The Pouty Face

We're working on capturing Sarah's pouty face when it's in full form, because usually the camera is the last thing we're thinking about when she throws it on.  It's something to see.  Here is a picture we got today, which we estimate to be about 50% of the full-on pout.  Perhaps we can capture the real thing soon.

Happy 6 months!

After a visit to the pediatrician yesterday and pediatric cardiologist today, we are ready to officially say, "happy six months, Sarah!"

Weight: 18lbs 5ozs (93%)
Height: 27.25 in (93%)
Head: 17.5 in (93%)
Diaper: Size 3
Clothes: She is growing out of the 6 monthers and moving into the 9 month comfortably. We have yet to resort to 12 month, thankfully!
Likes: playing with her toes, putting everything and anything (especially her toes) into her mouth, playing with stuffed animals or toys (they also fit in her mouth), jumping in the bouncer, feeling beards and zippers

Dislikes: baths (again! we think it may be the new set up in the house), being strapped into her car seat (not always, but it certainly isn't a favorite), napping at church (it just never happens)

Schedule: We have have used the same routine for a while now and have all gotten very comfortable with it. Big news of the month- we dropped the dream feed. This means more sleep for Mom and Baby.

7:30 Nurse and cereal

9:00 Nap

11:30 Nurse and sweet potatoes

1:00 Nap

3:30 Nurse and cereal

4:45-5:30 Nap (usually, but this nap is totally dependent on the rest of the day and her disposition)

7:00 Nurse and in bed by 8:00

Swaddle: I forgot to pack the swaddle for our trip to FL, so we dropped swaddling cold turkey this month. This wasn't too difficult since Sarah was already pretty messed up from the traveling. We had been contemplating making the change for a while (she only used it for the long sleep at night) and this became the perfect opportunity.

Solids: With the holidays, traveling, moving, and company, we haven't been too adventurous with starting new solids. We did add sweet potatoes to the menu and they are usually enjoyed, though Sarah isn't fooled. They aren't mostly milk like the cereal! I made sweet potatoes by cooking them, scooping out and processing the flesh, and freezing in ice cube trays (did you know each cube is approximately 1 ounce?). Next we will try a green vegetable, then move on to the delicious sweet fruits.

Sitting up: Sarah has been proficiently sitting up for a couple of weeks now. It was a gradual process with a few good falls backward (new house is all hard wood), but she LOVES the new vantage point. Usually will sit up for a while and play with her toes/socks, shirt, or toy, then after a while gets tired falls over. She has a lot of weight to manage!

Teething: Sarah has had a couple of days where the spoon is the worst thing ever created and we are chalking this up to teething. Her gums have some nice shape to them now and she has been doing awkward things with her tongue. It could happen any day now!

Check up 1: Everything looks great. They gave her a book and said they will do this as part of a reading initiative at every well visit until she is 5. She also got a tub toy for getting shots. Watching those nurses give her shots is a hoot. Sarah doesn't know what is coming yet, so she is just being cute and making faces. Then the nurses double team her, count to three, and each giver her a shot in the thigh. This visit she got 4 shots and an oral vaccine, which meant the nurses did their routine twice. Sarah let out a couple of good howls, but recovered nicely.

Check up 2: Today we went to a hospital just south of Boston to visit a pediatric cardiologist. They were very efficient through an EKG and exam. We were walking out 5 minutes after our scheduled appointment! (They saw us as soon as we got there- it did take more than 5 minutes.) The doctor said everything is coming together as expected and he wants to see Sarah again when she is three just to see how cute she is. I imagine they will also take a peek at her heart.

Update: Sarah's hair is coming in nicely. It is mostly light brown, but if you catch it in the right light it takes on a reddish tint. We would love a red head! She also rolls both ways now and has even done some adorable barrel rolling across her pallet. Standing or sitting is still her preference.

Next appointment: We go back for a flu booster on February 22 and a 9 month check up on April 20.

hey, Dad

we have a lot of fun

Christmas day!

just sitting in the high chair like a big girl

this pic is for the cheeks!

Things we Love About our Home

We moved in last Saturday, had a blast with Emily's family last week, and this morning have our first quiet morning in the new house.  What a refreshing experience.  It has very quickly started to feel like home here. 

As you might imagine, we are very thankful for this home.  We know this is only a shadow of the home that awaits us one day, but we are a bit overwhelmed to have such a nice place to dwell in now.  I think it might be best if we list some of our favorite things about this home so that you can thank God with us for how generous he's been to us even in this world.

Great Layout- We could have built our own home and thought forever on how to design it, and I don't think we would have come up with a more convenient layout than this one.  Everything is so close together, yet the rooms that need a little privacy have it.  There are so many more rooms than we asked for, but they are all easily accessible.  Emily can set Sarah down to play by herself in the living room and then work in the library or kitchen, on the other side of the house, without taking her eye off of her.

Ready to Host- There are several things we wanted and started to think we wouldn't be able to find, all of which had to do with hosting people.  But God has given us room for a big dining room table, a guest room, a half bathroom on the ground floor for guests, a sun room, and a big shady backyard.  We hope to use it all well.

