy toy of the day

PopPop and Uma are most creative in finding non-toys for Rachel. So far, she has played with her Easter basket, tupperware lids, a basket of magazines, and containers of Cheerios. But, her favorite non-toy has been ribbon. First, she was playing with the yellow satin ribbon from the Easter basket they gave her. Then, Uma found some blue, green, and red ribbon. She tied them together in the middle to make a great non-toy. Her favorite game today was to put the ribbons in the magazine basket, then take them out, then put them back, etc. She was hard at work. She played a similar game yesterday morning with Little Rex and a Kleenex box...

boom

Wow, did we have a thunderstorm last night, or what?? Unfortunately, we have a skylight in our master bedroom, right over our bed, which means when it rains hard at night, it is LOUD. First, it poured rain, and I couldn't sleep. The rain stopped. Then, it thundered the loudest thunder ever, and I couldn't sleep. The thunder stopped. Then, it poured rain again, and I couldn't sleep. By this time, it was 2:30am, and I got myself out of bed and went upstairs to our guest bedroom. Ah, peace and quiet. Rachel woke up at 5:15am, and I nursed her back to sleep (I couldn't even think about listening to her roll around for an hour). She got up for the day at 7:20am, a wonderful wonderful post-sunrise time.

Rachel's morning nap was too short, but she seemed happy when she woke up (see picture). She had an eventful afternoon, with a visit from Koen, Bob, and Carla (and Bob was especially silly today), and her usual Thursday visit from Aunt Mamber. When Aunt Mamber came in today, Rachel actually dove out of my arms to her, something she does not usually do! I'm glad she's recognizing people and feeling comfortable with someone else holding her.

I put Rachel's Bumbo seat on a taller chair, and she seemed to like the new view. I've never ordered the high chair I want for her, because she seems content in the Bumbo for now. She'll grow out of it soon, I'm sure, and I'll have to get that high chair eventually.

Rachel's afternoon nap was much better. I took this video as she was just waking up...

Progress Report

Rachel woke up dry this morning! She used three diapers during the day.

cute moment

Rachel is waving so easily now. Tonight, Aunt Mamber was feeding Rachel, and she was looking around and chatting. I said, "Say, 'Hi, Aunt Mamber.'" Rachel looked straight at Amber and waved!

non-toy toy of the day

Rachel got into a wedding invitation I had on the end table. It was packaged nicely with a pretty purple ribbon tied in a bow, containing the invitation, directions, RSVP card, etc. Rachel picked it apart, piece by piece, and examined each element. I think it passed her inspection!

tight wad

Rachel woke up in the middle of the night, as predicted. I decided to leave her be, and she never even full-on cried. She wimpered on and off (mostly off) for about 40 minutes, and then was back to sleep until 7:15am! I guess we'll try that again tonight.

I loosened up with Rachel some today, and I got quite a bit done! She played on the floor in our bedroom, which she thought was really great, and played in the exersaucer for a few minutes, while I washed and folded laundry, finished cleaning our bathroom, vacuumed, all kinds of things I usually cram to do during her naps and after bedtime. It felt good to be so productive, it made the day go by faster, and I was pleasantly surprised at how not-dangerous it was for her. In my mind, I imagined her going straight for all the non-baby-proofed areas, but she just explored and had a great time.

Rachel got a bath today, and I attempted to spike up her hair. She just barely has enough to make it work! She's playing with the pink rubber ducky from Aunt KiKi's Easter basket.

Aunt Julie came over and played for a few minutes this evening, and then stayed after bedtime while Jarrad and I had a date! Aunt Mamber gave us a gift certificate to a really fancy resaurant, and we needed to use it. It really worked out great, and I needed the time out. Thanks to the best Aunts in the world! We are so blessed.

By the way, Rachel took 6 steps in a row today! She's so proud of herself.

