Reading a Book

      Dear Scarlett,

     Here you are at 8 months old reading a book with mommy. You turn the pages on cue and point to each page. What a smart little cookie. 

You Were Almost....

Dear Scarlett, 


I came across the paper of names that Daddy & I had made to decide upon a name for you. I wanted to share it with you so you could see what you were almost named.....

Baby Names:           Reason we Didn't:

Gabriella - (Gabby for short)       We knew too many. We wanted an uncommon name.

Lilliana (Lilli for short)                We knew too many Lilly's 

Li-Na (Korean descent Leena)     I didn't know if it would be hard for people to pronounce 

Leighton                                         Just wasn't my favorite

Shyla                                               Daddy wasn't fond of it.             

Annalina                                         I didn't want people to call you Anna for short

Harlow                                           It was my runner up to Scarlett but you know which won

Brielle                                             One of your distant cousins was named that :)

Nyssa                                              It was too close to Elyssa, your cousin

Layla                                              We knew too many

Shaylee                                           Just wasn't my top pick

Valentina                                       I didn't want you being called Val or Tina

Scarlett       PERFECT!     

(Boys) I didn't have too many boy names because they were harder for us to pick

Jaxson

Tyler Jr.  (TJ)

Brayden  

We decided that Scarlett was our favorite and we didn't know one single Scarlett, at the time. At the hospital one of the nurses, who had been there 20 years, said she had never once heard of that name. So I was pleased to have picked a uncommon name for you. Your middle name was picked in memory of your grandmother, (Daddy's mother) Cindy LaFountaine who passed away in 2005. I never got the chance to meet her but I know she was a great woman by the stories Daddy has told me about her. I wanted each of my children to have meaning to their names. Since Scarlett was just a name that we fell in love with, we gave meaning to your middle name. I have never seen the movie Gone With The Wind. Many people ask me if you are named from that. No, you were not. I heard the name from a beautiful actress named Scarlett Johansson. I just thought it was different and I hadn't heard it often. There is your name history........

Here were the top 25 Baby names in 2011, the year you were born:

1	Mason	Emma
2	Liam	Olivia
3	Noah	Sophia
4	Ethan	Isabella
5	Jacob	Ava
6	Aiden	Ella
7	Jackson	Madison
8	Logan	Emily
9	Jack	Abigail
10	Lucas	Chloe
11	Ryan	Lily
12	Benjamin	Mia
13	Michael	Addison
14	William	Avery
15	Jayden	Charlotte
16	Elijah	Amelia
17	James	Grace
18	Matthew	Zoe
19	Alexander	Sofia
20	Nathan	Natalie
21	Luke	Hannah
22	Joshua	Sophie
23	Andrew	Elizabeth
24	Caleb	Claire
25	Evan	Brooklyn

             Love Always, Mommy 

Boho Chic Babe

My little love...what Momma wouldn't do.

I'd conquer the world for you.

Little wandering hands & curious eyes...

With you is where the best of my heart lies. 

  

  

Baby noises, tiny kisses & little baby smiles. It's what my heart craves.

My little boho-chic Babe...

Scarlett

Dress: Carter's

Jeans: Baby Gap

Boots: Minnetonka Fringe 

Sometimes waking up to life is a hard thing to face...

But you my sweet love; you make my world a wonderful place.

Your First Swim Class

Dear Scarlett,

Today was your first swim class in Saratoga Springs, NY. You did a great job! You were the youngest in your class at 8 months. The first thing they teach the babies are to hold onto the edge of the pool and have the parents let go. You were the only one to successfully hold onto the edge while I let go! What a good job, especially since you are the youngest! 

(Happy feet kicking while Mommy got in her bathing suit)

(Listening closely to the instructor) 

You loved the water. You splashed around in it the entire time. At swim class, you sang songs, played with water froggies, used the water slide and played some water games. You swallowed a little bit of water from your super large splashes, but that didn't stop you. You didn't cry once. Although you did watch, in concern, as some of the other babies cried. My little baby is getting so big! :( 

Daddy was sad that he missed your first swim class but he is hard at work for us. I sent Daddy this pic from my phone. He is excited to come watch you in open swim on the weekends. 

I'm so proud of you Scarlett! You did a great job and I'm excited to go to these classes for the next few weeks! More water pics to come :)




Love,  Mommy 

Month 8

Dear Scarlett,


      This is the post I made for my personal blog this morning. It was perfect to share for your 8 month Birthday as well. I love you Peanut Baby:

Today, my heart is filled with Scarlett. She completely fills me with joy. Every time I see her little smile, I thank God for giving me such a beautiful, healthy little peanut. She is eight months old today! I can't believe it. I just want time to stop. Just for a little while. Just long enough for her to never grow up. 

 I feel like she was just born and now here I am, planning her first birthday, watching her stand by herself and outgrow all of her 9 month clothes already.  :( Scarlett really is such a good baby.  

Yes, she is growing like a little weed. The endless things I love about my precious Scarlett. The unconditional love I have for this little person. It is not possible, in words, to tell you how I love her. 

 I love how she wraps her little arms around me when I pick her up. I love how she covers her face with her blanket to soothe herself to sleep. And if I take her blanket away, she uses her tiny hands to cover her face instead. 

I love the way she giggles when I dance with her. I love her smell, her chubber cheeks and her big eyes that Daddy can't say no to. I love how she looks at me and rubs my face while she eats her Bubba. I love how she rubs her eyes when she is getting sleepy. I love how she says "thhhe" over and over. 'The' just might be her first word. Ha ha.

I love how when I read books with her, she turns each page as though she was actually reading. I love the little bald spot on the back of her head. How she falls asleep in her Jumperoo because she loves it so much. I love how she shrieks in excitement when you eat her belly up. 

I love how she takes her socks off, eats them and then claps her bare feet together. I love her baby tears when she wants nothing more, then to be held and rocked. I could rock her for an eternity. Even at 3 pm when I'm beyond exhausted, it's worth it to feel her cuddle me. Her little heart beating on mine. 

I love how she can't get food quick enough at lunch time. I love her long eyelashes. I love how she completely soaks me during bath time. How she tells me minute long stories in baby language. I love how her little hands open and clasp rapidly (baby sign-language) when she wants milk. 

I love how she will look around me if Olivia is on. I love her lint-filled toes. I love how she enjoys being pampered. She sits so still while I clip her nails, as if she was getting a manicure. I love changing her dirty diapers and folding her small little clothes. 

I love all of it in a way that is impossible to express. I hope Scarlett knows how much I love her. Not just now, but forever. I will tell her everyday. I will show her. Because she is more than part of my heart. She is my heart. 

This is for You Scarlett....

Happy 8 months Little Baby. Mommy & Daddy love you!