"I've waited MONTHS for you, amiga!"

I was just getting ready to post a picture of Piper with her best friend Eva, when I thought I'd pop over and visit Eva's blog. And turns out Piper's already posted there! Well, we'll post Eva here too:



Eva was born in very early December, so she's about 6 months younger than Piper. That seems like a big age difference now, but won't be once they get a little older. Eva's mom and Dan have been best friends since junior high! So naturally we've been plotting our kids' friendship since Angie and Jake found out they were pregnant.

Last weekend Piper and Eva met for the first time. Eva mostly slept (she's just six week old! Little sweetheart!), and Piper watched her carefully as she cooed in her swing. Piper's been waiting a long time for Eva, SIX WHOLE MONTHS! She can't wait till Eva's old enough to PLAY!

After careful reconsideration

Piper and I had a talk this evening about the blog's somewhat predictable struggle to establish a consistent readership, and about the need to pay it forward sometimes.

Thus, in the spirit of making a show of good faith, I give you:

No on-command performances in her contract

Today at daycare Connie thought she heard the kids spitting, so she called out, "No spitting, guys!" They quickly rushed to set the record straight: it was PIPER!!! A chorus of denial rang up. "PIPER did it! PIPER did it!" Turns out she was blowing raspberries so loudly that Connie thought the munchkins were breaking rules and hurling saliva around the basement. That's our girl!

Naturally we tried to recreate this scenario at home, but Piper doesn't do raspberries just because you want to hear one. She has to be in the mood.

Cahoots

"Don't cry kid, I got this - one quick move and I make this whole 'banana problem' disappear..."

Needled

Two pokes today for Pipes at the pediatrician. Lots of tears, which is unusual for her. Then home, warm bottle, straight to bed... now resting comfortably :)

As we were waiting to see the nurse at Southlake this morning, a small child was getting ready to leave the pediatrician's office after his appointment. He'd had some pokes too, and was hysterical and not to be soothed. His mother spoke quietly in his ear and held him tight. Then, once he'd finally calmed down, his mom gathered their things and pulled his hat on and he started screaming again.

"I can't see! I can't see!"

Even though the hat wasn't covering his eyes at all. His mom suggested he open his eyes, as this could be helpful in rectifying the situation, and again spoke quietly in his ear and held him tight. Once he'd finally stopped wailing, she stood up and grabbed his hand to head for the exit.

"I can't walk, I can't walk!"

More tears, eyes squeezed tightly shut, inconsolable. He threw his arms up in the air, insisting on being carried. She picked him up and I heard him sniff and justify in between sobs: "It's been a very rough morning!"

For him, there was no recovering any semblance of a good day after the needles came on the scene. I kind of know how he felt. Sometimes, there's just no bouncing back when the hits come too hard, too fast, and all before the clock strikes lunchtime.

When you fall behind on posts, bullets become your best friend

You might be wondering what's new with Piper. I have to say, not too much. She's continuing to grow and change every day but nothing crazy has been happening (for the past week, at least!). Here are a few highlights:

• Piper now loves the Johnny Jump-Up. She just needed a little time to get used to it. We strapped her Whoozit to the tray and she jumps around and chews on that and often watches Hero run back and forth chasing after his ball.
• She loves hanging upside down. Or leaning over and arching herself backwards so she can look at everything upside down. Her favorite is when we hold her upside down to look at Hero. I don't blame her. Upside down, he's one funny lookin' pooch :)
• In the food department, so far we're still struggling to identify some favorites. Sweet potatoes are probably the forerunner, and squash is not far behind. Most green foods are not well received. Cereals are snubbed more often than not now. Bananas are touch-and-go.
• The thumb has possibly broken free from the finger pack as the dominant pacifying digit. We're not certain yet, but there has definitely been more attention given to the thumb within the last day. I wouldn't yet say she 'sucks her thumb', but I'd say we're seeing movement in that direction...
• She rolls over back to front now!
  

