Darby & Her Cheese Puffs (while camping)

Last weekend we went on our first camping trip with Darby (more pictures of that coming soon). While we were camping, Darby got to try out a new snack:

Gerber Cheese Puffs.

She LOVES them. If she's hungry enough (and if I would let her) I am positive she would eat the whole can in one sitting. Or close to it anyway! I decided that since we were camping I wouldn't push her to eat her veggies, and let her eat puffs as her main course at dinner. (She had a side of sweet potatoes of course!)

Here are some pictures I took of her while she was having them as a snack earlier in the afternoon while we were setting stuff up. She does so well feeding herself, and she is just so darn cute making "mmmm" sounds while she eats them!

7 Months Old

Hi! I am 7 months old now ...

... and I can clap my hands! Yaaaaaay!!

I am a wiggle worm, I don't sit still for very long!

I am ...

getting ...

so big!

I can hardly believe Darby is 7 months old (quickly going on 8!). I don't know where the time went, but all I know is that the last 7 months have been amazing. Darby is growing so fast and doing new things everyday.

As a 7 month old Darby...

• Claps her hands and sometimes makes "yaaaaaay" sounds while she does it!
• Loves yogurt and loves to snack on Gerber yogurt melts, Gerber cheese puffs and all real fruit!
• Babbles "Dattattatata" and "Mumumum" but we are still waiting for her to acknowledge us with one of them!
• Went on her very first camping trip, and had a great time!
• Tried real cut up cooked carrots and peas and wanted nothing to do with them after the first taste!
• Still doesn't have any teeth!
• Is close to crawling, but not there yet! (and I am in NO hurry for that one!)
• Flirts with strangers everywhere we go!

Yaaay for Darby!

Sometime in the last 2 days, Darby has started to clap! Not only when she feels like it - but when I (or anyone else) says "yaaaaaaaay" Darby claps. It is the cutest! She is such a happy baby, we really are so lucky. Here is a video I took right after lunch this afternoon. She is a bit messy and crusty, but cute none the less!

Darby's 1st Valentines Day

Darby's first Valentines Day was extra special, and not just because it was her first one! We dressed D up in her cute Valentines day outfit (thanks Great Aunt Lynne and Great Uncle Kevin!) and went over to introduce her to a very special family!

Before I got pregnant with Darby, we had a cat named Tootsie. She was a extremely lovable Siamese kitty we had adopted from the ASPCA a few years before. She was such a good cat, we both hated to see her go. But, with a baby coming, and a dog already (not to mention a small house with limited places for a cat box) we decided we needed to find her a new family. We got SO lucky. I posted an ad on craigslist and pretty much right away found her the perfect home. We have kept in touch with L & J (not sure if they would want their names posted or not!) and they have followed along with this blog! So yesterday we took Darby over for a very special meeting!


It was so nice to visit with L & J and get some love from dear Tootsie. A big thank you to them for the gifts!

Darby also got some fun little Valentines gifts from both sets of Grandparents and her Great Aunt, Uncle and Cousins in Idaho! Her Great Aunt Monica mad her the most adorable valentines bib, which of course she wore when she ate her dinner - sweet potatoes, peach cobbler dessert and a zwieback toast! Thank you!!



Darby even got a extra special email Valentine message from her very 1st Valentine, Jackson!


After Little D went to bed, Eric and I had our dinner. I made lobsters (huge ones) and stuffed tomatoes and we drank champagne with raspberries! On the menu for dessert was chocolate fondue with strawberries, but we didn't have room!

Finally, here is a picture of my gorgeous gift from my sweetie.

You know, some people say "I don't need Valentines Day to tell/show my significant other I love them." That may be true, but after this year I have come to the conclusion that I don't agree. We are so busy all the time and now with Darby added to the mix rarely have special time together to laugh and enjoy each other without interruption. To reconnect again and feel the love. Yes, you can tell your significant other you love them every day, and you should! But holidays are special and feel different from "every day." So for this reason, I love Valentines Day!

True Love.

Darby's First Mouse Ears & Mommy Loosing It #2

Darby got her very first pair of mouse ears back in December when we took Darby to Disneyland for the very first time. They are a little big on her now, but of course they still look a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e!!! Here are some pictures I took of her in them!




We bought annual passes (Darby will get in free until she turns 4!) so we plan on going over there often to ride a ride here and there and walk around the happiest place on earth!


Lastly...

As I'm sure you'll remember, awhile ago I blogged about one of my first "I'm loosing it" experiences. Well, on Friday I did something that tops the slipper incident for sure. As I was switching Darby's load of laundry over to the dyer, I picked out a DIAPER. I must have thrown her diaper in the HAMPER instead of the DIAPER CHAMP!!!! Who does that! Good thing it wasn't a poopy diaper, but regardless it tore and there was a bunch of the gel clumps everywhere. Yes, I cleaned up and rewashed. Shaking my head in disbelief of my mistake. I still can't believe I did that. WHAT IS NEXT?!?

6 Month Old Darby!

As a 6 month old, Darby...

• Has started sitting up all on her own!
  
• Prefers to play on the floor with her toys instead of the exersaucer!
• Holds her own bottle & sippy cup.
• Drinks juice/water out of a sippy cup.
  
• Has tasted turkey and chicken and isn't the least bit interested in either!
  
• LOVES the Gerber Biter Biscuits.
  
• LOVES the Gerber Puffs too! She picks them up herself!
  
• Loves to read her Baby Einsteins book over and over. She pats and kisses the page with the sun. It's adorable.
• Is wearing 9-12 month sized clothes, and a few 18 month!
• Is wearing size 3 diapers.
• Is taking a nice 2 naps a day, morning and afternoon. Mommy loves nap time!
  
• Sits in shopping carts like a big girl!
  
• Is VERY vocal, singing and talking wherever we are!
  
• Is admired by strangers every single place we go. Everyone loves a baby, but I happen to think it's because she is the cutest one EVER!

Here's the updated slideshow!

I finally got around to putting our hospital bracelets, Darby's first hat, umbilical clamp and birth id card in a shadow box. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It's going to hang it up in Darby's room.
Just about every day little D and I go for a walk. Lately the weather has been SO beautiful. Weather in Southern California is pretty great all year round, but lately, it's been exceptionally so! Usually Darby is so awake during our walks and no matter how close to nap time it may be, she will not go to sleep. Yesterday however, she gave in to sleep and when we got home she just looked too cute passed out in her stroller. I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a picture: