Walking on Sunshine

It was around Bridget's birthday (September) Trevor and I were talking about how she wasn't walking yet and if we should be concerned.

Trev: She's getting close, I bet she'll be walking by Halloween.

Ape: I don't know, she's not even wanting to walk holding our hands, I bet it will be closer to Thanksgiving.

Naturally we are a betting family, so the stakes were set. We decided on the day exactly in between Halloween and Thanksgiving, November 12th. If Bridget walked before that day Trevor won, and any day after, I won. 

(Walking meaning it was her primary mode of transport).

Whomever lost had to plan a romantic date for the other.

Bridget started walking...November 13th!

Sorry Trevor, you always sometimes lose.

She is such a cute walker:

And if you are curious, the romantic date Trevor planned:

   James Bond movie and the shooting range.

 Sometimes Trevor, you win.

  

Babies will be babies

Lets be honest if you have read my blog.....at all, you will have gotten the gist that Bridget, like any other baby, likes to put stuff in her mouth. 

More often than not it's something that's less than appetizing. 

Maybe she's lacking some iron in her diet.

Earth Baby

Or a  green tomato baby.

Bridget's favorite thing to do is to pull herself up next to the garden making sure she is completely immersed in vines and leafs, eat some dirt and pick herself a few unripe tomatoes to gnaw on.

She would do it all day, if I let her. 

Some days I do.

Our box garden is right out our front door. So I'll leave the front door open while I clean the kitchen and let her play in the dirt. 

I have had two different neighbors come "rescue" her from "escaping" and eating "stuff she's not supposed to." 

 "April?!" (standing in my door jamb holding a mud smeared Bridget)

"Hi! How are you?

"Bridget got out of the house and was eating the green tomatoes, I took it away from her."

"Oh no! Thank you! I don't know how that happened.... silly girl."

I somehow forget to tell them she eats at least one green tomato a day. When I say eat I mean she takes a few chunks out.

I used to be a bit more paranoid with what she put in her mouth, but it was exhausting. 

Now my philosophy is: 

"As long as it won't kill her and I don't have to call poison control." 
Besides it's good to try new flavors... don't want to raise a picky eater, someone who just wants to eat edible things.

p.s. when she is in the garden I check on her about every 90 seconds. 

Strange Obsession

I hear many kids acquire a comfort item when they are young.

 Often times it's a pacifier, a favorite blanket or stuffed animal. 

It's a common thing.

Seeing as Bridget is my first born I am not entirely sure if her comfort item is, well, normal. 

Bridget loves elbows. 

Yes, I am serious, elbows.

More specifically she is fascinated with the elbow skin.

(If you are more familiar with the term "wieness" that would be the spot.) 

She loves it. 

 She will do whatever it takes to pinch an elbow. all. the. time.

Sometimes she even "double fists it" with both of her pudgy little hands grabbing an elbow each.

It almost feels like she may be addicted. She will be playing and out of nowhere will high tail it over to the nearest person to get her fix.

I am interested to know, does/did your babies have any corky characteristics or weird comfort items? 

Because of course it's not just my kid, right?

10 months

I remember when you were brand new, 5 weeks old, we went to visit your auntie and cousins. I changed a diaper of one of your cousins. I could not believe how off it felt holding his ankles high in the air as his legs felt like they kept going forever. It threw me for a loop, I was used to your froggy legs that weighed a few ounces each. I could not fathom you ever being big enough like that.

But now you are. 

Already. 

I think it might make me sad if you weren't so awesome. 

It's funny because every day feels the same with you, then I realize what you have learned or how much you have grown in just a few days or weeks it literally blows my mind.

It's amazing to me how you can do new things like it's no big deal. 

You act as though it is something you mastered long ago, but you are just letting me in on it. Oh yeah, that? Of course I can do that. See?

You have a some hilarious sass. Sometimes I feel like you are teasing me.

I have a feeling you will be talking long before you walk, mostly because you mimic the words and sounds that your daddy and I make on a regular basis. I am serious you usually sound spot on, then daddy and I look at each other amazed and you go on like whatev, no big deal. Of course I can say that and know what it means.

Me thinking you'll talk before you walk has nothing to do with the fact that at 10 months old this is how you crawl: 

Pinterest: Fail?

I have been figuring I needed to provide more activities for Bridget to stimulate her senses. Of course to Pinterest I went to give me some ideas. 

