And she's off...!

Megan gave us a REAL crawl last night. It wasn't very far...about 2 "steps"...a flop on the belly, then 2 more steps. But, it was a real crawl, up on all fours. And, it wasn't to Ginger...it was to Daddy. He'd just gotten home from work, and Megan was excited to see him. There'll be no stopping her now. I'm sure she'll try again today, and I want to get a video if possible.

And, as of this morning, she can no longer use her bumbo seat. For those of you who don't know what that is...it's a seat that a baby can use as soon as they can hold their head up -- around 6 weeks. Megan got hers as a gift and has loved it (so has mommy)! We've used it since she was teeny tiny...but, this morning, she was able to squirm herself out of it. I've used it to keep her contained in the bathroom while I shower or blowdry my hair. She was sitting in it, playing with a toy, and I was getting a towel. When I turned around, she was rolling at my feet (the bumbo was at least 3 feet away!) Never heard a thump...and, not sure how she did it...but, I knew the bumbo had seen it's last moment. Bye, bye, bumbo!

She's also babbling non-stop. Tongue out and all... la, la, ga, ga, la, la, LAAAAAAAA! :-)

P.S.

Nancy...Isn't Megan cute in all of Rebekah's clothes?! :-)

Not for even a second!!

That's how long I can turn my back! Not even a second! We've hit the moving stage! Megan may not be able to crawl quite yet...but, she can usually get where she wants to go. I had just finished changing a diaper, set her on the floor with a toy, went to wash my hands...and, came back to this:

I was only gone, seriously, 15 seconds or so! The garbage can is usually to the left of the dresser. Good thing her garbage can only had a few tissues and empty diaper packages...nothing too "dirty." :-)

Megan loves the camera...and, again, now that she's a bit more mobile, she tends to chase me down when I turn it on! (Excuse the sweet potato stained nostrils!) LOL

And, just a final happy-baby picture for the day. Have a great day - enjoy the sunshine!

Between a rock and a hard place...

...or, between the crib railing and the bumper! :-)

I woke up to Megan's complaints on Saturday morning. It was earlier than usual...and, I hoped it was just still-half-asleep dreaming/squeaking. When the complaining became louder and more frequent, I knew she was awake for the day. So, I dragged myself out of bed and headed in to her room. I stepped through the doorway, giggled, and promptly left to find the camera.

I'm not sure how she did it...but, she obviously did! lol :-) The bumper was untied, and she couldn't figure out how to get back under it.

She's a funny one, she is!

Grumpy...grumpy!

Megan's having a grumpy day...again! If it's her teeth, I wish one would show up! If it's not teeth...wow. Nothing seems to make her happy for very long. It could also be because she's just mobile enough to head where she wants to...but, then gets angry because she's stuck! But, who knows? I guess we all have grumpy days now and then...at least I do! :-)

Here are a few pictures from the other night. Megan is picking out some goodies from daddy's Cabela's catalog. We're planning a trip to the store in Hamburg, PA...and, both Megan and Ben are making their wishlists. Ben is SURE Megan picked out the page with a pink junior bow. (Um, not hairbow...bow and arrow, for those of you non-hunters...! lol) I, on the other hand, am sure she picked out the camo jammies with ruffle on the rear. :-) Ha, she probably picked out both! But, she'll probably end up with only the jammies...those junior bows (at least daddy's dream junior bow for his little girl) are horrendously, ridiculously expensive!!! (Daddy can get Megan a fancy schmancy bow when Mommy gets her minivan!!) lol!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for...

ICE CREAM!

Grandpa and Grandma Waldron came for a visit on Saturday. They brought ice cream sandwiches, and daddy gave Megan a taste. Her reaction was pretty funny. She had a bit of a pained expression on her face - from the cold, I assume - but, as soon as her ice cream headache went away, she dove at the ice cream, begging for another lick. Megan says Grandpa and Grandma can bring ice cream anytime!

I hope to upload a video...but, here are some pictures in case that doesn't work!

So, we had a nice weekend. Now, we're heading into a very busy week. Ben's working some extra hours, because someone got fired. He has to help cover closing until a new someone gets hired. Also, our church is having a week-long college class for our Bible Institute. Dr. Strouse, a professor from Emmanuel Baptist Theological Seminary (Newington, CT) is teaching the course. The class is from 5-10 pm, and Ben is going to try to squeeze in as much as he can after work.

So, I'm not sure when (IF) Ben will be home for dinners this week. Tonight, I'm going to make one of his favorites - lasagna. He loves it cold, so it'll be great for leftovers throughout the week...whenever he gets around to eating! I'm also going to make some Italian bread...I found a recipe on the internet that makes YUMMY Italian bread. It's the best one I've found for those spaghetti-styled suppers! I don't think I'll ever buy a loaf again!

