ADVENTURE!

We went with AUnt Jul and Uncle Greg to Islands of Adventure 7/14 for their daughter Madison's 10th birthday. It was certainly an adventure taking a one year old to a theme park! Mattie was awake from 7:30 AM-4PM when she literally couldn't keep her eyes open any more. Normally she takes two 2 hour naps by then, so she was truly exhausted. It was so much fun though- especially her first rides in Dr. Seuss land.

Here are some cute pics from the trip:

Madison is tall enough for all the rides!

Matilda- not quite :)

Just hanging out in a boat with a turtle and guitar

Daddy explaining a fountain to Mattie

Jurassic Park land was our fav

Matilda's first ride!

Finally sleeping- 4PM

Just catching a wave on our way out of the park

Sleepy baby on the way home to Jax

Even with the crazy schedule and all the driving driving- Matilda was awesome. She was a little angel the whole time...what a fun trip!

Our little love is ONE!

Yes, it's been way too long again. And while I was away, our little beauty turned ONE. I honestly cannot believe that she is growing up so fast, or how much more mature than one she seems. I honestly think she knows and understands more than Eddie or I do sometimes. She's just a wise little soul.

Eddie's sis Tracy and her husband Sam came down for the festivities with their two little ones Nora (3) and Mazen (8 weeks younger than Mattie!). It was so amazing having them here...I really wish they lived closer! Matilda was surprisingly good at sharing and got along great with the kids. Since she is will adults most of the time, I was really impressed.

Here are a couple of cute ones from the weekend and birthday- we had a surfing monkey party at the beach:

What a difference a year makes!

First birthday gift from Franma- a bunny roller :)

Cousins bath! Yes, Matilda has her own jetted tub. Insane. 

Matilda carefully watching Nora with her beloved Bonsai

Focused- even at a pool party.

Happy baby in her new beach chair from Daddy

Her first taste of sugar...a vegan birthday cake!

Matching cousins- flamingo dresses from Aunt Tra

Eddie and I say every day how amazingly lucky we are. We really have the best baby in the world...happy first birthday Matilda Rae!

Her first birthday invite :)

Walking water baby

Well the little bit is fully walking now...pretty much running actually. Over the past two weeks or so she has really taken off. She now has two front teeth and a HUGE gap between them. It's the cutest thing I have ever seen! She waves bye-bye now as well and uses the bye-bye wave to tell us she is sleepy and wants to go to bed. I have never met a child so happy to go to sleep. She gets her pacifier, Bonsai monkey and waves bye-bye and that means "put me in my crib, I'm exhausted!"

She has started swim lessons too and LOVES the water more than anything. It's really just getting them used to the water at this age, but we dunk her under and she's gotten used to it and is not scared anymore, it's so cute.

Here are a few of the latest and greatest pics of the angel...

Swim lessons with Daddy

New summer clothes

Lounging and eating, per usual

Walking around the yard at Aunt Jul's wedding

Aunt Julie's reception at Roys with Mama

Big smiles and waves at Mother's Day brunch

With new cousin Madison at Mother's Day brunch

Morning walk with Mama

Post-swim cuddles with Mom

Eddie and I say every day that we are the luckiest parents in the world...she is such a perfect child, we could not be happier.

xoxoxox

almost forgot the pics

And here are some of the latest pics of the angel...she is just such a big kid now, i cannot believe it!

Loving avocado, just like mom...taken by Aunt Meg

She was sick here, first cold, but still so happy

Easter morning, reading to her new friends

Upside down Easter fun with Dad at Poe's- our fav restaurant

Flower girl in Aunt D's wedding

walking, dancing and yummy milk.

Matilda has been flirting with the idea of walking since she was 8 months old. A couple of weeks ago, she was taking up to 10 steps at a time and loving it. Well after a few little bumps and falls, she's decided she wants to hold on to a finger while she walks. She's all about walking all the time, just with her security blanket of one of our fingers in her little hand. Here is a video of her walking to Franma when she was in her walking prime:

She has also become fascinated with the stairs in our new house. She climbs up them many times a day...with one of us keeping a hand on her at all times of course. When she gets to the top she is SO excited...it's adorable.

