UT Football Game

Would you say that taking a 10 month old baby to a football game sounds a little nuts? I would! Jake and Abigail and I were on campus for homecoming because I was working the College of Nursing's alumni tailgate party.

Someone at the tailgate had 3 extra tickets and offered them to us. We thought what the heck, let's do it and we can leave whenever we need to. We were parked right in front of the stadium (since I was working). In the stadium there aren't any changing stations in the bathrooms. Where would I breastfeed her and change her diapers? Since our car was literally right there with us, I was able to feed and change her right before we went into the game. Had it been under different circumstances, I totally would have been overwhelmed by the logistics....

We ended up staying for the first half. Abigail seemed to enjoy it!

I also got to meet UT's revered live mascot, Smokey X during all of the homecoming festivities!

Ten Months

You love waving and clapping your hands. As soon as I pull you out of your car seat, you wave to everyone/anyone in the parking lot. So. Adorable.

You love stuffed animals, books and baby dolls. Your Daddy likes to move baby doll's arm so it looks like she is waving to you and you get so excited and start flailing your arms and legs.

You have mastered crawling and are always on the move! You Can really pick up speed when you set you mind to going somewhere. For example, if you are playing in the family room and happen to see that the dishwasher is open, you crawl as fast as you can to come check it out!

You are pulling up and cruising along the couch and ottoman. You also like to stand in front of the fireplace, refrigerator and stove. Once you stand up, you usually stick your tongue out and put your open mouth on the appliances/granite around the fireplace. Silly girl!

You are starting to eat a lot more table foods and less purees. You really like to feed yourself instead of being fed by a spoon. Miss Independent.

Have I mentioned that you have two bottom teeth? You've had them for a while now. I would say they came in about a month ago or so. I haven't really been able to get a good picture of you showing your teeth yet!

Halloween

 This post was written right after Halloween, but I am just now retrieving the photos from my camera!

Do we celebrate Halloween? No, but was it a fun excuse for putting Abigail in this cute pink owl cape? Absolutely! I originally wanted to find a chicken costume for Abigail because she has really fluffy hair and I thought it would be super cute. I could only find expensive chicken costumes and this practical mama wasn't going to spend much money. I went to a consignment shop and found this cute owl cape for $3! Winner! I pieced together the rest of the outfit and what did we get? The cutest pink owl there ever was! And Cora is definitely the cutest little pumpkin there ever was!

We got these two munchkins together for cute cousin costume photos at Nana and Grandpa's house!

Nine Months

This post was written on  Oct. 10, 2015, but I am just now getting my pictures off my camera and posting it!

NINE MONTHS! What!?!?

You are 20 lb 12 oz and 28.5"

You are crawling! You've been crawling for probably 3-4 weeks now. Before you started crawling, you got on your hands and knees and rocked back and forth a lot....so you had us on edge for a while just waiting for you to start moving! It took you a couple weeks to get the crawling motion down...at first you pushed off with your left foot and your right knee. Now you mostly crawl on just your hands and knees.

You are starting to pull yourself up....you do this well in the bathtub, but haven't quite perfected it in other places.

You love stuffed animals...it's so cute to watch you hold them!

You have (and have had for a while) a love for tags. You are always trying to find the silky tag on every toy and stuffed animal and you immediately try to get it in your mouth.

You're a talkative little baby...you babble a lot and it is adorable! You've said "mama" and "mamamama" but I don't think you understand that I am mama, you are just talking! Sometimes you get really expressive when you talk by raising your eyebrows and moving your whole face up and down with your mouth. That is my favorite!

You love hair. If my hair is down, you grab it by the handfuls and try to stuff it in your mouth. If my hair is up, you pull it out of my pony tail! You also love to run your fingers through your daddy's hair when he holds you. You constantly have your hands on your head playing with your own hair - especially when you are sleepy. Grabbing your hair is a soothing mechanism for you!

Everyone comments on your fuzzy head of hair. It's very fluffy and everyone thinks it is adorable! Your hair has even gotten long enough for you to have a little pony tail on the top of your head! Your teachers at school like to do your hair at school. It's cute and fun!

You also love jewelry. I can hardly wear my jewelry around you because if I have on a necklace, earrings, or bracelet you try to grab it and put it in your mouth.

Your personality is really developing. Whenever we are out and about, you are pretty easy going because you enjoy looking and listening to all the new things you are seeing and hearing. If we are at home just hanging out, you tend to be a bit more temperamental....

You are Daddy's girl. When Daddy walks into the room, you immediately light up. He is so silly and fun with you and you just LOVE it! He makes you laugh and giggle and he loves when you cuddle with him.

Eight Months

Dear Abigail,

Your Dad and I have so many hopes and prayers for you. You are so precious to us and always will be. We want you to know that we love you so, so much. I truly did not understand the incredible depth of a mother's love until I became your mommy. I hope you experience that love one day, too.

I pray for you everyday. The wall art above your crib guides my prayers when I am nursing you in the wee hours of the morning or rocking you at night because I'm just not ready to lay you down and walk out of your room.

The mini paper wreath on the bottom left says, "you see the good in everyone". This piece reminds me to pray for kindness towards others. I hope and pray that you will have a heart of kindness towards everybody. That you will be friendly, generous, considerate, caring, and gentle towards other people. All people.

The "love" wall hanging reminds me to pray that you will love God and love people. It is the desire of my heart that you will have an intimate love relationship with our Savior and I pray that you never get too comfortable and believe the lie that you can do this life without Him. I pray that during good times and bad times you will draw near to the one who loves you  most. I also pray that you will love and value yourself as a daughter of the King!

The middle piece says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart" - Jeremiah 1:5. Abigail, I pray that you come to understand these words. I pray that you realize that the creator of the universe knows you more deeply and intimately than anyone ever could. God deeply desires that you know him intimately and I pray that you desire to have a love relationship with Him.

The "Be the Light" hanging prompts me to pray those exact words. That you will be light in the darkness. That you will grow in holiness and mature in faith as you follow Jesus, the light of the world. Remember that light always wins. It pierces through the darkness.

The "Fearfully and wonderfully made" piece reminds me to pray that you would know those words. That you would know your creator made all of the tiny little cells that make up the person you are. The human body is an incredible creation with amazing capabilities! I pray that you value yourself. God intricately designed and formed you. 

Lastly, the cross with the word "joy" reminds me to pray that you choose joy. Joy is not happiness and it is not circumstantial. Joy is much deeper. Joy comes from within you because He lives within you. I urge you to think about this by looking at Paul's letters to the Philippians from his prison cell. We look forward to teaching you about this when you are old enough to understand!

Your Dad and I love you, Abigail.

Mom