I am 8 months old today

I have a signature nose scrunch

I sleep from 7 to 6

I am trying so hard to crawl

I love it when my brother pulls me up to standing and hugs me

I join Daddy for runs in the morning in the jogging stroller

I have liked every food I've tried so far

I say "ma ma" and "da da" all day long

I tell you, these two are getting more and more bonded each day. They are starting to "play" together and Cole has a hard time waiting for her to get up from naps because he says he misses her. It brings tears to my eyes that our little baby is already 8 months old and getting so close to being mobile. It's going too fast!

Swimming

Cole was terrified to start swim lessons this summer. So, like any good Mom, I just didn't tell him what were doing on his first day. He had a moment of panic and didn't want to go but as soon as the teacher called him over he let go of his fears and is having a blast. Here are a couple of videos I took to show to Jeff.

And here he is at the outdoor pool with his friends Hannah and Danica. He has already declared his love for Hannah and tells me daily that he plans to marry her. When I ask him what it means to be married he says, "to be really good friends".

I am 7 months old today

Photo by Heather Beam Photography



My nicknames are Stelly Belly, Stellar and Baby Girl
I bite my bottom lip all the time
I have slept through the night once
I love to eat, I'm now eating solids for breakfast and dinner
I am "talking" a lot - da da, mum mum and ma ma, and lots of squeals
I love remote controls
I like to make fart sounds with my mouth to make my brother laugh
My thighs are impressive
I am a very happy girl

Preschool graduation

Cole graduated from his first year of preschool last week, he's moving on from the Terrific Turtles class to the Busy Bee's next year. He's had such a wonderful year at Noah's Ark Preschool, we were so impressed with his teachers Miss Vicki and Miss Wendy. Hard to believe he only has one more year of preschool until Kindergarten!

Gone fishin'

It was a dudes only day today. Jeff, G-Pa and Cole got up early to go fishing, and they came home with two fish! Cole wasn't sure about eating his catch, but after a few bites he eagerly ate up.

And a picture of these adorable 4 year old legs. Always bouncing, jumping, running. In shorts constantly even when it's cold. The knobby kneecaps. *Swoon*

6 months old

I just started sitting up

I am eating all kinds of foods: sweet potato, banana, pear, avocado - I love them all

My hair is wild and still likes to stand straight up

I am so entertained by my big brother, he makes me laugh and giggle all day long

I am still a mama's girl

I love it when Daddy plays the guitar and sings to me

I am full of smiles

I am a drool machine

I love my sock monkey

I can put both of my feet in my mouth at the same time

Happy half-birthday baby girl!

5 months

Stella is 5 months old today!

Our little baby who spent the first 4 months of her life crying all.day.long with colic, has turned into the happiest, smiliest little peanut with the most adorable chubby thighs. She is such a joy, filling our home with coos and giggles all day long now. She seems to feel so much better and now I can say I have the easiest baby! She has settled into a nice routine and just goes with the flow of our daily lives.

Of course, when blogging, it's so easy to paint a picture like we've got it all together. But, the reality is that our house is almost always a mess, the espresso machine is worn out and my wardrobe has gotten progressively more pathetic! On Christmas Day this year, we were driving home from Christmas dinner and we were both so tired, we decided to get a coffee. We completely forgot it was a holiday and no place would be open. While both kids were screaming their heads off in the back, we were cruising around Vancouver in our mini van wondering why no coffee shops were open. We burst out laughing when we started to talk about how our lives had changed over the last few years. Parenthood is no joke.

But lately I've been trying to stop and remember all the little moments amidst the chaos of our daily lives, because it is just flying by with these two. Cole is no longer my baby, and if I'm being honest, he's just not all that into me anymore. It's all about Dad these days. I remember how busy he was as a two year old and how I wanted to get through that stage faster. And now I would love to go back if I could. The things that drive me most crazy today, are the things I will miss the most in the future. The 30 Hot Wheels perfectly lined up down the hallway that always manage to be underfoot. The 5am wake up calls for a snuggle. Waking Stella up early from a nap because he missed her. Standing in the pouring rain because he wants to learn how to buckle his carseat by himself. "Helping" me in the kitchen. Hearing the word "poop" 400 times a day because he thinks it's just the funniest thing ever.

And Stella. We were in such survival mode during the first few months all of those first little moments just slid by. I never want to forget that she "talks" so loudly in church that we always have to step out. Her little crying fits that force me to stop whatever I'm doing and to just hold her for a bit. The last feeding before bed where I get to hold her and read for 30 minutes. The constant spit up that means multiple outfits changes a day, getting full use out of her adorable wardrobe. Checking on her in the bouncy chair every few minutes while I shower. Moving everything off the changing table so that Cole can sit next to her while I get her in her jammies.

Our lives are far from perfect but rich indeed.