Spring Pictures

Ildri is growing so much. She has taken to walking like a fish to water. I wanted to share some pictures of her in some new cute outfits, most courtesy of Grandma Barb. So cute! She's very hard to get a picture of most times. Once she sees the camera out, she chases me to try and grab it.

Ildri's Quilt

I finally finished Ildri's quilt. It's a basic postage-stamp quilt with curved edges, all flannel (so warm!), and it's quilted with stars done in three colors of thread. This quilt took me months, due to the individual stars, so I used it as a reflective piece. I started to make a wish for my little Ildri with each star I stitched. It was a great exercise, and often resulted in mama tearing up, or reflecting back on my own experience growing up.

Updates

I've been somewhat negligent in updating this blog. I'm going to blame it on two matters: the beautiful weather, and the fact that Ildri has started walking (at nine months!), both of which have definitely changed the dynamic of the day!

Dave's car finally bit the dust, so he takes the Subaru to work every day. This means no more long-distance outings for Ildri and I during her daily adventure period (the three-hour time between her two naps). Instead, we go on walks in her stroller or in her Kelty backpack carrier. She like both modes of transportation, but the backpack carrier is a much greater workout for mama. We have several destinations within reason: the Coral Ridge Mall (has a great play area with lots of kids), a couple of grocery stores, a craft store, and the Coralville Recreation Center and park.

While we're home, Ildri is busy showing me what she can get into (namely most everything), and what I need to move or baby-proof. And what's on the horizon? She wants to climb. She doesn't have it figured out, but her early attempts make me nervous.

Scary Funny

Ildri makes a "ck!" noise a lot lately. It's mostly directed at getting us to look at her (or getting the cats to look at her). We found out that when we act as if this sound scares us, she finds it hilarious. Enjoy the clip.

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.