Progress Report

Rachel used 3 diapers today! She was wet first thing this morning, so that accounted for one diaper.

cute moment

Rachel is so funny now; when she is crawling toward anything she thinks is off-limits, she'll turn around to see if we're watching. She gets this cute little smirk on her face, and, as soon as we make a move to get her, she turns back around and sprint-crawls, giggling.

non-toy toy of the day

Rachel has a new habit of picking up her left leg with her left hand and trying to do stuff with it, like using it to hit one of her stuffed animals, or putting it over her eyes when she's tired. She acts like it's not even attached to her...so silly!

what now

Rachel woke up once during the night last night. I had begun to think her new night waking habit might be potty related. So the last couple nights it's happened, I've put her on the potty after I nurse her (because that calms her down), and, sure enough, she goes. But last night, she refused to sit on the potty (which made me feel rotten for even trying), and her diaper was still dry at 7:20am. So, I don't know what's going on. She definitely shouldn't be waking up hungry, so I'm afraid she's formed a bad habit. Will it happen tonight? Will I let her "cry it out?" Only time will tell...

Rachel is really enjoying this new walking thing. She can't stand herself up from sitting on the floor yet, and she can't turn from holding onto furniture, so we can only get steps out of her if we set her standing and let go. She always grins the hugest grin and lets out a sort of war cry before attempting movement. She really seems proud of herself.

Now, on to business: I'm calling for help from other mommies out there. Now that I've decided what I shouldn't do with Rachel (be on top of her all day), I'm trying to figure out the logistics of what I should do with her. What I had been doing most of the day is hang out with her in her bedroom, sometimes playing with her, sometimes just watching her play independently (does that count as independently?), and sometimes doing other things (like folding laundry, but still in her room). Regardless, she is certainly used to my presence, and I think I need to help her learn to be comfortable and confident alone. So how do I do that? In pre-mobility days, I left Rachel to play by herself a lot. She'd play on her quilt in the living room and I'd work in the kitchen or doing laundry, or whatever. But as soon as she became super-mobile (at about 7 months old), I resigned myself to chasing her all day. And that's where I've remained the past two months.

So what do I do? What do other mommies out there do? It seems the playpen is the safest option. I do use it some already, like last week when I had to prepare a meal in the afternoon to take to a family, I put Rachel in the playpen and said, "You might not like it, and you might cry and be mad, but I have to do this because I said I would." She does fuss and cry when I put her in there, although she seems to enjoy it more in the mornings. She'll eventually sit down and play, but only for a couple minutes before she's standing back up, arms straight up in the air, crying. Yesterday and today, I made a point to put her in there and set myself to doing some chore, vowing not to pick her back up until I finished. It was hard, but I suppose she'll get used to it eventually? I felt guilty; I felt like I was ignoring her.

Here's the picture of Rachel in her Easter outfit, as promised! Blue is so so pretty with her blue eyes; I can't wait until she has enough hair for a bow so I can dress her in more blue (without people asking, "what's his name?").

Progress Report

Rachel's diaper was dry first thing this morning, and she used 3 diapers today.

cute moment

Here is Rachel playing with a toy bunny from Aunt KiKi's Easter basket.

non-toy toy of the day

Today, Rachel played with her shoes (the ones that are still a little too big, so she hasn't worn them much). She kept trying to put a shoe on her foot. She'd get frustrated and throw the shoe and holler. Then she'd hand it to me, as if to ask for help. I put the shoe on her foot (loosely) and she'd grin and shake it off and start all over again.

light as a feather, stiff as a board

Hello faithful blog readers! You probably noticed my blog vacation. Rachel, Jarrad and I had a great time visiting my family Friday and Saturday. Rachel got to hang out with her cousin, Tyler, and they seem to be enjoying each other more and more. But, of course, the grandparents enjoyed the silliness most of all. Poppy got out some of his fun hats, masks, and wigs to entertain the kiddos. On Friday, Rachel decided that her preferred entertainment was walking, holding onto someone's fingers for balance. So, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, that's all the child wanted to do. When we tried to take a break, she'd holler for more. When we tried to sit her down, she gave us the stiff-leg. When she got her way, she was talking, giggling, and grinning the whole time. Aunt KiKi pointed out that Rachel walks belly-first. That's because we can't keep up with her! It's a pretty funny sight. And the funniest thing is that she's not actually going anywhere. She's just walking.