Lots of Nooks and Storage Space- We have three attics, one of which is accessible via a normal door.  There is a two car garage, which is nearly unheard of on the Cape, and also a full unfinished basement.  I hope we don't fill it up with junk, but it is nice to know that we have somewhere to plug in a deep freezer or do a little woodworking. 

Outdoor Shower-  We have it on good authority that an outdoor shower is the one "necessary" luxury of Cape life.   

Room For a Garden and Composting- The backyard, apart from having some nice plants and trees already, has plenty of places for a compost heap and a garden. 

Windows- The windows are twice as tall as normal windows, going down almost to the floor.  It adds a lot of light and a very open feel to the house. 

Big Enough For a Family- We could easily turn the guest room into a boys room, turn the library into a nursery, and with some work and money one of the attics or the basement could be finished and made functional rooms.

God is good; that was true in our little Louisville apartment where we breathed mold spores from a leaky bathroom ceiling, and it would have been true if we have been forced out into the streets.  It's true here too, and I find it harder to mention when faced with material blessing.  I hope you'll join us in thanking God for his goodness to all of us and praying that we will live wisely in this home: taking good care of it, welcoming guests, and modeling His truth in our own lives. 

Finally, here are the tour videos we had on Facebook:
 

New Home!

We're closed on our new home!  Pictures and video to come soon!  In the meantime, please be praying that our home will  become a place full of visitors and life.

Sarah the Instigator

Would this sweet child ever pick a fight? According to the story I was told when I picked Sarah up from nursery last Sunday, she sure would. It seems that Sarah was quite awake and sharing a nursery worker's lap with another child. Using her newfound dexterity, Sarah was feeling with curiosity the other child's arm. This child was not a fan of being explored and proceeded to give Sarah a bite on the hand. Lesson learned? Probably so. The worker said she knew something was wrong when Sarah let out a sudden cry, which this experienced mother knew to be a cry of pain. With a small red spot as evidence, the story quickly unfolded. By the time I picked her up the spot was almost gone and there wasn't a tear in site. Only a tired girl who loves being doted on in the nursery!

Let it snow!

Sunday night I drove a few girls to our senior girls discipleship group Christmas party. On the way over we encountered a little precipitation. On the way home it was definitely snowing. The girls were looking forward to a snow day (which I understand they did NOT get) and I was looking forward to our first New England snow.

Monday morning we woke up to what we considered a winter wonderland. The snow was about 3 inches deep and covering everything! What we didn't know was that by the end of the day we would have about 8 inches of snow (or even more!). Eventually the plows came through and we took a little drive to see the sites. As expected, the Cape is beautiful when snow covered.

This morning (Tuesday) the snow is still here and has even blown against the porch to a couple of feet high. Sidewalks are now plowed (I saw my first snow blower in action) and some snow is melting. It continues to be overcast, but the current temp is 34 degrees. More snow or rain is expected over the next couple of days. This could be our first white Christmas!

Happy 5 months!

Today, we are excited to celebrate 5 months with Sarah! What a blessing she has been. Here are some of the highlights of the last month.

Weight: our home estimate gave her 20 lbs, though I doubt it is really that much
Height: long! Onesies not snapping are the first sign an outfit is too small, even if her sleeves cover her hands!
Head: ?
Diaper: Size 3- the past couple of nights she has mysteriously leaked on her clothes without getting the diaper wet...
Clothes: 6 month full time and 9 month are most comfortable for the torso
Likes: playing with her fingers, picking with her fingers, standing in the bouncer, smiling!, motorboat (buzzing her lips)

Dislikes: I can't think of any right now! She has grown out of most of last months.

Schedule: We are currently thriving on about a 4 hour schedule. Sarah is sleeping, eating, and pooping well. She is very flexible within this routine, which means that we have the opportunity to get much accomplished.

7:30 Wake, nurse, and cereal

9:00-11:30 Nap

11:30 Wake, nurse, and cereal

1:00 Nap

3:30 Wake, nurse, and cereal

5:00 Nap (only 30-45 and not always)

7:00 Nurse, then down for the night

10:00 Last feeding and back to bed

Hair: This month Sarah's hair fell out, with the exception of a few tufts right on the back of her neck. Every day it seems like more has grown back. It is coming in much fuller and very brown. We are excited to use our bows again!

Rolling: Sarah still only rolls to her right, from back to front. She definitely considers it an old trick and is now just as content to play on her back as her stomach. Standing up is probably her favorite way to play though, and she has big fun playing in the jumper.

Solids: We started feeding Sarah cereal a couple of weeks ago (12/1) when she was exhibiting what we read were classic signs of readiness. Namely, she showed great interest in what we were eating at meal time, opened her mouth, and holds her head up well. At each meal she nurses, eats 1T of rice cereal mixed with 3T pumped milk, then nurses again. "They" say that until 6 months the main source of nutrition still comes from nursing, but it is time to learn to eat from a spoon. Sarah is doing very well with this. We are working hard at not only getting the food in, but doing it in a disciplined and routine fashion.

Next appointment: Sarah has a routine check-up and shots on January 19 at the pediatrician. She also has (hopefully) her final check-up with the pediatric cardiologist in Plymouth with Boston Children's Hospital on January 20.

enjoying some lap time

eating our first bit of cereal

sometimes we have a tummy sleeper!