9 months. More about me than her.

Piper is 9 months old! There is a part of me that asks 'How is that possible?' and then the other part that understands just how long 9 months really is. Since I found out I was pregnant on basically the earliest day possible (and Piper was 8 days late) I felt like I was pregnant for an eternity. 9 months=eternity


On October 26th (8.5 months) Piper found our stairs. It was one of those moments that made me cringe. She never seemed interested in climbing them until this past weekend (Nov 22nd- 9m, 1w), but how cute are those ham hocks hanging out at the bottom of the stairs? She now climbs up one step and as soon as anyone gets close to her she dies laughing. I guess it's time for a gate.

Gigi and Pappy came over to play with Piper on Oct 30th. I took advantage of their entertainment and was working on dishes, laundry, or my never ending to-do list when I Sandi yelled to me that Piper had stood up at her toy. I quickly responded that she likes to stand, but she isn't pushing or moving it anywhere. Gigi quickly called me into the room as she knew I wouldn't want to miss this. Piper was walking with her toy. Over and over again. She couldn't get enough. She had figured out what one foot in front of the other did. And it's not that I don't want her to walk, I'm just not ready for all of this. Where is my baby?

Halloween 2014. It was the worst of times, it was the best of times. Piper hated her trial run as you see below, but she did great for actual event. We went out to Lake Carolina and joined Julie, David, Charles, Gray, Martha, Mike, Sandi and Claudette at Julie and David's house for Halloween festivities. It couldn't have been more perfect. Julie was a great host and we spent the night so we could enjoy some adult time. 

Each day brings something new with Piper. On November 4th, we played after her morning bottle and I started blowing kisses to her. She started trying to kiss back at me and my heart literally melted. Thank you for all of your sweetness, SweetP! 

I had to be away for work and G sent me this picture in a text. He said he taught her the sprinkler.

Avery's 2nd Birthday Party was on November 8th and we had so much fun at My Gym! Piper's first time in the balls was a success!! 

Piper loves Nanny so much!! The pictures on the right (below) are her looking/reaching for Nanny. So thankful for both of them. And that Nanny was there to give Piper a bottle. They were both in Heaven! 

Miss Priss on her 9 month b-day! 

Gina got married on November 15th, 2014 and it was the most gorgeous event, We enjoyed having Piper in the wedding with us and we think she made a pretty cute (but not so effective) flower girl. She actually had the boys pull her down the aisle in a wagon and after all of my anxiety and hoopla of her outfit, girlfriend decided to lay back and enjoy her ride in her 'chariot' instead of sit up and people watch as I thought she would do. Go figure. No one saw her. They only saw her toto sticking out of the wagon. Thank you, Piper, for keeping us on our toes. Sorry, Aunt Gina and Tio Tater Tot. 

 Piper's first school pictures weren't a fail, but how could they not make her smile? We don't call her Smileypants for no reason! They could have just said 'boo' and she would have died laughing. Oh well. Still cute. I'll take it. (Incarnation Lutheran, Fall 2014)

Literally every. single. day. Piper changes and has something new and awesome that she is doing. As of today (9m, 1w+) she is feeding herself literally everything. She eats whatever we give her and LOVES it. She hasn't NOT liked anything yet. I normally have to cut her off from eating as she doesn't seem to get full (reminds me of her cousin Avery). She has recently started letting me rock her to sleep. Still no bedtime routine (no books, songs, etc), but she will take her paci, lay on me, and go fast asleep. DEAR LORD, PLEASE MAKE TIME STOP. 

Things can't get better, right? I mean a very active 9 month old just wanting to sleep in my arms. I normally have to pry myself back into reality as I dream of us sleeping all night like this. I have never felt my heart so full. That's not a shot at my husband as I have 100% confidence that he would say the same thing. She makes us who we are now and I love every single minute of it. 

Piper has 4 teeth and is about to cut 2 more up top. She has a belly that would rival Buddah (and Avery) and the biggest head ever. Most of her clothes that she has 'grown out of' have solely had to do with the circumference of her head. Some things she never even wore because they couldn't get over her head. 

Piper Grace, I love you more than you will ever know. 

