Swings, geese, and a walk

It was only afterwards that we noticed the little swings were for children 3 and above. Of course, Violet is VERY advanced for her age, so- no problem, right?

These are the kind of perfect days during which I think of my wonderful, hard-working colleagues (stuck indoors in their cubicles and offices), and feel ever so sorry for them! Of course, in three short weeks I'll be back there alongside them...

blushing and grimacing

Can you believe the blush on those cheeks? Beautiful. (Even if it is from teething...)

This next shot is too ridiculous and funny not to post...

Weekend fun

Mother and daughter. I like this shot.



So Here's Helena, in a cute little outfit. I was lamely admiring how well it matched the new, clean blanket I had just laid down, when...
Disaster Struck!! (with the help of a few shreds of cheese- will I never learn my lesson to stick to the highchair? and to avoid cheese?). So Daddy came in to help clean up. He brought her upstairs to get changed, and when she came down- this is what she had on...

And here's Helena's latest trick- pulling herself over from seated to stomach, to better reach something. Crawling next?

I can't keep up!!

video of Helena knocking down blocks and giggling:


Here she is with Grandpa











and a few shots of the three of us (rare!)






























and a video of Helena pulling herself up on Daddy's fingers! yay!

gratuitous cute kid shots

i KNOW the barrette is a choking hazard!! I kept my eye on it the WHOLE time!

another cutie outfit

people keep sending the BEST outfits! thank you Auntie Tosha and Uncle Dan!

There is no spoon

Helena tries her best to make the spoon bend, employing all the magic that she knows...

A day out...

We met my parents in Sheboygan- the halfway point tween our homes and theirs... A nice day out!

Safe Sleep

As I work in the field of maternal and child health, and frequently deal with 'Safe Sleep' issues, I wanted to get on my soap box for a moment and take this opportunity to point out the safety features in Helena's crib. Here's her crib:


You'll notice I use a breathable bumper- lots of holes for air flow. Traditional bumpers pose a hazard and are not recommended.


Here's the inside of her crib:

You'll notice that there's nothing in Helena's crib besides Helena and a 'safe sleep' blanket, also full of holes. Best option is no blanket at all, especially for younger babies. She's on her back, never on her tummy.

I remove any toys from the crib after she's fallen asleep. For more information on safe sleep, see:

http://www.cdc.gov/SIDS/sleepenvirnoment.htm

Helena and Violet - pics

Video-mania

Helena and Violet hung out yesterday. They now take notice of each other, and are starting to interact a bit more!




And here's Violet, doing the kung-fu hustle...

Our little banshee

little cutie...

Sometimes Helena just likes to scream. For fun. We can't help laughing... (oh, why is there a washcloth on her head, you ask? loooong story).

Baby in red

Helena received this outfit as a gift... love it, love it.

A walk in the woods