Getting ready...

Tomorrow AJU5 and I head to my parents - without my husband who is still on his work trip (and hence won't get to go with us). We will be flying Southwest and have to change planes once (both flights are short - 1 hr 40 minutes and then a 50 minutes flight - so hopefully she will do well. We flew Southwest to my inlaws in May, so she does have experience.

One advantage of flying Southwest - she can have her own seat as long as the flights aren't full. I got up early this morning and checked in, so we are A21 on both flights. That means we can get good seats!

What I am not looking forward to is managing all of our stuff! We will have one bag checked, her umbrella stroller, he car seat, and the diaper bag. If not everything fits in the diaper bag, we might end up with another bag of food as well. Luckily I can loop the car seat on to the stroller if she is in it...

Well, I better go start packing my stuff. I already packed 2/3 of her stuff...

Wordless Wednesday - Dishwasher

WW

Independent, but

AJU5 has decided that spoons are for little babies and is demanding to feed herself! Unfortunately, that means all of the food I made a few weeks ago is going uneaten. Luckily, I still had baby carrots in the fridge and had just bought grapes when this happened. We tried green beans last night, but there weren't as big of a hit. I think it is mainly a texture issue - stringy, etc. So, today we are heading to the store to try and find more options. I bought this on Saturday to try, but she don't like it. She sucked on it some the first time, but she wouldn't even try to eat it this morning. Oh well...

Now for the but...
If I leave her in a room, she cries and tries to crawl after me. I think she has officially hit the separation anxiety stage. She will explore some on her own, but she always comes back to find me, especially when we aren't home (at home, she knows where to find me most of the time so she is more adventurous).

Now if only I could get her to sleep for more than 3 hours at night without eating...

Pictures from Snow White/Princess Party on Saturday:

(eating carrots and grapes - E trying to give her a cheeto too)

(With the birthday girl and Snow White)

Big Bath!

Now that AJU5's bathroom is done, she is using the bath tub in there. She had figured out houw to climb in and out of her little tub (while empty) and was splashing out of the tub too much to continue to use it. The first attempt was last Sunday, when these three pictures were taken. She was happy until the end when she went to grab a toy and did a face plant. It probably didn't help that she was tired (look at those sleepy eyes in the last picture!). AJU1 commented that she might be too little, but I was going to give it another try. Tuesday's bath (and Friday's) contained no cries! She likes it as long as I am in the tub. I think it is a security issue for her still after the face plant.

The towel a friend made for her. It was her first time using it! It swallows her, but it keeps her warmer and me drier. So, I plan on using it most of the time!

Grapes and Park!

Sorry I have been deliquent in posting. AJU5 is about to cut her two top teeth, so my alone computer time is very limited. Also, AJU1 left this morning for a work trip, so I have been spending a lot of time with him as well.

We tried grapes this week - and she loves them! She now is starting to refuse to be fed with a spoon. So, I am having to give her lots of grapes and avocado. The second picture is what she did with the avocado one day...

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the park yesterday. We only spent 15 minutes there, but she had fun on the steps. It was too hot for the slides, so we will have to go back earlier in the day for that. It was our first time to play on the playground. No one else was there (school is back in session here already), so it was nice.

Today we have a birthday party to go to. Hopefully, I will get a good picture of AJU5 with Snow White!

On the Move (and some shopping)

Here is AJU5 "eating" lettuce at Costco. I am 99% sure none of it was actually swallowed, but it kept her busy while I ate my salad (she had already had her lunch).

Here is AJU5 in the cart at the tire center (at Costco). They said it would take about 2 hours to get my tires changed... it took 3! Luckily I did get her to take a nap in my arms and then she played for a while in the tire center. I put her in the cart to contain her while I put away a few things - and of course - she stood up...

After Costco, we went to Babies-r-Us. First, let me say I am glad they have a mother's room so I can feed her (I had a bottle, but she was refusing it). One mom was walking around the store with her baby attached (and not covered in that area) - but I could NEVER do that... After eating, we looked at a bunch of stuff. She was fussy, so I put her down so she could crawl a little while I looked at the clearance rack. She got to the cart after a while and stood up. I tried to pick her up, but she had a very good grip on it. So I slowly pushed it. Later, while I was looking at more clearance stuff, she got back tot he cart and took off on her own! Luckily I am faster than her. But, she had a great time! She made it the whole width of the store. So, I ended up buying her a cart toy so she can practice at home.

Trapped!

