monkey see monkey do

After many months of waiting for some real communication, it's finally happened. Sadie has shown us five new signs/gestures in the past two days! Most of it she's learned through imitation, but it's clear she gets the context. For example, when she waves bye-bye, she looks at the front door to see who's coming or going. When you say "Sadie, where's the christmas tree?", she POINTS at it now. It's all pretty amazing. So at the risk of bragging about our child genius, here's her repetoire:

- The Point: I first saw it today when she pointed at a helium balloon in the grocery store. Naturally I bought it for her after such a prodigious display. Now she points at anything you ask her about---the balloon, the tree, the ball, daddy.

- The Wave: Not the kind you do in a football stadium, though we're working on that too. She waves at you anytime you say "bye-bye Sadie" and leave the room. She even waves at Curious George when on the last page of her book it says, "Goodbye George."

- The High Five: Reid has pioneered this one, and I have to say she's getting it after only a few tries. She holds her hand to yours palm open-and-face-out, but has yet to master that satisfying SMACK! sound.

- Clap: Hooray! There's nothing cuter in the world than a happy baby, grinning from ear to ear and clapping with gusto. All you have to do is say "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" and the ovation begins.

- More: As in, give me more of that applesauce. Or that yogurt. Or those sweet potatoes. Please not included.

- Aaaah: Okay, this isn't a sign, but a sound. And an expression. And it's the funniest thing we've ever seen. You know how when you take a drink of something really refreshing, like ice cold water or beer, you might open your mouth wide and say "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" for emphasis? Yeah. Well, she does that after every drink of water from her sippy cup. I did it once---at lunch, about three weeks ago---and she hasn't stopped since. It never, ever fails to crack us up.

- Book: Although she doesn't sign this herself quite yet, she understands it. When we say, "Sadie, go get a book" (in conjunction with the sign for 'book'), she crawls over, picks up her book du jour, and brings it over for you to read.

When I start to think about the fact that she's learned all of this in less than 3 days, my mind starts to reel. Just imagine what the next year will bring...

mug shot

Sadie got her passport picture taken today for our upcoming trip to Mexico. It totally cracks me up every time I look at it.

Hahahahahahahahahahaa!!!

happy birthday sadie

Today you turned 10 months old, and I think it's a much bigger milestone for mommy and daddy than it is for you. The one-year mark looms large on the horizon. The holidays will fly by as they always do, and before we know it we'll be planning your big birthday celebration!

Ahhh, but Christmas---your enjoyment of it adds a whole new meaning and dimension to this time of year. On Saturday we endured the freezing cold and light snow to go to the tree nursery, so you could pick out your first Christmas tree. Each time daddy held one up, shook off the branches, and spun it around for you to examine, you went wild with excitement. We selected the one that garnered your most rave reviews: kicking, squirming, and laughing all at once. And wouldn't you know? It's just perfect in our living room! You've even learned what the words "christmastree" mean, turning your head in its direction any time we ask, "where's the christmastree, Sadie?"
From a mobility standpoint, you're getting around faster than ever---and not always by crawling. You've discovered that standing and pushing furniture around is just as effective as walking, and probably a lot less scary. So you navigate chairs, barstools, your little push wagon, whatever...from room to room, making lovely screeching noises on the hardwood floors as you go. But seeing you walk on your tiptoes, your tiny bottom swinging from side to side, is too cute to resist, so we don't stop you. Keep truckin', little one!

Your personality is more evident than ever before, and you clearly have some favorite things that should be noted:
Favorite Food: cheese (any kind. the sharper the better!)
Favorite Book: That's Not My Dragon
Favorite Thing To Do: pull out whatever barrette or rubber band is currently holding your hair in place

That's right---you finally discovered your clips---and take great delight in removing them in record time. We hope you'll get over it soon, so we don't have to cut your amazing hair (THAT can wait until AT LEAST your first birthday).
In the meantime, enjoy your 10-month birthday, sweet girl!

