Seven Months

Dear Lucy,

Seven months, can you believe it? In the last month you have:

• Welcomed a new best friend (hello, Scarlett!)
• Played with your first puppy (hello, Biscuit!)
• Cut 3.5 new teeth
• Developed a love for sweet potatoes and oatmeal
• Decided to be a drummer when you grow up, and begun practicing in earnest
• Completely outgrown your first set of cloth diapers and possibly your first pair of shoes

You still have blue blue eyes and your laugh is totally contagious. You have your daddy and I in stitches when we play tug of war or tackle the baby, and any time we stumble on something that inexplicably cracks you up (jumping on the front porch stairs, finger puppets, socks on other people's feet).

You also do this really fun thing when you get excited, which involves rocking your whole body back and forth and throwing your head back with a huge smile on your face. You're super fun. I love you.

Here's to seven months.

Love,
Mama

Friday Cute Shot

Nine Years Plus Change

Shamber: The early years

Happy belated date-a-versary!

Hide and Seek

Seek

This was a top candidate for the Friday Cute Shot, but I kept going back and forth between the "hide" version and the "seek" version, and I couldn't for the life of me choose a favorite, so I offer them both up to you.

Hide

Happy Saturday!

Friday Cute Shot

Let the Babyproofing Begin

She can't crawl, but she can shimmy, cruise, and roll. And if there is a cord lying around, she'll find it.

Also on notice: Cell phones, specks of fuzz on the floor, and all of daddy's records. Watch out!

Scarlett Ray

Scarlett Ray Dickerson, born on Valentine's Day

Thanks to some hard work from Emily and Charlie, Lucy's long and eagerly awaited new best friend is finally here.

Totally worth it.

Welcome, little Scarlett! We're so excited to get to know you!

Tooth Number Three: True Blood

 Future vampire, Lucy "Westenra" Broughton

After a month of respite, Lucy's third tooth emerged on her 6-month birthday. She's going slightly out of order--what most of the voices on the interwebs call "a normal variation" and a few scream is a sign that she will never in fact have any front teeth--and instead of one of the top front teeth following the bottom two, we are looking at the right lateral incisor.

Right now, with just the one, she kind of looks like a little hobo, but if the matching one comes in on the other side, we'll have ourselves a little vampire.

We haven't managed to get a great shot of the new tooth yet, but if you look really closely here you can just see it peeking out under her lip.

Edit: I found a better one!

Peekaboo!

Peekaboo is one of Lucy's new favorite games:


Peekaboo from Amber Broughton on Vimeo.

Friday Cute Shot

Heard on the Street

"Isn't it funny how quickly her laugh changed from a chuckle to 'Oh my god, I'm going to pee my pants!'?"

The Crinkle Blanket

After several weeks of Lucy and Shaggy fighting over the cereal bag, I decided to make Lu a crinkle toy of her very own.

I first saw something like this at our four month birthing class reunion, where Lucy's classmate Ellie had a ribbon blanket that her parents said she loved. So I found this tutorial online, and sewed up one of those delightful cereal bags between two pieces of flannel with some ribbons attached for extra measure.

Now Lucy can play, and Shaggy can eat his cereal in peace. Also, letting Lucy play with plastic bags with a clear conscience: Priceless.

Lucy in the Park

Grandma sneaks a kiss

On Saturday Shaggy had a fun-filled afternoon of standardized testing, so Lucy and I wished her daddy good luck and spent some time hanging out in the neighborhood with her grandparents.

We went to the park. Grandpa took Lu down the slide, but she was unimpressed.

 

Next, Grandma tried to teach her how to use the tire swing; Lucy was intrigued, but she wanted to see more before she committed herself to anything.

This particular park oddly has no swingsets, so I guess we'll have to save that adventure for another (possibly sunnier) day. In the end, the walk there and back was definitely her favorite part. She's a baby of simple pleasures, I guess.

Fatties Holding Hands

For Christmas, our friends Charlie and Emily made Lucy this hand stenciled onesie. When we opened the package, Shaggy immediately recognized the design as a silhouette of the Beatles' "Help" album cover; I, on the other hand, pulled from the depths of my pop culture black hole and pronounced the design "Fatties Holding Hands".

Who ate all the pies?

Whatever it is, I think Lu likes it.

Friday Cute Shot

What Lucy is Learning Now

Thanks, Grandpa. I'm sure welding will be a very useful skill for Lucy's post-apocalyptic toddlerhood.