Matilda's First Christmas

We are gearing up for Matilda's first Christmas. This year we are celebrating in Reno. We will miss our family and friends in England, but we will be there next year. (Hard to imagine that Matilda will be 18 months, Hattie 2, and Hebe will be turning 4!) There are lots of presents under the tree for the little girl and we can't wait to open them tomorrow morning.

Tonight we are having dinner at Grandpapa's house and tomorrow we will gather at Mema and Iron Mike's house. Aunt Karen, Uncle Mike, Joe and Carmen are here from LA to celebrate with us. Uncle Ryan is also here from Iowa. We are looking forward to the festivities.

Omi has booked her ticket and will be with us for 10 days starting on January 16th. We are so excited for her visit! We wish Opa was coming, but maybe next time. Someone has to look after all the furry friends.

Matilda is sitting up unassisted now. She is a bit wobbly and has had some face plants, but her longest stretch is about 4 minutes before toppling over. She is also getting better at rolling onto her tummy, but still has one arm pinned underneath her. It is only a matter of time and then there will be no stopping her. Crawling is next!

She has begun to drool excessively again so I think think one of the top teeth is ready to bust through. Not too fussy with this one yet, but she has traded that in for 5 am wakings for the last few weeks. Don't know which I would choose. Today, however, she did sleep in until 7:00, but only after waking at 11:00 and 3:00. She is very unpredictable, but we love that about her. (I keep having to remind myself of that at the wee hours when I am a total zombie.)

We send lots of love and wish everyone a very merry Christmas!

Hooray! Matilda is 6 months today!

I can't believe half a year has gone by since Matilda came into our lives. I love her more and more each day and can't wait for the next six months and beyond. She celebrated last night by waking up every hour. Today has been full of naps and cranky episodes. Some exciting things happened this week, which may be causing the sleeplessness. Her second tooth is arriving. I can see it through the gums, and I think I might have felt it just a few minutes ago. This one is much different than the first. No drool or runny nose...however that may be to come. Also this week she has made it onto her side from her back and a few times she has actually rolled onto her tummy, but her arm is still pinned underneath her. Apparently that does not count as a full roll. She should be there in a few days. She hates being on her tummy so I'm sure when she does master it, she won't spend too long looking around. She was on her tummy the other night and I noticed her lifting up her legs and pushing them out, trying to scoot. Won't be long before she is crawling! She has also started using her lovely orange Stokke highchair. She is sitting up in it big and tall and loves to eat her cereal in it.

Tonight is my Papa's fourth annual Christmas party. Sadly Matilda won't be there as it starts at her bedtime. Papa is staying home with her so I can go up and help my mom. He is expecting 35 of his friends! We will all be there for sure next year.

Must figure out how to add pictures...weekend project for Bart.

It's Quiet Around Here!

We are back down to 3 around here and it is very quiet in the house. We miss the Frisbys, but had a wonderful time the 2 weeks they were here. Hebe and Hattie are sweet, beautiful little girls and we can't wait to see how much they have grown when we visit England next Christmas. Matilda will be 18 months then and walking. I am already gearing myself up for busy flights.

She had her 5 month checkup yesterday. Actually it was more like a 5 1/2 month checkup. (With all the traveling we did, our schedule is a bit off.) She only gained 1/2 pound which worried me a bit, but the doctor was not concerned. She said there has been a lot going on with being sick, teething and visitors and now that she is noticing everything, eating is not a top priority. She is meeting all of her milestones so no worries there. She rarely shows signs of hunger, so I have put her on a 4 hour schedule. The doctor wants me to move it back to 3 to see if that helps. Hopefully next appointment we will see some more progress. She will have another round of shots which is never pleasant.

She is a tiny little thing and is still swimming in her 3-6 month pants if she doesn't have a cloth diaper on. Chrissy and I went through her 6-12 month clothes the other day, but it may be a bit before she is wearing them.

No other news to report, except that the tooth is slowly moving up from the gums. She likes to grab our fingers and chomp on them. Just a matter of time before the next one starts to pop out, followed by sleepless nights, runny nose and lots of irritability.

Thanksgiving

We are all preparing for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Emptying the bellies for the biggest meal of the year. This is my favorite holiday. To me it signals the beginning of winter and the chance to eat my dad's smoked turkey and stuffing. I love spending time with my family as we begin the festivities in the late afternoon. This will be Matilda's first and I am planning on bringing her pureed sweet potatoes so she can eat with all of us at the table. It is also a special year because the Frisbys are here from England to partake with us. I think they are all really excited about the whole experience. David is even getting into the swing of things by making spiced red cabbage and a sweet potato dish. Bart will be making his signature mashed potatoes. They are leaving Saturday so I don't think they will be able to hit many of the after Thanksgiving sales, but Yuki and I may sneak off to a few children's shops.

