the park

nice hat

trying out my chair...this is just a trial run.

i've been really sick

well, it happened. i had my first time of being sick. it was kinda weird the way it all happened.

i had a couple rough nights last week, but we think it's my teeth growing. one evening my mama finally just layed me on her bed and laid down with me while i whined. nothing made me feel better. she tried to explain to me that one of the things i have to learn in life is how to hurt. she said she wished she could keep me from hurting...ever. but that life doesn't work like that. often when parents try to keep their babies from hurting at all, that the babies don't grow into adults that know how to deal with hurt. so, she said she would stay with me while i hurt. so, i thought we had learned a little bit of that lesson that would last us awhile.

then it really hit!

saturday night mama saw i had thrown up in my sleep about midnight. so, she changed my sheets and fed me...and i threw up on her. so i went to sleep with an empty stomach. i slept through the rest of the night and was pretty happy when i woke up, so she fed me...and i threw up on her. i had a temperature and diarrhea, too. that was how we spent sunday. daddy went to the chemist and got me some medicine, and we called this medical hotline type thing (nhs direct). my fever broke late into sunday night, and i was much better yesterday. i slept alot and am back to eating small amounts often...like when i was little. :)

i don't like when my teeth hurt or being sick. and my parents don't like not being able to fix whatever is wrong. but hopefully we will all continue to get better at me hurting!

Learning to let go

well, i have learned how to take my dummy out of my mouth very well. i like grabbing onto it, pulling it out of my mouth, looking at it, turning it over in my hands. it's kinda like a toy. i am starting to learn to put it back in. but what i haven't figured out is how to let go of it so i'm not just sticking it in and pulling it out over and over. when i get frustrated my mom and dad help me, but i really want to learn to do it on my own soon.

i have several new things to share. i no longer ride in my car seat in my buggy. now i ride in the big part...and face forward. mom and i both have had to get used to that the last couple days. i like being able to see. turns out there is more to the world than i knew! plus even more people stop to smile at me and talk to me. i can sit up when i feel like it, or mom can lay me back if i need a sleep. mom has lost some storage space, but says the buggy is lighter now.

well, i survived more shots. i did really well. i cried and pouted for about 2 minutes total, one for each leg! i didn't get weighed, we have to go to the clinic for that, they don't do that at the doctors office. mom said she knows where that is, but it's only open specific days and times, so she's not sure when we'll make it down. she told me not to worry though, i look healthy and am very happy and that is the important thing. she says there is plenty of time to worry about my weight. i think she likes not knowing, its one less thing for her to be neurotic about!

her latest worry is sleep. she thought i was doing great, but then she read her stupid baby book. it says i should be getting 14 1/2 hours of sleep a day. so now she has started keeping track. i wish she would give me a break. i know when i am tired and i tell her, then she and dad help me go to sleep if i need it. really, do we need more drama, mom?

i'm a junior floaty! okay, well not officially, but mom will sign me up for my first swim class this week. it doesn't start till march 11 though. i have a swim suit (actually 2!) and mom just got me special swimming nappies. we are so excited. i am sad that dad will be out of town for the big first class, but grandma donna will be here, so that makes me happy.

i have a new trick. i turn my tongue up out of my mouth and suck my upper lip. it sounds kinda gross when i explain it, but it is really cute. my dad just saw me do it today for the first time and he confirmed it is cute, but mom and i already knew that.

dad has been kinda sick this week. his allergies/sinus gunk have been bothering him so he hasn't been sleeping well, either. plus he had a retreat to lead a couple days last week. i hope he feels better soon. he hasn't be snuggling with me, in case he could get me sick with his germs. being sick doesn't look fun so i think i'm going to try to not get sick. i sure do miss his cuddles though, they are the bomb!

by the way, i have seen my mom and dad's blogs...how come no one ever comments on my blog?

life at 4 months

i can't believe i have to go to bed before my first superbowl even starts. dad says it is very special that it is my first superbowl and the steelers are in it. he says i am good luck for the guys! i guess i am about the closest thing to a cheerleader the black and gold have. mom likes that about the steelers and says she is happy for me to be a cheerleader for them as long as i keep my clothes on and don't shake it like a hoochie-mama. i don't really know what she is talking about...now or most of the time.

i have started giving "hugs". really what i do is turn my forehead right into mommy or daddys face while they are holding me. i close my eyes and rub my forehead back and forth. i guess its not an actual hug, but its me being cuddly. as far as kisses go, i still just open my mouth if you kiss me on it.

i have decided i love having my nappy changed. i start kicking my legs, open my eyes real big, and get my serious look. then, once i am flapping in the breeze, after being wiped i start chatting up a storm...and keep my legs kicking...through the whole thing. it feels so good to be fresh and clean!

