Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Well, as you can probably guess, Isabelle can now roll from her tummy to her back, as well as from her back to her stomach. Today, the sitter informed me that Izzy LOVES the other kids, especially now that she is starting to interact more. She said she put Isabelle down in the living room with the other kids, and when she came back into the room, Izzy had rolled across the room to get closer to the toys and the other kids that were playing there!!! She still scoots backwards, but she's starting to push her butt up in the air, I don't think crawling is too far away. She's also working on sitting these days. She seems to have some pretty good core muscles and can sit by herself for a few moments before either sliding to the side, or leaning way forward and grabbing her toes. (Her toes are still one of the best things around!)

The other morning Isabelle woke up early, about a half hour. So I took a peek to see what was up. She had worked herself around in her crib so that she was on her belly, and her legs were sticking all the way out of her crib! She was stuck....and not very happy about it!

She's getting the hang of eating with a spoon, some feedings are better than others. Staying true to her veggie roots, she loves sweet peas! Tonight I tried giving her a sip of water from a cup....she knew what to do with the cup as far as bringing the rim to her mouth, but when the water came close, she just wanted to lick it. We'll try it again another day.

Lastly, she's really been opening up and playing WITH me for short bouts. She'll look at me, take her hands and put them on either side of my face or neck and then pull me to her and butt foreheads...all the while talking or "growling" and grinning. She's quite the little goofball. She now also wants whatever she sees you are doing. Talking on a cell phone? Taking a drink out of a glass? Typing on the computer? She would LOVE to try all of these things...if only mom would let her!

Some shots from this week:

Concentrating on sitting...

Bliss in the exersaucer (no teeth yet!)

Push-up time!

Like my outfit? These are my first REAL pants with a snap and a zipper! (they are TWELVE MONTH pants!!! Someone should tell her she'd only 5.5 months old!)

Playing before bed in our jammies (also 12 month! We've got a tall girl on our hands!)

Isabelle and the.....Plastic Sacks?!?

Well, this morning dawned gloomy and rainy, but we ventured out anyway for the all-too-important diaper, wipes, and formula run. It was a slightly rocky trip since Mz. Iz decided to cut her nap to 15 min, but we survived with the help of a new toy (Thanks, Jen!) and some silly faces. At home again, we were putting our goodies away, Isabelle at my hip. Once the bags were empty, I scrunched them up like normal and headed to put them away. As I was crunching the sacks, Isabelle started cracking up! Who needs toys when mom will scrunch plastic sacks? Looks like I'll be heading to our toy box for the texture toys!

Solids, Scooting and a Swing, oh my!

It seems there's never a dull week in Isabelle's world! It's so amazing to watch her learn and grow! Over the last week and a half or so we've had a little cold, but she seems to be pretty much her good natured self, which is making us wonder if a tooth may be on the way. Those gums are still pretty and pink yet, although she loves chewing on anything she can get her hands on....and that includes mom's arm! If anyone ever told me that I would willing let another person slobber and gum all over my arm before I had Isabelle, I would have told them they were crazy!

She continues to do well with solids. I am impressed that she seems to be more of a vegetables girl than a fruit girl so far. Carrots are her favorite....which reminds me...I have GOT to find some plastic-backed bibs somewhere! OY!

Other achievements, besides making mom and dad's days better when we have bad ones at work, include rolling from back to tummy BOTH directions now, not just to the left, being TOTALLY in love with her feet, sucking on her big toe, and now since being on her tummy isn't so bad anymore, she's realized that she can scoot......backwards. True, it's only a half inch or an inch at a time, and she can't see where she's going...but if left to her own devices she can get off the 'landing area' that you make for her in any room. A friend of Dan's told him once his son started scooting, that he started crawling a few weeks later....!! Good heavens! I'm not ready for THAT yet!

One other thing, she's given herself her very first bruise on the noggin. It was very small, but it injured her pride none the less. It was after bath time and we were finished and all dressed. Deciding to be smart, she rolled to her belly to get a closer look at the counter (with my hands making sure she wasn't going to roll off)....and BONK she put her head down quickly on the counter as she does when she's on the floor in the living room. NOT a good idea. I think it surprised her more than anything, and I don't think she appreciated that mom was chuckling.

Here are some pictures from the week:

Isabelle waiting for more carrots! Hurry up mom!

Mmmmmmm!

Here comes the plane! Buzzzzzzzzzzz

Izzy outside in her swing, she's finally big enough to enjoy it! I think she SO looks like Daddy in this picture! What a cutie!

Magnum making sure all is ok with his sister.

Can we do this EVERY DAY, Mom?