I came across this, so I pinned it.

Seemed like a good one, this baby looks younger than Bridget and is playing so nicely, plus I had some cornmeal. 

via

Do you want to see how Bridgey did?

Awesome.


It's not a sensory experiment unless we taste it.

YUM!

I don't know what constitutes a pinterest success or fail? 
It doesn't look anything like the picture but I'm sure it stimulated her senses. 
However it's not one I would probably recommend.
Mostly because I think she had more fun in the tub over the cornmeal, and she came out of the tub clean when my kitchen floor continued to be a disaster.

9 Months

Oh sweet daughter of mine, I am absolutely smitten with you. 
More and more I can see little characteristics in you that are like your family. Then there are things about you that are completely yours.


You are mellow, like your daddy. You don't mind getting off your schedule, you go with the flow. As long as you are in sight of your mom or dad not a thing bothers you. You rarely scream or cry,  but if you could you would sit in your mom's lap all day. 


You are a people watcher, like your grandma Ruthie. It's hilarious actually that you can be so young but yet thoroughly enthralled with the next table over. We were at dinner recently and you turned completely backwards in your highchair to stare without abash at the people behind us. They tried playing with you, making faces and talking sweetly to see if you would respond, with a  stoic expression you openly analyzed them.


You get distracted easily, like your momma. Some days I can't keep up as you flit from one thing to the next, one area of the house to the other. 


You put your legs and feet up on everything, like your auntie Monica. I purposely put your highchair tray on tightly so you can't get any legs up and always the next thing I know somehow your little toesies are peaking up over the edge of the tray. 


Your ears poke out a little, like your Great Grandpa Bryce. Oh my goodness they are so cute.


You are a story teller, like your momma, complete with excellent facial expressions. If I were to guess what you were saying I think I would get pretty close. 


You are empathetic like your cousins, Carli and Hailey. When one of you cry, you all cry. You must be able to feel each others pain. 


You definitely inherited:
*The "Millar Stare" when the TV is on (un-penetrable). 
*And the "Steed Smile" (big and toothy).


You are just plain the sweetest. 
I think we keep trying to see ourselves in you to make us feel good about ourselves. Because if a little bit of what you are is in us...I think we will be alright.

My 8-month-old's Favorite Thing To Do.

She looks so innocent, right? 

Just playing with cords, no big deal.

Oh ho, ho! Don't let her fool you.

She has a new favorite activity.

I was in the other room when I heard this deep ripping noise. I kept thinking none of her toys make that sound. 

Low and behold it was just the insides of the couch.

The little turkey.

 I realize these couches are old. They definitely had some wear in them. 

But I never realized they would only make it through one child.

Channeling her German Ancestry

Those Aren't Gloves

And the berries weren't fermented.

8 Months

 This little beauty is 8 months old today. 

A few things she has mastered in the last month:

-The word "dada"

-The fake laugh

-The fake cry

-Whispering

-Dancing to music

-Pinching (her favorite thing to pinch is the tender part of my arm while she is nursing)

-Keeping her feet near her face ready for her to gnaw on at any given moment.

-She has added the top two teeth to her arsenal.

Making the total teeth count 5. 

-She gives kisses

-She will eat anything she can get her hands on...

tomatoes

 strawberries

blackberries

 apricots

Tables

 But my favorite things she has mastered this month:

-shaking her head no

-clapping her hands

I Speak "Bridget"

Uh-Oh.....

Are you Mad?

You sure you're not mad???

Oh, ha, I knew you wouldn't be mad. (nervous laugh)

 I was trying to use this contraption and it just didn't work. Silly thing.

(relax)

Life According to Bridget

Hi. Bridget here.

I have a bone to pick.

I would like to address the most commonly discussed subject in my presence. 

My thighs.

But seriously! 

Many times people don't even care to know my name, or my age, heck sometimes they don't even know I'm a girl before they make a comment about my legs.

Sure, my legs might have a few more rolls than the next baby but can they do THIS!?!

Yeah, that's the splits.

You want to see it again??

BAM!

So this is for all of you that have even thought: plump, chubby, or rolly, when looking at me.

This is especially to the man who walked by in the grocery store grabbed my thighs and laughed "BABY LEGS!" not once, but three times! 

Sheesh! 

(head shake)

Now that I have proven myself, you will excuse me.... It's dinner time.