A quick fix

Here's a few photos to tie you over!

Our little family all dressed up!

And here's the cuteness in my living room! Mara snuggling with Daddy.

 Mara waving to Mommy.

Bah Bah

So Zack informed me that he couldn't hear much of her Bah Bah noise because Mommy got too excited and loud. But hopefully you can make it out! And I keep staring at the camera to make sure it's pointed semi in our direction. :)

9 Months and Polka Dotted AGAIN!

Well, I've been trying for the last 15 minutes to upload a video of Mara waving and saying Ba Ba... but it is too big and refuses to load. :( I was so surprised when she did it. She's had the whole arm wave for a few weeks but she said Ba ba with it. Incredible!

Our little Mara has kept us quite busy this past week. Starting Wednesday, she had a fever... we had to pick her up from daycare an hour after we dropped her off. Zack stayed home with her on Thursday, and we both stayed home on Friday since Zack wasn't feeling well enough to watch her. Friday night, I left for a weekend with the girls - Liz's bachelorette weekend. I came home to this:

She was so weak, and felt much lighter than when I'd left her. She weighed 16 pounds 7 ounces (with clothes) on Wednesday at the doctor, and today for her 9 month appointment she was 15 pounds 9 ounces no clothes. She didn't eat solid foods all weekend and apparently was a limp noodle. My poor poor baby. Can you see all her spots?

They were all over her body. Face, arms, torso.

They got redder when she cried. Her cry was so weak. Everything about her was weak. And that was apparently progress from how she was while I was gone.

She barely even noticed I'd returned. I finally got a few smiles before I put her to bed on Sunday.

Too pitiful.

(Paw-Paw, I see a little of you in this face!)

Anyway, she's on the mend - had some sort of virus with a 5 day fever and now the rash. But she went back to daycare after her appointment today. She's still right on track for her height/weight.

I managed to take a few 9 month photos... although I may try again tomorrow. She had enough energy today to make some noises and play a little. 

She was SO happy to get to daycare - she gave her teacher, Ms. Candace, the biggest smiles I've seen in awhile (broke my heart a little, I admit... but at least she enjoys going).

She wasn't too happy about taking the photos, even when she got to gnaw on the card.

She's now older outside in the world than the length of time she was baking inside me! I can't believe this time last year I was HUGE.

Here's what Mara thinks of Mother Nature using her as a polka dotted viral canvas!

Take that!

Sick Baby

Here's what she looked like when we picked her up from daycare at 10:00...

She was running a 101.4 fever and felt hot to the touch.

The doctor says it's just a bad cold.

Bleh to this cold!

See how yucky she feels?

Little Drummer Girl

Here's my sweet baby working on her mad drumming skills:

And if that doesn't crack you up... this one will. Get a load of her war face while she waves the "sword" at me!!! That, combined with her threatening screams, is making me think twice about this whole parenting thing. She scares me.

In other news, Mara enjoys the typical Darden evening routine. Sofa time.

Taking charge of the remote...

And causing trouble in general. She isn't QUITE crawling around yet... but that doesn't mean she isn't into everything in the worst ways...

What's under here?

What happens if I pull on this?

How about if I just stand here like this...

Endo sighs.

And last but not least, my favorite picture!

That's right. I sent her to daycare today with leg warmers. Aren't they SUPER CUTE?!? Apparently, they were the hot topic at daycare. Love love love them.

Does this count?

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile - Mara and I had a busy girls' weekend! We hosted a Swap Party and I cleaned the house like a mad woman. She also woke up many times throughout the night and has a runny nose and some congestion. My poor girl. But this video is proof of progress, right?

Bouncy Bouncy

What's with the bouncing?

Happy Girl

Mara got a package in the mail! A little green-shelled friend arrived to keep Mr. Blue Footed Booby Bird company.

Mara was so excited, she almost crawled away!

And she was so happy and talkative.

I tried to catch her laughing/talking but I got a lot of open mouth shots (see above.) But then I would get one!

There's nothing sweeter than her laughter, her garbled attempt at speech, her big baby smile and huge brown eyes. Sometimes she'll wave her whole arm at you:

And then give you the eyes that make Mommy/Daddy melt...

She's getting so big, so fast.

"Yes, I am, Mommy! Feed me more!"

Ugg.

Here are my favorites. Check out those chompers! I bought her a little toothbrush and toothpaste so I don't have to keep using a wash cloth. She loved the toothbrush and wanted to suck on it.

And isn't this sweet?

Mara Booty

You know you like it. You think it's cute. Just be glad you don't have to catch a wiff of what it produces now that she's pigging out on solid foods. Wowza.

What are you talking about, Mommy?

Mara was very talkative when we got home from daycare. She apparently spent the day rolling underneath all the cribs and one of the teachers thought she had somehow slipped out the door into the hallway when she wasn't looking b/c Mara was just gone! Yet, when the teacher peeked under the crib, Mara was under there having a grand old time.

You can see how strong she's getting. Zack said he's noticed a huge difference in the last week now that she's devouring her bottles and all that food during the day. Pears were a success yesterday and today (3 cubes+cereal in the AM, 4 cubes+cereal in the afternoon). Buuuuut, now I'm out of pears and will be pureeing the ripened peaches once I finish this post. I'll get better at figuring out how much fruit/veggies to buy. I had her try the carrots this evening and she didn't cry, but she only took a taste. Later I figured out she was squirming so much in the Bumbo seat because she had a nice squishy one in her pants.

I've lost my measuring cups to her whims.

But these smiles make it alllllll worth it.

(Oh, she's not wearing pants because I managed to get pureed carrots all over them...)