Play Mats

I've been making play mats for all the new babies cropping up in our family. It's been a really fun project, and since Ildri loves going to the fabric store, it's doubly enjoyable. Images below are from my last two play mats. I'm hoping to get good enough to sell them on Etsy.com, but for right now, I'm just enjoying the process.

Valentine's Day Surprise

Grandma Barb sent a package to our family for Valentine's Day. I set the box in front of Ildri and went to get a pair of scissors to open the box. When I turned around, I saw Ildri standing up, tongue hanging out and grinning at me! She has made several repeat performances of the act of standing on her own, so I thought I'd share her new accomplishment. Also, check out the cute jacket - thanks, Grandma!

Eight Months Old

My little baby is getting so big! She is more mobile now, though she is not very interested in crawling - she usually ends up in a downward dog position and/or scooting backwards, complaining the entire time. What she wants to do is stand. Currently I am her standing assistant, but it is clear to me that she will not need me for long (oh dear, this is going to be true for her whole life, isn't it?). Enjoy some recent pictures - I tried to get one that showed off her two teeth, but I was not very lucky.

Recent Travels

We've been very lucky to spend some time with family recently. Grandma Gert and Grandpa Bob spent a long weekend with us and got some good time with Ildri. She seemed fairly smitten with Bob, and she even let him put her to bed without a single protest - something that Mom and Dad rarely achieve.

We also joined a wonderful amount of family in Sumner to celebrate Great Grandma Jane's birthday. We had a spectacular time, especially due to the amount of babies present. We got to meet the lovely Harper Snow Milnes, the first child of Marshall and Jackie. David got to meet his nephew Matthew John. Both babies were only weeks old and just adorable! Hillary and Jason's sons were also there, and the nearly-two-year-old Jay showed off his quick stair-climbing skills. We can't wait to see the extended family again soon.

Big Tub

Ildri has outgrown her little blue tub, so we're preparing to move bath time into the real bath tub. To help her transition (she's been scared by the big tub before), we got her a friendly face to join her - meet GIANT DUCKY TUB.

She's given it a test drive on dry land, and has approved it so far. I'll post an update on how she likes bathing in it.

Hilarity Ensues!

Ildri has been laughing a lot at the most unexpected things. And of course, whatever was funny once is never funny again, at least to the degree of belly laughs earned the first time. Still, she does usually find her Mama doing silly walks or jumps pretty amusing, which has been adding to my cardio activity (jumping rope = very funny).

This video is really grainy - the camera had been in the car, so I think the quality is due to the cold. But it's still pretty great.