Cedar turned six months!  Six. Months.  Half a year, people!  My goodness, it's happening too fast.

Here's what we've been up to:

 Dressing up and taking Selfies, of course.

Just kidding.  Janelle and Seth hosted a Halloween Party.  Allow me to introduce you to Wayne and Garth.

 Watching Way. Too. Much. Football.  I hate football with most of my heart, and I like this picture because Cedar is giving the game the cold shoulder in favor of her awesome toy.  You go girl!

 Workin'.  Harper is a sweetheart and I am really loving looking after the two girls during the week.  Some days go by very fast, and others are incredibly slow, usually on days when they are both good girls and decide to take their naps accordingly.  Right now Harper is still too young to be on much of a schedule, so we go with the flow.  Cedar has done very well adjusting to naptimes at Harper's house, though.  I'm proud of my little baby.

 Sometimes Cedar and I take late afternoon walks over to the park near our house.  She loves the swing, and I love hearing her giggle on the swing.  Great fun!

 Taking Selfies.  She's my bud.

 Sitting up like a big girl!  She can sit up on her own, but if she lunges for anything, down she goes and the tears flow.  She's sort of a baby.

 Cedar can make her way around a room now, if she wants to.  She tends to get stuck in the oddest places, though, and needs my assistance in getting her 'unstuck'.  Not a problem, except the whining that calling for my help entails.  Whining = no bueno.  It would be lovely if she could use words.

 Trying new foods!  She hates avocado, which is sad. 

 But fully approves of the sweet stuff!

 Jody went out of town for a few days, and Cedar missed him.

Seriously.

 We found our tongue!  Ain't she cute?

Moving on, 

Jody started his job with MRL today!  Oh, happy day!  I am so, so excited for him, and very anxious to see how his schedule will be, how he likes his job, and where this takes us.  I still am very grateful that we both have good jobs now, are staying busy, and we can just RELAX a little in the next few months.  We have some catching up to do, in more ways than one, since this incredibly stressful post-Navy-adventure began, but I am grateful for the experience, still, and have learned a lot.  There are many seasons to life, and who knows what will come next.

Ta-ta for now! 

November, already?!

I'm not sure where the year has gone, but here we are just two months from the New Year...and with an almost six month old!

Cedar is the happiest baby I have ever met.  From the moment she wakes until the moment we lay her down at night, this girl is always smiling.  It makes my heart soar and overflow with gratitude.  Of course she has her moments, and the set of lungs on this kid is just as strong as her desire for fun, but she is at such a fun age right now.  I'd like to just press pause for a few years and enjoy this time even more, as she's still mostly immobile, can play independently but loves the company of others, has the most contageous giggles and will still cuddle up and love on me (if hungery or tired enough - I have my tricks :) ). 

I am still nursing Cedar, but we are winding down.  Nursing has been so. damn. hard for me.  I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt when I finally threw up my hands and started weaning her, but I decided to take it very slowly, and added more and more bottle feedings over the last month and a half.

The less I nurse, the more I realize how much I will miss feeding her this way.  I love being the only person who can feed her.  I love letting her pull on my hair and nose and cheeks while she feeds.  I love it all, but am content (finally) with my decision to give myself a break.

We have started a few solid foods here and there.  Cedar loves bananas and pumpkin, generally doesn't go for applesauce, and tolerates cereal.  We aren't on much of a schedule yet, just trying to get a few spoonfuls in here and there when we can.  She turns six months next week, and at that point I plan on getting more regular with meal times.  I am planning on making a first batch of baby foods this weekend.

The parents (remember us?) are also doing well.  Jody was just hired as a Switchman with Montana Rail Inc. and I am going to be a railroader's wife! 

I am literally turning into my mother.

Anyway, this was a very competitive position, and I am so proud of Jody.  He went for this job and nailed it, even amidst the stress and trials he has been going through for the last six months.  He is so strong and so smart, and I am a lucky gal to have him caring for us.

I also started working two weeks ago.  Cedar and I make our way over to our new friend Harper's house at about 7:30 am every morning until late afternoon, Monday through Friday.  I am so blessed by Harper's family.  They have bought toys for Cedar to play with, have cleared out a space in Harper's room for Cedar's things, and set up a pac n play for naptimes, which happen to be going very well over there (generally).  It's good to be on a schedule, it's good to be busy with the two little girls (bottles, diapers, naptimes, wash, rinse, repeat...) and it's good to be paid.

Cedar and Harper (7 weeks old).  Yes, my daughter is tiny.  I know.

Play time.  She loves this thing!

Little Bitty as also taken to sucking her thumb - quite vigorously.  It's almost always in her mouth now and there is really no 'need' for a binkie, although I'm still keeping one around for the time being.  Isn't that hair funny?  I love her hair.

 

 

Cedar now lights up when Jody walks into a room and they love playing together.  Nothing cracks her up more than when dad 'scares' her.  I'll have to catch it on video one of these days.

Is that not the greatest little bum you ever did see?  

Until next time!