My Baby is 6 Months Old!!!

Our Six-Month Old

On July 20th Sammy had her 6-month doctor's appointment. She measured 16 lbs 2 oz and 27 inches long. Weight was in the 53 percentile but her height was in the 90th percentile! The Dail genes have struck again! We've got another tall girl on our hands. At least for now. I knew she looked bigger but she's already grown 8 inches since birth! It shocks me every day.

Besides getting physically bigger, she's getting bigger in terms of development too. She is now a sitting champ. She can sit alone without fallng over for long periods of time. She can even balance herself when she leans over to grab a toy. She also likes to hold on to the edge of the couch and stand. She can't pull herself into these positions yet but she's still a lttle young for that. She refuses to be on her tummy now and turns over immediately when put down belly first so not sure when crawling will kick in. Her other new achievement is clapping. She's been hitting blocks together for weeks but last week she finally got her hands together. At first it looked more like she was dusting her hands off, which Bryan loved, but now she's got a full clap going. It's so cute! And she's babbling up a storm. I swear she says "hi" when she first sees us in the morning or when Bryan gets home from work. She gets more and more fun everyday.

Busy Summer

We've been busy trying new things and visiting new places this summer, at least new to Samantha. We took her to our HOA pool a couple of weeks ago and she loved it. I hope she is a little fish like Tracey and I were growing up. A few days later she got her first taste of the ocean, literally. We've been to the beach and we walk on the 101 every day but she'd never felt the water. Again, she seemed to like it and wasn't too scared. Fingers crossed it stays that way. She also discovered that she doesn't like the taste of sand but that it feels good between the toes.

We've been playing tourist in our own town. We attended Opening Day at Del Mar to celebrate Grandma Reed's birthday. It was really crowded and hot but it was fun to look at all the fancy hats and women in 4 inch heels. What are they thinking?! Sammy loved hanging out in her Bjorn and held up better in the heat than I did. She also went with my mom and I to Old Town and Seaport Village to find the perfect gift for Aunt Tracey's birthday. Fortunately we found it pretty quickly and were able to have lunch and browse the shops. We tried to ride the carousel at Seaport Village but the line was long and mommy was dying in the heat. I'm not handling the heat too well this year. Extra baby wieght?

My Uncle Willy, Michelle's dad, came down for a visit last week and we all got together for a mini-reunion BBQ at my parents' place. It was fun to get the family together and Sammy got to show off her sitting skills. She loves to watch the kids run around.

Yesterday Tracey and I took the kids to Quail Botanical Gardens, just minutes from our condo. I'd never been there but I think we'll be going again. It's so beautiful! We especailly loved the Bamboo Garden and the Rainforest. Great lillypads and waterfalls. The kids loved the Children's Garden! It has an amazing treehouse, musical instruments made from gourds, rocks, bamboo etc. and the garden with the smelly plants like sage and something that smells like chocolate. Anyone with kids should definitely check it out. Ian and Nicole especially loved the little paths they have throughout the garden. They liked to pretend they were traveling through the jungle.

It's been a fun summer so far and still more than a month to go!

Sammy and daddy in the pool.

Having Mexican food with Grandma in Old Town.

My little howler monkey screaming at the top of her lungs in a restaurant.

First feel of the ocean.

And the first taste. Yuck!

Family photo before the races.

Watching the horses with grandma.

Mingling with the crowds at Opening Day in Del Mar.

Our big girl sitting up by herself.

Standing on her own...with mommy close by to catch her.

Are you ready for some football!?

Sitting pretty at the family BBQ.

All the cousins, first and second.

I love grandpa!

With her Ian and Nicole at Quail Botanical Gardens.

Tracey DID get me some more pics from my 14K party. Thanks Trace! Here are the stand outs:

14K Family

Dad in his pimped out necklace.

L.L. Cool Ian

Father's Day and other Sammy updates

The picture to the left is my absolute favorite! This is from the day before Bryan's first Father's Day because he had to work on the actual day. We were on our way to Pizza Port and later grilled steaks. We had a really nice time and Sammy was extra cute that day with her new tennies.

The Friday before FD Bryan threw me a surprise party. It was my 14,000 day birthday. In other words ,I was 14,000 days old on June 19. Leave it to the CPA to figure that out. Consequently I was completely surprised to walk in to everyone all "blinged" out in gold necklaces, crowns and pimp gear. Get it? 14K? It was soooo sweet and a lot of fun. He came up with the idea when planning the "Hallmark holiday" of Mother's Day. He'd rather celebrate those unplanned milestones. My mom and Tracey had a lot of fun helping him plan. What a sweetie...and what a weirdo. I hope to ahve more pics soon...if Tracey ever sends them to me!!!

Sammy intensely playing at mommy's 14K party.

Sammy Updates

So our little Sammy is getting so big...and so old. 5.5 months!!! She is eating solid food. She started with rice cereal and is now eating oatmeal, peas, carrots (not her fav), squash, and sweet potatoes. We're moving on to fruits next week. Besides her strong dislike of carrots (she gagged) she has been pretty indifferent to these new foods but she opens her mouth like a little baby bird when oatmeal or cereal is put before her. A carb addict like her mom. I'm hoping she'll take to fruits a little more enthusiastically.

She's a very busy baby and plays so intensely that it seems the fate of the world depends on whether or not she can pick up the remote! She's hilarious. She's practicing her sitting and can sit unassisted on my lap or some other uneven surface. When she's sitting on the floor she'd much rather stand and refuses to bend her legs. I end up holding her while she leans over to pick up toys. I'm getting very strong. She shows no signs of crawling yet though she will stay on her knees for a few minutes if she turns over while reaching for a toy.

