I Am Getting Stronger

As you can see, I am finally getting strong enough to lift my whole body in the air. I have figured out that I can dig my little toes into the carpet and get my hands under me and lift my butt way up in the air.
Since I am getting stronger, I also have been able to get up on my hands and knees. I haven't quite got the hang of moving my arms and legs in the same direction in order to crawl. I sort of go from this position to my belly and then back to this position again. It takes a while to get to where I am going. But I have found that I can move better in reverse than I can in forward.

Check back soon for another major break thru.

Six Month Pictures

Here is my Mommy, me, and my Daddy. This is one of our six month family pictures that Aunt Sheri (Mommy and Daddy's friend) took. We had a lot of fun taking the pictures. I was a little tired, because as you know you never can tell when a baby is going to take a nap. Unfortunately it was about the time the pictures were supposed to start. But Aunt Sheri was so much fun that she kept me awake. We did take a little break for a while, which gave me some time to rest. Taking pictures is a lot of work, especially when you are so little.

In this picture, I was in the dress that my Great Aunt Esther got me. Don't worry Aunt Esther, Mommy and Daddy are planning on getting one of the pictures made for you and Uncle Pat. That way I might be able to nudge my way onto your kitchen window sill.

I know that in most of the pictures that I have blogged, I am smiling. I thought that I would add this picture to show my more serious side. I am not always fun and games. I do get serious around nap times, feeding times, and wet diaper times.

But who can be serious when you are having so much fun. The white cloud looking thing on my
feet is actually a feather boa. This was the same one that I used in some pictures when I was 2 weeks old.

Hey Aunt Mindy, this is a good shot of my Popeye arms.

Every little girl needs to have a picture taken in a white wicker chair. Although my feet barely
reach over the edge of the seat, I wasn't going to fall off. I had a hold of the arm.

Below are some more of my pictures. In these pictures, I was just chill'n in the pot. These pictures are Mommy's favorite.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Mommy took this picture of me the other day. I was dressed up in an outfit that Mommy's friend Bree got me. It was my first Valentine's day outfit.

Sorry it has been a while since I have updated my blog. Not much has really happened. I had a visit from my Aunt Mindy and Grandma Lisa over the weekend. This was the first time that Grandma Lisa has been to our house. They came early in the morning and stayed until late at night on Saturday. It was very nice to have visitors. Grandma Lisa fed me and played with me while I was awake.

Lets see what has happened in the last month. Well, first of all Mommy had a conference to go to in Grand Rapids. We all went over the night before and stayed with Uncle Will and Aunt Heather. Then the next morning after Mommy was dropped off at her conference, Daddy and I went to see Aunt Wellie. We met her at her work. She works with inner city kids in Grand Rapids. She helps them realize that there is more to life then what they normally see. I got to meet some of her co-workers. Then we got a tour of their new office building. It was really nice. I also got to see Miss Kali while I was there. She knows my Mommy and Daddy from when they lived by my Grandpa and Grandma in Middleton.

After the tour we went out to eat lunch and then back to Aunt Wellie's house to see her animals. She has a rabbit, hermit crabs, a bird, and she just got two turtles the night before I was there.

We then traveled to Great Grandpa and Great Grandma's house in the afternoon. We couldn't go there in the morning because Great Grandma was at her Jolly Sixty's Group although she is in her Eighties. I am just too young to figure that one out. We stayed there until after Mommy was done with her conference and had supper with them, then on our way home, we stopped in Lansing to Aunt Mindy's soccer game and Grandma (Gena's mom) was there. So I got to see 80% of my family in one day.



I am almost at the point of crawling. This is about as far as I can get. I just can't seem to get that darn leg under my butt. It always seems to stay under my tummy. Once I leaned a little too far forward and landed on my nose. That wasn't fun. I don't know how all you big people walk on those things. I prefer to stay like this, that way Mommy and Daddy have to carry me everyplace that I go.

I have been able to perfect the backwards push and multiple rollover to get to where I want to go.

Other than that everything else have been about the same. I still don't like Peas. Green beans has become a staple in my diet along with rice and oatmeal cereal. I did get to try some squash last night. That was good. Bananas and carrots have also been added along with this thing called dessert. Wow is that good, although it comes at the end of the meal when I am almost full. Mommy and Daddy have been feeding me a banana apple desert.

Aunt Sheri (family friend) did take my six month pictures. Mommy and Daddy are picking some out to send to family and friends. I will post of few on my blog just like I did the pictures after I was born that she took. You may have noticed that my profile picture had changed. This was one of the pictures from Aunt Sheri. I figured that since I am almost seven months old that I should change my picture. I am a BIG girl now!

