New Foods

Nellie has started on solids and we are having her try all different sorts of foods. Today was peas. She is not too sure about them yet. Food on the face photos, though are always a classic! It's a little blurry but I think she was dodging the spoon.

Nellie's stats

Nellie is 17 lbs 6 oz and 25 1/4 inches. Big girl. She is almost seven months now too! Hard to believe. She is super strong and eager to learn.

It's getting colder

Thank goodness Becky gave us all these warm clothes for Nellie. The temperature has really dropped. Nellie had to go out for a check up at Dr Gough's and to get some shots.

Where have we been?

I know, I know. We have been trapped in Facebook, working/vacationing in Florida and busy at work.

We are all doing very well. I took Nellie to Kansas so she could meet her Great-Grandma Velva and her Great-Uncle Larry plus all our other family and friends in Lyons and Wichita. We then went to Tampa to visit Mark who was directing a play at USF.

Nellie and I spent a lot of time on the swings at the playground. I had her in the Bjorn and we would swing for ages. We both really loved it. We also discovered with the help of our hosts David, Amanda and Dylan that bouncing on a large exercise ball is very soothing.

Nellie did very well on all the flights. I was very grateful that Mark came back with us since we accumulated some gifts from the journey.

I am back at work and Mark is taking this opportunity to stay at home with Nellie. They are having a great time together and Mark is relishing Nellie's first word - "dadadadadadadadadada"!

We have two cats now. We rescued a lovely and lively boy named Dashiell. He and Dylan are in LOVE! Dashiell has been a wonderful companion for Dylan. It is all a bit of a handful but fun at the same time.

I will get more photos posted here. Our harddrive is full on our computer so we haven't been able to upload from the camera.

Nellie nuzzling the mirror

Nellie is really getting into seeing herself in the mirror.

Nellie gets the giggles

Annette and her daughter are making Nellie laugh. Nellie has a really sweet giggle. She is a delight!

Nellie in her crib

Nellie is now sleeping in her crib. It is going really well. She is using her pink sheet that grandma Sandra made for her.

It's a little sad that Nellie isn't going to be sleeping in our room anymore but she is sleeping better now. She was getting way too big for her hammock.

Beckett for Babies

Here.

Nellie chats

This is Nellie having a chat with the camera.

gotta love that swing!

Nellie is really getting into the swing!

Dylan finds his light

I took this photo of Dylan on the weekend and it couldn't have turned out better. Dylan has generally been a very good boy with Nellie. I can't wait to see what happens once she is moving around on his level. We are thinking of getting a second cat to keep Dylan company. I think he has long days inside with nothing to break up the monotony.

Nellie learns "cause and effect"

This was so exciting. Nellie started to pull on the cords and realise that music and lights began. I was so excited that I could be there to see it.

Seriously - how pretty is this baby!!

I know that this photo was just featured in the previous post, but it is one of the best ones that captures how pretty Nellie is.

The many moods of Nellie

Nellie is awake!

This is Nellie in her new carrier. We bought it at a stoop sale and it has proven to be very useful. She was hanging out with me on the couch. She is staying awake longer now and as you can see she is very animated. Her facial expressions crack me up. She is a very funny little girl.

Nellie up close and asleep

Going for a bit of an arty feel here. I love to watch Nellie sleep - that is pretty obvious by the copious amounts of photos I take of her in repose.

Nellie in her Aquarium swing

I put Nellie in the swing again today after about a month. She is starting to appreciate it more and loves to stare at the fish hanging to the sides.

Nellie under her blanket

Here is Nellie hiding under her blanket.

Nellie Sleeping

Nellie making her sweet sleeping sounds.

Nellie reclining

This photo cracks me up. She is sitting like a pious 40 year old.



Her hand is moving so fast you can't see it.

More Visitors

Mark, Emma, Erin & Felicity

Lisabeth

thanks for stopping by

Mary

Art

Annette

Kim

Art

Hello Nellie

I think I finally got the video to work. This is Nellie responding to me yesterday. I think just after teh film ended she burst into tears.

Eyes open photo request from Grandpa Dennis

Close-up request from Grandma Sandra

This is Nellie last week all swaddled up.

Nellie's Neighbourhood

Milestones

We have a few milestones to report on this week.

Nellie has started spitting up

She has started smiling in response to the way I say a couple of phrases

She has had several showers with us and really seems to like them. It has been really warm here and being on the top floor has bumped up the temperature. We are wearing little and showering often.

We organised for Nellie to have a babysitter when I go back to work. I hope to go back in a fortnight part time.

Mark has introduced her to The Beastie Boys album Ill Communication.

Memorial Day Weekend

Well we had a big long weekend. Our friends Trista and Dean were in town with their 16 month old daughter Ila. They were staying with our other friends Barbara and Heather and their 18 month old son Ryder. All NINE of us met up on Saturday and went to Prospect Park for a late afternoon picnic. We had such a lovely time. Ila and Ryder played with the ducks, on the swings and with a ball Heather "acquired" at the park. Dean later went to great lengths to rescue the ball from the lake. True hero dad stuff.



On Sunday we all met up again and went to Battery Park. It was another lovely day. We ate at a Chinese restaurant on the water. Mark and I sat and watched the sunset whilst I feed Nellie. It was really beautiful.





On Monday Mark, Nellie and I went to Coney Island. We met up with Dean and Ila as well as Kim and her friends Andrea and Mark. It was crazy busy at Coney Island and super noisy. We all had a good time but our stamina is not what it was. Kim's trio was wonderfully supportive of our new needs with Nellie. Dean and Ila bailed first and then Mark, Nellie and I hit the wall and made our exit whilst Kim and her Mark were on the Wonder Wheel. (sorry we didn't get to say goodbye).




Nellie was very unsettled last night. It took extra feedings, swaddling, dummies, rocking and a walk around the block to calm her to sleep. In the end Mark had the magic touch - a call back to when I was pregnant with her and she would stop jumping around when he placed his hands on my belly. She and I are hanging out at home today.

Nellie goes to work

I took Nellie in to Macquarie today so everyone who was so intimate with LP could now meet Nellie. As I was leaving I realised that I didn't take any photos! Poo Bum Wee! I do have a photo of her in her new dress (a gift from her great-aunty Barbara and great-uncle Tom) that she wore today. I cracks me up that she sleeps with her hands up in the air.


I am trying to figure out my return to work - when?, part time or full time?, which department?, etc. Happily I like working there and even more happily they are working with me to sort out my choices.

I am still trying to figure out the showing-Nellie-off protocol. She was in the Baby Bjorn and fast asleep but no-one could see her. So the decision is - do I take her out and possibly have her cry and/or scream or do I leave her attached to me to keep the peace? I did a bit of both. I also go to use the Mother's Room for a speed feed before I had to meet someone else at 4pm.

I realise that there are several people that I didn't get to see. Next visit may be more social. This one was mainly about seeing Shelley (we both got to experience our first catch-up with a baby in the room).

I thought Miranda's uterus was going to explode. She kept holding onto it.

We are both pooped! This trip required me to bring, Nellie, the nappy bag, the Boppy pillow, an umbrella and my purse! My stitches are straining a bit.

As I was leaving to meet Ari Kreith, the skies opened up and it poured down. I seems that every time I take Nellie out in a sling or bjorn it rains.

I am so hungry.

More Photos