7 Months of Scarlet

I can't believe we're past the halfway mark of Scarlet's first year. I feel like she's already looking like a big girl in so many ways! She sits up like she's been doing it for ages. Still topples some, occasionally on purpose with enough momentum to get to something out of reach. She continues to fight a double ear-infection that's been lingering since early December. We'll be taking care of that bright and early tomorrow morning when she's scheduled for tubes.

She's sweeter each day. She loves to hear her voice and will coo and sing to herself in her bed. Our darling smiles at us when we lay her down to sleep, and smiles when we pick her up in the morning. We talk about her temperament so much because we're so surprised by it some days! Jason and I agree that we're not really "sweet" people. In fact, we both have an edge. How on Earth did we get such an angel in Scarlet? There are lots of theories around this. Some of which include "crystal children" and gifts from Mia. More on that in another blog.

A few weeks ago, Scarlet started showing us two teeth on the bottom. Two adorable little teeth they are. She gobbles up nearly everything put in front of her. Food and otherwise. She is a quick grabber, too! I can't even open the refrigerator door while holding her without her lunging for every salad dressing and ketchup bottle in the door.

She is a fantastic sleeper. Sometimes too good. She has these occasional evenings where we get home, shovel dinner in everyone, and then she conks at 6:30 for the night. I need more time with her. Can't get enough of her at this age! We've loved every minute of our seven months with Scarlet.

Hot stuff...sitting up.

Playing with a musical ball from 1979. Kudos Fisher Price!

A rash (teething? antibiotics? virus?) that left as quickly as it appeared.

Must have bothered her teeth...but she kept biting the tail of this thing, then doing this over and over again!

Coordinating pinks with Great Aunt John.

Ever adoring of her big brother.

I feel like this photo gives a glimpse to what Scarlet will look like. You can start to see her "look."

Teasing Poppy with pictures while he's in Florida with what a mess we made at his house with graham crackers! I hope Uncle Jared cleaned up after we left!

An adoring big cousin.

An adoring Great Uncle Godfather.

She's not too young for play-doh fun! Emerson got a kick out of when I let her taste it. So we all did. Verdict? Salty.

Can hardly take her eyes off her big brother.

Big girl in the big girl chair at the ENT!

 

"Sometimes I get tired when playing, and just rest my head."

"I KNOW I'm funny!"

"I can't walk. And I can't talk. But I can fly!"

 

Tattoos and Memories

This is a facebook post by Jason last week while I was out of town for a couple days...

"ok...to all the single parents out there...my hat is off to you. i don't know how you do it. jan has been gone for only a day and a half, and already i appreciate the value of two parents. it's like Emerson and Scarlet got together and decided to team up on me!! I don't like being outnumbered... just a few of the things that were said this morning "Em, why are you still in your underwear... Scarlet, where are your socks... No you can't have bologna for breakfast... No you can't take TWO pillow pets to school... I don't know why Kramer the cat doesn't like going in the shower... Scarlet, again, where are your socks... Em, i don't care what shirt you wear, just put on a shirt...yes, mommy gets back tonight.. no you can't play your game before school... what are you doing back in your bed...we don't have pop tarts...seriously Scarlet, the socks again???? i love hot dogs too...yes, that big fire rock came from outer space, no it wasn't from aliens (i think)...daddy don't tell your boss it's my fault you're late...sorry, i didn't know my gogurt was already opened...Emerson, Emerson...where are you...ahhh, crazy, but i love my crazy life and i love my crazy kids!"

Feels good to be missed! In other random goings-on in the Zielinski household...

Emerson gets to fall asleep in my bed on Thursdays, Jason's evening out with the boys at bowling. I feel like this is a preview to college-Emerson. Tattoos all over his arms, passed out face down wherever he fell. Brings a proud tear to my eye.

These are the kinds of pictures I get from Jason when I travel...take one...

take two.

And this is our darling Emerson during a visit w. Harper. He loves wrestling with anyone, but especially loves to roughhouse with Uncle Jared. Exhibit A.

Two goofs in a pod.

We continue to see similarities with Scarlet and Emerson! Lots of little mannerisms that Scarlet does, we remember Emerson doing at this same age. And occasionally, after we snap a pic, we see that we're raising two goofs in a pod...

 

Fruit Roll Ups

Quite a bit going on lately. Work is just silly busy. Grandma spent a handful of days in the hospital. I got rear-ended on my way home last night. Oy!

In the midst of the mayhem, my kids sure are loved as we near Valentine's Day. In addition to gifts from us that they'll get tomorrow morning, they've received all kinds of goodies from our families!

I've mentioned in a few other blogs that we try to eat relatively clean in my house. Organic-this, preservative-free-that. Not everything, but we do what we can. For this reason, Emerson especially enjoys the goodies he gets on these kinds of holidays. And I love that! I think things like candy should be treats, not the norm.

This has clearly left for a 4-year-old who has been sheltered. In one of his goody bags, he received Fruit Roll Ups. We've all had them, right? A strip of gummy red sugar on a piece of plastic. Well, inexperienced with Fruit Roll Ups, Emerson opened one and took a bite. No unROLLing. After a few seconds of chewing, he started pulling pieces of plastic out of his mouth. So that's what I get. In trying to eliminate red dye from my household, I ended up with a kid who eats plastic.

THIS PHOTO IS A RE-ENACTMENT. Voracious!

 
And in other photo goodness...

Six months of age, personality well beyond that.

So glad I caught this! She kept biting this stuffed animal's tail and making this face! Over and over again!

Another Valentine goody bag item from Auntie Jeeka. It's the little things.

I now pronounce you husband and wife. And brother and sister.

The 12 minutes I get with Emerson (and Scarlet) on the way to school in the mornings is one of my favorite portions of the day. Scarlet just hangs. And I get all kinds of interesting information from Emerson. Afternoon pick up doesn't usually provide this since he's tired, digesting the day as a whole, and not really in the mood for chatter. In the mornings, his mind is fresh!

This morning was especially memorable. We'd only been in the car for a minute or two...

EMERSON: Mommy, do you know who my girlfriend is?
ME: No, who?
EM: I want you to guess.
ME: Ella?
EM: No.
ME: Schloka?
EM: No.
ME: Chloe?
EM: No.
ME: Ok, give me a hint.
EM: It starts with an "M."
ME: Ms. Melissa? Ms. Emily? Ms. Ashley?
EM: No.
ME: Do you just want to tell me who your girlfriend is?
EM: You know I don't have a girlfriend.

And sometimes that's just how conversations go with a four year old. I didn't ask why he would set this conversation up or even why he gave me a hint when clearly there was no answer to his initial question. That would be like asking him why he likes to dip his hot dog in his milk before eating it.

He did finish the conversation with this, very matter-of-factly...
"You know Scarlet is going to be my husband when I'm older."