rsv

No, I'm not missing a "p" on the end of that subject line. RSV is "respiratory syncytial virus" and that's what Sadie came down with while we were on vacation. Luckily, it appears to be a pretty mild case and the doctor isn't too concerned. She's sleeping a lot, but otherwise in great spirits, eating well, and breathing fine. Poor baby! :(

turkey and cheesesteaks

Well...wow. It's been a hectic week or so in Simonton-land. We had a great Thanksgiving, marked by copious mimosas, football, and feasting at Jen & Dan's house. Avery, Sophie & Sadie were angels---aside from a little hair-pulling and toy-grabbing, everything went smoothly---a monumental feat considering we were there for almost 15 hours. The girls ate their requisite sweet potatoes and went to bed early, allowing the adults to hang out (like adults!) for a while. Next thing we knew, it was 2:30 in the morning and what we were most thankful for was that we live only half a block away. Aaaah, good times.
Two days later we departed for Pennsylvania on a redeye flight through San Fran. In theory the redeye seemed like a fabulous idea: we would board just past Sadie's usual bedtime, she would sleep the entire flight, and when we landed in Philly at 7 am the following day, we would be exhausted but she would be just fine. The reality of it was that we didn't sleep, she didn't sleep, and although she didn't really cry either, we were all crabby and sleep-deprived when the plane finally touched down.
And thus began the bizarre sleep cycle that she's been keeping all week long. Go to bed at 9 pm, wake up at 10 am (or noon!), little to no naps, and repeat. The lack of any real schedule combined with the constant shuffling to and from various family member houses has all of us completely drained and, worse---sick. Sadie has a monster case of the sniffles. It doesn't seem to be bothering her too badly, except that she can't really breathe through her nose, which means she can't really suck her thumb, which in turn means she has trouble soothing herself to sleep. Poor little girl, this trip has been rough on her. If she never sees her carseat again I'm sure it'll be too soon.
All the sleepiness and sickness aside, it's been a wonderful visit---we got to spend a few days in Philly eating cheesesteaks and going to a Flyers game; a few days in Scranton showing Reid and Sadie all the landmarks of my youth (and the more recently famous landmarks from "the office" TV show); and finally, a few days in Bethlehem where we'll go to my cousin's wedding and experience what has to be the most beautiful city in the US at this time of year (as you can imagine, Bethelem really embraces the Christmas holiday). We'll return home on Sunday totally exhausted, looking forward to at least a week's worth of staying inside and ordering takeout.
For what it's worth, this vacation has taught us all sorts of things about traveling with an infant. If I had to narrow it down to one piece of advice, it would be: find a house that's relatively baby-proof, make it your home base, and let everyone come to you. Not that you asked.

Pictures to follow upon our return...

nine month stats

Sadie passed her 9-month checkup with flying colors. She's performing all of the developmental milestones (using a pincer grasp, imitating sounds, standing and cruising) and has graduated on to a more diverse menu of table foods. Our homework: to buy a toothbrush and start brushing twice a day. Should be interesting...

By the numbers:
Weight - 20 lbs, 5 oz.
Height - 28 inches

We had such a long list of our own questions this time that we forgot to ask how those measurements compare to percentiles, or what her head circumference is. D'oh! Well, let's assume that if anything were out of the ordinary, the doctor would have told us.
The best part of the 9-month visit? NO SHOTS! Hooray!


See my spaghetti? All gone!

happy birthday sadie AND kaia rose

Sweet Sadie,
Yesterday you turned nine months old, which means you've now been out in this world longer than you were in my belly. It's fitting, then, that you should seem like such an individual these days. You've outgrown the label of 'baby', and although 'toddler' doesn't quite fit you like a glove either, it's certainly a more accurate description of your abilities.

When you stand, you can now stand on your own---without support or leaning of any kind---for up to 20 seconds. You've taken one unassisted step from the coffee table to the couch, but seem reluctant to go much further for now. It's as if the moment you realize you're standing without help, you plop yourself back onto your bottom. Fine by us, really. Things are moving quickly enough already!

It's difficult to remember what those first few weeks were like: you were so helpless, we were so clueless, and everyone was so sleepless. I guess that's why it seems so hazy now. But this weekend, we glimpsed the past a little again when your new friend Kaia Rose was born, to our dear friends Jeff & Rachel! Kaia Rose arrived early Saturday morning, healthy as can be at 7 lbs, 5 oz and 20 inches long. Congratulations to the happy family!

Somehow, hearing the news of Kaia's delivery made us relive the excitement, the emotion, the exhaustion, and everything that comes with being a brand new parent. It was hard work, fraught with constant worry and concern, but interspersed with immeasurable joy and amazement. Today, the worry is still there---but over smaller things like bumps and bruises---and the joy and amazement are tenfold. We never imagined it could be this good. Every day we thank our lucky stars that WE, of all people, won the baby lottery!

