Before diving into Christmas season (which, I'm not going to lie, I'm guilty of; Red and green are definitely in full-force at the Ransom house), I want to give the Thanksgiving holiday its deserved recognition.
I have to say that while I'm still guilty for possessing the human nature of taking things for granted, I do acknowledge how blessed I am on a fairly regular basis. It's unfortunate that it took a few specific situations, along with a health scare, to stimulate this. Either way, I am glad - and thankful ;) - for everything that helped fuel this response.
I am desperate to teach Raegan very early on how important it is to be thankful. How easy it is to forget to do this. We've all been there, right? When it's so easy to focus on the negative: what we DON'T have; what we have NOT had the opportunity to do; what we REGRET; what we DON'T like about ourselves; what we DON'T like about others. Etc Etc Etc
I may sound like the "Master of the Obvious" here, but I have to say that I find this a completely unhealthy and self-absorbed way of living. So many bad things derive from it...jealousy, anger, entitlement, envy, selfishness, and an overall negative energy.
My hope is for Raegan to be grateful and fully aware of how blessed her life is on regular basis, not just when she is prompted by a sad story from time-to-time about someone less fortunate.
How will I do this? I have no clue. It's the same question that I struggle with when trying to figure out how I will help her to be a kind person.
For starters with being thankful, I plan to continue beginning our nightly prayer together with, "Thank you, Lord, for all of the blessings in our lives. We know that there are those who are less fortunate than us. Please keep us forever mindful of how blessed we are."
While the remainder of our prayers is often dominated by something heavy on our hearts, I do vow to do better at naming specifics.
Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
There are so many little things to be thankful for. Those are the difficult ones to always pay attention to. When I am having trouble seeing all of those little things in my life, I visit other blogs and read the author's stories. At first, I thought this was somewhat invasive, but...that's what online journals are for...sharing. Have you ever visited THIS BLOG? I challenge you to read it from beginning to end. Amazing.
In honor of Thanksgiving, I thank God for some of the biggest gifts in my life:
...for Jesus Christ who died for our sins; for my husband, Chuck, who is the epitome of "good", the love of my life, and who constantly helps me to keep things in perspective; for my sweet baby girl who is the biggest blessing that I could ever imagine; for my parents who have always made their infinite love for me apparent and who have both provided an example of hard work; for my brother for his friendship, humor, and for bringing Andrea, Maggie, and Hannah Ryan into my life; for my Mother-in-Law for raising such a wonderful man; for my Father-in-Law for always making me feel comfortable; for my Brother-in-Law for his heart and his undying effort to improve; and for the health and continued safety for all of those mentioned and more...
I hope you enjoy this holiday. Even while I'm "trimming the tree" this week, I will be mindful of all of the blessings in my life. And, believe me, the above is just the tip of the iceberg.
On a lighter note, as a lover of casseroles, I am pumped about this week/weekend.
One of Raegan's teachers, Miss Christina, sent me several pictures of Raegan recently at school.
Seeing these pictures further reinforces my decision to go back to work on a part-time basis. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing I crave more than my days with my little girl...There are plenty of Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, or Mondays that we don't even leave the house. She and I play, talk, read, and laugh together every minute that she is not napping.
Then, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays-I completely convert to career mode. Every now and then, I feel some guilt...But, most of the time, I simply feel blessed to have the best of both worlds.
Because while I'm elbow deep in the world of business, complete with pearls and dressed in heels, Raegan is at school socializing, learning....and doing this:
I feel like this past month has flown by faster than any others so far. Sniff...
We are loving the stage she's in. I know that I say this every month, but her personality just keeps coming more and more to life. It's so fun to watch and learn.
