9.5 Months

In 2 weeks Zola will be 10 months. Double digit months. There's no going back from there.

In the last few weeks she has met some HUGE developmental milestones:

FEEDING HERSELF

Corn is Delicious!

MASTERING THE XYLOPHONE

FISHING WITH DAD

'Four' Real.

EATING MORE BERRIES

What's on my belly?



BOILED EGGS ARE DISGUSTING

Seriously Disgusting.

SWINGING AND MAKING FUNNY FACES

PUSH-UPS

VOTING IN HER FIRST LOCAL ELECTION

Can you see my tooth?

CLAPPING

MODELING MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT SEWING BABY CLOTHES

PULLING UP!

READY FOR HER FIRST NAMED STORM (FAY)

In addition, Zola took her first step!!!! I'm hoping to get the video uploaded here soon. Yes, I just happened to be videotaping her when she decided to take off! She has also started rolling over, going from her stomach to sitting, and crawling. Well... sort of crawling. Grant has dubbed it as the 'dead-leg crawl.' She tucks one leg under and leaves the other leg hanging behind while she pulls herself across the floor with her hands. It is hilarious to watch and hopefully I will have a video of that soon too!

Her one tooth has also been growing in more. And we can see a couple others trying to poke through but they haven't made it quite yet.

With all this rolling and crawling and trying to walk we are all exhausted! And it happened so suddenly that Grant and I are scrambling around the house trying to get everything baby-proofed!

Zola has been saying 'mama' and 'dada' for a while now but only recently in context. Most days when Grant comes home she squeals and will start yelling 'daaa-eee,' just missing that middle 'D.' She has also started flapping her arms when she dances and if you ask her where her belly is she'll pat it.

I'm tired just writing about everything she's doing these days. And I just know more will come.

Your Mama

Your mom would probably even say your turd is somehow artistic- perfect for a coffee table book on crap- perfectly formed and somehow beautiful.

I can understand this now.

I am blinded by my daughter's brilliance. I know she will never be perfect, she will have flaws, there will be people who do not like her (even though I will not understand why), she will fail at times, and she probably won't be good at everything (but most likely she will good be at almost everything), but she is perfect for me. We coexist in a way I had never understood before. We abide in one another.

And therefore, I am the mother that took a picture of her first turd and text messaged it to my sister.

And therefore, I'm pretty sure every macaroni necklace, drawing of a tree (oh! so that's what that is!), finger painting, made-up song about a purple giraffe, belch, lost soccer game, botched dance recital, silly story...will be precious to me.

And therefore, I will probably tell her she could sell her macaroni necklaces, publish her stories, be the world's best tone-deaf musician, dance for the president, and sell that coffee table book with her first turd on the cover- all before the age of 5.

8 Months

It's been another busy month for the baby girl hence the copious amount of photos this time!

We took a mini-vacation to Mexico Beach (Thanks Kennedys!), where Zola LOVED the water and playing in the sand...and Grant and I LOVED the relaxation.

Then Zola and I left Grant at home (so sad) and hopped on a flight to Pittsburgh for 11 days. We played with grandparents and Aunt Stevie for a few days and then drove to my Nana's house for the weekend for a Setliff family reunion. Zola loved playing with her cousins and hanging out with her Great-Nana and aunts and uncles. Then we drove back to Pittsburgh for the rest of our time and even got to spend a night with our Smith friends, Emily and Elora! Zola was so excited to see her friend again. (So was I!)

Anyway, we made it back to Tallahassee where Grant was waiting (pacing until our return is more like it!). When we got to the house Zola and I discovered a brand new orange kitchen, where all the dishes were clean, a new kick plate on the front door and new shelves in the freshly painted utility closet. Grant says he never wants us to go away without him ever again...but if he stays that busy I don't know... :) He couldn't believe that she came back with her first tooth! Babies change so fast...

So now we're all at home trying to catch up on rest and enoy the rest of the summer. And we hope you are doing the same!

Love,
Emily and Grant and Zola

alien baby
wooden spoon drumming
aunt stevie is weird
box car
can i eat it?

mini-opa

8 Months- Continued

aunt hayley kisses
4 generations
david reads to zola
me and my nana
sisters
daddy's home
publix balloon

Mexico Beach

This Week for Dinner

One of my favorite blogs to peruse in my spare time is This Week For Dinner. Jane has inspired me to start planning ahead...making lists...cooking fresh...being more prepared. I've been at it for several weeks now and it's going great!

