The small things...

I always worry that by the time our family expands and grows older, I will forget the small stuff that is so cute about my little girl. So I thought it made sense to blog about just a few little things that I don't ever want to forget.

*I love the way Ginger falls asleep lately. I'm starting to put her down in bed not completely asleep, and so when I lay her down she turns to her side, grabs the blanket I lay over just her feet, and cuddles with it to comfort her to sleep.

*When she nurses, she is SOOO active lately. Her legs are usually up in the air, her hands playing with her toes, she hums while she's chomping away, and when I lift her up she now burps on her own, and thinks it's hilarious (sometimes we'll play the burp game where I make a sound that mimics a burp, then she'll follow up with a real one and she's so proud of herself she grins ear to ear)

*She has started to capitalize on her fake cough and use it strategically. At first when she started, Paul and I thought it was cute and we would do a little fake cough back at her, and all of us would giggle. Well, that was the WRONG idea because now she fake coughs all the time (just a little tiny huh-huh) and waits for us to play back with her. Sneaky little one :)

*She now knows the word "kiss" and will slober on your cheek when presented to her. It's still open mouthed, but we play the kiss game back and forth and she loves to give kisses. I'm hoping she'll start closing her mouth soon!

*She also knows the word "ribbit" and associates it with her frog on her jumper. Which is interesting, because her sign language DVD is teaching her frog both verbally and in sign, but when I use that word she won't look at/point to/reach over to the frog. But when I say "ribbit, ribbit" she goes right for the frog. Maybe the word ribbit just sounds more fun, who knows!?!

*She spits up. A lot. I think more than others, though the doctor says it's not reflux. She likes hanging out on her tummy, and when I put her down on her back, she flips right over on her tummy, which often time forces a little spit up back out onto her play blanket. I never go anywhere without a burp rag, and I swear it seems like more than other babies I know!

*I've found her more than a few times lately napping with one arm resting up on her bumper. It doesn't seem to bother her, but gosh it looks uncomfortable to have one arm practically in the air while sleeping.

*She no longer likes to snuggle in tight on the shoulder unless she is realllly sleepy. Most times she uses her arm to push off our chest and look around at the world. She'll rest her hand on my chest to stabalize herself, put she is interested in the world around her very much. I talk to her often as we're doing things, whether making coffee, picking up around the house, or walking from one room to another.

*This girl is OVER diaper changing, it requires too much stillness for her! She wants to roll and flip and do anything other than sit still and let me position the diaper. I hate to admit it, but when she does flip her little bum is soooo cute that I just stare at it and smile for a moment before I flip her back over.

That's all for now- just wanted to get it down on the blog before she wakes up from her nap- 2 hours and counting, I am blessed!!

Ginger's Dedication

I think I might possibly have the most wonderful child in the world. I know parents always say this about their kids, but Ginger was a CHAMP yesterday for the entire day and I just can't believe how blessed we are.

We arrived at the church just a few minutes before the service, which was technically 5 minutes late, but I was just happy that we made it showered, dressed, and ready to go. Ginger LOVES the first part of church service, because we go to a church that is contemporary and plays worship songs with a full band, lights, and great music. So she is usually thrilled to hear the music and dance along. Then came baptisms, which as part of our faith is a conscience choice you make, so babies aren't baptized- rather they are dedicated to the church by the parents, who commit to raise their child to love and know God. Anyhow, after about 5 baptisms, the pastor came to the front and invited Paul, Ginger and I (and godparents Shanna and Randy) to come on stage. Ginger was handed over to the pastor, and he held her up to the congregation (probably at least 500-600 people) who ooohed and awwed at how beautiful she was. Pastor even commented that she was gorgeous and how lucky he was to get to dedicate her. He spoke to us about how excited he was that we were committing to raising Ginger as a Christian, and then said the most perfect prayer for her. As we were praying I was tearing up with joy, so happy that my little girl was getting to experience this. She was an absolute doll- no fussing, no crying, just curiously staring at the congregation and pastor, it was so fantastic to watch. We were seated again, and Opa took Ginger into the family room to play with her while watching the sermon through clear glass doors. Apparently they had a blast together- my Dad found a plastic cup that cracked and crinkled when he squeezed it, and that's all he needed to keep her entertained.

After church, we took a few pics, and then came back to our house for a bbq celebration. A few friends came over, but it was mostly family...

Oh my gosh, I forgot to write about the BEST part of the morning!! So when we get to church a few minutes early, my whole family was already there standing around the area roped off for the dedication family, and I look over my shoulder and see....my big brother Mike. I'm tearing up as I'm writing this because I love him SO much, and after he and his family moved to Texas 3 years ago, I've missed them all SOOO much. Mike and I have a special relationship and are a LOT alike in many ways. It was a COMPLETE shock and so unexpected, I started crying when I saw him! I wanted to stop time and just hang out with him for a whole day but the show had to go on!

Anyhow, so he was at the BBQ along with the rest of my family, and Ginger got to play with her bestest friend Ryen, who is 3 months older than her and always teaches her a new trick. This visit, Ryen was crawling and standing with the support of the coffee table, and of course Ginger watched her in awe. Later that night, Ginger was rolling all over the living room and pushing up with her arms, trying to figure out to get her legs to move. She was FULL of laughter throughout the BBQ, squeeling and laughing while playing with her cousins and auntie/uncles.

The BBQ came to a close like a whirlwind- we turned around and it was already time for people to leave. I wished again that we could have just stopped time and enjoyed the company longer, but Ginger was pooped and others had a long trip home. It was the most amazing day, and I'll never forget it. My girl is now a child of God, and that makes her mommy so happy! :)

Here are a ton of pics from the day!

Baby's first 4th of July...

we had a small bbq and swim party for the 4th of July, and decided against going to a park for fireworks, as Ginger is usually asleep by about 8:30pm or so, and most shows started at 9pm. Our friends Josh and Kari came over with their two kids Jared and Emmie, and Ginger's godparents Shanna and Randy came over too. We had a great time swimming in the pool and of course, Paul outdid himself with a great bbq of chicken legs, carne asada, chorizo, etc.

Paul was amazed at how well Ginger is doing in the pool. We've been spending time in there while he's at work, and she's learned how to kick, how to sit well in her crab floatie, and we have started going underwater together a few times too! Her face is just precious after a dunk underwater- her eyes perk up HUGE and her little mouth puckers together and I know she is thinking "Why does mommy keep doing this to me?!?!" But she's a champ, and has reallllllly taken a liking to the pool.

After many drinks, good eats, more than a few shots of Yegger and Tequila, and some late night jacuzzing, the night came to a close. We set off just a few fireworks, for fun, but the fire station is nearby so we had to keep it quick. All in all, it was a great day, I just love our little family.

She EATS!

I'm a little behind in blogging lately, it's been a busy week and I've been meaning to catch up. On Sunday, June 28th, Paul and I sat down to feed Ginger solid food for the first time. We made it to our goal of waiting until 5 1/2 months to start her on solids, but boy was the last two weeks hard. She was beginning to reach for our food, and we felt guilty eating in front of her, as her eyes would widen and she would get this look on her face that said "FEED ME!!". We waited because I wanted Ginger to get the benefit of being exclusively breastfed for as long as possible, but we started last week so that on her 6 month check up, I would have already introduced her in case I had questions for the doc.

Well, anyhow, we decided to start on rice cereal, and I kinda wish we had just started with straight foods. Of course, Ginger LOVED it and took it down like a champ, she was practically reaching for the spoon to feed herself, she was so ready. It could have been anything on that spoon, she would have eaten it just to prove she was ready. I loved watching my eager little beaver slurp and chomp away, what a great moment.

After 3 days of rice cereal, we moved onto bananas and not surprisingly, she loves bananas. I think I ate at least 1 banana every day of my pregnancy, so I expected she would love them (and most babies do, anyhow). I've decided to make her baby food after reading and talking to a few of my friends, so next she'll have avocado, then sweet potatoes. It's going to start getting messy, I fear, but we're ready for it!

Father's Day...

We had a great time celebrating Paul's first Father's Day yesterday. The weather was beautiful- sunny with beautiful clouds, warm, and perfect. In the morning, I made Paul cinnamon rolls and coffee, and snuck Ginger in bed with us where she played with Daddy's goatee until he woke up. That was her way of wishing him a happy Father's Day and he was all smiles seeing her laying in between us. He opened presents after breakfast, and as expected fell in love with the Dad frame Ginger and I put together. Later in the day, our friends Dan and Melissa came over, and brought their 2 month old baby boy, Cade, and we all hung out outside and ate a fabulous barbque lunch of blue cheese burgers, potato and macaroni salad, chips, and cheesecake for dessert. Paul, Ginger and I went swimming before her nap, and she is really starting to enjoy playing in the water!

All in all, it was a fabulous day. We were having so much fun that I forgot to pull out my camera to capture some shots, which I am a little sad about now. But all in all, I am so grateful to have such a wonderful father for Ginger, and such an awesome husband, that my mind will remember this day forever, and that's good enough for me!

Dreamy milestone...

Just a cute little story- Ginger has a baby aquarium in her crib that she loves- it lights up in a soothing blue color, has cute swinging monkeys, and it plays lullabies. There is a big button shaped like a parrot on the front that is pushed to turn on the aquarium, and once an infant is old enough, they can push it themselves while in their crib if they want some entertainment.

So, Ginger and I have been working on her figuring out that she can do this herself. I take her little hand and with her little fingers, I show her the on/off button, and I swear we've done it together at least 50 times now, but she has yet to actually push the button herself.

