8 months old

Arianna and her 8 month adventures

Went on her first road trip to Oregon and did amazing

Saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time

Loves to go to her swimming lessons.  She is the youngest one there.  Kicks and splashes the whole time.

She went to her first Vacation Bible School.  

She reaches out for us. 

 Loves watermelon!

She can do the pincher grasp to pick up her puffs. 

Uses both hands to eat and pick up things.

Sits up and learning to wave!
Got to visit the zoo for the first time! Loves the otters and penguins.

So very close to crawling.
Pulling herself up to standing
Still no teeth and very little hair

8 months old!

Kicking so hard!

Hanging out at Uncle Matt's

Yummy!

Hanging out at the lake

Standing up on her own! 

 tiny hands

Eating her puffs.

I'm all done with pictures! 

Arianna's first vacation

This past weekend, we drove the 293 miles to Rockaway Beach in Oregon for Arianna's first summer vacation.  We were joined by our friends Christi, Ben and Felix.  Our residence for the weekend was a townhouse located on a beautiful private lake right across the street from the Pacific Ocean.  When we arrived, we strapped Arianna into the Ergo and took off for the beach.  So it's July, right?  I figure the ocean and beach will be super warm. Well, I was only right about the burning hot sand. The wind was blustery and the ocean was freezing.  The Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico around Florida have spoiled me something fierce.
However, I think Arianna had fun.

Beach time

Right before we took off to go to the beach, we toasted with a glass of wine to vacation!

Toast to vacation!

Uncle Ben, Arianna, and his wine

The beach with Auntie Christi, Felix, Ari and mommy

 Later after the babies went to bed, Ben and Carlos played X-box.  Christi and I took off in the kayaks.  As freezing as the wind was, we had so much fun kayaking around the lake and just chatting.  Nature is such an amazing part of life.  The utter calm of the water with the wind blowing in our faces is just what I needed. 

The beautiful lake

Christi and I getting ready to take off.

Friend hugs!

Just the grown ups!

Carlos and I hanging out by the lake.

We went to Tillamook to taste some yummy cheese.  We also went into Rockaway Beach for some really good fish for lunch and bought salt water taffy.  We played games and just had a nice time relaxing away from it all.  On Sunday morning, we jumped into our car and started the drive home.  Arianna did such a great job in the car. I was just amazed.

 Ari and I stretching on the way home. SO happy to be out of the car.

Ari wants to drive.

 We had such a great time with great friends.  Can't wait for our next adventure!

Hawaii?!

7 months old

At 7 months old Arianna can, likes....

Arianna loves puffs.
Has eaten chicken, cornbread, and cheese

She can sit up very well with help getting there.  

Heard her first thunderstorm.
Slept in her very own crib for the first time! 
Went to her first CUBS game.
Fed herself mum mums
Celebrated her first 4th of July with a parade.
She thinks Felix is the most exciting human ever.
Loves the neighbor kids. Like really loves them.
Heard the bagpipes for the first time and loved them (which will make Great grandma Batton proud)

Give me your camera!

Sleeping so peacefully at Auntie Christi's 

It's a nail biter of a game. Go Cubs!

Mum mums!

I love cereal!

Spending time with daddy

Sitting up and chewing her ball

Spending time with Uncle Matt

Looking at her beautiful face

meltdown

Cutie

What? I'm not ripping it off.

bananas!

6 months old

She loves her oatmeal cereal. (giggles all the way through)

Has eaten carrots, green beans, apples and squash.
Scoots backwards while on her tummy. 
Loves to stick out her tongue.
Can hold her bottle and her pacifier. 
She has a lot to say at meal times. 
She loves to eat her toes.

Loves the cat. Giggles as soon as she sees her.

Carlos and I have more water on us after bath time than Arianna does.

Eating the book instead of reading it.

Finally Swirly let Arianna pet her.

Her first taste of oatmeal.

Tummy time

Carrots are good and messy.

This is what she thinks of pictures.

Cutest face ever!

Not letting go of her pacifier.

5 months old

Arianna is 5 months old.

Learning to suck her thumb to self-soothe
FINALLY uses a pacifier for nap time

Visited the tulip fields

Loves to kick and splash in her bathtub

Screams like a banshee

Working towards sitting up
Tries to blow raspberries but ends up spitting all over
Has started to move from the place I laid her down to somewhere new
Loves to listen to Pink and Taylor Swift

Daddy snuggling with the precious baby at the tulip festival.

Smelling the tulips

Chewing her thumb

sleepy girl

Holding hands with her BFF Felix

On Mother's Day!

Our first Mother's Day!

wondering if I can do it

I am scared every day that I am going to leave my daughter without a mother.  I say this because my mom passed away when I was 5 years old. You can see how this would give someone a complex. In my mind, moms die.  So every time I get a headache or feel a weird pain in my neck, I think of my mom and freak out just a little bit. My mind goes places it shouldn't and that is that.

Also with not having a mom growing up, I feel like I have no idea what I am doing.  I know every new mom feels that way but most of them have their moms to lean on. I don't.

Yes, I might just be feeling sorry for myself but I think that I am entitled to that after the life I have led.  People say I am strong and that I can get through anything. But I wonder how strong I really am. Maybe I have just been making it through the best I can and now I am finally breaking. I have always had to be the strong one, the mature one, the one that remembers everything for everyone, when do I get a turn to just be?