Erika at 11 Months

Wow - it's hard to believe that Erika is almost a year old! My how time just flies by. She is so ready to start walking, but hasn't quite been able to muster the strength to walk on her own yet. She still has a strong appetite - often eating twice as much as Marilynn (which really isn't saying much) and loves to do whatever big sister Marilynn is doing.

Erika's First Solid Food!

Erika had her 6-month check-up and passed with flying colors (okay, it's not really a pass or fail thing, but I guess I'm just one of those competitive moms). Here's the stats:

Height: 26 1/4 inches (75th percentile)
Weight: 16 pounds, 13.5 ounces (75th percentile)

Head: 17 1/2 inches (95th percentile - wow - big head!)

Everything checked out great, and she's now ready for solid foods, so we gave it a go tonight with rice cereal. Erika had every emotion possible - apathy, shock, resistance and joy.

Erika at Six Months

It's hard to believe, but half a year has already passed by and little Erika is six months old today! She is getting to be so active these days - she rolls all over the living room floor, is playing with toys and is attempting to crawl already. She gets up on her hands and knees and just rocks and then takes a giant leap forward. She goes in for her six-month checkup on Monday, so I'll report back on how things went.

P.S. - to my dear husband - happy Veteran's Day!! And to all of those who have and are serving our country, thank you for all that you do for us!

Two Little Monkeys

Marilynn just loves Curious George, so she wanted to be a monkey for Halloween. And, Erika is already wanting to do everything her big sister does, so I thought it would be cute to have TWO monkeys. Marilynn had a party at school and then the girls came by my office for some cubicle trick-or-treating. Then, Marilynn and I headed to our church for a carnival where Marilynn got even more candy.

Erika at Four Months

Today marks Erika's four month birthday! She's already becoming so animated with her babbling, giggling, and squirming. Her four-month check up is on Monday, so I'm anxious to see how much she has grown since she was born and if we can start her on solid food yet.

Seattle Center

We played tourists in our own town and went to the Seattle Center today. Marilynn took her first Ferris Wheel ride (Ken was more scared than she was), then they rode the carasoul for something a little closer to the ground. We then headed over to the fountains for a picnic lunch.

Mark This Day in the Baby Book!

Erika rolled over this morning! She has been very close a number of times this past week, but today she did it! She was laying on her back on my bed while I was getting ready for work and I watched in slow motion as she turned onto her stomach. She must have been exhausted from the experience because she fell asleep and slept on her stomach for the next hour or so. My baby is growing up . . .

Postcards From Sequim

Everything that I love about Sequim came together this weekend - family, sunshine, and fresh food. We got to celebrate my mom's birthday and Marilynn was excited to have an excuse for a birthday party. I can't believe that summer is already coming to a close. . .

Erika's Smile

One of my most favorite things about Erika is her smile. She just brightens my day!

Erika's Getting Strong!

Erika is really starting to hold her head up on her own now. Our little baby is growing up so fast!

More Beach Pictures

Yes - we were only going to be at the beach for a few hours, but we still needed to pack the whole house. This doesn't even include the ice chest, stroller and diaper bag.







A baby swing - never leave home without it!

On the hunt for rocks and seashells

Fun in the Sun

Saturday was a record hot day for Seattle, so we took the girls to Matthews Beach in Seattle for some fun in the sun and a chance to cool off in the water. Marilynn loved playing in the sand and Erika slept the day away on a blanket underneath an umbrella. With all of this, who needs Hawaii?

Erika at 11 weeks

Erika will be 11 weeks old tomorrow - hard to believe that our baby has already gotten so big and has developed so much. At the same time, it's crazy to think that our lives were so different just a few short months ago.

Erika is starting to really express herself by cooing, smiling, giggling and yes, crying. She can hold her head up really well and moves around quite a bit in her crib. She is often in a completely different position when we get her up in the morning (or middle of the night). She is sleeping pretty well - about 2-3 naps during the day and will sleep about 6 hours straight at night. I'm longing for the night that turns to 10-12 hours.

She's a great baby and we've been very lucky to be blessed with two low-key baby girls. I guess we'll get our paybacks when they hit the teenage years.