Finally Spring?

We had a weekend of sun and it felt great to get outside!  Annika is big enough to sit forward-facing in the BOB stroller.  This was the first time that I ran without the carseat attachment and it was great!  It felt so much lighter and a lot more stable.  I think Annika really enjoyed being able to see where we were going.  I had a few toys attached to the stroller but she didn't seem to play with them for long.  It was a pleasure to be exercising in the sunshine.  I have had a bit of cabin fever lately with the weather.  Now that it's so light in the evenings, I want to be outside when we get home after work.  I'm still trying to figure out how to do that and still get Annika to bed at a decent time.  Luckily we have weekend afternoons to enjoy.

 All strapped in and ready to roll!

 Annika was sporting her baby-shades and Lake Placid hoodie from her honorary aunt Brooke :)

On Sunday afternoon, Annika and I met our friend Jody at her apartment in Seattle.  We utilized her wifi to skype with Kyle and then we headed to Golden Gardens.  This is my favorite beach access in Seattle.  I love the view and it's always fun to relax in the sand by the water.

 Having a tummy time chat with Jody.  Jody's friend Margaret joined us for the afternoon.

By the time I took the picture the view of the mountains was a little hazy, but they were still beautiful.

Weekend in Spokane

 Last weekend Annika and I traveled with some of my wonderful, long-time friends to Spokane to stay with another friend and her family.  The four of us last got together a few weeks before Annika was born in October.  It was really fun to be spending another few days together and for all the kids to meet.  Katie's son Ryan was the star of the weekend and we were able to see his first ever soccer game.  I have to say that it was pretty fun to see a bunch of 4 and 5 year old kids playing soccer.  It was a little strange to realize that we're now the parents at these sporting events.  A crazy shift from when we were the kids or our friends were the players. 

 The cheering section for Ryan and this is the only picture that Katie's adorable daughter Morgan was in....and she's not even looking.  Next time I will do a better job of getting a picture of her cute self.

 Looking pretty great for this being his first game ever.

 Mikaela's looking like a natural getting Annika to sleep. 

 We all know that the best part of doing sports when you're a kid is the snacks afterwards!

 Ryan did such a great job playing with Annika.  She loved it!

 My attempt at a 5 person self-portrait.

 Thanks to Katie's husband Scott for taking a picture of the four of us.  Next time, I promise to get a picture of him next time, too.

I can only imagine what kind of advice he might be giving her.

We considered going out on Saturday night for a drink or something and having Scott stay with all the kids but decided against it.  It was nice to sit at relax at their home and just enjoy our time together.  The weekend went too quickly but I'm sure we'll be back through Spokane again sometime this summer.

Happy Easter!

We had a wonderful day celebrating Easter with family and friends!  I brought Annika to an early Mass this morning and she did a great job sitting through the service.  My mom and Steve were in town, so we joined my brother and his in-laws at their church in Olympia.  It was a beautiful weekend and a perfect afternoon for an egg hunt.  Annika had her first Easter basket and will be part of the egg hunt next year! 

 Beautiful, sunny Easter

 My mom with my niece Kayla.

 My brother Jonathan with Annika.

 Checking out the stuff in her basket.

 Deciding that the basket looks pretty tasty.

Worn out from all the fun :)

5 Months Old!

Annika's 5th month was filled with many firsts, some good and some not, but mostly good :)  There haven't been a whole lot of changes since her last blog update a couple of weeks ago.  I was late in doing the 4 month check-in, so her height and weight aren't very different.  Here's what she experienced for the first time this last month:

*Visiting the Olympic National Park and the Pacific Ocean.
*Going to the doctor because of an illness and not a well-baby check.  I  hadn't brought her to the "sick child" area of our pediatrician's office and now I appreciate even more that there are separate spaces.  Annika had a watery, goopy eye and we found out it was conjunctivitis.   The good news was that it was only in one eye and I hadn't caught it from her.  This was my first time taking a sick day to be with her.  She's better now but we've had some struggles getting the ointment into her eye.  Someone suggested swaddling her and that has been a great trick.  Also, she stays much more calm if I sing one of her favorite songs.
*Annika was caught sucking on her big toe during a diaper change :)  She's discovered her feet and loves to get her toes up to her mouth.
*One evening when I went to check on her, I saw that she had found the pacifier in her crib and put it in her own mouth.
*Saw a belly-dancing performance!  I think she liked the music.  We saw my former dance teacher perform at the Seattle Center last Sunday.  It's something that I miss and hope to get back into sometime soon.
*Started using the Ergo again, without the infant insert, and it's been great!  I also tried out a new wrap with the Moby and Annika enjoyed getting a ride around the house for a while.
*Annika is having a great time exploring the toys on the exersaucer.
*Sat in a big high chair and enjoyed an outside swing on one of our few sunny spring days.
*Last but not least, completed a 5k in the BOB.

 After I took this picture, I put a pillow under her feet and now she can move around to see the different toys.

 On our way to the belly dancing performance.

