11 months and growing

holy smokes, you guys! this month! there is so much happening in this world, our country, and our family lately. to those topics i wish i had a magical salve, or at least larger arms to wrap the whole of humanity in the warmest of hugs. we're sending up prayers over here and doing our best to spread warmth and comfort. from our house to yours, we're sending you love.

it's also been a pretty big month for amelia, too. somehow, we're almost an entire year in with this one, and i can't begin to tell you all of the feelings i've got bubbling as i gear up to plan her first birthday party. this month, mia started crawling. as happens most months, the minute i hit "publish" on another of her monthly updates, she whips around the corner with some new magic trick she's been keeping in her sleeve. this month it was a shiny new front tooth, speed-crawling, stair and furniture climbing, and my personal not-favorite - spitting. mia loves to fill her tummy full, but once she's done you'll know it from the layer of colored spit she's showered you with between bites. spaghetti night is a particular favorite for mia, and we all walk away covered in a slick, orange dusting of spit by the end of it. her face is covered in beet juice, below, which is just as fun.

she bobs around the house on hands and knees, chasing one or both parents. and although she is fascinated with henry, she mostly lets him carry on without interference. if she catches him in his high chair, though, the story changes on a dime and she's below him immediately, like a puppy on the hunt for discarded scraps. except mia's interested only in unharnessed climbing up his high chair to pick at h's shorts or sneak one of the toys he's squirreled away beside him. sometimes, henry thinks mia's tiny fingers on his toes as she makes the climb up his high chair is hilarious and sometimes he snatches his foot away in agony. it's a gamble to engage with a hungry henry, and mia's more than willing to take the bet.

the other night, in a battle to keep mia from stark danger on our wooden staircase, we did a mini-tutorial on a safe decline from the top floor. henry was super excited to show mia how to "go down on your tummy, mia!" wrapped, as he usually is, in two or more blankets, no shirt, and soccer shorts, he slid down the stairs one by one while coaching mia on her form. "no, mia! on your tummy!" it was actually pretty endearing, and i wish i had it on video to brag/share with the world.

somehow, next month we will have a one year old in our home. i'll try hard not to focus on that reality until it comes, and in the mean time try desperately to remember the way mia growls to show us what a bear says, "aaahr", and that she loves open mouth kisses with her tongue mostly out. joey loves the way she'll happily dole out hugs on demand, although her generosity is waning just a bit as our requests for more and more hugs heat up.

she's still the sweetest around and we are so blessed that she's ours. happy 11 months, mia girl.

amelia and henry through the months.
amelia at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months, 10 months.
henry at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months, 10 months, 11 months, 12 months, and 13 months.

amelia at 10 months

my mia girl. she's got a lot she's thinking about lately. she's teething, scooting, learning how to crawl/stand/talk/eat/be a human. she's also been tasked with the enormous job of navigating her relationship with her brother. last night henry was feeding mia string cheese, in the smallest of bites, with ever so much care. amelia just watched him, skeptical as he placed each piece in her mouth. she opened gingerly for each bite, both eyes locked on henry's face. is he joking right now? and then, without warning, he chomped off the top half of the whole stick, did a little dance (i'd like to think he wasn't taunting her...), and threw the rest of the stick on the stove - which wasn't hot, thankfully. ah!, she must have thought. that's the brother i know! he's crazy!

she scoots around the house like she's scavenging for berries. always curious, in search of some juicy pile of loot she can dig apart and taste before the rest of the humans in the home discover her and remove her from her prize. she stands on wobbly legs (well supported by a parent or piece of furniture) and still can't figure out the mechanics of walking. one foot in front of the other looks more like one pointed toe out and a lot of wobbly legs. it's one step forward and a half a step back, but she's catching on more each day.

she's got two bottom teeth and three on top. we're waiting patiently for the gap in her front teeth fill in, and lately her mood tells us it won't be long at all (teething is the worst!).

she sleeps like perfection, nice long naps and straight through the night. i am currently pondering a way to teach henry to do the same (even at 3.5 yrs old he has never consistently slept through the night). she doesn't love the car, but as long as she has a parent close by and they are willing to sing song after song, she will tolerate her position in the car seat. her paci will resolve just about any disappointment.

as i say every month, and will say again and again, my mia is an absolute joy to have in our lives. her smile and shouting conversations keep us giggling all day. we are ever so in love with you sweet heart. happy 10 months!

amelia and henry through the months.
amelia at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months.
henry at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months, 10 months, 11 months, 12 months, and 13 months.

