Bawl and Crawl

Have I taken a photo of any of my kids lately where they don't have something on their faces? It's impossible!

Violette is exactly 8 months old today and she's just starting to crawl. As she struggles to move around the floor, searching for food scraps left behind by Henry and Bea, she breathes very heavily and moans and groans at the difficulty of movement.  I know she'll be happier once she gets moving, but for now, she goes backwards more than forwards and she doesn't like being on her stomach.  In the past week, however, she's become a pro at rolling over and pushing herself up to a sit from her stomach.  Pretty soon she'll be totally mobile! It's been so easy having an immobile baby, especially during this time we have been moving into our new house and I'm dreading having to control two babies who have no concept of danger, but it had to happen some time! She is so happy though and just like all my babies, I don't think she would ever cry if she didn't have siblings fighting over her all the time.  All the kids just adore her.  Tonight Bea played mommy and I watched her put on an apron, cook dinner for Vivi, then make a bed for her on the floor with blankets and tuck her into bed.  Bea will be a great mother someday, just like her clone who is Justin's sister, Stefanie who is also pregnant with baby #5(I'm praying for a girl!).

Violette is also loving food! I didn't feed her until she was 7 months old because I was crazy with the move and all I could do was stick a bottle into her mouth, but she is loving the oatmeal cereal, which none of my other kids liked at all.  She doesn't really love it when I mash up what we're eating yet, although I'm trying to get in as much Italian food as I can because I know that's what she'll be eating the entire month of August,  She gets a few tastes in every day and then refuses it, but we'll just keep trying until she loves it. We love you Vivi Lu!

Sitting Pretty

 Violette is now sitting up very well.  Her favorite spot is a really long tuft of grass in our back yard by the bird feeder where she is thoroughly entertained by birds, cats, dogs and the kids running around everywhere.  Yesterday as I was cleaning out our yard, I felt truly relaxed and happy for the first time I had moved in.  Even though I was doing work, it was work I actually wanted to do and enjoyed.  I am surrounded by the beauty of the earth, my darling children, great neighbors and animals all over the place.  I couldn't ask for more.  Violette is such a sweet and happy baby and I am so excited to raise her on a farm. 

First Food: Bananas

I love those eyes

I let you taste a mushed up banana the other day.  You had fun chewing on the spoon, but I don't think anything got down your throat.  You sure liked how it tasted though. 

Noisy Tongue

Check out that tongue action

 Violette likes to stick her tongue out to the side and then vocalize making all sorts of inappropriate sounds during Sunday School and soaking all her clothes.  It is pretty cute though.  I caught her in the act while I was taking a photo with her and Henry.  I just love it when personality starts showing through.  She is such a sweet little one.

Longing to grow up

As Justin played baseball outside with the older kids, Violette looked longingly out the window, no doubt wishing she could participate in the fun.  It was a sweet moment to see our little baby interested in the family activities.  I, however, had to intervene.  Hopefully she forgot that she had been left behind.

These photos are a little snotty and slimy.  All my kids have colds right now.  Sorry.

Look at that adorable smile though! She's a real sweetheart.

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The Color Orange

What a happy girl

I don't know how many of you know that I love orange.  I love my orange ski jacket, orange puffy coat, I named one of my daughters after an orange and my babies are all born with orange hair. My favorite paint color is Saffron from the Restoration Hardware paint collection, which is the most perfect peachy yellowy orange color that changes when the light hits it. 

My little Henrietta.  She is the female form of Henry. 

Here is my sweet little Violette with orange hair, wearing a swimsuit with orange slices on it and holding an orange parasol that my mom got for her.  Her cheeks and lips are even a nice peachy shade of orange.  Orange just makes me happy.  How about you?

Cute photos

I haven't taken many photos with my camera of the baby but somehow I always get some good shots with my phone.  Here are a few cute ones I got at church.

I think this is a hilarious face.  This is what she looks like a lot because she's always saying something