One and walking

Happy 1st Birthday, to our darling baby girl, Jude!

This month, Jude turns 1!

Can't hardly believe it's December! This month Jude turns 1! She looks so much older and more like a little girl, than a baby. It's been so intensely amazing watching her develop and emerge into her own little person, right in front of our eyes. It does sometimes make me long for those moments she slept on my chest, undisturbed, and uninterested in moving. Time must move forward though, and she has such a happy personality, that I don't stay sad too long.
Jude is still crawling. I guess you could say she's an expert crawler, and although she cruises around holding onto furniture, and can stand by herself, she hasn't shown too much interest in taking those first few steps. As fast as she is as a crawler, I don't know that I want to rush her into walking. Look out when she does start to walk, because this girl likes to move!
We just enjoyed our first trip to NYC. We got to see Iiana's family and visit fun places like The Central Park Zoo, the aquarium, Coney Island, The Bronx Zoo, and even more. We had a blast!
Now we are back at home, gearing up for Jude's 1st birthday and for Christmas.
Happy Holidays EVERYONE!

October all ready?

It's October all ready?! Heck, it's almost November. The time does definitely fly by. It's hard to believe that Jude's first birthday is right around the corner. She's definitely becoming her own little person.
Jude's latest feats would include:
Standing unsupported
drinking out of a sippy cup by herself
climbing up stairs
cruising around furniture
sleeping in her own bed at night and for naps
We are enjoying every second!

...and she's off!

Jude has been crawling since about the beginning of August. She didn't start off slow, didn't work her way up to it, just up and zoomed across the room one day. What was the first thing that she did when she could crawl? She headed right over to the closest thing that she could find to pull herself up on.
If you come into our home, on any given day, you'll likely find Jude chasing after Oscar, and squealing in delight on the rare occasions that he'll actually stay still and let her crawl all over him. You might find her playing with her musical Mozart cube, or her trusty tambourine. You will most likely find her with dried food stuck to her face, and her socks pulled off.
She's getting big, which means she is getting heavy! Her skinny little frame is beginning to fill out, and her top two front teeth are showing now!
She is, indeed, the Mighty Jude!

Eat AND eat AND EAT!

You can see Jude's eyes light up, and get big many times during the day. Her excited squealing grin, and arms stretched out. We experience this every day when Momma Llana get's home, when I get back from work, and now whenever food seems to make an appearance. Don't even plan on sitting down to eat something for yourself when little hands want whatever you're having. There must always be a plan, a treat, a snack. Jude is now eating everything we offer up to her. Lucky enough are we to not have a picky eater on our hands. Broccoli, blueberries, apricots, turkey, peas, carrots...you name it, Jude will eat it! It's amazing how you can go from one meal a day to 3 meals a day in a matter of a week, and how often other milestones go hand in hand. Sitting, to scooting, to even a little bit of crawling. Not to mention pulling herself up to standing when she gets the chance.
Sometimes I think back, to that little baby who used to sleep lying on my chest, and I can't believe I miss it all ready. I cherish every night that Jude still looks to me for comfort, and it warms my heart to know that I can be there for her.

August 24th

Up to 4 months was what we were first told when we were doing the paperwork for Iliana's legal adoption of Jude. We were pretty excited when we got the call that our hearing had been scheduled, and that it would take place in just a little over a month. We are all excited to make Momma Llana Jude's legal guardian, after all, she is all ready Jude's Mom in every other way.
We have been extremely blessed to have a guy like Mike as our donor. He is our closest friend, and in fact, a member of our family. Jude will always know where she came from, and how loved she is by ALL her family.
We are so happy to be sharing this day, and this great news with you!

Jude's Bouncy

Video of Jude in her bouncy seat, she was 4 months old.

All 4's

For a baby who used to scream when you placed her on her tummy, to an infant who can't get enough freedom. Though not crawling yet, Jude can roll and scoot herself across an entire room, going backwards of course. We anticipate her trying to crawl within the next couple weeks, because she's got the rocking back and forth on all 4's down pat. Don't be surprised when it's posted that she's crawling, and don't be surprised when I say I'm exhausted from chasing her down.
Teething. Teething never really ends. I have a feeling it's constant until all the teeth come in. Some days are good, some days are not so good. We keep plenty of teething tablets around, and Jude will gum down anything in sight. When it's really bothering her, she doesn't sleep well, but the teething tablets help a lot! Still no actual signs of the next teeth through the gums yet though.
We've got Jude now napping in her crib, and the transition wasn't that bad at all. She may fuss for a minute or two, but usually crashes before too long. 3 naps a day keeps the grumpies away.
She is the light of our lives. All 3 of us adore her! She definitely has me wrapped around her tiny little finger!

A Poem, written for Jude while I was pregnant

I roll over, slowly
support the weight of my expanding belly with my elbows
Sitting up is hard to do
You jam your foot in my upper right rib
I cringe out a smile
Your growth, your movement, is worth the small discomforts
I talk to you, even though I don't know what to say
Hear my voice
I will love you, like no one else will ever love you

Chatter Box

Jude likes to wake up in the morning with some chatter, a good stretch, and her hand on one of her mamas faces. That first smile is one of the best parts of the day. At 6 months, she has grown 6 whole inches, now coming in at 28", and is just now starting to feel 'heavy' in our arms. Being of a rather tall stature, she is just about to grow out of her 2nd infant car seat, and into one of those big ones you can't carry around.
Jude, is ticklish. Ticklish pretty much everywhere. She has a infectious giggle, but saves it up for special occasions. She smiles a lot, and displays her first two front bottom teeth (which are surprisingly sharp).
Jude has one thing that makes her fussy, and that is being sleepy, otherwise she is a happy baby.
She is determined to get moving, and keeps teasing us by pulling her knees up under her, only to let them slide right back out from under her. She's not fooling me. I know she can get up and go just as soon as she decides to, ready to give us a run for our money.