Stink Face

Yes, yes, I'm sorry I haven't written for so long. Actually, I probably owe the biggest apology to Lucy- the last three months of your life were wonderful, and I failed to document them properly. Well, I failed to document them on this blog properly. In my head I can still see all of the following very clearly, and I doubt these images will ever fade:

1. Your stink-face when you first tried squash. I would have thought your puckered lips and prune face indicated you'd rather have mashed peas or banana's, but when you immediately opened wide and leaned forward for another mouthful I knew you were in love. You did give another stink-face at the second bite, but leaned in even more quickly for the third bite than you did for the second.

2. Your toothy smile when we first noticed you had two bottom teeth poking through. Five months- just like your pops! Maybe that means you'll need braces someday like your pop too. I just hope you don't need the head gear....

3. Your proud chewing after your little hand with two or three puffs stuck to it finally scooped one successfully into your mouth. Yes, it might have been a fluke, but that puff sure looked like it tasted good. You're now an old pro- you like to to scoop as many cheerios or puffs into your mouth as you can before chewing.

4. Your giggle as you grabbed PuddleDoggy's ear for the first time (yes, you did more than eat the last three months, although you might not know it since you were off the charts in height and weight at your 6-month doctor's appointment.) You do love your puppy, even if he's a little cautious around you still. PuddleDoggy likes to nap next to your crib with you.

5. Your vertical as you jump up and down in your jumper (you're doing it as I write this.) Actually, you prefer side-to-side over up and down, but either way you have more rhythm and dance moves at 6 months than your parents do combined (sorry PuddleMama, it's the truth.) PuddleMama likes to play some good dance music when you're in your jumper.

6. Your babbling. I fell in love with your mama on our first date when she talked for 25 minutes straight uninterrupted after I picked her up. I could listen to your babble and giggles and coo's even longer, and I do.

7. Your love of remote controls. You love them. For awhile you had trouble because your motor skills were limited and you ended up nailing yourself in the head with them. You're much better now, and other than trying to take a bite out of one every now and again, you're pretty adept with them as well.

The fall promises to be as busy as the summer- we're working on a new home for our family, and maybe a new ladybug room for Lucy.....

Roll Over. NOW!

PuddleMama just called me at work and reported that our little Lucky just had a big achievement. She rolled over (from her back to her stomach) three times! She had previously rolled from her stomach to her back, but now she is bi-rollable. Pretty sweet!

And for those of you who were wondering (I should have reported on this a few weeks ago) PuddleMama's first night away from Lucy went very well. PuddleMama did not need too many cocktails, and the only scare was a missed phone call from PuddleGramma who then did not immediately answer her phone. A special thanks to our friend who suggested "Maybe they are on their way to the emergency room!" Apparently, the issue that caused the original phone call had nothing to do with Lucy, but was instead not knowing what to do when the movie she was watching at our house was going to switch off because our DVR insisted two other programs needed to be recorded.

4 Month Monster

Lucy had her four month appointment on Monday and the important stats are:

Weight: 15 lbs. 15 oz. (90+ Percentile)
Height: 26.5" (90+ Percentile)
Head: 16.5" (80+ Percentile)
Cheeks: Chubby (200+ Percentile)

She is doing great! Lucy also received a few more shots which seemed to bother her a little more than last time, but we gave her some baby tylenol and that seemed to help.

PuddleMama and I are staying at a friend's cabin on Saturday- without Lucy. This will mark PuddleMama's first night away from little Lucky. Don't worry, I plan on feeding PuddleMama cocktails at a high rate.

Father's Day/Girls Gone Wild

Father's Day has come and gone. PuddleMama made a great breakfast in bed (although I just can't eat in bed- we had to move out to the loft) and I got to spend the day hanging out with Lucy. My dad asked me on the phone if it felt any different from any other day, and I had to be honest, it didn't really. At first I was sad about that, but then I realized that it didn't feel too different than any other day *with* Lucy. It certainly felt different that the days pre-PuddleBaby. It really does feel like little Lucy has just always been here, and that feels more than good.

