Port Austin

Colleen, Molly, Kathy, Calvin, and I made a road trip to Port Austin. In order to fit everyone into one car, Kathy had to sit in between the car seats. She thought it was great to be able to play with the babies when they weren't sleeping.

Our friend Nicole invited us up there for her father's surprise birthday party. She had access to a few cabins and her parents own a house and a restaurant there.

Karen and her boyfriend Ken were already there when we arrived. We explored the town and walked out to the beach. Calvin was in his stroller and I was wearing Molly in her baby carrier.

We only brought one pack-and-play since we didn't figure that both kids would nap at the same time.

We figured wrong.

Thanks to the ingenuity of the moms, we were able to find a way to make both babies fit.

It was a fun day with plenty of friends and food. Next time, we will definitely spend the weekend there.

Click here for a few more pictures from the trip.

Da Da

Yep, she said it. A bunch of times.

I know it's just noises at this point, but it's still fun to hear.

I should be careful what I wish for. There will come a time when I will want her to stop saying it!

Happy Six Month Birthday!

I can't believe she's a half year old!

We've gone through so many changes and adjustments. My squishy little ball of baby is now a sitting up, solid food eating, rolling over, teething powerhouse!

Just six months ago she was born.

Then five months ago she had her first bath.

Four months ago we were dressing her up in funny costumes.

Three months ago she got her first wet willie.

Two months ago she discovered her toes.

And last month she rolled over for the first time.

It's been quite a ride so far. She continues to amaze us every day.

Mmm More Food

We've been trying different foods lately. Sweet potato she liked at first, but not so much a few days later.







She wasn't sure what to make of peas...








But I guess it wasn't so bad after all.









So far, her favorite is bananas.

Holy Molly!

The day of Molly's baptism started out well enough. In the morning, we picked up the food and drinks we would be serving after the ceremony. When we got to my parents' house to drop everything off, it became apparent that Molly was in a very bad mood.

Today was the day another tooth decided to start pushing its way out.

The poor girl was pretty unhappy all day long. We did what we could to keep her comfortable, and occasionally we saw a smile, but teething does not look fun.

Remarkably, she was quiet at the church, at least until she found herself in a pool getting water splashed on her head.

All was well once she was dried off and put into her pretty white dress.





After the ceremony, we had a small reception and Molly opened a few presents.








It was really nice that my sister was able to come to town to hang out with her niece. It's great when all of Molly's aunts are around.

Overall, it was a great day of fun and family.

Welcome Belén

Molly and I had the pleasure of meeting Leah & Eric's new arrival this week. Baby Belén came into the world just 6 days ago during a planned, natural home birth.  She is a tiny, healthy, beautiful bundle of joy!  We had a great time playing with Oscar who is a ball to talk to and such a happy and proud big brother.

-Colleen

Go Wings!

We went over to Grandma and Grandpa Remeika's house for Mother's day and to watch the Red Wings game. It was a pretty good game and Molly had fun with her grandparents. My mom got to feed her banana, Molly was wearing this sweet jersey, and the Wings won!

Mmm. Avocado.

We started to try out new foods for Molly. Since Monday she has been eating smashed bananas for one of her meals. Today we tried avocado.






She has a puzzled look on her face for the first few bites, but she soon figures out that this is good stuff.

I'm thinking that we won't have to worry about her being a picky eater.

Family Visit

We went over to Molly's Great Grandparents' house to visit with the Cairds. Kathy and Marc brought Calvin. Aunt Beth and Uncle Chris were there to check out the new babies.



Tim and Nancy were more than happy to show off their grandchildren.



Aunt Petey and Uncle Mike were even in town from Arizona. It was great to discuss what the babies were up to and the new things they are doing.

Sitting Up

Prior to today, if we sat her up, she would slump forward or to the side. Today she was sitting up on her own. She does fall backward if she leans too far, but it wasn't too long ago that it was a big deal that she held her head up.

She'll be crawling soon...

First Tub Bath

Since she has outgrown her sink tub, we are bathing Molly in the bathtub. No difference to Molly. Still soap. Still water. She doesn't really enjoy baths, she tolerates them. She doesn't complain, but she's not the happy-splashy-watery type of girl.

We have fun, of course. After her bath, she gets put into her jammies, hears a bedtime story, and falls asleep.

More Solid Food

Molly has been taking to the rice cereal pretty well. She is opening her mouth, closing her lips around the spoon, chewing, and swallowing.

Yep, what's normal for her is amazing to me! It's just fun to sit her in a high chair and feed her.


Here's a video of the process from the spoon's point of view:

Growing

Having a new "mini-person" living in your house took some getting used to. What's impossible to get used to is that there is always a slightly larger version of that person around every day.

She's growing. Fast.

Here's a picture of her when she had her first bath four months ago.