we have a big week this week. i have to go to the doctor again and get more shots. mom keeps trying to explain to me that even though it hurts for a little bit that it helps keep me healthy...but i'm pretty clueless. i guess i'll figure it out when i actually get the shot. we are also going to talk to the doctor about starting on real food. i turned four months yesterday and that is when my friend isabella started. maybe it's time for me to start eating chicken wings too. they sound delicious. okay, maybe i won't start with chicken wings...

i am getting really good at holding myself up when i am on my belly. i haven't rolled over, but get pretty close sometimes when i am on my back. i guess this is not the way most babies do it, but i really like stretching and wiggling on my back more than my stomach.

i have been playing with my mat isabella gave me alot. i love batting around the different animals. i can't decide if i like the part that plays music, and i pretty much haven't discovered the mirror or pictures yet. but i am sure i will figure it out soon.

as for eating, i am still doing very well. i am up to 7 oz. now. i don't need the little baby tips any more...even when i'm tired. i have started recognizing my bottle. when i see it or when my mom or dad put my bib on i start getting really whiny. i don't realize i am hungry until then, but once i figure out its time to eat it's the only thing i can think about!

i go to bed at 8:00 almost every night. some nights i sleep better than others, and some nights i need my dummy more than others. but i can usually be persuaded to sleep until 8-10 in the morning. not bad for my age!

my drool problem seems to be getting worse. i am sticking more and more things in my mouth and like chewing on pretty much anything. i don't like it when i can't get my toys into my mouth, so my parents hang them down real low off my car seat and play mat.

today at church i smiled a lot at peter. my mom really likes him. he's a little older than me and moves around alot, so that's interesting. i really like watching most of the bigger kids. i can't wait until i can run around and play with them. mom says by the time i am their size they will be bigger, but that there are some other babies close to my age (and yet to be born) that i will be able to run around with.

My first Superbowl!

Me and daddy dressed in black and gold!

my trip home

for those of you wondering, my trip home was great. mom and dad fed me before we got on the plane in oklahoma city. i whined a little when we first got on the plane, but dad settled me down...and that's it! it helped a lot that we had virtually no layover in chicago, just enough time to change my nappy, mom and dad picked up a couple sandwiches, and get to the gate...not even time for them to eat the sandwiches, but they said they preferred it that way. i still don't get eating. once we settled into our big flight, they put me in this collapsable ziploc kind of bed on the floor in between them. i slept great, but only 5 hours. i slept more when we got settled into our taxi on the way home. mom and dad said it was the shortest travel time yet for a trip between london and oklahoma city.

on friday i pooped out at 7:30 that night. i slept until 11:30 saturday morning, that's 16 hours. well, i woke up enought to eat a couple times, but that's it. saturday i only took a couple half hour naps, and konked out at 7:30 again. my parents hope to push that back to about 9:00 within the next couple days, but i am doing way better than them. they are out of control. for some reason they seem to be having a hard time taking care of me on my "schedule" and getting on one of their own. they are really whiny and cranky right now.

so, as usual, i am doing great, but i am not so sure about my parents...i hope they get it together soon.

i am overwhelmed

it's hard to believe that just a few short weeks ago the only life i knew was so simple. hanging out with my mom all day (mostly listening to cheesy pop music on the radio), chillin with my dad in the evenings and on weekends (we love to watch MASH and american football together).

next thing i know my ears are killing me (actually i did better on the flights than either of my parents) and we have landed in some alternate reality.

oklahoma is a land of more grandparents then i could ever have imagined! the sun is so bright here and the weather feels like summer (it shouldn't, but global warming is a good thing right now!). i have met many friends who have been waiting for me for years. american football is on television all the time. i have "ridden" a tractor at papa guinn's. okay, does this christmas thing happen everywhere or what? if not, you guys are really missing out.

this week my parents are taking me to a magical place called "broken bow". they thought i might stay with one of my grandmas but they can't stand the thought of being away from me. come on guys, cut the cord already! anyway, they seem to think it will be a lot of fun. i have already been to such exotic places as shawnee, norman,...and slaughterville (for real, that's the name).

everyone wants to hold me and take my picture. the picture thing is cool, as long as they work around me. i'm kinda getting the hang of looking at the camera, but my favorite pics are the ones where i am looking at a person (see "smiley pic"). as for the holding, i'm just not used to it. i mean, my mom holds me and all, but she's got stuff to do like laundry, cooking, cleaning...she's a busy woman at home. and when we get back she'll add work. it's the same with dad. so, being passed from person to person for several hours in a row is a bit much for a little girl to take. so, here's my disclaimer. if you try to hold me and i cry, don't take it personally, it's probably not you. i'm probably just what my mom calls "overstimulated" and need a break. i still have a long way to go in my social skill development!

i also want to send a thank you shout out to all of my new friends and family who have given me all the great stuff! you guys rock!

my first smiley photo!

i made it!!

what in the world is going on? my crazy parents kept me up for like 16 hours straight last friday! well, okay, i took a few naps, but didn't go down for my big sleep at my normal time. actually, i am pretty confused about what my normal time is.

