Look how Freya has grown!

Five months:

Nine months:

So, she is now crawling. Fast. Yesterday she scurried into the kitchen and nonchalantly tipped over the dog’s water bowl. Ahhhh.

Today we went to a really fun playdate and I watched my baby crawl around a child-proofed room. It made me realize that we need to go all the way with at least one room in our house. It’s more fun for her to explore without me constantly grabbing/redirecting her, and it’s better for my peace of mind, too. I don’t leave her unattended, but I can go into the adjoining kitchen and see her while I make food or whatever.

She is also cutting four teeth along her upper gums. Three have broken through so far. By next week she should have six visible teeth in her mouth. Whoa.

My baby is very curious and will probably be the type to get into everything. Which is fine, it’s my job to protect her. It makes me worry about letting her nap in our bed. She wakes up quietly, she doesn’t cry out, so I need to listen to the supersensitive baby monitor for sheets rustling, or her cooing, and hurry in there before she gets up on her hands and knees. So. We may actually start using her crib for more than just toy storage. This would be for naps only — at night she is surrounded by parents or next to the co-sleeper crib, and I’m always aware of where she is even when I am asleep.

We recently hired a guy to come over and clear out everything from our front garden beds. Our house’s prior owner liked roses and rhododendrons. I hate both. Had them all taken out, along with the weeds and other crap. The gardening has really been non-existent this spring, due to the arrival of the infant. We are finally able to do it now. But first there was six hours of clearing and weeding to do. We decided to hire a professional; the rhodies had deep roots.

So now that we have a clean slate, last weekend I planted some small new shrubs (heather, pierus japonica), some flowers (phlox, sunflowers, pansies, lavender), and a small lilac tree. I planted in the soil and a few containers. It looks a billion times better. There’s more to do but it can wait until fall (bulbs) and next spring. We also have some tomato plants in containers this year that are doing well and about to bear fruit, yay.

One more thing: I am once again challenging myself to quit eating dairy, in an effort to diagnose my decades of skin breakout problems. I have literally tried everything, from low end to high end skincare lines, prescription medication, a clarisonic brush, changing my pillowcases every two nights. Everything. But the one thing I haven’t tried is a change to my diet. I have heard enough anecdotal accounts of people stopping the consumption of dairy and finding themselves with clear skin that to me it’s worth a try.

An interesting theory is that since milk (all milk, including mine) is filled with hormones, and many women have breakouts associated with hormones, the estrogen and whatnot in cow’s milk might contribute to oil production and pimples, especially in women. It seems obvious, since lots of times girls break out along with their monthly cycle. Of course I haven’t had a period since December of 2008, and yet still have zits. And seem to consume dairy in some form every day.

If I do end up with clear skin, great. I’ll regret I didn’t do it ten years ago. But I don’t see myself spending the rest of my life without cheese or butter. I will probably just consume far less, limiting it to a few times a week instead of every day. I started today drinking a cup of black coffee, no sugar, no milk.

It was actually alright.