Six Months

Yesterday was my six month birthday. And yes, I had to go to the doctor, and yes, I had to get 4 shots, and yes Mom almost cried again. My weight is 17 lbs and I am 26 in long. I have dropped from the 90th percentile to the 70th percentile in both weight and length. The doctor was not concerned even though they would like to see me stay at the 90th percentile range since that is where I started. I have another appointment in 4 weeks to get weighed again. Can't be to careful, the doctor just wants to make sure that my weight is not dropping more.

Why are all the grown ups trying to loose weight, but when I do it, it is this major thing and I have to go back to the doctor just to make sure.

Here is what has been happening since Christmas. I can sit on the floor all by myself. I still can not go from a laying down position to a sitting position, but if Mommy or Daddy sit me on my butt, I can sit there without falling over. Although in the last couple of weeks I have been getting a little braver and reaching for toys out past my feet, then I get a little out of balance and fall over, I guess I am still a little top heavy. One good thing from falling over, is that I have found some new ways to move around. If I am on my stomach, I can push backwards with my arms and move backwards. Although this usaually takes me away from the toy sthat I am trying to get. I haven't been able to master the ability to crawl yet. I can get my upper body in the air by pushing with my arms and hands, and I can also get my butt up in the air with my legs and knees, but I haven't been able to get both halfs of my body in the air together.

I have also learned how to spin around on my belly button. One day Mommy with talking with Aunt Mindy on the phone I spun around 2 & 1/2 times all by my self. This doesn't get me very far. Seems like I just go around in circles, but it is alot better than laying on my back staring at the ceiling.

I am just starting to learn that if I roll over more than once, then I can move a long distance really fast. Well, really fast compared to my standards.

By the way, Rice Cereal, Oat meal Cereal, and carrots are good. Peas and Peaches, YUK!!!!

Starting off the New Year

For New Years, Mommy and Daddy invited some of our extended family over to help celebrate, along with my Grandma (Gena's Mom) and Great Grandma (Gena's Grandma). We had lots of fun. We ate and talked and even sang Karaoke. Yes, my Dad sang also, although it was not taped and he probably would never admit it. It took a little bit to get him to do it, but he wasn't going to get off that easy since Uncle Jerry and Aunt Sheri sang a song by themselves. In the picture above is Jordan. He is the eldest son of Uncle Jerry and Aunt Sheri.

This is Josh, Jordan's brother and Uncle Jerry and Aunt Sheri's youngest. Jordan and Josh were the ones who got the Karaoke machine and thought it would be fun to bring it to the New Years party.

Here is Aunt Sheri. She is a photographer and took the family pictures in the post from the beginning of the blog. She also came to the hospital when I was born. Aunt Sheri even sang Karaoke. The song was something about "Blue Suede Shoes". She said that she likes the oldies.

Unfortunately Uncle Jerry and I just couldn't make it to midnight. After a long evening of playing cards, talking, singing and eating, we were both just to tired to stay awake....... Just kidding, Uncle Jerry woke back up. I didn't make it, I stayed sleeping.

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning started out at our house before we headed to Middleton. Don't pay any attention to the day stamp on the picture, Daddy didn't have it set right. Boy parents and technology just don't mix. I guess I will have to show him how to work the camera.

This came in my stocking. I had to try it to see if it was eatable. This one was a little dry, not much flavor, tasted a little like cardboard.

Hey Great Grandpa! Look what I got! It is a toy in the shape of a light house. The top spins around and each different colored section comes off.

Christmas with Grandpa

A few days after Christmas, my Grandpa (Gena's dad) and Linda came down to my house for supper, and guess what, they got me loungy cloths. Mom and Dad spend most of their weekend in what they call loungy cloths. They are just really comfortable cloths that you don't mind wearing all day long. Now I have some.

Sorry, Grandpa. When the pictures were downloaded to the computer, I noticed that I didn't have a good shot of Linda, you, and me. So I thought that I would throw this picture of us up. It is from when I was only a month old.

Here I was sitting on Linda's lap, I was vibrating my lips making this cool sound. Although I do get a little spit all over the place to.

Christmas at Uncle Chris and Aunt Sarah's

For Daddy's side of the family, we went to my Uncle Chris and Aunt Sarah's house. They just moved the week after I was born. It is a really big house, out in the country. This time all my cousins were there. Taylor, who is in the silly hat, is holding me. Makenna is next to me in the red shirt. Elizabeth is in front of her in the pink sweater. And the goof ball dressed up like the reindeer is Jessica. They are always doing something silly. I can't wait until I get older so I can join them in the fun.

