Five Months Old

We are in exciting times, family and friends. Miss A turned five months old last week and she's got momentum. Breaking news is that we have, suddenly and surprisingly, a tooth busting onto the scene. I mean, I don't think she was even teething and yet here's a white spec poking through her bottom gums! A little drool here and there, but she hasn't needed to wear a bib yet. Maybe that explains her fussiness on Mother's Day? Who knows. Angela, who watches her twice a week thinks there could be actually two teeth coming through on the bottom. I first felt the one on Saturday. She does like everything in her mouth but I had chalked that up to exploration and curiosity (which it must be too).

Miss A ate rice cereal for the first time Sunday night. She smiled and ate up the entire time. There was a bit of a mess, of course. We need to assemble her high chair. The bumbo seat is decent for the interim as we sit with her at the table, but she only handles the bumbo in doses.

What other developments can happen at the start of five months? Well, on the very date she rolled over for the first and only time! She went back to tummy. I was working while she laid in her activity gym and then I heard some crying. I looked over and she was in a total different position! Hasn't happened since.

 "My polar bear tipped over! How could that have happened? I couldn't have caused that, could I?"

 "Sweet. I realized there's a sticker on my onesie. Can I taste it?"

 "Lick. Lick."

 Paper sticker distressed from prolonged contact by baby's mouth.

And, the tousled hair look. Maybe the length of her hair is an inches-to-months-old ratio.

She's also been sleeping in her crib for a week and a half now! We moved her from the Arm's Reach Co-sleeper in our room to the crib in her room downstairs. That's right, she sleeps on a different floor from us now. I was sad at first but have actually enjoyed reclaiming our area upstairs for getting ready in the morning. Miss A doesn't fight the crib (just going to sleep sometimes) and continues to wake for food throughout the night. I was worried we'd be called down for comfort (doesn't she miss us?!) or fixing a pacifier, but she doesn't seem to want or need it as much anymore.

A couple of weeks ago, at 4.5 months & while visiting Nome, she started lifting her head off the floor. She's trying to sit up regularly and lifts her head anytime she wants a better view. Miss A is also a good supported sitter. So much happening all of a sudden!

I must say, Month 4, and 5 so far, are really, really fun. The interactions as she recognizes us more, exchanges, laughter, smiles, talking, playing are all such good stuff. Last night she didn't just play in her Jumperoo but she started jumping! Her hands are more coordinated with moving items around where she wants them. Manual dexterity improves daily, says Andy. Her gas pains of Months 2 and 3 seem to be all gone.

She's still petite, weighing 13 pounds.
Her two flights to Nome and then return last month were flawless. Let's hope that continues as we soon fly to Dilligham in the Bristol Bay region for another week-long work trip. We're staying in a B&B with my supervisor and other co-workers and colleagues. It's going to be fun times with the gals!

*Amy

Nome-Such

Goodness, it's been awhile! Lots of misc. happening, mostly to share with Miss A of course. A couple of weeks after New Orleans, in early May, her and I journeyed north to my old home of Nome. I'd been looking forward to this trip since I found out about it last summer. There would be an annual conference happening there and I coordinated the Youth Track portion of it. That meant Miss A got to meet her Uncle, Aunt and cousins, along with very special friends.

Of course my camera battery died early in the week-long trip and I forgot to pack the charger. Small items like that were forgotten as I focused on the quantity of diapers to get us through the trip (buying them in Nome is not economical). You can see here that she got to meet her friend, Victoria! I loved seeing V crawling around and talking away.

We settled right into the family home and am so grateful for the hospitality in giving us niece Taylor's room and just having us around for quite awhile.

Uncle Tony took this picture of a splish-splash bath in their kitchen sink!

 Cousin Tay helped her play dress up. Lots of accessories for this fun.

A couple of pics. were taken of Miss A and I in KNOM. I hope to get a copy. It was quite something to be in the radio station with my daughter. As I think about moving to Nome and working there for years....to having my daughter in that actual building, with very special people was emotional for me. Here, she's playing around with KNOM's talented News Director in a hub for Western Alaska's information: the Newsroom! I think they're editing some sound files here. I was in the studio working on public service announcements with one of my teen travelers to the Summit.

Here are some of my teens representing nearly every region of the state. The Summit was focused on tobacco prevention and control. Our Youth Track was titled: "Tobacco: the REAL Deadliest Catch." As an icebreaker to get everyone bonding with one another, I initiated the Human Knot. Except that it was framed as a crab boat net of the tobacco industry trying to "hook" teens into a lifetime of addiction. I needed them to break free of this net/knot and in order to do so they had to work together, think outside of the box, stay united and committed to their cause. Captain "Cig" (cigarette) rooted for them to fail. But alas, after nearly an hour working together, and no one quitting, they made it out of the net/knot. What a team. We had a great experience. I miss this group, but thankfully we're working together long-distance via our tobacco-free coalition.

It snowed while in Nome! And the mornings were around zero with windchill. Good thing I packed the winter gear to use one last time this season. I'm so glad for the trip.