Happy 9-month birthday, Sadie Rain. We love you!

2 + 2 = 4

Teeth, that is.

I guess that explains why little miss woke up crying three times last night. This morning, the two top-and-center ones began poking through. Just in time for her 9 month birthday!

a monkey, a bee, and a duck

Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.

(click on image to view the animation)

Apparently the joke's on us, since the bee wants nothing to do with it...

isn't technology cool?

Now you can find out where I'm at and what I'm doing even when I'm not at my computer. Check out the live updates (via my cellphone) to the right...

Be the first to know when I'm grocery shopping! Watching Monday Night Football! Eating ribs! Or maybe all three at once!

bumblebee

In true bumblebee fashion, Sadie decided she wouldn't stay in one place for very long. Out of roughly 80 pictures taken on Halloween night, this was the only one that came out.
Let's hope one of our friends with a camera had better luck!

happy halloween

It was pretty slim pickins at ye olde pumpkin patch the weekend before Halloween, but we had a great time anyway. There were lots of firsts for Sadie and Avery: petting zoo, hayrides, caramel apples, wheelbarrow trips, and of course, pumpkins!


And tonight, the really fun part...costumes!

my child is an honor student at baby jail elementary

What strikes me as funniest about these videos is my unwavering determination to capture the event on film. God help us when she makes the soccer team.

Take One:



Take Two:



Take Three:



Anyway, you get the idea. I'll try to work on my OCD tendencies before we get around to stacking rings...

pigtails

We've been wanting to do this since the day she was born.

vegas, baby

If you're wondering why I've been so quiet on the blogging front lately, the answer is simple: I was too busy shirking all responsibility, abandoning bottle feedings and nap schedules, drinking pina coladas in the middle of the afternoon, and essentially doing what I wanted when I wanted in the one place to do it best: Las Vegas.

Don't get me wrong---Reid and I were pretty apprehensive about leaving Sadie for 4 days. Even though we trust Gramma Lo-Lo unfalteringly, the days leading up to our vacation were filled with worry and dread. So we made a 5-page list of tips, tricks, schedules, and emergency phone numbers, and discovered that our anxiety evaporated the minute we boarded the plane. (A margarita or two didn't hurt, either.)

And...it was AMAZING. Blissful. Relaxing. Spontaneous. Romantic. Decadent. Impulsive. Rejuvenating. Liberating. Exhausting. Need I say more? We missed our baby girl like crazy, but 10 picture mails a day got us through.

So, if you're those parents (like us), who call each other 'mommy' and 'daddy' long after the little one has gone to bed, maybe you need a weekend in Vegas too---or just a night away at the closest Hampton Inn. It's worth every dollar lost at the craps table, believe me.

(insert picture that I did not take even though I brought the camera)

Hey, what can I say? I didn't carry a purse---let alone a diaper bag---for a change. Viva las vegas!

elusive tooth

Finally...captured on 'film', and by a cell phone none the less!

No sooner did we take this picture than we realized she has a SECOND one, poking through right next to it!
Too toothy, Sadie Simonton, too toothy!

happy birthday sadie

Just last night your daddy and I were sitting around talking about how old you seem these days. You're less a baby and more a toddler (even though any actual 'toddling' has yet to happen), and it's clear that you're quite opinionated, expressive, and deliberate in your actions.

For example: you absolutely hate when we stack things. Blocks, books, cups, whatever---a stack is your nemesis. You must knock it down immediately. So naturally, we stack anything and everything, every chance we get, both of us at the same time, until you are on stack-whacking overload, darting back and forth and bringing every last stack to its demise. Sadie-5999, Stacks-0.

But then there are tags, glorious tags! Oh how you love them! Is that a tag on that toy? On your blanket? On mommy's jacket? Well, clearly it's the best part of the whole package. I made the faux pas of cutting the tags off everything when you were just an infant...will you ever forgive me? Perhaps everyone can make up for it by sending you boxloads of tags cut from old t-shirts for Christmas.

Your other favorite thing: screeching AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS! We have mixed feelings about this one. It's amazing how something can be so cute and so maddening at the same time. In case you're wondering, as a general rule: screeching when we're playing = good. Screeching when we're driving = not so good. Either way, we like that you know how to express your feelings.

Maybe all of the screeching is a result of that pesky little tooth poking through. Here's what it looked like 6 days ago---just a glimmer of white barely visible beneath your gums (and your patented Chucky face) :

Now there's no mistaking it---especially when you decide to bite down on someone's finger, or nose, or (OWW!) cheek---yet you seem determined to not let us take a picture of it. I spent over an hour today trying to get one and still came up empty! So how about this, instead?