5 Month Pictures

Well, it's official this month. I am out of ideas at the moment for pictures, the blanket deal isn't working anymore....my girl has outgrown it. *sob* (ok, not really, but she IS growing up!) Next month for the big six-er, I think I'm going to try taking her somewhere to get her picture taken. We'll see if that develops....October is shaping up to be a busy month already. Anyway: here are some pictures from her 5 month "anniversary"....

Hey! Where's the party?

Is it over there by Dad?

I wonder what I can get with this grin....

This tummy stuff isn't so bad!

I wonder....just let me see.....YEP! It tastes JUST like I thought it would!

What a weekend!

It was a very eventful weekend for our little family unit this past Labor Day. We decided to try to make the first trek to Iowa. So, for the trip out, that meant a 5.5 hour car ride to my dad's place, and a ~4 hour car ride on the way back from Dan's parents' place. Daunting....but we attempted it anyway. Isabelle handled the car ride great. After a few hours and when she was hungry, things were a little dicey, but other than that I thought she handled it really well, especially with Magnum in the backseat with her checking on her from time to time.

First stop was Grandpa R's place. Here, we were able to get up close and personal with a horse...if only momentarily and Isabelle got her first ride on the Gator! By the end of the ride, Magnum was pooped from running/playing along side of us and got to have his first ride as well. Both enjoyed the ride/run and scenery! Also new for this stop...we got to break out the Pack-N-Play for the first time...it worked great the whole weekend.

Friday night we got to meet one of our peers, and hopefully a life-long friend. My friend Jen from college brought her little girl, Kaitlyn to meet Isabelle, and for us to do a little catching up. Kaitlyn is SO cute and seems to be a very happy little gal as well. I'm not sure if Isabelle realized she was meeting someone her own age (they are only 2 weeks apart!), but she and I both hope for many more fun times to come!

Also on Friday night, we tried a bath in Grandpa's kitchen sink. What a cluster that was. Dad had a hold on her and was washing and mom was trying to wash at the same time. Looks like it's time to start thinking about what to do for bath time since we are outgrowing our blue tub!

Next stop was Aunt Traci's house for our Labor Day gathering. With all this going on, all these sights to see, and people to talk to, who wants to nap?!? Isabelle FINALLY succumbed to a nap after quite a fight. When I checked on her after she was finally quiet, I found her fast asleep......ON HER BELLY! She slept like that for almost 2 hours! I'm glad that she's finally becoming more comfortable in that position....it means that a truly mobile baby is becoming a not-to-distant event. I am both looking forward to, and somewhat dreading this event....I feel as though we are not ready yet, but who can say they were ready?

Third up was Aunt Sharon's house for my husband's family gathering. Here we had another group of fun and interesting people to talk to and to charm, plus we got to see kitties and calves for the first time! If mom would have been a little more adventurous, Izzy would have gotten to see chickens too, but with the guys shooting trap on the other side of the yard, I didn't think it was a good idea to rile up the birds more than they already were. Again, the napping was done on our tummy, however not for long!

Finally, we stayed with Grandma and Grandpa S. Here was another totally new locale with new sights and sounds. On Labor Day we headed out to the campgrounds where Aunt Jean and Uncle Dan were camping. Izzy witnessed her first camping cook out! She took it all in stride, and was mesmerized by the campfire as she had her bedtime bottle. We put her to bed in Jean's camper (with no fuss....how did we luck out there?) and were able to stay awhile longer for a little adult conversation...always a plus.

On Monday we visited my brother-in-law where he and a friend are building their own plane. Again, Isabelle just seemed to take it all in.

For all the new sights, sounds, people and situations we put Isabelle in this weekend, she was remarkably great natured! Nine times out of 10 she had a smile on her face and a story to tell.

New things for this last week:

• Really getting into the feet - chewing on toes at times
• Sleeping on her BELLY!!!
• More and more giggles. I heard Isabelle giggle more this last weekend than I have her whole life to date! Chalk that up to all the aunts, uncles and cousins that were doing the great entertaining.
• When on her belly, Izzy will scoot forward if you place your hands behind her feet (Jen showed us this trick!)
• She is now pretty proficient with rolling from her back to her tummy
• She doesn't really seem to like applesauce
  

Now on to some pics from the weekend:

Izzy chillin' at Grandpa R's house

Isabelle and Kaitlyn

After the first gator ride - don't worry, Dad wasn't holding AND driving, mom is taking the picture.

"Can I borrow the keys?"

Cashed out after the gathering at Traci's

Isabelle chillin' at Grandma and Grandpa S' house.
"Are you taking ANOTHER picture?"

Busy Week!