Here are some highlights:
While Raegan can get to where she needs to go, she still isn't overly mobile. She's not crawling but can definitely maneuver around. The majority of her method incorporates "the roll". With the sideways roll, a few corner rolls, a scoot here and there, and another roll or two-she reaches her destination. I honestly have no idea when (or if) she'll start crawling. While she has gotten on her knees and propped her little bottom in the air a few times, she's not really being overly aggressive with her attempts. Who knows, she may go straight from rolling to walking. Either way, rest assured that mommy is in no rush for her to meet either milestone. I can only imagine how much our lives will change when she goes from being Pretty-Easy-to-Keep-Contained Raegan to Impossible-To-Keep-Up-With Raegan.
Her technique in full effect
That's her...in the pink sweatpants...totally not on any of the matching (not so much) blankets that I so lovingly laid out for her to play on...
Raegan is still sleeping really well. To backtrack, she has been "sleeping through the night" since she was about 2 1/2 months (7-8 hours). By about 5 months or so (I can't believe I'm already forgetting), she was sleeping around 10 hours a night. The changes, this past month, in her sleep habits have been #1-The amount she sleeps at night (a consistent 11 hours a night); #2-The increased lengths in her naps. (Nap-wise, she's at 3+ a day. With her going to daycare 2.5 days a week, it's virtually impossible to get her on a strict nap schedule. She does sleep at daycare, but she definitely naps better at home.) and finally, #3-the biggest accomplishment this month with Raegan's sleep is her increased ability to soothe herself...and to be able to do it so much faster. Putting her down at night and for naps has become much, much easier. This has completely changed my life.
Here's our sweet little pumpkin post her morning nap:
Raegan has proven this past month to be a great eater! There are very few foods that she won't eat. Let me take that back, there are really no foods that she won't eat. There are a few that she makes a face after her first one or two bites...but, she pretty much continues to eat it. Also related to eating, Raegan's highchair finally came in after 3 months of waiting for it to be delivered. Only challenge? Getting her to sit in it for the entire meal. It's really hit-or-miss.
This day, the highchair was a hit
When it's not, we give in and put her back in the trusty Bumbo:
For some, this may be TMI, however I feel obligated to document what has been a huge hurdle for us this past month. How can I put this? Hmmmm....let's just say this...what goes in must come out. While true, this concept can still be more difficult for some than others. Raegan is one of those who is it definitely more difficult for. I won't burden you with the details. What I will say is this-it doesn't take much. Believe me, more often than not, even with following "the rules, she ends up "stopped up". And, I'm not just talking about her being uncomfortable. She is flat-out miserable....screaming...pain...etc. Breaks mommy and daddy's hearts. So, as much as she LOVES bananas, apples, and even rice cereal-these may forever be given in low quantities to Bits. It's just not worth it. Bless her...
A frozen banana inside. She LOVED it.
Little did she (or I) know that she was well on her way to her first experience with major constipation....
So, as a result of the above, we've been advised to give her a small amount of juice and water on a daily basis. SHE LOVES THIS. As soon as she sees me pouring the juice, she immediately starts panting and cupping her lips like a little birdie.
Give me, give me, give me
Awww...one of my favorite new things-she is snuggling lots more. She used to only want to be held while facing outward. Now, she allows us to prop her up on one of our hips. It doesn't take long for her to be in this position before she throws her little arms around me and buries her head into the nape of my neck. If I'm lucky, I'll also get a few open mouth kisses on the side of my face. Heaven...
Another new little tidbit-She's loving all things "giraffe" lately. Perhaps it's the long neck (easy to grasp), or the horns (fun to put in mouth), or the stimulating spots all over their bodies. Whatever it is, it's so cute to see her recognize one.
Have you met my little giraffe?
Another fun aspect of playtime with Raegan is her excitement over having toys shaken in front of her. Seems simple, but I can't get enough of her flailing her arms and her sweet babble when her daddy shakes one of her toys and teases her with it.
Playing: (pls excuse her outfit...or lack there of...)
Overall, playtime is more fun than ever. I constantly have a huge (tacky) pallet in the floor in living room where we spend at least 3 hours a day. She loves her giraffes, her ball that rolls on its own, her "shapes" turtle, her new "Around We Go" toy, and of course, as always, her fingers...