AJU5 trapped me in the shower this morning. I bring her in the bathroom with me if she is awake so she doesn't cry. When I got done and was squeegeeing the shower off, I noticed she was standing against the door. I had to bang on the side panel until she got down and crawled over to see what the noise was about. Then, once I was headed out of the shower, she climbed in. This isn't the first time she has gotten in, of course, but it is fun to see her play around in there. Because her standing don't take too much assistance these days (she used a pillow on Saturday to get upright - and the pillow didn't even squish), she was able to pull herself up in the shower and just stand there watching me get dressed.

In other news, I have to clean out her drawers this week. She is growing out of her 9 month stuff. I put her in a few 12 month things last week, and I realized how much better they fit on her. So, we are going to the store today to buy a few more things. We got a lot of hand-me-down pants and long sleeved tops, but it is still warm here. So, we need to get some onsies and short sleeved tops. Hopefully I can find stuff on sale!

Finally, she got to ride in Daddy's car yesterday for the first time since she came home from the hospital. Normally, we just take my car when we are going out, but it had a huge screw in the tire (and a resulting flat). She gave me a funny look the first time I put her in, but by the fourth time (back and forth to church twice), she was very content. I wonder what she will think of my car today?

Peaches!

AJU5 now has peaches and plums for breakfast. I peeled them, steamed them, and then diced/pureed them (the dicing was taking forever, so I through a bunch into the blender). Since I couldn't fit all of the peaches I bought, I ended up making a second batch the next day. I first made a batch of carrots that day - and in the process remembered that we have this. It worked great! I think it is easier than the blender because I don't have to stop and mix so everything gets blended. It is also quieter and easier to clean (AJU5 is not a friend of the blender). I ended up using it for the carrots, peaches, and some green beans.

I decided to make so much food because we are almost out of new food options for the month. I can't find any good squash in town, and that is about the only veggie for 6-9 months she hasn't had. We still have some fruit options, but the 6-9 month and the 9-12 month recommendations are very similar. So, we have time to add them. With all of the food we have in the freezer now (I also froze more avocado this week too), I won't have to cook anything for her in a while.

Oh, and for the carrots, I tried the baby already peeled carrots, and they worked well. I hate peeling carrots, so I thought this was a lot easier.

8 months old!

Here is the letter AJU5 sent out to her friends and family via email today and a video of her giving one of her ducks a ride (sorry I can't rotate it):

Hello Again!
Today I am 8 months old! Can you believe that? I am getting bigger every day, which scares Mommy and Daddy I think.

This past month I mastered sitting down after standing up. I am really glad I figured this out! I was tired of having to fall backwards when I was tired of standing. Now I can just squat down and crawl when I want to. I now pull myself up on everything and anything – from Mommy’s legs to the dishwasher to boxes. If it will support me, I will use it! I will even transition from one object to another without much thought these days – it is easier most of the time to not squat down, crawl a little, and then stand back up! I just wish I could climb up on to things. I keep trying, but I am just not tall enough!

I have also gained a dislike for clothes and diaper changes. This is because Mommy tries to keep me still and in one place. Doesn’t she know I want to be on the move whenever I am awake? I roll over and crawl away any chance I get. Unfortunately Mommy is faster than I am, so I always end up with a diaper back on before too long.

I love my bath time! I have learned to splash and make a big mess as a result. I soaked a towel and a bath mat yesterday! Daddy suggested I move to my bathroom as a result (it is almost done – hopefully by tomorrow I can use it). Maybe Mommy will let me take a bath in the big tub even! My pool is not so much fun. Even with all of my toys, I crawl out of it after about 5 minutes. Mommy suspects it is because I can crawl out of it, unlike my bathtub. But those five minutes I am in the pool are fun. I splash and crawl around until I get bored (and escape).

As for food, I am a big eater. Lately I have had one banana, two ice cubes of plum, two ice cubes of veggie, and one tablespoon on oatmeal each day. I have had apple, banana, plum, peas, green beans, carrot, and avocado plus rice, oatmeal, and barley cereals. The only one I am not a huge fan of is the plum – and that is fine if it is mixed with the banana. Next up is peaches!

Now, at night I am not a good sleeper. I will start off in my bed (around 7:30/8:00). By 10, I normally cry. Luckily for Mommy and Daddy, I am not fully awake and Mommy can get me back to sleep by rubbing my back. Then I wake up again around 11 because I am hungry. Normally I want to play too, so it is hard to get me back to sleep. So, I end up in bed with Mommy and Daddy. I wake up at least once (if not two or three times) more before 6am. Mommy is trying to work with me on this, but I am not so sure about it. She keeps mentioning how things will change when I get my own room in a few weeks… We will see…

I am still willing to let almost anyone hold me. Just don’t try to take me away from Mommy if I am hungry! If I am sleepy, it depends on my mood if I will let someone else hold me. Daddy is normally an okay replacement, but I am not always sure about others when it is close to sleepy time.

