Visit with Dr. Alban

Simone got her 2 month shots yesterday.  I left the room and Ben stayed with her.  She was upset, but overall did very well!  She also was weighed yesterday at 12 lbs 9 oz.  Hard to believe she was born at a mere 5 lbs 15 oz just 12 weeks ago!  For her age, she is average for her weight, below average for height, and above average for her head size.  (Did someone say she looks like Ben? :)  Sorry!  Couldn't help it...)

 

In the buff!

Today, I was changing another very exciting diaper when I put Simone on her side to remove the rest of the clothing.  Before I knew it, she had rolled over herself and was trying to get her hand from under her (I had to help with that).  Then, she was lifting her head so beautifully and I got a few lucky shots:

You can take the girl out of Texas...

But you can't take Texas out of the girl!  Thanks Ryan, for this super cute Texas armadillo onsie!  I can't believe she's big enough to fit into it.  I remember just a few weeks ago I looked at all these clothes and thought - it will be months before she will fit into them.  Now, I wish I had put it on her sooner!  The color of this photo is a little off, but the smile is perfect!  Here is one more...

By the way, this outfit lasted all of 20 minutes, as poopageddon won the day (or at least the morning!).

Visit with Jennifer!

Hey everybody,

Jennifer just left for the 2nd leg of her trip today :(.  We had a great time while she was here!  Jennifer arrived on Wednesday after an uneventful and mercifully short flight.  The 3 of us (Jennifer, Simone, and me) went on a drive up the coast through Malibu and Pacific Palisades on HWY 1.  While the views were stunning, Simone just wasn't a happy camper (she usually loves car rides) so we had to do a bit more managing of Simone than normal.  Jennifer graciously sat in the back of the car most of the time so she could reinsert Simone's pacifier when she spit it out.  (Side note:  we've decided to use a pacifier, with mixed feelings.  I cannot believe she is old enough to spit it out to get attention, but she does seem to like playing this game whether she knows it or not!.  For now, we'll keep using it - it does seem to sooth her - but we're watching this carefully!)

Yesterday we went for a walk on the Manhattan beach boardwalk.  There are some very fancy houses which are almost as impressive as the ocean view.  Then we went to the Getty Museum, which I think was a highlight for Jennifer.  It really is such a stunning place - a great place to get away when you've had enough of LA congestion!  Simone's temperament was much better yesterday and seemed to enjoy the fresh air at both Manhattan Beach and the Getty.

Vegas Baby! (literally)

Ben, Simone, and I are in Vegas this week. Ben is at a diabetes conference for work and Simone and I decided to tag along.  In addition to just having a change of scenery, we wanted to try out this relatively short trip to learn how to travel with a baby.  So far, I've learned that you need twice as much time to pack and you need to pack twice as much!

So what does one do in Vegas with a 2-month old baby?  Well, I learned yesterday that you do not - I repeat - do not - want to stay in your hotel room most of the day.  I thought it would be nice to just not do very much and relax (Ben got a very nice room for us) but I think by the end of the day we were both bored and Simone's fussy period was just too much for both of us.  Today, I took Simone out into the hotel and we walked, and walked, and walked.  I also got tickets for a few of the Exhibits and saw a Titanic exhibit, to be followed by "Bodies" and "Sharks" tomorrow.  Simone absolutely loves to be out and about.  She loves the stimulation.  You should see her eyes bulge out of her head looking at all the lights!  The sound and energy also soothe her, and she pretty much only falls asleep when out in public - the louder, the better!

Simone also has been smiling so much more and today she followed me around the room with her eyes.  It's great to connect with her in this way - it makes it all worth it!