Dear Sloan: Eight Months

Well little Noodle, summer is in full force and you are enjoying it to the fullest! Luckily you love the water, because we have been in it quite a bit lately to get cooled off!

I almost let you have your first sleepover with Nana on July 3rd when we went to a wedding out of town, but I just couldn't do it! I missed you too much! However, you did spend the whole day and all the way up until midnight with Nana and Papa and loved every minute of it - sounds like you didn't even miss us! Nana had a little photo shoot with you and captured some adorable moments!

On July 4th you had your first real day at the beach with Mummy and Daddy! You had been before, and dipped your toes in the sand and lake, but on this day we went for a swim in the lake and played in the sand! We have also had lots of days at Nana and Papa's pool! You love the big pink floaty and splashing around!

We even got a teeny-tiny little baby pool for at home to dip you in now and then!

On July 30th you got to enjoy some music at the Bruce! You stayed out way past your bed time and danced the night away at the Bluesfest - you LOVED the music!

This month you showed your growing independence, and while it is so exciting to watch you become your own little person, it is also so sad to see that you don't have to depend on me so much anymore. You are boogying around like nobody's business! You aren't crawling yet, but you can get where ever you want to go, and quite quickly too! You do this adorable little butt scoot and have also started doing a bit of an army crawl too. I don't think it will be long until you are actually crawling! Daddy better get the gate up at the stairs soon! You are also trying to pull yourself up on things - especially the bookcase and the coffee table at Nana and Papa's house! You can't quite pull yourself up to a standing position, but you do get close!

You love to play on your own, as long as you can see one of us close by, but you can keep yourself busy for a while! Your stacking rings are your favourite toy right now. While you are playing you're always babbling away to yourself, Dadadada is still a common one, but you are also saying yayaya a lot now too. Your little voice is so adorable, as is you little baby dinosaour growl that you still do a lot!

You seem to have grown a lot this month - right out of a lot of your clothes! At night when I am nursing you in the dark and I can only see your outline next to me it's hard not to get a little choked up when I realise how big you have gotten. The tiny baby that fit so perfectly accross my chest, is now sprawled out across my entire lap! Slow down!!!

Now, for your big 8 month birthday you celebrated by having a sleepover with Nana and Papa! Mama was able to loosen up a bit over the last month and realised the day (actually the night) had to come eventually! Mummy and Daddy had friend over and you got to spend some time with your "aunts" and "uncles" before taking off for your night away. And...of course...you did just fine!

Mama and Daddy love you so much Sloan!

xo Mama

Not-so-Wordless Wednesday

We seem to have issues with power cords on our laptop and another one has bit the dust! I'm debating getting another power cord, a new laptop, a new baby netbook, or a desktop...

For now, it's quick stops in at the parentals house for computer use!

I found this pic on their computer...

This was taken in a beer tent in Ripley during the reunion...the date stamp says Aug 19, 2005 - is that right? Apparently it was during Randi's tomato phase...

xo JBM

Wordless Wednesday: The Toothless Wonder

Dear Sloan: Seven Months

Wow, lots of firsts this month! Month 7 absolutely flew by...and got hotter and hotter as it went! It was 43 degrees today with the humidex!

You went on your first vacation this month. We went to visit David out in Vancouver with Nana, but sadly Daddy had to stay home and work. You were a great little traveller - sleeping on the plane, adjusting to the time difference and sightseeing like it was your job! We got to see a lot of great things (you especially loved the aquarium), eat at a bunch of great places (NoodleBox, Dim Sum, Mexican, Cupcakes! and lots of great homemade meals!) and spend lots of quality time with Uncle David and Brad!

You still love the jolly jumper and would stay in there for hours if I let you I think! I bought you a little spongy mat to jump on so you don't hurt your feet! You're also using this mat to roll around on - you're a master roller now! You can even roll towards something to get it! This mat has also come in handy to work on your sitting, which you have also mastered! You look so grown up sitting there on your own, not toppling over!



Last month you mastered the clapping, but this month you perfected it by clapping on cue! If we clap, you clap! You have also figured out that if you bang two things together it makes a noise. It was so neat to watch you figure this out for the first time, and just as wonderful to see you so impressed with yourself each time you rediscover it!



You are eating more and more different foods now. This month we discovered that you love apple-pear sauce (so do I!) and although peaches weren't a big hit at first, you love them mixed with banana!



Your little personality is developing more and more. You are a little Mama's girl for sure! You have this adorable little shy smile when meeting new people and turn into my shoulder to hide your little face - it is so stinkin' cute! You also do this adorable little shoulder shrug that could melt anyones heart!


We hosted our first play group this month - you had 6 little friends over! It was so neat to watch you interacting with them (mainly with eye contact and watching them play with your toys).