BREAD MACHINE ITALIAN BREAD

1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (about 2 1/2 tsp)

1 egg
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons cornmeal

Place warm water, salt, olive oil, flour, brown sugar, and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form dough into two loaves. Place the loaves seam side down on a baking sheet or pizza stone generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise, until doubled in volume about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the risen loaves with egg mixture. Make a single long, quick cut down the center of the loaves with a sharp knife.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

*Steph's notes: I place a pan of water in the oven to create steam. This helps give the bread a crunchy crust and soft, chewy inside.

Long lost people...

It's amazing what - or who - you can find on the internet if you search hard enough! I've been thinking lately of what happened to some of my high school and college friends...so, I started playing detective. Ok, I'm not the greatest Nancy Drew...but, I did find a few people! My high school math teacher, who gave me a love of algebra (even trig!), is teaching at a Christian school in Panama (she was in Korea the last time I knew of her whereabouts)! This time, I was actually able to find her email address as well....so, I can't wait to hear from her! My old pastor's son and his wife moved in the fall to Bolivia as missionaries! My high school cheerleading pal is a village clerk in Nebraska!! Now...how to contact them without looking like I'm stalking them?! LOL!

Being Nancy Drew (even a not-so-great one) is kinda fun...I wonder who else I can find!? Do I know where YOU are?!?! lololol :-)

Now, on to things you may be more interested in! Megan's voice gets louder and louder each day. She's finally starting on some consonant sounds. Up to now, it's mostly been "AAAAAHHHHH" over and over as loud as she can. But, in the last few days, she's having fun making a gurgling "ga" sound. Can't wait to hear ma-ma soon!

Here are some pictures that Nana (our pastor's wife) took a few Sunday's ago...


Megan asleep in the nursery swing...

Look at those chunky legs!!!

My time-consuming hobby...

I'd forgotten how time-consuming (and FUN) reading can be! I haven't taken much time to post on my blog, because I've been taking every spare second to read! What am I reading, some of you have asked...? I'm trying a new author, Tricia Goyer. It's a series set in WWII, and I'm really enjoying it. I just finished the second book on Saturday and have started the third one today.

Posting a few pics...and, then hoping Megan continues her nap for at least another half hour so I can get back to my book! :-)


Just playing...

I don't stage these things! Megan really DOES get any type of ring toy stuck on her leg!

Playing with daddy...

Megan's new elephant from Grandpa and Grandma Peck. It sings and lights up...she loves it!

8 Months Old!!!

Megan turned 8 months old yesterday!! I was busy with errands, so I didn't get to take "official" pictures or post. Had a few minutes today to get it done.

Megan keeps attempting the crawling thing. She gets all wound up and starts to push off, but, instead of pushing herself forward, she pushes herself onto her back. I've got to crawl around at her level and see what babyproofing (and, cleaning!) should be done.

Monday....Monday....Monday...

Nothing too very interesting to report. Just the beginning of another week. Laundry is the biggest item on the schedule today... Even if I do all of our laundry on Friday, it seems that nothing is clean on Monday! :-)

Here are a few pictures from the weekend....

I LOVE Megan's new overalls... from either Karen or Nancy, can't remember. I think they're so cute on her!



Grandpa and Grandma Peck came for a visit on Friday night. They brought Megan a toy tractor complete with cow, pig, and chicken. She really likes the pig...when you push his nose, he squeaks (or oinks?).

And, for all of you who couldn't find the man...here's the answer to the coffee beans picture:

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Happy March!

Wow!! March is here!! I'm always happy to see the arrival of March, because I know the end of winter is near. March is usually the last month of any measurable snow...if any! I just LOVE spring...so, I can't wait! I can't wait to open my windows and smell fresh air!

I actually did something today that I haven't done since before I was pregnant and never thought I'd do again - or, at least not until Megan was much older. I started reading a just-for-fun book! I started the book last night before bed and read today all through her afternoon nap! Now, we'll see if I ever get to finish it! I have a stack of books that will take me years to get through...but, today was certainly progress! It was relaxing!

Here are a few pictures I took the other night. Megan gets soo excited whenever Ginger comes near her. Notice that Ginger isn't in the third picture... Ginger isn't quite as excited over Megan's presence, especially the presence of her little hands! Megan's first attempts at crawling will probably be to the cat, not to dear mummy or daddy!

Here's a little brain test I found on the internet. I find these things fun... :-) Leave a comment or post in the chatbox to let me know how you did!

Doctors have concluded that if you find the man in the coffee beans in 3 seconds, your right half of your brain is better developed than most people. If you find the man between 3 seconds and 1 minute, your right half of the brain is developed normally. If you find the man between 1 minute and 3 minutes, then the right half of your brain is functioning slowly and you need to eat more protein. If you have not found the man after 3 minutes, the advice is to look for more of this type of exercise to make that part of the brain stronger!!! And, yes, the man is really there!!! And, no, nothing is going to pop out at you...