I Got a New Toy!

I bet you cannot guess what I got for my birthday.  Here is a hint...I made this:



Second hint:  I did not get a baby for my birthday :)

Happy Four (and a half) Month Old

There has not been too much excitement this week.  Wes was out of town Monday and Tuesday.  I will be going back to work next week.  Fortunately, I will only be working three days a week.

Rachel has been happily playing as usual these days. 

She has finally discovered her feet and likes to hold onto them.

 

 

She is also capable of drooling more than you would expect relative to her size (sometimes with a little milk mixed in).

 

 

Rolling Over

Rachel started rolling over from her back to her tummy last week. Now, she is rolling over whenever we put her in her crib and when she wants to get to a toy.

Sometimes the rolling is very tiring...she seems to have fallen asleep mid-roll.


Here is how the roll goes: Step 1 - See the toy I want.

Step 2 - Roll to the toy.

Step 3 - Arrive on my stomach at the toy and try to eat it/drown it in drool (not pictured).

When not rolling around, Rachel still enjoys concentrating on her toys, spending time on her tummy and sitting in her bumbo.

First Trip to the Zoo

It was finally a reasonably cool day in Houston (overcast with a high only around 85!) so Rachel and I headed to the zoo. I have been wanting to go all summer, but it was just too darn hot. She is still a little young to fully appreciate the experience, but it is a great place to get some fresh air and expose her to new sights, sounds and smells. We both had a great time.

Rachel was very happy to look forward from her stroller - a completely new outlook on the world.

We started in the primates - there are tamarins in there behind Rachel.


Rachel loved watching the fish in the aquarium.

After all that excitement, it was time for a nap.

All rested and ready to see more


We enjoyed the elephants and giraffes. Both exhibits had cute babies.

At the end of the afternoon, we checked out the flamingos and then headed home.

We got a membership to the zoo so we will be going back frequently when the weather is nice. It is not the biggest or best zoo I have been to, but it is a nice place for a walk and for Rachel to see some exciting wildlife.

Four Months Old

As of Sunday, Rachel is officially four months old. We went to the doctor today and had a great visit. Rachel got some shots again and barely cried. The nurse said she took it better than most babies do.

Here are her official statistics:

Weight 14 pounds 6.5 ounces (65th percentile)
Length 25 inches (74th percentile)

After a nap at home, she was feeling very happy. She was not sleepy like she was the last time she had shots.


Rachel is also getting better at enjoying her bath time and her drying time. She used to strongly dislike both.

Labor Day in Mandeville

We had a great time visiting my family in Mandeville for Labor Day weekend. Angela came in from Birmingham and Richard was in from Hattiesburg. We spent most of the time hanging out at the house.

On the way into town on Friday, we stopped by Oma's school for a visit. We were a bit later than planned so we did not get to see the other teacher...hopefully we will next time!

On Saturday, we went to Abita Springs for a tour of the Abita Beer Brewery and then lunch at the brew pub. It was one of the best brewery visits we have been to in a long time. Rachel took a nap while we were there.

After all the beer and good food, we decided to go for a walk on the lake front on Saturday afternoon. Rachel enjoyed spending time outside and all the beautiful trees.

On Sunday, we took some family pictures in the backyard since we were all home at the same time.




On Sunday evening, Wes and I had dinner with my good friend Stephanie and her family. Her kids Brody and Courtney are already 7 and 6 years old!
Here are some other fun pictures from the weekend of Rachel with Angela and with her Opa.

Tummy Time

Rachel wanted me to let everyone know that she is still loving her tummy time.


She is getting so good at it, she can even go hands free!

Evolution of a Bumbo Sitter

Just for fun, here are 3 pictures of Rachel sitting in her Bumbo:

June 22


July 23

September 1

It is exciting to see how fast Rachel is growing.

September Already?

I cannot believe it is already September! Rachel has been doing well lately - almost 4 months old.

These days, she has been enjoying her tummy time. She rolls over very rarely, but it looks like she will get better at it soon.


Rachel is spending a little more time in the Bumbo these days. She likes to just sit or try to eat her toys. As you can see, Maya likes to watch these activities at a safe distance so she does not meet the same fate as the blue elephant.


We have been starting the transition to her own room by putting her in her big crib for naps. She protests sometimes, but mostly she seems to like it.

Rachel also enjoys putting things on her face...here she is during play time with a book on her face (getting a really close look) and after nap time in her crib peeking out from under her little lamb blanket.


Here is Rachel after her bath recently - all nice and clean.


With football season starting, Wes has taken it upon himself to make sure that Rachel learns all there is to know about the sport. He explains the plays to her while playing Madden.