Betsy Loves Her Pals

Yesterday Gym Rompers was fun. Betsy and her crew (Georgia and William) rule the group. Betsy crawls to the middle of the circle of babies and moms and flaps her arms and talks. She is a total ham. Afterwards we went to Morning Call for beignets (oink) then the mall. B fell asleep in the mall for an hour so I just walked around. I started her on 2 formula bottles a day yesterday and just nursing twice a day. So far, so good. B slept from 815 last night until 615 this morning. What a treat!

This morning we went to the Park. We had a morning visit from Aunt Attie. Then we met up with playgroup at the Aquarium. The kids liked it a lot, but they liked this huge area where they could crawl around even better until this huge group of day campers found it. We all ate lunch at NY Bagel and all 5 babies slept most of the time while we were there. We popped in to visit Bee at Orient Expressed for a bit. Now we're home and I've got to start packing. We leave tomorrow for the beach. I hope to post, but I'm not sure if we'll have internet access.

Here are some pics:

Standing Up

Yesterday Betsy pulled herself up to a standing position. Her pals have been doing it for a while, but it's been tough for her because her cast puts pressure on her left foot. I guess she decided to just go for it. It started with her climbing her Daddy's open suitcase in the bedroom then later she stood straight up with the help of our ottoman. When the cast comes off she's going to be unstoppable.

B has also started saying "bababababa" and it's replaced Dada and Mama. She says Dada (well, usually whispers it) when I or someone else says Dada to her. She says Mama when she's getting a diaper changed or when she's upset. She kind of cries Mamamamamamama.

On Monday morning we went to the Park then in the afternoon we met Evelyn, Georgia, Ticia, and William at the Parenting Center. The kids loved playing with all of the toys and with each other. I think we're going to start going there more often; it's totally babyproofed so we can let them go wild. Monday night was rough. I had just gotten used to her sleeping well through the night and had thought about how great it was on Monday. I had a feeling that she'd prove me wrong that night and she did. Yesterday I was so tired all day. We walked to PJs with Jules in the morning--what a treat to hang with Jules on a weekday morning! We went to Latter for Story Time and there was a group of 3 year olds there who sat and stared at Betsy until she started talking really loudly and then they all covered their ears. B was mad that she couldn't crawl around like she usually does. We went to PJs afterwards--yes, twice in one day. In the afternoon Marme came over to watch B while I went to the gym, but I was too tired for the gym. I just did a couple of errands and a bit of laundry. Last night B slept pretty well, but she got up at 5. That's just too early for me. She napped on and off till 630 though.

Happy Birthday, Cuddlekins!

We had a very nice day today. B and I went to PJs with Attie this morning. It was a fly and gnat fest outside so we had to leave. We went to visit Katie, Peter, and Lola and B was all about playing with Lola. We spent the rest of the day waiting for Peter to come home. While I was feeding B her lunch her eyes looked like they were getting heavy. I fed her a bite and she fell asleep. I had to wake her up to get her to swallow it. She must've been exhausted; she proceeded to nap for 2 hours. Too much girly excitement for my baby this weekend. We were so excited when Peter got home!!! We went to Whole Foods and B sat in the stroller without her cushiony protector thing--such a big girl. B crashed at 7 then got up at 745. She and Peter are snuggled up on the sofa and I can hear her yawning. It's the sweetest sound.

Check out this week's Gambit on p.35--one of dejarnette new orleans' necklaces is featured! My sister is a very talented jewelry designer and after this week she'll be designing full time. Go 'head, sis!

We Miss Daddy

Peter left yesterday for Memphis--it was his first time going out of town since B was born. We miss him a bunch.

