9 Month Update

9 Months

-- You measured just under 15 lbs and 26 inches at your 9 month check up… still our little shrimp! Our doctor thinks your lack of weight gain (only a few ounces in 3 months) is from when you were sick last month. However, you moved up to size 3 diapers and got 4 new teeth. Ouch!

-- You’re starting to eat more table foods and really like to feed yourself, especially green beans. You put the whole cut bean in your mouth, mash it all up and then spit out the shell every time.

-- We dropped the mattress in your crib lower at the beginning of the month and it was a good thing we didn’t wait any longer because by the end of the month you were pulling up on the crib rails all by yourself during naptime!

-- You’re getting better at crawling and have gotten a little faster but you still use a quite unconventional method. You seem to prefer pushing your face and chest into the floor instead of holding it up like a traditional crawl. It’s quite entertaining to watch! But despite how difficult and even uncomfortable it looks, you still manage to get around.

-- You have discovered where I store the wrapping paper (under my bed) and love to pull out the rolls and tear pieces off while I am in the shower or getting ready for the day… sneaky baby!

-- Your fine motor skills are improving and you have learned how to point your finger. You don’t seem to point at anything in particular yet but you love to stick your finger out until someone points back and your fingers connect.

-- Pat the Bunny is your favorite book and I am amazed at how well you can do each page (playing peak-a-boo with Paul and putting your finger through mummy’s ring are your favorite pages).

-- Daddy taught you how to throw a ball this month.

At the UW vs Utah Football Game with our friends Trey & Carrie

-- You have taken a special interest in the hanging mobile that I made for you when we were putting together your room. It hangs above your crib and you love to point at it and reach for the little pomander balls when I pick you up from your nap. I can’t tell you how happy I am about this because that thing was a pain to make!

-- Last month we had our friend Tawni move in with us. You absolutely adore her and find everything she does intriguing. No one can make you laugh quite like she can!

-- Your interest in music is growing and you especially seem to love it when we sing to you. “Ma Belle Evangeline”, “Bushel and a Peck”, “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”, “This is the Way We…” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider” are some favorites.

-- We’ve had to start doing a little bit of disciplining this month as you don’t like to lay still during your diaper changes anymore and you’ve noticed that shouting gets you attention, especially when I am preparing your food. You are definitely one tough cookie and often times aren’t even phased by our attempts. I have a feeling that you’ve inherited my stubbornness… here we go!

-- You have mastered giving kisses on command and are even starting to initiate them too. There is almost nothing better then seeing you reach your face out with anticipation waiting for your kiss. You’ve got the “Hitch” kiss mastered (“I said come 90 and I come 10! You don’t go the whole 100!” - hilarious!).

Visiting Daddy at work

New Foods this Month: Blueberries, Eggs, Beef, Noodles

Favorite Toys: drum, plush tea set, Pat the Bunny book, non-toys (my nesting measuring bowls from the kitchen, the t.v. remote, my cell phone, laptop, paper, etc.)

Jump Jump Jump-a-roo!

One of Evangeline's favorite toys is her Jump-a-roo. (Well, it was, before she started getting so mobile. Now she doesn't want anything to do with being contained. This is what I get for being so behind on blogging...) One of my favorite things was watching her jump her little heart out. It kept her contained and entertained longer then any other toy and made getting things done around the house a possibility for me again. When we first bought the jumparoo, Evangeline was too short for her little legs to reach the ground, even when it was on the lowest setting. So we put a roasting pan underneath it, and then as she got a little taller, we used a thick book. Worked like a charm...

Here she is jumping away...



One afternoon, she was playing in her jumper while Jeremy was laying on the couch watching golf. This was his view...

8 Month Update

8 Months Old

-- You got your first cold the day after turning 8 months old. You had such a hard time trying to breath through your stuffed up nose and suck your thumb at the same time – you were miserable. I hate being sick but seeing you stuffed up and miserable was worse then any cold I’ve ever had in my life!