I still only have two teeth. I still drool and chew on everything, but I have no idea how much longer it will take for the next ones to come in. My hair keeps growing though! It is a reddish color these days. My eyes are a blue-green mix depending on what I am wearing.

Well, I better go. This bin of hangers looks like a fun place to play!

Love,
AJU5

Avocado!

So, AJU5 is now eating avocado. All I had to do was slice the avocado and freeze the slices before they went bad. I haven't mastered the freezing thought sticking issue yet though... I think I need to get some freezer paper before I freeze some more.

Because avocado is soft, I don't have to even mash it. I just break off small pieces and give them to her. Some times I use the spoon, other times I let her put it in her mouth (and make a mess).

Next food: Peaches (I made them yesterday - will start on Saturday)

Neighbors

Yesterday around 5pm AJU5 decided to be upset. The only problem was I had no idea what had made her so upset! The only thing that would keep her calm was holding her while standing up. So, we went for a short walk. We were on our way back when one of the neighbors drove by (and parked at their house). Their daughter - 7 yrs old) came running towards us saying "Hi AJU5" (well, not AJU5, but her name). So I started talking to her. Then her brother -3 - started crying so we went to see what the problem was (he had popped his balloon and was sad). Their mom invited me in and I ended up talking with them for about an hour. It was nice to have adult conversation. The funny part was they have a very gentle smaller (but not tiny) dog. AJU5 was not so sure about him. She cried for a while when he was close. So, I put her in my lap and he just sat there. Then, once they were both calm, I put her down. When ever he would come close, she would get this look on her face and back away. By the end of our time there she was getting more comfortable with him though. I am hoping she will get over her fear before too long. We don't have pets and aren't planning on having pets, but I don't want her to be afraid when she goes to my in-laws or is at a friend's house.


In other news:
We don't have a TV. We have cards in our computers to watch and record TV with though. The only problem is it isn't working! So, I haven't watched any of the Olympics. I keep reading posts about them, and I feel like I am missing so much! But, not having a TV keeps me from spend HOURS in front of it (instead I am in front of the computer a lot).

Oh - and Marianne asked when AJU5 started teething. Her first tooth poked through on June 4 - 10 days before she turned 6 months old. The other one poked through the next day. No more have appeared, although she drools a lot and chews on just about everything! We are waiting for number 3 and 4 to come any day now...

Last Day...

Technically, today is my last day as a full-time faculty member. So, it is also the last time I had to come to the office to work. Now I just need to move out of the office... Luckily, no one is moving in for the fall term. That means I have a while until I HAVE to have my things gone. The plan is to come once a week and box things up. When I have the chance, I will bring a box or two home (although it is hard to move things with AJU5). Hopefully we will have the office at home set up before the fall term starts (Sept 2 here). If not, I will survive!

We also had a lunch today for a fellow faculty member who is retiring for good. We sent to Sweet Tomatoes. It was my first time there, and I liked it. It wouldn't be a place AJU1 would like because of the lack of protein, but it was nice for lunch.Plus, AJU5 got lots of attention. Many of my colleagues are old enough to be grandparents if they aren't already - so they goo and gaa over her. It was fun.

Now to head home. AJU1 is out of town for work, so I think we will take it easy this evening.

An Eventful Weekend At Home

The first picture is AJU5 in her chair. I got it over a month ago from a neighbor - the first time I met them while on a walk. It had been theirs, then they have given in it to neighbors who had moved and left it, so we got it. She seems to like it. She can move the "pages" of the phone book and the clock to make music/noise - which she loves!

The second pictures is over AJU1 and 5 while we worked on installing new railing upstairs. We started yesterday and got it all installed (upstairs only) today. Nowe we just have to sand, stain, and finish the wood parts (it is wood with iron balusters).

The bottom picture is from today while she played in her pool. It was her first time in a real swimming suit. She isn't a huge fan of the pool after about 5 minutes, as she decides to crawl out about then, but otherwise she likes it.

Note: This post was written last night - but some how it didn't get posted. Oops!

Sleepy...

Last night we were out until after 10. Pastors and missionaries in the area were at our church for an association meeting, and we were helping out. That meant AJU5 did not go to bed as usual. Around 9:15 the "meeting" portion was done and the closing prayer ensued. As one of the missionaries started praying, I heard her moaning a little. A few seconds later I peaked to see how she was doing - and she was asleep. So, we stayed a little longer chatting and then left. Of course she woke up when I put her in her car seat. Then she woke up about 15 minutes after we got home. Finally around 11 we got her to sleep and we got to sleep. Today she has already had two naps, and it is only noon!