Yesterday Momma Lady came in town and watched B so I got to do some necessary things (the gym, the DMV to finally change my name on my license) and some fun things (go shopping with Courtney F.). I bought a bathing suit for our beach trip and Courtney was so patient with me and so helpful; I must have tried on literally 50 swimsuits. I also bought a dress for an upcoming wedding. While I was gone B napped for a total of 3 hours. Huh? That NEVER happens when I'm with her. I need to figure out M.L.'s secrets. M.L. said that B crawled from our living room into our bedroom twice--that's the whole length of our house. I guess that's why she was so tired. She also ate like a little piggy while I was gone. Last night we went to dinner at Lebanon with Aunt Attie, Jules, and Lucy. Lucy was precious and kept giggling at B's antics. B kept trying to touch Lucy with gross feta cheese and hummus covered hands and kept trying to take Lucy's sippy cup. Lucy was a very good sport. B ate her jarred veggies plus hummus, feta cheese, pita bread, and basmati rice. Afterwards we ate yummy gelato, but B wasn't a huge fan; I think cold stuff freaks her out sometimes. Attie slept over--we stayed up late watching 'She's the Man'--don't ask me why. I knew it was going to suck and it did, but we wouldn't go to bed until it was over. B slept from 10 until 7. What a dream!

This morning we went to PJs, which was really packed b/c CCs was closed. CCs customers are our bitter rivals so we were all up in arms that we had to share our morning spot with them. Totally kidding, but it would be funny if we really were rivals. B enjoyed a lot of blueberry muffin and would fuss if I didn't feed it to her fast enough. Attie watched B while I went to Amy's to get a pedicure. For lunch B ate leftover Lebanon and I let her go crazy with sauteed veggies, feta, rice, and pita bread. She was a total mess; I took pics. We went to the Quarter today for Katie's bday sissie celebration. We ate at Maspero's. B ate lots of fries and some grilled cheese. I'm just noticing how much I talk about food and give very detailed descriptions of everything that Betsy eats. I guess I'm just fascinated by the fact that she's getting older and eating new things all of the time. Anyway... We went to Urban Outfitters then went another gelateria. I can see why Jules is hooked on the stuff. Tonight B and I stayed in and played and she is fast asleep. I'm hoping she sleeps all night again.

I want to give a birthday shout out to Jama and Uncle Bobby and tomorrow little baby sista Katie!

Early Bird

B woke up at 5:30 this morning. Usually she'll nap from 6 till around 7, but not today. And she only took a couple of short naps. Our appt. with Dr. Warren went well. Her fracture is healed and her lower leg is healing nicely. He believes that the cast will be taken off in 2 weeks. It'll come off the day after we get back from the beach, but Dr. W said she can swim in the pool and in the Gulf. We just need to try to avoid getting sand in her cast. We went to playgroup at Evelyn's today and the babies had a blast. William M. is a crawling pro. Betsy has to try hard to catch up to him! Afterwards we went to TCBY and B and I split pink peppermint yogurt--yum. She napped in the car, but woke up fussy. We're hanging out and waiting for P to get home from a work function. He leaves tomorrow for 3 days in Memphis for a bachelor party. We're on our own for the weekend!


B is back to clapping on command (hooray!) and she is saying Dada and Mama a bunch.


Here are some pics of B trying to catch the light coming through the windows.

Mama!

Betsy distinctly said "Mama" today and after she saw my ecstatic reaction she repeated it several times. And then later when she was crying she kept saying it while she cried, which was so pitiful and precious.

Yesterday we went to Latter Library for Story Time. B kept crawling around and grabbing the Story Lady's toes and shoes. Ew. When Will P. arrived Georgia and Betsy crawled straight for him and screamed with delight. It was so cute. Afterwards we went to PJs. B crashed on the way home then slept for an hour--very unusual for my girl. We had planned to go have cake and ice cream to celebrate Lucy's birthday, but it was really scary outside so we had to stay in. Last night I made black beans so I mashed them up for B, but she hated them--the texture and the taste I think and she kept gagging. Last night she said "Dada" for the millionth time, but she looked right at Peter when she said it. She's also starting to realize that she is the baby in the mirror and that I am the Mommy in the mirror. Yesterday I stuck out my tongue while we were looking in the mirror and she turned to me and touched my tongue.

