Six Months

Whoosh!  Just like that half a year as passed us by.  Natalie is a healthy, smiley six month old.  I can't lie, the last six months have not been easy, but we wouldn't trade them for the world.  David and I have loved watching Natalie grow, and watching Ryan and Kendall become amazing siblings to her and to each other.

Most days we can't tell you what day it is, and without Ryan in the house to set us straight we probably wouldn't even care.  We had a two week stretch this past month where we were up 6 to 8 times a night.  Laundry didn't get done, the house didn't get cleaned and we barely got three meals on the table.  David and I were lucky to make it to work and actually function.

We were so thankful to come out of those two weeks in one piece, and felt like new people when the girls finally starting sleeping again.  It seems as if Natalie has made a complete 180 since that rocky patch.  It could be that we have been diligent about giving her Zantac to help with her acid reflux, or perhaps it's that she's no longer on breast milk.  Whatever the reason we are happy that she is happy.

She's reacting more to Ryan and Kendall, which they love so they interact with her more which Natalie loves.  It's such a win, win.

She's rolling and scooting and before we know it we are going to have to completely child proof the house.  She loves to chew on things and  I know it's only a matter of time before she's picking up small toys and putting them in her mouth.  We're working with Ryan and Kendall on this already.  When Natalie's safety is at risk, they pick up their toy instantly.  Let's hope they keep it up.

She is eating cereal consistently now, and we'll start introducing veggies after the holidays.

She's still a big girl - almost off the charts for her height (I wonder where she gets that!) and weighed in at 17 pounds, 10 ounces.  Now that she's moving around a bit more she's thinning out a little.  Her thighs are still adorably chubby, and she loves to wiggle, wiggle, wiggle them - especially when we're changing her diaper.

Her sleep habits seem to be getting better by the day.  I hate to say anything in fear of jinxing this good pattern we seem to have fallen into.  She slept through the night a few times this week, and has been putting herself to sleep with a nuk.  Ahh, the nuk.  She wouldn't take one for 6 months, and finally did.  Thank goodness.  I know I'll be cursing the nuk in a few years when I can't get it away from her, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.  For now, it is becoming my saving grace.

Natalie's smile lights up my heart.  She wakes up every morning so happy, and cheerful.  She chatters in her crib until someone comes to rescue her.  The sound of her voice is so precious, and her cheeks are so kissable.

Here's to another six months of milestones and endless smiles!

Precious Girl

Uncle Marv took this picture of Natalie on Thanksgiving Day.  We are so thankful for our precious girl.

Hello, Santa

We visited Santa a couple weeks ago.  Ryan was so excited to let him know that he wanted a Husky jersey, helmet and pants.  Kendall was excited, too.  Although the excitement faded once we got face to face with the jolly old guy!  She wasn't so sure about him, so we all ended up in the picture.  She warmed up to him as soon as he handed her a candy cane.  "Tank you, Santa" came out about 3 times!

We had a fun evening filled with Christmas light sightings and hot cocoa.

Tis the Season!

Good Night, Sleep Tight

The other night, when doing bedtime solo, I told Ryan I was going to bed and that he was in charge of putting the girls to bed.  Of course, I was totally kidding, but he said, "Ok".  Before I knew it, he rounded up Kendall, got her nuk and blankies and got her into bed.  Then he began reading to her, then singing.  He's got our little routine down pat.

I enjoyed every second as I listened to them from the rocking chair in the other room.   And then I decided I better get a little video of them singing.

Kendall didn't actually go to bed, but Ryan did put up a valiant effort.  At one point he even told her, "Kendall, if you don't sit still I'm not going to sing".  I'm pretty sure he's heard that before!

Brunch at WildFin

WildFin, David's restaurant, started serving brunch last weekend.  There is nothing David and I like better than brunch, so we decided to make the trek out to Issaquah.  Taking 3 kids out to eat is never ideal, but they did pretty good.  We had fun visiting with all the staff, and enjoyed some free babysitting while David and I ate (and I enjoyed a beverage from the Bloody Mary Bar David created!).  Natalie was a hot commodity so the staff passed her around while we nibbled away.  Brunch was awesome, and we both feel it will be a big hit in Issaquah once everyone hears about it.  So go tell your friends!

Uno!

Mmm...mmm...bacon!

Cereal - 2nd Attempt

I tried feeding Natalie cereal again the other night.  She had absolutely no interest in it, and made some pretty awesome faces (none of which I could capture).

Go Hawks!

Thanks to Grandpa Bill's great tickets, David, Ryan, Bill and I went to the Seahawks game on December 1st.  It was a chilly Thursday night, but we had a great time.  It was a good game, lots of big plays to watch.  And the Seahawks beat the Eagles!  I loved watching Ryan get into the game - lots of high fives after the big plays!