Bug Girl

Why someone decided to smock little bugs on a girl's top is beyond me, but I love this little outfit. :) LG has been busy, busy today playing with friends at creche during my Bible study, playing with her balloon, and trying to crawl.

Toes and Swings

Today LG discovered my feet. She grabbed my toe and would not let go! She just kept wiggling it and wiggling it!

Later in the afternoon, we took her to the park. It had been so hot all day, we had just stayed in with the fans blowing on us, and we were needing to get out. We took LG to a play ground, and she sat in a real swing by herself for the first time! Daddy pushed her, and she seemed to really like it. On the way home, she cried, cried, cried until she fell asleep in her pushcart.

A Balloon

Today it was sweltering! I'm not sure what the temperature was (probably only the high 80's), but we were all miserable at church. There is no air conditioning here except in restaurants and the occasional store. So...after church we decided to find a place with air conditioning.

We went to eat at a place called Old Orleans. We had heard that they have cornbread, but we didn't see any. We had nachos (weird ones with bbq sauce on them) and a wonderful slice of key lime pie!

Surprisingly, the best part of the lunch was not the air conditioning. It was the balloon that LG was given on the way out! She loves it! She played with it the whole way home and all afternoon. Here she is getting ready for bed, and she is still playing with it! (Note the static electricity pulling her hair to the balloon.) :)

Old Toys and New Toys

Maybe it's time to stop putting LG in her swing (she never really liked it anyways). She loves her new hedgehog named Prickles that her daddy bought her at the store today, though.

Warm Weather and Cheerios!

Today it was hot, hot, hot! A dear lady at my parent's church gave LG this outfit while we were back home, and I had feared that she would not get to wear it here because it has been so cold. Not today, though! It was in the 80's!!!!!

Today was also the day that LG tried finger food for the first time. I have been behind in my reading on what LG should be trying to accomplish this month, so I just discovered that she should be eating finger foods. The books suggest Cheerios, bits of fruit and cheese, and baby cookies. We tried Cheerios today. She had a fun time playing with the O's, but she never put them in her mouth. I stuck one in there for her, and she ate it, but she wasn't thrilled with it. I guess we will try something different next time. You would think that since she puts everything else in her mouth, she would put Cheerios in her mouth! Oh, well. Of course, all the excitement of a new food skill was too much for her. Here she is all tuckered out. :)

We ended the day with a nice bath since it has been so hot outside. Isn't she a cute bathing beauty?

X-Factor

A while back, B went to the filming of a French game show. Because he did this, the television company gave him two tickets to the audition of the X-Factor tv show. This is the equivalent of American Idol. So...today a friend and I went to the show! We left at 10:30am and did not return home until 9pm. B looked after LG the whole day! They apparently had a great day...just like I did! We sat 5 rows back from the stage, and I was actually interviewed about which contestant I thought was most likely to win! The tv camera scanned by us a lot, so we are sure to be on tv, if only for a second! We heard three singers that I really liked (a 19 year old, teen idol-type boy; a pink-haired, rocker girl; and an Irish girl who sang country). We also heard some pretty funny people who were entertaining, but certainly not singers. I didn't bring my camera because B had not been allowed to have his during the game show. Sadly, they allowed cameras this time, so I missed out. My friend took pictures with her phone, so I might be able to post those later. Here is a picture of my hand with the precious stamp that allowed you entrance. Literally 100's of people were turned away at the door because they did not have this stamp. :)

Back On Schedule!!!

An American friend told me at church Sunday that it takes her kids about a week to get over jet lag when they return from the States. She was right! LG finally woke up at a decent hour this morning...7am!

A Good Friend and a Castle

Today a good friend that I met in Portugal came for a visit. Yeah! LG and I met her in the morning for tea, and then we and some other friends all headed out to see a castle. We spent the day roaming through all the castle's rooms and gardens. Their was a hedge maze in the garden plus a beautiful rose garden. In the castle there were actors dressed up as if it was the king's wedding day. The weather was perfect for a day of sight seeing! The warm Portuguese weather must have come over with my friend. We had a wonderful time sight seeing, but even more so, we had a wonderful time catching up with each other. (As you can see, LG was lured to sleep by the smell of roses in the rose garden.)

Happy Father's Day!

Today LG got up very early again and gave her Daddy a Father's Day card, while Mommy made blueberry muffins for B's breakfast. After church, we went to Outback for a Father's Day steak! LG wore her heart dress because she loves her daddy!

