Crib Baby

I am getting big.  I am getting so big in fact that I have outgrown my bassinet.  I no longer sleep in the same room as mommy and daddy.  I have officially graduated to my own room and crib.  I have been there for a few nights now.  The first couple of nights mommy slept in the room with me just to make sure I was going to sleep okay.  She made a bed out of the cushions from the downstairs couch.  A single bed sheet fits them just perfectly.  She said they are very comfortable.  

I knew that I was getting ready to outgrow the bassinet because in the middle of the night I would try to stretch out and my hands and feet would touch the sides.  I would get frustrated and kick my feet and the whole bassinet would shake.  I am much more comfortable in my crib.  The mattress is comfortable and I have plenty of room to scoot around on my back and roll over to my tummy.  In fact, the last two mornings and once last night when mommy came in to get me, I was on my tummy.  I think I would prefer to sleep on my tummy, but all the 'experts' say that I shouldn't just yet.  Sometimes I try to sneak it in during naps while mommy or daddy can keep an eye on me.  

Eye Opener (by Mommy)

Chris and I saw a family yesterday with a baby boy.  This baby looked to be around two weeks old because he was all curled up in his car seat and slept very soundly.  He was very tiny.  He also had a sore on the top of his head that I assumed was from one of the sensors they commonly use during child birth to monitor how the baby is doing.  We were impressed that they were already out and about with a baby of that age.  Of course, this was their second child because they had a little girl with them who was about 3 or 4.  We thought that this was a good sign that it will get easier with subsequent children.  

As a new mom, I felt a connection with the other mom and went over and asked her baby's age.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic because Sophie is changing so quickly.  She is no longer a newborn and this baby surely was.  She said 'two months--today.'  I wanted to say 'don't you mean two weeks?' because I was shocked.  Luckily, right away she asked how old my baby was.  I hope I was able to hide the shock with my response and I told her 'two AND A HALF months...' That is only TWO weeks older than this baby!  We told each other how cute the other's baby was and the conversation ended there as someone else came over to talk with the family.  I was relieved because I didn't know what else to say to her.  

This was such an eye opener to both Chris and I.  We have come to realize why people say that Sophie is so 'alert' and aware of her surroundings when they find out her age.  The image of this baby has stayed with me since.  I suppose that there may be many reasons why the baby looked so much younger than Sophie, but this is probably the most logical.  Sophie was born two weeks late, so she had more time to develop in the womb.  This baby boy could have been born pre-mature which means he was much smaller than Sophie at birth and needs some time to catch up.  Whatever the reason, all babies develop at different rates and we are very happy and PROUD that Sophia is ours.  

 

Independent Tummy Time

Guess what I did today?  I rolled over onto my tummy all by myself.  Daddy had just given me a bath and I was wrapped up in my froggy towel.  I was laying on the floor and daddy was sitting next to me.  I rolled onto my side just like I have been doing for a couple of weeks now, but this time I was able to get my arm out of the way and I ended up on my tummy.  I laid there for a few minutes.  I was very comfortable and content.  I think I am going to enjoy laying on my tummy.  

On the move

Well, grandma and grandpa flew back home yesterday and the house seems really empty, well, besides all of my things that take up space in the living room right now.  What to do now?  I think I will work on trying to get around by myself.  As you can see, I am determined to do just that.  My legs are strong, but my coordination isn't quite there yet.  Mommy keeps telling me that I need to learn to sit up by myself or crawl before I can walk.  I just don't think I have the patience.  When I am laying down, I raise my head and legs to try to get enough leverage to sit up.  Sometimes mommy helps me by letting me hang onto her fingers and I take full advantage of this help by quickly straightening my legs and jumping to standing.  I'd like to see what all of you think.  Let me know by taking the new poll.  (By the way Cheese burger and shake tied with Bottle in the last poll.  I still haven't taken a bottle.  I may just go straight to eating cereal with a spoon and drinking out of a sippy cup!)

Food

Oh, I forgot to mention that we took grandma and grandpa to one of mom and dad's favorite restaurants when we were all in downtown Seattle.  It is called Pan Africa Market.  They ordered two dishes between the four of them and shared.  The dishes were Chicken with Apricots and Dates and Chicken Groundnut.  The first dish's ingredients are pretty much self explanatory.  It is mixed together in a sweet creamy sauce.  The Chicken Groundnut has Chicken and yams in a peanut sauce.  All the dishes are served with a yummy salad that changes quite often.  This time it had spinach, strawberries and oranges with some sort of sweet mustard dressing.  Grandpa thought the combination of flavors were 'different' but they grew on him.  Grandma thought it was quite yummy.

For dessert we bought some chocolate dipped macaroons from a vendor in the market.  They waited to eat them until later in the day.  I have heard they are some of the best macaroons around.  Mommy would like to find a recipe that is similar to these so she can make them at home.  

Fish, Boats and Water

The theme for today:  Fish, Boats and Water.  Grandpa has been wanting to have some good fish and chips so today we drove over to Alki Point and ate at Spuds.  They have some of the best fried fish in the area.  They don't skimp on the cod and it isn't dripping with grease like some.  After lunch we hung out on the beach and listened to the water lap up on the shore.  It was really relaxing and it made me sleepy.  We had fun watching boats go in and out of the sound.  We also watched people put kayaks in the water and paddle around.  

It was a pretty and sunny day.  We were able to see Mount Rainier as we drove over the West Seattle bridge back towards Seattle.  It was still a little hazy, but this was the first view of the mountain that we have had since they have been here.  

Our next stop was the Ballard Locks also known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.  This is where boats can move between the salt water of Puget Sound and the fresh water of Lake Washington.  The locks also have a fish ladder where salmon come to spawn.  We arrived at the viewing room just in time to hear the park ranger give a talk on the Coho Salmon that are spawning this time of year.  We saw some big 30 pound fish swimming against the current in the viewing windows and we saw little salmon (called smolt) being pushed back out of the ladders so they can live to grow big and return again in a few years.  

The last thing we did before we left was watch boats come into the locks and travel from the sound to the lake.  The boats drive into the locks, the gates close and water floods into the locks.  This makes the boats rise to the level of the lake.  Then the gate on the lake side of the locks opens and the boats drive away.  Given the size of the locks and the amount of water that goes in and out, this all happens surprisingly quick.  It was another fun day playing tourist with Grandma and Grandpa.