Eight month update

We are in the middle of upgrading to our new computer and I haven't figured out how to manage video or photos on the Mac yet so a written post will have to do for the next few days or so....

I seriously can't believe that Lily is eight months old. I know that I already blogged about how quickly the time is passing but it's really starting to weigh heavily on my mind. I found out today when I need to return to work and honestly, I'm starting to freak out a bit. I can't imagine giving up the job that I love and I can't imagine continuing to stay home full-time but I'm really struggling with the idea of placing Lily in the care of a stranger. I'm sure that we will find her a wonderful dayhome and I'm sure that she will do fine...It's just me that I'm worried about!

Anyways, back to Lily's eight month update. She is totally growing like a weed these days. We haven't been for a check-up in forever (not due for another one until next month) so I have no idea how much she weighs but she has grown out of all her clothes and is firmly entrenched in the 6-9 month clothes. She has gorgeous chubby cheeks and an awesome Budda belly. She loves eating these days and currently eats solid foods for breakfast and dinner. She's on the cusp of being ready for a third meal of solids. She pretty much loves everything that we have given her with a few exceptions (cauliflower and avocado). I had been slowly introducing foods but I've given up worrying about food allergies and usually give her a new food every day. She loves meat, beans, egg yolks, mangos, yams, carrots, cheese, yogurt, and beets. I gave her apple juice for the first time today and she was thrilled! She's gone through some huge changes developmentally. She's not quite crawling yet but she is incredibly close. She can crawl backwards and can spin herself around but lacks the understanding of how to involve her legs to move herself forward. She can pull herself up by holding onto my shirt when she is sitting in my lap. She can stand on her own when she is leaning against the sofa or one of us and she can sit independently for long periods of time. She still loves chewing on things but now she loves to bang things together and stare at herself in the mirror. She loves reading books with Daddy before bedtime and she's obsessed with the phone and the laptop. She babbles on all day long but still doesn't say any real words. I have been trying to teach her some sign language (milk, hungry, tired, more, and all done) but she doesn't really seem to understand what I'm doing. However, she uses her own signs and signals to tell us that she's tired, hungry or wants to nurse. She has been sleeping quite well over the past week and is now mostly sleeping 10+ hrs straight (YEAH!!!!). She's learning to use Skype and she loves listening to her grandparents and aunts talk to her on the phone. She loves kicking in the bath and pulling my hair. She is super interested in chewing/playing with hoodie strings, zippers and/or jacket toggles. Lily remains a content and happy little human and she is a total delight to be around these days.

As long as it's not China on the other end of the line

Lily LOVES playing with the phone! It is probably her favorite "toy" and I let her play with it throughout the day. She listens to friends and family when they call and she always gets a huge smile on her face when someone is saying hi to her on the other line. She pushes all the buttons and chews on the ends. I've heard her accidentally dial a few phone numbers but I've always managed to hang up the phone before she connects through to someone. At least I thought that I did...until I got a phone call last week from Scott's cousin's husband. Seems that Lily had dialled their number during the day and he had a lovely conversation with her. He could tell that it was her on the other end of the line because she was babbling away in babyspeak and he was kind enough to respond by chatting back at her. I love that she called someone and chatted away with them, all without my knowing.

It's a matter of time

The passage of time and the concept of how one spends their time...both of these thoughts are prominent in my mind these days.

I can't believe that Lily is almost eight months old! Time seemed to move SO slowly when she was first born. I hated being stuck alone at home with her and I couldn't stand how endless each day seemed to be. Now, time seems to be flying by and I only have four more months at home with her before I go back to work. She has changed so much over the past two months and is such a delight to be around. I am still a bit lonely at home by myself during the day but I get immense joy and pleasure from just being with her which makes the loneliness less of an issue. I can't imagine not going back to work (and frankly, that is not a financial option for us) but it's so hard to think about Lily being in childcare five days a week. Scott and I do hope that we each can work four days per week which means that Lily will only need three days of care but we don't know if that will happen or not. Regardless, it is my goal to make the most out of these next four months as I know that they will likely go by faster than the past eight months did.

I've decided to start running again (nothing like a weeklong chinook in January to make me want to be outside!) - time to get back in shape as returning to work is only four months away (see above post) and I need to fit into more clothes for work. I've always done best with running when I have a goal race in mind. When pondering my race for this year, I did consider whether I wanted to work towards a full marathon or a half marathon. After some thought, I decided to just go with a 6km race. I have no desire to spend hours away from Lily simply to train for a race. While it is important for me to do things for myself and to have time away from Lily, both of those things need to be moderated with how much value I will receive from whatever it is that takes me away from her. Running for 3 hours every Sunday just doesn't met the criteria for what matters most to me right now - being with my husband and my daughter.

We like to start 'em young...

The dress is a yes, the bow is a no.

All ready for winter

A little confused about the whole eating thing...

A Momma and her baby

The joys of having parents who like to be social

Sometimes baby has to sleep in the gear room....

A constant struggle

A long time ago and for many different reasons, Scott and I chose to live in Alberta. We didn't make that decision together as we weren't dating at that time but we both ended up living in a place that is far from our families and the place where we grew up. Since then, we have moved around a lot but have always returned to Canmore (except for right now but we are working on figuring out how to move back...) We love the mountains, we love the outdoor lifestyle, we love our friends, and I love my job. It seems that we have spent lots of time searching for a place to call our home and even when we had found it, we didn't fully realize that until we left it again. As wonderful as Canmore is, the worst part about living here is the distance from our families. This is especially true now that Lily has come into our life. She has aunts, grandparents, and other extended family members who love her to bits but who only get to see her for short periods of time. It breaks my heart to see how hard it is for them to leave Lily at the end of a visit and I wish that our families lived closer. Despite the distance, we'll continue to make every effort to share Lily as much and as often as possible and we'll make sure that she knows that she is loved from all corners of Alberta and BC.

Now that's a good question...

Someone (without kids) asked me what I do all day when I'm home with Lily. To be honest, I'm sometimes quite surprised by how little gets accomplished considering that I am home but truly, taking care of a baby is a massive undertaking. Between feedings, naps, playing with Lily, laundry, housework, preparing lunch and dinner, trips to the grocery store, and hopefully an exercise class (along with a little websurfing), the day flies by. I rarely take a nap because I mostly feel like I don't have time. Pre-baby, I probably never would have guessed what a SAHM's day would look like but now I completely understand.