I Didn't Doubt You for a Second!

This is Rei Rei with one of her new balls!

She made this face as soon as I picked up my camera. And it was hilarious.


Then she dropped her little square block. And shocked me once again, when she did this in order to get it herself.
Look at where her foot is! She such a limber little bean.

She was stuck in this position for a little bit, but she wasn't upset at all so I just let her go to see what she would do.

And then, she got it. And gave me this little face.

Hey, Mama. I toldja I could do it! You didn't think I was gunna get it didja?

Yes I did baby! I knew you could do it!

Okay, well I'm glad. But now that I reached my block, I'm kinda stuck. Wanna help a sista out here?

Sure thing, girlfriend. We still have time to learn such things.

But I sure am proud of you, pumpkin muffin!

Love & Princess PJs,

Dirt Road Mama

Sippy Cup Addict

So, I have been introducing the sippy cup a bit. Problem is, Reilly doesn't understand the concept of a casual sip of water here or there. She understand sucking. And getting milk. So the sippy cup thing is not working ideally right now - because she just wants to latch on that little rubber spout and gets upset when milk does not come out.

She is a semi-addict when I give it to her. She'll shriek if she drops it at all, or really if it leaves her mouth at all. And she never shrieks! Then when I give it back to her, she has her mouth open like a little bird, and latches back on. So needless to say, we're going to hold off and re-introduce the sippy cup in another month or 2. It's clear my baby is just a BABY people! Not a toddler. Just as I suspected.

But something did happen the other day. She threw/dropped the sippy cup as I was painting. I heard her yell in displeasure, and then I turned around, and saw this.

See that boppy pillow behind her? THAT'S WHERE SHE WAS SITTING. And she somehow, rolled off and ended up on HER HANDS AND KNEES!! Like a little crawling person!

I ran and grabbed my camera, as I said "Good girl, Baby!! Look at you go!" As you can tell above, she was NOT happy that the sippy cup was no longer in her mouth. But what do you know, it took this little addiction to show her what she can do! She's so content, that she doesn't ever care to move really. She'll drop a toy out of her reach, try and get it, and then just move on to another toy. But this got her right off that little teeny hiney!

And she got it. :)

Then I picked her up because she was stuck and she clearly had no energy left to figure out where to go from here. But man, was Mama proud of her baby! I was so happy I got pictures to show Daddy of the accomplishment.

She has not had the sippy cup since this event. It scares me a little what it makes her do.

And I had a nightmare last night that she could crawl. No, I'm no crazy, the nightmare part was not that she was crawling. It was that she kept disappearing, and then we only heard her when she was crying in different parts of the house. And she was VERY tiny. As in, I heard her crying in our bedroom, and then I found her in Hubby's sneaker. She had fallen in, and couldn't get out.

I don't know what this means. Dream analysts? Will I need therapy when she goes to Kindergarten?

Nevermind. Don't answer that.

Love & CHRISTMAS IN 3 DAYS,

Dirt Road Mama

Rei + Finger Foods = Mess

Hey, Mama?

Yes, Babygirl?

How'd I get so messy if I wasn't actually able to eat with my fingers?

Well...I'm not really sure.
See, I tried to eat with my fingers. You gave me those little piece of sweet potato, but it was more fun to squish them in my hands!

Yes, I saw that. You had a lot of fun playing with them.

Yes! So the orange stuff is my fault. But Mama...I didn't feed myself anything green...
I think you're a little messy, too, Mama.

Yes, peanut, maybe you're right. Daddy's gunna have some time keeping up with 2 messy eater huh, chickie?

Love & Messy Fingers,
Dirt Road Mama

7! (And the Unveiling of The Dress)

I think I say this every month, but I can't believe I am the mama of a 7 month old baby! 7 months!! I can't fathom the thought. I was JUST crying putting away her newborn clothes. Heck, I just stopped referring to her as a "newborn baby" like last month. I figure up until 6 months, you can still use that term. What? That's normal.

But I love 7 month Reilly. Even though I can't believe she's so big, and I am counting down in my head how much time I have left breast feeding her and my heart hurts a little, I am utterly obsessed with this age. She literally just keeps getting funner. And funnier. And sillier. And cuter. And how can getting older be that sad, when she's just so happy all the time?

