How Can I Baby Proof? Let Me Count the Ways...

Mia is not yet crawling at 8 1/2 months, but that doesn't mean she isn't mobile. She rolls, army crawls, scoots backwards, you name it. The girl gets around. As a result, Nick and I have thought a lot about baby proofing the house lately. We've gotten the things for the cupboards, the outlets, sharp corners, etc., but Mia is constantly showing us new things we need to watch out for. The poor child generally just plays on a section of the area rug in our living room, so we don't blame her for wanting to explore and branch out a little bit. Today she traveled from the far end of the rug to the couch in a matter of seconds (which is fairly normal).

But she didn't stop there. Turns out, there's a little room under that couch.

Next her legs disappeared.

And with one fast roll, she was almost gone. Yikes! That's where mommy put a quick end to her little expedition.

I think we will keep those ottomans a little more strategically placed from now on.

Reunion with Daddy

Nick had to be in Orlando for work for about 5 days this last week & it is the first time he has been gone for that long when Mia was really old enough to notice. She missed him so much! We would Skype so Nick could see Mia, but he didn't have a camera on his iPhone, so she couldn't see him. I ended up just pulling a picture of Nick up on the computer screen so Mia could see something, but I don't think she was fooled. Needless to say, it was a sweet, sweet reunion when he returned home last night.

And who did he bring with him? Mickey, of course! Now the precedent has been set. Every time he goes on a trip, a gift will be expected. Does that apply to me too? What are you going to bring from Ft. Lauderdale in a couple of weeks, Nick? Nice weather, I hope.

My Auntie Is the Best!

Dear Auntie Erin,

The package arrived today with my Christmas toys in it that Mommy and Daddy couldn't fit in their bags after the holidays. I was so excited to see my Busy Ball Popper again! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I think Mommy was excited too... She mumbled something about not being able to leave THAT one behind. I played with it all morning. Then I played with it all afternoon. Then I played with it all the way until bedtime. It is so fun with those silly tunes it plays over and over while the balls pop up and out & spiral around...I just can't get enough of it! I have now figured out how to turn it on all by myself, but I usually tip it on its side to get it going. You should see those balls fly out then! What is even more fun to watch is Mommy running around trying to grab them all as they bounce and roll away. I even got her to squirm completely under the couch last night in search of the squirrely purple one. If you are missing just one ball, it doesn't seen to work quite right. I wanted to show you how much I appreciated the gift, so I donned my favorite onesie for a little photo op. Check it out, the fun just doesn't end!

Love,

Mia

PS - Mommy says it is nice to have an Auntie that will spoil you and give you such "interactive" toys. She also says to "watch out" when you have kids of your own, but I'm not really sure what she means by that. Thanks again, Auntie Erin!

Two Small Victories

#1 - Mia is liking her bottle more and more as we venture into Day 3 of weaning.

#2 Nick admitted that a small, tasteful headband actually looks cute & Mia is now allowed to wear them. Her hair is starting to stick up in a fuzzy halo as it grows & we needed to do something with it. Since she can't wear hats all the time & now knows how to pull them off, bows were the next option. So far, she's been keeping them on pretty well. Hopefully she will be mistaken for a boy a little less often now.

Creative Play

Mia is perfecting the art of creative play with everyday objects. Here is what she came up with using just her bowl:

Hamburger

(I think she's seen us eating Five Guys one too many times.)

Put on your yamaka... It's time for Hanukkah...

Frankenstein

Minstrel monkey

Gosh, she's so advanced.

Laundry

Sometimes you just need a place to set the darn things when you are trying to put a load in.

The surprising part was that she actually liked it.