Sitting Up!

Katie is now 6 months and 2 weeks old...this was a big week for her! Friday she had her 6-month well baby checkup. Her weight is 15 lbs., 6 oz. Her length is 26-5/8". She has grown almost 2 inches in 2 months, and gained about a pound and a half. She is still on the "long and skinny" growth charts... she's about 70th percentile for length (meaning that out of 100 girl babies her age, she would be longer than 70 of them), but only in the 20th percentile for weight.

I swear I am really feeding her! She's got some nice chubby baby legs and we finally will move up to the next size diapers! She just isn't a big eater, but is really loving her solid foods, and enjoying all the new tastes and textures. She's getting 2 servings of cereal a day, plus at dinner we're trying all the veggies. So far she's had carrots, sweet potatoes and green beans and has loved everything she's tried. And of course, still enjoying "mother's milk" and some formula supplements.

We've been getting her to practice sitting, just by leaning her up against us while we're on the floor together. The bigger kids at daycare (meaning the 4-year-olds like Hannah here) have also been helping her practice. Last week she didn't like it much, but this week she's sitting up by herself! We can't really sit her down and walk away, because she eventually topples over. She gets so excited to be sitting and starts flapping her arms like a bird (that's what usually causes her to lose balance!).

This is Jack's last week for summer camp. He did great in all the new environments and going on field trips. He has had a fun summer, and I can't believe how fast it went by. He and Guy get to spend Friday together, so they are going to go see March of the Penguins. Then Saturday we're off to Salt Lake City for the week!

Pictures

I added links on the right for recent pictures of Katie and Jack in the Kodak Gallery. You shouldn't have to sign in to view them. I'll keep those links updated.

6 Months Old!

Katie turned 6 months old on Tuesday this week (Aug. 16). The first half of this year just flew by. Sitting, crawling, standing and ... WALKING are just right around the corner. We added some carrots to our evening cereal (not IN the cereal, just as an appetizer) and she eats a few bites and then gives me a look like, "OK lady, enough of the day-glo orange stuff, where's my oats?!" So, 6 months is about the time every baby should definitely be sleeping through the night, right? No need for nightly feedings, right? Someone tell that to Katie!

Katie is babbling a lot, with "dadadada" "mamamama" and "bababababa". Now she has discovered screaming at the top of her lungs. You think she's in real pain or something, but when you look at her she has a huge grin on her face. The louder her noise, the happier she is.

Jack came home from camp last night with his face painted with stripes, dots and squiggles and his hair gelled into prickly points. It was so cute! They made a movie at camp, although I was still a little unclear on the plot. It involved the woods and Dum Dum suckers. Jack is smitten with one of his camp counselors, Shannon. He drew a picture of him and Shannon together on TV. When Shannon asked him what the yellow thing she's holding is, he told her, "It's a flower. Do you know who gave it to you?" She said, "No, who?" Then Jack got all shy and whispered, "Me!" He is very sweet.

New Pic

I'm still trying to figure out posting pics on this blog site. I may just have to link to ANOTHER photo site. But here's one great one of Jack and Katie.

All's Well at the Beach

Well, the beach trip was fantastic (according to Jack, who really doesn't say much). His sand toys were covered with sand, so he got some good use out of them. I sent a bunch of extra sand containers, and hinted to him that sharing the containers would be a good way to start a conversation with new friends (he's having a little bit of a problem with this). So anyway, no bus rollovers, no calls on my cell saying, "We lost yer kid!" and no sunburns! Jack's highlights were 1) Building a dam in the little "river" that flows into the ocean; 2) Earning a treat at Dairy Queen because he didn't get any marked warnings from the camp counselors and 3) getting his own seat on the school bus so he could lay down and take a nap. Playing at the beach is so tiring!

Field Trips

Jack finished his summer day camps at the MJCC where he has been since the end of June and started again this week at the day camp at the Garden Home Rec Center. He kept asking, "When am I going back to Garden Home?" so I'm glad he's somewhere he likes. After 5+ years of going to the JCC every day for care, day camps and preschool, I think it's stranger for me not go there than him. But tomorrow will be a test of nerves, sort of. The thing that attracted me to this camp was the exciting field trips to places all over the Portland area. But tomorrow they are going all the way to Cannon Beach. At first, Guy and I planned on keeping him home that day ("no WAY are they taking our baby to the beach - without a car seat no less!!"). But the trip is all Jack talks about, so we can't not let him go. I told Mom I would be worried and she said, "Well, you're just going to have to be worried!" Indeed. I guess I'm going to have to get used to worrying as Jack grows up and heads out in to the world more often without us. I'll try to keep any images of careening school buses, carseat-less 5-year-olds and wandering children out of my head for the day. What I'll look forward to seeing is Jack's slightly sunburned cheeks, wind-tossed hair, sandy legs and big smile when he gets back safe and sound.

Toys, Toys, Toys

We are drowning in toys. It seems there are just never enough. We saved all of Jack's baby toys, and a few I decided to give to Goodwill once I re-examined them when Katie came along (the ones he never seemed interested in, anyway). But Katie seems more interested in what Jack passed up as boring. The exersaucer, for instance.

We didn't buy it for Jack until he was over 6 months old, and by then he was more interested in sitting up and dumping over his toy box. Luckily Katie LOVES it and is giving us our money's worth in entertainment. She's not crazy about the Jumparoo (yet). She is trying her best to pry the little plastic kangaroo from the tray, though. Her mission in life seems to be to put everything she sees, hears or touches into her mouth.