She's also very social. She loves, loves, loves to be carried in her Bjorn and will sit in it happily for hours. She likes to watch other kids and smiles at strangers all the time. We've become very popular at our local stores. And she cracks up laughing at Ian and Nicole. Now that the June gloom is mostly gone, I'm hoping to get her in our complex pool and out to the beach soon.

We've got her six month appointment (6 MONTHS?!) in a couple of weeks and I'm guessing she weighs about 15-16 lbs by now. I promise to update sooner this next time around.

Oaty, oaty, oaty, oatmeal.

Baby's first carrots. Not her favorite.

I'm the princess.

Partyin' in the Bjorn at the Moore's neighborhood gathering on the 4th.

Me, Sammy, Nicole and N's friend Nora.

Baby's first grass.

I think the party's over.

Helping daddy fold laundry. You like your socks covered in saliva right daddy?

Sammy's getting SOOOOO big!

Not alot of time to write out a post tonight but I'll let the pictures and their captions tell Sammy's story. She's such a blast!

Baby's first cereal! Not too messy.

Right before the screaming begins. She hates tummy time.

Can I get the whole fist in my mouth?

I can definitely get the whole foot in my mouth!

Current favorite activity; taking all the toys out of her basket.

She inherited mommy's praying hands.

Raspberries, her new favorite means of expression.

Mommy and her little "deer caught in the headlights". She does this every time she sees the camera. Guess a modeling career is out.

Family photo at the Festival of Performing Arts.

Just 'cause it's funny!

Looking all girlie and frilly. Sammy, not me.

Quick 4-month Update

So Sammy is now four months old! Time is really flying yet I can't remember a time without her around. She's so much fun these days. She talks all the time and actually squeals and screams when happy or mad. Our neighbors must be so excited : ) Mom and dad went with me to her doctor's appointment this morning. She's doing great! 13 lbs 12 oz and 24 inches long (almost). She's getting so big. She also had her second round of shots. She did ok at the office, after a few tears, and has been a little tired and grumpy the rest of the day. Poor thing. The doctor said that we could start feeding her solids at 5 months. I'm dying to start sooner but also want to do what the doctor says. I got out her highchair anyway, just so she can get used to sitting in it. Here are the latest pics:

Highchair Sammy

In her new Jumperoo. She's not quite tall enough for it yet.

Falling asleep with her dolly.

Out and About

My First Mother's Day

I had a great day! Bryan got up early and took care of the crying Sammy at 5 in the morning and later when he brought her into our room, she was wearing the shirt above. Soooo cute!! I also got the Harry Potter books I was missing. Can't wait to read them to Sammy. We then went to breakfast at Santa Fe Cafe (our local fav) and later had lunch with Grandma Marian at La Especial Norte (another local fav). Unfortuantely I got pooped on during breakfast and was up for a good portion of the night with a baby who wanted to play at 3am but that just means that I am officially a mommy! : ) It was the perfect first Mother's Day!


We've Been Busy

On Saturday Bryan's old friend Rod flew into town and brought his wife Erica and their 3 year-old son, Thomas. We only had a few hours with them but it was a lot of fun. Bryan went downtown and picked them up and Sammy and I met them all at Pizza Port. Thomas had a good time "playing" all the video games in the back and we had a good time drinking beer and eating pizza. Later we went down to the park at the beach. The Von Grote's played on the beach (too cold for us locals) and Sammy had her first ride on the swings and the slide. They all came back to our place afterward and we did more catching up. Thomas was an angel despite all the stories his parents told us : ) He's a cutie! I wish they lived in town. It would be great to spend more time with them. If Erica has her way we may have them local in the next few years.

Last Friday we went with my parents and the Moore's to "Cruisin' on Grand" in Escondido, a vintage car show that happens every Friday night. We saw some beautiful cars, listened to some great old tunes and had some yummy Mexican food. Bryan is dying for a Lincoln Continental with suicide doors.

Sammy and I finally made it to the zoo with Whiteny and Lorelei. It was a perfect overcast day. It was nice to get together with another (fairly) new mom to compare notes. Lorelei is getting so big and wanted to walk everywhere. It was a preview of things to come. Hope we get to do it again soon.

At the petting zoo.

And two weekends ago we went to the Encinitas Street Fair. We walked around checking out the booths and even bought Sammy some sunglasses. Next year it will be fun to take her on some of the rides. We ran into Bryan's friend Brad and his family. They have a new baby girl who is two days younger than Sammy. Later we ate greasy Thai food at one of the stages and caught this amazing cover band called Birds of Prey. The band is made up of four 10-12 year old boys and they were playing tunes by ACDC and Foghat. They were amazing!

In her new shades at the Street Fair.

Birds of Prey

Sammy Updates

Well, our 16-week-old girl is officially turning over!!!! Last week I put her down for tummytime and she just flipped on to her back like it was nothing. I was cheering and she just looked at me like "what? I do this all the time." The next day she turned the other way, from back to belly, but got her arm trapped underneath her. She's flipped from her tummy to her back a few times since but is still working on the back to tummy thing. She's always grabbing her feet and turning to the side. She'll be on the move soon. We got a new entertainment center last week in anticipation. Our old one was definitely not baby friendly.

We've also heard our first baby laugh. She giggled when I tickled her tummy. She's laughed a few times since, like when we took her on the swing but its still not consistent. It was the greatest sound ever!

Here are some more pics.

Hanging around the house in the Bjorn with daddy.

Pre-turning position.

Grabbing her feet.