blue eyes

As if her blue eyes didn't stand out enough on their own, look at how beautiful they look next to her pretty blue dress...

Do I look like a big girl or what? This is a 6-9 month dress! Yippee, that means I am growing well!

a star where??

I just thought these pants were too cute! They have a star on her bum!

chocolate?

As happy as Baby R looks in this picture you would think that she had just eaten chocolate. In reality, she was in the middle of eating prunes. Yes, prunes. She really likes prunes. I can't say that I know what prunes taste like. I did smell her mashed prunes and they smelled like raisins.

last one

Okay, so I had a little too much fun with this new toy... But I bet you are going to go try it now too, aren't you?! Anyone ever heard of Oded Fehr before?

How come the people that I supposedly look like don't look like each other? And why are there three blondes?

One more try...

Okay, so she officially looks like no one consistently, except for the spice girl... Maybe Baby R will have a career in singing. Anyone know who Carole Lombard or Leslie Caron is? And how does Baby R look like Oprah??

Another try...

This was just so much fun that I had to try another one. Funny that none of the matches are the same when I chose a different picture. But hey, at least she looks like Hermione!

Interesting match

I got this idea from Lindsay. Yes, I know, another great idea from Lindsay... what can I say? She has great ideas. Anyways, isn't this a fun little trick? You just upload a picture and they show you what celebrities match best. Apparently Baby R looks like a spice girl - don't know what I think about that. A few people have actually mentioned that Baby R's lips are beautiful, and that they do look like Angelina Jolie's lips. Again - not sure what I think about that. The best match is 63%, probably cause no one is as pretty as little Baby R!

A picture is worth a thousand laughs

When Baby R gets laughing it is hilarious! She thinks it is really funny when Papa R rubs her tummy or when I blow on it. Doesn't she look bigger in these pictures? And cute?

Coordination

It is fun to see how much more coordinated Baby R has become in just a few short months. She has gone from not being able to hold anything unless you wrapped her fingers around a rattle and hoped she would keep it clasped, to picking things up and inspecting them and experimenting with them. Here she has learned to hold onto little balls. She thinks it is funny when I put them on her exersaucer and she sends them flying.

Another day at the clinic

I took Baby R to the CF Clinic again today. We haven't been there in over a month, so it was reassuring to know that she is doing wonderfully! Her weight gain has slowed a little bit because she has been eating solid foods, but she is still doing well. As long as she stays at the 50th percentile or above in weight then she will not have to get a gastric feeding tube. The doctor was also very happy with her length, she is back up to the 75th percentile!

We spent a little time talking about things she is not supposed to do, and they were interesting enough to share:

• She is not supposed to be near onion fields
• No swimming in "swimming holes" (stagnant water that is not chlorinated) pools, lakes, oceans, etc... are fine
• U-pick farms aren't allowed
• She also can't be in hot tubs

These were just random facts that I figured I would share with everyone (just in case I ever forget). All in all the visit went well. The doctor is letting us go 7 weeks before our next visit because he was so impressed with her growth and health. Good news, good news...

Playtime

On Saturday some of my friends came over to play: Skyler (3 weeks younger than me) and Hayden and Mason (almost 3 weeks old). We had fun, even though these pictures may not prove it.

Here Skyler and I are mesmerized by toy. We were really trying to watch Baby Einstein, but our parents wanted us to look at the camera. This triangle toy was so exciting that we had to look at it every time they made it rattle!

Ever heard of arranged marriages? Sklyer gets Mason (on the left) and I get Hayden (on the right). Skyler decided this by trying to eat Mason last time she saw them. But apparently I think Skyler and I should do rock, paper, scissors to decide instead.

Yep, one more pose. The boys "fell" for us. It was fun seeing my friends, some days I get bored of only seeing Mommy all day. It was a much needed break from our normal activities, I just love my friends!

Who needs mascara?

How lucky is that? Only 5 months old and she already has longer, prettier eyelashes than her mother! Not to mention the most beautiful blue eyes ever!

Must be her daddy's genes

Today three people from Early On came over to evaluate Baby R. Apparently because she has Cystic Fibrosis she qualifies for their services. I am not sure what all they do, but I know that they will come over as often as needed to help children to "catch up" developmentally. I guess her health issues and the fact that she was in the NICU for a month made them concerned that she would be "behind" in developing. Naturally our family has always thought that she was very smart and excelling developmentally. But, of course, we are biased. So now for the good news... She is at the right mark or ahead in all areas! YEAH! I couldn't be happier! Some days I worry that being confined to my apartment for the past 4 months has caused me to lose my mind (and therefore the ability to be a good mom).

The women were so impressed with Baby R that they said they don't have anything to help her with. They said they will just check back every month or so and see if everything is still going wonderfully. What a way to pick up my spirits! So, despite my deficiencies as a mother, she is excelling! She was blessed to inherit the good qualities from both of our families. Yes, a husky voice and man-shoulders are good qualities! Anyways, today is just a good day and I can't help but be proud of my little baby girl who always exceeds expectations! Happy 5-month birthday Baby R!