I got to see my Great Grandpa and Great Grandma there. My Aunt Wellie brings them to Middleton for family Holidays, which is nice because we can't always get to Grand Rapids to see them. But whenever I am over in that direction, we make it a point to stop by.

OK, Christmas is very exhausting when you are only 5 months old. And when my Uncle Chris got a hold of me, I just fell asleep in his arms. There were so many presents to open and playing with my cousins makes me tired. They just keep going and going and going. For some reason, they never seem to get tired.

Christmas at Grandma's

Christmas at my Grandma's (Gena's Mom) was lots of fun. Our hole family was there inlcuding my Grandma Lisa. She grew up next to my Grandma in Middleton and often comes to the family holidays because she is what you would call extended family. I finally got to where my Christmas Dress that my Grandma (Gena's Mom) made for me. I would overhear my Mommy and Grandma talk about it on the phone, and could only imagine what it looked like. Boy was I surprised when I seen it. The dress came with a shawl, which also had a hat. She must have worked really hard on it. I lOVE IT. I only wish that I would not grow so fast so I could where it again next year.




This is my Grandma Lisa. I don't get to see her very often because she lives so far away. She was like a second Mom to my Mommy, so that makes her a second Grandma to me.


Hey, stop tickling me




Wow, I got lots of presents. I am so excited. I got teething rings, cloths, and lots of toys. I wish it could be Christmas all the time. Although I don't think that my bedroom would be big enough for everything. Mommy and Daddy would just have to build on.

My First Christmas Tree

Sorry, this is just a random picture. I was looking thru my blog and realized that I don't have many pictures of my Mommy and me. So I thought that I would throw this one up for everyone to see.


A couple of weeks ago, I went with Mommy and Daddy and picked out my first Christmas Tree. Boy are there a lot to chose from. There are tall ones, short ones, prickly ones. Ones that are green, ones that are some shade of blue and ones that have long soft needles. Here are the three of us trying to figure out which one to get. One of the workers was kind enough to take a picture of this momentus occasion. Because as you all know, I am only 5 months old and still experiencing a lot of firsts. Boy was it cold. This winter was not like last winter. I was nice and toasty warm then. This winter I had to bundle up in my snow suit, but my little cheeks and nose still got cold.


We finally picked the tree that would be perfect in front of our big window.
Here I am helping Mommy and Daddy put up the Christmas Tree. Of course, they couldn't do it without me. They got a White Pine tree so the needles are really soft. They new that I would want to help, and they didn't want me to get poked by the needles.


But at last the tree was up and it was time to eat. As you can see, I didn't make it thru my supper. I was so tired after putting up the tree, that I thought I would just take a little nap. That is a lot of work for someone my age. I don't know how you grown up's do it. I have to take a couple of naps thru the day, just to make it.

Today is Mommy's last day of work for this year. Daddy takes his last final of the semester tonight and he his done with work on Friday until after the New Year, so this will be my last post of the year. I get to spend lots of time with my Mommy and Daddy of the next couple of weeks so I won't have time post anymore unil next year.

Everyone have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I will be back next year with more pictures and many other firsts.

One of My First Rollover's

Finally the file of me rolling over is able to be put on the blog. Hopefully everyone will be able to see the video clip. I will wait for a couple of days and then check with some of the known people who still are using a dial up connection to see how long it takes to load. I may not be able to leave the clip up for very long, but you are one able to view it, please enjoy.

Watchout World, Here I Come!!!

Yesterday was my 4 month checkup at the doctor. Wow! I have been here for 4 months already.

Everyone will be happy to know that I am 15lbs 4 oz, and I am 25 inches from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. This is a big change from when I was born. I have grown 4 inches, and almost doubled my weight. The doctor said that I was healthy on right on target. I am still hovering around the 90th percentile as far as body weight and height. What ever that means. I just know that mom has a plastic bin that she is putting all the cloths in that I outgrow.



Here I am in my high chair. Dad put it together the other night. I know, I look really small in this big chair, but believe me. I am getting big. I can almost sit up all by myself. My parents will sit my on my bottom on the floor. I will sit there for a second, but then slowly start leaning to one side. I would try to lean the other way, but my little body hasn't figured out how to do that yet.


Since my high chair was together, Mom thought it would be a good idea to see if I liked "real food". I have been imitating my parents eating a little so they thought they would give it a try. Mom bought something called rice cereal. I don't know why thy call it rice cereal, because it wasn't rice and it definitely wasn't cereal. I was thinking that it was "Frosted Flakes" or "Lucky Charms", but no, it was this stuff that looked like soupy mashed potatoes.