-- You’ve learned how to put your blocks in the bucket! Daddy has been trying to teach you this for weeks but you didn’t seem to care until now. He was pretty excited.

-- You’re really into playing peek-a-boo these days. You’ll use a blanket, Daddy’s hat or your own hands to hide. One night Daddy was covering his face with his hands playing peek-a-boo with you and you would put your face right up against his hands so when he moved them and said “Peek-A-Boo!” you were nose-to-nose. Pretty much melts his heart… and mine too.

-- You’ve started reaching for us when you want to be picked up and I kinda love it.

-- When you first wake up in the mornings you take your time before making any noises to let us know you are awake. It takes me a while to fully wake up and get out of bed too so you must get this from me. We can always tell when you wake up because you kick your feet against the crib, tapping the zipper of your sleep sack. It makes us laugh every morning. Is there any better way to start the day?!

-- You are saying “momma” and “mom” clearly as well as ba, th, and ta sounds

-- You love to go to the neighborhood splash pad and play in the water. Cold water and getting sprayed in the face don’t seem to bother you at all. I can’t wait to go there next summer once you are walking!

-- Two more teeth have popped up! So far teething doesn’t seem to be bothering you too much but I sort of miss your goofy little one-tooth grin.

-- You have discovered what an asset your feet can be and when you are laying down on your changing table or in the bath, you grab for toys with your feet like a little monkey. You’ve even figured out how to unplug the bathtub drain with just your feet… smartypants!

-- Gram-Gram taught you how to make motorboat noises with your mouth and now you do it everywhere we go. It gets you lots of attention and laughs, which you seem to love!

-- You have discovered a new view standing up on your feet and try so hard to pull yourself up on things but you’re so short you have a hard time reaching for something to pull up on. It’s only a matter of time before you start cruising!

-- You’re just starting to crawl, however, it is quite non-traditional and humorous to watch. I’m not sure how to describe it – something like a cross between an inchworm and a wounded soldier, with an added leg kick every now and then. Well, here, see for yourself…

-- You have learned how to turn the pages when we read books but you still don’t seem interested in sitting still long enough to actually get through them. I look forward to when reading becomes part of your bedtime routine.

-- And if having your first cold wasn’t bad enough, this month you also got really sick with some nasty virus. We took a road trip to visit family in Colorado Springs and the InstaCare dr. there thought it was rotavirus but you had already been vaccinated for that. Whatever the bug was, it was a nasty one. High fever, diarrhea that made you scream, constant projectile puking (all over great-grandma’s freshly cleaned carpets)… you were so lethargic and couldn’t keep any food or fluids down. We made it almost all the way home before you couldn’t take it any longer and threw up all over the back seat of the car! The whole thing was just awful. You actually lost a lot of weight and your adorable chubby cheeks and popeye arms are not nearly as squishy anymore.

-- You love music and whenever you hear a song come on you have this funny head bop that you do. Sometimes you’ll even throw in some twisting at the waist if you really like the song a lot.

-- You’ve added pursed lips to your adorable scrunchy smile. Look at those amazing lips!

New Foods this Month: uh, I don’t remember! I think we started dairy this month (cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt), as well as beans, chicken and applesauce. I wasn’t really keeping track anymore.

Favorite Toys: Jumparoo, Laugh ‘n Learn Puppy, Drum (I have no idea why Amazon has this priced so high. Maybe because it's an older model... I found ours at a Thrift Store for $1.50!), O-Ball Rattle, mini soccer ball

I'm Back!

Look out... I've got a lot of updates coming your way! :)

Summertime

Fall has finally arrived in Utah. Yesterday was the first day in months where temperatures didn’t hover in the 80’s. It was overcast and rainy and crisp…and I loved it! The rain reminds me of home and although I prefer the weather here in Utah for the most part, I do miss a good rainy day every now and then. So now that summer is officially over in every way, I figured it’s time for a summer recap!