Despite the forlorn look in your eyes (icantbelieveyouguysaredoingthistome), baby jail's not as bad as it sounds. The three of us have lots of fun playing in there together, and let's just say it keeps you...well, focused. Not a sharp corner, remote control, or breakable item in sight. Finally, a place where we can ALL relax. That is, until you learn how to climb out of it.

Happy 8-month birthday, little girl. If our universe were a jelly donut, you'd be the sweet and delicious center of it.

fall update

I'd heard that we might wake up to 4-8 inches of snow this morning, but it didn't happen. It did, however, remind me of a metaphor: it snows a little and you're like, "hey, I should really go out and shovel the driveway." But it's just a little and it seems like a hassle so you wait until there's a little more. And then it snows more, but now it's so damn cold out that you're too busy staying warm, making hot chocolate, and stoking the fire to go outside and shovel. And it just keeps piling up and up until the next thing you know, you can't get your car out of the garage.
That's how this blog has been lately...the longer I put it off, the more there is to write, the busier I get at work, the less free time I have, etc. It's simpler to update it every day, believe it or not, than to write something worthy of a two-week hiatus. Not that there's a lack of things to write about. Had I waited any longer, I'd be telling you Sadie is walking and talking and feeding herself with a fork and knife.

So let's go back, waaaaaaaaaay back, to the middle of September. Did I mention at any point we were taking Sadie on her first camping trip? We went with the Lantzys and the Browns and all of their baby girls to an easy-access car camping spot on the Metolius River. Less than an hour from home, in case anyone got too fussy. Sadie crawled around in the dirt, petted the doggies, and was mesmerized by the campfire. Later that night, she slept like a champ wedged between me and Reid in the back of the bus. It was a lot of work and planning for one night away from home (all told, less than 24 hours), but we left confident that we could, indeed, camp with a baby. On the drive home, not only did we look forward to next summer, we wished we were road tripping to next campground. Sure, the days of ultralight backpacking tents and Thermarests are over, but a whole new adventure awaits us!

Enough about camping. The rest of September flew by thanks to a business trip, a visit from our friend Dave, the worst cold (actually the only cold) I've had in three years, and a crawling-standing-climbing Sadie that we can't turn our backs on for even a second. Overwhelmed by the constant chasing, we finally succumbed to purchasing what we like to affectionately refer to as "baby jail". That's right people, we bought a playpen. But hey---it's expandable! And moveable! And can be set up in any configuration your heart desires! And it remains to be seen how well it works or if Sadie will even tolerate it, because it hasn't been delivered yet. Even if it buys us twenty minutes in the kitchen without fear of her eating a knob off the stereo receiver, it will be worth it.
Incredibly, I have no pictures to prove that Sadie is crawling, standing up, or really doing anything threateningly mobile in the least. In fact, the last pictures downloaded off our camera are from three weeks ago. Bad mommy, bad daddy. How about a swinging video instead? We call that scrunched-up look she gets when she's really excited her "Chucky face":



Ok, on to the big news: baby girl is not so baby anymore. She has a TOOTH! Her lower, middle right one, to be exact. It's so tiny, so cute, and so sharp. We had expected fever and fussing of the monumental variety, but the tooth made its appearance with relatively little fanfare. A sleepless night, a runny nose, and presto---there it was.
By no small miracle yet purely by coincidence, the timing of said tooth could not have been more perfect, as I (unintentionally) weaned Sadie last week. How's that, you ask? Well, I was so flu-bitten and cough-ridden that I didn't want to get too close to her, so Reid did round-the-clock bottle duty while I recovered on the couch for four days. It must have been the Nyquil fog, because when I finally snapped out of it, I realized that lo and behold, I hadn't nursed her the whole time. I felt a teensy bit guilty, having wanted to make it a full nine months. But fate has its way with such things, I guess. I went to the grocery store the next day and stocked up on all the dairy products I'd been missing out on since February.