Here she is a couple of days ago.

The difference is striking. We are going to have to upgrade from the sink tub to a bathtub tub.



I guess I have to get used to Molly growing out of things.

Chickens

Colleen's Aunt Gail and Uncle Steve got some baby chickens and we went over to check them out. Uncle Steve even built a giant coop in the back yard for when they are old enough to live out there.






I'm not sure what Molly thought of them. I'm sure she would have grabbed one and slobbered on it if she had the chance.








She was happy to see everyone. I think she's starting to enjoy the attention she gets. Colleen's parents, Kathy, Marc, Calvin and a few neighbors were there.

Rollover

Yep, she did it. I was surprised at how excited I was to see it. She twisted her body, pushed her arm out, then kicked her leg back. All the while I'm yelling, "Colleeeeen! Looooook what she's doooing!!!"

This video shows rolls two, three, and four.

Fun at the Park

Kathy and Calvin stopped by and we decided to take a walk to the park. The kids had fun on this nice sunny day. It might be a few months before Molly can be pushed on the swing, but Calvin didn't mind.





Molly was content just to sit and enjoy the day.

Solid Food

We started Molly on a loose mixture of rice cereal. She is taking to it pretty well. She figured out quickly that this spoon had delicious food on it and was opening her mouth in anticipation for the next bite.





She started grabbing at the spoon making it look like she was trying to do this on her own, but this is probably due to the "chew on everything" reflex she has.






Molly eventually had enough of this. The food wasn't coming fast enough. We got a tip to feed her formula first, then an hour later try the rice cereal so that she's not super hungry during the feeding.


How quickly it happened that she's sitting in a high chair being fed.

Here's a video of the process:

First Tooth

We can feel Molly's first tooth poking through her gums. It's really sharp and causes her a bit of discomfort. The teething tablets we use help a lot. They almost instantly soothe her.

Colleen knows first hand how sharp it is after getting her finger bit a couple of times.

More Easter Fun

Easter was another full day for Molly. She started by checking out what she got in her Easter basket.







Along with a few toys and books, she got some pretty sweet shades.

Grandpa Remeika also stopped by for brunch and helped color a few eggs.





We went to the Caird household for Easter dinner. It was a fun time with the family and a great meal as well. Of course Colleen got Molly and Calvin sets of bunny ears for a photo op. Trying to pose two babies for a picture is a daunting task. You have a narrow window of opportunity to get it right before things spiral out of control...

Poor kids. They eventually got tired of being arranged and adjusted. Once one started crying, the other followed suit.

It was pretty funny though.

Happy Easter

Molly got into her pretty pink dress and visited the Easter Bunny. Unlike for Santa, she was awake the whole time. She did not even seem bothered by sitting in the lap of a giant rabbit.

Opening Day

Molly sure is excited that the Tigers won their home opener. She even had her baseball-themed sweatshirt on.

I had mentioned that she learned how to grab her feet. She now is able to get them into her mouth... something I can only do metaphorically.

Back to Work

Colleen went back to work this week. She arranged a three day a week schedule. That means that Molly got to hang out with Aunt Kathy and Cousin Calvin for two days and Grandma for one. She was apparently a "total doll" for everyone and made the day go by a little faster. She was a little fussier with Kathy on day two, but as a mom with a teething baby, Kathy knew what to do.

We are so grateful that we have loving, supportive and generous families that will come together and help each other out.

Bouncy Molly

This bouncer really entertains.

Flat Footed

It wasn't too long ago that Molly barely fit into her Stimulation Station. We had to put a pillow down so that she could plant her feet.

She now can stand without help and can also turn on her own to get to whatever item she wants to play with.

Molly's Mom is a Goof

It's not enough that Molly got dressed in a ladybug outfit that my sister got for her, Colleen made some antennae to go along with it.

There's no shortage of cuteness here!

New Teether

We got this massager for Molly to help soothe her as new teeth start to poke through her gums.

Not that there are any teeth to speak of. There are occasional bouts of crankiness that is more than just her being tired or hungry. I wouldn't say that she's teething, but I think that there is definitely some movement going on in there.

Four Month Checkup

Molly had her four month checkup and everything looks good. The doctor examined her and is happy with her progress. She weighs 18 pounds, 10 ounces and is 27 1/4 inches tall.

The next day she got her three immunization shots. She was none too pleased with the procedure, but recovered quickly.

A parent with a healthy baby is a happy parent. We have many blessings to count.

Cousins

Molly and Calvin are getting along pretty well. They are starting to enjoy playing with each other. Since Calvin is a little older, Molly tends to be the one on the defensive. He especially likes to steal her pacifier from her.

There are signs that she is starting to figure things out. She had a toy that Calvin was trying to take. She hung on to it until Calvin gave up. Is it a sign that she's beginning to hold her own?

Time will tell.