Dancing Machine!

Who needs television when you have an 8 month old? Everyday it seems like Lucy is trying something new, and watching her grow and learn is a lot of fun. Learning to crawl 3 weeks ago has opened Lucy to exploring other ways she can move. Since then she's learned to navigate over small obstacles- toys, legs, and short steps (don't worry, we put up a gate to block the stairs), among other things. She's also learned how to pull herself up to a standing position with the help of furniture, which means it's only a matter of time before she's "cruising" (walking along while holding furniture). It really amazes me- how do kids learn these things?

Last, but not least, here's a video of Lucy showing off one of her new tricks:

Just in case you're wondering, I did NOT teach her dance moves!

What do I do all day?

So a couple of months ago my sister-in-law asked me what I do all day now. She wasn't trying to be rude and I didn't take it that way but it did get me to thinking about how I spend my time. Since I've quit working full time, I've picked up a few new hobbies I thought I'd share. In addition to occasionally substituting, tutoring four hours a week at home, and taking care of my beautiful daughter, I've decided my new job is to save money. I've started clipping coupons and figuring out how to pay the least amount of money to get the most stuff for our family. I've learned to clip coupons and save them to use when things go on sale. I've learned to stock up on essentials and I've begun to actually have a food storage. I've learned the merits of shopping for baby stuff at D.I. and I've found the joy in walking away from a grocery store with a basket full of groceries for a grand total of $1.04. In the process, I've stumbled upon tons of good blogs and websites. If you're interested, they are listed along the left side of our blog at the bottom under the photos of Lucy and all of your blogs. There's a lot of information out there designed to help us all make ends meet while doing what's best for our families. Learn and enjoy!!

8 months and counting!

Lucy celebrated her eighth monthday last week so of course we had to get out the camera for a photo shoot. It's been an exciting past month for the Lucy Lu Who. She's sprouted her first two teeth, the two middle bottom ones, and she's learned to crawl. She also loves to feed herself. She loves those little puff things they make for babies and will eat as many as you are willing to give her. She's tried all sorts of new foods this month, including some not in those little jars. She loves to chatter and has added r, b, d, and m sounds to her budding vocabulary. She's learned to clap her hands and has developed a love of cords and tiny things on the carpet - a skill her parents aren't all that excited about, but a love nevertheless. She has also decided that she doesn't like to go to sleep in her own crib anymore and has decided that she loves her mommy and daddy so much, that she would like to visit with them multiple times during the night, just to make sure they are still there. Ahhh, the joys of parenthood!