What else? Did I mention she's eating Cheerios?
Nah, I'll save something for the next update...

sniff, sniff...bye

I remember the first time we got a babysitter---it was Grandma, and Sadie was just 3 weeks old. I was crying before we even got in the car. Now, seven months later, I'm about to embark on my first-ever night away from my little girl. (Twenty-six hours, to be exact.) Stupid work, always getting in the way of life!
I keep wondering if she'll notice, whether she'll miss me, and what amazing new stunt she'll be doing by the time I return. I wonder what fun things she & Daddy will do tonight. I also wonder what's it like to get 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Luckily, I'm about to find out ALL of these things very soon...
Have fun you two, I miss you already!!!!!!!

pure evil

What could be better than coffee and donuts?

Coffee cupcakes topped with a donut, that's what!

You'll find the recipe here. This lady bakes some seriously outrageous things.

Happy Friday!!!

happy birthday sadie

The seven-month mark has been amazing, if not a bit bumpy. It seems as if you learn new things overnight---whether it's crawling (which you learned at 6 months and 30 days just by watching an older baby for five minutes) or saying new sounds (da da da ba ba ba), we're constantly trying to stay ahead of the curve. We've dropped the crib a notch, since you've figured out how to sit up by yourself, and are now trying to pull up to standing. The outlets have all been covered, but you seem to find other things to get into at every turn. You're lightning-quick, and can knock over someone's drink or confiscate their fork if we look away for even a second. At this point, we're just grateful we don't have stairs!


And now for the bumpy part: the waking up. You had been sleeping twelve (glorious!) uninterrupted hours a night until recently. Perhaps it's a growth spurt, or all of the motor development, but our instincts tell us it's probably teething. Aside from gnawing on everything in your path, you're a teensy bit feverish, and a lot crabby---something that sweet Sadie Simonton has never, ever been. It seems you've fussed more in the past week than in the past seven months combined! So your new best friend is your mesh baby feeder, which when filled with apples or peaches or ice can entertain you for hours on end. Which reminds me...no more binky! We didn't even have to wean you from it, you did it yourself. I guess you finally just got bored with it, eh?


For all the fussing and waking up, we couldn't be more excited about all of your latest developments. You're just so FUN these days, little girl! Happy 7-month birthday, we can't wait to see what happens next!

excuses, excuses

Has it really been almost 2 weeks since my last post? Yikes! I don't know what to say, other than we've been busy: guests in town, Labor Day party, a wedding, and a mini-vacation at the coast. Not only that---we're running on virtually zero sleep since Sadie started teething and full-fledged crawling at all the same time. But more on that later in her 7-month birthday update! In the meantime, here are some pics from our weekend in Pacific City. We rented a beach house for 4 days with the Portland crew in honor of Marc and Laura's wedding. It was a blissful, idyllic time from start to finish. Aaaaaahhhhhhh.......


Goodbye summer! Congratulations Marc and Laura!

shins recap

Well, by the time we hit the riverside patio, it wasn't exactly 90 degrees and sunny anymore. Raining and hailing was more like it:



But no matter...the margaritas were strong, the beers were big, and our resolve was unwavering. That patio went from packed to empty in 10 seconds flat, but we weathered the storm and persevered!

Things weren't looking too good come show time. There was lightning in the not-so-distance, and I was fairly afraid they'd cancel the concert on account of it. But no! The Shins played through it, with an awesome light show only to be conjured up by the likes of mother nature. It was an amazing set, and they played every song I wanted to hear: New Slang, Saint Simon, Kissing The Lipless, AND...an acoustic version (with harmonica!) of Caring Is Creepy. Hell, they even played Pink Floyd's Great Gig in the Sky as an encore!

Here's a little taste of Phantom Limb taken on my cellphone:



We were only about 20 feet from the stage for the whole show! Sweeeeeeet!
Too, too much fun...

best...datenight...ever!

How fun is tonight going to be? Let's see...

We've got a sitter!
It's 90 degrees and sunny and we're going for happy hour on a patio by the river!
We're going to see THE SHINS (!) at the amphitheatre!!!


powered by ODEO

So, so psyched...

green veggies take two

Miracle of all miracles, she LOVES peas! Like seriously, seriously loves them---she doesn't even have any on her face or bib when she's done with her second helping. So there is hope after all...

veggie strike

WARNING: The following article contains graphic images that may be offensive to some viewers.

When it comes to eating, Sadie is probably the most enthusiastic baby I've ever seen. She trembles in anticipation the moment the spoon leaves the bowl, mouth gaping wide, body leaning forward so as to speed delivery of the food to her tummy a second sooner. We were fairly convinced she'd eat anything we gave her---as evidenced by the dill pickle and lime wedge we'd let her chew on at one time or another. Yeah, they were sour, but that didn't stop her from going back for more.