This morning Aunt Attie stopped by to visit. I was behind schedule and she was a huge help. We went to Gym Rompers and Betsy was Miss Independent and wanted to play with the babies and the toys and I had to pick her up and bring her to me for all of the songs. We went to Krista's house then to lunch and B tried grilled cheese and loved it. She and Lauren sat next to each other in highchairs and B constantly patted Lauren's shoulder and tried to hold her hand. We planned to get snowballs after lunch (I haven't had one yet this summer and B has never had one), but both babies crashed. This afternoon B grabbed the diaper bag that was slung on the back of on of the dining room chairs and it toppled down and just missed her. It made a loud thud, but it didn't seem to bother her and she proceeded to pull things out of her diaper bag. Momma Lady and Grandpa stopped by yesteray and brought us delicious blueberries that they picked in Franklinton. B and I ate a bunch of them this afternoon. She really enjoyed them and so did I. Later we went for a late walk at the Park. When we got home B was a hand full. Peter had softball so I was on my own tonight. While I was in the shower I had to get out twice with shampoo in my hair because she was leaning all the way to the side in her bouncy chair and almost toppled the whole thing over. Oy! Uncle Peter made eggplant parmesan and we were supposed to go over there and eat, but since B was in a mood they brought it to me. It was awesome!

We have an appointment with Dr. Warren tomorrow morning. Hopefully the cast will still come off next week!

Pics

And a birthday shout out to Lucy Vaicius!!!

Father's Day

We had a wonderful day with lots of wonderful fathers--Peter, Papa Vic, Pa, and Uncle Tommy. Peter got to spend time with another great Dad, Grandpa, on Saturday! B gave Peter the mug that we made at Posh Pottery Pub. I think it was a hit. Breakfast was so much fun--the boys did most of the cooking and the girls mostly hung out with lil B. They did a great job. The middle of the day was very low key; Peter let me take a 1.5 hour nap, which was especially sweet on Father's Day. We went to Jama & Pa's in the late afternoon and had fun visiting and eating yummy treats.

Today B had her 9 month checkup with Uncle Tommy. I had psyched myself up for her having shots and it turned out that she didn't have to get shots today. Hooray! B's height and weight were in the 50th percentile. We went to Babies R Us to grab a few things including a super cool, portable highchair that we'll bring to the beach. Next we went to Krista's and hung out there for a while. The girls actually played together today. B pulled Lauren's hair and grabbed toys from her and crawled across her legs. Lauren just sort of looked at B then would look away. Later they were playing and B grabbed and toy from Lauren and Lauren grabbed it back. Betsy then screamed and flapped her arms. It was so funny. B crawled from the living room into Lauren's room and began playing like a big girl. Kris let us borrow lots of precious clothes. Kris cut up some watermelon for B, but she made her typical sourpuss face when she tries something new and refused to eat too much of it. We went to Clearview to buy a couple of gifts then we headed home in awful rainy weather. Tonight I tried to feed B a new jar food (chicken & stars) and yogurt with cantaloupe, but she hated all of it. She ended up eating shredded cheese, diced grapes, and bits of tortilla. She also tried a couple of bites of a peach and actually loved it. Betsy is all about her Daddy these days. She says "dadadadada" all day long and it seems like when she says it to him she knows that he is her Dada. I'm off to sleep; I'll post pics tomorrow.

Bad Mommy

Playgroup went well on Thursday and the brownies were a success. On Friday we went to Lakeside and ran into Ticia & William. I bought B a cute tshirt to wear on Father's Day morning. On Friday afternoon Papa Vic came by then Marme came by. Last night P went to bed early because he had to wake up at 3 to go fishing with his Dad.

This morning we went to PJ's with Marme, Tim, Attie, Beau, & Coco. Then Marme watched B while I went to the Farmer's Market with A&B. Later on B and I went to M's with Attie. As we were checking out B started coughing a lot and we thought it was fake. As soon as we got to the car B started throwing up and continued to do so on the way home and Attie had to keep pulling over. My poor baby was so sick. Marme came over to help. After she started getting sick I started thinking about the new type of jar food I fed B for lunch--it was a mixed veggie dinner and I read the ingredients to see which veggies were in it and she had had them all before and tolerated them well. The last ingredient was tofu powder and it should have clicked that I shouln't feed this to her since she had such a terrible reaction to soy formula when she was around 2 months old. She only ate a few bites but didn't like it and ended up eating fruit and cheese. Thank goodness she didn't eat more. She was so sick even after we got home and kept crying. I feel so guilty for feeding my baby something that made her feel so bad. I talked to Tommy and he thinks that it may be the soy thing b/c she didn't have fever or any other symptoms at all. I can't believe a vegetarian's daughter is allergic to soy! I'll need to be very careful from now on since it seems that the formula wasn't just a fluke. Luckily we have an appointment with Tommy on Monday for her 9 month check up so I can talk to him more about this. By the end of the night tonight she seemed to be feeling better and was saying "Dadadadadadada" and crawling around. I just put her down at 10. I hope she sleeps through the night, but I'm not holding my breath.