We don't think PuddleDoggy feels exactly the same way. PuddleMama remarked that when she arrives home with Lucy in tow PuddleDoggy will run down and meet them at the door. PuddleDoggy will then see Lucy, lower his head a little, and go sulking off to his doggy bed. Poor guy. Add on top of that the fact we're trying to sell our house resulting in a limited supply of doggy toys laying around and the result is a sad puppy. I have been trying to give him some extra belly rubs, and next week he is going to be the happiest dog around when he visits his cousins Brock, Indy, Sophie, and the enigmatic Tommy.

Oh, there was one small event on Father's day that made it feel unusual. I got mooned. I was walking PuddleDoggy by the softball fields and two boys (maybe 12-14 years old) gave me the old Glen Modean. They then yelled "Yeah, you like that a$$!" before riding off on their BMX's. It momentarily made me glad that I had a little girl and not a little boy... But then thoughts of Girls Gone Wild ran through my head and I quickly and forcibly changed my thought pattern to less terrifying things, like picking up PuddleDoggy's poop. And I used to *like* thinking about Girls Gone Wild. Just another unexpected side-effect of having a girl.

Angel Eyes

A few more photos from this weekened courtesy of PuddleAunt Trisa!

Holy Water, Raspberries, and Gas

Lucy is finally catching up on her normal schedule after a wonderfully full weekend. Lucy was baptised on Sunday surrounded by family and close friends.

She cried a bit during the ceremony, but as I have been told and love to repeat, that's just a baby's way of praying. My dad was actually disappointed she didn't cry more. She didn't yell when they finally poured the water over her, but she certainly made a stink face. (PuddleMama just yelled from the other room that Lucy is actually smiling in her bath- that would be a first. Maybe a little holy water and an eccentric priest was all she needed to start loving water.)

Lucy now has her very own Godmother and Godfather (like she didn't already have enough people doting on her!) They are two people who we know will always be positive forces in her life, and as I said before, I can't wait to see her relationship with them grow.

We were overwhelmed by all the love and support of not only the Godparents, but of all those around us, and we can't possibly thank everyone enough. Lucky truly is lucky, as are Lucky's truly lucky parents. Get that?

For the record, here's a picture of Lucy resting up for the big moment in her Godfather's arms:



On a different note, Lucy belly-laughed tonight harder than we have ever seen. I was giving her raspberries and she was loving it. Then she passed some gas, and was not loving it so much anymore, so I'm thinking it was a combination of gas and raspberries (I know that combination always gets me.) Either way, PuddleMama and I just sat there and laughed with her. I could have given raspberries all night. Too bad Lucy couldn't have had gas all night as well.

Little Lucky's Spirit

Lucy will be baptised on June 14th. PuddleMama and I are very excited. Although my Catholic upbringing didn't produce the most devout Catholic, I do consider my spirituality, soul, and link to God to be very real. For me, it doesn't matter what denomination Lucy will be baptised in (other than some cool points for continuing family traditions) but it does matter that the baptism symbolizes her unique spirituality and the beginning of her relationship to God.

Part of the excitement includes the new special relationship Lucy will have with her Godparents- PuddleUncle (my brother Luke) and PuddleMamaBFF (Kat!) They are two people who we know will always be involved in a very positive way with Lucy's life, and who's values align very closely to our own. Based on my own experiences, I know what a wonderful deal it is to be close to a Godparent. I am closer to God through my relationship with my Godfather and step-Godmother, even if beer, baseball, and bonfires have facilitated that relationship more than rosary beads and bibles. I hope (and am very confident) Lucy will find her own unique relationship to her Godparents that in turn brings her closer to God.

We see more and more of Lucy's spirit everyday. She was very vocal today, appearing to finally realize she is the one making those gurgles, yips, and giggles. We gurgle, yip, and giggle right back at her of course. (In fact, we do it so much I found myself smiling at a coworker today like I do at Lucy when I'm trying to make her smile- in other words, with a wide open mouth and quenched up eyes. The great thing is, the coworker smiled back. I guess it works on all ages of peoples.)

Lucy's spirit is already lighting up my world, and I'm looking forward to watching it grow and bond with the world around her.