It's that time of year....

Last Monday was officially the last day of summer for Jarrett, although the weather has JUST begun to actually feel like summer! The students have returned (some, although classes don't officially start until Monday) and training has begun for the new academic year. There are new and old faces, and the air is thick with excitement and opportunity for students and staff alike. This year I was in the baking mood and got the wild idea to make blue and orange sugar cookies for Jarrett's new students... I searched everywhere for a wave-shaped cookie cutter, but could not find one. I just used my Star and Baby Foot (I ran out dough and needed a smaller cookie- better than candy canes...lol). I made a whopping 60 cookies AND iced them. Yum!

It is a funny thing living on a college campus; I love to watch the freshmen come in with their parents, visit the campus (I have to be careful when I drive so I don't hit any sightseers..lol) help their kids move in, and then with sad eyes wave goodbye until Christmas. For the students it is so exciting, and for the parents, well, sooo sad. A funny story... I got caught walking behind a sweet family, a Mom, Dad and two students who just got finished moving into their apartment in George Page. As we parted ways, the Mom took a glance back and did a double take, seeing 1. An 'older' student 2. A 'student' carrying a BABY! When she thought I was out of earshot, (I was not) she said to her daughter, "You better not have one of those (pointing to Lindsay) while you are here, or you'll be in trouble!" I just giggled... ah college life.Had a fabulous Tapas themed pot luck with sweet Pepperdine friends... love you guys!

Six Months

Wow!! Six Months!! I can hardly believe it! Oh how time flies when you are having fun with the ones you love. For this milestone we had Lindsay's pictures made at the Picture People. Here are some of our favorites....

I also took her 6 month pictures in our chair like we've been doing since she was born. It has been getting progressively harder since she is getting older and more wiggly! Here are a couple out-takes...lol.

Such a ham :)

*Here are her stats:

15 1/2 lbs......... 50% percentile

26 1/2 inches... 75% percentile

3 shots :(

*She is eating so well.... she will eat just about anything we put in front of her. Her favorites are Green Beans, Peaches and Peas. No teeth yet!

*As a result of her eating, she is getting the cutest little baby rolls! I love her chunky thighs and cheeks! Jarrett says when Aunt Lennie sees her, she will pinch those cheeks like when J was little.

* Her hair has been growing! It is dark blonde, or really light brown. I think in a couple months we can put a clip in it!

*Lindsay can sit up all by herself!

*She can roll to get things in her sight.

*She has realized that when things drop or I put them under a blanket that they are still there. This is a good thing, but also hard when we try to hide the TV remote behind a pillow... she will go after it! We play "Where's Mommy?" and I put a blanket over myself and she like to pull it off. LOL

*Her favorite toys are her exersaucer and her piano.

*She has been talking up a storm... she definitely knows how to communicate her preferences. She also does this self-soothing thing by sucking her tongue (she refuses to take a pacifier- which I am just fine with:) it is really cute. I know when she does it, she is either hungry or tired or both :)

*Big Blue... my brother is very proud to claim that Lindsay has his eyes...lol

She looks like she would say, "Are you talking to me?" in the pic below...

This morning I was thinking about what kind things I wish for Lindsay's life. Maybe it is because she is half of a year old (shocking) and is napping so peacefully and I have a moment. I hope Lindsay will be able to laugh at herself. I hope that she will not be afraid to take chances or to fail; and when she does fall short, she can use it as an opportunity to grow. I hope she can see beyond her own circumstances and to be sympathetic to others. I hope she forgive others, as she hopes to be forgiven. I hope she can grow up slowly, relishing all of life's journey. I hope she finds sweet friends and true love. My greatest wish is that she will have a deep, personal relationship with Jesus. That she will know His precious love, and feel His grace and mercy every day of her sweet life. I get so worried about doing everything 'right' as a Mom. Am I feeding her enough/too much? Is she having enough activity time? There are so many What if's.... I think that the most important things I can do for her are not through my overt actions, but in the way I live my life. I pray that I can be the kind of Mama Lindsay needs. I pray that Jesus uses my life to show my children His love. Wow. My 'wishes' somehow became a prayer. :)

Rub-a-Dub Duck Bathtub

Fairly recently, our big girl decided that laying down in the bathtub wasn't her style anymore. For anyone who doesn't know, we don't have a regular bathtub, only a shower in our apartment. Since she was born, we've been using a large, plastic bathtub that reclines, which has been great. Now that Lindsay's sitting up, she's decided that she LOVES to sit up in the bathtub, too! So to prevent a watery slippage and ultimately a bang to the noggin, led us to purchase the new tub: Mr. Duckie. The duck tub was cheap too...only $15!! Here is her maiden voyage.... Tight quarters... Mr. Duckie fit perfectly into our shower!!

She was a big fan. The orange beak on the duck will actually make a quacking sound... it is too funny. We quacked it at the end of the bath.

She is looking a lot like Jarrett these days :) Here are the loves of my life....

Baby Food Making Machine

I have been having so much fun making Lindsay's baby food! On Sunday's we go to the farmers market in Malibu and pick up yummy fresh fruits and veggies to blend and freeze. There is a wonderful website, www.wholesomebabyfood.com that gives great directions and techniques for making your own baby food. Here is the finished product (minus the bananas): I steam or bake the veggies and fruits, blend in the blender until the consistency is right ie Stage 1 foods, then put in an ice cube tray to freeze. Each cube is roughly 1 oz, and she will eat 1-2 cubes per feeding. Then we just defrost and eat...yum!

Breakfast.....Peaches n' Cream: Oatmeal cereal, peaches and breast milk.... yum! She has sleepy eyes... sweet girl.

Lindsay LOVES green beans!! We had to warm up another cube of it because she was banging on the high chair for more.

Now, I am not a proponent of everyone making their own baby food, but luckily, I have the time and resources to do it right now and am having a ball! I love to cook, and it is fun to feed her something pure and healthy with no additives or preservatives. Here are the foods and veggies she has tried so far:

Bananas..... Liked pretty well

Sweet Potatoes....LOVED

Peaches..... Likes a lot

Green Beans...LOVED

Miss Chatterbox

This stuff is Bananas.. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Welcome to the world of fruits and veggies Lindsay Loo! Lindsay has graduated from a breastmilk and rice cereal diet to a new food: Bananas! Yum! Daddy carefully set up her high chair this week and she looked so tiny in it! Here she is all strapped and buckled in ready for the naners'. LOL... Daddy gave her the first bite... mushed fresh banana with rice cereal and breastmilk..yum!

Hhhhmmmm.... not too sure about these bananas. Whoa...Whoa....

Ok. Not so bad after all.

Next week: Peaches!!