We're having Papa Vic and the sisters and the boys over for Father's Day breakfast tomorrow. Happy Father's Day, dads out there!

No More Softball for Us

Yesterday we had a full and crazy day. We went to Gym Rompers and B loved it. The first time we tried it she was only 3 months old--way too young to appreciate the musical instruments, puppets, parachute, and bubbles. And two of her pals, Georgia & William, were in the class so it made it even better. We next went to visit Krista & Lauren. Kris is 9 months pregnant and very ready to have her baby boy. We dined at Quizno's with K&L and Jessica and Reed. Jess is due in November. They were trying to convince me to join their pregnancy club--not just yet. We popped in to surprise Papa Vic at work, but unfortunately B was exhausted from her busy morning and was in a terrible mood. She cried the whole time. In the afternoon we met my old pal Will at PJ's. Betsy cried when he held her too. Maybe she's going through a phase where she doesn't like to go to any men except for her Daddy (and apparently her Uncle Beau, but I think it's because he looks a lot like her Daddy). After dropping Will off at the airport we met up with Julie and Lucy to watch Peter and Chris play softball. Within about 15 minutes of our arrival a foul ball hit poor little Lucy in the foot. It was really scary and if Jules hadn't thrown herself backwards Lucy could have been hit in the head with the ball. They had to bring Lucy to Children's Hospital for an x-ray and thank goodness Lucy was OK. That was our first and last time to watch Peter play softball.

Today we went to the Park--it was bearable today and we left before 7--and to Aunt Attie's. Attie showered B with tons of precious dresses! I can't wait to put her in them!!! Today we are hosting playgroup to make up for last week. I'm going to attempt to make brownies (the new cut and bake ones--shhhhhh) for everyone.

Betsy is now babbling all of the time. She has two distinct voices--one is a really sweet, high pitched voice and one is a deep, angry voice. It's really cute. She is also a crawling machine. Yesterday she crawled out of our bedroom and into the hall and plopped down in front of the full length mirror and began using her sweet voice with the baby in the mirror.

For the Love of Puffs

Gerber Puffs are these little "puffed grains with real veggies" or fruit and they are healthy and yummy (I've eaten my fair share) and B loves them. I can now put Betsy in her highchair and give her a handful of Puffs while I prepare our breakfast and our lunch. I am indebted to Gerber for inventing these delightful treats.

Yesterday Aunt Attie stopped by with PJ's and visited--we missed her morning visits so much! Yesterday was really, really, really hot. It was 97 degrees and broke a record. I decided it was too hot to bring B to the Park so I attempted to bring her to the babysitting room at the JCC while I worked out. For several reasons--8 kids and one high school babysitter, B was by far the youngest, an evil 3 year old grabbed Betsy's face while the babysitter was holding her then proceeded to stick her finger in B's mouth, after the 3 year old incident B looked at me and started crying then I started crying, the toys were filthy, and the babysitter told a child not to put a toy in her mouth because the toys are VERY dirty--I grabbed Betsy after being in there for 5 minutes and went home. I called Peter from the car hysterically crying; it was obviously very traumatic for me. We met Evelyn, Georgia, Ticia, and William at Daneel Park and let the babies swing for a bit, but after a half hour we were all dripping wet so we left. In the afternoon B and I hit Sav-a-Center and got caught in an afternoon shower. Papa Vic stopped by to see us in the evening. Last night B was in the best mood. She and her Daddy played a game where B would put her rubber ducky in her mouth and scream then would put it in (well, really near) P's mouth and he would scream--very cute--and she ate like a champ and had yogurt mixed with yummy blueberries from the Farmer's Market for dessert. P and I decided we're going to start getting all of our produce from the Farmer's Market from now on. It tastes so much better than store bought produce and helps out local farmers, so starting Saturday that's our plan.

Attie stopped by again this morning. Then we went to Story Time at Latter Library and the story lady showed up--hooray! We met Evelyn, Georgia, Ticia, and William there. The babies were really good and listened then grabbed each other's feet, hair, etc. and crawled around. They got to play in this little section of the library with bean bags and a window unit (B's favorite thing in there) and tons of cool books. We just got home and B is napping--29 minutes and counting....She's up and she just fed me a Puff!