Even as Miss A gets bigger and more independent, its still nice to cuddle with Dad.

 And it's fun to play with the hallway mirror while Dad's on his lunch break!

 My first Mother's Day, with a gift of outdoor flowers. She was actually fussy for most of the day.

 Like I said, fussy. She doesn't smile all the time.

And now tummy time happens more often, in different places and with more positive results.

Whew! That's a lot. More to come as Miss A turned 5 months old Thursday. And more from the Cajun Queen. Andy took her out for an overnight while we spent time with his brother in Nome. He caught an eel. Maybe if Andy ever blogs again we'll see it (nudge, nudge). haha!

*Amy

NOLA & Baby

Nothing says party like taking a baby to New Orleans! So that's what Miss A and I did last week. We traveled more than 15 hours each way (that's about 5 flight segments) for a two-day conference. It was fabulous! I can't emphasize enough how well baby girl did. I kept wondering how I could thank her and show my appreciation for being such a dear (not perfect, but impressive) throughout the journeys I put her through.

As I remarked on Facebook, we arrived to the hotel in NOLA at midnight and discovered the hotel gave away my room even though I had confirmed it hours before during a layover. There was no way around a full hotel so they sent us away in a taxi for a free stay elsewhere, nearby. Now, even as Miss A had been out of her element, in a different time zone and carted all over, she didn't show it. Had she been cranky or fussy (understandably), my stress level would have certainly risen. But instead the sweetheart smiled as I wheeled her around in her new umbrella stroller.

We finally got to bed after 1am and my mind was reeling; anticipating a check out first thing in the morning to get back to the Sheraton. I stared at A and she stared very calmly back into my eyes. She smiled and I just gave prayers of thanks for surviving the day. It was a special moment, and then, before I could get too poetic or deep, she blew a tiny raspberry without breaking her gaze. She reminded me she's still a baby.

The start of the trip was indicative of the rest. It all went well. She came home with a big baby head from all sorts of lovely comments.

Sunshine and warmth really arrived our last full day. We went strolling around checking out shops with a friend from Anchorage also attending the conference. Here's Jackson Square, and then outdoor seating for dinner (with a mojito!). Had my fill of shrimp creole, seafood okra gumbo, jambalaya, and rice and beans. Yum!

The conference was good and there were nearly 20 Alaskans in attendance. The main highlight of the trip for me was an evening with FAMILY! I have not seen my cousins in over three years! You grow up together, and then one moves to Alaska and the other to Louisiana. Times together are not often to say the least. And now my cousin is a Professor! What an accomplishment! They drove all the down from Baton Rouge for the visit. I'm still grateful and happy. Miss A loved them too, even if she started to fade over beignets at Cafe du Monde. It was a little meltdown.

 And then her second-cousins (is that what they are to her??) helped make everything alright again!

Look! What naturals. And all in due time to use these talents, with about less than 3 months before their precious boy arrives! Yay for putting love to that sweet boy. Thank you for seeing us again! Next time they'll be a family of 3 too.

And then the conference ended and we were on our flights back North. Miss A slept so much that I actually read an entire book during the two days of travel. The southern climate, food and hospitality was a great getaway. I hadn't been to NOLA in ten years. Sometime I'll go back, with Andy. A stroll down Bourbon St. is different with my daughter along for the ride!

*Amy

Four Months Old

Getting older and getting *slightly* bigger! Inconsistent with all monthly photos is the four month shoot. A turned 4 months in New Orleans (more on the trip another time). So here she is on a hotel bed and surrounded by special cajun potato chips bags!

Her demeanor and temperament continues to amaze us. Her 4-month shots went super well. She held her breath, turned completely red, let out a yell and then calmed down. She even smiled as I dressed her afterward. The next day she was a bit out of sorts but nothing we couldn't handle. I liked having the appointment on a Friday because I didn't have to work when she needed more attention paid to her schedule the following day.

She's trending small, although it's of no concern. She wasn't even 12 pounds at the check up. At least she's proportioned, happy, healthy and extremely alert. We're cleared to introduce rice cereal when we feel she's interested. That's not yet so we'll wait a bit. The doctor also insisted we start with veggies rather than fruit to avoid introducing "sweet."

As shared in the last post, her vocals are loud and entertaining. She grabs her toes and feet regularly, holds simple objects and puts everything to her mouth. I personally feel we need to do more tummy time. In a less than positive change she's not sleeping through the night anymore. We enjoyed 5-6 hour chunks of sleep for awhile but in the last couple of weeks she's back to 2-3 hour intervals. We have been napping her in her actual crib so maybe after our upcoming trip to Nome we'll officially switch her from the co-sleeper to the crib overnight.

It's harder to nurse her because she's so distracted and interested in what's happening around her. Pretty funny to watch even if it drags out the necessity! Oh, and she is fierce on the hair pulling. She even got Andy's hair as he blew raspberries on her belly. Miss A manages to pull on both of our glasses too. She's got quite the social and expressive personality developing.