So, this morning, when I got her out of the crib and tried to sit her down, she gave me the stiff-leg, as usual. But, she felt really stable, so I let go. She stood there, giggling, for a long time before she gently sat down. We practiced all day, and she took a step here and there. She finally took two steps in a row before falling forward. When Jarrad got home tonight, she took about five steps in a row! She thinks it's a fun new game. I think it's saving my back. I know what you moms-with-more-than-one-kid are thinking...that I shouldn't encourage her to walk just yet. I know my life is about to get a lot more difficult once she walks, but I can't get over the excitement of watching her develop this new skill!

Rachel had a really great first Easter. Aunt KiKi gave her a princess Easter bucket with cute chicky glasses and some other toys, and two beautiful spring dresses. She also bought her too-cute Easter Sunday outfit (picture coming). Cousin Anthony came over on Sunday and brought two singing and dancing Easter bunnies from MeMaw and GGPaw. Rachel wasn't sure what to think of these. She got adventurous and touched the one that wiggles his ear while he sings, but today she decided he scared her. When I was trying to get her to walk, she kept her eyes locked on that bunny and wouldn't let go of me. Yesterday afternoon, GiGi came over with a fuzzy Easter card and a soft basket with goodies, and, last night, Aunt Mamber came over with her collection of little PoundPuppies for Rachel (remember those??).

On Friday, Rachel and I went with Poppy to see some of his relatives. They all seemed to enjoy Rachel. Saturday, we went to my Aunt Doris's house for my mom's family get-together. We had a great time seeing everyone and visiting. Our friend Koen and his family even got to come, and Bob got to drive Uncle Roy's tractor! We are so blessed to live near so much family!

Rachel was clearly glad to be home today. She took two good naps and did great on the potty. I hope she will sleep well tonight!

Progress Report

I may be ready to give up the potty charts in favor of only reporting how many diapers she used each day. Over the weekend, she used two diapers Friday and Saturday, one diaper Sunday, and no diapers today. She did have one small floor accident right before bed tonight (she stopped as soon as Jarrad yelped at her and swiped her onto the potty), which ruined an otherwise perfect day! She has been very potty-friendly lately, even sitting and playing on the potty for 15 minutes today when she evidently didn't need to go. I kept offering to help her up, but I guess she was having fun. It's refreshing after the few difficult days we had last week. I hope she continues to love it!

cute moment

Rachel's cousin, Tyler, reportedly does not kiss people very often; he prefers to kiss his stuffed animals. However, this weekend, he kissed Rachel several times! I guess they're going to be good pals!

non-toy toy of the day

Her Easter basket, of course!