It seems like a lot happens with Isabelle from week to week as far as learning goes, and I try to catch most of it here with intentions of putting it in her baby book when I finally get around to it (ha ha). This last week has been no exception, but it seems like what Izzy discovers is growing at an exponential rate....can you imagine what we would be like if we would continue this rate of development into our 20's? Or even just into the 2nd or 3rd year? Things we've noticed this week that are new:

• If you hand a toy to her she will concentrate on it and grasp it with both hands....then usually try to put it in her mouth
• She likes sweet potatoes
• She does NOT like yellow squash
• She is starting to act "shy" sometimes if you look her in the face and talk to her...she will let out a playful screech and hide her face against your shoulder. Where in the world did she learn that?
• I've heard her move on from the normal aaahhhboo and goo to other sounds....'dee' is one she seems to be interested in lately
• She holds her own bottle sometimes....with varying degrees of success.
• She is very interested in anything that you are putting in your mouth when she's watching you
• She ALWAYS has her fingers in her mouth!
• She's mesmerized by the TV, although we try to not let her get too much of it
  
• She wants to touch faces, especially noses and mouths
• One of her favorite things to play with is someone else's hand
• She's beginning to discover her FEET!!
  

Since it's a short week, and we will see most of you this weekend, I only have one picture to post. Isabelle is keeping me company while I empty the dishwasher and playing with one of her bottles. Does she look ready for a beer mug to you? Just kidding. See you soon!

What? I was thirsty!

We've got Mobility!

Well, we knew it was going to come sooner or later. Isabelle is now mobile....to an extent. Saturday we were playing around on the floor and she was holding a toy away from her in the air with her hands and feet and rolled to her side. We've seen this before....however, this time she dropped the toy, picked up her head and rolled on over. So, she'll roll from her back to her belly and promptly piss herself off because she doesn't like being on her belly. However, after a few days of rolling, she's figuring out that maybe the belly isn't all THAT bad....especially if she puts herself there. She no longer stays put in bed either.....the last 2 mornings Dad has found her rolled up to the back wall of the crib. Not unhappy or stuck....just hanging out.

She's also started to reach out and want to touch my face....kind of to explore it. So I goof around when she does it, she gets these wide eyes and then we end up chuckling. She is definitely starting to know whether you are playing with her, or if your attention is elsewhere. Just now for example I talked to her and she lit up with a grin, but as I started typing again things clouded over. She's starting to become aware that maybe she can affect her environment.

Izzy also attended her first engineering conference call today. She joined us about 1/2 way through the meeting....let's say I am very thankful for the mute button on my phone. She did very well, even chuckling at some of the talking (she must have a built-in B.S. indicator......that will help her in years to come!)

Where did that toy get to?

Wha? Huh? Oh....you're taking a picture....

In that case, I'll make a face for you.

I got here all by MYSELF! I guess my tummy isn't that bad!

Isabelle and her First "Solids"

"Solids" is in quotes because quite honestly, the rice cereal wasn't very solid. Anyway, yesterday I decided that we'd try to start Isabelle on her way to getting used to real food. Rice cereal seemed to be a likely candidate, as well as recommended by the doc, so we gave that a shot. The box said for the first feeding to mix 1 Tbsp of cereal with 4-5 Tbsp of water. Honestly, after 4 Tbsp of water, it looked like just water with flakes floating in it...gross, huh? But we went with it. I think more ended up down the front of her and on the towel than IN her as she tried to figure out how things worked (and the watery consistency didn't help matters). Brother Magnum, of course figured that what I was feeding HER should be fed to HIM as well....so we had to tell him to go lay down. I have visions of Izzy in 3 years or so, slipping Magnum her veggies. At the bedtime bottle, I added a tsp of the cereal to that as well. That was a hit! Thankfully we got to SLEEP aaaaaaaaaallllll night last night. *knock on wood* Was it the cereal, or Isabelle feeling better? Who knows. Tonight, Dad fed her some cereal with a spoon, but kept the cereal more like oatmeal consistency. She did much better with that. The 8:00 bottle also had a tsp of cereal in it. Here's hoping mom and dad get another full night's sleep...that would be awesome!

Isabelle in her seat, "What'cha got, mom?"

What IS this thing? Can I chew on it?

4 Month Appointment, Another Fever, and Pictures - Oh my!

Well, this morning Isabelle and I headed into the doctor for her 4 month check-up. The doc said that she was perfect, and he couldn't see any reason for her fussiness last night and today. However, since that was abnormal for her, and she had a fever the weekend of Aug 2nd, he decided to not give her the 4 month shots today. We get to go back in for those next Friday afternoon. :( Since the appointment this morning, she's been either crying, eating or sleeping...it's been a rough day of 'vacation' for mom. I just took her temperature awhile ago, and it confirmed what my lips had thought...she has another fever! I called the nurse and was told just to monitor things and give Tylenol to bring the fever down. That seems to calm her fussiness too.

