Rainbows and Suds- Cecilia is 6 Months

There is a long standing tradition in my family. One that dates back to me as a baby. When a grandchild is able to sit up on their own, it is time for the bath in Ma's sink! Cecilia has mastered the art of sitting, and so we made a plan to celebrate her 6 month birthday at her Great Ma and Pa's house and have her first bath in Ma's sink. She woke up on Friday morning with a fever of about 100*. We decided to follow through with our plans and headed south. Even with her fever, she had a great time playing with the rainbows on Ma's floor, and splashing around in the sink. (Thank goodness for Tylenol.)

At 6 months old Cecilia has enough hair to get a barrette in it. She sits up on her own. She can get where ever she wants by rolling and doing a side-scootch on the floor. She takes about 3 "snaps" (short naps) a day, and still gets up at least once during the night. She loves her blanket, and she has to have it before she will fall asleep (I better go buy an extra for the future). We taught her how to clap, and it is the cutest thing. She is starting to pull herself up on things and will stand with support for as long as we will hold her up. She loves her fuzzies (cats and dog), although the love is not necessarily reciprocated from the cats. She knows who Mom, Dad, Grandma & Pops are, and she gets very happy and smiley when any of them enter her vision. She is now wearing the medium size gDiaper, and primarily wears 3-6 month clothes still. We love her so much, it really is indescribable. I can't believe she is already 6 months old.

Monkey

I think it is time to get serious about baby-proofing the house...
We may need a new coffee table, among other things. It is time to break out the safety latches and velcro.

Sitting Pretty

For Cecilia's next trick, she will sit pretty for extended periods of time, and play happily with her toys. She has also learned how to smile for the camera!



I can't believe my baby is getting so big. She will be 6 months old on Friday, and I can't bring myself to say it. She is getting more mobile everyday. I wouldn't be surprised if she figures out how to crawl by the end of the week. She loves to give kisses and snuggles too. Baby kisses are ones that only her mother could love: full fist grab of moms hair and/or face, open mouth, and slobbery. I really do love them though.

She has yet to figure out how to sleep through the night, but I'm sure that she will figure it out before she goes to school. She has got her nap time schedule down, and is doing better about sleeping in her crib instead of her swing. She has been gobbling up her cereal every night like a pro, and soon we will start on new foods.

AJ

We spent a good part of this last weekend in the hospital. My cousin AJ was stabbed 5 times at about 2AM on Friday morning as he and a friend were leaving the bars. The guy that did this had a punch knife, so AJ didn't even know he was being stabbed until the guy ran away. I got the call early on Friday morning, around 7AM. At that time he was stable in the ICU. By 8AM, he was loosing consciousness due to internal bleeding and he was being rushed into surgery. We left immediately for the hospital to wait. The surgery went well. He had an artery that was nicked during the stabbing, but the surgeons were able to fix it with one stitch. We went back to see him at the hospital yesterday, and he was doing much better. Still moving very slow, and clearly in pain, but his spirits were up. He has been in contact with the investigators, and there is a good chance that the guy that did this will be caught and justice will be served.

Life really is so precious, and you never know when it could be jeopardized. Please pray for AJ, for a speedy recovery, and for justice.

My Lil' Brother

is insane on a snowboard. Love ya Petey. Please don't get hurt.

Little Ears

I am not convinced that Cecilia's ear infection is gone. Yesterday was the last day of her 2nd round of antibiotics in less than a month. She was furiously grabbing at both of her ears today, and yesterday, and the day before. She is also waking part of the time with a shriek- which, by the way, is an awful and helpless sound. We go back to the doctor on Friday to see what is going on. I am praying that this is just a result of teething, and that her teeth pop through SOON, so we can be over with this for a little while.

I have been very busy and focused on Fries the Moment Design this last week. I am giving a presentation to about 40 professional photographers next Tuesday night. I am so excited about this, and what it could mean for my business.

As a result, we have been trying to get Cecilia to take a bottle for the last several nights so that next Tuesday when I am gone for her dinner cereal, and bed time, Daddy can feed her. Lets just say that this is a process. We bought a bottle shaped more like a breast, but even then, we have had to take baby steps to get her comfortable enough to let Daddy feed her. I've rented a pump from the hospital, and it only took one session of pumping to remind me of how much I dislike it. It takes up so much more time, and makes it impossible to be with my baby while I turn into a dairy cow for several minutes. Fortunately this is temporary, and if I can stock up enough milk for not only next Tuesday but a few more feedings, maybe just maybe, Jon and I can go on a real date. I know, it is a stretch.

Cecilia has been scooting all over the place. I find myself trying set her down in the middle of the room, as far away from any wall possible. She is starting to hold herself up on her hands and knees, but she hasn't figured out how to make it all work together yet. Making her laugh is my favorite activity of the day. Her little personality is really taking shape. It is so fun to see her whole demeanor change when Daddy gets home from work. As soon as she sees him, she gets a huge smile and starts cooing for him. It doesn't take much to get her to laugh from there. All Jon has to do is make a silly face, or say a few words to her, and she is just about in stitches! This is one of my favorite parts of the day.Last weekend included several firsts for Cecilia. She got to ride in her little stroller and her Daddy spoiled her and bought her a new hat.

She also sat in a high chair at Qdoba and played with a cup and spoons while Jon and I shared a quesadilla.

Happy Birthday Grandma Katy!

Cecilia was named Cecilia Kathryn after her Great Grandmother- Grandma Katy. Grandma Katy is my Dad's birth mother, and through my pregnancy with Cecilia I realized how incredibly strong Grandma Katy must have been to be able to carry her child for 9 months and then give him up for adoption so that he might have a better life. I am so thankful that adoption was my Grandma's only choice at that time. If she had not been so strong, I wouldn't be here today, and neither would Cecilia. Happy Birthday Grandma Katy! We love you.

Sick Little Girl

Cecilia, why are you so bundled up and in your car seat so early on a Monday? And why are your cheeks rosy and your eyes glossy? And, my oh my, you look tired!

Cecilia: Oh, you think I look tired, you should see my Mommy! You see, I had to go to the doctor again today because I've had a fever and a nasty cough all weekend. My nose is runny and I keep pulling my ear. Dr. Postel said that my ear infection is back, and I have a bad cold. Looks like more antibiotics and more tears. Hopefully my two front teeth break through soon! Then I will feel better, and Mom can get some sleep. Maybe tonight I'll only get up 3 times instead of 5, maybe.

Happy New Decade!

We rang in the new year last night celebrating with family and close friends. It was great to spend the evening with Keeghan, Pat & Sarah, Petey, Brendan, and Emily & Shawn. Thankfully, Cecilia slept through the turning of the calendar. We hosted a small party with delicious food, beverages, homemade champagne sorbet and homemade chocolate ice cream, and lots of fun. I have to mention that I love my dear husband greatly, but he is one of the biggest geeks that I know. Jon was so excited to host the party, and he wanted to put his own personal festive twist on glassware charms. At about 3:30 in the afternoon he disappeared for about 30 minutes to make these:
For those of you that don't have a geek in your life, these lovely charms were made with resistors, capacitors, and LED bulbs, and soldering wire. Don't ask me what a resistor or a capacitor does, all I know is that Jon has been know to attach them to circuit boards and then make the LED's light up. It was a very 'JON' idea, and they were very festive and served the purpose intended. Love ya babe!