On the Tip of her Tongue

Raegan is trying so hard to talk.  Her jibber jabber has turned a bit more comprehendable. 

We haven't really been pushing the whole talking thing; She has found interest in it on her own.  Maybe it's from all of the chitter chatter she hears from someone throughout the day.  Oooookkkaayyy, guilty as charged. 


Chuck and I have caught on so we have been encouraging by saying to her: "Da Da Da Da Da Da", "Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma" , "Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye", etc.


Up until a few days ago, I was giving equal opportunity to my "Da Da"s and "Ma Ma"s.   Since then, Chuck wholeheartedly admited that his encouragement of "Da Da"s excessively outnumbered "Ma Ma"s.


My response?  "Ok, if that's how you want to play - it's on!"  (All in fun, of course)


So, tell us, what do you think Raegan's first word will be?  Cast your vote HERE and let us know! 



Until next time,
"Ma ma ma ma ma ma"

Last Taste of Summer

My brother, Ryan, made a good point a few weeks ago when we were on our family's annual trip to Orange Beach - Being on the beach in October is nice. It's not super crowded; It's actually kind of quiet. And, it's a good "last taste of summer".

We always enjoy this trip. This year was especially special (can you say that - "especially special"?) because Bits was there with us for the first time.

It was so much fun to introduce her to the sand, the ocean, and the overall experience.

She wasn't sure what to think about the beach. I think the sun kind of got on her nerves. (She still isn't a huge fan of the bright light.  Hiiiiighhhh Maintenance!) But, she did seem to like the atomosphere as a whole because she slept like a champ while we were there!

The ride there and back? Well, now that's a different story. Bless her sweet, little heart.

And, bless ours...

Here are some fun shots from our trip:

First glimse at the ocean

Checking it all out. 

Mommy is telling me about the sand

Daddy said that I could leave my footprints

He was right!  There they are!  Right by my mommy's

So much fun playing with my cousins, Hannah Ryan and Maggie. 

What are they talking about behind me?

My first high chair experience. 

What better place to try it out than the Crab Trap!

My daddy likes to call me "Crab Trap" sometimes now.  He's funny.

Playing with my De De

Playing with my Pop Pop

Pop Pop is so smart. He is telling me all about his neat thing that he calls his IPhone.  I don't really understand what it is but I listen because it seems really important to him.  He is always holding it up to his ears.  My Uncle Ryan says he's the "Phone King"? 

I don't care what he and my mommy say.  I love my Pop Pop

Headed to The Warf to go shopping

Chilled out in my stroller

Mommy took me for a walk at the marina

Time for dinner again. 

Do I get Royal Reds? 

Nope-pureed pears for me

Playtime

Family pic

Uncle Ryan, Aunt Andrea, Maggie and Hannah Ryan

Fun on the balcony in the mornings

Maggie grabs my feet and I like it!

On our last night there, my Aunt Andrea took some pictures of me:

Saying goodbye to the beach

"Bye Bye beach!  I had so much fun playing in your sand and then putting it in my mouth.  See you next year!"

After we said "goodbye", we were on the road again

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I don't care for the road.

Look Who Has Been in the Kitchen!

So, for all of you who really know me know that I've never been one for cooking a whole lot. I'm not going to make excuses...but, after much thought on why I think this is, here is what I've come up with:

#1-I hate a mess. I especially hate a messy kitchen. And while this is going to sound completely nutty, even though I clean while I cook, things are still "messy" when the meal is finally ready. So the story goes--While I sit and eat, I can't help but think about the dishes and kitchen that I have to clean once the meal is over. I know why I'm like this. And, I am getting better. It still, though, contributes to my lack of interest in cooking.

#2-As mentioned in previous blogs, I am totally left-brained. I am also a believer that really good cooks...REALLY good ones (like my Aunt Brenda and my sister-in-law) are much more right-brained. There's a lot to be said for creativity in the kitchen. People like me are recipe followers. I can make pretty much anything by following a recipe. I simply follow the directions. But, what's the fun in that?


#3-In the past, when I worked full-time, I honestly had no desire to muster up the energy to come home from a 10 hour work day and whip up a meal. And, Chuck did not mind. (Really, he didn't. He does not mind that I don't cook.) Besides, it was much healthier for our marriage if we had a few hours to actually spend with one another than actually slaving in the kitchen, only to eat around 8:30, clean up, and crawl into bed without spending much time together.

Oh, how things change...

