So when Rosalie was seven months old she started standing all by herself.  So I am thinking in my head, "gee this is kinda cool". Around the same time she started pulling herself up on the furniture...another huge milestone..so now the pieces are starting to add up in my head.  I looked at her the one day and said.."slow down kid I am NOT ready for you to walk!"  Did she listen...nope.  A few weeks later our friend mel was over and we have one of those fisher price push behind walkers and she plopped rosalie behind it and was like hmmm I wonder if she could do this...yep she could...she took off across the house.  Seven months old and cruising along..  From there we just progressed. No crawling but we can sit ourself right back up.  The laying on the floor crying thing no longer works since she can pick herself up. 

Rosalie's favorite pass time has been walking.  She loves to grab your fingers and lead you all around the house.  We call them our evening laps. Heaven forbid you don't go a direction that she wants to go.  That is right we have started the all out throw ourself on the floor tempertantrum.  Let me tell you we are correcting this one rather quickly.  It goes along with correcting the fact that when it is nap time ...it is nap time and no standing in your crib screaming and shaking the railing back and forth as hard as you can so it makes noise is NOT acceptable behavior.

Back to the walking. So mike was playing with her on friday while I was doing the dishes.  You know the ol tire the kid out as much as possible before bed so that they sleep really well trick. Well she kept shaking his hands away and just started to take steps.  First it was one leg, then the same leg again so it was more of a pivot but let me tell you we have it down now and she thinks it is hilarious. She will take a few steps..stop and catch her balance...crack up and do it all over again..oh me oh my my child is not even nine months old and she is WALKING...here see for your self!

 

well I guess it is time to get some gates.

Rosalie is almost eight months old.  I can hardly believe it.  So much has changed.  We still don't have the whole crawling thing down but we are ready to rock and roll as far as walking goes.  If she is standing and holding both of your hands she will shake one until you let go of it so she can stand just holding one hand.  She can successfully pull herself up on a chair oh and the crib.  One of my projects was lowering the mattress setting since my little one has decided that standing in the crib is a TON of FUN!  She has also discovered that she loves walking while holding onto one hand.  Put her in the walker and you better watch your toes or you might loose one to her fast pace ramming into you.

Food.  Oh my goodness.  We LOVE food.  Can you tell we are female.  This child can pack it away.  We have just started table food.  We still have no teeth but the blender helps us with that problem.  So far we have had chili with no seasoning, spaghetti, fresh squash, potatos, chicken, honeydew melon, and bananas.  It is so much fun to see her try the food.  Today's big thing was cheerio's. No i did not give her a whole cheerio but broke it in little pieces and she got that she had to chew for a while before she could swallow. I broke up a bunch and gave them to my dad to feed her.  She finished the one that was in her mouth, looked at my dad then at the table where they were then back at my dad and then was like well aren't you going to give me more. Then when the pile was all gone she looked around the room till she found the box and fussed until she got more.  Yup she is my kid...we LOVE food.

This past sunday mike and I had the wonderful opportunity to dedicate Rosalie.  It was such a wonderful thing.  Everyone came.  Grammie, Grampie, Uncle Nick, Uncle Alasdair, Auntie Lauren, cousin emily, Grandma, Papa and Auntie Rachael.  It was great to have everyone there as we promised to raise our little one for the Lord.  In true form rosalie fell asleep on mike's shoulder just shortly before the whole thing was to take place.  She continued to sleep as we were called to the front. We handed her over to  Pastor Barden adn she woke up.  Not going to lie both mike and I were standing on the alter thinking...don't scream don't scream.  She didn't she was perfect.  Pastor Barden began to pray and Rosalie just sand along with him.  It was precious. 

Today marks a wonderful accomplishment in Rosalie's life.  For weeks she has been trying to pull herself up on things.  When I say weeks I don't mean two I mean like the past two months.  Since Rosalie was about six months, five months and four weeks she has enjoyed stand against the ottomen with one hand holding on.  I don't know how many almost six month olds can stand by themselves but mine sure could.  In fact here is a picture.


Today, little miss I can't crawl but really want to walk and seem to move twenty feet in rapid speed somehow, scooted from the middle of the kitchen floor somehow, over to a chair and pulled herself up. Then giggled in great splendor at her accomplishment.  Then the little daredevil proceeded to let go of the chari with both hands just long enough to stand by herself four about 5 seconds, wobble, make mike and I think she was going to face plant into the hard kitchen chair and then grab the chair and laugh with glee.  Oh to be a seven month old!

I am so blessed.  More than words can say.  As I wrote recently I don't have a job anymore which puts a strain on the finances.  But God does provide.  The past two weeks I have watched three WONDERFUL girls.  They really are amazing.  I love loving on them.  I also got a very realistic idea of what it would be like to have four children.  I am so amazed at people like brietta, abby, Liz, Renee, Deanna, Becky all you mothers who have more than one child.  You are all an inspiration to me and I am so blessed to have you as friends.  I LOVE reading your xanga's.  It gives me such encouragement to read your struggles, triumphs, blunders and much more.  Those moments when I feel like the worst person, wife, mother in the world I need look no farther than the honesty that you have shared here.  I know that I am not the ONLY one struggeling.

These past couple months have not been with out trials.  Rosalie is cutting some serious teeth although they are taking there dear sweet old time to actually pop through which means a really fussy kid, thank the Lord for hylands teething tablets, they make all the difference in the world.  That and a kid that really HATES to sleep and does not sleep well day or night.  She does not require a ton of sleep.  I however do.  Or at least require more than she is giving me. 

Rosalie has hit her "mommy needy" stage.  The only mom will do and no one else don't even think of handing me to anyone else but my MOMMY.  It is rough.  I can't go anywhere with out her.  She will not take a bottle or sippy cup of breastmilk.  That must only ever come from mommy.  There are moments I just need a break but she won't go to any of the other three people in our house.  I was ready to cry the other day, she would not stop nursing, she would not sleep, she screamed with mike and I was EXHAUSTED from getting up at 3am with her and her not wanting to go back to sleep then working a full day and I just sat on the floor and nursed her and prayed.  In those moments of frustration it really hit me, that these days are it.  I only get one set of baby days with her and that in every frustrating moment there are glorious ones.  There is nothing more precious than a child falling asleep while eating and just enjoying the closeness of their mommy.  How wonderful is it to have someone love you so completely that they just want to be around you every second.  Any moment you are out of their sight or too far away is too long? You are their whole world, their love, their source of survival.  With out you what would they do?

From this I was really challenged.  I have deffinately been coasting in my realtionship with the Lord.  Rosalie goes down for the few short naps that she does and what do I do?  Not my devotions.  Not spending time with the one who loves me the most.  I clean, I run around like a mad woman trying to everything done while my little angel sleeps.  When it doesn't matter if I don't get to the dishes right away, the laundry is not done, the bed is not made, the house looks like a bomb went off. Mike really won't care if I don't get it all done.  I need to set time aside to spend with MY Jesus.  That's right He is mine! All mine. Like Rosalie loves me so completely.  I am it all she knows, her means of life.  I was really challenged, do I view Jesus as my all.  Is he really the one that I love completely, my means of survival, my very breath of life?  These days I would have to say no.  But I am working on it.  I am digging into my Bible for me and for Rosalie.  How can I teach my Child Godly principals and about the love of Christ, if my walk with the Lord is lacking?

Really I am blessed more than words can say!