So Big Solo Edition

SO BIG is now a solo game. Rachel has no problem getting to standing in her crib and can also pull herself up on kitchen chairs. (This makes mommy really nervous envisioning the bumps to come). If she was crawling 2 days before six months....and pulling to standing 4 days before seven months....I surely hope she's not walking at eight months! I don't think I could handle it!

Containment

As Rachel has gotten more and more adventurous, every day tasks have become ever more challenging for Nick and I. One evening while I made dinner I would stir the food and move Rachel to the other end of the kitchen. By the time I had done another small cooking step, she was back to the dog water dish and I'd move her back again. Then we'd repeat the process. Monday morning, I went to the gym early to get my workout in before work. When I came home, Nick was making breakfast and Rachel was chillin' in the laundry basket. She looked up from her toys, totally content, as if to say, "Oh, hi Mom! Daddy and I are cooking breakfast." I have to admit, it was a rather creative way to keep her out of trouble. This was a short-lived solution, however, because last night (Wednesday), she pulled herself up to standing in the basket, which means it is now at risk of tipping over. Today I was online researching the best way to spend gift cards from Christmas to buy an "entertainer". Dad had one at his house and she thoroughly enjoyed herself in it. I not only had time to eat my dinner...but I even had a second helping!

She's also pulled up to standing in her crib. It amazes me how quickly she's learning. And how much stuff she can get into in such a short time... :)

Discoveries

There are so many things to discover and figure out in Rachel's world now.
Some of her favorite new things to get into (granted all of them have been left within her reach...so we have no one to blame but ourselves...)
The newspaper. Sunday she ripped the corner off the Sports section. It makes an awesome crinkling sound...thankfully, upon closer inspection, it was Saturday's issue that Nick had read the night before. The Newsweek Daddy was saving from President Obama's election. Mommy looked away for a moment and now President Obama is all crinkly. The old computer upstairs. Rachel uses the old keyboard to "type". Since it's not plugged in...no harm there. I had to stiffle a gag when she found Pepper's toy and thought she'd taste test it. She found her diaper bag and emptied the contents...

And perhaps her favorite, the dog dishes. Particularly the water dish. Pepper is so generous about sharing. She just looks at me as if to say- Umm...did you know the little noise maker is in my water bowl again?
I distracted her for a little while with wooden spoons and tuperware to play with...but like a moth to a flame, the water bowl is where it is at.

"what...I'm not doing anything..."

Next Iron Chef

Dinner preparations are slightly easier these days now that Rachel is mobile and can entertain herself while I cook dinner. Last week, in an attempt to keep her out of Pepper's dog dishes (see following post), I gave her a wooden spoon to play with. Watch the video below for the resulting cuteness. I apologize for my giggles and the bouncing of the camera.... But I guarantee you'll be chuckling too!

Wrapping Paper

It will come as no surprise that Rachel enjoyed the wrapping paper as much as her gifts on Christmas. Her favorites are the tissue paper- not only does it make noise but you can also shred it- and the crinkly paper Granny sent her blankets in. (see video clip below).

A New Form of Mommy Torture

We've been very lucky these first six months. For the most part, Rachel has been a good sleeper. I've been content to rock her to sleep despite what the books recommended because once asleep, she'd stay asleep. Since her discovery of the world in the form of crawling, we've tossed that out the window and after some very rough nights the past two weeks, I decided it was time to let her cry it out. Nick has been doing this on his own some for awhile, but I can't stand to hear her cry. There will be so many things in life to cry about - I didn't really think bedtime should be one. But, I also know that teaching her to fall asleep on her own is also a valuable skill. So...that's what we've been doing. Rachel is smart though. She knows Mommy is the weak link and she pours it on THICK. The first night was 45 minutes of sobbing hysterically. Last night was only 30 minutes (maybe a little less). We didn't leave her in there to sob for all that time. (We did go in to give her the paci and tell her we loved her...) I'm confident that it'll continue to decrease. I also know that if ever in a situation where someone wanted me to crack and confess to something, putting me in a room and making me listen to Rachel cry for more than 5 minutes would do the trick.

Bathtime Buddy

I have a new video camera. It was my birthday gift from my wonderful husband so now all the Rachel cuteness can be captured in HD!! For our first of many installments, Rachel at bathtime. Bobbing for ducks is not nearly as fun as her new bathtime buddy! The baby in the tub can smile, splash and have fun too!