Aren't We Pretty!

Anyone that comes, that is willing, will get "decorated" as Jillian calls it. Ty was there also but he would have nothing to do with getting "decorated". First Jillian gets on an outlandish outfit, this time consisting of plaid shorts, skirt, striped top, hat and gloves. Then since Tierney was sitting on the couch, she got the full treatment. We hope there is improvement in her fashion sense as she gets older.

New Stuff XLI

No matter the weather, the girls keep bringing on the new stuff:

1. Holding Hands : Daddy's car is small enough that when both Jillian and Bridget are sitting in the back in their carseats, they can reach each other. So, when we drive home from Grannie's house, Jillian grabs Bridget's hand on the way and holds it all they way home.


2. No Habla Espanol : Jillian has watched enough Dora the Explorer that she occasionally uses Spanish words that we haven't heard before (like the words for "up" or "down").


3. Hiding Behind the Back : This is Jillian being sneaky ... if she has something that she isn't supposed to have, she'll hold it behind her back; most times, she's not even that sneaky, and instead just takes off running with the forbidden item.


4. Peek-a-boo : This is one of the easiest ways to make Bridget laugh hysterically. Without any teeth, she still has a big, open-mouthed smile.


5. Exhausted Little Girl : As Bridget has gotten more active, she has also gotten more tired, and is taking longer naps and sleeping at night for longer periods, even sleeping in until 10 am!


6. The Youngest Princess & The Smallest Princess : Jillian has a couple little dolls that have these names, based on how they look; they are younger and smaller versions of Cinderalla, her favorite princess. She routinely sleeps with them at night.


7. The Sleeping Game : This is one of Jillian's favorite games to play in her room. She enjoys telling her guest that it's time for bed, and giving them a pillow and blanket to sleep with. Then she goes through the bedtime routines (i.e., story, etc).


8. The Replay : Jillian likes to re-enact many of the interactions that she has with Mommy and Daddy. For instance, during her Sleeping Game, she'll tell us that "you're not listening, so I'm leaving", and then she'll leave the room ... something that has happened to her many times.


9. The Lunge : Bridget was getting pretty good at getting into a crawling position so she could reach and get her toys. That has now turned into a lunge forward, where she propels herself forward onto her tummy to get to her toys even faster.


10. Standing Teaser : Just for fun, we put Bridget on her feet and hold her hands so she can practice standing. She does very well, keeping her legs straight almost the entire time. She can also lean up against the ottoman and hold herself up, much like Jillian used to do, though her concentration time is not very long. More to come soon ...

Amazing Bridget

Bridget really surprised me today. Seems she is learning new things so fast but that she picked up on this was amazing. She gets tired of her regular baby toys so I gave her this wooden clacker from the play musical instruments. To work it you have to twist your wrist back and forth for the clacker to work. As soon as I gave it to her she would put it in one hand and twist her wrist to listen to the clacking and then switch to her other hand and watch herself twist her wrist to make it work again. Great concentration for a baby. Of course sometimes it just went in to her mouth to chew on.

Spring Break Basketball

There will be lots of cousin time for Jillian and Bridget over Spring Break. Here Jillian is ready to dunk the basketball over Brock with a huge advantage thanks to Daddy. Then they would switch sides and defend the basket. Sometimes Jillian would think the target was the overhead light. There was mayhem and balls flying everywhere. Cale, Tierney, and Bridget would jeer on whoever had the ball. Bridget would think everything was hilarious.

Pre-Crawling

Putting Bridget on the floor in a sitting-up position only leads to her trying to lean out and move to get to other toys. We always put a bunch of toys right in her lap to play with, but she manages to throw them just out of reach, and then she's leaning out on her arms to get close. At this point, she just ends up doing a belly-flop when she gets too far out.

6-month Check-up

It was time for Bridget’s 6-month doctor appointment today. Daddy drove Jillian and Bridget down to Vancouver, and they both slept all the way. We met Mommy at the clinic, and shortly after, went in to our room. The nurse came in and measured Bridget, and we found that she weighed 17 lbs 3 oz, her length was 26 – ¾ inches, and her head circumference was 18 inches. The nurse also checked Bridget’s pulse and ears, and Jillian watched very intently. After the nurse left, Jillian started misbehaving, so Daddy had to take her out to the car, leaving Mommy with Bridget to finish the examination with Dr. Lagrand. Here’s Mommy’s account of it all:

Dr. Lagrand came in and immediately recognized me from working at the hospital. I also reminded her that she helped Dr. Chung deliver Bridget. She then recalled us talking about how close in age her son was to Bridget. Her son is just four months older. Dr. Lagrand will be finishing her residency in July. She is looking for a position as a practicing OBGYN/Family medicine doctor.

Dr. Lagrand thought Bridget was very cute and was amazed with all her hair. She said Bridget was a very healthy baby. Her height and weight were in the 75th percentile (and her head size was off the charts!) Dr. Lagrand looked in her eyes, mouth, ears, and nose and said everything looked great. She was happy with her diet and encouraged us to continue to introduce new foods, one at a time. All in all it was a positive visit, until the shots! Bridget had three shots and one oral medicine. The nurse was quick about giving the shots, but as soon as I lifted her off the table she was a happy girl almost immediately. The nurse was impressed with her recovery time.

Rope Swing Bravery

This is one of Jillian's favorite things to do outside this Spring. She always wants to be pushed higher and higher, but she hangs on tight. She will swing until her hands get tired and then she takes a break for awhile. Notice the colorful outfit. As soon as she gets to Grannie's she wants to get on the tutu dress and the sparkly headband. She loves the headbands because volleyball girls wear those when they play. She has to wear pants and a jacket outside which lead to some very unusual looking outfits.