Macy 7 & 8 Months: Still delightful

Months 7 & 8 have shown us that our Macy is still delightful, fun, flexible, etc. I suppose 3rd time really is the charm! The big kids adore her, and she adores them. She is more intrigued by Owen than anyone else!

I'm also happy to report that I have no idea how much she weighs because I haven't needed to bring her in to the ped! Her next well check is 9 months, so stay tuned. I can tell you the car seat is getting awfully heavy!

She's got one tooth (!)... my earliest teether. And she's wearing 6-12 or 9 month clothes. Depends on the brand.

She loves to teeth on these little finger puppets from Target. Rudolph with your nose so bright.....??

The best way to bring Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. She's a squealer. Then Millie imitates the squeal. Ouch.

Santa Baby had a wonderful first Christmas.

She still has an expressive brow line (just like her older brother). In her case, she's less pensive but definitely animated! Sitting so well on her own, too! Thankfully, she can't really get from sitting to crawling, yet. I know this is short lived, but I appreciate the ability to keep her in one spot!

During a diaper change. She's at the age where she'd rather be on the go, and she gets frustrated when she's down for too long! She's also starting to have a little bit of separation anxiety. So she's happy to be on the go if we are in sight ;)

She prefers to be under her exersaucer instead of in it! She has to conquer quite the hump to get in there, but she does it repeatedly! (Notice she has a ball in her hand. She'll crawl all over the room chasing a ball these days!).

Our front room is sunken. For the last 6 weeks that she's been mobile, this has been the perfect 'Macy's safe zone'. The big kids know that choking hazards aren't allowed, and Macy's toys reign supreme. The other day I saw her trying to get up the step....

....and she was successful on the first try. Ack! I've got some things to figure out.

She's imitating my face when I saw her crawl on all fours for the first time this week. (Just kidding). This was round one of the 8 month photo shoot. She was ready for bed, though.

This is also the face she gives when we try to leave her in the nursery. She.cries.every.time. #strangerdanger

Little miss has tried ALL sorts of foods. Peas, green beans, avocados, carrots, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, squash, pumpkin, corn, rice, oats, apples, pears, mango, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, grapes, chicken, and now crackers! 

A better, more drooly, 8 month shot. She's not as cuddly as Millie, but she is giving kisses (or teething on our chins...). It's a very slobbery process. It's also endearing!

She passed her screening this week by the parents as teachers lady. Verbally she's up to par, babbling mama, dada, gaga. She's not assigning these terms to anyone yet, that's more of a 10 month old trait!

She's still sleeping though the night & napping 2-3 times/day.

We love this baby more and more as we get to know her better. Thank you, Jesus, for this delightful little bundle.

Warm Springs Ranch

In October, we (the senior Wades, junior Wades, and Nieders) road tripped to Boonville, MO. That's said 'boon-vull' if you were wondering.

The Warm Springs Ranch (aka Budweiser Clydesdale breeding ground) lives in Boonville, and wow, it's a glorious, gorgeous place. If I had blogged about this Ranch in October when we went, I would have been able to record details about number of ranch hands, Clydesdale gestation periods, etc. But, well.. It's no longer October.

Lots of great pics to share, though!

This place is simply gorgeous.

Nature at it's absolute best. How beautiful is this picture of a less than one month old Clydesdale nursing from him mama? I do remember that Clydesdales wean at 5 months. I was still nursing Macy at that time and decided if a Clydesdale could wean at 5 months, so could a Macy.

Close up of baby. There were 5-6 babies that we saw, and they all had the same daddy. #stallion.

The Baby Clydesdale's name starts with the same letter as their mama's. Except for one time when Belle had a baby that the farm hands named Taco.

I think the horse weighs more than all of us put together!

Great family! It was obviously a warm day in October!

#horsedrawncarriage

Wee bitty Macy!

This celebrity Stallion has starred in some super bowl Bud commercials.

This special horse will be a stallion soon. They start breeding at age 4 (I think). So right now, he's 'dating around' to find some ladies that he has a natural tendency toward. Hard life, right?

Thanks for a great day, Warm Springs Ranch!

Here are some FAQs from the website:

Can any Clydesdale be a Budweiser Clydesdale?

No. In order to join the World Famous Budweiser hitch, a Clydesdale must meet certain requirements. They must stand at least 18 hands high (or 6 feet tall). They must be geldings and at least 4 years old. They must have a bay coat, four white stockings, a blaze of white on the face, a black mane and a black tail. And they must weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds.

How much does a Clydesdale eat and drink?

Each hitch horse consumes as much as 20 to 25 quarts of whole grains, minerals, and vitamins, 50 to 60 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.

How do the Clydesdales travel?

Ten horses, the famous red, white, and gold beer wagon and other essential pieces of equipment are transported in three 50-foot tractor-trailers. Air cushioned suspension and thick rubber flooring in the trailers ease the rigors of travelling. And the team stops each night at local stables so the gentle giants can rest.

What does it take to drive a hitch of Clydesdales?

Driving the combined 12 tons of wagon and horses requires expert skill and physical strength. The 40 pounds of lines held by the driver plus the tension of the horses pulling creates a weight of over 75 pounds. That’s why the hitch drivers endure a lengthy training process before they assume the prestigious role of “Budweiser Clydesdale Hitch Driver.”

Do the Clydesdales have a special harness?

Yes. Each harness is handcrafted with solid brass, patent leather, and stitched with pure linen thread. The harness is made to fit any Clydesdale; however, collars come in various sizes and must be individually fitted to the Clydesdales like a finely tailored suit. Each harness and collar weigh approximately 130 pounds.

How big is a Clydesdale horseshoe?

Clydesdale horseshoes measure more than 20 inches from end to end and weigh about five pounds – more than twice as long and five times as heavy as the shoe worn by a light horse.

Our little Patriot

Every Good & Perfect Gift is From Above. James 1:17

Although I'm way behind on blog posting, I find it fitting to begin 2016 reminiscing about one of our best days of 2015, Macy's baptism. What a blessing it is to baptize our baby in a church that we see as one of God's greatest gifts to our family. We love the teaching, the theology, and the community that The Gathering offers. Truly we are closer to God and have a more fruitful marriage because of this church.  

Rev. Matt Fulmer, the site pastor for the Clayton site where we attend,

did the honors of baptizing our sweet little Macy Evelyn.

She was asleep just in time for the water.

Always true to form, though, she was calm & flexible despite her rude awakening.

We are so blessed by Macy's godparents, Steve Schuster & Alison Francis. Steve and Mike have been friends, well, since forever. Ali and I have been friends since college..and well that is actually farther in the past than I would care to admit! Both are humble servants of God, raising their own families up to know Christ's love. We know they will pray for our Macy fervently and support her always. We sure are grateful for these two!

Love

Here are Mima & Papa Wade with their sweet Macy girl. She wore the gown that was hand stitched by her great grandmother Evelyn Wade (her namesake). The eyelet is perfect, the rosebuds so delicate. This dress is stunning and represents quite the legacy. We were thrilled she could wear it for her special day.  (We actually chose to baptize her early enough that her arms would still fit... ran in to that trouble a bit with Amelia!)

Auntie Tricia (Schuster) getting in some sleepy time cuddles.

Pure joy!

Mima & Papa Cooper with that beautiful baby!

Sure wish she was loved...

Kisses abound!

#blessed.

Macy, you have been given a gift that will not be given to anyone else. You are special, a treasure that is unique and cannot be duplicated. You have been given a purpose in life that will fill you with pleasure. Speak loving words of comfort, sing sweet songs of joy. Thank God for His marvelous gift of grace.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15