Until the green beans:


Is it wrong that I was laughing so hard the entire time that I could barely keep the camera from shaking?

So let's see...for those of you that are keeping score:
Rice cereal - mmm. oh yeah. more please. lots more. like 1/2 cup at at time, and maybe seconds.
Plums - eh. too sour.
Sweet potatoes - definitely a plus.
Bananas - she likes them, but her tummy doesn't. two strikes and they're out.
Squash - a lot like sweet potatoes. good, good, good.
Avocados - no thank you. (this one surprised us. maybe it's time to try again.)
Pears - YES!
Apples - YES! (do you see a trend here?)
Oatmeal - not as naturally sweet as rice cereal, but that doesn't seem to bother her.
Green beans - the pictures pretty much say it all.

Let me say that we were not even giving our darling girl the standard jarred green goo, either! We went to the farmers' market, purchased some lovely organic beans---very sweet and very tender, not at all tough or bitter---and steamed, blended, and strained them to the perfect consistency for our little mush monster. And this is the thanks we get? Hmmmph! To further confuse our addled parental brains, the next evening while making dinner I gave her a whole intact bean to chew on, which she happily gnawed on until I took it away for fear of choking. Who knows, maybe it's a texture thing. I can't say I blame her!

orange with envy

After what felt like the longest two years of my life stuck in contractual hell with Sprint, I was finally able to switch cell providers. And we all know what that means: new provider, new phone!


I wanted a 2 megapixel camera and QWERTY keyboard, at a minimum. Web browsing, email, and GPS-style navigation wouldn't be bad, either. So I decided not to cheap out this time and get the basic run-of-the-mill freebie---I got the awesome LG enV in super-slick orange instead. It's SWEET! And it just arrived on my doorstep about an hour ago...




Call me! Text me!
Send me pics and video!
I can't wait to use it.

baby talk

There's some sort of unspoken conversation going on between Sophie and Sadie here, I'm just not sure what it is.

expanding the family

Well, everyone, it's time to come clean. Reid and I have made a momentous decision which may delight some of you and shock others. You see, despite the fact that Sadie is barely half a year old and we're ALREADY outgrowing our modest little abode, we couldn't help but feel something was missing---something that would make our family complete.

That's right! We're making room for one more!


Isn't she beautiful?

Born: 1978
Weight: just over 7000 pounds
Length: enough to make parallel parking a challenge
Name: undecided

We plan to take her and Sadie on their first family camping trip this weekend. Maybe she'll earn her name then! In the meantime, here are a few more pics of our bumpy, bouncing bundle of road joy...

Top popped and ready for action

Captain's Quarters

Presto, it's a bed!

The Birth Certificate

happy (belated) birthday sadie

Little girl, I don't even know where to begin with this long overdue letter. I suppose being 5 days late is an accurate measurement or metaphor for the blink-and-you'll-miss-it speed with which you're making (literal) leaps and bounds. Your rolling and sitting has turned to forward lunging, and you can propel yourself on hands and knees toward any object of your desire. It's alarming, actually, because we're totally unprepared for you to be a mobile member of the household. There are sockets to cover and cabinets to babyproof. There are sharp corners, electrical cords, and tiny mouth-sized things everywhere we look. Please slow down, if only for our sanity!
At your 6-month checkup today, your doctor was no less impressed. He actually checked his chart to make sure you were really 6 months old, convinced no reasonable baby should be doing such things until 9 months or more! And although you're tracking way ahead of the curve on developmental milestones, your physical statistics are a bit more average: 17.5 pounds (75% weight percentile), 26 inches (50% height percentile), and a head---as the nurse put it---the size of a grapefruit.


We spent your actual 6-month birthday weekend in Seattle and Portland (a long road trip for such a little girl!), where you met some of our good friends, hung out in the city, and went to our favorite sushi spot. You also finally got to meet your future buddy Quinn, who was born exactly one month before you, on January 11th!

All in all, it's been a pretty exciting month. Here are some more of the highlights:

Opening Presents from Gramma

Eating Sushi (sort of)

Swimming in Your Pool

Sticking Out Your Tongue (your new favorite thing)

Sunbathing

Eating Your Feet (yum)

What next? Well, we're going to try camping this weekend, for starters. Here's to no rain, no skeeters, and a good nights' sleep! Happy 6-month birthday, sweet Sadie, we love you!