Listening

While Etta was in the bath this morning:

Mommy: Okay Etta, when you are done with your bath we need to put on medicine and lotion and then trim your fingernails and toenails.

Pause...

Mommy: Etta, what did I just say we are going to do?

Etta: Make pancakes!

Nice.

I Wanna Be Like You-oo-oo

Etta is a daddy's girl. Hands down. Anything and everything Bob does Etta would like to emulate.

For example: Bob wears this hat when he has to walk the dogs in the rain.



And as soon as we got home from a family walk in the rain, (Note: the kids were in our new double stroller that is pretty rain proof and toasty - to the point that both of them have fallen asleep in it two out of the four or so times we've taken it out) Etta wanted to put it on.

And everyday Bob brings up his hangers from the shower and hooks them to his dresser knobs for future use. One day Etta had to un-hang six of her own shirts so that she could hang her hangers like daddy. On daddy's dresser. Not her own.



Bob is the one that noticed the pattern. Nice.

A New Friend

We have added a couple of kids to our play group. Easton was born October 15th and so he is about six weeks younger than Mae. His mom said that she got him weighed yesterday and he is at 19 pounds 3 ounces. We will get Mae weighed next week and I'll let you know the comparison.

What interesting thing is going on over there?



Okay, we guess we will look at you for a minute.



Of course Mae has her legs drawn up. It seems to be her favorite way to lay. Which is ironic since her truly favorite thing is to be either straight as a board upright while you are holding her or in her walker. Go figure.

[This picture reminds me of when our play group first started and our "play dates" consisted of grown up mommy talk and snacks and immobile children...]

Sharing a Room

This morning Mae woke up much earlier than usual and was cooing away. Bob went in to see if he could restart her "sea horse", put in the pacifier and lull her back to sleep. As soon as he opened their bedroom door Etta called out "Mae keeps talking to me!!" I about busted a gut. So we brought Mae in to snuggle with us in hopes that Etta would fall back asleep. About five minutes later she bursts into our room and announces, "I'm ALL DONE sleep! It's day time!! Time to be awake!!!" Gotta love those girls.

Mmmmmmmmm

Last Sunday I started rice cereal with Mae. I think that she had been going through a growth spurt as our regular six ounces just wasn't getting the job done. Thankfully she loves to eat the cereal. Off of a spoon. It goes way faster than when she takes a bottle...

Yummy!

More, please!

Yes, I like it. Even if I'm not smiling.

Play time

Mae is loving the floor gym. She attacks it with wild abandon.

What cha doin?

Etta is very interested in Caleb's Leapster. Especially when he's playing Nemo, "'Cause dat's my FAVORITE!"

New Stroller

One fall we borrowed this jogger/bike trailer from a friend to do a section of Rails to Trails. We loved using it but her boys were still the right size and they weren't quite ready to part with it. Not too big of a deal since I spent all last summer unable to be on a bike. But now those boys are big and I am ready to bike - and run - again. They graciously GAVE us the trailer! It is in great condition and we are ready to use it. Etta even said, "Mae can sit here by me." Phew!

Testing it out last weekend. It is still kind of cold, but we didn't walk very far.

Fun at school

Monday the stars aligned and we were able to go visit Bob at Whitman without it being a rushed, stressful-for-mommy event. The keyboards are set up for music so Etta was able to play while we talked and I fed Mae.

Until she said it was "not working" and daddy had to save the day.

Doesn't it look like she could already be in school? Sigh.

Super Bowl & Super Grandma

On Sunday we headed up to Steve & Cathy's for chips. Oh yeah, and the Super Bowl. Etta took her Snuggie (that she got for Christmas from Grandma Cynthia - with monkeys of course) because Grandma Cathy has a Snuggie.



Etta did really well. Ate three kinds of chips, grapes and half a cheese burger. Watched a bit of the first quarter but then played with her cars. It was a nice afternoon.

Buried Alive!!

Etta needs a looooooooooooong list of items to go to sleep. Some nights we can't see the girl for the goods!

Playing

Well, it's not really playing yet, but we are getting closer. Mae loves it when ever Etta hangs out anywhere close to her.

Five Month Annibirthery

Mae is 5 months old today! I can't believe it. Time is definitely going faster this time than it did with Etta.

No stats to report as it is not a well-baby check this month. But an update is in order I guess.

We have settled into a fairly good, consistent routine. That she is now showing signs up shaking up. Although it is just a couple of changes with when she first wakes up in the morning. She is still liking three naps a day with a couple hours of awake time in between. Still working for me!

Mae has really discovered her toes and her tongue. Both things that I would really like to get on video but know if I try to go get the camera she will stop doing. I guess I could probably just get the camera out and ready and try to catch something. (Since we have zero video minutes of her so far...)

Loving being around Big Sister. More than Big Sister is loving having her around. But it is getting better. With a bit more "mobility" (through sitting in the Bumbo and the walker) Etta seems to enjoy spending time with her more. I hope that this will continue.

Planning on starting rice cereal in a couple of weeks. Slow start and see how she likes it.

And...not much else that I can think of right now. Not really rolling. Some front to back and some extreme twisting when on her back. But she prefers to "scootch" around on her back to get anywhere. But she doesn't seem that interested in getting anywhere.

"Talking" more than Etta ever did. Lots of screeches and such. My mom has even been able to hear a few of those. Again, would try to get on video or to more people over the phone - but she never does it when I want her to. Darn kids!

She is still smiling quite a bit. More than the above picture captures.

I was trying to get her to stretch out her legs to get a good length shot. That made her look at me quizzically and stop smiling....

Toes

Mae has discovered that she has some. And she loves them!