8 months

Dear Jaynie,
Wow, time sure does fly!  How have 8 months already gone by?  This month was full of travel and family for you.  Lots and lots of family.  But of course you enjoyed every second of it!

Hello jellyfish!

We began the month with a trip to Orange County to visit Grandma Linda.  You loved showing off your sitting and rolling skills to Grandma, and sure got a kick out of her dog, Madison.  You smiled every time you saw her...in fact, you even have a dog "language" that involves a sort of loud yell that you use as an attempt to communicate with every dog you encounter (and this includes dogs you see from the stroller on walks).  I promise that someday we'll get you a dog!!

Little Jaynie under the big trees

In Orange County we had a BBQ at the beach, went to visit Uncle Jeff at work at the Long Beach Aquarium, and went to the county fair.  You touched the Pacific Ocean for the first time (brrrr), and played a bit in the sand, but were way more interested in your own toys than your surroundings!  At the aquarium, you especially liked the jellyfish...maybe because you got to get up close and personal with them.  At the fair, you got to meet Grayson, Dad's cousin Melissa's son.  Carla also came to the fair with
us.

Brr, it got cold at the beach

Uncle Jeff, Mom, Dad & Grandma at the aquarium

Dad, you, cousin Melissa and cousin Grayson

With Carla at the fair

After our fun in Orange County, we headed up to Lake Arrowhead for a weekend with my family, in celebration of your Great Nana and Pa's 60th anniversary.  Twenty-two of us convened for a weekend of swimming, eating, and lounging at the lake.  You loved playing in your little pool on the dock, and even took your afternoon naps al fresco.  I have to say though, you were the first one asleep every night, and missed some fun nights.   On "formal" night you won the prize for best dressed.

Formal night

You slept right through the grandkid picture

We finally went back home after Lake Arrowhead, but then Mom and Dad took off for a quick trip to Lake Tahoe.  You got to go to Aunt Kelly's house for your very first overnight...and you did great!  Aunt Kelly loved having you, so I am sure there will be many more Auntie-Niece overnights in the future.

Uh-oh, it's almost football season!

In other news, you are about to start crawling.  You assume the position, rock back and forth, and then scoot backwards until you are across the room.  This morning you scooted under the bed!  You are pretty determined to get what you want (especially my shoes), and will somehow manage a way to get there, by rolling, sitting, turning, and sprawling onto your stomach with your arms reaching as far as they will go to reach whatever you are after.  When we put you to bed at night, you sit up in the crib until you are so tired you can't keep your head up anymore, and then eventually fall over asleep.  You are beginning to try to pull yourself up in your crib and the coffee table, but have not had much success yet.

You scooted right under the bed!

Eating is going well.  Your favorite food is sweet potatoes, but you have tried all sorts of new goodies this month: roasted applesauce with plums and maple syrup; banana-spinach pudding (Nonny's favorite!);  green beans with kale, potatoes, and parmesan cheese; quinoa; lentils; and all sorts of delicious fruits from the farmer's market.

The aftermath of letting you feed yourself

Talking is a favorite pastime of yours.  You babble back and forth with both of us, and even will say "ma ma ma" and "da da da".  I like to think you are addressing us, but you also say it to chairs, tables, and cups.  You really like to experiment with tongue clicking and the volume of your voice, especially when we are out in public.  But there is nothing more sweet than hearing you babble to yourself in your crib in the morning.  Or maybe you are talking to the butterflies on your mobile?

This was the last month I had off, so we made the most of it with frequent walks to the park, where you LOVE the swings.  You also have had many swim dates at Great Grandma Marianne's house.  Last week you started daycare full time and I returned to work for a new school year.  You go to Lindsay's house with 2 other kiddos.  So far you are having a ball at daycare.  I'm pretty sure you are getting sick of your toys at home, so you are very happy to go play with new toys at Lindsay's house!

Swimming!

No more travelling in the coming month, but we are looking forward to Dad's new schedule with weekends off!  That means lots of Jaynie time...

Love,
Mom & Dad

Whew! It's been a busy month...