Now, we have a little one to care for...and now, (especially with me only working part-time and having extra expenses with a baby) we need to save more money....and now, we are definitely more health-conscious than ever.


As a result, I am cooking more---for Chuck and me AND for Raegan. For mine and Chuck's meals, it's definitely a team effort. I would say that, on average, we cook our own dinners 4 nights out of the week. I use the term "cook" loosely. Typically, a meal includes some sort of lean meat or fish on the grill, a healthy side, and a salad. So, in the end, I'm only having to manage 2 items. Plus, with Chuck cooking the meat, the messiness in the kitchen is cut in half. It's all been a very positive experience.
Onto the babyfood---

Making Raegan's baby food was a non-negotiable for me. I knew that I wanted to do this waaaaaaayyyyy before it was the "cool thing to do". My mom made mine and my brother's baby food. I have always found this completely endearing. So, from early on, I've wanted to do the same thing. Why not? I don't work full-time so I have some time on my hands. Plus, it's healthy.  So, there ya have it.


There are a handful of other moms I've talked to who are doing or are planning to do the same thing. We are all in touch and have plans to get together and have Baby food Preparation Gatherings. A little chopping, steaming, pureeing, freezing, and socializing all in one. Very exciting. :)

Before getting into the preparation of the foods, here's a rundown on the end results and Raegan's reactions so far.

-Sweet Potatoes: Didn't like them the first time, second time, or third time. Gagged until the fourth time. Buuuuutttt, persistence pays off. She's liking them now.
-Apples: Made faces, but still cleaned her plate the first time...and continues to.

-Green Beans: LOVED them the first time--probably more than she's liked any other first food. (I was totally shocked by this one.)
-Pears: Did NOT like them at first. (Shocked by this one too.) Beyond faces...gagging...lots of gagging...she continued to spit them out unless I mixed them with rice cereal. I think it may have been the texture. After pureeing them a little more smoothly-she loved them. Not sure if it was the smoother texture or just continuing to offer them that caused success. Either way, we'll take it.

-Oatmeal: Liked the first time. Really likes it little warm with some fruit puree mixed in.

-Bananas: Ate half of a banana the very first time. Loved!

And...for the preparation:

Supplies washed and ready

First up-sweet potatoes. Peeling and dicing was tedious...looking back-probably not a good one to start with

Steam steam steam

Final product

You should have seen me walking around the produce section looking for this. Apparently, this is what a butternut squash looks like

Prior to the fun of scooping out the seeds

Baked and ready to be pureed. (This is the only food that I opted to bake instead of steam.)

Voila!

Next: Carrots. (Yes, you are reading the label correctly. "Organic" ....I know....I know...)

The consistency wasn't as appetizing as others. I may be adding some breast milk to these once defrosted...mmmmm...

Suprisingly enough, I am enjoying the whole process. I even have a calendar for when we will be introducing what meals to Raegan. (Shocking, I know.) It really makes it easier for preparation-purposes. And, who am I kidding? I love a good plan.

Tune in next time as we discuss Raegan's reactions to the upcoming items on the menu:


-Butternut Squash
-Avocado
-Carrots
-Various other fruits and veggies, whole grain cereal, and meat. (I'm not going to lie. The thought of pureeing meat kind of grosses me out. But, anything for you, Bitsy! Anything for you! )

Yours Truly,

Paula Deen

Happy 6 Months, Raegan!

Raegan is 6 months old!

I'm several days late on this post. We took a trip to the beach on the actual day that Rae turned 6 months old (more on the the beach trip in an upcoming post).

Nonetheless, here are some highlights of the last fun month!

Raegan is sitting up! I am so thrilled about this feat. Not only has it opened up a whole new door for her independence, but it also allows her to explore and be entertained more while at Daycare. At Daycare, before she could sit up, Raegan would either be hanging out in a bumbo seat, bouncy seat, etc. Granted, her teachers do spend some one-on-one time with her, but they can't sit with her like I do at home while handing her toys (over and over) that she knocks to the floor. Now that she can sit up, Raegan can sit at Daycare and play with all of the toys that are within her reach. This makes me very happy.

Playing at home

But, after a while, I assume my old position. I'm really good at lying down. :)

As mentioned in a previous post, Raegan got her first tooth this past month. Since then, she has cut another...and, man are they sharp!! (I speak from first-hand experience.) They may not look scary, but believe me-you should be afraid...very afraid.

My own personal weapons. Just ask my mommy...

