Jessica Bender Photography

Our March photo day fell on a play date, and so I think this post has taken on the theme of “play.” Play, as we all know, is children’s work. Play is how they develop skills in the 5 major areas of development, it’s how they process their thoughts, feelings and emotions, and most importantly it teaches them their role in this great big world of ours. Play can happen anywhere, and at anytime, you just have to be open to it. I like to think that I try really hard to incorporate fun into my children’s lives and I also try really hard to get down and play with them (sometimes I have to remind myself to step away from the work and chores). There is only a short amount of time in our young children’s lives that we have where they actually WANT us to play with them, I’m a firm believer that we have to take advantage of that. Because if we aren’t playing with our children, who is? And if play is the way they learn about this world, isn’t it fair to say that their playmates have the most influence on the person they become? For the first 5 years our children look to us first, we are their favourite toy. Embrace your role as the favourite toy, and influence the person that the children in your life will become. Just some food for thought. Sorry for getting all deep on you there.

You will notice in this post that there is some serious PDA going on. Everly and her bud Q are besties and they like to show it. You will also notice that I made it in to the post, this is a first I know! Oh and the third thing you will notice is that there are three pictures at the end that are out of sequence- these are the photos that Everly took when she had the “little camera.” I think she has a good eye, but then I am her mother so of course I think that. Including these images gave me an idea- to man Everly with a camera for photo day and to include some of her captures as well. Just to make things fun and nurture the potential shutterbug inside her

Matty, or Babeh-Babeh as he is called in our house, is 8 months old today (7 months corrected on the 7th). I can’t believe how fast time has gone. He has finally started eating solid food. Today he tried blueberries and he was a FAN! He started crying when I ran out of cut up pieces and I had to quickly cut more as dad kept him entertained. He is filing a formal complaint letter for sure on that one. He enjoys playing with buckets and measuring spoons, and more than anything loves to watch his sister run from one side of the house to the other. Oh and he lives to stand. Doesn’t matter if he is holding on to his parents, the ottoman or the couch, he just needs to be on those two feet dancing! He is sleeping SO MUCH BETTER. He is only up once or twice a night now and I can totally live with that! He has one tooth, (bottom, front, right) and its neighbour is ‘thisclose’ to popping out too. While I was taking these photos of him below, he moved from sitting to his hands and knees for the first time. This is a skill that I plan to limit the growth of. I would like Matty to stay immobile as long as possible. He has some inefficient ways of moving now (commando, and bum scoot), but he isn’t particularly fast with either and I would really like to keep it that way. I have my hands full enough with Everly. “Dada” is the favourite sound in our house, we also hear; mama, nana, hi, boo and baba. He has no idea what any of them actually mean, but soon enough! This is one skill that I plan to nurture. And last, but not least, my favourite of his new skills- kisses on demandWe are so in love with our little guy.

Evidence of the blueberry love above, lol!

Matty and Everly both at 8 months old. Matty is 22 pounds, 14 ounces, 30 inches long. Everly was 18 pounds, 10 ounces and 27 inches long.He officially is bigger than she was at ONE year old! Yikes, lol. In these pictures they don’t look that much different though. Funny how that works. He’s just a big boy. How big?? Well I entered his recent stats into a fun baby app that I have and this is what it told me…

 On the left is his chronological age (going by the date of his birth) on the right is his corrected age (going by his due date). LOL. The stats confirm what we know to be true; he’s heavy to lug around all day!