The Numbers Are In

G had her 6 month appointment today, complete with not one, not two, not three, but four evil shots. The humanity! Actually after the initial screams she calmed down really quickly. What a patient. She weighed in at 16 lbs 12 oz, and 26.25 inches. Everything landed in the 75th percentile, including her head circumference. The pediatrician called her "very balanced".

We got home to find a package in the mail from Grandma Heidi...wraparound sunglasses in Squish size. They'll sure come in handy at the cottage this summer. Thank god the pink shades match the pink floral swimsuit from Grandma Kathy.

Which makes me wonder, are we creating a monster?

6 Months in Springtime

We've been enjoying a ton of sunshine and some semi-warm weather here the last week or two. I don't have to wear my Nanook of the North jacket, and both Genevieve and Ralphie have finally gotten some long walks and trips to the dog park. Plus we have green things popping out of the dirt - a sure sign that our beloved Brewers are about to return to Miller Park. Who's with me?

Miss G has been extremely busy the last month learning all kinds of fun things. About 10 days ago she started babbling "dada" and not one day later it's all she can say. She uses it when she's excited, mad, or just keeping herself entertained. Matt turns all kinds of mush when she gets on a roll, which is often. Sometimes we think she alternates from "dada" to "die die". Hmm, we'll have to keep an eye on that.

We've also dived head-first into solid foods which is a source of some pretty entertaining moments. In short, G continues to prove that she's an eater. Not a single thing that's been put in front of her has been rejected, from cereal to squash, peas to peaches, and anything in between.

Squish loves squash


Sharing a banana in the mesh feeder (what a great invention). Ralphie and I polished off the rest.

G has also graduated to big girl baths in the tub. She loves bath time and kicks like fellow Wisconsinite Garrett Weber-Gale. She is fascinated by toys floating in the water but we have to keep a close watch because she likes to throw herself face-first toward the object of her desire.

The beloved red frog

Believe it or not the Squish has actually started to roll too. Miracle! She will only go from tummy to back and she usually has to get pretty iritated first, but we've seen her do it more than once so we know it wasn't an accident. I was dreading going in for her 6-month appointment and trying to explain to her pediatrician why my child didn't roll. Now I can save my excuses for some other parenting misstep.

Anyhoo yesterday was not only Squishie's half birthday but it was Grandma Maio's birthday so we spent the afternoon celebrating and, what else, eating! As per usual G was the center of attention as she played in her jumper and inhaled her peas and chicken & apples dinner. She even got some cake, although she seemed more interested in chewing her Grandma's finger. Or spoon. Or napkin. Or plate.

Great Grandma probably weighs about 8 pounds more than Genevieve

So here are the monthly glamour shots. I only had a few minutes so there are just a couple, however it's topped off with shots of her at breakfast this morning. You know I love that hair of hers, but it was in especially fine form today. Add to it the blackberries (thank you, mesh feeder) and you've got, as Matt says, one crazy looking baby.

Sporting her Cindy-Lou-Who-Do


Fellow ANTM fans will appreciate her 'fierce' look


Happiness is...

I love my...

(Warning: this footage contains actual shots of a baby with a runny nose. Viewer discretion is advised).

Grandma & Grandpa Visit

We had a great weekend visit from Grandma & Grandpa Martin. We've been to MN a couple of times since their last visit, so it was fun to have them visit G in her native habitat. They took Friday off and arrived around lunchtime and left early this afternoon. Although she's been experiencing a little bit of stranger anxiety lately, G was all smiles when they got here. Probably in part because of this curious thing she found:

What the...?

As soon as they arrived we headed downtown for lunch at the Public Market, one of my favorite places to pick up a huge variety of chow from locally owned, many locally grown, vendors. After lunch we went home and hung out until dad got home. While we were waiting, G held court with grandma & grandpa and showed off her bouncing skills

The 65 pound dog is no problem, but the 12 pounder? Sketchy.

Matt went to hit on Saturday morning (the smell of baseballs is in the air) but once he got home we were out and about for the rest of the day. First we stopped at City Market for lunch, followed by a trip to the Mitchell Park Domes, Milwaukee's horticultural conservatory. The space is made up of three domes each housing a separate climate - arid, tropical, and floral - and is the perfect place to visit on a wet weekend afternoon.

Kicking her feet up and relaxing


Posing with grandma & grandpa


A family shot


All together now!


There's that furry thing again


The floral dome - nice to see that green still exists somewhere in the world


G was totally enamored with the train and, like everything else, probably wanted to eat it


Another charming trait


Nothing goes with a pink hat better than pink flowers

Saturday night grandma & grandpa treated us to dinner out (the first time Matt and I have been at a restaurant in a looooong time). G was a dream the entire day including dinner out much past her normal bedtime.

Other fun things we did this weekend:

Ate peas - stylish and delicious

Showed grandma how handy feet are

Showed off what happens when we go without a bib. The crazy hair is a bonus.

This morning Grandma & Grandpa Maio came over for brunch before Grandma & Grandpa Martin had to leave. G was as spoiled as ever with tons of squeezes and smooches all around. And now, since the rain hasn't stopped in the last day and a half, and since it's back to the grind tomorrow, we decided that it's a jammy day. Who can argue?

Mmm Mmm Good

We have reached the point of no return: solids! G's new high chair arrived on Wednesday so we put it together right away and got down to the incredibly messy business of rice cereal. G has some baby friends who love rice cereal, and others who despise it. However as you know, little miss does not miss an opportunity to eat and it seems like this new world of gastronomic goodness is no exception.

G supervises while dad gets the new toy together


Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and say she likes it


We're eating, we're happy, spoons are great fun...


...we're making a mess, things are good...


Uh-oh! Flipped the cranky switch.

So we gave it another go tonight:

Major progress: at least 1/5 of that teaspoon full got in her mouth


Saving a little morsel for later


Smiles and...the bird?

Gear

One of the benefits of working from home is the opportunity to walk outside a bit over lunch. Unless the weather is extremely unpleasant, we try to get out every Wednesday and Friday and take Ralphie for a sniff around the neighborhood. Before we go, though, we must bundle appropriately.

Ok Mom, let's get this show on the road


I love walking Ralphie!


Oh, wait, hang on, I think I'm losing my balance...


Baby down!