Visiting Great Grandpa

Great Grandpa Harold and a bunch of cute girls.  It is the end of February and no coats!

More birthday celebrations for Daddy?

This weekend we went down to Washington to visit Great Grandpa Harold.  He met Edith for the first time.  Then we went to Dino's and ate pizza with Grandma Dee and Grandpa Ed.  The girls then played at Sunset Park, Daddy and I went down the Rocket Slide, Grandpa Ed gave Alena a new fox fur for her fur collection, he made a lot of maple syrup, and then we had a birthday mandarin orange cake.  Whew!  We love the hair that is always sticking straight up on Edith's head!

Daddy's birthday and back to work

It was a big weekend for Edith!  Saturday morning we were eating pumpkin waffles.  Edith was still refusing to take a bottle and we were really getting down to crunch time with me starting work in 2 days.  We had a bottle out and I looked over at the maple syrup and figured it wouldn't hurt to try to use it to coax her to eat.  We poured syrup on the nipple and Edith licked it all off.  Soon she was sucking from the bottle with no problems!  Subsequent bottles did not require syrup.  Now she is a pro, but prefers the fancy bottle brand Nuby; no Wal-Mart special for this little one!

Sunday was Daddy's birthday.  We had strawberry pie made by Grandma Diane to celebrate.  Alena helped pull together a surprise for him.  We all put on our Star Wars shirts and took a family picture.

Monday was my first day back to work.  It went pretty well.  Daddy took two days off work to help with the transition.  He reports that everyone did well.  He even had some pretty flowers delivered to my desk.  Kate had everyone clean the lab so it looked good upon my return and I enjoyed meeting Erin for lunch.  It was relaxing to eat lunch with a friend and not have to be responsible for any kids, but I was happy to come home at the end of the day (to a great supper made by Daddy.) It is pretty amazing that my 12 weeks are up already!  Edith has changed a lot in that time!

Ah goo

Edith has her grumpy times, but she is definitely the most talkative of our babies.  She loves to make a gurgling noise while cooing at whoever will look at her and talk back.  She also loves to smile at her family.  Daddy will make her laugh by rubbing his head on her belly.  All three girls have loved that trick! Edith is also rolling over from front to back consistently.  She can really get her head up when she is on her belly.  And Nora is still rolling her over.  Bedtime is still a little challenging.  She seems to need to scream a little before settling down for the night.  She has been going to sleep around 9 or 10 and wakes up 4-5 hours later to eat.  Lots of times she is up for the morning at 6 and goes down for a nap in her car seat after I make the rounds dropping off the other girls.  She loves that car seat!  Now she frequently stays awake while we are out.  I carry her in her seat into the house and then she falls asleep.  She just doesn't want to miss any of the excitement of the car ride.

Poor Jones never catches a break!

Bottle strike

Saturday night Ben and I went out to eat and then to a magician at the Paramount.  Grandpa Steve came to stay with the girls.  Edith is refusing to drink from a bottle and he reported that she screamed for 1 hour and 10 minutes before falling asleep.  Even with the new bottles she has yet to find one that she will tolerate.  I am going back to work in a couple of days so she will be experiencing a baby bottle bootcamp with Daddy on Monday.  Hopefully it goes better.

After a lingering cold with a fever, Nora has been diagnosed with pneumonia.  She was sick when Grandpa was over.  Will he ever agree to watch the girls again?

Some Edith Firsts

On Thursday morning I put Edith on her belly.  She enjoys some good belly time and does a good job of getting her head up to look around.  I went to feed the cats and when I returned she was on her back.  Nora was suspiciously in the area and has been known to roll her over, so I asked her if it she was the one who rolled her over.  She laughed and said no, so I wasn't convinced, and I couldn't convince Edith to do it again.  Saturday morning it was just the two of us, and I witness the roll!  So it was real!

Edith has taken a few bottles since she was born but now with only two weeks before I get back to work it is time to get serious.  Of course she decided that she now refuses a bottle.  We went to Target and bought several new bottles and borrowed different ones from Aunt Melissa.  She better choose one to drink from soon!

Edith also has her first cold.  So far it isn't getting her down but it is hard to hear her breathing through all of the snot.  Alena was helpful and remembered where we stored the snot sucking bulb.

The girls love to entertain the little one.  Nora attached a rattle to both of her hands, but she got her own foot out of her pajamas.  Alena even practiced reading with little sis.

A visit from Cousin Alice

Alice and Julianne came and stayed with us for three nights.  It was their last hurrah before the new baby comes along.  Nora and Alice had a great time playing with each other.  When Alena came home from school she read some books to them.  Alice thought that Edith always should have her pacifier, even while Edith was sleeping or nursing!  Grandma and Grandpa came up for a day and brought Aunt Kristina.  She is in a walking cast from bunion surgery and is enjoying 8 weeks of FMLA.  Nora and Alice took a nice bath together.  The girls dressed up like underwear super heros.

Two months

Edith turned 2 months this week!  With her new age she has changed her attitude and has become a lot less grumpy.  As long as someone is paying close attention to her at all times she is pretty happy.  She will smile and coo and still loves to kick.  If you go into another room she will express her displeasure!  Today she had her check up at the doctor.  She is 23 inches (67%, though I wonder if the measurement was off a little), 10 lbs, 8 oz (23%) and her head was 39 cm (67%).  She checked out good with just a little diaper rash.  She got 3 shots and an oral vaccine.  She was angry at the sticks, but quickly recovered.  The doctor said she had excellent muscle tone and was impressed by how she could hold her head up so well.  She said, "she doesn't know she is only 2 months," because she did so well.  I think all of that screaming must have made her stronger. Alena and Nora both joined her at the doctor because it was a snow day, despite the roads being fine.

We also finally got birth announcements out and Grandma Dee put Edith's picture in the Washington Evening Journal.  He picture was so darling she even made it onto the front page!