8 Months

Haven is now 8 months. She is growing so fast and changing everyday. She can pull herself up to stand using almost anything. She is falling less, but becoming more adventurous (note the bruise on her forehead). She now lets go of the things she uses to pull herself up with. She even manages to stay upright for 5 or so seconds. She can easily move from one object to another if they are close enough. She is a speedy crawler sometimes leaving the room in the blink of an eye. She never stops! She says mama although it is still suspect on if she knows what she is saying. She has learned to wave. I am now trying to teach her to blow kisses... at Papa's request. She has a total of four teeth. Unfortunately with teething comes a lot of nightly interruptions. She gets up about twice a night right now. I feel like I have tried everything, so any suggestions are welcome. She is a happy baby and extremely fun to have around. She is not fussy with us at all. I love her smile, I love her laugh, I love everything about her. SHE IS PERFECT.

Visitors

Here are some pictures of some recent visitors we have had. Mima and Papa came for a visit at the end of July. Elaine, Lindsay, Gay, and Jordan came to visit us at the end of August. I love that we are close enough that people can come down for a quick visit. Kevin and Grace were down the same time as Mima and Papa, but Haven cried every time Kevin got near her so we did not get any pictures with them. Haven is getting better with "strangers" so hopefully the next time we are around family we can get pictures with everyone.

Haven pulling herself up

Haven has been a busy girl lately. She is very adventurous and loves to push her limits. She is now officially pulling herself up. She finds whatever she can to get the job done. She has tried using the wall and the couch both unsuccessfully. I try to keep her away from the wall because she is prone to falling forward. She currently has a bruise under her right eye from falling forward and meeting one of her toys. Other things like her toys and daddy's stomach work much better. She is on the go all the time and discovering so many new things. I love watching her mind at work. I am currently working on a video of her travels around the house, hopefully that will be posted soon.

Look what I can do!

Haven has discovered a new trick. She can now stand (while holding something) when we put her up. Today she stood up in her crib on her own. It is amazing how quickly babies learn things.

Eating and Crawling

Haven had her first vegetables this week. Mommy started her with green beans. She loved them. She has also had squash and loves that too. She has one more day on them and then we get to try another one. It is so fun picking what to introduce to her next. She is such a great eater. I can't imagine what she will be like when we give her fruit.
She has been crawling around like crazy. She is so fast. Her favorite thing to crawl toward is Baker. Unfortunately, right when she is almost close enough to grab him... he moves. She loves finding new things around the house. She is getting better and faster everyday. We may be in trouble!!!

Fourth of July

Here are some pictures from the Fourth of July. Haven got to see so many people. She hung out will all of my family, Joy before she had Trey and the rest of the Hulls, Keith, Brian and Tirsa for dinner, Hailey, Mel, and Jason on the Fourth of July, and Trevor, Trista and Ali before we left. She went swimming in a big pool with Papa for the first time and had a blast. We love going up there to see everyone, it is just so hard to see everyone in one weekend. We were all pretty tired after that weekend.

Haven at 6 months

Terry and I took Haven to the park to try and get some good 6 month photos. She did so good. She was nothing but smiles. We took around 170 pictures. These five were my favorite. Having a digital camera is so great. You can take however many you want. My biggest problem is deleting the bad ones. I know I will never do anything with them, but I don't have the heart to get rid of them.
We go to the doctor on Friday, so I will post her "stats" once she gets weighed and measured. Right now she has her two bottom teeth and she still doesn't have much hair. She never stops moving. She is up on all fours and scoots herself around (usually backwards). She is still sleeping great and smiling all the time. She is so adventurous and has absolutely no fear. She reaches for everything no matter where it is. The other day she was strapped into her swing and when I turned around to look at her she was hanging upside down reaching for a toy that had fallen below her. It scared me to death but when I pulled her out she just smiled. We are now officially using the tray that goes over her lap when she is in the swing. We will be starting her on food soon, so you should expect to see some of those pictures soon. I can't believe six months has already gone by. She has changed so much. I have loved every minute of being a mom. Even getting pooped on in Target and having to walk through the entire store to get to the bathroom. Yes that happened TODAY! I love her with all of my heart!

Haven wants to crawl!

Haven has been getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. She definitely knows how to move her legs, but she hasn't figured out the arm part yet. She could crawl any day now. I am so excited, but I am also not ready. We are no where near being baby-proofed and I know once she starts moving she will never stop! She loves to be on the floor and play with her toys. She also sits up great. When I felt in her mouth this morning I got another surprise. Yes, a second tooth has come through! It is amazing how things change in a matter of a day. She is so wonderful and my heart is filled with love for her.

