motherhood // Navy at 5/6/7 months

Well, the intention with these posts waaaaas to post every month but perhaps the more accurate portrayal of motherhood at this moment is that I am just now, finally getting around to this overdue endeavour.  Many times recently, I've attempted to unleash this tidal wave of emotion swirling in my heart and mind but you know, life. Life with baby to be more exact. And that's ok. Something about motherhood has me seeing my priorities so clearly. So that's meant loads of time with the little lady during the days, time with Ryan when he gets home from work at night and peppered in between I've managed to take care of life's essentials and actually squeeze in a couple productive weeks of work.

alas, my little journal got neglected but I'm here now and I'm here to write. and friends, words shall be written!

(side note: I'm one paragraph in and the epic struggle I'm having deciding on appropriate punctuation given that I have no emojis at my disposal on this medium is a clear sign that I have a serious problem with those little cartoony delights. the extrovert in me rejoices in how expressive they are. and so in their absence, the extrovert in me feels somewhat handcuffed at the moment.)

Anyway, to motherhood right now! I can sum things up pretty quick (but you know I'm still going to elaborate) by saying it is THE best. It is the best best best. Motherhood right now is my heart exploding every time I look at this little human and try to comprehend where on earth she came from. I've concluded heaven. So, not earth I guess. Yes Heaven. How she is part me and part him. And how parts of the two of us came together in such a perfect little package. It's all just beyond me.

I joke sometimes (but am secretly serious in the way I'm sure other mama's & papa's understand) that I often feel like grabbing a bullhorn and announcing in whatever store I might be in, the following:

"Helloooooo and may I have your attention please. The MOST adorable, single cutest, positively hilarious and entirely scrumptious human being is sitting in this here stroller. I'm not sure if you've seen her yet? But if you haven't, it's worth a look. After all, this is the last time you will ever lay eyes on someone so completely delicious and divine. This is your chance. Look now or forever wish."

But I refrain. Probably to the delight of my fellow shop goers, unbeknownst to them.

Still, it's how I feel. This little person has absolutely stolen my heart and all those cliche's about a mama's love I now get and feel like I'm feeling all of them simultaneously. Perhaps this is a particularly juicy phase when it comes to all the mushy love stuff and I should be stockpiling stores of it for when we enter toddlerdome? I'll bookmark this post for future reading should that be the case.

Regardless, I am relishing in how sunny life is with her right now and with us as a family of three + fur baby. It is good. And I am grateful. Overwhelmingly grateful.

NAVY AT 5 MONTHS

Month five (and a little bit of six) was a tough one with you fighting those viruses for 7 weeks. It was a long haul but you were incredible tough through it all. Even with your skin so inflamed and your whole body in such pain, you were as happy a baby as you could be. You and I were up almost every hour of the night those 7 weeks. It was tough but your dad and I worked tirelessly to keep you as comfortable as we could. Just looking back through all the pictures of that time (lots of pictures I had to take to show the doctors when we were working to get answers) and I get choked up. My heart breaks all over again thinking about you in pain and I'm just so grateful that's all behind us. 

Once we were able to get some creams to help calm your skin (even though the virus was still running it's course in your system), we got out and resumed our daily adventures and you were thrilled about that! Lots of walks in the woods with friends and family, coffee dates and zoo dates with our favourite people, playtime for you to practice your rolling and scooching, jolly jumping and exer-causing. We weathered the last several weeks of those viruses with great support from the village that loves you so much and slowly but surely life started to resemble normal again. 

NAVY AT 6 MONTHS

Sooooo many developments around the time you turned 6 months! First of all, the viruses finally started to clear. And with that, your system seemed to fully recover. Back to your normal self, you decided rolling around was a means of travel and that was definitely the real start of you realizing moving is more fun than sitting still. Although I should note that you've always been on the move as much as possible. You'd rather be sitting up and looking out at what's going on than ever laying on your back or snuggling in towards whoever is holding you. We love that about you.

At six months you started fake laughing and coughing and you'd do it over and over again once you realized it cracked us up. Adorable. You also really started to giggle. And baby girl we're just fools for your giggles. We'll do anything to make you laugh and your laugh is like medicine in return. We can never get enough. 

At six months, you started to sit up without us having to support you and you even took a couple mini-crawls. You didn't get far, but it was clear crawling was just around the corner. Also, with the rash and those tough nights behind us you started sleeping in your crib consistently like a big girl. Those long nights of sleep in your own space were clearly a welcome relief to you as you caught up on so much lost sleep, and I was particularly thankful for them too! We all needed the rest and we were grateful to be getting it. 

NAVY AT 7 MONTHS

Navy you are such a character at 7 months! Your personality is really starting to reveal itself and we just can't get enough. You can push yourself up into sitting position now from laying down, you can crawl (not fast yet, but you definitely cover some ground when you want to) and just this past weekend you pulled yourself up into a standing position on me and then 10 times in a row on the couch!! Ryan and I were in shock. We should have know you would be on the move soon, considering your robust physicality from day one. Still, it's just the most amazing sight to see your teensy little body moving here and there.

Physically, your body looks like a shrunk down adult. It is the cutest thing. You don't have one roll on you. You're the longest and leanest little bean. And just like your body, personality wise you seem to be a bit of an adult soul too. Everywhere we go, friends, family and strangers alike all seem to comment on how having you around is like having another person in the group vs. a baby in our midst. You fit in wherever we go and rarely require extra special/baby attention. You are so flexible, easygoing and happy. It is just the greatest pleasure to spend my days with you baby girl ♡