HOT!!!

It has been so hot here, which means napping has become a bit of a challenge. Since the very hot days are few and far between, air conditioning is rare and the second floor can get pretty warm. Putting Madeline in nothing but a diaper and keeping the fan going at full speed helps a bit. I love all of her cute clothes, but sometimes a diaper is all she needs! Today was one of the hottest days, so we went to Target and bought a little pool to help cool off.

I love my new pool!

It does not look like the most comfortable position to sleep in, but whatever works for her! Now that she is sleeping on her belly the bald spot should be gone soon!

Keeping cool in the swing!

Just last week it was cool enough for long sleeves and overalls!

Madeline is four months old and we have started to introduce rice cereal. She seems to like it, but probably only really eats a very small amount. I had wanted to wait until at least six months to give her anything besides breastmilk, but she had really been showing me that she is ready to eat, including staring at me with such an interested look everytime I would eat in front of her! She holds her head up very well, grabs her spoon, pulls it to her mouth and manages to swallow a little bit each time. Breastfeeding has been going so well and is so easy that we will continue with it as long as I can, but now we will mix it with a few swallows of cereal each day!

Not all of the cereal makes it into her mouth!

Madeline is also making strides with her motor skills. I don't usually put her in her crib with her pacifier because it promptly falls out, making her very upset. I left her with it today and she managed to hold onto it long enough to fall asleep. I watched her on the monitor as she woke up from her nap, pushed herself up with her arms, saw her pacifier and then reached out and grabbed it. She pulled it toward her face, but has not quite able to put it back in her mouth correctly. I think she knows what it is, but since she is getting to the age where she puts everything in her mouth, I might be wrong!

Belly sleeper!

After being put on her back to sleep for the past four months, Madeline is now able to roll herself over onto her belly and sleep in the position she has surely dreamed about since I stopped letting her fall asleep on my chest in the middle of the night. With this milestone comes the end of swaddling. If she is put down in her crib while she is still awake she immediately rolls onto her belly...this does not work very well when her arms are pinned to her sides, so I decided it was time to stop swaddling her. She took all of her naps that way yesterday and went to bed free to roll around. She woke up a few times during the night and cried, not really sure to do with all of that freedom and seemed to have forgotten how to roll onto her back. I let her go each time and she fell back to sleep. We woke up at 5:30 and she ate and then I wrapped her up. She got another three good hours on her back. Right now she is in the middle of a really good nap...on her belly and leaning up against the side of her crib!

Madeline is growing so fast! Sometimes it seems like she grows in her sleep and is bigger in the morning than she was the night before. She has gotten so good at rolling back and forth that she has decided that she no longer wants to lie on the floor. We bought an exersaucer toy last week and she loves it! She likes to try and stand up and really enjoys discovering all of the activities. She loves to "walk" and seems frustrated that she cannot move around more than her little body lets her!

Some more pics from Pop Pop and Uncle Mike's visit

Madeline looking nervous...maybe because Uncle Mike seems to be giving her a wedgie!

Proud grandfather and happy baby!

Pop Pop doing stroller duty at Mt. Rainier

Happy 4th of July!

Madeline spent her first 4th with her Pop Pop and Uncle Mike. The 4th of July is also Pop Pop's birthday, and it was great for Madeline to be able to spend it with him. There were a lot of fireworks set off in the neighborhood, but none of them bothered her. I was a little nervous that the noise would really scare her and the 4th was going to become my least favorite holiday!

While my Dad and Mike were here we went to Mt. Saint Helens and Mt. Rainier National Park. That meant a lot of driving and Madeline was not a huge fan. She tolerates the car for awhile, but as soon as she is tired and hungry she wants out. I try sitting in the back seat with her to calm her down, but it rarely works. I guess we can't have a smiling baby all of the time!

Madeline has been spending lots of time on her belly and is rolling over pretty regularly. She has even rolled from her back to her belly a couple of times. Now she needs to work on getting her arms out from under her when she rolls to her belly. She usually gets one out before she gets frustrated and starts crying!

Madeline is also becoming more and more aware of the dog and cats. She likes watching Zoe run around the backyard and has reached out to pet the cats. She manages to get a handful of fur each time. Luckily we have the most mellow cats in the world and they are pretty tolerant of her...so far. Just wait until she is grabbing their tails!