Three Day Weekend

Three day weekends mean the whole family can relax more, play more, and bond more.

Harper considered it a time to lick more.

She really made the most of more licking time, let me tell you.
 

More ears were available to hear Orelia play her piano.

Most importantly, more hugs were shared between Daddy and daughter.

More smiles.

And more smooches.

Three day weekends are definitely more fun.

Memorial Day

We celebrated Memorial Day on the floor of Natalie and Mitch's house.

They had a big BBQ, and we spent the afternoon chatting, eating, and watching our baby roll around on the carpet.

Orelia is pretty independent.  She doesn't like to be held for long periods and would much rather be on her own, exploring and scooting around.  She would prefer you be sitting with her on the floor; just don't get in her way.

The food at the party was amazing.  Orelia and I especially loved the pesto pasta salad.  We may have also enjoyed a few potato chips too.

Thanks to Natalie and Mitch for having us over and giving us new grounds to roam.

Nikon Baby

As any parents knows, the most beloved toys are the ones that are free.

The strangest things cause the most joy.

Orelia absolutely adores the lens cap from my camera.

Most photo shoots end with a fair share of pictures of Orelia with her favorite toy.

The most recent batch of lens cap photos came out pretty well, and I figured I should post them online in case Nikon is looking for a new spokesbaby.

I told her that to be a good model she needs to show off the Nikon logo.

But somehow that wasn't a top priority to her.

The lens cap is so tasty you'd think it were an Oreo or something.

Now that she's tasted some real delicacies (though, sadly, no Oreos), I would have thought the allure of plastic would have lessened.

Apparently not.  Until the lens cap loses its luster, I guess we we just keep taking photos of our little Nikon spokesbaby.  And my lens cap will get a special spit shine every so often.

Orelia at Nine Months

Happy nine months to our sweet baby girl!  

She's happy and healthy, weighing 17 pounds 13 oz. (roughly 50th percentile) and measuring 27.25 inches (roughly 50th percentile).

She laughs and smiles a lot and makes us laugh a lot too.  She loves to talk and scream and generally carry on and be silly.

We've been doing sign language with her a lot and she is maybe starting to catch on to it a bit.  We think she tries to sign "more" to us when she wants more food.  She definitely understands what "more" means and turns to us to eat more when we say it.

She's a great eater, and we now feed her solids throughout the day.  She eats everything, but especially loves carbs like bread and crackers.  She loves her tart yogurt for breakfast every morning and loves nibbling on strawberries.

She isn't crawling, but still does lots of rolling and now does an army crawl.  She gets faster and more efficient every day.

John and Orelia started swim classes last week and Orelia loved it.  She's become quite the water baby, loving swimming, bath time, and our little baby pool.

Orelia also loves our weekly music classes.  She plays all the instruments, "sings", wiggles around, and is generally thrilled with the experience.

We hang out with our mom and baby friends all week, and both of us are happier when we are around our buddies.  The babies swap/steal toys, pat each other on the face, and squawk back and forth.  (The mommies just talk.)

Orelia loves to wave "hi" when she sees people she knows and also waves "hi" at Harper.  It's very sweet how much she loves her dog.

She is also thrilled that she can now clap, and does it whenever she is happy and excited.

It's great to see her learning new things all the time and growing up into our big girl.  We can't wait to see what she does next!

More Pool Fun

Orelia and I hosted pool parties in the backyard two days in a row a couple weeks back.

I swear she was more thrilled about it than this picture implies.

That's more like it!

The kids would play in the pool for an hour and then come out, dry off, and scamper around on the blankets a bit.

There was naturally some snacking on summer fruits like watermelon and strawberries.  No pool party would be complete without snacks.

While waiting for her friends to arrive one day, Orelia played in the dry pool for about thirty minutes.

Never underestimate the power of novelty with babies.

The temperatures have fallen back down to normal - in the 70s - so I'm glad we made the most of the hot weather when we did.

It's not every day you can lounge around in just a diaper (and six layers of sunscreen).

We are looking forward to many more warm days and excuses to wear cute hats soon.

First Mother's Day

Today was my first Mother's Day with Orelia, and it was a great one.

I think it's hard to appreciate your own mother until you become one yourself.  You realize the unconditional and overflowing love that they have had for you all these years.

I've been loving my job as a mother these past nine months.  It's definitely the most rewarding and also the most difficult thing I've ever done.  It requires every bit of energy you have, but in the end you are happy to give all that effort in order to see your child flourish.

Orelia is such a sweet and fun baby; I know how lucky I am to have such an easygoing girl.

The smiles she gives me and the peals of laughter that erupt from her tiny body are the most wonderful thing I can imagine.

Being Orelia's mom wouldn't be nearly as much fun without John by my side.  He is such a loving and diligent dad who makes this journey all the sweeter.  Thanks to him and to Orelia for a wonderful first Mother's Day.