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!

Punkin in the Pumpkins

Grandmama and Taita were here for the weekend!

We went to the Arboretum for the opening day of their fall festival, which means

pumpkins everywhere!

Xaris met pumpkins for the first time.

What is this thing?

She did try to eat it a couple of times...

Then she decided she had found a friend.

So many!

Surrounded!

Favorite picture.

Playing peek-a-boo in the pumpkin house

Those were some really big pumpkins...look at our little girl!

Getting lost in the maze with daddy!

Kira would be proud...

Xaris went to the art museum!

Actually, a lot of us went.

Thursdays are family nights, and it's free after 5pm.

So, Leslie and Jack Henry, Debra and John Marshall, and me and Xaris Sofia all decided to go to the museum. Leslie's sister Sara brought her daughter Leah, and a friend (expecting a boy due in December), so we made quite the posse of mammas, strollers, and babies!

Here's our group shot...funny story.

I took a picture of everyone else, but we wanted one with me in the picture too, so we asked a "gallery supervisor" (his name tag said so) to take a picture of us. He took my camera, took a slick photographer's stance balancing the camera steady on his arm, and took a long time to finally snap a shot...and it's horrible! Out of focus, and with some guy halfway in the photo!

Ha ha!! I'm not sure an art museum is the right place for him!

Our sweet girl and her two boyfriends. Marshall (4 weeks older) is still double her weight at a whopping 25 pounds! (he's in the middle stroller). Jack is at about 17, but only 1 inch longer than X.

I dig Marshall's chubs. Look at those cheeks! So tempting.

Debra and John Marshall learning about texture...

Leslie and Jack Henry were reading books...

Xaris Sofia and I learned about texture while making a rubbing--her first artwork!

I might just have to frame it.

La Sofi...she really liked the shells.

Babies on the floor!

We sort of took over the area, and when we left we noticed the sign that said "this area is designated for children 5-8 years old and their adult companions". Oooops. I guess our babies are really advanced!

Excess

So, we named our daughter Xaris Sofía.

Her initials are X.S. Excess.

Didn't pay attention to that when we named her :)

Hope it's not going to condition her toward any trends!

However, when I think about it, excess has been true for our little X.S.

The shower the church threw for us was excess.

Actually...4 showers total was excess.

She was born with an excess of hair, excessively large eyes (and ears--thanks papá!)

She sometimes poo's in excess.

More often she smiles excessively.

She received an excess of 0-3 month clothes, so she outgrew some she never wore!

She also owns 2 bouncy chairs (one at home, one in my office)...that's excessive!

But the main point of this blog, was that I decided I have a lovely girl who can ROCK a huge hair bow. (See yesterday's post for example--that flower is almost as big as her head, but she can pull off that look!)

A friend made us some bows/flowers, and gramama had bought X.S. her first hair bow clippy. I decided to try my hand at making some myself. I bought the clips, figuring I would make them when I needed them, adding one color at a time to the palette. But I wanted to give it a try today. I might have gotten carried away...12 clips later, I realized my daughter also has an excess of hair bows. So I made a place to store them all...and here's the result.

I also just realized that her initials could be Extra Small...but she's not in the 20th percentile anymore, so I guess that doesn't fit as well.

Piquis

Xaris had her 4-month well-check today.

She's a little late (she was 4 months on the 2nd), but her dr's new office is open and up and running now, so it's fine!

She's been sleeping and eating all evening, with a mild fever after her vaccinations (piquis is what we call them...)

Here are her details

Weight: 13 lbs, 1 oz (45th percentile)

Height: 25 inches (75th percentile)

Head Circumference: 16 (35th percentile)

Dr. was impressed with her strength and sitting and standing (assisted) capabilities, and declared her advanced beyond 6th month norms in that aspect. Ricardo is sure this means she'll be ready for linear algebra next month.

Other than not feeling well this evening, she's doing fine! I took the opportunity to take an iphone picture of her on the dr. office bed while we were waiting for her shots...she was just too cute! Since it's on a phone, the image quality isn't the best, but I still love it.

10 on 10

Nearly forgot, but here 'tis!

Asleep in the car on the way in to work

Tummy time in mama's office!

Nap time! Asleep again, this time under mama's desk.

Lunch with Mara

Knitting group...first time in a LONG time I was able to finish a project! X is modelling it for a friend of hers (who is bigger).

Home and watching the rainstorm

Making tortilla strips for soup

Dinner! Tortilla soup. Take a look at Xaris asleep with her hand on her bunny!

The mountain of clean clothes and diapers waiting for me to fold...

Done! (finally!) And yes, this was a separate hour.