Betsy's current faves (besides Puffs): posing in the mirror with Aunt Attie, her new musical wall hanging from Italy, her Pottery Barn Kids pink chair, her new CD player, and hanging with her pals.

They're Back!!!

Hooray--Aunt Attie and Uncle Beau are back. We missed them so much.

On Friday we went shopping with Krista & Lauren. On Friday night Peter and I watched 'The Lady in the Water'--every person we know who saw it and every critic said it was terrible, but for some reason we watched it anyway. It was awful. On Saturday Attie & Beau came over bearing wonderful gifts. Then we went to PJ's. We visited with Attie & Beau & Katie in the afternoon. Last night Peter and I cooked and hung out. This morning Attie & Beau came over with all of the ingredients for blueberry pancakes. Peter made them and they were so good. Betsy ate a few bites and was in heaven. Betsy is crawling like crazy now and is not letting her cast stop her at all. She is even trying to pull up on furniture. Once the cast is off she'll be standing I'm sure. Tonight we went to dinner with Papa Vic and Attie and Beau. Betsy ate more than I have ever seen her eat--2 jars of baby food, about 20 Puffs, shredded cheddar cheese, and a few french fries. Peter and I just watched the series finale of 'The Sopranos'--it didn't end with Tony dying, which was cool.

Luckily B slept Friday and Saturday all night. Let's hope she sleeps tonight...

Betsy, the Sleepless Wonder

On Tuesday we tried to go to Story Time at the library--again--and the storyteller didn't show up--again. So we walked in the Park w/ Evelyn & Georgia and Ticia & William then we ate lunch at the Clubhouse. In the afternoon B and I went to Whole Foods. On Wednesday we went to the Park and tried to go to Story Time at another library, but couldn't get them on the phone. I think we may have to give up on Story Times. In the afternoon B and I went to Lakeside and we shared a frozen yogurt from Todd's and she was in heaven. After each bite she would clap and lick her lips and scream. We met Peter at Lafayette Square afterwards. It was REALLY hot, but B liked seeing all of P's work folks.

On Wed. night Betsy was up from 12:30 until 4:30. Peter and I took shifts and we were exhausted all day yesterday. She was fine once she was up and wanted to play, but when we put her down she would freak out. We tried to let her just cry, but we let 20 minutes pass and the result was that neither of us got any sleep. So we didn't do much yesterday and had to cancel Playgroup that was supposed to be at our house. B had an appointment with Dr. Warren and she got a new cast (#5). He thinks she should have it off in 3 weeks, which is when we go on our trip to the beach. Poor Betsy hates the saw they use to take the casts off. It does look pretty scary.

Last night Aunt Katie stopped by and so did Papa Vic. She was up from 3:45 until about 6. I can't figure out why. I'll post pics later.

Tales of the Week

On Thursday we went to playgroup at Andrea's house. The babies are getting so big; it's amazing. On Friday we went to the park for the first time in a while. We ate dinner outside at Fiesta Bistro--the weather was awesome. B tried guacamole and did not like it even though she does seem to like avocados. She also completely turned herself around in her highchair so that she could stare at the table of people behind us. She's very curious/nosy. On Sat. morning we walked to PJ's with Julie & Lucy and met up with Michelle. I hadn't seen her since Xmas and I really miss her. I wish she and her family lived here. P had to work on Sat. so B and I had to carry on without him. We visited with Marme and Katie. On Sat. night we grilled. On Sunday we went to Houston's and B tried a bit of hamburger and a taste of sour cream. She loved both. She sat in this chair that attached to the table and looked like a big girl. Afterwards we went to Target and Barnes & Noble. On Sunday night we took it easy and watched the second to last Sopranos.

Yesterday we went to the Park then tried to go to Danneel Park with Evelyn & Georgia, but it started pouring so we went to eat lunch at Cafe Rani. It was a dreary afternoon so we stayed in. Last night P and I watched 'Pan's Labyrinth'--it was really good.

Please note that Betsy is starting to anticipate the flash when I take pictures so she squints before the picture is taken. She is clearly very advanced.