 This expression was quickly followed by an attempt to get the camera into her mouth :)

Lake Quinault Retreat

 Last weekend Annika and I drove out to the Olympic Peninsula to stay at a cabin on Lake Quinault.  The weekend was organized by the intern pastor at our church.  I had been seriously debating if bringing Annika along to an adult retreat would be okay for her and what kind of impact it would have on the other adults.  Everyone really encouraged me to come, so I packed our stuff and left Tacoma after work on Friday.  I decided that it would make life easier if I came home first after work to play with Annika and then hit the road around the time that she would normally be going to sleep.  My plan worked out nicely and she slept the entire 2 and a half hour drive.  She woke up when we got there and ended up staying awake quite late, but she was happy to play with everyone for a little while.  I especially enjoyed having some time with other adults.  The cabin we stayed in was really a huge house along the lake with an amazing view and nice hot tub.  It was great to have conversations and spend time with friends that I hadn't seen in a long time.  On Saturday we drove to the southern end of the Olympic National Park, walked along the beach, and soaked up the sun.  I'm happy that the weekend went smoothly and everyone seemed to enjoy having Annika there.  I'm thankful for friends that are so welcoming.

Our retreat at Lake Quinault

Annika enjoyed sitting in a high chair for the first time!  We put her next to the table with the adults and she was happy to play with her toys and be close to the rest of us.

A beautiful sun room and where we had our bible study and discussions.

Gorgeous view from the lake front.  So happy to have a sunny day!

We took a day trip to the Pacific coast at Olympic National Park.  Annika's first time at the Pacific!

Group shot on a giant piece of driftwood.

Walking out into the surf.  I'll dip her toes into the water another time when it's warmer.

St. Patty's Day

Annika and I completed our first 5k run together on the morning of St. Patrick's Day.  The race started and ended in downtown Tacoma.  I was hoping for some sunshine but woke up to find cold and rain.  A few years ago I ran the Seattle St. Patty's Day 5k in the snow (with my good friend Brooke), so I guess we can be thankful that it wasn't that cold.  I did learn from that experience to have dry clothes ready for an immediate change following the race.  I had been looking forward to my first running event post-baby.  Our BOB stroller is great for this sort of thing and I have taken Annika for a few runs over the last couple of months.  I'm not running nearly as regularly as I used to but I suppose that is to be expected.  I'm trying to get out at least once every weekend.  I was curious about how Annika would do and if I would be successful in timing when she would want to eat.  I didn't need to be worried because she did great!  She was warm and content in her snowsuit and I tried to shield her from the rain as much as possible.  She slept for the actual race and didn't cry at all before or after we finished.  I may have shed a few tears.....pushing a stroller up a hill at the end of the race was brutal!  My friend Annie ran with me and helped push the stroller a few times.  Running with a stroller is a whole new ballgame.  A 5k is quite as easy as it used to be but I'm hopeful that with more training, it won't be as challenging as it was last Saturday.

 Posing with the Racing Rockettes!

She's a wee bit Scottish not Irish but was a good sport :)

My day may not have been filled with green beer but I did feel lucky for being able to run and having a baby that was happy to go for the ride :)

4 and half months

Our sweet girl had her 4 month check-up this morning.  At 19 weeks old, she's really more of a 4 and a half month only baby.  The nurse had me fill out a developmental checklist and it helped me realize the skills that Annika has.  She is now able to track people across the room and small objects, she can reach for and grasp the toys that she wants, she has rolled several times from her tummy to her back and is just about able to go from back to tummy, she enjoys sitting up with assistance, and other fun skills.  Getting the immunization shots today wasn't very fun but I think she tolerated it much better than at 2 months old. 

Annika is one happy baby, with bright blue eyes.  She is really only fussy when hungry or tired.  Notice the blurry hands in so many of my pictures?  Those hands rarely stop moving!  She is also a talker, with many sounds and squeals.  I took her to church and she "talked" almost the entire service!  Luckily, all the people around us enjoyed the happy baby sounds.

Showing her more serious side.  When meeting new people Annika can be very serious and studies each new face.

Lately she has begun grabbing at her legs and feet.  This has made diapering more challenging and entertaining (for both of us).  She enjoys spending time in the kitchen with me while I prepare our lunches for the next day and make dinner.

4 Month Stats

Height:  25.5 inches (75th percentile)

Weight:  13 lb 2 oz  (can't remember this percentile)

Favorite Food:  Still on a milk-only diet

Favorite Toys:  Sophie the Giraffe, plastic chains, colorful monkey, her own hands :)

Favorite books:  Jamberry, There Were 5 in Bed, Is Your Mama a Llama?

Favorite songs:  Your are my Sunshine, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Mary had a Little Lamb

Annika still falls asleep nearly every time we take a ride in the car.  If only sleeping at night were so easy!  She is getting bottles at daycare and but is also saving herself for me in the evenings.  This has lead to many feedings during the night.  We're working to change this slowly but surely.  I reintroduced a pacifier, something that she hasn't really gotten used to.  I'm hoping it will help her get back to sleep.  I wonder what the next month will bring in new skills and language?