No Bananas

I decided to add bananas to Bridget's cereal for the first time. Normally you can not spoon the cereal in her mouth fast enough. Big mistake-bananas. She took several bites and got slower and slower eating, then came the "razzies" with the mouth full. The next spoonful led to a major meltdown. She would not even look at the spoon. Later in the day I tried the plain bananas and that was not a good idea either. No meltdown but lots of bananas everywhere but in her mouth. Today it was back to plain cereal and the good eater returned. I will try applesauce the next time if I'm brave enough.

New Stuff XL

Extra-large new stuff from "the girls", as Mommy and Daddy like to call them these days ...

1. Riding on the Edge : Apparently riding on Jazzy has made Jillian a little more bold, because her rides on her rocking horse are taking her to the very edge of tipping over the top or back. Mommy is not too excited by this development.

2. Crib Sleeper : Last week, we moved Bridget out of the bassinett and into her crib in her own room. She's actually done really well in it. When she falls asleep in our arms and we lay her down in the crib, she doesn't even budge but instead curls up and keeps on sleeping. Her favorite position is on her side, with her head pushed up against the side rail.

3. Rice Cereal + Fruit : In an effort to help Bridget be a little more regular, we are adding fruit to her rice cereal. So far it's helped, and Bridget still loves to eat her solid food.

4. The Communion Episode : Jillian got a little out of control at church last Sunday. The whole family went up for communion, and when we were leaving the altar, Jillian said she could walk by herself without holding hands (big mistake!). She was doing fine until we got to our pew, and then she kept on walking ... to the back, to the other side, and to the front of the church. She got into a semi-crouching position, watching to see what Daddy would do. When Daddy walked towards her, she ran back up to the altar and stood by the Habedanks, jumping up and down. Daddy got to her, picked her up and took her out to the foyer for a little talk about appropriate behavior in church. Mommy could only shake her head while she held Bridget and watched the whole affair.

5. "Gimous" : Jillian tries to say "ginormous" (from the movie Elf), but it comes out like this.

6. Captain Underpants : Believe it or not, this is one of Jillian's favorite books. It was a hand-me-down from the Paul's. Daddy read the whole story to her one night, and now she loves to look at it herself.

7. Mad Razzies : So, instead of crying, Bridget lets us know that she's mad by making loud "razzies".

8. "Can we have Mary Jane?" : We get this a lot from Jillian. She thinks that Bridget needs a new friend, and the way to do that is by having another baby named Mary Jane.

9. "See my smiling face?" : Jillian got into big trouble at the grocery store, and Mommy was not happy. So, there was a lot of crying when they got home. Later, Jillian had calmed down and was pointing to her face and saying this to let us know that she felt better.

10. Shoulder Rides : This is Jillian's new favorite thing to do with Daddy. She likes to be way up high riding on his shoulders, touching things that are usually out of reach; and her favorite part is the fall onto the bed or couch at the end of the ride.

11. Pretty Nails : While at Papa Ken's house, Jillian got her finger and toe nails painted by Cousin Meagan. The polish is the kind that turns color when exposed to the sun. Jillian was so excited, and couldn't wait to show us.

12. Crawling Teaser : It didn't take more than a week of sitting up, and now Bridget is rocking way forward on her hands, trying to reach toys that are just out of reach. More to come soon ...

Fancy Hats

Ainsley is home on Spring Break and she came up to visit. Jillian corralled her to play so she proceeded to decorate Ainsley with a fancy hat and lots of ribbons and bows. Ainsley was very patient with it all. Then Ainsley asked Jillian if she'd like to have a fancy hat too. Jillian sat very patiently too for a long time-surprisingly, while Ainsley put bows and ribbons all over Jillian. Later they went into the bathroom to do hair decorations but I never got to see the results of those creations. They both have very long hair to work with. Bridget just sat there very interested in what was going on.

Sunday Dresses

Both Jillian and Bridget got all dressed up for church on Sunday. Jillian wore her favorite pink polka dot dress (that she tries to wear all the time at home), and Bridget wore her flowery dress that Jillian picked out for her.

Jillian is also sporting some nice scabs on her nose, after Tucker (also known as "wild dog") clobbered her in the face last week while she was playing outside.

The Puzzlemaster

Jillian loves her puzzles! This photo shows her putting together her "God Puzzle", which is a big floor puzzle of Noah's Ark. It's 42 pieces, and she can pretty much do it all herself, though her challenge is always staying focused until it's finished. She got her start doing Grannie's puzzles, which are 24 pieces, and she got pretty fast at putting them together.

Happy 6 Months

Bridget turned 6-months-old today! As usual, she was a happy little girl for the photo, and she's so close to the point of being able to sit up without a spotter. She must be growing, too, because she drank 9 ounces of milk this morning.

3-year Check-up

Jillian's well-child 3-year check-up was today at SWMC. Mommy, Daddy and Bridget accompanied her. We found out that she now weighs 33 lbs, and stands 38 inches tall. In the examination room, Jillian sat very quietly while the nurse and Dr. Landchild checked her out. They used the otoscope for the ears and nose, and they checked her heartbeat and breathing with the stethoscope (some things Jillian had read about in one of her Dora books). Everything looked good. The doctor even gave Jillian a Curious George book to read and take home with her. Mommy asked about the small wart that Jillian had on the palm of her hand; the doctor said the best cure was duct tape!

The best part of the examination was finding out there were no shots! Unfortunately, the next round is next year. Until then, Jillian should have OK memories of going to the doctor's office.