i now have a passport, am officially a united states citizen, have a social security number...and have made my first trans-atltantic flight. who's a big girl now!?! i did really well on my flight. we had great seats, a whole row of five seats in the middle just for our family...after the stewardess moved this stubborn lady. i only really cried once...when we were landing. what is up with the ears...crazy stuff. i would fuss a little, but my parents played with me, fed me, changed me in the worlds smallest bathroom...then we landed in chicago. we were in chicago a really long time. our flight was delayed...and delayed...and delayed. it's a good thing i was there, my mom and dad really started getting tired, frustrated, and impatient. we almost got a hotel room instead of waiting on the flight, but it all worked out. i slept from before we got on the plane through to the next morning...even through meeting grandma barbara and pap for the first time...i was tired!!

i have met a ton of people. we went to 2 different churches on sunday...the first time i've ever been to church twice in one day...it was alot to take in! but i was friendly to everyone, and didn't complain.

monday night i went out with the girls from our church in shawnee. it was fun, they all held me and passed me around. tuesday i got to know our friends the goss family. olivia (who i was named after), maris, and bizzy were all so nice to me. i got this great blanket for christmas, i can't wait to show my friends back in london. today we slowed down a little, i have had 3 big days in a row...so have mom and dad. they are still pretty tired from the jet lag, and are trying to relax into vacation mode.

i'm not very homesick yet, it's a lot of fun exploring new things here. i have spent more time in the car than i ever have. i think i like it. i fall asleep alot, but i only whine when i lose my dummy.

i'm starting to grab onto things, like the edge of blankets and shirts. last saturday i was sitting in my chair at grandma and paps and finally noticed that there were these fun animals hanging right in front of me! i did that while my mom and dad left me for the first time. they went to some place i have never heard of, called wal-mart. i don't get it, but they were really excited.

this place is alot different, but i'm having fun so far. these grandparent people are great, i am so glad i have them.

i have hands

yesterday i found these things that seem to be attached to me. they are good to suck and chew on...and i think i may even have some effect on what they do...but i'm not sure. i hold them really close to my face and wiggle them around. it makes me look crosseyed, but i am working hard to figure this one out!

my parents and i have been working hard to learn some other stuff, too. they have been trying to help me learn to go to sleep at midnight. some nights i am ready to go to sleep and some i am not, but i am trying to at least chill in my bed on my own until i am ready to fall asleep. if i can keep my pacifier/dummy in, it's okay. but when it falls out, i don't like the falling asleep so much. i have been sleeping for about 5 1/2 hours in a row every night. the last couple mornings i wake up, eat, am up for maybe 15 minutes then i fall back asleep for another 3-4 hours. i have also been learning to fall asleep on my own for my naps during the day. i do pretty well if i'm in my special chair, i'll try to get daddy to take my picture while i'm in it so you can see it. i really like it, but i sometimes fall to the side so my dad rolled up these little blankets to keep me from falling over...he takes good care of me.

i've been happier since my parents finally figured out i need more to eat! it took them a couple days, but eventually they figured it out. so, between getting better sleep and more food, i am doing great!

after i wake up from my nap, have my nappy/diaper changed, and eat, then i work out. my mom and dad have been helping me to work on my standing. i'm getting pretty good. they say strong leg muscles are important...plus they make it fun. they haven't quite figured out how to help me make my arms strong...but they'll probably come up with something. they seem to be doing okay at learning how to help me grow!

my dad has lost his mind and started talking gibberish to me. he says something like "popobobo" alot. he thinks he is talking my language, but i have no idea what he's saying. but at least it's fun to watch. last night he said the word "Miagi". as in, "mr. miagi died today" and when he said miagi, i smiled really big. so he keeps saying it, thinking i'll smile at him. if my mom or dad smile at me, i like smiling back most of the time.

after my workout and smiling, then talking and smiling...i am exhausted! sometimes i start telling my mom and dad that i am tired and want to go to sleep by whining and sometimes i just fall asleep. then i wake up and start all over again...that's pretty much my day!

last sunday i was awake at church and lots of people came to say hi to me and look at my open eyes! i only made it through about half the service before i fell asleep...my dad said it's okay, he understands. on wednesday we went to the american embassy to get my passport and social security number. i don't know what either of those are or why i need them! mom said we had to go so that we can go home in a few weeks, but i don't know what she's talking about...she's crazy! mom and i had to take the tube by ourselves (because dad had to work), but nice people helped her carry the stroller/push chair up and down the stairs. she was really nervous about how we were going to do that, but it was fine. she had to get up really early, because we had the first appointment of the day. i just woke up at my regular time, then fell asleep while when i got in my push chair.

i have to go to the doctor on tuesday for some more shots/injections. i don't think i'll like it too much, but hopefully it won't last long. mom and dad say they will help me stay healthy.

me and mommy