Olivia Layne - 26 Weeks/6 months

What a week this has been! You got to meet your Great Grandpa Smalberger, which was just so special. He sure loves you. We also took our first road trip to visit Great Grammy and Gramps in Nebraska. Well, you do NOT like the car :( The trip usually takes about 4 hours and 45 minutes. YOUR first trip, however took about 6 hours. You cried for approximately 55 minutes (not that anyone was counting.) Now since Daddy was the driver and his heart just breaks when you cry, we knew we'd have to have a plan for your tears. We decided to stop any time you cried for more than 5 minutes. Yikes! We left after work on Thursday. You did great until Limon, which as about an hour. You got a little restless right before we got there, so we stopped for dinner, which was perfect. Once we got in the car, though, you were NOT happy to be there. You cried for about 10 minutes. And we're not talking a whimpery, small cry, we're talking a BIG, SCREAMY, DEVASTATINGLY SAD cry. So we pulled over at a gas station and I nursed you and changed your diaper. You seemed happy again. Until we pulled out. Then you cried again! For 15 minutes. So we stopped at a rest area and Daddy walked around and around with you. We knew you were tired, but for some reason it is very hard for you to fall asleep (inside or outside of the car for that matter.) After walking around for a while we got back in the car. You cried a smaller cry for a shorter time and finally fell asleep. Phew. BUT, brother had a tummy ache and needed to stop. Sooo, after about 20-30 minutes of driving and sleeping we stopped at McDonalds. We were really hoping you would stay asleep. No such luck. Pretty much as soon as the car stopped you woke up. How do you know when we sit down, when the car stops, when the stroller gets back home???? So we had some ice-cream at McDonalds. Then we got on the road again. And again you cried. :( I can't remember for how long, but finally you fell asleep again and we drove on, praying we wouldn't need to stop for gas/bathrooms/tummy aches or anything else. And we made it! We got to the farm at about midnight Nebraska time. We decided we'd buy a house there so we wouldn't need to drive back home! We got to go to the lake, and you seemed to like taking a dip in the water. We also went to our first restaurant, and you didn't seem to like it at all. Daddy had to shovel down his food so he could take you outside and walk around with you. You and I went to a wedding and you looked so pretty in your wedding dress. There were a lot of babies there, but you were clearly the cutest :) The drive home was actually much better, although I didn't want to leave! You hardly cried and slept for a lot longer. I don't think we'll take any more long trips any time soon, but if we do, we'll try it in the morning and see if you still like that time better.
You like bath time and don't even mind getting out of the bath anymore. You still do not like getting clothes put over your head, but you don't cry as much-you just frown and kick your legs and let me know you are not comfortable. You wake up 2-4 times a night. YIKES! You wear mostly 6 months clothes and depending on who diapers you, you have 3-4, sometimes 5 snaps showing. Daddy doesn't realize you have to wear these diapers until you're potty trained. He's going to have them unsnapped when you're two at this rate!
You had your 6 month appointment today! You weigh 15.1 lb which is the 30th percentile. You are a petite petunia, still. You went up to the 35th percentile in heighth at 25.5". And your head, my dearest, is in the 92nd percentile! You must be a smart cookie ;) The doc said we should start trying baby foods. I'm not sure I"m ready! We might pick some up at the store this weekend, we shall see. Maybe experiment with a sippy cup. It sure seems like she wants you to grow up a lot faster than I want you to, and faster than I think you need to! I'm sorry we had to give you shots today :( I'm hoping you won't get a fever. You fell right to sleep when we got home, though, so I think they affected you quickly. I hate to see you in pain like that, and I know Daddy does. Poor girl. I just hope we're doing the right thing for you. I guess we'll trust the medical professionals for now. You are our little angel princess cupcake! Love you so much!
Love, Mama

Olivia Layne - 25 Weeks

Olivia Layne, you are such a gem. You are getting so strong with your sitting and can just sit and play with things for many minutes at a time. Of course we don't leave you alone, because you can still topple over, but you are such a big girl! I especially love when you are sitting in your diaper with your belly all round-you look like a little Buddha. You've gotten used to your brother and he sure does make you smile. It is so fun to watch the two of you. Grandma and Grandpa Schurz came for a visit this week. It was so nice for them to get to play with you and Cade and help Daddy out. Sometimes my heart feels like it could just about explode with love for you. I think we'll keep you ;) Love, Mama