It took me a little while to get the hang of eating off of a spoon. The cereal would go in my mouth, but then it would come right back out again. I finally got the hang of it. You are suppose to keep your mouth closed while you eat. That is why big people say to eat with your mouth closed


I finally figured out how to roll over. My first roll over was a few weeks ago. I was laying on my stomach and rolled over to my back. Then a few days later, mom seen me roll over from my back to my stomach, but I couldn't get my little arm out from under me. Now I am a pro at it. All I have to do is swing myleg over to the side and get my momentum started and just at the right moment, lift my head up over my shoulder and I will roll right onto my stomach and my little are will pop out from under me. I have a video of it, but I am not sure how to post it on the blog. My Aunt Wellie is looking into for me, so check by in a couple of weeks and you my just get to see it. For now, the picture above is the start of it. Just image that within a couple of seconds I am on my stomach and smiling like the picture below in the post "How I Spend My Time".

My first Thanksgiving...

My first Thanksgiving was wonderful!! I was able to spend lots of time with family and ... wait a minute... All I got was milk for dinner each time. I guess maybe next year I'll get to eat some of that good food that everyone made this year... I sure hope they can still cook by next year!!!

On Thanksgiving Day, I got to go to my Aunt Heather and Uncle Will's house in Grand Rapids. It's always fun going on a road trip but boy my mom and dad do a lot of trips back and forth to the car when we travel. They really pack a lot of stuff..

I also got to see my great-grandparents in Grand Rapids. Mommy and Daddy took me there in the morning and my More Grandma (that's what we call the great grandparents on my daddy's side of the family) was able to feed me and hold me alot and not have to share me with anyone.

On Saturday, my dad's side of the family all came to my house. I was very happy because I just had been strapped in that rotten car seat for 2 1/2 hours going to Grand Rapids. I do like road trips but the car seat has GOT to go!! It was nice to have everyone there at MY beck-n-call. Of course - when you have a grin like this - who can resist you???

My mom and dad picked out a special bib for me too. It's the one in this picture but my Aunt Wellie didn't get the whole bib in the picture. It says "Are these people REALLY my family??" I thought it was pretty funny...

My poppa and me... Boy do I have him wrapped around MY finger. I smile and he cracks. It's GREAT being the newest grandbaby!!!!

Oh Aunt Wellie... You always make that thing flash in my face... Why do you do that to me??

Ok - Enough is enough!!! I'm tired of smiling..

Don't even try sneaking up on me from down there and getting my picture.

Here I am with my cousins, on my left going clockwise, Taylor, Jessica, Elizabeth and Makenna. No - by this time - I was NOT happy. Does it show in my face?? I tried hard to not let it show so Aunt Wellie could get a good picture but I guess I still have some practice to do huh??

I agreed to one more picture but only if my daddy or mommy was holding me. Here is 4 generations in our family. My great-grandparents in the chair, my grandma and poppa to your left of me and my mommy and daddy and me...

Holidays are a lot of work for someone my age. Everyone wants to touch me and hold me and play with me and I want to play with them buy all the old people keep making me go to my bed and sleep. I don't know why yet - I hear them talking about being crabby if I don't so must be the adults need me to go to my bed so they're not crabby. I'm sure it's not ME that would be crabby - after all - I'm the cutest thing on earth right now!!!!

How I Spend My Time

When Mom and Dad are busy doing other things, I spend time on my activity mat. It is really fun. There are animals all over the mat, with lights and music. Then I get to grab onto the stuffed animals that are hanging over me. Sometimes I can even pull them off and stick them in my mouth.


I also spend time on my tummy. This builds up my neck muscles so I can hold my head up. When I first started doing tummy time 3 months ago, I could only smash my little face into the blanket. Now 3 months later, I can hold my head up on my own and I don't have to smash my puffy cheeks into the blanket anymore.


Unfortunately, when you are as little as I am, you taken advantage of by people who are bigger. Namely my Dad. He was changing my diaper one day and thought that it would be funny to put my pants on my head as a hat. Mom really liked it and couldn't stop laughing. As you can see, I wasn't very amused. But since I am so small, I wasn't able to do anything about it. A note to all you parents out there. Us little babies remember this stuff, and when we are giving you "gray hairs" in the future. Just remember the things you did to us, to get a laugh, when we were helpless little ones!

I just know this picture is going to show up at my high school graduation some day.