Lovin' Life!

When I went to title this week's thread, I glanced at Delanie's face for inspiration. But, I guess you could say that all three of us are lovin' life right now!

Delanie is in such a great stage of life - she is at that point where she is relatively happy all day long. We get her, she gets us. Now, don't get me wrong, she still has her moments, but overall, she is just so much fun! For instance, today, she gave me a hug and for the first time, I felt her hands clutching my back. Priceless.

Because she is happy, we are starting to do more. Last Friday, we went to an artsy outdoor puppet show at the Museum of Art. You can lay out your blanket and bring a picnic to watch the show while the sun sets. Dave and I will admit, we have avoided many events that require 2 hours of quiet and calm up until now. Well, Delanie loved it! She loved the different music she could hear, she loved the kids running around beside her, she loved some of the lighting effects she could see. I guess you know you are smack dab in the middle of parenthood when you pay $12 admission to WATCH YOUR CHILD WATCH something!

Delanie and I also went to our ongoing fitness class. Except now, Delanie is the oldest baby in the group! And, she was quite entertaining! She has this amazing screeching sound that as beautiful as it sounds, is quite loud. She will literally screech the entire hour! These other new moms with their little
10 week old sleeping bundles do not know what to think! She is so funny, she cracks herself up half the time!

Delanie's cousin Skylar came over this week to play with Delanie so I could get some housework and one teensy nap in. It was such a blessing to have a little help from Skylar and Aunt Sarah, we dread carving a lot of time out of our weekends for housework!

Deanna tracks out of school on the 26th, we head on vacation the 28th (Delanie's 6 month mark). We will catch everyone up to speed when we return in October!

Labor Day Weekend

Well, when you decide to be a religious blogger, a few weeks without an update really kills people! But, technology issues trumped all my best efforts. Our computer coughed a little then died after only 5 years - I think the lifespan of a hamster is longer and they only cost $15. Then our second computer came down with a nasty virus and I am not sure she is back to her old self yet.

Labor Day Weekend was wonderful! Deanna's family was in town, including Delanie's Mimi, Uncles Nick and DJ and Auntie Justine. Delanie got a lot of attention and laughs!

We spent Saturday at Wet and Wild waterpark. It was a lot of fun,
and Delanie was great. She loves watching kids run around, so this apparently was the place for her! She also spent some time in the baby pool, which is only 9 inches deep. Also where, incidentally, her mom proceeded to skim her knee on the bottom and visit the first aid station... There was also a baby wave pool, but the water was a little cooler.

Delanie has really grown to enjoy eating her solids. We cannot tell if this is because the new tastes and colors are so exciting, or if she just finds herself more entertaining. She has learned how to gurgle pears, spit out applesauce, make motorboat noises with prunes,
chew her fingers with a mouthful of peas, and stick carrots up her nose.
Don't worry, we are enjoying this show as much as she loves performing!

Our Little Lanie Bug!

Now, ever since a coworker (Jackie A) started calling Delanie Lanie Bug, it has sorta stuck with us at home too. So here is Lanie Bug in some of her Ladybug outfits!

These shorts say "Little Stinker!!"

And yes, these are size 12 mo. PANTS!! We wore them for the first time on Friday, but clearly we should have just worn them sooner, as they are shorts on this tall girl!

5 Months Old!

Today is a big day for me! I turned 5 months old at 9:20 this morning!


I spent last weekend at the beach on a little overnight date with Caleb (completely supervised, don't worry). We had lots of fun playing on the blanket under the umbrella while the adults got some sun. I also went into the Atlantic Ocean for the first time - the water was beautiful! We went to the aquarium when the sun got too hot, so it really was a perfect weekend.

Today, Mommy and I have been home together enjoying the 5 month
milestone. We went to exercise class and also walked around the mall for a bit before heading home. I am currently jumping up and down in my exersaucer - I seem to have just figured out how to make lots of noise and movement at once!!

As you can see from these pictures, I am now sitting up! This makes me soooo happy! Not only am I quite proud of myself, it allows me to avoid tummy time AND back time! I can reach all sorts of toys, and am strong enough to lean forward and then sit back up straight.

The first pic is of me perfecting what Mommy and Daddy have
affectionately named my "tripod" pose. The second pic is of me
feeling my TWO teeth, which is still quite fascinating. And the third pic was taken about 20 minutes ago. It shows a) how good I am at sitting up and b) how beautiful my smile is!! My parents swear I get better looking by the second!

What else is new at 5 months? Well, I am eating solids twice a day now. I have prunes and rice cereal for breakfast (enjoyed by infants and grandpas around the world), veggies and rice cereal for dinner. So far, I like green beans the most.

I also LOVE hearing my name! I look right up when someone says it,
as it really catches my attention.

I weigh in at 19 lbs now, but I think I am finally starting to slow down, since thats less than a pound in 3 weeks.

Well, thats it from me this month, we'll post again soon!

Beach Trip

Here are a few pictures taken this weekend with Delanie and Caleb at Carolina Beach:

Food Food Food

I finally had my 4 month appointment, here are my stats:
weight - 18 lbs, 3 oz
height - 27"
head - don't remember
shots - painful

Dr. Schoffner said I am above the 97th percentile for both height and weight. At least I am proportionate!

I have had a little bit of a rough week, and I am becoming quite frustrated that I cannot express myself in English (I have no problems being verbal, just having people understand Delanie Dialect).

My shots were painful and gave me a fever, so I spent 24 hours on tylenol. I was so drowsy I could only cry about the pain between long naps.



When I started complaining about my teeth hurting, Mom stuck a wooden spoon in my mouth.




And when I thought I couldn't take any more pain or pressure, Dad decided I needed some more solids!

So, to sum up my week, the doctor said I was still a larger-than-life baby and my personality is really poking its way out as I try to express my emotions!

First Week of August

Our big update this week is the little tooth that has wiggled its way out of Delanie's gums! It is her bottom left tooth, and her parents will vouch for the fact that it is quite sharp. Delanie is very impressed with the little tooth herself, as she has her hand in her mouth to play with it ALL THE TIME! She even has a few sore spots on her hands where she has sucked too much. We decided to put the tooth to work, here is Delanie attempting to eat solids. Maybe the tooth is just a good goalie, though, because very little actually stayed in her mouth.

When we get to the pool, we have a blast! Of course, it's hard to find
time to go now that work and daycare dictate our week. Delanie loves to kick in the water, she actually made her little float go across the pool with us swimming alongside her. And she actually enjoyed these sunglasses, as the bright sun is too much for those STILL BLUE eyes!



If you are following along with this blog, you will know that Delanie
has long outgrown her tub, among other things. Well, we purchased this bath pillow for her to lay in, and we love it. She can splash around in the water and her head stays dry. Here she is showing us how flexible she is in her tub (PG style).