life lesson

I had a rather emotional weekend, partly due to exhaustion from traveling and not sleeping well. As a result, I have two life lessons. First of all, I have always been an "over-achiever." I am a student at heart, and I am anxious to be the best [insert title here] possible. At the moment, I am obviously consumed with being a mommy. I thrive on the daily challenges and I look forward to the adventures of each new stage Rachel goes through. Because of this, I spend a lot of time with Rachel. Maybe you've thought this in reading my blog, that perhaps I spend an excessive amount of time with Rachel. Does she need me right on top of her all the time? When I was home, I said something to my mom about playing in Rachel's room. She looked at me funny and told me that concerned her a bit. Huh? Why? Am I doing it wrong?? Oh no, am I? She explained that it's a little odd for a 26-year-old to spend most of her day playing in a 9-month-old's bedroom, and that most people have other things they need to be doing. That's true. That's true. I am doing it wrong. I have been telling myself, "I will have only one child only once. I should enjoy her, I should watch her, I should study her." That is what I want to do. But is it healthy? My friend, Carla, and I were talking about self-indulgent parenting and trusting our instincts. Maybe I am being self-indulgent. As of last week, Rachel has become a lot more clingy. She acts afraid of some things (like the dog and the singing bunny), and she doesn't want to let other people hold her. I know it's developmental that she go through this, but how much of it am I fostering by being in her face all day? My mom felt bad that her observation upset me, but I'm glad she mentioned it. At least I can momentarily step outside of myself and try to consider my options and what's really best for Rachel. I imagine I will look back and grieve many parenting decisions I make by the time Rachel is grown. I am glad to have anyone point out anywhere I might be at fault. As I told my mother-in-law once, "Anytime you want to give us advice about Rachel, you go ahead, and we'll either listen or we won't." I just want to be the best mom possible.

Second, last night, Jarrad cautioned me that I need to be careful about how much I talk about Rachel's pottying. Huh? I suppressed potty talk for a long time, because I was unsure if it would work, and I didn't want to get ahead of myself with outrageous claims. But, now that it really seems to be working, I guess I am getting more and more excited about it, and I will talk to anyone who cares to listen, and, apparently, even those who don't. When Jarrad pointed that out to me, I felt horrible. I am afraid I've come across braggy, and I don't mean to. As I told my brother (because if I've been obnoxious to anyone, it would definitely be my brother), potty training Rachel has been my little experiment--something I've found fun and interesting. I don't fancy myself a better mother, or Rachel a smarter baby because of it, and I hope that's not how I've made anyone feel. I try to be honest about my parenting style and not hide when I've discovered a shortcoming. I don't lie and say my cloth diapers don't smell bad and are sometimes tricky to launder. I won't pretend I feel validated every time I choose to let Rachel "cry it out" (or not). And I won't say infant potty training is superior to waiting. For me, it has been a worthy venture, but I know...I'm weird.

from place to place

(PICTURES TO BE ADDED TOMORROW)

Rachel slept terribly last night. I don't have any idea why, but she cried out several times, though she always was back to sleep before I could even check on her. Finally, at 4:30am, she really woke up and was really crying. I went to comfort her and check her diaper, which was dry. She nursed and used the potty, and I put her back in her crib at 5:00am. I went back to bed, too, but it took me a really long time to go back to sleep. Rachel woke up again at 6:00am, and this time, it was for good. She was kinda cranky all day as a result.

During Rachel's morning nap, I drove us to my parents' house, 1.5 hours away. It is the perfect distance for Rachel to get a nap and be in a good mood when we arrive. She was being silly and bashful at first when MiMi and Poppy wanted to hold her, but she warmed up and had a great time exploring her new environment. Jarrad will be joining us tomorrow, along with Uncle Travis, Aunt KiKi, and cousin Tyler. Tia Mildred ('Aunt Mildred' in Spanish) loves these kiddos, so she will be in heaven!

She was quite tired this afternoon, but had trouble settling down for a nap. I finally got her to sleep, after rocking her and singing to her for a while. Sometimes I think I give up on her too quickly, and think she just won't calm down. When I went back in the room for third time, I was determined to rock her to sleep. It took longer than it felt like it should have, but it finally worked.

Progress Report

	potty	diaper	floor
peepee	7	1	1	oops!
poop	1	0

	AM nap	PM nap
duration	1:30
diaper	dry	dry

Can you believe how great she did, even being in a different place?!

cute moment

Poppy has this really annoying stuffed bulldog that wiggles and barks when you pat him on the head. Rachel couldn't decide if she liked him or was afraid of him. She sat very still and watched him closely. Finally, she decided he was a little scary, and she dashed to me and buried her face in my lap.

non-toy toy of the day

I brought some of Rachel's toys to MiMi and Poppy's. They were packed neatly in a blue backpack. I presented the toys to Rachel. She played with the blue backpack.

back on track

Okay, first of all, yes, Rachel is wearing the same outfit as yesterday. I washed it last night and put it right back on her this morning, since it might be the last warm day we have before she grows out of it. I think it's fair that I want her to wear it at least twice before she grows out of it!