So I decided 7 months, although practically an adult, is really an amazing age. Here are some fun facts about 7 month old babygirl:

1. SHE SITS UP. AND ROLLS OVER! Well, she sits up all the time, rolled over once. But her physical abilities have totally taken off in the last month. She can now maneuver her toys, lean forward or to the side to reach what she wants, and sit right back up. Her core muscles are getting so much stronger, which makes her more independent, and you can tell she's so proud of herself. This scenario happens daily:

Reilly: (leans wayyy forward reach-reach-reaching for a toy...finally grabs it, sits back up)
Me: (watching) YAYY BABY!! (claps) I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!
Reilly: (Looks up, startled, holding toy. Big wide eyes. Has no idea what I'm doing. Then HUGE smile. Kicks. Waves toy. Giggles.)
She's not quite sure what made her mama so happy, but she's darn proud of herself for doing it!

2. She still wants to chew/touch/grab/suck on anything and everything. Especially if it makes noise. Or if it's Mama's. Or if it's wrapping paper.

3. She signs "milk" and "eat" now! Those are the first 2 signs I started with her, and it's amazing to see her do them and tell me what she wants or needs. New ones we're working on are "bathroom" which I sign while changing her, and "please" which I sign in between bites of food, or before giving her something she clearly wants.

4. She is becoming people-picky. She will make the saddest little face around certain people, totally randomly. Sometimes it's just people who are strangers to her, but are being perfectly nice and kind. Just looking at them makes her upset, so I just hold her and reassure her that it's okay. Meanwhile, I'm fascinated that she has her own opinions of people! So funny.

5. She is SO vocal. She will lay in her crib in the morning making every sound that a mouth can make while being opened. Pretty much every vowel sound. And she sings "Da-da" and "Ay-ay" in every octave. I love hearing her talk and communicate, it's so fun having pretend conversations with her.

6. She "uses" a sippy cup and "eats" finger food. Translation: She sucks on and holds the sippy cup, unsure of what it supposed to happen to it and why milk doesn't come out when she sucks. She moves the teeny pieces of sweet potato around on her tray, then grabs them in her fist, tries to bring them to her mouth, but doesn't really know how to get it in. She she squeezed it in her hands and sucks on her fingers. But still in all, she's growing up!

"Um..Mama? Is this one mine?"

Yes, baby, that's yours. But no peeking till Christmas morning missy!

"Okay, I know I wasn't going to. I just want to touch it. And suck on it when you turn around."

I would like to draw your attention to her little arms. And her little rubber band wrists. I love them. And to HER CHRISTMAS DRESS. Which is to be debuted on Christmas only, but I thought I'd bring it out for her special photo shoot. Notice: the tulle. I LOVE TULLE. This dress is complete perfection. Note: There is also a cream colored cardigan. [Faint.]
Thank you Mima and Poppy, for her Christmas dress!

HAPPY 7 MONTHS PEANUT PRINCESS BABY BANANA CAKES.

Daddy and I love you so many bunches of oats. Now I will go get some water from the Tuck Everlasting stream and put it in your sippy cup so you will always be small enough for me to hold. Thank you.

Love & Christmas Plaid,

Dirt Road Mama

Alert the Media!

Reilly's hair is long enough to hold bows!

Kind of.
No, sweet pea, dresses are for twirling, not sucking...

Yes, I mean you, peanut.

What's cuter than Smiley Reilly?


Smiley Reilly IN A BOW.

In a plaid dress with ruffley sleeves.

I love dressing up my little doll face!

And no, despite what it looks like, the bow is not glued to her head. It really is hangin' on to some whispy golden hairs!

On a different note...this little bow-wearing-Babydoll is 7 months old today!!
7 whole months that I've been her Mama. Best title I've ever had.
7 month post to come soon!

Sitting Pretty!

SHE DID IT!


You may remember a few days ago, I was chronicling the trials and triumphs of Reilly learning to sit up. We had a lot of rocking, a lot of leaning, and lot of slow topples.

But yesterday, she just decided that she would sit up!! No trouble, no toppling, no leaning! Look at my baby go!



Okay, so there still is a bit of toppling. But I'm allowing it to slide, for now. We now have the recessed boppy, if you'll notice. Just in the correct place to prevent a head bump.

And today, she leaned forward for a toy that she couldn't reach. And ended up on almost all fours. She kind of stuck halfway there, and then looked at me, unable to move. I giggled, and then sat her up again. But that is darn close to moving in the world of Reilly.

Or, she'll probably be so content sitting that she'll just chill out for 6 more months. My happy little pumpkin. This is the funnest thing ever, watching how proud she is of sitting. That face that you see? That's her ALL DAY today. No kidding.


Love & Sit Ups,

Dirt Road Mama