But your 9 months is more about me than you. 

I gave myself 9 months to 'get back to normal' (for the obvious rational) and it has taken every single second of 9 months and then some. And yet, I will never be back to normal. In this scenario, I'm referring to my weight and I've succeeded. I'm back. But all of a sudden it doesn't matter. I don't care like I used to and even though the scale says the same thing as it used to there are plenty of pants that won't ever fit again. It didn't go back the way it used to be. But guess what, I'm perfectly fine with that. I gave those pants away with a sense of pride and I've moved up a size with a smile on my face. I joined a gym, but have been no more times than the fingers on ONE hand. I simply don't have the time and I'm not willing to give up a second with you to worry about 'getting back to normal'. Birdie kept you overnight on Monday, Nov 17th and Daddy and I went to Mr. Friendly's on a much needed date night. It was then that I realized that 'we are back to normal', but normal is redefined. I couldn't be more excited about my new normal. I missed you like crazy even though you only slept less than 1 mile away. I literally can't wait until I get you out of your crib each morning (still sleeping 10-12 hours each night at least until 7am each morning #spoiled) and see that smile on your face which starts my day with exactly the motivation I need. 

Thank you for the most amazing 18 months of my life as my life was changed as soon as I knew you were my butter bean (no matter how stubborn you were). We love you to the moon and back. 

The for real 8 month post

Not sitting down and blogging more requires that when I finally do, I have to do multiple blogs or else they would just simply be too long. While the last post was called 8 months, I actually only mentioned things that we did leading up to her 8 month milestone. So here is the 'official 8 month' post:

I left for back to back work conferences the morning of October 8th (Wed). I was scheduled to go straight from Myrtle Beach on Friday to Charlotte for the airport to head to Newport, RI for the weekend through Tuesday, October 14th. SIX nights away from Piper. I dreaded this week for months prior, but it was here and I had to go away as hard as that was.

I decided to get up really early Friday morning and drive back to Columbia to see my sweet pea for a couple of hours. I am so glad I did and I think she was too. As soon as I got home Grant captured this little video. I found her with Daddy in our closet and yes, I did wear my slippers on my drive home!

I gave Piper her first blabla doll before I left. Her name is Lily and Piper seems to love how soft she is. Birdie kept Brady, Avery, and Piper Friday-Monday so that Ashley, Ben, Grant, and I could enjoy the weekend in Newport, RI before our conference started on Monday morning. I left Piper with Birdie but she had to have cheese and crackers at snack time just like Brady and Avery. It is my understanding that throughout the weekend she just wanted to be with them and do what they were doing! 

We had been looking forward to our Newport trip. We had not planned to do much except eat oysters and drink champagne. And we handled that pretty easily. We at dinner at the Clarke Cooke House the first night. We just happened upon it and I highly recommend this place! I had oysters to start and a lobster for dinner.

The only thing that made the first night more perfect is mom sent me the video above of Piper's first time in a swing. Appears she liked it! {October 10th-3 days shy of 8 months}

Saturday's weather wasn't great with light rain pretty much all day. So we shopped for bit and then found a few pubs that we ducked in to watch some football. The second night we had more oysters at Midtown Oyster Bar. The atmosphere was rocking. We finished dinner and went to a bar with live music and danced the rest of the night! 

We up Sunday morning and did the Cliff Walk. It was an amazing view and a beautiful day outside. We were a little disappointed we couldn't see more of the mansions in the area, but they were all secluded. After the walk, we boarded a schooner called Madeline for a cruise in the harbor. It was beautiful and peaceful. We then watched the sunset {fun fact: Newport faces West so you can see the sunset over the harbor} from the Lobster Pound (with an oyster appetizer of course) and then had dinner at 22 Bowen's. I had another lobster. I couldn't get enough! 

Mom sent this picture of these cuties! I'm convinced that Avery must have been pinching my always smiley baby, but Mom said she just doesn't like to be confined. Girl likes to move! 

Monday morning came fast and it was time for the boys to leave and our conference to start. Monday was also Piper's 8 month b-day and mom sent me pictures first thing in the morning of this sweet pea. 

