She sleeps!

Lucy must read the blog. Either that, or I'm a sleep training ninja. Probably the latter.

"smile, lucy."

YAY for an four time consecutive all night sleeper, after 6 a.m. waker!

Cooperation, clacking and cake crashing

The post's title sum up the themes of Lucy's first birthday party on Sunday, September 21.

She cooperated with her sister while opening gifts (né - observed while Maizey opened)... 

 She clacked on a $4 computer keyboard gift ordered from Amazon (just like mom's),

and her new noise making glockenspiel (or to you non-hipsters "xylophone")...

And finally, crashed her smash cake...

 (with a little help from sister sister.)

Girl after my heart.

Thanks to all her guests: birthday twin Grandma Katie, Grandpa Bill, Gemma, tireless Uncle Paul, Aunt Jane, Uncle Joe, green-bean-salad wielding Aunt Robin, garbage man Jack, Ryan, Marc, Jaclyn, Dad, Kip and Maizey!

O.N.E.

Remember?

First days... & Birth story...

We love you, dear child. Happy Birthday.

11 Month Lu

Today, Lucy is two weeks shy of her one year birthday. Two weeks ago, on the exact day of her 11 month birthday, I snapped these...

  

How is she? Well, today, sick. Two consecutive nights of non-sleeping sass (including pterodactyl protests). But, when I took these photos, she was fab. She has six (non-consecutive) teeth. Stands up on her own from a seated position. We're at two steps and hoping once we get through this sick patch, two turns into multiple. She is obsessed with everything Maizey. If Maizey is eating cereal, Lucy wants to eat cereal. If Maizey is reading books, Lucy wants to read the same books.

So far her big sis has been very tolerant, even when Lucy yanked a dime sized clump of fine blonde hair from Maizey's little head during a chariot-aided bike ride. (From now on Lucy will be biking solo in the IBERT while Maizey claims the entire chariot. Youch!)

Other loves besides Maizey? Her pacifier(s) which she jams into her maw with attitude when upset. Books, especially ones with animal photographs and flaps. Making noise - banging blocks together, shaking bells, playing the spoons. Climbing into chairs. Standing on chairs. Pointing at something then yowling when you don't hand her the correct object. Imitating laughter. Clapping. Waving. Music and dancing. Oh, and eating sand from the sandbox, and the subsequent baths! Girl is a water baby.

She makes me happy, happy. Most of the time. (wink...)

p.s. It's nice to be back on the blog.

I love Lucy.

My dear second born has gotten the short end of the blogging shtick. And she shouldn't. Because she is fabulous. At nearly 10 months, she's completely and utterly delectable. Silly. Boisterous. Yet sweet, turning her head into my shoulder when confronted by outsiders post-nap. White blonde fuzz sprouts from her now-proportioned head. Clear blue eyes. Two jagged bottom teeth.

I shouldn't be writing. I should be sleeping. Or showering. Or brushing my teeth. But tonight, after my baby nursed in her darkened room, and then rocked to sleep, her body limp and heavy on my entire torso, I felt emotional. I needed to write this down. This love. Her forehead damp with bathwater and sweat. Rythmically suckling her green soothie. Heavy. Long. Perfect.

She's wonderful.

Lucy and Matilda

Lucky Lucy got to accompany me to my first Matilda Jane "trunk show" last weekend at Maria's. An optional part of the show? A studio-style photoshoot in MJ apparel. Though I initially passed, once there, I thought "What the heck?!"

These just crack me right up. I mean, the bow?

Hilarious, right? But, I will say, she is a marvelous model. Happy. Cooperative. You know - everything most kid models are not. 

And, I only spent $120. (Insert Will's"ffffffff")

Shots by Mia Love Photography.

Lucy and The Bunny

Like Maizey, Lucy was introduced to E. Bunny by Grandpa Bill, at Fountains in Clarktson. 

Though two months younger than her sis was at the time of the intro,
she shared her sister's reaction.

Why, hello.

 Ummm, Grandpa?... Who IS this? Or rather, WHAT is this?

 Anybody?

Oh yeah - Maizey was there too...

Sticky Six on Seven

The fact that I'm posting Lucy's six month Sticky Bellies pics on her seven month birthday sums up our life. Always playing catch-up. That said, what about this cutie?

Actual shots were taken late - at six months, 18 days.

Birthday news? At seven months, Lucy is soooo close to crawling. Actually, she does crawl. Only in reverse. And then gets stuck against _______ (insert furniture/wall name). Two teeth are breaking through her bottom gum. Maizey interacts with her sans my urging, as Lucy finds her hilarious. (If Maizey as much as looks at her she flaps and babbles. Peels of laughter. Which is heart-warming. And dealing with a jerky toddler means my heart needs a lot of warming.) She still wakes 2x/night, but is doing great in her own room/bed. Her favorite food is bananas, delivered via a mesh feeder. (A sanitary mom's nightmare. Thank goodness I'm a germie.) Other faves? Sweet potato fries, sweet potato mush and watermelon. Unfaves? Pears & rice cereal. She loves the stroller and no longer requires the car seat adapter. In fact, she abhors it. Girlfriend wants to sit up and look around. (Maizey, when asked during pre-dinner what Lucy is thankful for usually answers, "The wide world." True that.) She makes me wistful that my baby days are waning. But as Will says, "Better to end on a high note."

p.s. And just so I don't forget my latest Maizey-ism... last night I overheard her tell Will, during bedtime, "Dad, I think you're a genius."

Five months, thirteen days

The longest, shortest time...

Funny thing about these photos?

Lucy is a total ham. She is always smiling, laughing, oogling her sister or Kip. 

  And in many of these, she's Captain Serious. 

Or contemplative.

Though she did some grinning once my assistant Maizey was up from her nap.

  

 Loving her big sis.

And for those who ask whether she looks like Maizey did:

I'm not sure. What do you think?

As I always say, Lucy is awesome. For the most part she's a smiley, happy baby. Though lately, she gets very frustrated with her immobility. I don't think she'll be a roller/non-crawler for long.

She's constantly grabbing at our food (and plates, napkins, knives, my glasses, Maizey's hair, Kip's tail...) but isn't digging rice cereal or purees, still preferring a boob-only diet.

Last week she aged out of the cradle. Bob and Betty, after returning from their latest adventure, ferried it back to 1129's attic. We are convinced she holds the record for duration, though. Near the end she would "play" the spindles with her hands while kicking her feet. The cradle would swing wildly, sometimes into the wall. Restful, right? She is, however, very unhappy with her new Baby Bjorn travel crib. Lord help us when we're back in Milford and she has to settle into her own room.

Speaking of which - fingers crossed - re-entry in less than one month...