To further encourage myself to continue weekly meal planning I'm going to post my lists on this blog- along with recipes and perhaps an occasional picture. So go on over to TWFD to see what Jane and others (in the comments) have on deck and then come back here for my personal menus. Bon Appetit!

It's too hard for me to put meals on exact days because our schedule can ramble according friends in town or super exhausting days...so each week I usually plan for 3-4 meals (and leftovers) and then just cook whatever will expire first and so on. If the week goes by and we miss something it's usually something I can either freeze the ingredients for or carry over for next week.

This week:
- Sausage, Corn and Potato Chowder
Breakfast sausage (browned), Drained canned corn, potatoes (peeled, chopped, slightly microwaved), evaporated milk - mix in a large pot, add salt, pepper, garlic, simmer until thickened

- Panko and Coconut Salmon, green beans, whole wheat cheese tortellini with pesto

- Italian sausage, rice, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms

That's a lot of sausage this week...but so it goes when your in-laws go out of town for two weeks and empty out their refrigerator into yours.

Confidence

I'm tired of reading stuff that tells me how to be a parent. I'm tired of reading one thing that says to let the baby cry it out at night...and then another that says if you do that it will scar her for life... I just want to be a confident parent.... go with my gut... love on my daughter.

Love Thursday

Z flying high with her dad on Easter. The two of them went to Macy's and picked out her dress for the occasion. Grant has decided that they will do this every year...just baby girl and dad on an Easter dress shopping trip.

Photo Sessions with Z

This is the face Zola makes to let me know she's getting tired of my relentless picture taking.

I used to be a horrible picture taker... actually I still am. But a post on my favorite photography blog (shuttersisters.com) released me from this perpetual frustration. One of the fabulous photographers said that even professionals take tons of photos and only get great shots a small percentage of the time. So I'm okay with the fact that I might take 80 shots and only capture one really amazing moment.

Late night musings...

I always think of great things to blog about as I'm falling asleep at night... and then promptly forget them as I drift off... with no hope of remembrance in the morning. Oh well.

Today, babygirl and I sat out on our back porch for a long time. The weather has been gorgeous here the last few days. She loves to hear the birds. We had to enjoy being outside before we go to Pittsburgh this Friday- where my parents are shoveling snow off the driveway. oy.

Zola's been laughing more and more. This weekend we were rolling up ribbons that had come undone in the move and when I held up a particular piece of pink grosgrain she cracked up. I held it up over and over again and even called my mom on speakerphone...that child must have laughed for at least 20 minutes...it was hilarious! totally made my day.

I took a pregancy test today. I thought I had had a period in January but it's been two months without another. And I know that breastfeeding typically means no periods or random periods, but usually without ovulation. And I know after having a baby a woman's cycle can be crazy for a while... but I also know it happens... Anway, it was negative. We expected to be relieved (and we are) but we are also kind of sad... we love Z so much that we would love to have another... and to have one so close in age to her would be fun. But- for the record- we are not trying.

26 Things

My friend Beth started this game and it's been continued by my friends Emily S. and Elizabeth Joy...so I'm joining the club.

26 things to do before I turn 26 (January 31, 2009):

1. host a dinner party (with invitations and multiple courses)
2. throw a tie-dye party in my backyard
3. try a star fruit
4. make necklaces for the midwives (and students) that took care of me while I was pregant
5. finish writing "school for weirdos"
6. send "school for weirdos" to a publisher(s?)
7. go to Aveda and have elizabeth dye my hair all funky (to be done after my sister's wedding)
8. bake a souffle
9. scrapbook our wedding
10. scrapbook our honeymoon
11. sell princessgranola designs in a show in tallahassee
12. go on a beach picnic with grant and zola
13. re-paint our kitchen orange
14. stamp the walls in the downstairs bathroom
15. make ice cream cone cupcakes
16. hang artwork all over our house
17. make a photo collage wall in our house
18. read "the lovely bones" by alice sebold
19. make snaptees for my friend's kids (and zola)
20. send birth announcements
21. make zola an outfit from scratch
22. eat a meal at ReangThai
23. tour the capitol building
24. finish setting up zola's room (and paint it pink!)
25. see "gone with the wind"
26. go to a play/musical at the quincy music theatre

Love Thursday

happy day o'love people.

i love holidays. but what i love more than the holiday itself is always the day after. when the people you are closest too are still there and there is no hallmark reason for extra affection or lovey-dovey googly-eyed looks, but the momentum from the celebration is tipping over and settling in and it's more about the quiet love.

here are some shots i took of z last week. my mom found this princess costume after halloween on the cheap and i figured it would make a great valentine's shot for g- 'to dad, love your little princess'

and since he never reads my blog i can post them on here before he gets his framed photos at dinner tonight.