Olivia Layne - 24 weeks

Laynie bug! I can't believe how fast you are growing. I mean, everyone SAID it would all happen so fast, and I believed them, but I still can't quite believe the truth of the matter. You fooled me one night this week and slept for 7 hours! The very next night you woke up 4 times, though. Hmmm. You also had two nights in a row where you woke up around 10:00 and started crying inconsolably. A very different cry than we have heard before, too. I'm hoping you weren't having a nightmare or a headache. I'm also hoping it won't happen again, poor thing. We sure hate to see you so sad. It breaks our hearts. We had a fun adventure to Old Colorado City this week. Daddy and Brother Cade were troopers to come along. I'm sure it was quite boring for them. I, on the other hand, could watch people and walk around with you all day. As a treat we got ice-cream. And when I say "we" I mean ALL of us! Daddy gave you a taste of his strawberry cheesecake ice-cream. I was a bit worried, disappointed, surprised, and also I laughed at your priceless face. You didn't quite know what to do with that once it was on your tongue. But you sure did try to grab for more. I guess I had it in my mind that your very first taste of "real food" should probably not be ice-cream, but oh well, it was fun and sure made a memory! Hopefully your next taste of food will be rice cereal, but with Daddy and Grandpa Smalberger around, I can't make any promises ;) You're learning to sit up! You can sit for several seconds all by yourself, but then you get wobbly and someone had better be there to catch you. It won't be long now until you are sitting contentedly for minutes on end. I think you really enjoy the perspective you have when you're sitting up. You still do NOT like tummy time, poor thing. We don't really even bother with it anymore. You are plenty strong and you will crawl when you are ready, regardless of whether we force you to be on your tummy. And maybe you won't even crawl-maybe you'll go straight to walking! Nowadays when we do put you on your tummy you pretty much roll right over on to your back. Big girl! We also bought you a baby pool. I think you are too little to enjoy it yet. When you first got in your cried, so we pulled you right back out. The cold water must have been a bit of a shock, and that's even after Daddy carried plenty of buckets of hot water out to mix with the cold hose water. You ended up sitting in the water just fine, but it's a bit hard for you to play when we have to be holding you and can't get in with you. Maybe by the end of the summer it will be a bit more fun. You are used to Cade now, at least so that when he looks at you you don't cry. YAY! He is a good big brother. I wish with all my heart you could get to know him beyond this summer full time, but we cherish all the times we have him here and I know you will, too. You have been pretty consistent with your naps. You wake up around 6:30 when I have to go to work, but sometimes you sleep until 7:30 on weekends! THen about 1-2 hours later you are ready for your long morning nap, which lasts for 1-2 hours. Then 1-2 hours after than you are ready for another 1-2 hour nap! The afternoons entail fewer and shorter naps, and you have given up your latest evening nap. I love to take you for walks in the evenings. It's so nice to spend time with you after being at work and you seem to really prefer the outdoors! I can't wait to see what the next several weeks bring. You sure do grow and change quickly right before our eyes. Almost 6 months old! You are so special, Livi. We love you so much! xoxo

Think About It

Are we as parents working on focusing on short term goals of getting our kids to obey, or are we focusing on the long term goal of helping them become the type of people we hope they will be?

This and That

Anniversary! Married for 4 years and ready to celebrate at the Melting Pot. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Smalberger for watching Olivia :)

Cade's first lawn mow!

Dad observing

Dad and Livi hanging out with Cade and his new computer!

We spent a couple of hours in Old Colorado City and guess what happened...

...hmmm...

...yep. BAD DADDY! Baby's first taste of food was ICE CREAM!!!!

Yum? (Mommy wasn't terribly impressed.)

We bought a baby pool. Liv wasn't sure what to think of it. Maybe in a couple of months she'll be able to play better in the water.

She's pretty cute in her swim shirt, though :)

Do not try this at home. Bumbo's are not meant to be flotation or swim devices! ;)

Look at that cute bottom!

I keep wanting to get a cute picture of baby feet. I guess I'll keep trying.

I had to try to get a photo of this adorable jumper. It was 90 degrees this day!

Liv and Clarence. He is a very good kitty. He really allows a LOT of hair pulling before he leaves.

Mommy and Livia reading.

That's all for now. A great start to summer!