In other news, she decided to pull over the shredder yesterday. I expected this to happen eventually. But the weird thing is she just laid there. She didn't try to eat the paper pieces until I had 99% of it cleaned up! She is normally so quick to get paper.

I Guess We Hit Seperation Anxiety Stage?

AJU5 is very clingy these days. The worst part of it is trying to get her to sleep. She used to go down without too much of an issue - about 2-4 minutes of crying was it. Now she will cry and cry and cry until we get her out (even after 20 minutes she is still crying). I did get her to go down yesterday, but it wasn't easy. She wants to play on me, which is okay as long as I am not trying to work. The funny thing is that she loves attention. So, at work when I bring her to the main office she is happy! At church - Happy! At home - not so happy :(

Oh - funny story from last night at church! Our pastor's daughter got a lip piercing a month or two ago. AJU1 and I don't like it one bit (we are very conservative...). So, AJU5 crawled over to her and stood up against her chair. She picked AJU5 up and, per norm, AJU5 decided to play with her mouth. but she noticed the stud and was instantly interested in pulling it out! It was funny to watch her try and keep AJU5 away from it. My husband and I cracked up on the way home. We had jocked before about pulling it out - and our daughter tried to do it for us!

Ready to Go for a Ride!

I bought AJU5 a bike helmet yesterday. So I thought I would try it out on her so she could get used to wearing it. The first time on put it on (see top photo) I crossed the straps in the front. It took me a few minutes to realize that I shouldn't have crossed them (doh!). She seems to like it though. Now we just need to buy a bike trailer. The only problem is that they are EXPENSIVE! If you have one (or know someone who does), what kind is it and what do you think about it? I have looked at quite a few online, but I am still not sure what I want. The only musts for me are:
1. Able to hold two kids (if I am going to spend money on something, I want to be able to use it for a few years at least).
2. Must be able to convert to a stroller or jogging stroller (I don't run, so the jogging is not necessary).

Getting Big!

I am having a hard to accepting how tall AJU5 is getting. It may not be the actual height - but what she can reach these days. This morning (and note we have only been up for about 40 minutes) she has pulled things off of the desk, the filing cabinet, and the top of the bathtub (while I was in the shower). Very little is safe now! I am just surprised she hasn't hurt herself yet! She was chewing on my razor in the bathroom (I forgot to put it back in the shower last night after a bath), chewing on a chisel in the office (which my husband left on the filing cabinet for when he works on the doors), and tried to pull down our bin of mail. Luckily what she took from the desk was safe - an M&Ms wrapper. I guess it is time to work at baby proofing some more! Luckily we have kept a lot of the house baby-proofed by just not moving much in!

Blog the Recession

So, as a user of Google Reader, I understand the recession on blog stats. Unless you click to read the blog, you don't get a hit. So, what do I do: First, I only have it post part of the post. That way people who are interested in the post may come and actually read it. Second, I try to view the blogs if I am at least remotely interested. Now I realize I should open all of the blogs. The onesnI have been less interested in are the ones with lots of readers (commenters). But, these are normally the ones that make money off their blogs. So, I challenge everyone who reads this blog (which I know is only a few people) to click on any blogs you keep up with via an RSS feed for the month of August.

ClickHERE for more information on Blog the Recession!

Plums!

I made plums this week (Wednesday). First, I pealed them and put them in the pot to steam.

Then I pitted them and mashed them.

Finally, I put them in ice cube trays and froze them.

I put the little bit I had left after filling three trays in the fridge for AJU5's first taste. That night she ate all of her carrots and was still hungry. So I got the plums out and fed them to her. Her face made it clear that they were a little tart for her. So, I mixed in some banana. She seems to like the banana-plum mixutre. So, it is what she now gets for breakfast and lunch (with oatmeal occasionally added in). So what to try next? I want to do another veggie once we are almost out of carrots. Any suggestions?

Stairs...

I was going to post about making plum-sauce today, but the camera and the computer are not talking. And I took pictures when I made it, so I want to post them.

So, I will talk about stairs. AJU5 loves the stairs. She so wants to climb up and down them. Luckily, so far we have been fast enough to stop her. I know, we should have gates on them, but the railings (which we are replacing) are not strong enough to support the gates. So, we have to wait until the new railing is installed. We got the spindles (iron) today and should get the wood (hand rails and posts) next week. Then we can stain the wood and start installation! This is the last big project upstairs, so we are ready to get it done!