9 months

over the past week or so, amelia has been trying to cut no less than 6 teeth (at the same time!), and she's not thrilled. she's had some pretty high fevers and hasn't slept great through the night, so her mood throughout the day hasn't always been cheery. i think she's finally coming out on the other side of it all, thank goodness (for everyone!). 

mia's favorite thing to do at 9 months is chariot around in her mother's arms, steal her brother's toys and sacred blankets, and eat as much pizza as she can get her hands on. she's an enormous fan of long peaceful walks at dusk - long past bedtime - which is not all together a terrible thing because mother loves them too.

she has the most infectious smile there's ever been. when she's excited, she folds her body over on itself so that her nose touches her knees and her arms and legs splay straight out. she gets especially excited when henry wants to play with her or if mom or dad walk in the room. in the last week, she's learned to scoot on her tummy, and every now and then we'll catch her on her hands and knees with a terrified look on her face, as if she'd convinced herself for a second it would be a good idea to crawl and then she immediately regretted it.

for the sake of record, it feels necessary to share that the blue and white jumper in the stroller picture above is size 18 months, and mia will likely grow out of it before she'll have a chance to wear it again. she's quickly outgrowing every stitch of clothing she owns, and will no doubt be in size 5t before her brother, who is still safely in size 3t pants at 3-1/2.

over the past month, mia's determined personality has shone brightly. she knows what she wants, and will scream until everyone else knows it too. gone are the days when mia sat quietly in her jumper or laid next to henry in mesmerized silence. she is very quickly showing us the contender that she is, and we are (almost) all thrilled. henry needs a little time to adjust.

we love you sweet girl. happy 9 months!

amelia and henry through the months. 

amelia at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months.
henry at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months, 10 months, 11 months, 12 months, and 13 months.

a little letter to my (not so) little girl - 8 months

dear mia,

we call you mia because amelia rolls off the tongue less easily, although i still think your name - amelia elizabeth larson - is beautiful and suits you well. we started calling you sis when you were born to help henry understand who you were, and it stuck so quickly and so hard that we've struggled to move away from it. daddy still calls you sis sometimes and probably always will.

you are a strong sleeper, but prefer a space as dark as can be. you sleep in our bedroom, and i can hear you searching for your paci in the night. sometimes you struggle to find it, and although i wish you and i were both sound asleep i smile to myself as i walk over to you. your neck cranes up to find me in the dark, and when you know it's me you are alert and rarely settle back down without a snuggle and a short dance in the dark.

we think you are the sweetest baby sis there's ever been, and everyone loves when you're around. you are never still when you're awake. if you're standing, you're jumping. if you're sitting, you're reaching. if you're eating, your hands are moving. table food makes you especially excited, and when you see food coming you stretch your arms out until you are the letter "T", and you move your wrists around and around as if all of your excitement is wiggling through your arms and out your fingertips. you make short little bursts of sounds, like hiccuping exclamations of joy, while we sing songs about your yummy food and play peek-a-boo because we can't get enough of your bright smile.

if you are on the floor, you roll to your tummy, which is so round and too heavy for your short little arms. you are puzzled about how to lift yourself up with your arms, much less your knees. you spend a few minutes wiggling your limbs, stuck in one spot. your tummy is like a fulcrum, glued to the ground. and though you try with all your might to get your tummy to roll you to where you reach, you are like a roly-poly toy, stuck in one place with your arms and feet in the air.

your slanted eyes become thick hyphens when you laugh, and your wispy hair dances in the wind. when you are frustrated or sad, your throaty cries are echoey and persistent, your arms stretch out like branches on a tree, and your face crumples in gloom. there is no one in our house who can bear to hear you sad, and those cries are quickly soothed with daddy's goofy smile, henry's sweet songs, or snuggles from mama.

