I'm Four Months Old!

On Monday, Allison turned four months old. Turning four months old of course means a well-baby appointment which we had today. Our appointment was at 2:15 which is nap time (not good planning on my part.) She did good during the first part of her appointment, however when I tried laying her on the table she had a meltdown. She was a basketcase even before the nurses came in for the shots. She was crying so hard already, that I don't think she even noticed that she got them. We didn't see her flinch or show any additional reaction (to her already bawling.) She must have created a commotion because the nurses at the front desk asked Brian on our way out if that was Allison doing all the crying.

Good news is that she is a healthy baby. She weighed in at 13.5 lbs and measured 24 inches. Her head is 41 cm. She has been tugging at her ear but it looks fine; the Dr. thinks she just happened to discover her ear and is checking it out. There are some signs that teeth are forming, however it still could be a while before they make their appearance. We expected her to sleep the rest of the day as that is what she did after her first set of shots. However she is still hanging in there at 6:20 pm. I think mom is looking forward to bedtime more than Allison is.

Allison's First Food

On Sunday we gave Allison her first taste of solid food. She got to test out some rice cereal. She acted like she has been eating this for weeks. There was no indication on her face that she was trying something new. On Monday she fussed a little bit when I feed her, however today she ate like a champ. Hopefully this is just the start of good eating habits.

Lots to Be Thankful For

This year as we celebrated Allison's first Thanksgiving, we realize how much we have to be thankful for. It is amazing to think that one year ago, Thanksgiving weekend, we found out that we were expecting. I can't believe how fast the time went.

We celebrated Thanksgiving day at my parents house. Allison did very well, especially considering that she barely napped all day (she made up for it on Friday.) She enjoyed seeing all of her aunts, uncles, and cousins....and of course.... Nana and Papa. Brian and I took turns eating, but we both managed to eat a hot meal, which is always nice.

Today Brian's family came over for pizza and to visit. Allison barely napped all day, so she was a bit fussy but did better than expected. Once she got her bath time in, she was a happy camper.

Houston - We Have a Laugh

Today was the day....Allison had her first true laugh and it was so awesome to hear.

When I was changing her diaper this morning she spit up a bit so I was trying to clean up underneath her neck and for some reason she thought that was funny, so I kept doing it to see if I could get a laugh. And she did! It was so cute.

Brian probably thought something was terribly wrong because I started yelling for him to come upstairs quickly. I didn't want him to miss it. Allison complied and laughed for dad also.

It was the best thing that I have ever heard. It completely made my day. I can't wait to hear more.

Bring Your Child to Work Day

So Brian reminded me that I needed to put an update on how Allison did going to work with me last week. Since I posted that I dreaded the day, it was only fair to Allison to let you know that she did wonderfully.

She slept both the way there and back home. She behaved and didn't fuss too much, only when she was hungry or tired. For most of the day, she sat in a stroller and watched me work. She did sit with my co-worker Barb for a while and didn't mind it a bit.

It was a long afternoon!

So today was supposed to be the first day that I left Allison with a babysitter that wasn't family or a friend. Based on a recommendation of someone I know, I found a college student that could watch her. She came over a couple of weeks ago and watched Allison while I "worked" from home, so I knew that she was good with Allison.

The last couple of weeks Allison has shown some stranger anxiety so I was really hoping that she would still be napping when the sitter arrived at 2 pm, however just like everyday for the past two weeks, Allison decided to take only an hour nap.

The sitter arrives and I put Allison down on her activity mat, hoping that if I don't actually hand her off to the sitter it won't be so bad. The sitter sits down next to Allison and is trying to talk to her when I hear the sitter say "oh no" and I look over and sure enough the "bottom lip" action is going on. She takes one look at the sitter and starts to bawl.

So I try sneaking out of the house hoping that she settles down (and that I don't start to cry.) I get in the car and turn the key and ....nothing. My car won't start. The battery is dead.

I go back in and ask the sitter if she can pull her car in the garage and give me a jump start. We bundle Allison up and put her in the stroller. We try to get it going and have no luck. Allison is sitting in her stroller bawling her eyes out. I give up and pay the babysitter for her time.

At this point Allison has had it. She is tired beyond belief. I finally get her down for another nap. Brian comes home and I went to Sears to get a new battery. By the time I got it installed it was too late to go to work.

So now Allison gets to come to work with me tomorrow. This should be interesting. Between the car ride and her being around additional strangers, I can hardly wait. Wish me luck!

Is a Giggle a Laugh?

So is a giggle a laugh or is a giggle just a giggle? Last night we got our first giggle out of Allison, so that has me pondering "Is that baby book worthy?" Does that two second sound qualify enough to be written in under "First Laugh" ? Or do we need to wait until we hear a longer laugh, a belly laugh of sorts.

A friend of mine with a toddler has asked the same - Does the date of the first tooth qualify as when it first pokes out, or do you have to wait until it fully appears. If she trimmed her daughter's bangs ever so slightly, is that her first hair cut?

Why don't these baby memories books come with instructions or guidelines.

Happy Halloween

Our Little Tigger
















"I don't like this costume and I'm sick of wearing it."













"Ha ha, made you cry."














Allison's first pumpkin that Dad worked so hard on.