Rachel was one good baby today! She did get up a bit early, around 6:10am, but I knew that meant she'd take a good morning nap, so I didn't mind. After her morning nap, we went to see Koen! We had a great time hanging out at his house, and Rachel was in a great mood, finding lots of new things to get into. She got to sit in a big bean bag to eat her lunch, which she thought was really great!

I am ashamed to say that I got four new FuzziBunz diapers today! In my defense, I ordered them a while ago, before I really knew we probably don't need them. Also in my defense, two are really cute girly colors: Bubblegum Pink and Lavendar. All of Rachel's diapers are gender-neutral or even boy colors (because I bought them used from mommies of boys). Still, I can't decide if I want to put them in rotation or try to resell them as new. The pink one is just so especially cute!!

Jarrad came home a little early from work so I could go get a haircut in peace. He and Rachel had a fun time. The best part of leaving Rachel for an hour or two is that she seems so happy to see me when I get back. Tonight, when I put her in her crib for bedtime, she started talking to herself as usual. Although she rarely has any problem going to sleep, she started crying tonight. Since I had missed her too, I went right back in her room and rocked her to sleep. I really enjoyed that, since she doesn't do it often anymore.

Progress Report

	potty	diaper
peepee	7	2
poop	2	0

	AM nap	PM nap
duration	1:25	0:55
diaper	dry	dry

Rachel was back to her old self on the potty today. Thank goodness!

cute moment

There are three "no-touch" zones in Rachel's room, and she doesn't seem to mind that so far. She is not allowed to touch the outlets, the cord to her lamp, and she's not allowed to crawl behind the rocking chair and get into the cable that's back there. Behind the rocking chair is number one on her "I want to sneak back there and play" list. So, as soon as she thinks I'm not paying attention, straight back there she goes. Of course, I remove her and remind her, "that's a 'no touch.'" What does she do? She grins and refuses to sit down anywhere, which forces me to just hold her hands and let her walk laps around the room. And so she walks, cooing and grinning, with no particular destination, until she gets tired or sees a toy she wants and decides to plop down so she can play. Her laps are getting longer and longer, and she's holding onto my fingers less and less. I don't think it will be long until she is taking some steps!!

non-toy toy of the day

Rachel's container of Cheerios is a great toy. It makes a pleasant rattle sound when Rachel shakes it, and it's the perfect size for her to hold in her hands (and feet).

just say 'no' to two naps

Rachel woke up really early again, and I nursed her and put her right back down. She's not in the habit of nursing to sleep anymore though (she just quit, cold turkey, and rarely does it anymore, which makes me sad), so she's awake when I put her back in the crib. She usually talks to herself for a minute or two, and then rolls over and goes back to sleep. This morning, she woke up for good at 7:40am, and, therefore, refused to take a morning nap. So, by afternoon, she could hardly keep her eyes open, and fell asleep almost before I even laid her down in her crib.

I love love love the outfit Rachel got to wear today. It's another from the first big box we got in the mail from PopPop & Uma in the fall. This one is 3/6 month size, but it was always too big for her. It got cold before she really got to wear it, which made me soooo sad. So, when it started getting warm again, I pulled it out and crossed my fingers, and, sure enough, it's just the right fit now! I think green is her color.

We had lunch today with my friend Shawna, who is on Spring Break (she's a teacher at my school from last year). It's always fun to see her, and Rachel was a show-off, as usual. She sat politely in her Bumbo seat and ate Cheerios (I am loving that she eats Cheerios now). People at the tables around us were entertained by the faces she made and all the talking she did. She seemed to really enjoy herself.