at eight months old, you are mostly quietly observing and reaching for the things you'd love to explore. i wonder about who you are behind your wide smile and gooshy cheeks. what are you thinking while henry skips past you and throws himself into a ball on the floor among his itty bitty toys and easter eggs (his newest obsession)? i wonder if you will be a boundless ball of energy and excitement like henry, or if you will be a quiet introvert with worlds of thought rolling around in your head. will you love to explore and spend summers with thick dirt beneath your fingernails or will you tell stories to your teddy bears while you serve them tea beneath a tree? i love to imagine that you will be all of these things and all of the things i couldn't possibly imagine. i imagine henry will drive you crazy and be your biggest supporter all at once. because he loves you, mia, more than you will ever know. we all do, sweetheart. and we are so proud that you are ours.

amelia and henry through the months. 

amelia at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months.
henry at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months, 10 months, 11 months, 12 months, and 13 months.

amelia elizabeth, we love you very much - 7 months

amelia wakes up every morning by slamming her feet against her crib mattress as if in announcement - alright guys, let's roll! henry used to do the same thing every morning. it's maybe a strange thing to stick out as important, but because h and a are so different in just about every single way this tiny similarity seems precious to me.  

when mia was born, henry was very cautious of the extra time and attention the strange baby stole from him, and for the most part mia was just quiet and small enough that he could ignore that she existed much of the time. if she cried, henry cried out in agony from the noise. if mia got too close to him or his things, h recoiled quickly, snatched his precious toys, and then carried on with his business in a corner somewhere safely removed from the intruder. his eyes were usually locked on a set of toys or the tv instead of bothering to peek at mia. 

these days, h seems to find mia just slightly entertaining and worth a glance here and there. when she cries, henry soothes her with a song or an aggressive pet on her head. when she laughs, henry tries to tickle her under the chin to make her giggle more. for the most part, he isn't bothered when mia touches his things or plays with his toys. he still keeps himself at a healthy distance from any of mia spit cloths, obviously, but he's fascinated when we change her diaper and he stands close by when she's having a bath or eating solid food. when we're playing or if mia gets a little fussy at night, i sing to her a silly little rhyme with her name in it that instantly makes her face light up. last night as we were taking some pictures, henry came in and started singing her song, and my heart exploded. 

at night, henry tells mia he loves her and in the morning he sits nearby as she drinks her bottle or jumps in her favorite spot. 

mia eats some solid food these days. she prefers apples and sweet potatoes, and she refuses bananas all together. last week she gave up drinking her bottle during the day and started drinking a few more bottles through the night. this week, she's back on schedule with her daily bottle in-take and last night she slept all night long without a drink. she's been trying to cut teeth for over a month, and every now and then she'll have a day spent drooling and grinding her gums - which is a sort of disgusting thing she does that makes her look like a very serious bubble gum chewer - and we'll be convinced a tooth is coming, only to find sweet little pink gums and no sign of a tooth just a few days later. UPDATE: mia is getting her first tooth! we found one on her 7 month birthday (lower right central incisor).

she loves to be outside and would happily swing for hours at the park while henry mills about finding worms and sticks. 

riding in brother's three wheeler is the bees knees. although, you'll have to take my word for it, because we caught her mid-frown in this photo i guess.

i always have trouble ending these monthly posts without droning on and on about how amelia is the most amazing, well-tempered baby on the planet, because she really is. and every month gets better and better with this one. i love you more every second, mia girl. happy 7 months!

amelia and henry through the months. in case you care to see. 

amelia at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months.
henry at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months, 10 months, 11 months, 12 months, and 13 months.

Mia is 6 Months!

