Adorableness

Mara was a real pain in the butt last week. So I think I need to gush on her via post. You know, to rekindle the love (now that she's napping). Also, I haven't written a post for just her in months, MONTHS! And this is my last baby. My last chance to remember all the little details and all the glorious milestones. And I'm totally blowing it!

I've got my phone right here next to me and I'm scrolling through my camera roll, trying to figure out which pictures I've shared. As I look through my summer blog posts I notice Mara is pretty absent. Why? Because I kept telling myself I'd write a blog about just her soon! And now it's practically Fall.

Anyway, I better get to it before Winter rolls in (that's no joke here in Wisconsin).

June 23rd

 Here's some of her sweet rolling-around-the-front-room poses from way back in June. She started getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth around her 6 month mark. This seemed incredibly early compared to my other kiddos. All their shenanigans motivated her to get up and move. She was pretty great at just rolling all over the front room there for a while. But she had army crawling down in just a couple of weeks (somewhere just passed the 6 month mark).

July 5

July 5

That bottom photo is really blurry, but I don't care. Looking at it two months (and one week) later makes me realize just how fast she really is growing. She looks like such a baby there! I can't believe how quickly they change during this first year of life.

July 10

Apparently I was really into taking photos of her sleeping in her car seat back in July. That's probably because I thought she'd out grown this stage, and I was just so excited she was falling back into it. But also, what's not to love about those tiny little fingers curled up against those chubby thigh rolls? And that blueberry smudge under her bottom lip?!?!? How can you not want to just kiss that right off? Oh, I love you baby!

Hanging out with Daddy way back when we went to the Oshkosh Corp Parade. Mara has been such a chill, easy baby. I love that we can take her just about anywhere without much planning or fuss. She just fits right into our busy family and enriches it every day (and that's a true account of my feelings for most of July and August). Whenever people compliment what a good baby she is, I can honestly respond "She's our best one yet!" I often follow that with some sort of joke, "I think it's a trap."

July 19th

On July 19th, she tried cherries for the first time. She definitely enjoyed them!  Now, watch this for yourself. Her next solo picture was taken nearly four weeks later. She's in the same spot, but I swear ... she has grown so much!

August 10th

Seriously, is that not adorableness personified? Gawsh! I love her!

August 11th

Just playing with some Legos on the front room floor. By this point in the summer she was a master at pulling herself up into sitting position. We loved having Reid go and get her out of her crib each morning. He would then carry her into our room and all six of us would snuggle for a bit. It was just lovely.

She loved the water table at a friend's birthday party. I loved the view of her chubby little thighs (and rainbow bum). Seriously, so adorable! She wasn't quite pulling herself to a stand yet (she's still trying to master that), but she could hold herself up if she had a sturdy enough prop. 

Sept 11

And then here are the photos I took a few hours after I actually started drafting this blog post. I cannot get enough of her! The other day I (once again) asked her to stay a baby forever as I gave her a big squishy hug/kiss. "I worked so hard to make four little babies; it's only fair I get to keep one!" Man alive I really wish that was the deal we got to make. 

Mara truly has been such an enjoyable baby. As much as I hate to see her grow, I also delight in it. Life is such an amazing, fragile, beauty. I'm grateful we all get to be a part of Mara Joy's.