Billy Bear

I know you have seen many a picture lately of me in my crib, but it just that I seem to do some of the cutest things when I'm in there!

Mommy has been putting stuffed animals in my crib with me in shifts to see if I seem to like any of them. It's not that she wants me to be carrying one around when I'm 15 or anything, nor does she look forward to discussing why said animal cannot accompany me to school in a few years, but when I cry in my crib she just wishes I had some level of comfort (apparently beyond the pacifier...which, I might add, she has already said she is NEVER taking away...).

Well, after weeks of no luck, mommy just figured I wasn't the kind of kid to get attached to an animal or a blankie...until I met Billy Bear. Billy Bear was my Christmas gift from Uncle Bill and ever since his turn in the crib, there has been no need for further change. Billy Bear is it!

The tortoise and the hare

Ah yes, the ancient tale- although in this scenario I don't know which is which. Also, I am not sure the lesson to be learned is quite the same, but none the less, we had to think of a catchy title.

Blayne and Mulligan continue to build their friendship- Mulligan is constantly bringing her toys...her favorites I might add (i.e. the plastic dog bone, dog collars, and of course the ball you see here) and she then returns the affection by putting these toys in her mouth. Luckily, we can just command the dogs to 'get the toy' (also shown in the video...they are so smart!) and they ever so gingerly pry the disgusting item out of our little Blayne's hands (hopefully) before it reaches her lips.

Danger's my Middle Name-

Blayne Danger Miller

Age: 8 mo.

Height: 27 inches

Weight: 20 lbs

Occupation: Assistant General Contractor

Alias: Blayna, Bomba, Tooters, Lele

Risk: High

Profile: Blayne has been seen riding forward in a baby seat at a mere 8 months old, and in a golf cart at that. She does meet the weight requirement but has another 4 months before she is not putting herself and others in danger. She has also been caught crawling around the house and doing things that her mother has clearly told her not to do. She recently pulled up on the front french doors and fell. It was the first bloodshed for the risk taker and caused her mother and father grief as well as physical injury to herself. She has a contusion above her right eye and a bruise on her chin (click on the picture to enlarge and get a better view). This incident does not seem to be slowing her down, so approach with caution.

Beware- She has no fear and is highly dangerous.

NOTE: Please don't worry, Blayne does not ride forward in the car, just occasionally in the golf cart at a maximum of 10 mph.

What?

Eight months you say? What's the big deal? I mean, 7 was exciting, but 8- just another stop on the road of babyhood.

What's new?? Let's see...well, here is an example of one of my favorite activities- reading. I figured since I'm learning a few languages (Italian, by the way, is not one of them) I would just brush up on conjugations and such, I mean, there's nothing worse than an 8 month old with less than perfect grammar. I have masted the art of reading via osmosis so I just knock these books down and sit surrounded by them and viola! This is a daily ritual while mommy works on the computer. My other favorite things: baths, cell phones, pens (only with supervision), blocks, remote controls and my Fisher-Price sing-a-long/mirror toy that my Tia Tiff got me for Christmas!

I am getting quite good at sitting up by myself, crawling and pulling up on furniture. I am chatting up a storm, although still mostly mimicking the cadence of speech. I do babble a little, I say ba-ba-ba-ba, ra-ra-ra-ra and wa-wa-wa-wa as far as mommy and daddy can tell. No ma-ma or da-da yet, but they sure are pushing it!

Mommy has added lots of new stuff to my menu including: Apricots, avocados, nectarines, papaya, peaches, yellow squash, zucchini, tofu, cottage cheese, whole wheat bread, sweet potato puffs (thanks to Aunt Barbie), Cheerios and egg yolks. I love them all and the only thing we think might possibly be causing a reaction is the papaya. I seem to turn bright red every time I eat it-no fever or anything- just red. Needless to say, we've decided to hold off on that one for a while.

My schedule is relatively the same- Eat, play, sleep, repeat. I am down to 2 naps a day and four bottles (although the last 2 are only half the amount of formula because I eat all that delicious food in between). I now get my bedtime bottle before my bath so that mommy and daddy can brush my teeth- this had been a difficult adjustment to make, but I am doing better. The good news is that I love having my teeth brushed, of course as much as I love things in my mouth, this should come as no surprise.

My bestest friend is my Mulligan but I am starting to really interact with other babies as well. Mommy takes me to a daycare at the gym just for an hour or so a few times a week and I really enjoy the other kids. I am starting to develop a personality and expressions all my own. Mommy and Daddy say that every day I am becoming less of a baby and more of a kid!

Houston, we have a problem...

Ah yes...as is the natural progression of things, with crawling comes pulling up. Well, I have gotten quite comfortable pulling myself up in the presence of my parents- on the ottoman, the coffee table and the couches (not, however, without a small injury of some sort) but today was the first day that I was waiting for mommy all grown up. I managed to get myself almost waist high in my crib...needless to say my escape efforts were thwarted later that day when daddy unfortunately lowered my bed practically to the floor.

So, it will be a few more months before my inevitable escape, but I do suppose it will now be less of a fall; good in the grand scheme of things but I was really looking forward to constructing my first sheet-parachute. After all, I am my father's daughter.

My new year's resolution

Like so many others, I have decided that this year I need to get more movement in my daily routine. I don't want to call it exercise just yet, but I think I will start to crawl and perhaps even in a few months attempt the whole walking thing. As is any new regimen, it is a lot of fun but at times can be both frustrating and exhausting...

My motivation to stick with it?- Milk!

Playin' around

My friend Mia (not to be confused with my grandma Mia) and her brother came to visit and play this past weekend. Mia is about six weeks younger than I am but you'd never know it in her size (and I'm not exactly petite over here...). We had lots of fun playing with my toys and just sittin' around being babies.

Ah hem...just because I said we had fun doesn't mean that I didn't have to lay down the law a few times to be sure Mia knew who was boss. After all, she was on my turf!

Bottoms up!

Happy New Year!

This is how we all spent new year's eve- so much for all the talk of parties and balls dropping, etc. We arrived home a little after noon, had a quick meeting with our clients at the house we're building (got to keep my day job since mom doesn't work anymore), came home and pretty much went to bed. The fact that there is daylight in this photo really isn't too much of a stretch...we were all in bed about 7pm. Wild bunch we are! Oh well, so we missed the actual moment, but HAPPY NEW YEAR anyway!

Yeah for 2008!