Look Ma! No Hands!

Can you believe it? No Photoshopping, I promise. Caterpillar Girl is sitting up, all by herself. This lasted for several minutes before she rolled backwards. She is absolutely fascinated by this new ability. Last night, she fussed until I sat her up. She stayed upright for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes before either pitching forward, falling to the side, or rolling backward. Falling over frustrates her. What a perfectionist!

A Dog's Tail

ShaSha brought over her dog two nights ago, and the most amazing thing happened: Caterpillar Girl giggled hysterically. She's giggled before. Holding her up in the air, gazing down at your face always pleases her. A few dance moves deepen her dimples. But, I have never before seen her giggle at something she was watching, something that wasn't meant, specifically, to entertain her. However, the dog's antics and, especially, his fluffy tail had her in stitches. And when the tail waved in her face and tickled her feet, she just couldn't stop laughing. If only we had the video camera turned on just then.

Father's Day

Dad says it was the best Father's Day that he ever had! (HeHeHe, it's the ONLY Father's Day he's ever had.)

We made a card with washable paint, showcasing my adorable feet. Mom freaked out later in the week because she thought my toe was bleeding, but it was just some paint that didn't quite get washed off.

After a strong hint, we picked up a digital photo frame and filled it with pictures of me, me, me, and a few of mom, to keep Dad company at work all day.

We baked a streusel coffee cake for a delicious breakfast treat.

I got my fancy dress on, a gift from Daddy's coworker.

And we had a fabulous day at the park and the aquarium.

Morning walks

Most mornings, after breakfast, we set out for a walk. Sometimes we go to the nearby park that has a walking circuit. Other times, we head through the neighborhood on different routes. Today, we set out through the neighborhood and took pictures of some of the scenes on which we routinely comment:

Starting out. Bye-Bye Tsering

Our desert rose came back after trauma from unexpected winter frosts.

~The beagle with a bark that makes Caterpillar Girl cry~
~Purple tree~

~One of the canopies that protects us from the searing sun~

~The early Ibis catching the worm.~

~The amazing trunk that breaches the fence~

~Tolling chimes (well, not this morning)~

~Nearby canal, likely responsible for the vicious, neighborhood mosquito gang~

~back again to our own windowbox~

Rollin': Part Two

Caterpillar Girl just flipped from front to back!

We were doing our daily yoga routine: Yoga for the Almost Sitter from Itsy Bitsy Yoga and listening to Sophia's Chakra Healing Chants, which always gets us in the mood. Itsy Bitsy Yoga by Helen Garabedian is a great book that has activities to take your baby from the newborn stage to toddler. When we reached the end of our routine, she seemed particularly energetic and keen on rolling from the back to the front. She has, of course, done this before, but she hasn't been doing it that often. She flipped back to front one time, played a little with the toys she could see in front of her, then grew frustrated so I flipped her back. Then she flipped over to her tummy again but kept on going right over to the back again. We clapped and giggled.

The activity tired her out. She cried until I nursed her. She fell deep asleep after about 3 sucks.

When we called Dad, he took complete credit for the "training" that he was giving her last night, helping her roll back and forth on her blanket.

Four-month stats

Height: 25.5 inches, 88th percentile
Weight: 14 lbs 12 oz, 73rd percentile

Ode to My Toes

Tiny and sweet

Oh, I can finally reach

Each little nub on my

Soft, pink feet

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Caterpillar Girl turned 4 months old today, and she rolled from back to front. She was lying on the floor, no mattress with give to help her out. She seemed slightly pleased and slightly perplexed. She didn't roll back, and since then, she has been nothing but tears. Maybe that tooth is coming next...

Party Day

Finally all the planning (primarily by Gran) comes to fruition...the day of our celebration for the amazing year we have had: getting married almost a year ago today, buying a house, and, most importantly, having Caterpillar Girl. Those hours in the birthing tub seem blissful now because they brought her into our arms and hearts. Thank you to our family and friends who crossed the miles to celebrate this occasion with us. And to those who could not make it, we know you were there in spirit. It was a beautiful evening on the bay. The company was charming and the food delicious. Everywhere she looked, Caterpillar Girl saw smiles and laughter. She was so happy and so were we.

In all the excitement, I forgot to take pictures but Aunt M promises to mail me a bunch. Anyone else with great pictures, send them on!

Aunt M sent so many wonderful pictures that I was having trouble getting them into this blog post. Since it is Caterpillar Girl's blog, I decided to choose the ones with her in them. Others will go on Facebook or Flickr, eventually.

Countdown

The week before our big anniversary/"WelcomeBaby" party, we spent several evenings with family who had traveled from far and away. We felt so lucky that people came from Missouri, Tennesee, New York, and other states. Caterpillar Girl basked in the attention from aunts and uncles, and cousins young and old. Boating or fishing or just hanging out on Gran and Granddad's deck, she was thrilled to encounter so many new faces.

(More pictures to come when they are sent to me.)