Silly Songs

One of our favorite things to do with Baby R is sing silly songs. I'm not sure why, but it seems less weird talking to someone who can't talk back when it is in song. Most of the time we try to rhyme, which makes the songs very strange. Especially since we inevitably call her cute which always ends up rhyming with toot. Last night Papa R was singing a really odd song, and I just wanted to share a line that I thought was particularly funny:

"Oh, Baby Reagan you are so small,
Baby Reagan you are bigger than a paper clip..."

When I started laughing he ended his song there, so sadly I don't know what the rest of the song would have been.

Grandpa and Me

Yesterday was the first time Grandpa Miller got to hold Baby R. It was exciting, and Baby R thought it was fun! Due to illnesses Grandpa hasn't been able to be around Baby R a whole lot. We are hoping that everything will be cleared up shortly and they will have more time together. We know she would like that.

Sleep is good

Well Baby R's sleeping is finally getting more routine, and she is adapting to her crib quite well now. For instance, when we first put her in her crib to sleep and let her cry it out, it took her around 30 minutes (which seemed to last forever!) Tonight when I laid her down she was out in 4. Yes, 4 minutes! What a tremendous blessing! I have really been exhausted these past almost 5 months. I know all new parents are, but I never expected to have a baby who wouldn't sleep. When we used to add up her sleeping (nighttime, naps, dozes, etc...) it would normally add up to approximately 8-9.5 hours in a 24 hour cycle. No wonder she wasn't always a happy baby, she was exhausted too! Today she slept approximately 12 hours (in a 24 hour period) - what an improvement! Thanks to all of your thoughts and prayers - we have definitely been having a much better week than normal. It is amazing how much happier we all can be when we get a little more sleep!

New, fun toys

Baby R likes to be able to "stand-up" and play with her toys. This was a smart purchase, a little saucer that has baby einstein toys attached all the way around. She can spin around on her own to play with the different toys, so it gives her a little freedom. It will probably work a little better when her feet touch the bottom and she doesn't have to grab other toys and pull to turn herself. She is growing up so quickly! Some days it is exciting, and some days it is sad how quickly she changes. Before we know it she will be all grown-up!

Speaking of Dreams...

I realized just how different my life is now than it was 5 months ago. Well I realize it everyday, but my dream the other night just reiterated it once more. For those of you who don't know, I give Baby R pancreatic enzymes before every meal. Since she is too young to swallow them, I have to mix them in applesauce on an infant spoon every time. Anyone who has seen me do it knows that I am getting quite good at it. I can empty the capsules onto the spoon of applesauce while holding the spoon in my mouth, or I can empty the capsules onto a spoon on the counter while I am holding Baby R. Yes, quite the talent... Not really something to put on my resume though. Anyways, back to my dream... I was dreaming that I put the enzymes on the spoon and then realized there wasn't enough applesauce. Then as I was putting more applesauce on the spoon many of the enzymes fell on the floor (they are slightly larger than a sugar granule). I couldn't pick them up, so I tried to open another enzyme capsule onto the spoon and the applesauce flipped off the spoon. It was quite upsetting. In fact, I woke up sweating because it was so frustrating! I know, not the most exciting story. I'll end my babbling now...

Dreaming of Warmer Days

The final book in the Harry Potter series is set to be released on July 21! Just one more reason why I can't wait till summer. The main reason of course is Baby R!

If everything goes well for the rest of winter, and we can manage to keep Baby R healthy, then we may finally have her restrictions lifted. This would mean that we would no longer be confined to our apartment. Although staying home with her is all I want to do, some days this apartment just gets too boring. And it isn't just me, Baby R definitely has her fair share of bored-out-of-her-mind days! Thank goodness for Baby Einstein, although she seems to be getting bored of even those videos. So if you happen to have a super creative idea for a game to play with a soon-to-be 5 month old, please share!

"Da-Da"

Although she has yet to utter any "real" words, Baby R carries on complete conversations. Sometimes she even manages to do so with an entire fist in her mouth, and on the rare occasion two hands! She has also realized just how much volume she has packed inside that little body. She must get that from her daddy.

I spend lots of time trying to get her to imitate the sounds I make. Although she has no interest in copying me, she does get entertained at my attempts. Her favorite is when I say "Da-Da." Without fail, she smiles and giggles every time I say it. Can you say "Da-Da's girl?"

Operation "Transfer to the Crib"

Sometime in December our CF Nurse recommended that I read the book "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems" because Baby R has never really been able to nap unless we are driving in the car. So I told my Mom she could get me that book for Christmas and she did. But for some reason, I was a little skeptical about reading the book. I guess I just thought I could figure it out on my own. However, after a week of trying to get Baby R to sleep in her crib unsuccessfully, I finally picked up the book. I read most of it in one day because I needed to solve her sleep problem quickly - for my own sanity.

The book was extremely helpful, not just with solving sleep problems, but explaining how they develop and why. Last night Baby R slept in her crib for the entire night. In fact, she ended up sleeping until 7:00 am. Normally she wakes up at 5:30 am, no matter what time she goes to sleep. Of course, she wasn't actually asleep for the night until about 12:30 am. We put her down around 10:00 pm, and she was dozing off and on for the next while. But we stuck to the plan and it worked!

Baby R even slept better than her dad, who apparently got so antsy about the plan that he couldn't settle down. "Restless legs" he claims...

So to anyone who has a child that is not sleeping well, I sincerely recommend this book.