A Cold Day For New Things

Today was very, very cold and it's mid-June! The high was in the 60's! LG is almost back on schedule, as far as sleeping. She's waking up at 5 am and not going back to sleep for another hour or two. She has stopped saying, "Mu-mu," and now she is saying, "Naine." B and I joke that she is saying, "No!" in Germain (but with a Southern accent). :)

LG has enjoyed playing with her new toy from Grandma N. It sings and rolls around on its own. It's supposed to inspire crawling, and it has (along with all the encouragement to crawl that she received last week from her grandparents)! She still has not actually crawled, but she intentionally got on her tummy today and moved her leg in an attempt to crawl! This is huge since she generally hates being on her tummy. Of course, she still doesn't like it because she cried the whole time, but I bet she will be crawling in no time!

Today was also a big day because she moved from beginner rice cereal to 7 month + cereal that has other grains and crunchy bits of banana and raisins. She liked it! (Note that Daddy got a hold of her hair again. ) All the excitement of new food must have worn her out, though, because she fell asleep in her highchair. (Or it could just be the jet lag kicking in again.)

Missing the Grandparents

It's cold here, and LG is missing her grandparents. She is very jet lagged, and no one is getting any sleep because she sleeps during the day and is awake at night.

LG's Third Trip Across The Pond

Well, we left my hometown at 5pm yesterday. LG fell asleep in the Bjorn carrier right after we went through security, and she didn't wake up until we landed in Atlanta for our four hour layover. Once again, we ate, and LG slept a bit to pass the time.

Our flight back home was fully booked, so LG and I were smashed into one seat beside some teenagers. Thankfully, the teenagers were nice and understanding, and LG slept the whole flight. She only woke up once for a diaper change.

When we landed this afternoon, we were escorted to the front of the passport line (so nice!), and I had no problems getting our luggage (extra bag included) onto a trolley to exit. B met us, and we were so happy to see him!!!!!!!!!!!

We were all starving (it's hard to eat airplane food when the food tray won't come down because you have a baby on your lap), so we went to TGI Friday's to celebrate being home.

Boy, it sure is good to be home!!!!!!!!!

Hardees and Going Home

LG has enjoyed her daily baths in the sink at the Grandparents' house. She's gotten up early every morning and just splashed and splashed. This morning after the bath, I put LG in her state football dress since we are leaving this afternoon. Then, Granddaddy and Grandmother E, LG, and I all piled in the car to go to Hardee's for breakfast. LG and I wanted to get Daddy a biscuit! While the grandparents and I enjoyed our biscuits, LG enjoyed her new straw triangle that her Granddaddy made her.

LG sure will miss her grandparents!

Sunday

Today we went to church and got to visit with everyone. LG did very good during the service. She slept during the singing, but played quietly with the missions envelope during the sermon. We had checked out the nursery beforehand, just in case.

After church, we went out to eat some good southern food, and Granddaddy E made LG a toy triangle out of a straw. She loved that thing, and it came home with her!

Later in the afternoon, LG and I visited with one of my best friends from high school. She just had a baby boy 5 weeks ago, and he is so cute and tiny! LG seems huge compared to him. Wow! How fast they grow!

In the evening, Granddaddy and Grandmother E taught LG how to play the piano! By this time in the day, LG had stripped down to her diaper because it was 102 degrees outside! Crazy hot!

Picture Day!

Today LG got her portrait made! Before we went to the portrait studio, though, we stopped by to say goodbye to Grandma N. LG had a fun time showing off her pretty dress to her grandmother, and she will miss her.

By the time we made it to the portrait studio, LG had fallen fast asleep...I mean, she was out! Grandmother E and I tried to wake her, but she would not wake up! We had almost decided to come back at another time, but then a photographer was able to wake her up.

Since LG was so sleepy, I was afraid the pictures would not turn out well, but they ended up looking great! LG had three outfit changes: the polka dot, pleated dress; a traditional Portuguese dress B and I bought her before she was born; and a Fenton, pink sundress my mom bought her.

After the pictures, Grandmother E, LG, and I went to Olive Garden. LG promptly fell asleep again, so my mom and I were able to have a nice, long conversation while she slept. Then...the shopping began!

We went to Dillard's to see if I could get my hair cut, and we stayed the rest of the day. My mom and LG had fun hanging out and I got to shop! I got my hair cut (just a trim, really), and a couple of new outfits. Yeah!

Doctor's Visit, Starbucks, and THE POOL!

While we are back in the States, I thought I would take advantage of the time and have LG checked out by a pediatrician. We went to a doctor that my friend recommended, and I loved her! I loved her so much that we are transferring LG's records to her for the next time we are in town.

