bedtime routine: nailed it.

While I have thought for some time that we have a good bedtime routine, the other night Natalie did something that confirmed just how much she enjoys our routine and reading.

Just like any other night, I took Natalie into her room and put her on the floor to play.  While she was distracted, I took her blanket out of the crib and hung it over the side so I can easily grab it once I sit down in the rocking chair for story time.  I went into her closet and picked out pajamas and set them on the rocking chair.  I always put them there for easy access while I get her changed.  Before I could sit down on the floor with her, I heard Brandon call my name from the hallway.  I walked over to the baby gate and was talking to him while watching Natalie on the floor.  This is where things got adorable. 

She crawled over to her bookcase and started to touch the different books.  She pulled down one of her board books and flipped through the pages.  She pushed it aside.  She did this with a couple more books.  Then she intently pulled a book down off the shelf - one we read often "On the Night You Were Born" by Nancy Tillman.  While adorable, I didn't think much more about it... until she brought me the book.  How stinkin' adorable.  I almost cried.  I thought it was so sweet that she was bringing me her book.  I was finishing up my conversation with Brandon when she crawled over to her crib and pulled her blanket down.  After a moment of playing peek-a-boo with herself (I know so cute, right?), she crawled over to give me her blanket too. 

In her own way, Natalie was telling me that she was ready for story time snuggles. It was so sweet and it made me feel so good.  It was like her way of telling me that I was doing a good job. That little girl is something else :)

the Great Frederick Fair

Last week Brandon and I took Natalie to the fair for the first time.  She absolutely loved it.  She loved the animals and, especially, the people watching.  Her curious little eyebrows were often raised when looking around.  She loved the little pigs, the cows, the horses and sheep.  She especially loved the little lambs and had absolutely no fears about petting them!

love the way she looks at him :)

I cannot wait for next year's fair. She did not get the full experience this time around since we had done our dinner routine before heading over there.  It will be so cute when she is a little bit older to see her walking around, saying the names of the animals and really enjoying all the fair has to offer, especially the food!

10 months!

age: 10 months! double digits :)  I must say, I think this might be my favorite age yet!

weight: This month is merely a guess, but if she was 23lb 1oz at her nine month check-up, I would say she is probably just shy on 24lbs.  The girl is on the move constantly, so I don't think she has packed on any weight in the last month.

food: At this point, just about anything we eat - Natalie eats as well. Last week when we went out for our anniversary, it was so strange and oddly exciting to order something for her off of the menu.  Natalie loves dry cereal, goldfish and Gerber puffs.  She enjoyed her first sweet a couple weeks ago too - a chocolate chip cookie :)  I couldn't resist sharing it with her, but we don't plan on giving her any other sweets until her birthday.  

milestones:  She teased up with first steps and has yet to do it again.  She comfortably moves from place to place holding onto whatever is near by, but has yet to get brave enough to try walking on her own.  We recently got her a little push walker and she loves it.  She often gives the lion face a kiss which is just adorable.  

We recently also mastered putting her in her crib AWAKE.  This is something that I wish I had been better about when we were sleep training, but I couldn't. It hurt my little heart to listen to her cry.  Thanks to my mom and our daycare provider, Natalie is MUCH better about going into her crib awake and falling asleep on her own.  She is getting really good at soothing herself which is also a big thing.

We also celebrated Grandparent's Day with Brandon's parents.  We met them at the Gettysburg outlets and did a little fall shopping for Nat.  She now has a fairly complete fall wardrobe which is nice.  We found some really adorable items and I cannot wait to put her in them :)  It was an absolutely beautiful day and we had a really nice visit.

favorites: She loves her push-walker and her blocks still.  We really haven't changed up her toys since she gets to play with new things at daycare.  Sayeda tells us that she loves to play with the rattles and noisemakers at daycare.  She also loves to dance which I find completely adorable.  Natalie absolutely loves music - she is her father's daughter :)  Lately, Natalie and Gemma are starting to play more and it is really cute to watch their relationship develop. 

looking forward to: We are so excited to take her to the fair this week!  She loves playing with her farm animals, so I am excited for her to see farm animals in real life.  I am also looking forward to doing some planning for her first birthday!  That will be here before we know it!  I already know that we aren't doing something big - just our immediate families and her godparents - but I am still so excited to celebrate our little miss!

a post of gratitude

Yesterday morning when I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth and facebook stalking in an effort to avoid getting ready for work, I came across an article that immediately made me think of Katie.  Katie is a girl that I went to high school with - she was one of my sister's classmates.  I wasn't close with Katie, but we knew each other.  Somewhere along the way, we reconnected through social media.  I started following her blog and found inspiration in her strength.  She is one strong mama.  Without hesitating, I re-posted the story I had found and tagged Katie letting her know it made me think of her.

Why?

Because she is a mom.  Because she is a mom who shared her own personal stories and feelings on a fairly controversial topic that I agree with her on.  Because she has shown me some sort of "you're doing a good job, mom" support since I brought Natalie home from the hospital.  She is part of this weird club that I joined less than a year ago that I treasure and appreciate so much.  This band of mothers so to speak. (See what I did there, so clever.) 

I was talking to Brandon about it on the way to work.  Since becoming a mom, I have found myself connecting with people in a completely different way.  There is this unspoken understanding and appreciation.  I follow so many other mom blogs because I feel connected to these people in some way.  And it's not just other mom's in blogs - it's my co-workers too.  I had always been fond of my co-worker, Jessica, but since getting pregnant we have become closer.  She was a constant source of support and encouragement throughout my pregnancy and has remained that way in my post pregnancy weight loss struggle and really in my life in general.  Then there is my other friend, Jessica.  She was the girlfriend of one of my brother-in-laws groomsmen when I met her.  Now she is one of the first people I think of on the 16th of every month (the day of the month her son was born) and one of the people I love to contact when Natalie hits a milestone because she is just as excited as I am.

Today I am feeling so grateful for the mama support network I have found.  People I have never met, but have connected with through blogging.  People I have worked with for years, but who I have really come to bond with because of our small humans.  Women I have known for years but have not really connected with until recently.  Ladies who were mere acquaintances in college, who years later just happened to have small humans around the same time I did so we find ourselves understanding one another on a new level. 

Thank you for all of the advice you have given me, knowingly or not. Thank you for inspiring me.  Thank you for teaching me there are so many different ways to be a good parent.  Thank you for showing me that I am so not alone in motherhood. Thank you for struggling with me and celebrating milestones with me.  Thank you, for everything.