As soon as the weather got warm enough, we hit the pool for Evangeline’s first swim…

Then we hit the road and drove to Seattle for a visit in July... 

Such a good little traveler

  We got to spend time in Bellingham with the two of our favorite families, the Loy’s & the Blumberg's (unfortunately this is just one of many times this summer that I didn't have a spare arm to be taking pictures so this is all I got)...

On a walk with the Loy's... I miss being surrounded by such tall trees!

 ...and spent the 4^th of July at the cabin…

My favorite place in this whole world - McKee's Beach

The Annual McKee's Beach 4th of July Parade

Fireworks from the deck

We got to spend lots of time with family…

Playing with cousins Charlie & Josie

Visiting with Grandma Kathy

Hanging out with the Hirschman cousins

Uncle Andy is so sweet!

Playing with cousin Ayantu

Riding in the car with Ayantu & Jack

Having fun with Great-Aunt Janet

And so intrigued by Great-Aunt Kelli

Playing with Great-Grammy Carol

Picking fresh raspberries from Grandpa's garden

Captivated by Grandma Shala's necklace

A quick trip back to the cabin to see Grandma Frankie, Emma and my Aunt Sook & cousin Gracie

Loving on Auntie Em

…and friends…

Vanessa & Sebastian, me & Evangeline, and Traci & Jake

…and brought Gram Gram home with us for another week of fun…

We played at the neighborhood splash pad…

…and went to the Hogle Zoo…

…and played in the pool on the deck…

…and went camping (another time where I took almost zero pictures)…

…and skyped with Gram Gram…

Now bring on the boots and scarves, soup and pumpkin desserts, colorful leaves, crisp air and all the wonderful things that fall brings…

Summer Storms

Once again I'm feeling very behind on my posts. There are so many fun things we did this summer that are worthy of documenting. However, while I get those organized (why does uploading pictures onto blogger have to take FOR.EV.ER?!), I'll leave you with this...

Utah is known for it's amazing lightening storms, especially in late August. A few weeks ago we had a storm that seemed to go directly over our house. We watched it start in the distance from our back door. As it moved closer it seemed like lightening was going to strike right in our own back yard. Until finally it passed to the front of our house and moved north. The crashes of thunder were so deep and loud, and for a few minutes were immediately following the flashes of lightening so we knew it was just as close as it felt! I couldn't resist grabbing the camera and attempting to catch a bolt or two. Using just a simple point and shoot really doesn't do it justice, but trust me, it was the most amazing storm I've even seen!

Here is some video. I apologize for my annoying gasps; there were a few times where I felt like the lightening was going to hit my toes! The last one I got on video startled me so much I ran inside so the thunder gets cut off.

Skip to about 50 seconds an watch for 2 bolts of lightening.

Summer Storm from Natalie Sanchez on Vimeo.

6 and 7 Months

Evangeline turned 8 months old on Friday. And as if time wasn’t already moving quickly enough, having a summer packed full of fun things has just made it seem to go by that much faster. But more on those fun things later. I was about to post her 7 month update until I noticed that I’m further behind then I thought. So here are some highlights from the last two months!

6 MONTHS

Evangeline - 6 months old

-- We’re finally settling into a more predictable schedule this month. It’s so nice to be able to plan ahead and know that with few exceptions, you wake up around 8am, nap from 10-12 and 3-5 and go to bed at 8:30. You’re also back to loving your crib. Often times, when I lay you down for your naps, you’ll lean your head back until you feel it hit the mattress, then you pop your thumb in your mouth, take a deep breath, close your eyes and you’re out! Sometimes you’ll cry when I start to walk out of the room but it never lasts long. This is such a HUGE change from the last few months!

-- The day before you turned 6 months, you got your first taste of solid food. We fed you avocado and you L.O.V.E.D it! By the end of the month you had tried Rice and Oatmeal Cereal, Avocado, Bananas, Apples, Plums, Sweet Potato and Peas. Sweet Potato and Avocado seem to be your favorite, and Peas are definitely your least favorite (who can blame you!), but you are a good eater and have yet to spit anything out.

little less thumb, little more carrots from Natalie Sanchez on Vimeo.

