The Best Medicine

If you ask Amelia, the funniest thing on earth is Cash playing outside, looking from the window at Gramma Tanya's house. Check out my little angel's first belly laugh...




A few things to learn here: 1) Sometimes things are so funny that you let out a little toot, and that's okay. 2) There is no doubt that Amelia has dimples on both cheeks. 3) A chubby baby is a very, very...happy baby.

100 kisses

I cannot stop kissing those cheeks. They are so dang squishy and soft and I pretty much kiss her all day. Every single time I pick her up, before I nurse, after we nurse, before and after diaper changes, etc. I can't stand it!! So, I apologize if the next time you see her, the cheeks are a little sticky. They probably have not hers, but MY dried slobber all over them. I've reasoned my nonstop kissing by declaring that Amelia needs at least 100 kisses per day (and we easily reach that quota by 10:00 am). She better get used to it if she's going to sport those dimples.

Solid food: Trial #1

Grant's got the camera set up. Amelia has the bib on. She's in a good mood and a little hungry. The time has come: Amelia will take her first bite of food. As all the books recommend, watered down rice cereal is on the menu. We weren't expected a big bite, gulp and bright eyed "yum! More please!" But the response we got told us what we needed to know. Amelia needs a little more time :)

rollin' for real

I know, I know, a few months ago I posted that Amelia had rolled over. Well, she had. This was because at 2 months old, she was still "anorexic" and didn't really have a tummy to keep her from rolling. She rolled maybe a couple times, but once she (rather quickly) put on a belly, she couldn't roll anymore. Well, now, with her big ol' belly and all, she's rolling "for real". I'm talkin' pulling her arm out from under her and everything. And she's quick, too! But of course, she hasn't learned to go from tummy to back, so she gets ticked and starts yelling for help. I've heard this story a gazillion times from other new moms, but of course it's a bigger deal and much more interesting to tell when it's my daughter. :)

coffee, anyone?

As I've mentioned before, Grant usually takes Amelia for the first couple hours of the morning before he heads to work, when I get to catch up with a little extra shut-eye. This morning I happened to be awake early enough to catch a glimpse of what goes on while I'm snoozing. And now that Amelia can grab things, I can see why my morning coffee that Grant makes has been tasting so good. Amelia helps with the filter!

you...me...4 am...I'm talkin' play time

In the deepest of sleep, I think I hear a grunt or two...then a little squeal. I glance at the clock: 3:58 am. More grunting with a little cry. I let it go a few minutes, hearing lots of grunting and rustling of blankets, starting to turn into a cry. I roll out of bed and slowly creep into her room to peek over the side of her crib. In the faintest of light, her worried chubby face quickly turns in my direction like she's been "caught". I stare at her for a second, well...let's just call it what it is...I glare at her for a second. And her eyes quickly change shape and she gives me one of her squinty-eyed toothless grins, and sticks her tongue out (similar to what you see in the photo). She's happy I'm there, and is ready for the day to begin! ....greeeeeeaaaaaat.

Amelia's sleeping schedule is somewhat "off". She can't seem to stay up past 6:30 pm...and she sleeps about 10 hours (don't worry, still getting up to eat a couple times). You do the math. She is fired up, sqealing, happy and ready to be out of the crib for some "infant excercise and stimulation" at 4 am. I don't actually mind it that much because I know it's only temporary and she'll get it figured out one of these days. Plus Grant saves me at around 5 am whenI can go back to bed while they cuddle under a blankie on the couch and watch a little Sesame Street. During the day I think about that early morning, and for some insane reason look forward to our next 4 am date :)

something new!!

Amelia can reach and grab for things now! I know I'll regret being so excited about this months down the road when she's grabbing things off the shelves in the grocery store, but right now it is SO COOL! I would've never guessed in a million years I'd be so pumped up about this! (And as my gramma Stella observed...check out those biceps!)