Anyway, back to the doc saying she was perfect. She granted him one of her smiles this morning, which have been a rarity yesterday and today. He checked her over; ears, eyes, chest, gums, put her on her tummy, made her stand up with him and sit for a bit, etc. Our "little" peanut is now 26" long (95th percentile) and weighs 15#8oz (85th percentile). He says he doesn't see any sign of pearly whites, so she isn't teething just yet. I just wish I could get her back to her sunny self faster. These grumpy days and awake all night nights are hard on mom (and dad).

The next thing he told me is that we can start introducing her to solid foods. Oh my. Just thinking about the responsibility of another person's eating habits boggles my mind. So, we'll start slow. When she feels better, we'll try some rice cereal, yellow veggies, applesauce and bananas...one at a time over a few days. At least she will still be getting most of her nutrients from formula for now. I know that I don't eat the best, so I'm a little skeptical about my ability to get her to pick up good habits. Maybe it's time for a change on my part as well, eh?

Onto the pictures. No big smiles this post, Izzy wasn't feeling the best today.

Future Biker Baby?

Tried a 4 month picture sitting up...I will need a new plan next month...I'm running out of blanket.

Can I chew on the bear?

Mom, do you HAVE to take my picture today?

An icky feeling Izzy. She is like a furnace when she's sick!

First Fever and Waking Up Again!

It's been an interesting week in our household. Many more firsts. This last weekend, we had our first low-grade fever. It started Friday and lasted thru Sunday morning. Izzy was a pretty good sport thru it, but you could tell she just didn't feel good. Even before the fever started, she just wasn't herself...and hadn't been for about a week and a half. Not many smiles, cranky and just generally not the sunny, talkative little person that we've come to know. She started to get better Sunday, was about 50% Monday 75% Tuesday, and today she seems about back to normal. I've never been so glad to see a smiling face as I was hers today. I mentioned to Dan that you really don't think about your baby having a personality until it changes or disappears for awhile. I'd never really thought of Isabelle as a particularly sunny little gal until she clouded over and didn't feel well.

What she's up to this week: playing with BOTH her hands at once, using them both to play with something, and learning more about her 'stern' voice. I'm not sure if you've ever heard a baby sound like they're giving someone what-for, but we're getting a kick out of it. Other developments: She SO wants to sit up. She can't do it herself yet, but she tries really hard if given the chance. My friend Jen found us a bumbo-like seat for a steal at a rummage sale and Izzy loves that, although I can tell she will have no time for it once she doesn't need it's help. She's also starting to position herself differently when I carry her sometimes. She will grab onto my arm with one arm and push herself away with her other arm so she can see what I'm doing and where we are going instead of what's behind me. This is a pose I usually see older babies in...I keep telling her that she doesn't need to grow up so fast....that usually earns me a big gummy grin.

The not-so-great development is that she has been getting up at night. We have been SO lucky to have had a sleeper since 6 weeks of age, we're not used to the getting up thing. Monday night she was sternly talking to her mobile for what seems like all night, and last night she was fairly upset....usually around 1:30 or 2. We're not sure what's up with that, if it's her new developments or if it's partially getting over the bug or what. One thing that could be a contributor...we switched sitters on Monday. Our original sitter is back from maternity leave and ready to take over Izzy's care from her mom, Marlene. I will miss Marlene dearly, I was just getting really comfortable with her and I could ask her anything child related. Izzy was crazy about her too. Hopefully 'like mother like daughter' will be the case here. The new baby girl our sitter has is 1 month old. I can't believe the difference between her and Izzy...and it hasn't been that long ago! Anyway, that's a pretty big change in Izzy's world, so that could be messing with her sleep schedule too. We'll see what tonight brings.
And now on to some photos:

Isabelle checking out her Prince Lionheart seat.

Working on tummy time. Sometimes it isn't so bad these days, especially if you can squish the fish in the floor gym mat!

However, we aren't always happy....usually those little hands are waving when she's this upset too. Ah, the beginnings of tantrums.

In the seat with the weeble-wobble and the linking chain. Sitting up is serious work!

Yay! Grins with wrinkled noses and everything today. Our Isabelle is re-surfacing.

After her bath tonight. We were talking after putting on the lotion and she tried to do a sit-up, so I took her hands and pulled her up! She kept her head in line with her spine on the way up and sat right on the edge of the counter. Mom was only there for balance. What's next? Rolling over? Crawling? College? :P