Other things

I haven't posted as much on the blog as I had originally intended. Fact is, I'm not as invested as I thought I would be. My focus has turned to my photography, which I hope to grow as a business. I will post a link to my photography blog once it's up and running.

Self Feeding: 7 Months

My baby is 7 months old, and she absolutely does not like to be spoon-fed. She tolerated it at five months, but around 6 months, whenever I tried to coax a spoon towards her mouth, she either tried to grab it out of my hand or turn her head away.

Before I became a parent, I used to think this was a negative thing. I'm not sure exactly why, but I thought it was a sign of neglect on the parent's part when a child refuses to be spoon fed. Well, after a little bit of research and newfound enlightenment (actually being a mom), I've discovered that it's actually perfectly normal for a baby to want to experiment and handle their own food. Which makes sense, right?

Babies are so amazing. They're born with life-saving reflexes and natural instincts. Feeding themselves is no exception. Self feeding is more commonly known as "baby-led weaning." It's not to be confused with giving up breast milk or formula, though. It's basically just giving your baby a piece the food you're eating and letting them try it. If they don't like it, they'll throw it down. If they do like it, though, they love it!

So far, I've let Raegan try apples, steamed asparagus, baby carrots, celery, teething biscuits, mango, chicken, yogurt, and banana. She only took to the apples, carrots, and yogurt so far. She loves when I make smoothies, and she won't let me or her dad drink them without giving her a taste or two.

She also loves when I freeze portions of my smoothies in her little popsicle molds. She devours them quickly, and most of it actually makes it to her mouth! (By the way, the smoothies I make only contain juice, no milk. Babies aren't supposed to have cow's milk until 12 months.)

It's so much fun seeing how my baby has preferences as to what food she likes and what she doesn't like. So far, fruit is a big hit. She's definitely her mother's daughter!

Read more about baby-led weaning here.

The Best Cookies I've EVER Made!

My ultimate favorite, most loved cookie is the chocolate-chip cookie. 

Coincidently, I began baking at a young age, (I think around 13 or so.) And I've been on the hunt for the best recipe ever since I've started making these babies from scratch. 

I think I've finally found the best recipe in the world. 

Courtesy of Pinterest, I stumbled upon a pin of a wonderful looking chocolate chip cookie. Little did I know, this pin would change my life. I've tried countless amounts of recipes for this cookie, and none compare!

These cookies are so soft, thick, and delicious. They didn't last long in my house among myself and my husband.  I can't wait until I make them again! 

You can find the recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction. You're welcome.

Happy Mother's Day

"Motherhood is not a hobby. It is a calling. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for."  -Elder Neil L. Anderson-

I have the wonderful privilege of having two women I can call Mom: my biological mom and my stepmom, Dana. I'm so lucky to have both of them. They are both unique in their own ways, and that's why I love them.

My mom is one of the most kind and generous people that I've ever known. She will bend over backwards to help her children when they are in need. We've had our rough times, but what mother-daughter relationship doesn't? I gave her heck back in my teenager years, but those days are over, and I'm so happy with the relationship we have today.

My mom and me when I was a little one.

Us on my wedding day.

Dana is the best stepmom anyone could ask for. She is so much fun to be around, and so adventurous. I love chit-chatting with her, and we could talk all night! She has a spunky personality that makes her unique. She's so perfect for my dad, and you can tell they are so happy together.

 Dana with my sister and me in Hawaii

Dana, my sister with her son, and me

A year ago today, I announced on this blog that I was going to become a mother soon. (Read that post here.) I was 15 weeks along. This past year has been one of the fastest yet. It's been quite the ride that my husband and I have gone through becoming new parents. I have learned so much.

Being a mother is something that you can't explain to someone. There is nothing that can prepare you for this unique experience. You don't quite understand it until you become a mother yourself. The love I feel for Raegan is so strong. When she goes to bed at night, I find myself looking at pictures of her and just falling in love over and over again. 

I love you, Raegan. Forever and always!

Ahh... The Weekend.

As I'm sitting here in my living room typing this, both of my loves are quietly napping close by me. My little love is in her rocking to-go cradle, and my big love just crashed on the couch. Soon, it shall be my turn to take a nap uninterrupted.

Today, Raegan has -kind of- given me a hard time with her crankiness. She didn't want to take her early morning nap with me *sigh*, leading her to being more grumpy than usual when her actual morning nap rolled around. So, I'm grateful she's actually getting a good nap in: 2 hours now, and counting!

When Raegan is happy, (which is about 98% of the time), she is the most amazing baby ever! Sometimes I feel like it makes her unruly times harder to bear. I get frustrated with myself because I think I'm doing something wrong, when in all actuality, she's just being a baby! 

On a lighter note, she's mastering her sitting skill more and more every day. She also has found a love for her toy box in her room. I can see us spending a lot more time in her nursery when she becomes mobile.

I love that it's Friday and the weekend is here! That usually means more mommy breaks for me since daddy can take over and help out a little bit more than he can during the work week.

Well, I best get going. My little one just woke up and is all smiles and ready to have fun!

Until next time,

Lesly

A Nice Day for a Walk

While it was a little hot today, it was nice to to get out and go for a walk with my friend, Rebekah. She has a little man who is just one month younger than my baby. It's always fun to have friends with babies around the same age as yours!

Our friends, Rebekah and Jacob

Raegan got a little cranky when we stopped to take a few pictures, so I gave her my watch so she'd be more content.

"Mmm! Mommy's watch makes me happy!"

It's nice to get out and go for a walk/jog! We make it a date every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I'll have to get some pictures of Raegan and Jacob next time. They love each other!

Photography

I love photography. I actually hope to become a professional photographer someday. 

I have the perfect subjects too. My husband, my two dogs, and my baby girl! They probably get tired of me taking their snapshots though. But I need the practice!

Recently, my husband bought me a new camera lens. It's better than my previous one in the way that it has a larger aperture, making the subject of my photos stand out more and the background to blur. I LOVE IT!

I also love GIMP: it's a free photo editing software similar to photoshop. I'm getting the hang of using it, and it's fun just playing around. Here's a before and after of one of the photos I recently edited:

Pretty cool, huh?

Baby steps at a time, and I'll be a pro one of these days!