Month #8

Our babe is 8 months old!

These days she responds equally to "Genevieve", "GV", "Vivi", "Baby", "Bubs" (derived from the original nickname: chubba bubba), and "Baby Genevieve June Pruett", as Arthur likes to call her...apparently "Genevieve"just isn't long enough. She is officially able to walk with push toys and is using her voice a lot more to babble, "sing", and protest when her toys are taken away. She is mastering her fine motor skills by constantly picking up tiny pieces of carpet and putting them in her mouth (awesome.) and I am getting pretty good at the finger sweep method of removing said carpet pieces.

I just LOVE babies this age.... and not just because they usually have such squeezable cheeks and thighs, or because they are sturdy enough that you don't have to worry so much about breaking them. I love them for their intense desire for discovery and their all-consuming excitement. They find joy in all the "right" things....things that the rest of us take for granted too early and too often. Like how she just can't smile big enough when she wakes up in the morning and sees all her favorite people. Like how she squeals with delight when the cat runs through the room. Like how she belly laughs at a game of peek-a-boo.

This kind of joy is contagious and I am so grateful to be constantly reminded of the really important things in life. To an 8 month old, the "simple pleasures" are not so much "simple" as they are "pleasures". We should all be so lucky to be able to take that perspective...

Enjoy today.
Gretchen




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Family Vacation

I'm not a huge fan of winter. Don't get me wrong, I love that I live in an area that has four distinct seasons and I appreciate each of them, but winter can get long...especially cooped up in the house with three kids. All I want to do is get them outside.

Fortunately for my sanity, we were able to go to Florida for a couple weeks this January. We rented a house in the Tampa area. We hung out, took day trips, played in the sand, and spent as much time as possible in the pool. Although it is true that you can never take a break from the job of "parent", it was a relief and a joy to be away from the other demands of being home and spend some much-needed, fun time with my family. Sometimes I feel like I don't even look at them during the day, even though I'm with them constantly. Vacation gives us a chance to step back, re-examine, and enjoy what we have.

I wish everyone a little "time out" to find some focus whenever possible.

Keep warm!
Gretchen










 





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