Those are the updates for now. We have a vaccination appointment on Friday, followed by a visit with the NP who is also the lactation/feeding expert. Hey, it can't help to get out ahead of the food aversions with some advice from a pro! More soon...

Merry Christmas baby

Piper had a very lovely belated Christmas in Minnesota. She got lots of attention from Grandma, Uncle Patrick and Auntie Alex. They kept her well entertained doing all sorts of funny, blurry things (which is why there is no photo documentation of all this merriment). Piper especially likes it when Auntie Alex helps her do her calisthenics. She is deeply saddened by the fact that we don't provide her with a more structured exercise routine.

Naturally, she also made out like a little bandit, as she is wont to do on almost any special occasion. Grandma and Auntie Alex helped her unwrap presents.

Paper bags, naturally, were a big hit.


And Auntie Alex even knitted her a hat!

Grandma gave her lots of great toys and outfits, including this funny bath whale poof!


(Which, consequently, was later an instant favorite bath toy!)


And... Auntie Alex and Uncle Patrick got Piper a Bumbo seat!!! She loves it, and is not so chubby of thigh that she gets wedged in there and is unable to be extracted. This, I hear, is about the time and under which circumstance most babies and the Bumbo part ways.


Hero enjoyed watching baby Piper experience her first Christmas.


It was a great final stop on the family holiday circuit. Until next year, stay merry, y'all!

Have I mentioned that Doogie Howser is Piper's pediatrician?

Back to the daily grind

Post-vacation, first day back at daycare wore Piper out!

When it's good it's great, and when it's bad...

Wee!

Hey, everybody, look at me!

The Johnny Jump-Up is SO FUN!

Until...

it isn't.

Merry merry merry!

We had a fantastic holiday this year. Austin was great! We Minnesotans got some much needed Vitamin D, and Piper had a blast with her Oma and Opa, Mookie, cousins, Auntie Chris, and Uncle Tim.

Piper got some good bonding time in with Oma. Piper especially liked to grab her face. Oma and Piper would play together in the morning before everyone got up (or after some of us went back for a nap!). Piper likes that Oma holds her a lot, and is very calm :)Mookie flew in after Christmas but in time to celebrate New Year's Eve with Miss P!

Piper also had some good bonding time with Auntie Chris and Uncle Tim. This was Tim's first time meeting Piper! Both Aunt and Uncle spoiled her with love, rocking to sleep, and lots of walks :)

Natalie and Nicole are babysitters in training. They helped with Piper's evening bath every night, diving up who would dry her off, apply her lotion, put on her diaper, dress her, and brush her hair.

They were also pros at making her bottles (without any help!) and with feeding her.


And of course, they entertained her endlessly. Piper loved watching her cousins run, sing, and dance around the house. And Natalie and Nicole loved pushing the stroller and taking Piper for walks and to the park.

They were so sweet to Piper. It was magical to see the three girls together - what a special relationship!

Piper also enjoyed her first Christmas. She got a beautiful ornament, and Santa even left her a stocking full of toys!


Our vacation was just long enough that we all had time to really relax, breathe, and SMILE. Dan and I loved spending so much quality time with our little bean!

We also loved the time we got to spend with Natalie and Nicole. They are wonderful girls and are so adorable, talented, and truly unique. Now that we've left Austin, we miss them terribly.

Chris and Tim set up everything so that it was so easy to settle in with Piper. She had a pack 'n play, a bassinet, a diaper station, a bath station, and so many burb clothes and towels and toys!

Since our flights to/from Austin were evening flights, those didn't go quite as well as Piper's initial airplane experience since our flights took off right at Piper's bedtime. Understandably, her threshold for just about everything is much lower after 6pm. But she was still, all things considered, a real trooper traveler.

We had one little snag where Piper had to make an emergency visit to a pediatrician for a bad cold, but some antibiotics quickly got her back on the right track and she was a pretty happy camper throughout it all.

All in all, a very Merry Christmas was had by all :) We can't wait to go back!!!