6 month appointment

Annalise had her 6 month appointment a couple of weeks ago at 6.5 months old. Our poor baby had her shots as usual, and the doctor said she looks very healthy. She continues to grow although her weight gain is slowing down, which I am grateful for as I continue to carry her frequently and for long periods of time. She now weighs 15 pounds 11 ounces. She was very good for the appointment until the painful part came - then she cried like a baby.

Trumpet playing update

Our brilliant baby figured out how to actually play her trumpet! Mommy and Daddy are so proud.

I love my baby

Things I love about Annalise at 6 months:

-When I say her name she turns around and looks at me
-When I reach down to pick her up she lifts her arms and lurches forward enthusiastically
-When I go to her in the morning she smiles hugely to see me
-When I point at things she looks at them
-When I cuddle her, she cuddles back
-When she's scared, she holds on tight to my arms and buries her head in my shoulder
-When I do funny things, she giggles/chortles
-She's always interested in everything I'm doing/holding
-She knows/recognizes me
-She's our precious baby that we prayed for and are incredibly grateful to have

Trumpeter?

Somebody is playing her trumpet!



Ok, maybe not.

Our darling darling

It's been super hot lately, so we took her to the water park. She seemed ok with it. It's very cute the way she holds on to us and cuddles close when she's scared. Towards the end she became braver and was willing to sit on the ground and touch the water.


She's still loving those solids. Now she's graduated to oatmeal cereal, which she infinitely prefers to the rice cereal (a mommy's girl) and acorn squash, which she always pulls a face over initially, but then agrees to eat.

She loves Daddy, and she especially loves it when he plays the guitar. Perhaps she is a future guitarist? Of course, she's not really supposed to eat the guitar.

Annalise's 1st Vacation

Annalise went on her first vacation last month. We went up to beautiful Hume lake and stayed in a cabin. It was really a wonderful time, although vacationing with a baby is very different from vacationing as a couple. Packing is especially different. Our car was loaded down with baby toys and devices. My parents brought her favorite - a jumper that she usually uses at their house. Here she is enjoying it in her new surroundings.


The beautiful mountains and trees and lake were a welcome change. We took long walks around the lake everyday with Annalise on our backs. She seemed to enjoy it and would look around a lot and then nap when she got tired.


My parents joined us in the cabin after a couple days, and they generously watched Annalise so that we could do a few things by ourselves. One time, we went boating on the lake, which was a blast. Don't ask Dave how much I paddled, though.

Dave and my Dad also went on a bike ride down a mountain. It was a scheduled event where they drove everyone up to the top and then the people biked down looking at the beautiful views.

My parents went boating as well.

The first couple days were freezing cold, but then it heated up and was wonderfully warm. In the first picture here we're trying to stay warm at the pancake breakfast. In the second picture we're trying to cool off in the shade down by the lake.

This vacation included the dreaded long car drive for which we bought the new and so much better convertible carseat. The drive was actually not too bad. On the way up we were praising God because she took two 3 hour naps! She really only cried for about 30 minutes at the end of the trip. We did not expect it to be that easy. In between the naps we took a lengthy break - about an hour - to relax, let her lie down and eat and look around outside. The car trip back was not quite so pleasant, but was still manageable. She cried for about 3 hours or so. She cried half an hour at the beginning of the trip and then napped. Then we went through a lot of crying: 30 minutes, stop feed and comfort, 45 minutes, stop feed and comfort, 45 minutes, stop feed and comfort, 1 hour on and off crying as we pressed on to make it home. Home had never looked so beautiful.

Someone loves sitting

The baby who usually wants to be carried 24/7 has finally found something else she likes - sitting. Isn't she just the cutest thing you have ever seen?