10 months!

     Ayla Cupcake is 10 months old! I can't believe she's just two months away from joining the "One-der" club ;)   Her future husband (Icen) turned 1 on February 8th and her boyfriend (Dawson) turned 1 on the 19th. We were able to make it to both of their birthday parties. Both boys are so big and on the move! Ayla isn't too far behind, she's up and crawling (no more "scootching"/army crawling) and she's been hanging onto the furniture and "cruising" around for about 2 months now. She is into EVERYTHING. We have to block off the stairs since she is an avid climber (she LOVES climbing up the 14 stairs in our townhome) and block off the kitchen (or leave it unblocked, but pick up the dog water bowl). She will seek out any and all electrical cords (for the tv, plug-in heaters, fish tank, lights....) and thinks they're the most awesome toys in the world. She also loves to play with the straps and buckles on her carseat (I watched her play with her carseat for 20 minutes the other day, no joke. She would play with the strap, then crawl into it, let it tip slightly, crawl out of it, slowly face plant it on the carpet without crying, continue playing with the strap).


Icen enjoying his first cupcake (made by yours truely, Cupcake Lady!)




Dawson enjoying his first birthday cake!



Chris, Ayla, Aaron and Icen after Icen's birthday party


    Chris and Ayla and I went in for our first family photo session last month. We got a deal through Yuen Lui Studios (through Groupon), so we have five 20-minute sessions. Our photographer was great, very funny and there were some good photos. We're looking forward to taking Ayla back in a few month for her 1-year photos and then we'll probably do another family shoot when she's about 18 months.

     She's got her two bottom teeth now! They came up around the 9-month mark and I think her top teeth are going to poke through any day now. She has a little baby toothbrush and paste, but we haven't used them yet since we thought she was teething and we didn't want to irriate her sore mouth.

     We've had a few playdates with Icen and Dawson and some friends from Baby Boot Camp. She still enjoys Playdate PDX and this last time, she discovered the stairs in the Toddler Area that lead to the Toddler Slide. We're lucky to have such an awesome place to check out and I feel like we'll be going there for a long time. She also likes going to the library and picking out books (and playing with their toys).


Zoo date with Dawson (they loved playing with the disposable camera!)




Stroller walk date with Icen



Enjoying the toys at the library


     I feel like our breastfeeding days are numbered. Since she's been eating foods and purees, she hasn't needed as much milk as before. I don't mind pumping less, but I'm a little sad about  her slowing down on nursing (not too sad, but I know that it's going to come to an end eventually). But then I remind myself that there will be other babies (hopefully!) and if I don't have to worry about pumping/nursing/what I'm eating, work-outs will be easier (you try going for a run!). My thought was always to breastfeed until she's about 1 year (if not longer) as long as it was working out for both of us. We haven't had any issues or problems so far (I know, some of you hate me right now), so we'll see. It seems like she will nurse early in the morning in bed with us (around 6 am or so) and then before naps or bedtime, but otherwise she likes her foods. We'll give her pieces of apples or bananas, bread/toast crust, baby "puffs", green beans... she loves picking things up and feeding herself, but will still eat purees, yogurt, and cereal if we sit down to feed her. I'm not brave enough to let her try and feed herself anything "squishy" that will make a huge mess. It's the Type A in me. I get anxiety if she smears the mushy stuff. I have nightmares of her flinging food and it being all over the place. I don't a little on her hands or face or clothes, but all over the chair and floor and... ugh. I just can't do it. I know I will have to eventually, but I just can't right now. She will help grab/hold the spoon sometimes when we feed her, which she seems to enjoy. Maybe when it warms up, we'll let her feed herself in a high chair outside in the backyard. That way I can just hose her down before bringing her in ;)


Mmmmm, apples for Valentine's Day


    Chris and I have been talking about Ayla's 1-year birthday. We'd like to have it outside at a park somewhere, maybe do a BBQ or something. I know she won't care much, but it'll be nice for friends and family to celebrate. No one is obligated to come, but if you'd like to be there, you're welcome to! And no gifts are necessary, but we know people are going to buy things if they want to buy things. Books are always great (specifically "board" books... you know, they're hardcover and all the pages are hardcover so that they can't be destroyed by all the "reading" and "noming" done by baby). Stay tuned for more information/invites for the birthday bash!


Crawling into and out of her exer-saucer

     At her 9-month checkup, she was not even 16 lbs! She's on the little side (under 15% for both height and weight), but she grows between each pediatrician appointment, so we aren't worried at all. She was definitely low on her iron, so she (and I, actually) was put on a liquid iron supplement. I have no doubt that when we re-test her iron, she'll be in the normal range. She's finally in 9 and 12 month clothing! We're rounding up the last of her 6 month clothes (slowly, but surely), though there are a few things she can still wear (6-month jackets are still fitting well as well as some of her 6-month pants. Onesies and shirts she's wearing 9- and 12-month though).

     I start Assistant Coaching with Girls on the Run this next week through the first week of June (http://girlsontherunpdx.org/) and I'm super excited! On Mondays, Uncle Carl will be watching her and on Wednesdays, my friend Kelsey will watch her. On the off chance that either can't watch her, a friend from Baby Boot Camp (who lives about a minute away from us, which is awesome!) has offered to watch her. Her daughter, Camille, is super sweet and smart and just turned 2. And she's going to be a big sister in about 6 months! Jill really wants to watch her, so maybe I'll have to find a reason someday soon for her to get some Cupcake snuggle time in :)