I'm excited that my friends Brian & Megan will be coming in May to meet Rachel for the first time!! They're actually coming for a concert, but it works out that they will get to meet Rachel on the same trip! I feel like Rachel is my hugest life accomplishment so far, so it's always nice for people to notice.

Progress Report

	potty	diaper
peepee	2	4	decreased peepees...because of the hot weather?
poop	1	1

	AM nap	PM nap
duration	N/A	1:15
diaper	N/A	dry

I've made a new potty rule for myself: After Rachel peepees, I will sit her on the potty in no less than 25 minutes to one hour, depending on the time of day (she goes pretty often in the morning, but not in the afternoon). If she doesn't want to sit, or if she sits and doesn't go, I will immediately replace her diaper and wait no less than 25-30 minutes before trying again. I will stop trying to interpret her various signals I think she gives, because that leads to frustration on my part and hers, as I find myself tossing her on the potty if she even twitches her eyebrow funny (not really, but you get the picture). I will stand by this rule until further notice.

cute moment

non-toy toy of the day

At the restaurant with Shawna, Rachel was getting bored of Cheerios, so I gave her a new toy: an ice cube. She held it in her hand for a while, and then gave it back to me. It rested on my open palm, and she put her face right on it so she could have a taste. She loved it! She held it and licked on it, and I finally let her have it in her mouth when it had almost melted away. In this picture, she's holding it tightly in her left hand.

communication breakdown

I wish I knew what's wrong with her sometimes. Rachel was pretty fussy today. I think it's teeth coming in? I hope that's it, anyway. She was cantankerous (one of my favorite words) on the potty. This afternoon, she suddenly let out a shriek followed by shrill crying. She was pulling at her mouth all day, and biting down on my fingers, toes, whatever. Once, I thought she was about to give me a sweet kiss, and she clamped down so hard on my jaw! Poor baby, she really seemed to be in pain. I gave her a refrigerated teether, and she seemed to appreciate the cold texture on her gums. I also gave her some ibuprofen this afternoon, but I'm not sure it helped. Her weight is right on the border to move to the next dosage, so maybe she needed a little more for it to actually work.

At least it's Monday, and we stayed close to home, as usual. Who knows, maybe she'll get her two top teeth this week. Or, maybe they won't come until two months from now. Either way, I sure hope she's in a better mood tomorrow.

We did have one interesting notable today: I put a gate in the doorway of Rachel's room (it's a hand-me-down from my cousin DeeDee--thanks!!). This accomplishes two things. First, we now have some airflow, which is great since the weather's heating up a bit. Second, it allows Rachel (and me) to see out and not feel so enclosed when we play in her room most of the day. She seemed to love the change, although she is already formulating a plan to climb over. Tonight she tried to stand on one of her containers to hoist her up and closer to the other side.

Progress Report

	potty	diaper
peepee	3	6
poop	1	1

	AM nap	PM nap
duration	1:00	0:40
diaper	dry	dry

I'm tempted to put her down for her naps sans diaper. I might try it soon!

cute moment

Rachel has always loved to have something covering her face. When she was a tiny baby, Jarrad figured out that covering her eyes when she was really sleepy made her go to sleep in no time. As soon as she was able, she consistently fell asleep after scooting and turning her face as close to her bumper as possible. She also pulls my hand close to her eyes when she's sleepy, and she thinks it's funny to put her clothes over her face. Before bed, after I undressed her, I threw her onesie over her head. She dropped to her hands and knees and started giggling and crawling, even though she couldn't see where she was going. Jarrad and I died laughing as she crawled right into the wall. She pulled the shirt off her face and sat there, grinning ear to ear.

non-toy toy of the day

I finally emptied another Kleenex box! This is one of Rachel's favorite non-toy toys. (I know, I know...all my videos of Rachel end the same way...)