lark// 10 months

Lark turned 10 months old on the 11th and I swear she pushed some kind of developmental warp speed button, hitting several major milestones in the same week - she started walking (!), cut her first teeth, and said her first word (officially). Needless to say, she has been keeping us on our toes!


She took her first tiny baby steps the end of December, but really took off this past week dropping crawling altogether. I feel like my baby was replaced by a toddler overnight and I have to remind myself she is not even a year old yet, it is so crazy! And also, so cute because she looks way too tiny to be padding around the house while simultaneously drinking out of a sippy cup. Girl can multitask.


Also, her two bottom front teeth broke through the end of last week which thankfully she wasn't too fussy about, and she said her first word - Mama!


My heart is one giant puddle these days, goodness I love her.

lark// 9 months

I have not been good at keeping up with Lark's monthly photo shoots wearing her brooch. I made it to six months at least!

Now she is nine months old and I am in complete denial. It can't be true! But she apparently wants to grow up fast because she is already standing well on her own, and starting to cruise all over the house. We are just waiting for that first tentative step.

She has a really sweet temperament, but watch out - if you get too close she'll slap you in the face with lightening speed! It is quite funny actually. It's her way of showing she likes you, and she usually gives you a gummy smile too (no teeth yet). She also babbles constantly and smacks her lips when you ask her for kisses.

Every morning I bring her into bed with me to nurse and LM will wake up shortly after and join us. It's the perfect way to start the day, watching their eyes light up when they see each other and hearing their giggles as they hug good morning. She loves her big sister.

And we all love her!

Our computer is being fixed at the moment so I am posting this from my phone - hope it looks alright. Posting may be a bit spotty for the next little while as a result... I'll be spending my computer-free time putting together all of the last minute details for this weekend. Are you ready for Christmas? Only six more days!!! Hope to be back soon, xo.

lark// 7 months

I missed taking Lark's seven month pictures and eight months is already coming up fast, so these will have to do... This month she entered a fun new stage - she is mobile! Which means she is everywhere, getting into everything and loving it. Instead of it being harder, I think this stage is actually easier. Now I can put her down on the floor with LM and they can 'play' together and she is content being able to grab the toys she wants and move around to follow her sister. I love watching them play together - it most often involves LM pretending they are having a picnic while Lark chews on a plate.

She also said her first word. Kinda. We were at Grann's house and I needed to get something out of the car so I handed her off to my mom and went outside. Both my mom and niece said that when I left the house she burst into tears and said, "Moooooommm!!!" Of course she hasn't done it again, but she gives me a knowing smile when I try to get her to say it. I'm claiming it.

And... she's off!

1 week to 6 months

Lark turned six months old a couple of weeks ago so I am late posting this, but I thought it was fun to see how much she has grown! The only real scale is her brooch - it looks so big on her in the first pic!

She is sitting up, rolling all over the place, and eating solid foods. But, what makes me so happy is seeing her really start to interact with her sister. I can see in her eyes that she adores her. Their new favorite game is tag - I hold Lark and we chase LM, then LM chases us and the giggles are non-stop for both of them. Love my two girls, here's to the giggles continuing throughout their whole lives.

lark// 5 months

Lark is 5 whole months old today. I feel like her monthly posts are coming one on top of another - way too fast! Contrary to the picture above, she is not quite sitting up yet... but, we practice and she can balance for a few seconds at a time, sometimes longer. She also rolls over both ways now and is a master at grabbing her toys and actually holding onto them.

The biggest difference the past month has made is she now usually wakes up once during the night. Sleep training is the pits, so I have been putting it off and just nursing her since it takes all of ten minutes to get her back to sleep... I am secretly (or not so secretly) hoping she will just go back to her old awesome sleeping habits on her own. Wishful thinking? :)

I really love this stage though, when they are sturdy but still little. She is so fun.

And...just woke up from her nap :)

I'll be taking pictures of Lark wearing her brooch monthly...