Here's one of her favorite places to hang while awake and I'm working:

This weekend we'll assemble her new Jumperoo. It's time for this step given how much she loves to stand supported!

*Amy

Easter Weekend

We sure had a great holiday weekend. The uh-mazing weather really contributed to our enjoyment.
It was high time to get the boat back on the water and Captain Andy was very thorough. We stayed in close waters so he could check electrical connections and make sure everything was in top working order. Of course we were just excited to get Miss A afloat!  She started the boat ride a bit sleepy and ended it in full nap mode. The in-between time was happiness and much for her to look at.
At the start of our excursion she remained in her car seat. After waking she stayed put for awhile because she had a direct view of her daddy steering. She fully took him in her sights!

We cruised in front of our neighborhood, dubbed "the scar" or "hillslide." I can't remember exactly, but try to find our little blue abode next to the red one.

And in the basket for her end of boat journey nap. She didn't see Daddy's rockfish catch but without a doubt many fish will be seen this summer. It felt so nice to be back on our boat, becoming familiar with the routine again, and jumping into the scenery. I'm beyond excited for camping and exploring.

Then it was Easter Sunday and when we weren't chatting with family, we tried to be outside as much as possible--especially on our new patio furniture.

Skyping with Grandpa Joe and his beard!

Another lovely element to Easter in addition to Jesus' resurrection, the sunshine, family and the prime rib, was A's vocal range! Holy smokes did her voice take off that day! She was a music maker exploring her range.

And just a couple of days ago she chatted up the owl and moon in her book at the changing table.

Finally, this week she is now a Bumbo girl, in short bursts!

Plenty of fun still ahead as Miss A and I fly out to New Orleans tomorrow for a conference. Here's hoping her 2 test run trips to Anchorage last month prepped her for this longer, out of state trip.

*Amy

Three Months Old

Miss A turned 3 months on St. Patrick's Day! She continues to delight us in her evolving expressions, discoveries, sharing of joy and overall demeanor. She is truly a happy, happy baby except when experiencing gas pains, which unfortunately seemed to happen more often during this past month. Sometimes during her occasional bouts of crying she manages to simultaneously smile because she can't help but respond to us.

Otherwise she had a big bout with blowing bubbles. That excitement has tapered off as bubbles  are regular occurrences now. Her hands are always in her mouth. Just very, very recently she's shooting her legs straight up into a 90-degree and her feet seem to have a life of their own...according to her. It's a matter of time before she realizes she can grab them and hold on. She discovered her clothes last week and is now grabbing at them and tugging around her knees.

Miss A's eyebrows have grown in some more and her hair has become long enough that it doesn't stick straight out (some of the time). She's batting toys around that hang in her reach and the laughter is picking up. And the T.V. has caught her eye. Yikes! What a sweetie. Getting bigger too fast.

 Pals

So after her photo shoot we put her in green attire for the holiday (thanks to the Grandmas)--to embrace the Flaherty side of her.

We celebrated both occasions by going out to dinner and having a couple of pints. By chance the place we chose (with live music) seated us next to a table of hospital employees. Including my doctor who delivered Miss A and her surgeon husband who made it happen. Even a couple of nurses we saw during our hospital stay were there. They enjoyed getting to see her. It's nice to have a social and unofficial "3-month" check-up by Doc. Small towns are lovely. So is Miss A.

*Amy

Pat's Sitter

On Monday night we went to a "body art" contest as part of Artigras happenings in Sitka. That's right, we took our daughter to a (smoke-free) Pub to see tattoos compete. It was fun, and brought out a different demographic to Arts Council events. Just before leaving (after Miss A let us eat our buffalo wings as she slept in her car seat) I overheard a patron near us. (paraphrased) "That baby looks like a baby Pat Benatar!" I felt motherly pride that this denim-jacketed fellow was impressed by A's hair and likened her to a rocker, as she hung out with many folks sporting impressive tattoos. She may grow up well-rounded. Andy liked the show but wouldn't enter his tattoo, newish from last winter. I had high hopes for some tattoo trophies.

"We Are Young..."

image from last month

Today was the first full day I spent apart from her. Andy's been used to the work routine for awhile. I've had the luxury of keeping her at home or having Grandmas watch her as I earn a day's wage. But today she finally went to our friend's house for care-taking. If all goes well, which we're expecting it will, she'll go to our friend's twice a week and then stay at home with me the rest of the week. Our friend has a 17-month old and she currently adores Miss A. It's so sweet and she was borderline upset as I left with A.

So last night and this morning I went through all the emotions of "letting go." I swear she was going off to college in just a matter of time. Rather than have a nice farewell after I got her things settled, I had to take off like a bat out of hell. Who forgets to bring the bottles of pumped milk (lovingly gathered during sessions at 1:30am)? Yeah...thank goodness we live on an island. Before my morning Skype meeting I raced to our house on the other side of the island, plucked the bottles of milk from the fridge and raced them back. So much for a fond send off to a good day. But I made my meeting and was welcomed by her smiling face for pick up. We all did it. We all survived and I'm glad to have her home. We have until Monday for take two.

*Amy