 Matilda has also started dancing all the time. As soon as you start singing to her, the dancing starts. One of her favorite places to dance is in her highchair...here is a little video of her grooving while Franma sings:

Being vegan, I was very nervous about what to start Matilda on to begin weaning her from breast milk. I'd like to be able to stop pumping once she is a year old, so I wanted to replace one of her 3 bottles a day with a substitute to get her little tummy used to it. 

It took a few tries, but she is now loving almond milk, which makes me so very happy.We call it yummy milk to her...I swear she's trying to say it now. :)

I'm starting to think about birthday plans for her- I cannot believe she will be a YEAR old in just 2 months...crazy.

Finally.

I feel like I may jinx it if I say it too loud, but Matilda is finally sleeping through the night, woooo! For the past couple of weeks she has been going to bed about 8:00 and waking up about 6:30...it is HEAVEN. I think only twice in two weeks has she woken up during the night for her pacifier. That I can deal with. :)

I went with Franma and Mattie to Mother Goose time at the library last week and it was too cute. Mom has been telling me how much Matilda loves it- she likes playing with the other kids just as much as the songs and stories. She really doesn't sit still like the other kids- she wants to play the whole time!

She is really trying to walk now. She can stand totally on her own and has taken a step here and there, but she gets scared and sits down unless someone is holding her hand. She could totally do it if it weren't for fear...walking is scary!

She is still eating up a storm. I am starting to have to make a lot more food on Sundays because she blows through it so quickly. Apples and mangoes mixed are her new fav.

She LOVES the beach. She could play in the sand for hours- she thinks it's the funniest thing ever. She also loves the water. She hasn't gotten totally in in a while since it's been chilly, but puts her toes in and wants to sit down in it. She isn't scared at all...she'll be surfing with Dad in no time. 

We have been packing to move to our new house for the past few days and Mattie loves it! All the boxes and packing material...she thinks it's the coolest stuff to play with.

Here are a few of the latest and greatest pics:

Mattie at the park with Aunt Tink and Morgan:

 

My little cool kid- she loves her sunglasses:

At Mother Goose time with Mom and Franma:

Packing for the move, Mattie was helping :)

The next set of pics will be in the new house...we close on Friday- can't wait.

xoxoxo

The busiest of babies

I know, I know, it's been too long (AGAIN). Time just flies when you have a 7 month old (8 mo on Tuesday) and a full time job...jeeze!

Matilda Rae is, simply put, a little angel. She is happy almost every second of the day and all she wants to do is go and play and explore. She has been standing up and walking holding on to the coffee table or couch for about a month now, but this morning she let go and took one little wobbly step all on her own. It was just too cute! The look on her face was as shocked as mine. She is still not even close to sleeping through the night, but she is skipping her night time feeding most nights now. She just wakes up once or twice and needs her pacifier and a pat on the back to get back to sleep. Jenn- I am so jealous of little Claire's 12 hour snoozes!

Here are some cute pics of miss Mattie over the last 6 weeks or so...

On the swings, her fav:

At the beach with Daddy:

Our little surfer girl:

Bed head and sleepy face like her Daddy (6:30 AM):

Big girl in Daddy's new truck:

With Mommy heading to Poe's for dinner (first bow in her hair!):

Little fatso happy in her highchair because she just ate:

Eddie and I say every day how incredibly lucky we are. We have a truly perfect baby. She goes everywhere with us without any problems and all of our friends (even D who hates babies!) love Matilda. She has started going to the library with Franma on Tuesday's for Mother Goose time and she just loves it! They read and sing and Matilda is enthralled. Franma says she holds her hands and walks around and steals the other kids her age pacifiers. She's just so giant (20 lbs and 30" now!), so she's the bully in the 7 mo old crowd...lol. Franma said she gets along better with the one year olds because they are able to play with her.

She is eating 3 meals and 3-4 (5 oz) milk feedings a day now and man can she eat. For breakfast she has oatmeal cereal with bananas and prunes most days and for lunch and dinner it's a wide variety of options. Her new fav is edamame, but corn and carrots are a close second. She also loves apples and pears mixed- that's usually her dessert. I make all her food for the week on Sundays and usually she sits in the kitchen in her highchair and helps me cook. :)

She also wants to try all of our food now. I let her try hummus the other day and she loved it! She also loves to gnaw on pizza crust- Mellow Mushroom is her preference (and Mom's). 

Can't believe she will be 8 months old in a few days...I better start planning her one year birthday! Hahah!