Haven's New Chompper

The title of this blog says it all.. Just one on the bottom.... just sticking through... Terry did this blog if you could not tell. Laura wanted me to say that there is not enough showing for a picture but like all good moms she will have one up as soon as it is more visible.

Haven and Daddy Laughing

It is so fun trying to make Haven laugh. She smiles all the time, but to really make her laugh can take some work. When we get her laughing one of us always runs to grab the video camera. As soon as she sees it she stops. Here is a rare shot of her laughing that we were able to get. Daddy had her really going.

Grandma and Grandpa

Grandma and Grandpa Hartman came down to visit Memorial Day weekend. It was a short trip, but Sue said she just couldn't wait till August to see Haven again. They had a lot of fun while they were down here. Sue got to feed her, give her a bath, and play with her on the floor. Wes had fun rocking her, loving on her, and tinkering with Terry out in the garage. Haven really likes having her grandparents around! I am lucky enough to have really great in-laws so I was very sad to see them go. Hopefully we will get to see them again soon.

Here are some pictures of Haven at Mandy's wedding and swimming in her new pool. We got Haven a little plastic wading pool so she could have some fun outside time. We keep it under the porch in the shade. She loves it. She kicks her legs and plays with her pool toys. It is so funny to watch her play. She tries to grab the toys, but they usually move away from her. She is very determined. She gets frustrated when she can't grab them and it just makes her try harder and harder. You can see it in her face and hear it in her grunts!

Our friend Mandy got married last weekend and I although it was a more casual outdoor wedding I couldn't help but get Haven all dolled up. I have been waiting for a time for her to wear this dress Chantal got her. She was absolutely adorable. I think everyone at the wedding walked up to us and told us how cute she was. The wedding was beautiful and Mandy was gorgeous.

Haven Sitting

Here is a video of Haven sitting. Every time she does it she gets a little better and a little more stable. It is amazing how quickly they learn. She is a blast right now. She is smiling all the time (except when the camera comes out), laughing, playing, and absorbing everything around her. One of her favorite things to do is sit on my lap and play with my necklace; she is obsessed with it. Luckily she hasn't broken it... yet. We have also been playing in our little pool (pictures to come).
It is so hard to be away from our family. I know it kills Grandma and Grandpa and Mima and Papa that they can't see her anytime they want. I just hope that the videos and pictures make it a little easier. I know they love her so much and I just wish that they could be with her more.

I got your nose!

Haven was really hungry last night. I thought that we were feeding her enough, but it looks like she may need more than what we are giving her. It was so funny she saw Terry's nose, grabbed his face and went straight for it. It must have tasted good because she went back again for seconds... and thirds.

Update... about time!

Haven just got an exersaucer and she loves it. She is bouncing, rocking and playing with everything. There are two little people on it and she just laughs and talks at them. It is so fun to watch.

Haven turned 4 months on May 12th. She was in the 50th percentile for both her height and weight. She is 24 inches long and 13 lbs 13 oz. She has grown and changed so much. I love being her mom. It is amazing to watch her grow. She is the sweetest little girl.

I am working three days a week, which is just enough right now. I love going to work and I work with the best people. Although it is not easy to leave Haven the people I work with make it as painless as possible.

Terry is enjoying his work too. He is currently doing a mentorship with the search and rescue team for the next six weeks. It should be fun and challenging for him. This is a great experience for him because he is considering applying for this special team in the fall.

I know the Lord has blessed our lives. I thank Him everyday for the gifts He as given us.

Haven Rolling Over

She did it!

Haven rolled over for the first time last night. She did it three time in a row. It was so unexpected that we had run and grab the video camera. We caught half of the second time and the third time. I can't believe how proud I was of her. This is one of the first major developmental milestones, YEAH!

Let me tell you about my best friend

Baker and Haven are Best Buds

They like to hang out and relax together.

Family Picture right before church

I love my little girl



Baker our oldest dog may be the best dog you could ask for. He is gentle, loving, protective and loyal. He has been so good since Haven came home. He follows me around and always joins me when I go to check on Haven (no matter what time it is). When she cries he goes to check on her and he has even scratched at her crib when he didn't think I was getting there fast enough. While I am changing her diaper he sits or lays at her bedroom door and looks out as if he is protecting us. You can tell that he loves her and has accepted her as part of our "pack." Don't get me wrong, Roxy is good with her too. She sometimes will lay next to me while I am feeding Haven, but she does not have the family pack instinct. Most times she could really care less about Haven. I am sure that will change when Haven starts chasing her around. Then Roxy will be watching very closely for Haven... so that she can run and hide from her.