Teagan - almost 10 months

Dear Teagan,

Out little girl..well you are just a few days away from being 10 months old.  You have now been out of the womb for longer than inside the womb!   I will try my best to recap what you do these days but the truth is it changes daily.  No two days are the same because you are constantly exploring the world around you.  Your face is priceless when you make a new discovery...it goes from confusion, to excitement in a split second.  Unless of course that discovery is something unpleasant in which you let us know promptly.

Your army crawl turned into a full on hands and knees crawl around 6.5 months.  You are currently crawling with your hands and feet flat on the floor, it is hilarious!  And then right around 7 months you started to pull yourself up on anything you could get your hands on.  You started your latest trick on June 3rd (9 months) which is just standing up without assistance in the middle of the room.  You did it a couple times a day and now you can't get enough.  You took one little step out but you are so balanced and fall to your bottom with ease!  With these new skills, comes confidence.  You are FEARLESS!  You are willing to crawl into tight spaces, go down slides headfirst and then climb back up the slide and go down sideways.  We were Skyping with Grandma and Grandpa earlier in June when you were playing with your lawn mower (walker toy).  Grandpa asked what happens when we let go so we did...and you TOOK OFF!  Full speed ahead walking with assistance.  This is your new favorite activity!  Mommy and Daddy are sorry for underestimating your skill set!



We went through a phase around 6 months where it was a struggle to get bottles down you.  We were successful at weaning off breastfeeding at 6.5 months.  I throughly enjoyed that journey and bonding but I am glad not to be attached to the pump any longer.  I pumped over 240 times at work alone.  It took some discipline but I was amazed and honored at our sync and unspoken communications for those 6+ months.   You are back on track when it comes to eating and are a pro on the bottle now.  You guzzle 6 oz bottles in under 3 minutes and after 9 months, we got the clear to feed you practically any food!  We started with the easy veggies and fruits but now you are getting new foods all of the time.  You enjoy pears, Cheerios, cheese, turkey, guacamole and peaches.  Your 9 month stats were 31", 20lbs and 17.99" head circumference.  That puts you in the 99.99% for length and 75% for weight - you are still LONG!  You are wearing 12 and 18 month clothes.  You have 3 (almost 4) teeth.  We know those hurt when they come in but they are so stinkin cute!

You are a relaxed baby unless you are hungry or tired.  Grandpa Isaacson always said I was easy going unless it was time to eat...and then I wanted to eat RIGHT AWAY.  I think you get that from me.  A girl's gotta eat though!  Your face when you are about to cry is something else...full on pout, silent cry and then the wail.  It is always short lived though.  You are starting to become more attached to mom and dad but we don't mind one bit! You started consistently sleeping through the night around 6 months.  There have been nights when you still wake-up but oh-well!  It is all part of the journey.  I am sure you will someday be a kid that will want to sleep in and we have to drag you out of bed.

We have been going to the pool as the temperature rises and you thoroughly enjoy it.  We learned our lesson though - you need to go in at your own pace.  We let you start in the zero depth area and then you slowly crawl in and then you splash, laugh, chat, stand and play in the water.

This is just a short summary of what you are doing these days.  You are so much fun and just continue to light up our world.  Your smile and laugh are so contagious.  It has been the most humbling 10 months in our 30 years alive.  We love getting to know you day by day as we guide each other along.

Love you lots and lots little lady!

Mom and Dad  

I'm Bossy

The deck project is well underway at our house. It is amazing how much progress has been made in just 2 days. I guess the supervisor has been cracking the whip!

Happy Fathers Day!

When Rick was a little boy his family called him "Ricky the Rock" due to his fearless attempts at, well just about anything.  He continues to live up to his name but in my eyes he has always been my Rock.  I never knew what Rick would be like as a father but the first 9 months have blown every expectation out of the water.  He is supportive, involved, empathatic, patient and extremely HELPFUL!  Like with most things, he doesn't quit at the end of the day until the work is done.  Plus, Teagan is Daddy's Girl.  The special bond between them is so apparent.   

This picture is forever sketched into my mind...I mean, look at that smile!  His cheeks are touching the corner of his eyes...and that was at 1am after 18 hours in the hospital.

We love you, DADA!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNDP3-5qmFI&feature=plcp

XO,
EAT and TGT

Summer Lovin

Summer is in full effect these days. We have been spending the bulk of our time outside basking in the sunshine and fresh air. Somedays, that means splashing in the pool. Other days, we sweat and get dirty in the back yard.

We (Rick) have been tackling the back yard overhaul. The first task was tearing out the enormous center garden and planting grass. Now, a new deck has become the focus. Teagan and I plant and maintain the flowers and veggies...the real dirt under your nails type work. HA!

We visited the pool for the first time last weekend. Teagan had a look of shock and she was no longer in the 90 degree therapy pool where swim class was held. Once she got situated, she loved it! Or maybe she enjoyed watching the slew of kids surrounding her. There was one boy diving for sticks that she would talk to like she was giving him clues as to where his treasure was.

More fun was had at play dates and backyard bbq's. We attended a dual celebration for Tiltges Parents Day and a going away party for Chris. He accepted a position in San Francisco and left today with his girl, Kaitlyn. We will miss him but are so proud he is trying something new in this big big world!

My mamacita has a new hip. She had a successful replacement done on Monday the 11th. It was not an easy decision for her as she faced a summer full of plans and riding trips. We are glad she is in recovery mode now and will be pain free and on her feet in the near future.

XO,
EAT

Accessorize

My new favorite accessory :) This little lady hanging off my legs just never gets old!

XO,
EAT

Graduate

Teagan graduated from her first swim class today! She was one of the younger babies in the class but she had a blast "swimming" around the pool at our local YMCA. Some of the favorites were motor boat, baby shark and the marshmallow sticks. We even met a family with a baby a month older than Teagan that lives a few blocks away. We can't wait for pool and lake time this summer!

XO,
EAT