Smiley Girl

This is a sweet picture my friend, Emily, took of my daughter, Zola. We were chilling out at Goodwood (the grounds of a really old mansion turned museum here in Tallahassee) Emily and I met when we were both pregnant last summer. Her daughter, Elora, is 8 weeks older than Zola.

i heart green.

i saw this on another blog and decided to try and see what color green i am. green has been my favorite color for the last few years...all shades. but apparently if i was green, this is what i would be:

You Are Teal Green

You are a one of a kind, original person. There's no one even close to being like you. Expressive and creative, you have a knack for making the impossible possible. While you are a bit offbeat, you don't scare people away with your quirks. Your warm personality nicely counteracts and strange habits you may have.

What Color Green Are You?

Happy Day AFTER Thanksgiving.

I think this is the real holiday. No more cooking and worrying that everything might be finished at the same time...no more walking gently with the china so it doesn't fall on to the tile floor...no more holiday politeness... Today is just being.

Leftovers
and
shopping
and
napping
and hanging out.

This is the part of the holiday I am most thankful for. And I hope you enjoy this day too.

why do we have to pee?

so i'm working on getting over a very nasty bladder infection this week.

gross.

i would rather have a migraine.
i would rather have a cold.
i would rather have a sinus infection.
i would rather have a 24 hour bug...
than
a
freaking
bladder
infection.

since monday i have probably drank 7 or 8 gallons of water. i am sloshing as i walk.

this sucks.

transition.

i just cleaned out my office. my first office ever.

i am crying and smiling.

change is always something that has come rather easily to me. not that i'm really good at it or anything, just used to it. i'm fairly adaptable.

this is the most emotional change i've ever made.

giving up the space that i have carved out over the past 2 years is really painful. i'm turning over my life to someone else along with my students, my community, my responsibilities.

even though i know other people have done this before and survived, right now i feel like no one understands. i feel depressed about this- despite the hope and knowledge i have in jesus that there are more things for me.

i have loved this place like no other.

there are so mnay fruits of my work that i will never see. so many people that i will miss.

last weekend i worked on staff for a Happening retreat in the episcopal diocese of florida (in north fl). i went, anticipating that when i got back i would be prepared to write a scathing report on the retreat- mainly based on the Happenings i attended in high school in PGH. i didn't talk much during the weekend- first of all i didn't know that many people, and second of all i wanted to keep my cynical attitude to myself until i had hard proof for my opinions.

you might wonder why in the world was i there if i felt like this. i went because the rector of the weekend was a girl named karis who was in my small group when she was in 6th grade and i was an intern at her church. we've kept in touch off and on over the last 6 years and she asked me to go. so i went for karis- to love her and support her.

i kept my opinions in my own head for the most part. until the closing eucharist.

karis gave her rector's address and i realized what an ass i was being.

she said, talking about her first Happening experience and life situations at the time, "i realized that my desire for people to love me was really my need to have jesus love me through other people- and that 's what Happening did for me."

if that's the only thing these students get out of the weekend,
it's enough.

i thank my jesus for loving the people of st. philip's through me, for giving me that blessing and i pray the same for all of us.

floating hot pink feathers

the title of this post pay homage to a post by my dear friend holly. she posted about a day at the beach with her beautiful daughter. floating feathers seems like time slows.

time has just slowed down majorly for grant and i.

on our way home from clemson, sc on sunday we realized that we had not been alone in three weeks.

first was the wedding of my uncle in ohio. so much fun! we all dressed up as doughboys at the reception. then we were in ky with my family hanging out. a day trip to wv to see my new gorgeous cousin, aidan and of course his big brother, david.

then back to miami with my youngest sister in tow for a week complete with vacation bible school and a middle school lock-in. after that the three of us re-packed our bags and headed for tybee island, ga. where we dropped stevie off and spent one night before heading to clemson.

then a week in clemson because grant's best friend, ken, was getting married to this totally amazing woman named nell. we did some pre-wedding white water rafting and luncheons and dinners and errands.

they tied the knot on saturday and we drove back to miami on sunday in a record 11.5 hours.

whew.

yesterday i just didn't know what to do with myself.