Monday, January 21, 2008

mashed potato baby

9 months? Whoa....
Okay Natalie..here's the deal- you are growing and getting older way too fast here. We would ask you to slow down, but that won't happen. We can't believe how big your getting! Call us being cheesy, but we wish we could slow time down even just for a moment. One teeny tiny moment.
There have been so many things going on with you lately. I have to think about where to start first so I don't get it all jumbled. LOL
Well, for one thing you LOVE LOOOOOOOOOVE Cheerios! It's insane but in a good way! Sometimes for breakfast, you only want to eat that and nothing else. Like, you literally fill up on it. You have been eating, usually, 3 solid food meals a day. For breakfast you have either just cheerios and formula or a jar of fruit and the milk, for lunch you have a vegetable with cheerios who can forget, and for dinner you have a turkey, chicken, or beef with veggie meal. Sometimes you have a dessert. Sometimes not. The other day we finally got you to drink some pear and apple juice! I put it in your sippy cup and all you wanted to do was turn in upside down and sprinkle it allover your tray. LOL So, I put some in a bottle (not what I really wanted to do but thought, "hey why not") warmed it just a little and you drank it all! We'll keep trying the sippy cup though. It's a toy to you for now.
And speaking of your food...my oh my. You LOVE food. Anything with real flavor makes you happy. And the more spices in it the better. You rarely eat your food bland. The only real food you like bland are avocadoes and carrots. And I gotta tell ya, since you've been regularly eating this stuff, you have been putting on so much weight!!! You were weighed (with clothes on) the other day and you're 20 lbs!!!! You have your well visit this Friday so let's see if that's right. Your daddy and I wouldn't be too surprised though because we can see the rolls piling on and it's so adorable. And there's more for us to snack on..those pudgy arms and legs are tasty. LOL The other day, while walking out of Wal-Mart, the woman who checks the receipts looked at you to say "hello" and she said (oh this is so funny) to her friend "oh she's a mashed potato baby! Look at her!" Ricky and I cracked up. I almost couldn't stop laughing because at first I was all like, "hey, what does that even mean?" And then we figured it out because of what she was saying before that..with how pudgy you are.
Pudgy you definitely are.
And I think about those days when you were 1, 2, 3, and even 4 months when you didn't really eat much. Granted you had reflux but it was scary. It feels like such a blessing to not even have to think about that now. To add no extra calories to your food. To calculate what you're eating exactly to the "t". Nothing.
You are so amazing and you've come so far!
Your personality comes out each day more and more. You are still very laid back. But you have a serious silly streak coming out and it's so delightful. "Delightful" is not a word I regularly use but it's the best word I could think of. You are just so funny. And you have the oddest sense of humor. Things we would think you'd be scared of (like some of the faces we make or how we pop out and make you jump) they all make you laugh. You aren't afraid of the swings or slides at the park. And we are so excited that Spring will be here in a few months. Your brother is coming out of his shell with that too so we're gonna have a blast...
Speaking of your brother.. oh Natalie..you adore him so much. I say this with every update. It sounds like a broken record, but it's so true. You see him and immediately, no matter what mood you're in, you smile at him! If you fuss or start to cry..like say when we clean you off after you eat (you hate being cleaned off), he comes over now and just starts laughing to get your attention. And then YOU start laughing too! There's no punchline. There's no real reason. But you two laugh! This sort of thing happens a few times a day now.
And Natalie, James really loves you. He has come such a long way with showing you this. He'll bring toys to you now when we don't even ask. He'll sit with you while you play.. he plays with you while you lay in your crib awake in the morning right before we come and get you guys..he nuzzles into you..sometimes it's a bit scary because he has a large heavy head. LOL He loves watching you play and you love watching him play. And ever since we made you two roomies you both sleep even better than before!!
You aren't yet crawling, scooting, or anything like that yet. And it's something that will probably be addressed at your Friday appt. And honestly, we're not worried. We're concerned like any parent would be, but we know deep down (and so does your doctor) that you're recovery from surgery took a few months and you had the surgery only 3 1/2 months ago so there's probably no reason to be too concerned. We know that eventually you'll start to try to get around.
And you do sit up! With really no assistance. We put a "Boppy" pillow behind you and you're set. lol We just need to find a way to work up some of your muscles in your shoulders and back. Tummy time has been really helpful and you've been so good with it too. You don't even cry anyway more if we put you on your stomache. Sometimes you roll over and sometimes you just lay there.
And here I am talking about you being "behind" with that stuff but watch, come time for your 1st birthday you'll be unstoppable with getting into things around here and everything. LOL And it's nice being able to still have you as our baby. You still love to sit in your swing and bouncy chair (we're pretty sure you are hooked on your bouncy chair ..and even now you try to pull forward in it which is scary and why you don't use it as much now) so it's so nice. Because whenever you start to become mobile both things are done with and it'll be kind of bittersweet. Especially to see the swing go. Both you and your brother loved it.
Ahh....memories....
We are just so proud of you and your daddy and I cherish you so much. You are such a joy...a pure joy to have and I still can't get over how awesome you are. You always beam with joy, too. And I just can't believe that I get to be your mommy. My sweet pea....
xoxoxo
Oh and PS- we tease you now because you have 3 tv "boyfriends" now that you smile and giggle at (only).. Joe and Steve from Blue's Clues and DJ Lance Rock from Yo Gabba Gabba. But you don't like to smile at your Uncle Drew (my brother). He's probably the person you'll be closest with when your older ..just watch. LOL



4 comments:

Kristin said...

So cute! I totally laughed at the TV boyfriends. Especially DJ Lance Rock! That's too funny!!

caesmom2002 said...

Awwww! I too laughed at the boyfriends. Well atleast shes going for the famous ones! That a good goal! lol.
She is getting so big. Such an absolute doll face!

Jen said...

LOVE those rosy pink cheeks! Natalie you are such a sweetie and I miss you! :)

lizcjones said...

They just grow up so fast! She's adorable!