Ben, Em, Diana, and Helen

Greetings from the Northwest!

My first job

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Mommy has let me get my first job which is organizing all of the papers in these drawers.  It is a lot of hard work, but I like it.

6 Months!

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It’s been a whirlwind week. I turned 6 months old and am already getting my 3rd tooth! We’ve been taking lots of walks this week to get more pictures of the neighborhood, and I like looking at all of the people. We went out to lunch this week with friends, and the woman is about to have a little girl, so I’ll have a playmate soon! I’m really close to sitting up on my own and I practice every day. I can do it for a few seconds, but I usually start tipping to the side unless mommy or daddy helps me. I like playing with some bigger toys now and use both of my hands, and sometimes my feet, to hold on to them. I have been eating baby rice cereal this week and have been getting most of it down. Mommy finally figured out that I like my food to be as close to 98.6 degrees as possible J Here are some pictures so you can see what we’ve been up to.


Photos!

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Here are some more pictures of me from the last two weeks (and two from our vacation in Bali).  As you can see, I’ve been very busy!

My 22nd Week

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I can roll over!!!  I was wiggling around on my back Tuesday morning, and when  mom came back from putting in a load of laundry, I was on my tummy.  But then Wednesday she watched me do it a bunch more times, and this morning it was the first thing I did when she put me on my back.  The only bad thing about it is that when I’m on my tummy I can’t play with my feet and toes, which I have just discovered.   I can even pull off my own socks (well, only on the left side – mom is convinced I’m going to be left-handed). 

 

Now that all of my toys are here and unpacked, I’ve been getting to experiment with lots of new things.  I still like my little silver rattle best, but since I have teeth now I have been chewing on softer things.  I am better at reaching out and grabbing what I want, and getting it into my mouth.  I also really like music, and have been enjoying my activity saucer and Baby Einstein music box. 

 

I still smile a lot, but I haven’t made my pouty face in about two weeks – that must have been a teething face.  There may be more teeth coming though because I’m still drooling a lot, and sometimes I just make raspberry sounds with my tongue and end up spitting everywhere.  I am still talking a lot, sometimes in two syllable “words,” but mom and dad don’t understand me yet.  I am growing like a weed and now weigh about 15lbs, and am about 25 inches long.  Plus, my fingernails are growing so fast that they have to be cut twice a week, especially since I like grabbing at mom and dad’s faces now. 

 

I still don’t like to go to sleep on my own in my crib, but I am happily taking longer naps during the day.  And I do really enjoy my bedtime stories, so I usually get two or three a night.  That’s all I can think of now, but I’ll keep putting up pictures when I can!

 

 

My 20th Week

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I have been sooo busy lately.  I got to ride on a plane across the Pacific, and I was pretty good about
sleeping and eating, and didn’t bother the other Business Class passengers too much.  Daddy got to manage a blowout in the tiny airport bathroom, which I thought was pretty funny, but other than that, the trip was
uneventful for me.  I didn’t have any problems with my ears, which was something I had been warned a lot about. 

We spent three days in Bali, which I didn’t like too much because it was hot and sticky.  I got to take a nap
in the shade by the pool, which was ok, but then my arms were a little red for the next few days, and my eyes hurt so I was cranky at night.  But I slept really well at night and got to sleep in every day and take long naps.  I also discovered how to suck my thumb, which meant I was able to keep myself a little happier when we were out getting breakfast or dinner. 

Once we left Bali we headed to our new home on the island of Papua.  I really didn’t like that since I got
woken up at 2am to catch the flight.  But once we got there, I got in my carseat and slept all the way up
to Tembagapura.  Mom was a bit worried since the drive is very bumpy, but I was nestled in and didn’t wake
up once.  I like our new home better than Bali since it isn’t so hot.  Plus, our first day here, I got my
first tooth, which would explain why I’ve felt so cranky lately and have been trying to chew on everything!

It’s still just a little white stump on my bottom right side, but it feels like maybe the one on the left is
coming in too.  I guess that mom didn’t think I’d be teething yet, because she sent all of my teething toys
in our airfreight shipment.  But she says that should be here this week, so I’m excited.  Plus, my crib will
get here soon, which means I’ll get to set up my room.  It’s nice to finally be in the same place for a while,
and everyone here is so nice to me.  There are also a lot of other babies and kids here, and our house is a
two minute walk from a playground, so I’m really looking forward to getting a bit bigger so I can play more.

I’ve been busy, but super happy, so all is well.

My 15th Week

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I discovered TV this week!  I really enjoyed watching part of “Ratatouille,” and the faces on some reality tv show until mom made me pay attention to her instead.  I have been smiling a lot, and have started to laugh a bit this week.  I’m also discovering new sounds and faces I can make.  I can purse my lips and point my tongue.  I also really like sitting in my little Bumbo chair.  Mom has been trying to make me play with a rattle for the past few weeks, but I only realized that I can put it in my mouth this week, and now I love it!  My “0-3 Month” clothes aren’t as baggy anymore, but some are getting to be too small to fit over my head.  Strangers always say how cute I am, so maybe that’s what makes my head so big.  I’m off to take a nap (since I can only stay awake for about an hour and a half at a time), but I’ll write more as I learn and discover new things.