Raegan is loving music more and more. "Itsy Bitsy Spider" is her favorite song! Ok, that and her bath song that her daddy made up. :) If she hears either of these songs, she stops what she is doing, looks up, and immediately throws a HUGE smile at whoever is singing these favorites tunes. It's the sweetest thing!

She is still loving her feet...and, beyond grabbing them, she is all about putting them in her mouth. I know, I know...this is what all babies do. But, I'm still going to mention it and I'm still going to think it's cute because MY baby is the one doing it right now. ;)

So much fun

Silly tights are in my way

yummmmmmmmm

She has started getting upset when we leave the room. This isn't ALWAYS the case as there are plenty of times where we can leave her while she is playing and then come back a few minutes later with her never making a peep. But, there are definitely times (starting this past month) that she doesn't want daddy or mommy out of sight. An example......My heart officially broke into a million pieces when I dropped her off one day at Daycare this past month and instead of immediately starting to play like she normally does, she whimpered, looked at me, and cried as I started walking out the door. (And, thus begins the guilt...) Typically, Raegan is really social.(She has no problem with letting others hold her, play with her, etc.) At the same time, I guess all babies will be babies. When they really want their mommies and daddies, they are going to let you know. Let the research on handling "separation anxiety" begin...

Along the same lines as the above-Raegan has started reaching for us. I love love love this.

Since the day we started feeding Raegan rice cereal, she has been extremely interested in holding her own spoon. I let her. Every. Single. Time. And, since day 1, she has done a really good job with feeding herself. Yes, allowing her to hold her own spoon prolongs the whole feeding process. And, yes, she gets a lot messier as a result. But, why deprive her of this? In all actuality, she is great about getting the spoon straight into her mouth. So, while she may only be in the 17th percentile in weight, this girl has some serious hand-eye coordination.

My first solid feeding besides rice cereal. Sweet potatoes...today is Thursday...I like them today

Raegan is starting to recognize her name. I think that most babies typically do this a little earlier than 6 months. But, let's be honest, this is probably our fault. (Our=me, Chuck, my family, friends, etc) I have this thing about calling people by other names than their actual name. I'm going to estimate that the percentage of time that I call Raegan "Bitsy" or "Stinker" or "Sweetie" or "Punkin" , etc versus her actual name is, oh, right around 70%. Oops!

She has several new favorite toys:

#1: Raegan loves to play with any and everything that is NOT a toy. Why do babies do this? I used to think that they just wanted to play with things that adults always come into a lot of contact with as an attempt to "be like adults". However, I've noticed Raegan's desire to play with things that she has never even seen any adult have contact with. Sure, she loves the standard cell phone, remote, water bottle, etc. But, she also likes random objects that she rarely sees anyone coming into contact with. Like the coffee pot....

Clearly more interested in the coffee pot as opposed to her 16 toys I've fervently placed within her reach.

#2: My mom has given Raegan various little gifts from my Grandma Carol (who is deceased). Grandma Carol often kept generic gifts in one of her chest drawers in order to have them in case she needed to give as presents. When she passed away, my mom apparently got all of the items from her gift drawer and saved some. On special occasions, she gives Raegan gifts from the stash. So thoughtful and sweet. One of Raegan's gifts from Grandma Carol is her all-time favorite toy!

Raegan loves her little squeaky Bunny.

#3: After countless hours of picking up Raegan's toys after she threw them down, pushed them off her bumbo tray, and/or accidentally dropped them-I decided to get aggressive on finding a toy where all of the above wasn't possible.

What's wrong with these toys, mommy? I can't push them off my tray!

This has absolutely nothing to do with any kind of 6 month milestone; however, I couldn't resist posting these pics. Take a look at our 6 month old ballerina! She looks like a natural to me... ;)

Preparing for my pirouette

AND....Plie'

Life with Bitsy keeps getting better and better. My heart feels like it's going to explode because I love her so much. We are already thoroughly enjoying month 7.

Happy 6 Months, Raegan!

Happy Fall, Y'all

OUR PUMPKIN

In case you're wondering...here is the process in which the above went down...

"Mommy, what are these things on my legs? I've never worn these before."

"Better yet, why is there a silly face on my bib? And, what is this round, orange thing?"

"Oh, look! There is a long, green thing coming out of the round, orange thing!"

"I like it. I think I want to put it in my mouth."

"But, mommy, why not? I think that putting the long, green thing in my mouth is an excellent idea."

"I'm pretty sure that I know what's best for me. I'm going to do it anyway."

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"I don't like it!"

Yeah...that's what I thought...

From our house to yours, HAPPY FALL!