6 months old!!!

As of yesterday, I have been a mom for 6 months! It is crazy to think about.

Here is an update on Charlotte's accomplishments:
1. Rolling over both ways - 4 mo & a wk or so
2. First airplane flight (to NJ, then 2 weeks later to IL) - 4.5 mo
3. Solid food - 5 mo
And so far Charlotte has tried:

• Rice Cereal
• Oatmeal Cereal
• Peas (homemade - recipe)
• Mixed Vegetables (homemade)
• Sweet Potatoes (homemade)

Next up on our list is:

• Bananas
• Avocado

4. Swimming - 5 mo

5. Sitting up unassisted - 5.5 mo (with the occasional fall)
6. 1st time to the park - 6 mo (and 1st time on the swing)

1st Game of catch with Daddy

Eric is already pushing sports on our little darling... last Saturday was Charlotte and his first game of catch. It's quite cute, take a look!

Babies are so flexible

Charlotte has officially found her feet... and now sticks them in her mouth at all times (especially when she's on the changing table).

Peek-a-Boo Baby

We have a new game with Charlotte... I put her somewhere (exersaucer, jumperoo, floor) and I hide behind the couch or the kitchen and then I jump out and say "peek a boo". Charlotte loves it, she just busts out laughing at this. It is the cutest thing ever (of course I may be a bit biased):

Charlotte's First Vegetable

On Saturday, August 8th we introduced Charlotte to her first vegetable... homemade peas... and she liked them. She was messy... but she liked them (although it doesn't look like it from the second picture).

It was a very simple recipe:

Baby Food Peas

1 frozen bag peas prepared as directed on package (usually add 2 T of water in microwave and cook for 7 minutes or so)

Put peas and pea water in food processor.

Process until smooth.

Add more water as necessary.

Freeze in ice cube trays and once frozen dump into gallon freezer bags.

I'm sure it's true for all babies, but Charlotte absolutely loves all types of cups, mugs, wine glasses, etc... and she get this look like "why are you taking my cup?" when you take a drink of it. The following are just a few of the cuter cup pictures we've caught on camera:

Charlotte enjoying some coke in a mug at Great Grandma's

Charlotte drinking Grandpa's soda at a restaurant in Tarpon Springs...

... and giving him the "look" when he takes it back

Trying to get the wine glass

Grabbing Grandpa's glass

Charlotte Purrs

My daughter apparently has figured out how to make a new sound and she has been practicing it profusely these past few days. Watch the video below to see Charlotte purring. Also, notice how she flares her nose… I think she gets that from her daddy:

My daughter has got to have the best abs...

I swear, my daughter does not want to lie down on her back anymore (or her stomach for that matter). When ever I lay her down on her back, she keeps her head up like she's doing crunches. I usually have to gently help her head to the ground (in other words, push her head down). She is going to be pulling herself up to sitting before I know it.

I believe I have the first picture of her sitting unassisted... well, I suppose it's considered sitting "tripod" or something (this picture is from July 28, so she's 5 months old). She does great sitting like that until something exciting catches her eye, which usually happens to be my camera, the clicker, or my phone, and then she throws her entire body to the side and face plants on the quilt. Don't yell at me, I usually manage to catch her before she face plants, but sometimes she's too quick.

She does quite well sitting up in the boppy pillow since that gives her a little support around her bum... and it catches her softly when she topples over.

The other thing that I'm using to help her learn to sit is this toy meant for a walker that my Aunt gave her. It's one of those dual-purpose toys that at the younger age they sit in front of and push the triangle through the triangle hole, the square through the square hole, and so on and so forth. Then when they get older, they walk behind it. Anyway, I set her in the boppy and place this toy in front of her and she kind of hangs on to it while I put the triangle in the triangle hole, etc.

I never got one of those Bumbos (which are all the rave now)... I couldn't justify spending $40 on something that she would outgrow way too soon --yes I know that is pretty much the definition of a baby toy and clothes... something they grow out of way too soon -- but the Bumbo was just not on the top of our list. Besides, since I'm home with her during the day, I get to sit with her and play with her and teach her how to sit up myself. I think we're doing pretty well.

In the Good Old Summertime...

In the Good Old Summertime. It was a hit song from 1902 (more info here); then it was the title for a 1949 musical film staring Judy Garland and Van Johnson (which I coincidentally watched a few weeks back while Hubby was away at drill); and lastly, it was a song that I had the pleasure of singing at the second family reunion of the weekend. Yes, I did say second... it was a weekend jam packed of family in Illinois.

I have not been able to get that song out of my head since Sunday afternoon. I must admit that it is a catchy tune, however it is odd that an 80s baby is singing a song from early 1900s, I but I digress.

I spent 5 days at the family farm in Illinois hanging out with my 91 year old Grandma, relaxing, watching movies, taking pictures of Charlotte and Grandma, observing Grandma make a really awesome rag rug on a frame (I think I have my next craft project), playing Farkle... and going to family reunions. It was at the reunion where we did our sing-a-long. It was great, it was the kind of thing that I imagine people used to do back in the day when they got together and had picnics; definitely not something that you see nowadays.

I have so many fond memories of the farm; I used to visit for a few weeks every summer and play in the barn with my brothers and cousins building forts with hay. There's nothing we didn't do from picking watermelon (I was a tad small though), to hanging out at the "Larson Market", helping Grandma in the garden, and watching her make fresh bread and jellies. It was really neat for me to finally be able to bring my own daughter to the place that made me so happy for so long.

Disclaimer - I figure I ought to throw in a disclaimer appologizing for my rambling text... I am still new to this whole blogging thing

Traveling with baby in Tow (part 2)

So before my trip I wrote out this long list of what I thought I'd have to do to get through security by myself with the baby (see here)... well, I was right. Although it wasn't as difficult as I thought it'd be. I think the big difference was that I was flying to and from small airports (Clearwater, FL and Peoria, IL). In fact, I was the only person going through security at the time when I was flying out so that made it REAL easy everyone there was more than willing to help me out.
Charlotte did great on the plane too... she didn't even make a peep. However, I do think I freaked the 20 something guy next to me out when I breastfed Charlotte on the way up (and down). I had a blanket covering us, but I am quite sure he was trying his hardest not to look in my direction. Oh well. See, I was worried about nothing!