See her at 1 week, 2 +3 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months

lark// 4 months

Our tiny Lark is now four whole months old. If I had to sum her up in one word it would be delightful. She is just so happy and content. She has put herself onto a two nap a day schedule, the first one being three hours long and the second one two hours long. Then she conveniently starts to get sleepy at seven, around the same time as her older sister. Who, by the way, wakes us up more than she does. If anyone can tell me how to keep a toddler in her bed all night long - let me in on the secret!

She is still an avid thumb sucker, but will exchange her thumb for a toy to see how it tastes. Drool. is. everywhere. She can hold onto that toy now too, and reaches for and grabs anything she can see including her toes. She has also mastered rolling over onto her tummy, but once she is there she's stuck until rescued. Still no hair to speak of.

At her check up, she weighed 14 lbs 8 oz. and the pediatrician predicted she would walk early. I told him she sleeps 10-12 hours straight at night, and he said I must be nursing all day long. I do feed her every two hours and I love that time we get to spend together, quietly rocking with her tiny hand grasped around my finger.

I can't believe how big she is getting. Some mornings I feel like I can tell she grew overnight. I just want to keep her as my happy baby forever, but at the same time I am so excited to hear that little voice call me mom. Being a mother is so conflicting - agonizing over another day's growth, yet triumphing with them over a newly learned skill. I don't know that I'll ever reconcile the two ends of the spectrum. Pause! Play!

I sure do love this little girl.

I'll be taking pictures of Lark wearing her brooch monthly from now on...

See her at 1 week, 2 +3 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months

lark// 3 months

The expression in the picture above can go two ways... I am preferring to think of it as a little 'Oh yeah, I'm awesome!' look of excitement for turning three months old!

This past month has been a breeze folks, and I can credit most of it to this little girl deciding to become a thumb sucker. She will only do it when she is sleepy so I didn't get a picture, but I can lay her down wide eyed (albeit tired) for a nap and she will pop that sucker in and be good to go. I cannot tell you how amazingly giddy this makes me.* For now, I am choosing not to think about the possibility of buck teeth in her future.

*Don't worry, I still get lots of cuddle time with her during nursing. Being able to lay her down this easily makes me happy because it helps me have more time to devote to LM...or the laundry :)

This month she also started giggling and squealing when I tickle her neck and thighs, reaching for objects hanging above her, and wiggling enough to move from the spot I placed her. She also gained a whole lot more booty as I started using cloth diapers again. I loved the bum genius all-in-ones we used for LM and still use them, but I also got some of their newer version that has snaps instead of velcro - much better since the velcro eventually started popping open as LM got bigger...

I am so loving my new momma of two status. Lark is such a sweetheart! 

 

I'll be taking pictures of Lark wearing her brooch monthly from now on...

See her at 1 week, 2 +3 weeks, 1 month, 2 months

shop update: shoes

Happy Friday! Here is a shop update I just added, lots of cute shoes! And speaking of cute, I couldn't resist posting this picture of Lark... she is such a sweetie, I love this stage.

Hope you have a fun three-day weekend! Do you  have any plans? We are supposed to get thunder storms so we might just stay cozy at home and make a fort, LM has really been into fort making lately.

lark// 2 months

Our tiny Lark is two months old! Although I guess she is not quite so tiny anymore. She has definitely done a good job of filling herself out (I give myself some credit for that too).

Lately she has been all smiles with a few giggles and coos. She will always grin when you blow raspberries in her face. Her peaceful birth has been carried on in her peaceful personality. She is a very content little lady and is already sleeping through the night most nights. This is where I pinch myself.

Life with two little girls is good...although a bit messy! One of these days I'll get around to cleaning up the nursery and give you a proper tour. 

I'll be taking pictures of Lark wearing her brooch monthly from now on...