Well, last night she hit that milestone, in the most adorable way. At about 3:30am, I hear through the baby monitor the aquarium lullabies playing in her room. I jump out of bed, thinking that she finally did it, although I did consider that it was a peculiar time for her to figure this out. As I sneak into her room, I see her fast asleep, with her arm straight up in the air, resting on the aquarium. It was pretty clear that this wasn't a purposeful move, so I gently lowered her arm and turned it off. I kind of chuckled as I got back in bed- our little girl finally did it herself, she just didn't know it. Kind of a dreamy milestone- what a cutie!

Father's Day Project...

I am not the craftiest person in the world, but when I saw a friend put together this cute father's day gift for her husband, I figured it was something I could attempt. So, this morning, Ginger and I went over to Michaels and picked up all of the necessary supplies. During her morning nap, I painted and glittered the letters, and thought that they turned out pretty cool. Boy, was I a dummy in so many ways. First, I should have realized that these letters would go right into Ginger's mouth! By the end of our photo shoot, she had glitter in her hair, on her face, on all parts of her skin, and I even had to pry a little glitter out of her mouth! Ugh. Lesson #1-Wait on glitter until baby gets a little older! Second mistake is not having a plan on the outfit until after I had chosen the color for the letters. The idea popped into my head to have her wear her Osh Kosh overalls with no undershirt, right after I had painted the letters blue. So they are not as "stand out"ish as I was anticipating. But it still turned out cute...

The photo shoot, well, it was a bit of a disaster. I really ended it thinking "Oh well, I guess this didn't work out for us". Ginger was not as smiley as she sometimes is, and the letters and feather boa were causing so much distraction for her!! I laughed at the end, as I was looking around and seeing glitter all over her, our comforter, the floor, and my face, thinking that this would be one for the books- the uncraftiest mom giving up on a father's day craft.

Well, turns out a lot of the photos I took right at the beginning came out great. After a FUN swim with Ginger, I put her down for a nap and got to reviewing the photos, and selecting the images for the frame. I have to admit- I'm pretty proud of how it turned out, seeing as though I had a lot of doubt throughout the whole project.

I CANNOT WAIT to give this gift to Paul! He is going to melt, I just know it!





Here are a few that didn't make the cut, but are still good memories for me!

She looooooooooves her new boa!

I love the pucker in this shot:

These are her "Tyra" eyes, for anyone who watches America's Next Top Model, LOL...

D is for Darling....

OR D is for Diva...

Celebrating 5 months with baby Ginger...

Today is Ginger's 5 month birthday, and we celebrated in style! She and I went to the mall and walked around, did a little shopping, and picked up some of her (heh-hem, I mean my) favorite candy- chocolate covered gummy bears from Sweet Factory. We're working on her letting mommy try on more than 2 things in the dressing room before she's "over it", but even when she's in that mood I love her too.

There are a lot of moments that I am loving about being a mom, that you just can't capture on photo/video. Last night, Paul was at a car show (surprise, surprise!) and so it was just me and Ginger. After giving her a bath and getting her in her jammies, we went into the nursery and read books together, and then she fell asleep in my arms as I sang her lullabies. Watching the silouette of her face with the nightlight in the background, peacefully sleeping while in my arms, is why being a mom is the best job I've ever had. I am filled with joy when I am with her, and even though people tell you these kind of stories, until you experience for yourself it really is hard to imagine how wonderful it really is.

Anyhow, enough for now, dere is a little slide show of some of our favorite moments over the past 5 months.

Party like a rockstar...

Last night Paul, Ginger and I were over to Backwoods BBQ to celebrate Kari's 32nd birthday. This was Ginger's first time seeing a live band, and although it seemed like she liked the music, she was WAYYYY more into the balloons that were attached to Kari's presents. I mean, giggling, laughing, squirming, practically jumping out of my arms to touch and look at these balloons. It was amazing to see her so excited about something, as she is a very, very mellow baby who rarely gets overly excited about anything! Most of the time, she is wide eyed, curious, but never spastic and I can say with confidence that she was SPASTIC over these balloons.

Here are some video/pictures from the night!



Ginger's dressed for the occasion- first time seeing a live band!

She's clearly pretty excited...

This was when we first arrived. The band is setting up in the background, and this entire table was filled with Kari's family within an hour or so...

Me and the beautiful birthday girl...

Ginger eye'ing Daddy's bottle...

"I guess I'll take mommy's milk for now, but that Corona looked good!"

Mommy snuggling with Ginger

She is a TOTAL Daddy's girl!

I love my feet...

I think Ginger was behind the curve on figuring out how much fun her feet were, but once she found them she couldn't stop! She spends most of her play time now rolling, stretching her legs straight in the air, and touching her feet. Still has only put them in her mouth once or twice, probably was handed down those tight hamstrings that mommy has! Nonetheless, she still enjoys touching them all day long!