 

despite her stuffy nose and yucky cough, she smiles. always. we kept her home with us two days last week, and on thursday i took her to see the doctor. it was croup, we decided, and we got by with snuggles, pain medication, and a steamy bathroom. not the way we wanted to welcome in her half-year birthday, but we're so glad she seems to be on the mend this week.

she weighs 18lbs 2.5oz. she's 27 inches long. yesterday, she tried pears for the first time and ate them as though she's been doing it for years. she also slept in her crib all night long - an enormous victory for someone who's made her devotion to her rock-n-play fervently known since birth. she's getting so strong, and she uses her strength to pull her brother's blanket - which he does not love. at all. - and sit up, almost by herself.  she's got a determined soul, one i imagine to be peppered with stubborn spunk and independence like her brother (and mom and dad, if we're being honest). 

her daddy makes her smile most these days, but when she's sick or wakes in the night, it's mama she needs. she is almost certainly soothed with the one verse of "row your boat" that we know (are there more versus??), but one must sing it on repeat. even henry has come to rely on a verse of some tune or another to soothe his sister when she starts to cry. "a - b - c - d - e - f - g," i'll hear him singing from the kitchen as i rush to make mia a bottle. "... gently down the stream...," he croons from his perch on the couch, with what appears to be his full attention locked on the television screen. "if you see a crocodile, don't forget to scream. ahh! row, row, row your boat...," he continues, until he hears her cries subside and his full attention is once again devoted entirely to the characters' voices on tv or the challenge of standing all of his plastic ninjas side by side on the ottoman. 

mia's favorite thing to do these days, it seems, is to bounce. she's got an endless compulsion to roll to her tummy immediately when she's laid down on her back, which almost always leaves her dismayed. he brother is completely fascinating, even more so because he so rarely acknowledges her. she giggles when she's tickled - just below her neck line or on her legs - and she loves to be thrown in the air. we're still waiting for the belly laughs we got with henry at 6 months, but this little gem takes things at her own pace. 

we love you, baby girl. you've made our year already!

amelia at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months.
henry at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months, 10 months, 11 months, 12 months, and 13 months.

amelia at five months

just a few pictures to scatter about in the wind. tiny little bits of color that represent our home, i suppose, but of course not really. because how do you capture a home in 4x6's? the home lies somewhere beneath the layers of color, woven into the rugs and splattered a bit on the walls.

"my like our new house," henry says one day after school. "what day we going to go back to our old house?"  

"we're not going back to our old house, babe. we live in st. paul now."

"when we going to go back to dc?"

"we live here now. do you like living here?"

"yeah, me do!"

when we get home from daycare pick ups - henry from preschool, amelia from our sweet friends' house - we mill about settling into borrowed routines from our past life in dc. henry understands that his role in it all is to take off his shoes and coat and find something to do until dinner. on some days he finds the responsibility much easier to handle than on other days. 

"my listened at school! now me watch tv?!"

"just wait henry. can you bring me your shoes, buddy?"

sometimes he does. sometimes, he throws his shoes as far as he can get them instead. 

"what's daddy doing?"

"he's still working babe. stay upstairs, he'll be done in a little bit."

"my just going to give him a kiss and a hug."

"no, henry. please stay upstairs. what do you think we should have for supper tonight?"

sometimes he stays upstairs. sometimes, he can't take the wait and he pads down the carpeted stairs towards joey's office instead.

life in st. paul is breezy and sweet. no rush hour traffic to contend with. our family is a (relatively) short drive away. we are blessed. we are so content here.

two days ago, amelia turned five months old. she makes us all deliriously happy. sometimes i wonder if i developed the opposite of postpartum depression when amelia was born. i can't get enough of her gummy smile. i miss her constantly, even if she's just in the other room. she flips immediately to her tummy if ever laid down on her back, and she sleeps like an absolute angel. she falls asleep at almost exactly 6pm every night - just an hour after we're home. she usually wakes around 3:00am for a bottle, but she's back down - tummy plump - 10 minutes later.

in a month's time she will have been here half a year, and i can hardly stand to think how quickly it's all gone. the long days and nights i remember with henry have turned so quickly into a blur of giggles and hurried week nights with two precious babes i have never felt so lucky to know - much less mother. life is such a crazy whirl of bitter and sweet, and i am constantly floored by the flood of emotion that comes when i think of how lucky we are.

amelia at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months.
henry at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months, 10 months, 11 months, 12 months, and 13 months.