Lucy, you've got some major catching up to do!

Except my name isn't Lucy, but still.

Yikes, it's been a while. And so much as happened. I kept thinking "I should blog about this. And now about this. Definitely about this." But it just didn't happen. It was like a snowball rolling down the hill... getting to be too much to blog about so I didn't know where to start. And still don't, so this post may be really random.

Or maybe I'll break it up and give myself a few posts out of this whole catching up thing. Yeah, that's what I'll do.

Let's talk about little Miss Adelaide for now. She's amazing. Ah. Maze. Ing. Really! I am so blown away with the fact that I made her. I will hold that little nugget of pride forEVER. And any other mama out there who has grown a PERSON in her BELLY should feel the same. Double up on that pride if you made twins, and keep priding on the more you made. (I don't mean to leave anyone out: adoptive parents, people trying to conceive, dads, etc. Everyone's got their own horn to toot, and this may well be the only horn I've got right now.)

[This group of pictures taken May 23rd, in the front yard.]

She's totally on her way to crawling. I can see it in the way that she pushes herself up when she's on her stomach. She's really strong now, starting to lift up her butt sometimes when she's laying there. I wonder how long it'll be? I can't wait! I want to babyproof and put all my collectibles (that ceramic bowl I made in college full of whiskers, for instance) up high. She's also pivoting herself. Like, she'll roll onto her tummy and be facing one way, and then one arm over the other for a while and she'll be facing a whole new direction in just minutes. So cool.

She's blowing raspberries! I've yet to capture it on camera, but it's so cute. A friend of mine from the Bradley class we went to said this is called "blowing their teeth out." I'd never heard that before and it sounds like a totally strange saying, and googling "blowing teeth out" just confirms the oddness of it. Regardless, she loves doing it. Especially so when her mouth is loaded with spit. It's really adorable.

And, though not developmentally, really, we've had a few firsts lately. First time in a baby pool (pics coming). First time in a big pool (again, you'll have to wait).

But here! First time in a swing!

[Swinging pictures taken June 1st. How is it already June?]

This swing was handed down to us a while back and we just chucked it into our attic until last week. It used to be my nephew's, but he's a kindergartner now (what???) and of course hasn't fit into this little swing for some time now. We strung it up in the back yard, and she loves it. She just kicks back and lets us do all the work, which is exactly how it should be. Unfortunately, our back yard is riddled with mosquitos (any advice on getting rid of them the natural way?), and she's already gotten a few bites. But let's face it: we live in the south, and mosquito bites are a part of life here when it gets hot and humid.

And lastly, for now, we've been trying to introduce a bottle. We're very inconsistent with it so far, only offering it once every couple of weeks. She'll drink out of it, but more often will play with it. She's used to nuzzling up to me and playing with my necklace or shirt, but here's a new thing in her face. And although that thing is giving her mama's milk, it's also new and big and right there.

Also, we've (or rather, I've) been thinking of starting to introduce sippy cups soon. She'll be 9.5 months old when she goes to day care, so that's only a couple months of bottle time, and I don't want to purchase more bottles if she won't be using them long. I know a 7.5 month old who can drink from a straw, so I know it's possible for her to learn. Don't know if she will, but maybe? Just trying to think of costs here, as we have, like, NO extra cash.

[First semi-successful feeding with daddy! May 29th.]

So! There you go. Lots more to come. For now though, to wrap it up: Did your baby "blow his/her teeth out"? As in, did you see a connection between beginning to blow raspberries and getting new teeth? Any natural mosquito repelling ideas? Ideas about the bottle vs. sippy cup at a young age? How old should she be? Comments muchly appreciated! Stay tuned for lots more catching up, pictures, and maybe even a video or two!