Our town is having their annual fair this week. Last year we were moving at this time, so tonight was the first time I'd ever been there! It was also Kaelyn's first time. It was actually a lot of fun, and Kaelyn really enjoyed watching all of the animals. They had a lot of fun things there to do and to see, but we had to get (Blowing Kisses to the horses) home so Kaelyn could go to bed. We may head back up there later in the week or this weekend...we'll have to see how things go. I think Kaelyn would really like that.

Mommy and Kaelyn

We haven't had our new camera long...but we can already tell that we're both really going to like it!! We really enjoyed our old camera...but it took longer to take a picture and didn't always catch moving objects very well. These two reasons alone did not go well with having a very busy baby that we are constantly taking pictures of. Our new camera seems to capture Kaelyn moving very well. It also takes the pictures quickly...which is another nice option when you have a busy little bee like we do! One of our favorite features is the fact that it can zoom up really close to things that are very far away. Not only that...but the pictures remain clear. These pictures are ones that Scott took of Kaelyn from across the room....no too bad.

Having gone to school for education and worked with many young children I already knew that teaching our children some sign language was something that I wanted to do!! Before Kaelyn was born we had already even received the "Baby Signing Time"dvd as a baby shower gift...which I couldn't be happier about! Kaelyn watches that dvd several times a week and her little face lights up every time. Even if I just start singing one of the songs from it...she turns towards the TV anticipating for it to start.

Just recently Scott and I both started noticing that Kaelyn was starting to understand much more of what we said than she has in the past. You could tell that she was starting to learn who certain people were as well as things. It's so neat to see their little minds working...they're SO incredibly smart!! Anyways...around this time it became aparant to me that some of the signing that we've been practicing and watching on the dvd had sunk in. One day while feeding her I said "Do you want more Cheerios" and she put her hands together (almost like a clap, but she was wanting more). Her fine motor ability to put her finger tips together isn't quite there yet, but it's SO neat to see her trying. Just having her put her hands together lets me know what she needs and that's the whole point.

As time goes on I'm really starting to see the benefits of baby signing. It's a great way to eliminate the stress of not knowing what your baby wants, or your baby not knowing how to communicate with you what they need. Having a young child who has very few words be able to tell you that they need something is incredible. As a teacher I also know that it's a great way to start language development skills. I could go on and on with the benefits because there are so many. Do you sign with your baby? How do you like it?? If you never have....it's definitely worth trying. My mom always says little ones are like "little sponges" and soak everything in...and she's absolutely right. That's why signing works so well. It's honestly as easy as teaching your baby to wave "bye bye"!

The following is a clip taken of Kaelyn as she signs for "more"at 8 1/2 months old....

Have you ever seen or used those little baby calendars where you can fill in everything your baby is doing throughout their first year? We got one before Kaelyn was born at a baby shower...and I absolutely LOVE it!! At first I didn't know how much I would use it, but with time I see that it makes keeping track of her milestones so simple! We have a baby book...but it's easier to jot things down in the calendar and transfer some of the information to the baby book later.

Anyways...as I was writing in her calendar the other day....I came to realize what an eventful and significant month it has been! Out of any other month....Kaelyn has learned more and has done more in July by far! She is becoming her own little person and really showing us that she understands so much already! Not only is she doing the typical large motor things like standing up along furniture and taking a few steps, but she's also doing things like clapping, waving, blowing kisses, signing "more"....and even going and getting toys that we ask her too. For instance, she knows what her puppy is, what her baby is, etc. It's SO much fun to see her learning new things and becoming more independent. Aren't babies smart?!! Wow!! I enjoy each day and watching her change and grow. It is such a privelege to be a stay at home mom! I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!!

It's that time again when I need to find some time to stock up on some of the homemade baby food that I make for Kaelyn. Even though I don't have a lot of time during the day...it's still something that I really enjoy doing. I like knowing what she's eating and that it's not artificially flavored or full of preservatives of some kind. Even though it's a bit more time consuming that going out and buying jarred food....it's so worth it when it means giving Kaelyn the absolute best and most healthy foods. It's also a lot cheaper, which is great too! If you've never tried making your own baby food, definitely give it a whirl! It's easier than you may think, and a lot of fun actually! As long as you have the food and some sort of a blending machine...you're set!

We had such a nice weekend...it went by way too quickly though! It's always nice when Scott is able to be home with us so we can do some things as a family!! Saturday he and I decided to take Kaelyn to the local pool for the first time. It's been something that we wanted to do for a while now...and are really happy that we finally found the time!! She had such a good time. The water was a little chilly, but she got used to it quickly. They had a zero entrance area for kids...and she enjoyed crawling around in the water there. She also liked walking along the chairs as well....always on the go no matter where we're at! It was such a nice time for us to spend as a family. We stayed for a couple hours and plan on going back again this summer hopefully! More info on our exciting trip to the zoo coming soon....

Isn't it funny the things you learn to do as a mom?? Before I had Kaelyn I never imagined that I could do laundry with one hand while holding her in the other. Even more...I could never imagine that I might water the flowers while holding her on my hip. It's amazing the strength we women have and the things we can do. I suppose this is called multi-tasking which many of us do on a daily basis. Learning to do more than one thing at a time is crucial in motherhood...this is definitely a lesson I'm learning with each day that passes!