7.31.2012

Definite Motation!

Johanna is officially crawling as of this weekend! She thinks she is soooooooo cool when she climbs up under the coffee table!


She is also enjoying other solid foods besides marinara sauce now, especially peaches!


7.24.2012

Motation and Digestion

Johanna turned 6 months last week! I can hardly believe it is moving so fast. It seems like just yesterday yet also a lifetime ago that she was born. At 6 months Johanna weighs in at 12lbs 14 oz and 24 inches long. Still tiny but a very healthy little girl!
Around mid June/5 months, she began pushing herself up into a push up position and really getting her knees off the ground. By June 30th when we left for vacation, she had figured out that many series of pushing up and down and slight pulling or rolling would get her where she wanted to go. By the time we returned back from Florida she was "motating" as her great uncle Buddy said. She was piking, downward dogging, scooting, sitting in the crawl position, even attempting a bear walk. Everything but crawling. But she can certainly still get where she wants to go. She can now move 5-6 feet in any direction using her different methods of motation.
We've been trying to introduce solid foods, but Johanna apparently already has a "refined" palate. She refused the carrots and sweet potatoes. She endured the rice cereal and peas. She seemed to enjoy the apples and pears, but her first real, solid food and truest of true loves is... marinara sauce!
After unsuccessfully offering her the vegetables, we had decided to take a break from introducing solids while in Florida since she still wasn't showing much interest. Until we had spaghetti for dinner. She was sitting on Berto's lap while we ate, staring as the food when from plate to mouth while making this face:
He gave her a finger full of sauce which she attacked like a wild animal! She was insatiable! Berto couldn't dip his fingers in sauce fast enough for her appetite. After eating close to a tablespoon of marinara sauce, I finally had to dip her pacifier in sauce to "calm her fat gene" as Berto put it. Since then she has eaten peas, apples, and pears with some interest, the pears maybe even some enjoyment. But nothing tops red sauce! She loves pizza and pasta nights! Mamma mia!
Starting last Friday, she is also holding her own bottle. It may be time to try a sippy cup soon. Miss Independent!

7.16.2012

Jetsetter

Johanna is quite the traveler now! She was AMAZING during the 8-9 hour car ride to/from Nashville. I was so nervous, but she happily played, slept, and ate in her car seat the entire way. We made a couple stops, but never because of her! She also slept through most of the reception. We had a couple dances with her and then she was passed out in her car seat the rest of the party, through the loud dance music and all!
Johanna with Daddy at the ceremony
Me and the girls at the reception

The week of the 4th of July we packed up all things baby and flew MDW to RSW (Fort Myers, FL) to my aunt's house on the beach at Little Gasparilla Island. The island feels completely cut off from the world with no paved roads and access only by boat. My aunt and uncle built the beach house in '79 or '80, and I spent many vacations there growing up. They've begun renting it in later years as supplemental retirement income. Here's the home's rental website with great pics of the house and island. I have great memories of walking down the dune path burning my feet on the scorching hot sand, reading on the porch in one of the many hammocks, diving for sand dollars, falling asleep on inflatable rafts while worshiping the sun, and talking about finding "the end of the island" which seemed so unfathomable at the time, but now know is only a 5 mile or so walk. I can only hope we can take more vacations here over the years and Johanna can grow up with similar memories.
The static was just NOT working with her hair!
"Rich Girl" is her Nana's new nickname for her after viewing this picture.
In her strawberrykini
Celebrating the 4th!