Ivy - 11 Months

Nearing the end of "baby"
These updates get further and further apart, but such is the life of a working mother of 3. However, I'd rather let the blog slide in favor of tending to my children - so I'll say that's the reason!
11 months - what a ride it has been. I can't believe we are nearing a year. That it's already been a year since I was hugely pregnant. Eating burgers, suffering constant heartburn and swollen ankles...and trying to decide on a girl name for Baby Minion!
But here we are. Invitations for Ivy's 1st birthday party went out in the mail, her outfit and gift arrived today. 
She's got 4 teeth and more on the way, and is favoring standing and cruising almost everywhere. She is an explorer with determination and curiosity. Ivy will continue to challenge us to keep up with her, but I look forward to where Ivy the Toddler takes us.
The one baby characteristic she hasn't outgrown yet is sleeping through the night. In fact, she is still in infant stage! She wakes up 3-4 times a night and must snuggle and/or nurse/have a bottle to go back to sleep. Of all the baby characteristics I will miss - waking up 4x a night will not be one of them.
However, I know years from now I will think back fondly to the hours I have spent over the years, in the dark, rocking and whispering to my little baby girls.

Clearance Sale
With the baby months coming to a close, we have been piling up the baby equipment in the basement the past few months. And just this week we sold our swing and bouncer. I will admit I was sad to see them go. Not because I want to keep using them - and I'm relieved to have the space in our home, but because I see our memories in them. I see our babies swinging and sleeping in the swing (or screaming!), and I see the monkey toy hanging from the bouncer that they all strained to reach!
Keeping this equipment would just make me hate them as clutter in my basement, so it's all rational (and the $$ doesn't hurt!), but I do see images of our girls go out the door along with it. These toys and baby items really do become part of a parent's life!

Well, in just a few weeks we'll be celebrating the 1st year of little Ivy's life. We are so looking forward to it and there's many more adventures to come!