6 Months Old! (or thereabouts...)

I am such a slacker. I started this post on Delilah's 6 month birthday, but it's over a week later and I'm just now posting it. And it's still not completely finished b/c I haven't downloaded the picture I do every month of her in her bouncer. But I do have a bunch of other pictures to tide you (her loyal fans) over. I already sent many of you the link to see some of the pics from our recent session with Pinkletoes photography. For those of you who didn't get that link, click here to see those pics. Below are more from that session...but I'm still not posting the shots we're using for our Christmas cards!!!!!
By the way, she's 16 pounds (50th %), 26.5 inches (75%), and I don't remember her head circumference, but it's 75%. She loves sweet potatoes and thinks rice cereal is for the birds. And I was planning to continue breastfeeding, but she's pretty much weaned herself in the past week. I'm a little sad about that, I have to admit. She's quite giggly and thinks kisses on the belly are the best. She started sitting up on her own a few days before she turned 6 months and she looks pretty darn cute when she does it!

Outside

Here are some more cute pics of our angel outside. Need to remember to grab the camera from Chris next time and snap some of him and Delilah!

Delilah and Addie

Before leaving Plano (see previous post), Jenny and I decided to do a little photo shoot with our girls, who are 8 months apart. We couldn't resist putting them in matching tops...I think our munchkins are just too precious!

I like your shirt
I like your shirt, too
Orange is my favorite color to draw with
Let's be friends always!

Plano Trip

We went to Plano this weekend for a wonderful "Fajitas and 'Ritas" party thrown by my best friend Jenny and her husband, Chad. Had a FANTASTIC time and also got to see two other dear friends from college, Lisa and Jessica. Delilah sported some new fall clothes, and played with Jenny and Jessica's daughters, Addie and Claire. She was also the only kid at the party...got passed around from person to person and just loved all the attention...then went to bed at 8:30pm and didn't make a peep the rest of the night. She woke up at 6:15 and I quietly explained that she needs to sleep later when mommy's had margaritas the night before...and she actually fell back asleep for two more hours. Hooray! :)

Claire and Addie checking out Delilah

The three girls playing Delilah thinks Miss Lisa is wonderful! My baby

First School Picture

Like most schools, Delilah's daycare has a company come in and take pictures of all the kids and then you can buy them after you see the proofs. So here are her first school pictures! Even as a mom, I can say these are by no means the cutest pictures of her, but how can you not love the cheesy pose, the fake leaves, and the backdrop? :) I think it's funny how surprised Delilah looks...you know they're going as fast as possible and I can just picture her looking all around at everyone and thinking, "What the heck is going on?!"

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

A light-hearted post to follow my somber one.

The Good:
-Today I fit into a pair of pre-pregnancy jeans for the first time. I've been able to button them before, but today they actually fit like they should. Hooray! (Granted, they're not my 'skinny' pre-preggo jeans, they're the ones I wore on my fat days...but still, pre-preg clothes are pre-preg clothes!!!)
-I finally get to buy new clothes for Delilah. B/c we received so many lovely clothes as gifts, I couldn't really buy any more without feeling wasteful. But now she's outgrown most of the clothes we received, so I actually HAVE to buy her clothes so that she has a decent amount. Yippee!
-I'm looking at beautiful flowers that Chris bought me the other day when he was picking up groceries. When asked why, he just shrugged and said, "Because you're awesome."

The Bad:
-Can't think of anything. Fantastic!

The Ugly:
-When I dropped Delilah off at daycare today, she started squirming in my arms and actually reached out to Miss Nora while I was holding her. Of course I'd rather her be excited to see her teacher than crying and clinging to me, but isn't there a middle ground? I'm putting this in the 'ugly' category b/c who doesn't like to see their child excited no matter what the circumstances? I must be a horrible person. :)

Thanks for reading and I promise the next post will have some pictures!

Slow Down

I think the universe is trying to tell me something.

#1: I read an article about a woman who accepted a dare to not multi-task for 7 days. No talking on the phone while driving, no answering emails while watching t.v., nothing. The results were great (more focus, less stress, etc.), and I was thinking about trying it myself when I realized that I didn't want to give up talking on the phone while driving. I use my blue-tooth, so my hands are free, and I feel like I'm still focused (of course, I'm sure everyone thinks that). But I decided to try it and the loveliest little thing happened. I was at a stop light, I had classical music playing (yep, I'm a dork), and when I looked out the window I saw all these reeds blowing in the wind. And I know it sounds crazy, but they actually looked like they were dancing in time to the music. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen and I would have missed it if I was on the phone.

#2: This is much, much more serious and somber. I was watching a TiVo'd episode of Oprah last night (told you, I'm a dork...but she really is brilliant), and the show was about mothers trying to do too much. The main guest was an assistant principal and the mother of 2 girls. Her husband normally took their youngest daughter to daycare but he had an appointment one morning, so the mom was going to do it. She got to daycare too early, so she decided to pick up doughnuts for her coworkers to kill time. The doughnut store was on the way to her work, so after making the stop she drove straight to work out of habit. At the end of an 8 hour day, she walked out to her car and saw that she had forgotten to go to daycare and had left her 2 year old in the car the whole day. Her daughter died of heat stroke. Can you imagine? Can you even, for one moment, comprehend the pain and guilt that would haunt you every moment of every day for the rest of your life? I can not.

I am not writing this post to be macabre...I just want to urge everyone to stop and evaluate if you are truly present in your life. Being present can help prevent catastrophes like #2, and can provide opportunities for joy like #1. Neuroscientists have proved that multi-tasking is actually impossible: you literally can't do two things at once; you can only switch back and forth really quickly, which causes you to not fully focus on either task. I think I must have subconsciously known this b/c as I think back, I realize that although I talk while driving all the time, I have only done it twice when Lila was in the car. It just felt wrong. So, Universe, I'm taking the hint. I'm slowing down.