Isn't the process of starting solid foods with your little one fun!? I've enjoyed it so much!! Kaelyn knows from the moment that we sit her in the highchair that her "big girl" food is coming. She sits there patiently and waits for that first yummy bite! We started with Rice Cereal, and it seems to be going fairly well so far. I'm not sure how much she's actually eating, and how much of it is ending up on her bib, but either way...it's a learning process for us both and going very smoothly. She gets so excited to eat and even grabs for the spoon to help put it in her mouth! She likes drinking a sip of water out of her sippy cup just as much! I wasn't sure how she'd like that, but she's done very well. We even tried giving her a little water in a cup without a lid and she did great! We'll be starting a new food by the end of the week...so we'll see how that goes. I'll keep you updated....:)

Every now and then I enjoy sharing the lessons that I am continuing to learn in motherhood. Being a new mom, everything is...well...new to me. There are so many things that I have learned and continue to learn each and every day. One thing, which may seem like a "duh" statement to some is the importance of making sure to always have the video camera and digital camera next to me at all time...and making sure that their fully charged as well!

When possible, I am always making sure to try and catch everything on film. This is something that I have wanted to do from the beginning, but as Kaelyn learns to do more and more, it seems even more necessary to have it by my side at all times! It seems that one minute Kaelyn will be on the floor playing with her toys....and in the blink of an eye she is off learning to do something new. Recently that "something" was getting up on her hands and knees. Scott and I knew that this time would come sooner than later, as Kaelyn is a very curious little girl...always wanting to discover the environment around her. She has been scooting around and moving every which way except for forwards for a couple of months now. Soon, she will be moving in that direction though....as getting up on her hands and knees is a very good indication that crawling will be next. It was so cute to watch her as she did this for the firs time. It took so much effort for her to get to that point, and once she did her little face shined and she looked so proud of herself. I'm sure it helped that Scott and I were cheering and clapping...saying "YYEEAAHH Kaelyn!!":) I suppose you could see we're very proud parents!! ;)

A while back I commented on stroller rides. It's been something that Kaelyn and I have been doing a lot of recently now that the weather is so much nicer! She sure loves it. I had said how we were going to be looking for a lightweight stroller, something easier to push around than the one we had. Well...my parents are the sweetest, and they knew our need for a stroller like this...so they got us one down in Texas while they were on vacation! They're the best.:) The stroller is exactly what we were looking for, and has already been used more times than I can count. Kaelyn loves it too....so that's great! I foresee us using it many more times over the summer months.

Kaelyn getting ready to go for a walk in her new stroller!!

I like to think ahead for certain holidays, especially now that we have a baby and life is busier. Father's Day has been on my mind lately, because this year I will be looking to buy Scott something nice. I am not quite sure what to do for him. I've talked about possibly getting him something for his absolute favorite sport...golf! But then I was thinking that we have all of this work to do on our house and Scott would really like some DeWalt tools. He wants to learn how to do more and more projects around the house and having some nice tools would really make him happy. We'll have to see what I can find before June rolls around. I don't really know the first thing about tools...I may have to ask my Dad what he thinks.

As with many other moms out there, I am always trying to make sure that the products I use with Kaelyn are safe. This started before she was even born. While I was pregnant I was always careful with the things I ate or surrounded myself with. As a baby it was the same way. I wanted to be careful what I used on her skin, or the things I ate...as I was, and still am breastfeeding. Now, she's almost 6 months old...which means solid foods are coming right around the corner! With that in mind, I have been searching high and low for quality products that are BPA Free, as well as homemade baby food recipes and tips....the things that I feel are great ways to give her a healthy start when it comes to eating solid foods. Finding the actual products was my first priority. So far, I have had a lot of luck finding great products that are reasonably priced and are safe for her to use. The Nuby brand has a lot of safe options for parents who are looking like I was. This is the brand that I probably purchased the most from.

As the weather gets nicer, I continue to think about how much fun we will have with Kaelyn this summer. Even though Spring has been here for a while, the weather didn't start to get nice until just a couple of days ago. We're seeing temps in the 60's now...which is very pleasant! Once it warms up a bit more, we'll be able to take Kaelyn outdoors so she can enjoy her surroundings. I think one of the things I am most excited about for this summer, is being able to take her on a stroller ride. It will be so much fun....hopefully the time comes soon when we can go on walks in the afternoon and enjoy the outdoors! I suppose before I'm able to do this, I'll have to be sure and get her a nice stroller that's lightweight and easy to push.

Ever since Kaelyn was born, everyone has said how fast she would grow and change!! I always listened to what people had to say...but you don't truly understand it until you are living it. Now I know EXACTLY what everyone was talking about! In the past 5 months...Kaelyn has changed so much. She went from being a very sleepy newborn, to a baby who can roll all over, sit up, and one that coos all the time. She's so interactive, and learning to do new things each and every day! It's so fun watching her change and grow! What a blessing children are!