Peas? Oh Please!

I have an announcement to make: my food has gone from brown to GREEN! Yes, Mommy fed me peas . . . not once, but twice today. Needless to say, the photo above was taken during one of those feedings. While Mommy and Daddy think my disdain is funny, I'll return the green favor tomorrow (if you know what I mean) . . . shhhh!

der Adventskalendar

Mommy is teaching me a German tradition that she learned when she lived in Hamburg and Freiburg. It's called "der Adventskalendar", or advent calendar. Starting on December 1st, Daddy and I open something every day until December 25th (in Germany the calendar stops on the 24th, because that's when Germans open their presents). This year, Mommy made the calendar so that Daddy opens a verse from the Christmas story in Luke 2 each day, which he has to put in order. He also opens a little bag of Christmas chocolates, which has a sticker in it. He helps me put the sticker on the green paper to make a scene. I'm not sure what the scene is all about just yet, but I'm sure Mommy and Daddy will tell me what it means. I like all of the animals!

And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger." Luke 2:10-12 NASB

6 months old

I turned 6 months old on Friday! Mommy and Daddy are very happy, because I am doing everything that a 6 month old baby is suppossed to do. I'm sitting up with support, I'm rolling from my tummy to my back to my tummy, I'm eating cereal in my new high chair, I'm sleeping through the night, and I'm babbling. I say things like "bah bah bah" and "na na", which is secret baby language that I'm not allowed to translate. I'm also growing, but I'm definitely not a very big baby. I weigh 14 lbs. 4 ozs. and I'm 25.5" long. I'm old enough now to get a flu shot, which I got yesterday at the doctor's office. It didn't feel good at all, and I cried. The doctor and nurse were really nice, though. Mommy and Daddy held me afterwards, and I felt better. I love my Mommy and Daddy, and I know they love me, too!

Feed Me!

Phoebe ate from a spoon for the first time tonight! Her pediatrician recommended waiting until she was six months, which will be a week from today, unless she showed certain signs that she was ready. Tonight she acted in a strange way as we ate...very upset and irritated, which is unlike her, so we took that to mean that she was ready.

She did great, and her first bowl of organic brown rice cereal was gone much faster than I expected. However, as you can see, some of it ended up on her instead of in her.

It seems like such a milestone to feed her with a spoon. Just one of many to come, I'm sure.

Phoebe's Thanksgiving Tour: Ohio

Phoebe had quite a weekend! The first stop on her tour was Cincinnati to have the Weaver Thanksgiving at Dawn and Curt's. She spent her first nights in her new pack 'n play, met Duke, Andy, Sophia, Cleveland and Layla (the 5 dogs who were also at Thanksgiving), and was the most cuddly baby ever.

The next stop on the tour was New Philadelphia, Ohio, where Mommy was born, to visit Bob and Brenda. She also made friends with their grandsons Nick and Vinnie.

Third stop was Berlin, Ohio, to meet her Great-Great-Aunts Mamie and Edith and cousin Joyce. She was a big hit at Mamie's retirement home.

Then it was off to meet cousins Raimilene, Christine and Dale, and back to Bob and Brenda's to meet her Great-Aunt Kayte, Annette, Stephanie and Vivian.

Whew! Phoebe received a lot of love on her tour...hugs, kisses, cuddles, rocking, even a horse back ride on Cleveland. We are so thankful for our family!

A Visit From Nonnie and Papa

Nonnie and Papa came this weekend to visit! Tom helped Greg get our Christmas tree...it was the first one our Home Depot sold this year. They also gave us a date night, and had some time alone with their granddaughter. Though we're not sure what Phoebe will find amusing at times, Nonnie and Papa found a couple things that really got her laughing: peek-a-boo and making "bump" noises on the couch. Some of the words they have used to describe Phoebe...beautiful, so good, cute, sweet...it's obvious they enjoy her!

Kindermusik

Every Thursday morning, Phoebe and Mommy go to Kindermusik. We join about 5 other Mommies/Daddies and their babies for a fun-filled hour of dancing, singing (even in rounds!), playing instruments, and learning about how the babies grow and develop in response to movement and music. The really cool thing is that our teacher is Sandy Sherrill, a long time friend, who was dating Greg's grad school roommate (her now husband) when Greg and I met in 2001. Enjoy the pictures! I highly recommend Kindermusik to all Mommies and Daddies with little ones. It is really fun, and we sing the songs and do the dances all the time at home.