Grandma N came with LG and me, which was a big help because the doctor let Grandma hold LG on her lap the whole exam! This allowed me to ask all my questions, take notes, and fill in forms easily, and it wasn't so cold and impersonal like her original pediatrician, where she had to stay in her diaper on an exam table the whole time.

You will be happy to know that LG has all the correct vaccinations plus one! She is 16 lbs. 1oz. She is still 2 feet. She is allergic to peaches. :( Her umbilical hernia is still there, but there is no cause for concern until she is 2 years old. The fact that she pops her jaw and scratches her ear is normal. She is now in the 20th percentile on the growth charts, but the doctor said that she is just settling down into her ideal size. When she was born, she was just "well baked." :)

After the doctor's visit, Grandma N, LG, and I did some much needed shopping, and we stopped in at the Starbuck's in Target. LG had a blast being silly with her grandma and playing with Grandma's iced frappachino.

While at Target, we bought LG her first swimsuit and some swim diapers so that she could swim in the pool at Grandma's hotel. She loved it! We swam around for about 30 minutes, and then LG fell asleep on Grandma's bed for three hours! She was all tuckered out. :)

Traveling

Well, today we headed back to my hometown. As you can see, LG is thoroughly enjoying the warm summer weather and all the attention she is getting from her grandparents. She is sleeping well at night now, and she babbles, "Mu-mu," all the time to everyone's delight (especially mine!)

When we arrived, it wasn't too long until her other grandmother arrived, as well! She will be staying until Saturday to visit with LG.

Here LG is showing all of us how she can drink out of a cup, and the other picture shows LG having fun with her Grandma N. :)

7 Months Old

Today LG is 7 months old! It's also the day of her great-grandmother's funeral. She did very well at the funeral, and hopefully she brought some smiles on such a sad day.

You can tell by the picture of me that it was another very hot day. I think I got a little burned, but LG did just fine.

Oh! I just have to mention this! In the evening, we stopped in to Old Navy so I could get a pair of jeans. Guess what! I'm a size smaller than what I was before LG! Thanks, LG!

More Traveling

Well, LG and I survived the night...barely. LG woke up several times during the night, and then around 3am, she woke up and stayed up till around 5am. Her Grandmother E was up, so they had a fun time playing until LG finally got sleepy enough to go back to sleep. Thankfully, we got enough sleep to last us through a day of traveling.

The funeral is taking place tomorrow in the north part of the state where my grandmother is from. It took us about 5 hours to get there because we had to take it slow with LG (feeding, diaper changes, esc.)

By the way, have I mentioned that it's hot here! Wow! What a change! I am happy that LG is handling the heat so well.

LG's Second Big Flight Across The Pond

Today B drove LG and me to the airport, said goodbye, and put us on an airplane back to the States. Boy, it was hard to say goodbye and scary to think that LG and I have to make this trip back by ourselves. Thankfully, lots of prayers were prayed for us, and LG did great! She was awake for most of the first flight, which was 9 hours. She took two naps and happily entertained herself for the rest of the time. She had a great time playing with her two toys I brought, and she enjoyed touching the little movie screen that was attached to our seat. Each time she touched it, The Chipmunks Squeekwal Movie would stop, start, rewind, esc. She thought that was great, even though there was no sound.

Our layover in Atlanta was four hours, and that was the hardest part of the trip. We ate, and we both took naps as we waited at various gates for our little puddle-jumper plane. Finally, it arrived, and LG slept through the entire flight (35 minutes), baggage pick-up (10 minutes), and the drive to my parents (10 minutes). She woke up just a little bit when we arrived, but then we all went to sleep. It was 11pm, after all. :)

Mexican in Europe

Today after church we had a family over who had previously had us over for lunch. I served up Mexican (chicken enchiladas), and we discovered that they had never had Mexican before! One of there daughters had had some nachos and refried beans in her Spanish class, but that was it. I also discovered that they had never had black beans before. The three daughters were so scared of them that they wouldn't even try them!

I was also happy to discover that the mom and I have quilting in common. She had just seen the quilt exhibit in the Victoria and Albert Museum. B gave me tickets for this exhibit for my birthday, but I haven't gone yet. :)

On a sad note, we found out that LG and I have missed saying goodbye to my grandmother. We are happy that we will be in the States for the funeral, though. We leave tomorrow!

Mu-mu

Miss LG has now switched from saying, "Da-da," non-stop to saying, "Mu-mu," nonstop. :)

We went to some friends' house today for lunch to discuss teaching English classes together in the fall. It was a lot of fun, and we discovered that we had some mutual friends! LG was very good and entertained herself with some toys while we talked. :)

Clifford

LG loves her new little Clifford so much that she wore here red trousers to match him!