Hoppy Easter

The Easter Bunny has been very present this week in our house.

She's been hopping on the couch.

She's been sitting up like a big girl.

She's been wondering why Mommy is taking so many pictures.

She's been enjoying her yogurt.

And she's been annoyed in her swing.

Hoppy Easter, from our favorite bunny.

Windy City

Last month Orelia and I flew out to Chicago to see Anika and her daughter Arianna.  

We had a really amazing time, but neither Orelia nor I appreciated the Chicago weather much.  Orelia broke out in red dry patches from the cold, and we had to start applying lotion to her for the first time.  (Doesn't she look so much like John in the photo above?)

After venturing outside the first day, Orelia and I decided that was enough, and literally holed up in Anika's house for the rest of the trip.  Anika was sweet enough to let us stay put while she did all the errands by herself.

There was no need to leave when we had such great company.  Anika adored Orelia, and Orelia adored her right back.

But no one is more fun to a baby than a toddler, and Arianna proved to be the most entertaining playmate of the year.

 Orelia loved watching her big-girl friend jump on the trampoline or dance along with Rock and Roll Elmo.

Arianna was so sweet to Orelia, and was more than happy to entertain her all day long.

Arianna was more than happy to share her toys with O, and loved to imitate her baby antics.  Orelia was chewing on a puzzle piece while lying on the floor, so Arianna found a different piece to the same puzzle and put it in her mouth while lying on the floor.  These kids, they are impressionable.

A huge thanks to Anika for hosting us and providing us with every item of clothing and piece of baby gear we needed for the trip.  We didn't even have to bring a car seat!

And an even bigger thanks to Anika for taking all of these beautiful six month photos of Orelia.  If you're looking for a Chicago photographer, give her a call!

A Visit from Bobby and Linda

It's wonderful to spend time with people who love your baby and adore her as much as you do.

 We can all sit around and marvel at how beautiful she is.

And how smart.

And how funny.

That's what family is for, right?

John's mom and brother came out for a visit, and Orelia had a great time - she relished all the attention.

Bobby and Linda enjoyed her smiles and antics.

Orelia is lonely without you - come back soon!

This Little Piggy

I will never tire of looking at these little piggies.

And these dainty, yet strong hands.

So Long, Harvard

Orelia has been able to sit up in some fashion for awhile now, but I just hadn't taken any pictures of it.

She still falls backwards sometimes, and a mommy can't be snapping photos while also staying behind her baby to protect her against falls.

I decided it was high time for some sitting pictures, and that I would just snap a few.

Needless to say, immediately after this picture was taken there was some serious head-bonkage that resulted in tears that would only stop flowing once her favorite Harper dog was in her sights.  Sorry, honey.  When you can't get into Harvard, you can blame these photos.

Orelia at Seven Months

Seven months and a few days ago, our little girl entered the world.

For some reason, seven months sounds so much older than six months - we are on our way to having a one year-old.

Things our going great in our neck of the woods.  Orelia keeps getting bigger and stronger all the time.

She's getting really good at sitting up, and can go from a seated position to her tummy.  When she decides she wants to be on her back, though, watch out because she will fly backwards with alarming force.  Needless to say, we always keep a close eye on her when she's sitting.

She's the rolliest baby we know - always rolling all over the place whenever she wants to get somewhere.  I don't think she'll be crawling too soon since she is perfectly happy rolling instead.

Orelia eats solid foods 2-3 times a day and nurses 5 times a day.  She's still taking 3 naps every day, and sleeps about 11 hours at night.

Harper is Orelia's best pal and always brings a smile to Orelia's sweet face.  Orelia is always reaching out for Harper to kiss her hands and she opens her mouth and sticks out her tongue when she wants to kiss Harper back.

She loves being around other babies - including the beautiful one she sees in the mirror every day.  She has adult friends she adores (namely, Joyce and Natalie) and when she's in the mood she smiles at everyone she sees.  She loves to talk (with Ls, Bs, Ns, Ms, and Ds) and laugh.  To my delight, she has even started to act ticklish.

She just started crying when John leaves for work every morning.  It would be sweet if it wasn't so heartbreaking.  At least she's thrilled every night when he comes home.

She loves the Baby Bjorn and likes stroller rides too.  Being outside is always a hit.  She's still the happiest baby we know, for which we count our lucky stars every day.

Uncle Bobby

I think it's safe to say that Orelia love-love-loved her Uncle Bobby!  They became the best of pals last week, and both parties are devastated to be separated.  Come back soon, Uncle Bobby!

Orelia the Social Butterfly

Orelia is a social butterfly and loves making friends.  We've started a play group with a wonderful group of moms and babies, and it's been great for both of us so far.  She's the oldest of the bunch, so she recently showed off her rolling skills to all her new friends.  They were suitably impressed.  It will be our turn to host the play group soon, and Orelia plans to bring in Chick-Fil-A, which I expect will make her even more popular.