One more...

Plenty of news tonight!

Xaris fell asleep earlier than normal today and I'm starting to drift off while I type, but...

here's one last update!

Xaris got a jumper!

She's a little short for it still, but has figured out how to turn 360 degrees to get to all the toys, and has decided that she likes this contraption.

She realized that she was doing this all by herself...and that pleased her!

So much fun!

My favorite photo.

I'm off to bed (sleep while baby sleeps). I still plan on posting some video soon--I just haven't uploaded them to the computer yet. I'll give it a try sometime soon. Have a good week and happy October!

3 Girls

Friday we got to spend the day with friends! Both Luis and Rebecca were in math conferences, so Claudia and Chiara came to play with Xaris and I all day long.

The day's events included:

Pulling ALL the toys out of the baby's room

(but not playing with them)

Grilled cheese sandwiches and grapes for lunch

(while watching a movie!)

Playtime at the Arboretum while waiting for Tio

(Ricardo) to get done with work

Back home: Coloring and painting pictures for mama

(and Xaris did one for Gramama)

Chicken nuggets, apples and carrots for dinner

(with another movie!)

Way too fun!

But I was exhausted because the previous night Xaris slept very little

(which means I was cranky all night and tired all day).

Normally she sleeps great, she has been fairly consistent from day one...but we have had a couple of rough nights here and there and unfortunately this was one such occasion.

They were angels and had so much fun with Xaris. She was a little overwhelmed at first--while they were very gentle and sweet, she was still startled by so many hands near her little face.

I don't blame them though--her cheeks are irresistible!

Cute girls in a pumpkin patch!

Picking out their pumpkins.

We ended up getting different ones. They had to carry them, and they thought the little baby pumpkins were cute, so we chose those ones instead.

Xaris watching the big girls, jealous of their mobility skills and thinking she could just jump down and run with them.

Some firsts and new tricks

It's been so long since I blogged, sorry! Life has gotten a little crazy, and I'm wondering if it will slow down anytime before the holidays are done. Still my favorite time of the year, but it does get a little nuts.

Speaking of nuts...here are a few updates in a nutshell.

First time for the toes in the mouth...at least it was after the bath so the toes are clean.

So serious...but crawling is tough work and takes concentration!

Bundled up for her first cold day experience

Finished a pumpkin hat for a little friend

First shower!

First mini-mission trip work day.

Fail

So...10 on 10 didn't work out so well. I didn't finish! I got some good shots in the morning, but the day just got away from me and I didn't finish.

Good thing November has a tenth too, so I get another shot at it.

Bundled up for a morning walk at the lake!

Good wind for some boating!

I loved this day. So gray. Perfect.

f i v e

Our darling girl is 5 months old today!

Here's her cupcake shot...

Yes, that is a spoon in her hand. No, she didn't get any cupcakes, but we've been letting her play with spoons and feeding her a little milk with a spoon so she gets used to it by the time we are ready to try cereal and other good stuff. This way, she's not learning new foods at the same time as new methods of eating.

Yes, she is sitting on her own!

Not very well, in fact, before the picture session, she toppled and bonked her head a little...not very much, but enough to make her sad for about 15 seconds. Might have just been drama...she stopped crying really quickly.

But, she is getting steadier and steadier, and refuses to lay back in her stroller most of the time now, she wants to be up and on her own.

Yes, she is in the cutest sailor dress ever--Thank you Tia Kira!

Other news, adventures, and firsts:

First time being carried in an aguallo from Bolivia. She didn't like it laying down, but maybe she would if she was sleeping. Upright she didn't seem to care too much.

Eating everything: her stroller...

Her shoe, when mama's not around. Papa thought it was cute.

Another grand adventure to the pumpkin patch with friends today!

Along with preferring sitting up to laying down, she also prefers walking to sitting.

Here we are, walking around the pumpkin patch.

Sitting again, on a Xaris-sized bench, with a Xaris-sized pumpkin.

Which...she wanted to eat.

She wanted to eat the giant ones too.

Nightly routine, walking around and around the house with daddy before bath-time, eating-time, and sleepy-time. Only way to wear her out...I'm starting to think this girl needs a jumper or exersaucer.

On monday she rolled over from back to tummy...about 5 times!! I didn't get to see it (it was during the 3 hours a week she has a babysitter while I'm in staff meeting), but her babysitter had her camera and happened to record it so I watched it later. She doesn't seem inclined to show her papa though, so we're still trying to get our own recording...

All in all...happy baby, and such a delight as she grows. She also learned one new game this week, but I have it on video, so I won't tell you what it is until I can upload it. Too cute!