Happy 8 Months Cesa!

Bent is the ripe ol' age of 8 months today! Wow, how time flies!

Just a little entry about the happenings in her world at this time!

She said her first two words this week-Dada and Mama.

I thought I had trained her so well. I would practice over and over-MMMAAAAMMMAAA-accentuating my lip motions, but to no avail. Dada was definitly it for her. She says it mostly when she is really excited or REALLY mad!

She rolls at about 83 MPH to anywhere she needs to go. She has no interest in crawling.

If she can't get to it by rolling, she lies on her back and does a pelvic thrust that in turn flails her body in an upward motion. This move is especially fun when she is in her crib and does not want to take a nap.

She loves her dad, LOVE LOVES her dad!! Funny how that works.

She still HATES solid food. She is slowly learning to like carrots and peas, but still gags at the first taste of anything sweet.

She puts EVERYTHING in her mouth. She loves anything that crinkles or makes noise.

Give that girl a piece of paper or wrapper and she is set for hours!

She loves comotion, noise and people. She gets bored when we are just home on the weekend. She sleeps best at a loud concert, in an auditorium or at the circus!

Love my girl!

P.S. Cesa is her nickname of the week.

Attempt at Domestication

Cold, snowy day

+

WAY TOO much time in airports and on airplanes reading

"DOMESTIC" magazines

=

My attempt at domestication

Crackling Fire and Hot Cocoa Anyone?

You know those mornings on a cold weekend when you wake up and crave a nice, cozy crackling fire and some hot cocoa while you read the paper in your pajamas? We finally got one of those weekends.

We have waited and worked hard for that little slice of heaven, but in the end it was all worth it.

This was our living room this time last year.

(warning: grainy phone pictures)

..and this year. Yes, that is real wood ablazing!

Hair Today, Gone tomorrow!

Three posts in as many days...I am exhausted.

My shaggster had her first little trim yesterday. She may not have quite as many hairs as some folks, but she definitely had the hair muffs and the widows peak to be proud of.

I took her into my sister-in-law, Jenn to work her magic. Yes, this is probably something I could have just chopped myself with the kitchen sheers, but I was worried she would come out of it looking like a rookie marine. It was best left for the experts.

She immediately went into a trance when Jenn started combing her hair.

As long as she could look in the mirror at all the action...she did not move.

Finished product! Jenn found enough hair on that head to give her a bam-bam pony.

It was a day of grooming for Bent. Ever since I cut TWO fingertips while trimming her nails on the morning of the Fourth of July, I have thrown in the towell on torturing my daughter. Something about drawing blood on your five month old makes you think twice before the next attempt. This too is better left to the experts.

I tried filing her nails when she was younger...don't try this. Did not work.

Now, my sister-in-law, Keesha, cuts her nails weekly. Thank goodness for in-laws!!

My One Wish

My one wish for my daughter...to be a respectful, nice, friendly girl to everybody. That is one thing I stress about so much. I just want her to be NICE. We all remember the "bratty" girls growing up. (if I ever came across as the "bratty" girl to anyone, I am really sorry).
My one dream...SHATTERED. My SEVEN month old already thrashes and throws fits. Really? Can this really happen? Is she giving me a glimpse into her life as a socialite?
She is the happiest, most laid back, smiliest baby in the world until...she does not get her way. If I don't give her the phone when it rings, I have to hold on to her with both hands or she will thrash herself out of my arms to the floor. If I take her out of the bath before she feels she has had sufficient play time...she has a COMPLETE meltdown until we give her a bottle and put her to bed. Really? Should you have to have a ritual of draining the bath water and making her realize the water is gone before you can pry her out of the porcelain vat?
If I decide that maybe she needs a nap and she decides it is not on her agenda, she will yell this little "Baahhh" over and over and thrash her legs in the crib until she has shoved her head into the corner of her crib.
Oh and the worst one...heaven forbid I decide to try and look at a piece of paper without letting her taste test it first!!
Am a raising a "mean girl?" What do I do? I don't feel like I can ruin my child at the age of seven months. She is so sweet and so innocent and I just laugh at her because it is so funny for such a little girl!
Any advice here would be great!
Oh yah...on one other side note...my child won't eat. Plain and simple...she gags on EVERYTHING I put in her mouth. OK, anything that is food that is. Give her paper, a phone, lotion bottle, Motrin bottle, skin, fingers...she loves it, but DO NOT give her food!

Mayor of Slackerville

I have so many things to journal from the last month, Seattle girls trip, Uintahs with the fam, San Diego, Vegas, Florida, Bentley (of course), but I thought I would just throw this in for the halibut.

My mom has really wanted an updated family picture for some time. We agreed to turn our Sunday picnic into a photo session since our last one excluded Brade and Mark and I am pretty sure I was barely legal to drive.

The smell of Autumn was upon us and the typical brown sweater family picture was inevitable. Snowbasin is absolutely beautiful this time of year and we have the cutest stinkin little mom that desperately needed a photo to adorn her wall.

We picnicked and Trev's darling girlfriend snapped some shots. I have not gotten any of the "real ones" yet, but here are some sideline snapshots!

I LOVE this one of the kids. This completely captures their relationship!
Jackson despises his useless girl cousin and she just sits and stares in amazement. Thanks Cass!
Stay tuned (if you want) for Jeff's 50th surprise birthday party and a Mother Goose themed baby shower!!

To My Close Friends...You may Pick Your Jaw Off the Floor!!

I have been thinking about this so much lately, I thought I would award my thoughts with their own post.

Two years ago, I was the proud member of the DINK (double income, no kids) crew. Happy to be there and really thought I would spend my years as a faithful member. This all changed last summer when Brade and I found out we were having our beautiful little girl. We were both estatic. After a VERY difficult pregnancy and delivery, I knew she was going to be our only. She is beautiful, perfect, humbling and the most precious of gifts. There is nothing I need more in this world...except a sister/brother for my special little princess!

I know I am preaching to a choir when I say the love of a mother can hardly be contained within the confines of my chest, but I just can't imagine there is only enough love in there for just one. I never knew I could love someone SOO much. I never knew the joy that comes from every smile. I never knew the hurt that comes from every painful tear from her eyes. I never knew the laughter that can be shared by someone so naive. I never knew the joy that can be shared between a father and a mother. I never knew it was in me. It was buried for some time, but there is no denying it and there is no need to contain it.