My turtle with lots of fun shapes!
Chewing on the purple star.
This was a new toy introduction this past month.
I am pretty sure that this was the last smile I saw on her face while playing in this thing.
The jumper-not a favorite at our house...not yet anyway
Meanwhile-does anyone else want to chew on these little feet?
My fingers....mmmm....
Oh-is this a new toy for me? I haven't noticed...
Personality-wise, Raegan definitely smiles, coos, laughs-but we've noticed lately that she's much more chilled out and less silly than a lot of other babies. She's like her daddy in this aspect. She spends a lot of time focusing and taking it all in. There are certain things that prompt a smile. Like: if you say, "heeeeyyyy" and smile really big at her, or if you sing one of her favorite songs ("Itsy Bitsy Spider" or "If You're Happy and You Know It"), or if you happen to be Chuck Ransom and just walk into a room. :)
Spish, Spish!
She's waving. So cute. The funniest part is that a lot of the times when she waves, it's rarely in the correct context of a situation. Examples? When she is being dried off after a bath, she will wave with both hands...translation: "Daddy, it's cold. Please get my sleep sack on me asap." She also waves her hands when she wants more food...translation: "Mommy, I know you're trying to get me to sign 'more' but I don't have the time. I'm hungry." And, the cutest is when she turns her little chubby hand towards herself and waves...translation: None. Just pure, pure cuteness.
Here's my attempt at capturing one wave within context. Keep your eye on her left hand. Don't blink:
The gibberish continues. Her newest thing is spitting when she tries to talk. It's like she is trying to say something and her mouth naturally forms to the position where her tongue is between her lips. This is typically accompanied by a smile. She may have me fooled (no comments, please), but I don't think she is trying to spit. I think she is actually trying to say something and that her lips end up in this position. As far as an update on her saying actual words, the verdict is still out. Or is it? Here, I'll let you judge for yourself:
Take 1:
Take 2:
Take 3:
Several other quick highlights:
Great at sitting up. Sits and plays for long periods of time.
Pays much more attention to Gabby. Reaches out and wants to pet and touch her.
Still loves her bath. I mean LOVES her bath. Can be completely exhausted and having a major meltdown-as soon as you dip her toes in the water-a smile almost always erupts. And, if that doesn't do the trick, the first tune of her bath-time song inevitably puts a smile on her face.
Reaches for people more.
Weighs 15 1/2 pounds.
Can still fit into some 3-6 month clothes (mostly shirts and onesies...really nothing with pants-her legs are pretty long) but she's mainly wearing straight-up 6 months.
Just now out of size 1 diapers. (She probably could have moved up sooner, but due to our Size 1 surplus-thank you, coupons)-we made the 1's work a little longer.
Is the absolute love of our lives.
Happy 7 Months, Little One!
Is it horrible that I'm already overly anxious about Christmas?
It's true - holidays are so much more fun and meaningful when you have a little one (or two, or three...)
Raegan was such a sport throughout the Halloween season. She withstood all of the obnoxious festive outfits I dressed her in and was a trooper during all (ok, almost all) of the photo sessions in her actual costume.
Speaking of her costume, I realize that there are some cuter ones out there, but in the end, we opted to go with a style that she will never ever be able to wear again...a swaddle! (I mean, you know there was much thought and deliberation around this - her first Halloween costume? Mon-u-men-tal decision.)
I thoroughly enjoyed a Halloween where Chuck and I got to choose Raegan's costume. Do we have one more year where we get to do this? Or, will she start as early as a year and a half with her own thoughts of what she wants to be? Sigh...But, you know - now that I think about it, I'm actually looking forward to learning what she wants to dress up as each year. I love learning her likes and dislikes with food; I can't imagine how exciting it will be regarding something as fun as a costume! What will she be into? Animals? Sports? Princesses? The fun never ends. All I know is - for 2009: She was "into" being a daisy.
