Far Too Long

It has been too many months since I last updated the blog. Life has been busy for us and we have been enjoying each day as it comes. A lot of things in life took a backseat to Gabby and her constant movement. But that's okay and how we feel it should be. So, I apologize for the long blogging break and promise to try my best to do better!

In the last few months we have travelled, explored and played a lot! So far in Gabby's first year she has been to Denver, Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Florida, Chattanooga and we are headed to San Antonio soon to visit Uncle Steve! Gabby has done awesome on road trips and in the air!

Gabby has reached many milestones this summer. She started crawling at 7.5 mo. The day after she started crawling, she started pulling up. Around 9 mo. she started taking a few unassisted steps and just 3 days after she turned 10 mo. she started walking. She has been walking for a couple of weeks now and she is fast! 

We weren't sure if Gabby was ever going to get teeth. She got along just fine without them having rejected purees around 7.5 mo. But finally, 3 teeth emerged last month, 2 on top and 1 on the bottom. Teething wasn't much fun, so we were glad to get 3 teeth out of the way at once!

Gabby is still a little peanut. She went to the doctor around her 10 mo. monthday and she weighed 19.5 lbs and was 27 in. tall (30th & 45th%). There are many of Gabby's friends who are younger than her and are taller and weigh more, so it is cute to see her standing next to them!

Daddy was home for 2 months again this summer. Gabby and Daddy spent a lot of time together and we were all very sad to see him go. Wouldn't you know that the day he left for work was the day she took off walking?!?!? That's the way it always happens!

Gabby's vocabulary has been growing. Her first word was "Hi" and she will say it as she is walking in and out of the door. It has become apparent that we all talk on the phone too much because one of her "things" is to put her hand to her ear and say "Hi" when the phone rings. It is super cute! She will also say "hot", "dog", and she will woof when she hears a dog barking. 

One of the most exciting things is that Gabby has made friends with a family next door to my parents. They have 4 kiddos, with the youngest being almost exactly one year older than Gabby. I tell you what, Gabby is one tough cookie. She plays and keeps up with the boys and the girls! She will climb the ladder up to the slide by herself (has been since the first of July) and will go down the slide with a little assistance.  She will also climb the wrong way up the slide, just like the big kids! She is constantly on the go and it is so funny to watch her playing!

All in all we have had a wonderful summer enjoying our little girl. Life would be boring without her and she is definitely our little princess. I have begun working on her 1st birthday, as much as it pains me to type out those words. Our little peanut is growing and exploring and making friends and it is a joy to watch her everyday!

Best Friends

Gabby and I recently traveled to Houston to visit Ryan, Katie and Avery and to help celebrate Avery's 1st birthday. I cannot believe she is 1 already! Time has flown by! Even though it was a very short weekend and we would have loved to have stayed longer, we are so glad we were able to spend time together and to celebrate. Avery and Gabby 'played' nicely together and I am sure they will be life long friends.

We took the girls in search of a bluebonnet patch to snap a few pictures. 200 pictures later, I think we got 20 or so good ones. During the process, poor Gabby face planted twice, but she was a great sport! She is a great sitter, but Gabby reaching for flowers +Hill = Face Plant.

And I must share a moment that I am sure Gabby will one day hope I forget. Katie took us to the airport and usually we both are in tears as we say good bye, but as I pulled Gabby out of the carseat, I noticed her pant leg was wet. I look at the back of her shirt and sure enough, it was wet and stinky too. She had a blowout! So, in the airport drop off lane, we strip her down in the back of the car, give her a bath with wipes and change her clothes. Poor kiddo! The best part was that Katie and I were laughing so hard that we didn't cry saying good bye! We had a great weekend together and can't wait to see them again soon!

Easter

We had a great Easter! The weather was beautiful and we were able to spend a lot of time outdoors. We went to one of our favorite Sunday lunch spots, Millers Grocery and enjoyed lunch with my family. Gabby had fun exploring her Easter basket. The Easter Bunny brought her bubbles, books and a few toys!

5 Months

Gabby, you are 5 months old! We are beginning to see changes in you daily. You have begun to sit unassisted for a few minutes which makes is fun to play! We are able to put toys around you and you will reach for them and are playing with them more than you ever have before. You are just now beginning to wear 6 month clothing and can still fit into some of your 3 month things, which is why I call you my "peanut"!

We have started veggies with you on top of your rice cereal and oatmeal. You really like sweet potatoes, which was your first veggie! You are still waking once a night, but I can go up, nurse you, and be back in my own bed in less than 10 minutes! It is such a joy watching you grow and become more aware of your surroundings. I love that you are beginning to play and that you want us to play with you! This next month will be filled with visitors and a trip to TX and I can't wait to see what it brings.

Love,
Mommy