-- Your hair is getting long enough now where the sides are starting to grow over your ears like Daddy’s does when he needs a haircut. I can’t wait until it’s long enough to pull back with pretty clips and put into pigtails and braids!

-- Sometimes you smile so big that you crinkle your nose, squint your eyes and flash your one tooth. I call it your scrunchy smile and I love it!

-- You’ve learned how to give kisses. This might be my favorite milestone yet! There is just nothing better then one of your slobbery smooches, especially when you grab my face with your hands and lean in. I love love love it!

Evangeline loves her Aunt Jen!

-- At the end of 6 months and beginning of 7 months you went on your first road trip and were fantastic! You didn’t take as long of naps as you usually do, but you rarely got fussy and seemed to enjoy the adventure. We drove from Utah to Seattle and were gone for just over two weeks. You were a great sleeper almost everywhere we went and you had a LOT of people loving on you! All our family and friends couldn’t wait to see you, hold you, kiss you and play with you and you definitely turned the charm on!

-- Your personality is really developing and starting to shine through. Your Daddy and I both agree that Joy is the perfect middle name for you! You are so full of joy, waking up with a smile in the mornings and squawking and smiling all day long (squawking is still your form of laughter). You also bring a tremendous amount of joy to us, your grandparents and family and just about everyone that spends time with you or gets one of your adorable scrunchy smiles!

Favorite Toys: Bird Car Seat Pull Toy, Jumparoo, Sophie, Lovie Lamb

Favorite Foods: Avocado, Apples & Sweet Potatoes

7 MONTHS

Evangeline - 7 months

-- You love to shout and squeal and have learned how to do it even louder and longer this month.

-- You are constantly bouncing! Every time you try to stand up you are always bouncing away and have gotten really good at bouncing in your jumperoo and in the excersaucers at church.

-- We started putting you in the nursery at church once we got back from our trip to Seattle. You were 7 ½  months and you seem to do pretty well, even though it’s during one of your feedings and nap time. I think I’m the one with separation anxiety at this point!

-- You seem to know the difference between people you know and strangers now. You are usually still very friendly with strangers, smiling at them, laughing and sometimes letting them hold you, however, sometimes you put your arms out for mommy or daddy to take you back.

Discovering the baby in the mirror

-- You have learned when you are funny and will repeat things that make us laugh. You are also ticklish now, especially on your sides and feet.

-- You are constantly trying to reach for anything and everything within sight. Unless you are busy sleeping or nursing, you are reaching for something, and sometimes even while you are sleeping or nursing! You have mastered the art of “swiping”, so nothing within reach is safe! I’ve also given up on wearing any jewelry these days because it’s just too tempting for your little hands to tug on.

-- Daddy taught you how to hold onto two of your stacking rings, one in each hand, and tap them together. I love watching you two play this new game. He’ll give you the rings, pick up two of his own, start tapping them and then you’ll follow. After a few taps, you throw your hands up in the air which sends your rings flying and then try and grab Daddy’s and it starts all over again.

She loves those puffs

-- Bath time is still your favorite time of day. You take baths in the big tub now and you love to splash and reach around for toys, especially your rubber duckies and stacking cups.

-- You have started showing an interest in books (other then just chewing on the covers and pulling on the pages!). You will actually sit still, listen and watch the pictures as I turn the pages. I love reading to you, especially stories from your children’s bible.

-- You learned how to clap. However, this is a story deserving of it’s own post…

Favorite Toys: Jumparoo, Fisher Price Stacking Rings, Wooden Blocks & Bucket

New Foods: Carrots, Butternut Squash, Green Beans, Apricots, Peaches, Raspberries (thanks to Grandpa!), Grapes (in a mesh feeder) and Puffs (which you LOVE!)