Poppy 10 Months

Weight - 21 pounds 8 ounces  

Dear Poppy,

Another month, another letter. Well I had high hopes that we'd be able to report you are crawling and have a tooth but alas these things will come when you are good and ready. And right now is just not that time. 

I will say you are getting closer to crawling. You've figured out that rolling isn't just for getting onto your tummy or back but it can also get you across the room, under the couch, under your sisters bed and closer to that toy that is just out of reach. Your arms are also really good at pushing you backwards when you are in the crawl position. Once you figure out your knees I will no longer find you where I left you sitting. 

One of the best developments this month is your desire to imitate things we are doing. You have waved goodbye to daddy as he leaves for work and hello to Nana on FaceTime. You clap when you've done something we are excited about. And you dance in your high chair when we're all being silly at dinner. Best of all you never hesitate to stick your tongue out at us to get a smile. 

Your fine motor skills are also awesome. You are a pro at picking up spaghetti and getting it straight to your mouth. In fact your appetite rivals Violets at this point; sometimes you even eat more then she does! You also seem to have this ability to find the smallest item (a hair, piece of string, one grain of rice, a piece of grass, a fleck of wood) on the floor next to you, pick it up between your tiny thumb and forefinger and get it into your mouth before I even have a chance at identifying it. You definitely keep me on my toes! 

Lastly, I've really enjoyed watching you and Violet play together this month. She likes to hide and when you find her she shouts "peek a boo" which brings out the best belly laugh I've ever heard. Violet has also been honing her doctor skills on you while you have done your best to keep her tools as clean as your mouth can get them. And then there's the NASCAR nights when Violet pushes you around and around in the walker while you giggle uncontrollably. It's a little crazy at times but we wouldn't have it any other way! 

Love, 

Your mom, dad and big sister Violet

Violet's 10 Month Post

Violet and Poppy at 10 Months

Poppy - 9 Months

Length - 27 1/2 inches
Weight - 21 pounds 4 ounces

Head circumference - 18 1/4 inches

Dear Poppy,

What a month! This month you have figured out how to use your walker to move in all directions. Forward, backwards, around the corner, turning around and most importantly chasing after your sister. When Violet walks away from you, you chase after her and try to take what she has. When she takes things away from you, you yell at her. When she runs away from you, you run after her laughing  the whole way. This is definitely the beginning of your sister bond and I can't tell you how much fun it is to watch it develop.

You still continue to show no interest in crawling. You are happy to sit and play with toys or watch your sister run around you. You have started reaching forward for toys that are just outside of your reach and folding yourself forward flat as a pancake. The other day you started scooting backwards while sitting. It might not be crawling but it's something!

A few times this month you have spent part of the night co-sleeping with your Dad and I. The downside is that even though you are so little you take up as much of the bed as you can. We have found ourselves in the "H" position and I've even found myself curled up on the bottom half of the bed just to give you some space. The upside is that I often times wake up to your smiling face watching me. One night I even discovered that you smile in your sleep. Frequently.

This month you were finally able to meet Great Grandma Peach when we traveled down to Connecticut. You had a great time giggling and I'm pretty sure she fully enjoyed having lunch with you. Nana and Granddad also came for a visit near the end of this month. They couldn't believe how happy you are and were impressed at your never ending gremlin noises. As you grow you continue to amaze and entertain us. Will next month bring crawling and teeth? Time will tell!

Love,
Your Mom, Dad, and big sister Violet

Violet's 9 Month Post

Violet and Poppy at 9 Months

Poppy - 8 Months

Weight ~ 20 pounds 

Dear Poppy,

This month we've started to hear your sweet voice more. Your first syllable came at the beginning of the month, and just like daddy was trying to teach you, it was "da". Thankfully, shortly thereafter you also mastered "ma". One of my favorite moments is watching your face as you pull your bottom lip back over your toothless gums and bounce your jaw up and down, perfectly accentuating your round cheeks, as you softly repeat "ma, ma, ma". It's not a coo and definitely not a toddler voice but the perfect in between soft noise of the beginnings of speech. And I love it!

While you are just starting to talk you have most definitely perfected sitting and playing with toys. It's amazing how good you are at entertaining yourself with a basket of toys and somewhere soft to sit. You will pick each toy out individually and slowly inspect it, play with it, and then move on to the next one. Every now and then, when the toys are just out of your reach, you topple over. That usually ends your play time but if you stay upright you are sometimes happy for up to 45 minutes.

This month you've also gotten better at naps - sometimes you make it past a 45 minute nap and stay asleep for an hour and a half. This is definitely not the norm but it's a nice surprise every now and then.

Love,
Your Mom, Dad and big sister Violet

Violet's 8 Month Post

Violet and Poppy at 8 months

Norwich Fair 2015

This years fair did not dissapoint. Not only were we able to enjoy our yearly fried dough treat but we also got our fourth picture in a row in front of the stand. It's so much fun to see how our family changes over the years. The only part I didn't bargain for was having to share our fried dough with Violet.

This year we were lucky to have free pony rides. And after hyping them up to Violet all week and watching three kids go first we were able to successfully get her on her first pony. Funny thing was as soon as it was over she wanted to go again and then she didn't want to get off. 

Violet also enjoyed her first fair ride. She begged to go on the cars and was happy to ride them all by herself. That was until the ride stopped and suddenly she was in tears wanting to be held and asking to go home. 

Our last stop was checking out our towns volunteer fire department fire trucks. Violet seemed to fit right in.



Last years post can be found here.

Poppy - 7 Months

Weight - 19 pounds 10 ounces

Dear Poppy,

I wish I could keep you little forever. This stage is absolutely the best. You're diving into new foods, able to sit and play contentedly by yourself, still enjoy cuddles and snuggles, and have even started to notice when I am in or out of the room. You're not really an infant anymore and most definitely not a toddler yet but you are our happy go lucky relaxed baby girl.

This month we started you on solid foods to supplement the breast milk. As we expected - you were very interested in food. We loved watching your hands working like an excavator operator for the first time. Hand open, hand close, twist wrist, twist wrist back, move arm forward, open hand, move arm down, touch food, move arm to the side, knock food off tray, close hand on nothing. It really is a unique experience to watch your brain trying to figure it all out at once. Just a few weeks later and you are a pro at picking up cheerios and putting them directly into your mouth.

This month we also had a few firsts. We took you on your first ride in the jogging stroller when we went for a walk on the rail trail in New Hampshire. Your first trip to the beach and Cape Cod. This month you also rolled from your back to your tummy for the first time. You've started scooting backwards in your walker. This month was also the first time we had a child throw-up. We think you might be allergic or intolerant to avocado but once it was out of your system you acted as though nothing had happened.

One of my favorite moments is when I carry you on my hip. Your hand grabs tightly onto my upper arm to anchor yourself as you look around. When you see something you like your little legs bounce up and down excitedly. You are just the right size to sit comfortably in my arms and I love showing you new sights and sounds both inside and outside of our home.

Love,
Your mom, dad and big sister Violet

Violet's 7 Month Post

Violet and Poppy at 7 months