In eight short months Piper has accomplished so much that it is almost exhausting to think about. Her most successful accomplishment is stealing the hearts of her Momma and Daddy. Gosh we love this girl. More than I ever could have ever imagined. She is simply amazing and makes me laugh and smile at things I never would have previously. She makes me do things that are silly, but so rewarding. Her smile with change your day in an instant.

She loves to:

-pull up on everything. Especially if a remote or my phone is anywhere in sight for the gettin'

-hold her own bottle (with very little help)

-'talks' and giggles a lot. She started with 'ba' and is now on 'na' and 'ma' and 'da'

-play airplane with momma (she lays on my feet and I push her into the air)

-help with laundry. Especially the socks. For some reason socks on the head is the funniest thing. (see video below)

-crawl all over the house. Especially into the room where I am. 

-play with tampons. yes, tampons. 

-pull up on the toilet and chew on the seat. In which I immediately pull her down and distract her with tampons or an empty tissue box *mom of the year*

-sleeping with her lovey

-roll full water bottles around on the hard wood floor

-pulling her shoes/socks off

-pulling her bows out/off

-eat puffs, eat yogurt bites, eat. Just eat. She hasn't NOT liked anything yet. She sees the yellow bag of the yogurt bites and goes wild.

-Boxes.She loves boxes. A boxes of diapers is one of her favorite toys {as it should be considering the cost- thanks Mom and Ashley for still supplying us diapers. We're going to miss that in 4 months)

She has 2 teeth. 1 up and 1 down on the opposite side. She is working on another one up top, but it's not quite broken through yet. She still has an occasional 'rrrrrr' cry and it is hilarious. I know it's bad to laugh at your child when they are crying, but it is awesome. *mom of the year*

When she stands up she hasn't figured out how to sit back down and becomes scared as if she is stuck. That, too, is funny.

We have now dropped her crib all the way down. 

Back to Newport. Monday night our conference held an event at the Rosecliff Mansion for dinner. It was fabulous with some of the best passed h'ordorves. Ashley especially like the Kobe beef sliders. 

 I finally made it home and we signed a contract to build a new house. Quite the welcome back home present! We are so excited! I am an instant gratification kind of person so this is testing that part of me. We have hired my friend Julie Tuttle to help us through the process. She is a custom home builder herself and we think we're pretty lucky to have her expertise. We anticipate it taking 6-8 months to build. I'm guessing closer to 8 months with the holidays so we hope to be in by Summer 2015. In the meantime, we will continue to live our life as normal until after Christmas at which time we have to start thinking about trying to sell our current house (which we love).

There is nothing like starting a Friday off with a Halloween outfit, tulle skirt, and this smile. 

Piper helped me pick up dinner at the Fresh Market. {Friday, October 17th}

We had a busy weekend at home planned. We started out Saturday morning walking in the Walk For Life to raise money and awareness for Breast Cancer. Since my mom is a 6 year survivor and my Aunt Anne in Texas is a 1 year survivor we walked in their honor. (Yes, my Mom and her sister have both been diagnosed in addition to their grandmother. I'm very conscious that the statistics have me pinged and I will start preventive care in the next couple of years)

It was a great walk. Long's Drugs had a team participate again this year. There were over 11,000 walkers/runners who raised over $750,000 for the Palmetto Health Cancer Centers (I currently serve on that board). 

Right after the walk, we headed out to the Cockaboose to watch the Gamecocks take on Furman in a Noon kick-off. This is Piper's first game and she did great! It was so fun to have her there and I selfishly loved when she napped in her Baby Bjorn on me. She doesn't like to be cuddled much so this was very special for me.  

Her leg warmers were a huge hit! Thanks, Etsy. 

Gpa gave Piper her first bite of ice cream (and chocolate) and she was hooked. The worst part of that is telling her she can't have anymore. Cue the tears and yogurt bites. It didn't take long and she was back to playing and watching the Gamecocks beat Furman. 

I would say her first game was a success! 

 PG- you are truly a ray of sunshine in my life. You help me keep things in perspective and I'm so grateful for that. Happy 8 months. Time sure does fly by, but I have enjoyed watching you grow up and develop into the charismatic little girl that you are today. We love you so, so much.