Speaking of playgroup, we have also been going to the Early Years Centre on a pretty regular basis and this month you got to paint there for the first time! Yummy vanilla pudding painting! As soon as you got a taste of it, you licked it all of your page - so much for painting! You also did some painting for Father's Day - hand prints on a homemade card and some painting with a brush on a bowl that you helped make for Daddy out in Vancouver - he is one lucky Daddy!

Yum!

You're babbling more and more now. Da-da is still your favourite sound, but I'm working on ma-ma! I say ma-ma and you repeat da-da!

You also went to your first pipe band this month - a weekend tradition I hope to keep since I have so many great memories of it as a child. You watched without a flinch as the band went by and then we marched behind them and Mummy and Daddy got ice cream. On the way back you fell asleep! And stayed asleep as the band went by the second time!

Snoozing...

Lastly, another first - fireworks! You celebrated your first Canada Day! We were off to Cambridge for the day to see the Stewart-Murphy clan and visit with your Nanny Murphy - she noticed a HUGE change in you since this was just her 3rd time seeing you. You napped almost the whole way home, so you were able to stay up late to watch the fireworks over this lake in town. We weren't sure how you would react to them, but you just snuggled on me, and rested your head on Daddy and watched with amazement. I didn't get to see too many because I was busy watching your reaction to them!

You no longer hate the grass!

People keep asking me if I am looking forward to going back to work soon and the answer to that is a big fat NO! I love my job, but I love being with you way more. I can't imagine not being the one to get to watch all of these first with you and getting to see all of the subtle little changes day to day. Hopefully we'll win the lottery before it's time to go back to work! :)

xo Mama


p.s We still mainly call you Noodle! Luckily you aren't too confused by this and respond to either Sloan or Noodle!

Wordless Wednesday: Peaches & Pipeband

xo JBM

The Clapper!

Sloan wants to know...

What do you think of our new entertainment unit???

Matt and I feel like such grown-ups now! I should have taken a before pic, but most of you had seen our set up - the tv on an old dresser that I had picked up at a yard sale the summer after first year university and painted orange, and then chocolate brown...and the dvd player and playstation on a tv table beside it...with cords everywhere! lol Time to grow up a little! I still have to finish adding stuff to it, and we need to lose the bookshelf, but I need something else to go there before I can do that - it looked too bare with nothing there...plus, I need somwhere to put all the books!

Also, Noodle loves to clap...

xo JBM

Dear Sloan: Six Months

WOW! I cannot believe that you are already a half a year old! Half a year! Crazy! In just 6 short months you have completely stolen my heart and replaced it with one that is somehow more full of love than I ever thought possible. Your Daddy and I love you more and more each day and love you with every ounce of loving possible! Also, in just 6 months you have really started to become your own little person. You have likes (kisses, playing in the water, watching Toby & Bane run around, the jolly jumper, seeing Daddy when he comes home from work, the ABC's...etc) and dislikes (laying down unless you are in bed, chicken, the feeling of grass on your feet...). Your personality is blooming and it is so neat to watch!

This month you really started to babble more and make more sounds. You love when we mimic you! Da-Da seems to be your favourite so far! Sometimes you surprise yourself by figuring out how to make a wh or p sound and you look so proud of yourself - you look around to see if anyone is watching as if to say 'did you just hear that - I did that!' It is SO cute! You still do your adorable little growl which is getting louder and all the other Mummy's at baby group think it is so funny!

We have had some really beautiful weather this month - lots of sunshine and some really warm days too! You don't mind coming out to help me with the yard work and loved sitting and watching me plant a herb garden (which is now growing just as fast as you!).



You have tried a few different foods now in the purees I've been making for you. So far you seem to like sweet potato and black beans the best. You also have a new obsession for drinking glasses! If there is one in sight, you want it! You're also pretty good at drinking out of a cup now too!


I got to enjoy my first Mother's Day this month too which was great! I love being your Mummy so it was nice to spend a day just celebrating that!

You've been working on your rolling and have flipped back to belly and belly to back a few times, but are still working on perfecting it - sometimes your little arm gets stuck and in your way! You seem to be able to get a move on most in your crib and I've found you on your belly more than once after your nap! You have also learned to clap this month and it is the cutest thing ever! Each time you do it I say YAYYYY and your little face lights up with the biggest smile!

You have become a better sleeper this month, waking only a couple times a night to eat...yay! We have a pretty good bed time routine going and you seem to sleep best when we follow it. Bath around 8, into pj's and then a story with the dim light on and then nurse and then rock with your music on and then off to dreamland!

Mama and Daddy love you little Noodle! Happy 1/2 Birthday!

xo Mama