10 Months

My darling, little Meredith,

You are 10 months old today and once again, I'd have to say this was the most fun month yet. You are transforming in front of my eyes. This month you started crawling so fast. You zoom from room to room with a mission in mind. Your favorite destinations include the kitchen cabinets, daddy's office, the laundry room, bathroom and daddy's sock drawer. You also like to crawl to the front door and bang on it. I take it as a sign of your adventurous spirit.



You spent lots of time at the park this month. We took you every time it was even close to warm enough. You absolutely love the swing. You also like crawling in the sand and climbing the stairs on the play structures. Like your mommy, you are also a fan of people watching, particularly those of the under 3 variety.



Speaking of people watching, you have become much more interested and interactive with babies around you, especially your friend Y.  You two love to grab each other and take each others toys. Just yesterday, on an outing to IKEA, you two babbled back in forth in the car. I hope you two become the best of friends like your mommies.

You made huge strides in self-feeding this month. I have watched with great joy as you've figured out how to pick up little pieces of food with your pointer & thumb and chew them up. Sharing meals together just the two of us or as a family of three has become the highlight of my day. You only gained a few ounces between your 6 month and 9 month appointments, so I'm hoping have three full meals of food in addition to lots of nursing will help you chunk up a bit.


One of my favorite developments this month was your laugh. You've laughed for a while now, but this month you started laughing almost non stop. You sit in your car seat and giggle to yourself and laugh freely as your silly parents try to entertain you. You have an all out laugh and you have a little chuckle and a few in between.

Meredith, there are moments when I cannot even comprehend how I am a mommy and you are my baby. You make each day exciting and happy and new. At night when I rock you to bed and during the day when I pause and truly gaze into your eyes, it feels like my heart could literally burst with the love I feel for you. It truly is unlike any other love I've felt. I hope that you always know how precious you are to me and your daddy.

 With all my love,
Mommy


ps. not sure there will be a 10 month video. my phone has been have a hard month so transferring from phone to computer is proving difficult.

spring.

Spring has finally arrived. If you live somewhere like Florida, or Texas, or California, this may not seem like a big deal. It's almost May, for pete's sake. But if you live in New England, you know what an accomplishment this is. After a winter of record snowfall and a cold weather that just wouldn't quit, you'd know. You'd know that this is news as exciting as the Royal Wedding. It is almost hard for my eyes to believe the buds, the green, the color. It is real. It is not just a mirage or a trick of my mind. Spring is here.

On our walk we saw bright yellows and deep purples. We saw squirrels scurrying and a bunny hop. We saw plant shoots and buds on trees. But pictures alone don't do it justice.



We heard birds chirping their celebratory songs as they excitedly flew from tree to tree. We heard the laughter of children playing on swing sets and the break of a ball on the bat as little league practice began.

As the wind blew over my shoulders and through my hair, it brought with it the scents of freshly cut grass and grilled corn. It brought with it the promise of warmer weather, shorter nights and days spent in the sunshine. It brought with it hopes that were all but dashed in winter.

I scream, You Scream...

...We all scream, for ice cream! Last night, after a delicious dinner of fajitas, we decided to go out for ice cream as a family. Chris gave Meredith a taste of my chocolate ice cream and it was immediately obvious she is a chocolate lover like her mama. I felt kind of guilty about giving her straight sugar, but I also loved seeing her cute face so excited.

 

 

more!!

shameless, i know.

 

Housekeeping

I love when you all comment on my posts. It means a lot to know you are reading and connecting with something. Sometimes you ask questions or say something kind and I would like to respond. It's kind of hard to know how to. I doubt that you'll come back to each individual post to see if I've replied, so I don't usually.

BUT! There is an easy way to allow for more bloggy dialogue. This post over on E Tells Tales explains how to do so. When I get an email notifying me of your comment, your email address is in the "From" line, so I can respond right to you. Please take a minute (really! it's quick!) and change it. This will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Promise.


Also, over on my sidebar are two places you can vote for this here blog. You can vote daily at both Circle of Moms and Top Baby Blogs. This is probably the only time i will ask, but it would mean a lot!

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Strawberry Muffins

Yesterday I baked some strawberry muffins. One of my favorite things about warmer weather is that more produce is in season and, therefore, on sale. I've been getting berries for great prices. I went a little overboard with strawberries this weekend, so I wanted to be sure to use up these little treasures before they went bad. I was also excited to make these muffins because the last time I did was June 26, 2010.  Why do I remember that? Because a mere two days later (not even...) Meredith was born. These muffins were the last thing I ate before giving birth. I ate a couple on our way to the hospital. I know that probably sounds silly, but it brings me back to a very exciting time.

I followed a recipe from Eggs on Sunday. I highly recommend them!

Steppin' Out: 4/23

My posts are all out of order now. I was going to skip Steppin' Out Saturday this week, but I had to show my new dress from Opal :) This photo is from a brunch we hosted Saturday morning. We gathered with the families from our hypnobirthing class which was so fun. Some of the babies I hadn't seen since New Year's Day, so it was amazing to see the changes in each of them. The women from my class have been a great support system, especially the first few months of Meredith's life. It was great to be together. It was gloomy outside, but cheerful in our little home.

my fancy (ha!) dyed eggs

i put little bunches of bright carnations all over the house. still making me cheery two days later :)

my new dress!

My Outfit:
Dress: Opal
Belt & Jacket: F21
Shoes: none :) we were home!

Easter Edition

We had a lovely Easter. The sun came out and warmed up the air, so it actually felt like Easter. We enjoyed a nice church service, some time at the park and a great meal with Chris's family. Hoping you enjoyed your day, too!

 

even though, meredith's not smiling, i love how this turned out :) rare to get one of all three of us.

 

she takes driving very seriously.

happy bunny :)

two family photos in one day!

so serious.

Happy Easter!

 Hope you are enjoying a day with family and friends. Happy Easter from Meredith!







ps. these were taking a couple of weeks ago. expect updated ones from tomorrow later this week :)

Books

I just finished reading these two books and started Water for Elephants last night. I love when I get into a good groove of reading. I love spending my spare time getting lost in stories instead of aimlessly perusing the internet. In an effort to keep the streak up, I thought I would enlist your help. What books have you read lately that you couldn't put down?

To my dad

Happy Birthday to you, Dad! You are the best father I could have asked for and the best pépé for Meredith. I wish we were together to celebrate. Enjoy your day. I love you!

more about my dad here :)

a bedtime story

tonight, after lathering Meredith up in her eczema cream and putting on her footie pajamas, i picked her up off her changing table and squeezed her tight. her little head fit perfectly in the crook of my neck. i sat on the couch in her nursery and just held her, her little squishy body flat against my own. i didn't want to let go as she rested and cuddled on me and i thought about how this little miracle was once inside of me.

i eventually moved her so she could nurse before bed. as i nursed her, her daddy came in and gave her kisses while he whispered sweet daddy things in her ear. and as he kissed her cheeks, i rested my head on his head after kissing his cheek. and for some reason, these few moments made me stop and catch my breath and think about how i am living my dream come true.

for a rainy day

it's been rainy the past couple of days and will be off and on for a few more. on days like these i want to be somewhere cozy, sipping tea and reading a book, buried under puffy blankets. i am about halfway through A Thousand Splendid Suns (thanks for the suggestion, Natalie) and am having a hard time wanting to do anything but read. if i could, i would magically transport myself to one of these places where tea and fresh scones would be awaiting me.

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