Video Roundup

Dear Quinn,
Amidst all the holiday hubbub and busy couple of weeks, you have made incredible progress.  Your babbles now regularly include consonants.  Whether or not it has any connection to him, we don't know, but either way your Daddy is thrilled that you will now say, "Dada." 

After weeks of determination and frustration, you are now officially crawling.  For the first couple of days you were putting your hands on the ground and hopping a bit, but you have since perfected your form by bending your knees.

You are everywhere and into everything! 

Your teacher tells me that you have started a trend at school of hanging out underneath your crib.  You allow other babies to follow you in, but will not tolerate them going under there first or without you.  I prefer to think of it as you demonstrating your natural leadership ability.  

Elsewhere in the mobility department, you have been using the furniture (or us, or whatever else is available) to pull yourself up to a stand.  You love to stand up and practice your balance! 

 Also, I think it is finally safe to say that you are sleeping through the night.  Thank you, Quinn!

And last but not least, two adorable things you do that I want to remember. 

1. Lately, whenever I carry you down the stairs, you hold on to me with both hands and squeal with glee.  You enjoy being startled too... I think we have a little thrill seeker on our hands. 

2. You are really into the book, Peedie by Oliver Dunrea.  Every time I read it to you, you continually turn around to smile at me and lay your head against my chest - your little version of a hug. 

And now to post a bunch of videos before they get too old:

Playing peekaboo in the Wawa parking lot:

Talking with your mouth full:

Time to lower the crib:

No more puffs:

I can't believe you will be eight months old in a few days.  We love you, sweet girl!

Video RoundUp: Food Edition

Dear Quinn,
This past weekend I did another audit of your clothes and added to the ever-expanding collection of things you have out-grown.  We also retired some of your equipment (goodbye for now, bouncy seat, Bumbo, and bath sling) and got some new stuff out of storage.

We are so lucky that our loved ones provided for all your needs so generously - and that they thought so far beyond your newborn days. (To all of our friends and family who are reading this, please know how much we appreciate it.)  It is so much fun to go "shopping" in your toybox, dress you in a new outfit or read you a new book from your little library. 

Whenever I need something, it is usually waiting for you in your fully-stocked nursery. Now that the time for real food has arrived, it was so helpful to already have little bowls and special spoons, sippy cups and bibs - and things I didn't even know existed, like the mesh feeder that allows you to safely eat chunks of fresh fruit.

Lately you have been developing such a sophisticated little palate.  So far you have enjoyed peas, carrots, butternut squash, avocado, pears, watermelon, mango, bananas and sweet potatoes.  To say that pears are your favorite would be an understatement.  When we cannot shovel pears into your face fast enough, you crawl into our laps and chase the spoon with your mouth.

Tonight your daddy put together your high chair (thank you, Aunt Annette!) and I learned another valuable lesson in parenting: it is much easier to feed you while you are strapped into a chair. No more sweet potato smudges on Mommy's glasses! 

Here are 2 short videos of you trying out your high chair - and one of you getting your first drink of (bath)water.  You are hilarious, Quinn!  We love you so much. 

Video Roundup

A long video of you doing crunches and playing with your squeaky triangle (2:12): 

A short video of you playing with your Daddy (11 seconds): 

 A long video of you eating peas for the first time (1:58):

A short video of  you being tickled (25 seconds):

Video Roundup

Dear Quinn,
It's been awhile since I posted some videos - here are some of my favorites from the month of March.

 March 2 - You playing in your Jumperoo for the very first time:

Playtime with Mommy:

March 15 - Playing Rocketship with Daddy:

March 20 - Your second attempt at rice cereal - success! 

Cereal Time!

Dear Quinn,
For the past couple of weeks you have been showing a lot of interest in food.  You stare at us while we eat, lick your lips and excitedly wheel your little arms and legs.

I had been reading that four months was the proper time to introduce rice cereal, but we all know that you are a very advanced baby. You just seemed ready.

Just to be sure, I reached out to your cousin Kristin, a Clinical Feeding Specialist, mom to a very chubby baby, and the brain behind Toddlers and Tomatoes, to see if she thought it was ok.  She said to go for it!

After careful consideration, (and a little mourning over the fact that you would no longer be "exclusively breastfed") I finally decided I was ready to try.  Of course this decision happened to correspond with a torrential downpour, but your Daddy ran to the store anyway just to get it for you.  

You took it better than we expected, and I think that with more practice you are going to love getting fed from a spoon.  I doubt any cereal actually made it into your little belly, but we all had fun - and that's all that matters for now.  Thank you for giving us another wonderful memory, baby girl!  We love you so very much. 

So here it is, Quinn - your first experience with "food," and the first of many very messy mealtimes: