Look Who's Crawling...or The End of Life As Mom Knows It!!!

Sabrina's first Easter was even more memorable because she crawled for the first time on that day, at her grandparents house! I didn't get a picture of it there, so we reenacted it the next day. All of a sudden I don't have a baby that stays put anymore. Ahhh! She's definitely turned the page to a new chapter of babyhood. She is turning into a little girl right before our eyes. But I'm excited for her to have some mobility and independence. I just can't take my eyes off her unless she's in her jumperoo or high chair. So I've been frantically baby proofing and cleaning to make everything safe for her to explore our little 1000 sq foot abode. She's into EVERYTHING now.

Sabrina's Ginger Von Victor

This is Sabrina face to face with her Papa's hunting dog, Ginger, who is a German Shorthair. Ginger was born a couple months before Sabrina was, and she needed an official pedigree name. Since we knew we were having a girl, and we knew her name would be Sabrina, Ginger Snap's official name became "Sabrina's Ginger Von Victor."
Sabrina loves dogs!
Having a little back porch fun training Ginger.

Easter Dinner at Grandma & Grandpa's

Here is Sabrina with Uncle Garth and the soon to be Aunt Sarah. They are getting married on May 10th! Yay! Sarah is quite a catch...we are lucky to be having her join our family. Sabrina is suffering from some separation anxiety.

Grandma and Sabrina.
Grandpa & Sabrina.
Aunt Jessica and Sabrina...isn't Jess gorgeous!?
Papa & Sabrina.

Happy Easter

We went to Grandma Kay's retirement center's Easter Egg hunt. They hid 3500 eggs. There were about 100-150 kids there and the eggs were gone in a FLASH!

Playing with Grandma Kay's groovy toys after the hunt and brunch.
Sabrina playing with my cousin Emily's son, Hayden. He is so cute with the little kids! My nephew Troy loves him. Sabrina LOVES interacting with other kids, especially bigger kids. Now playdates are actually beneficial to not just me, but her, too!
What is Easter without a new dress (from Cookie) and bow? Sabrina played with these plastic eggs for about 2 weeks before Easter!

8 Months Old

Finger Food

Somehow I don't think this is what was meant when the term "finger food" was coined!!!

I've Got Hair!!!

Sabrina's hair is growing fast--she's getting more and more every week--so now she can wear these cute baby barrettes that my new friend Meg makes and sells.

The Weather Up Here is Nice

The fun never ends!

Who Needs Fancy Toys From the Store?

One day when I sat Sabrina on the floor in her room, she discovered a pink box under her bed filled with ribbons for when she has long hair--and she found that playing with and chewing on the ribbons made for a really fun activity.

Baby Clotheshorse

Nothing really special about this picture except that I think Sabrina looks cute in this outfit. It's funny--I'm not a big clothes person--clothes shopping is very low on my list of fun things to do. But I love little baby girl clothes!

Hide Inside Surprise

I LOVE Discovery Toys, and this toy they make is called Hide Inside Surprise. It has 6 different animals that have different colors, textures, and sounds. As you can see, Sabrina's favorite is the yellow duck.

Tennis Anyone?

Darren hopes Sabrina will enjoy playing tennis. He played in high school. I played some when I was in elementary school--I took some lessons. But as Darren will tell you, I'm not a very good tennis partner--I only hit balls when they are hit directly at me. I don't like running after balls!

Little Miss Sunshine

I love this bib because Sabrina truly is our Little Miss Sunshine.

Sunny Days are Happy Days

The days are getting longer, warmer, and sunnier. Yippee yippee YAY!!!!

Funny Stuff

Sabrina has become quite good at untying Darren's shoelaces!

Papa and Sabrina

I found my 2 weeks of lost pictures...I really thought they were SOMEWHERE on my computer and my smart hubby found them...this story has a happy ending only because my pictures were digital. My heart goes out to anyone who has ever lost pictures that were on 35 mm film. I love this picture of Sabrina and her Papa after he gave her a bath before bedtime. I love listening to him give her a bath--I like to take a break and listen from the other room. He is so animated and she loves bath time with him. Darren really is a wonderful father. He is a natural and Sabrina is one lucky little baby girl!

Things That Change When You Become a Mother

I am waxing poetic today and it's still 2 months until Mother's Day...

Post-baby observations by Rebecca Woolf that I can relate to…
Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
You become a morning person.
Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

And four more anonymous thoughts…
"You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth."
"You'd rather buy a little toy or outfit than anything on your own wish list that you've been dying to have."
"Your cat— who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a cat."
"You realize that you can love a complete stranger."

Before I Was a Mom

Somehow I erased two week's worth of pictures once I downloaded them on my computer on Saturday...I am sad but life goes on. So no pics this week but more will be coming soon. I thought I'd share some excerpts from an email forward I was sent--I just included the ones that I could really relate to.

Before I Was a Mom, author unknown

Before I was a Mom-

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.

Before I was a Mom -

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so
important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,
the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.