See her at 1 week, 2 +3 weeks, 1 month

bunny

Hope you had a nice Easter weekend! We certainly did, but the only pictures I have to show for it are of LM dancing in the kitchen with only her undies on - we like to celebrate with class. Since one of my goals as a mother is to never let any of my children end up with naked pictures of themselves on the internet I won't be posting them... but it was pretty stinking cute.

Since I didn't get any pictures of us dressed up on actual Easter day (glad I at least have these), I tried to make up for the lack of documentation by sticking bunny ears on the girls this morning. LM wasn't very interested, but little Larkie had no choice...

...at first she wasn't into it either, but with enough baby talk I finally managed to eek out some little smiles!

Some of the highlights from our weekend:

- dying Easter eggs and then promptly eating them

- chatting with old friends

- having dinner with new friends

- unexpectedly running into my sister and her family at Costco

- impromptu hot dog dinner with family at Costco

- attending church services

xo

 

lark// 1 month

Our tiny Lark is already 1 month old! She started smiling this week, mostly in the morning so my days are now starting out extra happy with me doing an embarrassing amount of baby talk... I tried to get her to smile for the camera but of course she wouldn't crack one when I wanted her too!

She is sleeping really well, only waking up once during the night to eat and going right back to sleep. So far she seems to prefer not using a pacifier (although she will), which I think is awesome because LM wanted a pacifier all the time and it was quite the chore keeping it in her mouth. On the down side she has developed a sensitive gag reflex which strikes about once a day and empties the entire contents of her stomach. It's gross (and sad), I won't go into detail.

LM wanted to play the trumpet for Lark so we sang her Happy Month Day...

...she didn't want to take a turn on the horn though, ha! We love you Larkie!

I'll be taking pictures of her wearing her brooch monthly instead of weekly from now on.

See her at 1 week and 2 +3 weeks.

lark// 2 + 3 weeks old

I almost forgot to take Lark's two week pictures (and I am posting them  a week late). The sun was going down and she didn't want to cooperate once she woke up so I enlisted LM to help me keep her happy. At her two week check up she had gained over a pound since she was born - I knew she was growing way too fast! That white onesie is already getting too small which makes me a little sad, but at least she still has chubby cheeks for me to smooch on!

At three weeks old Lark has moved up a diaper size (when she gets a little bigger I'll start using our cloth diapers again), and she gets the hiccups almost every time after she eats which make her sound like a tiny human cuckoo clock. She started sleeping 4 hour increments at night and now shares a room with her big sister. I love being able to say 'the girls room' - the plural makes me happy.

 You can kind of see her dimple in the picture above, I love it.

How was your weekend? We relaxed at home while listening to some inspired words and I am feeling more renewed. Here's to the start of a lovely week!

xo

cutting corners baby quilt

I wanted to get several sewing projects done before the baby was born, but turns out that sitting at my sewing machine while 9 months pregnant wreaks havoc on my pubic bones so I gave up. But, I was finally able to get Lark's baby quilt tied and finished with the help of my mom when she came to stay with me for a few days after the baby was born (thanks mom!!).

I used Rachel's Cutting Corners Lap Quilt tutorial from her Modern Patchwork e-course. I had totally forgotten about making a baby blanket until I saw this quilt so I knew I had to make one for Lark, it was meant to be! Rachel's pictures and directions were clear and super easy to follow, I just changed the measurements up to make a smaller version.

For now it is on LM's toddler bed until I can get around to finishing her new 'big girl bed' quilt. I'm thinking I'll try out a chevron striped pattern for her.

And here's a view of the quilt as a whole.

For the back I wanted more color, so I cut random widths of leftover fabric and sewed them into stripes. I love that it's an entirely new look when you flip it around since I tend to like change often.

I hope to get in more sewing time again now that Lark is settling into a more predictable nap schedule. There are several more tutorials from Modern Patchwork that I am excited to try out among other projects on my long 'to-sew' list (a list that never seems to get any shorter!). What have you been sewing lately?

xo