On a parting note, Matilda's first tooth is now through her gums. She still has a cold, but I took her to the doctor during the week and she gave her the all clear. She seems to be getting better every day. Her five month check up is next week.

Bright Lights, Big Buffet

Matilda went to her first buffet at the Atlantis today. My Mema would be proud! Nothing to eat for her, but she was eyeing my frozen yogurt (my favorite part) and was very upset when I didn't give her any. We took the Frisbys to experience one and they enjoyed it. I think so much so that they are thinking of trying the Peppermill for dinner. Hebe got a Mickey Mouse pancake and Hattie ate everything that was given to her.

Sadly, Matilda's cold has gotten worse. She has a rattly cough and stuffy nose. It is nonstop saline nasal spray and bulb syringe around here. But she did sleep for 10 hours straight last night and woke up at 8:00. Lately it has been anywhere between 4:00 and 6:00 so it was like Christmas come early for me!

Everyone is up at the toy store in Truckee. Matilda and I are stuck here. As she naps, I am preparing myself for the dentist chair. Iron Mike suggested I take my headphones so I can listen to music on my iPhone while he grinds away. Good tip!

First Tooth Arrives!!

Matilda has her second cold and while her nose is running like a faucet and her chest rattles, she is in good spirits. This little Monkey is happy all the time. As she struggles to breathe, her first tooth is popping through the skin! A very exciting day! I thought it would magically appear one day, growing overnight, but Auntie Yuki set me straight. It takes a long time for it to rise. I just hope the process is easy for her.

Her cousins are still visiting and she is loving every minute of it. Hebe jumps up and down and makes monkey noises for her. Matilda smiles and giggles whenever she does it.

She will be starting sweet potatoes on Sunday, just in time for Thanksgiving! I have cooked up the first batch and they are very sweet indeed. I think she will really like them. She is getting better at eating and most of the cereal is now getting into her mouth and not on her bib. I feed her breakfast and Bart usually takes dinner. It is nice for them to spend that time together since he doesn't see her much during the day.

This weekend is full of activity. We are taking the Frisbys for their first casino buffet. The girls want to play in the snow and we will hopefully make it up to Truckee. There is a wonderful toy shop up there called Dylan's Delights. I love going in there because it reminds me of World of Toys, which I miss dearly. Oh and I have a dentist appointment tomorrow afternoon as Dr. H prepares my tooth for a crown. YUCK!

The Frisby Family Arrives!

Matilda is having a grand time with her cousins, Hebe and Hattie! The Frisby crew have been here since Friday. The flights were a bit rough and jet lag has gotten everyone up at 5 am the last few mornings, but I think the sleep might be sorted soon. Matilda has even joined in on the fun, by waking with them. She loves looking at them, smiling and waving. They all laid on her play mat this morning with her and was able to get some video of it. Very cute!

Matilda had her first taste of homemade winter squash puree this morning. It was mixed into her rice cereal and she could not get enough of it! It was very easy to make and I am looking forward to making all of her food.

She is almost ready to roll from back to her stomach. She is rolling onto her side, but just needs to figure out how to get her legs and arms over. When I put her on her tummy, she kicks her legs as if she is figuring out what needs to be done to crawl. It will be here before we know it!

5 Months Today!

I have stopped myself many times wondering why I haven't been keeping a record or journal of Matilda's progress. This journey is so important to all of us and I want her to be able to look back and be able to read about her milestones and all the good times (and bad) that are coming our way. I figured the best way to do this is to create a blog. She already stares at the computer screen when I check my email and Facebook accounts...she will be using a laptop before we know it. It can't get lost or chewed up by Bob...it is virtually permanent.

Matilda is 5 months old today and I can't believe how fast it has all gone. She smiles constantly, rolls from her stomach to her back, chews on her hands constantly and even manages to suck on her thumb occasionally. She has started to notice Bob, Fishstick and Wilf and wants to pet them all the time. Actually it is more of a grabbing at fur with her death grip. So they don't get startled, I take her hand in mine and we pet the animals together. I say "gentle, gentle" so she begins to understand they aren't for poking.

In the past few days she has found her feet and has begun to stuff her toes in her mouth. She also moved into her big bed last night. Her bassinet had gotten too small. It makes me sad, but she is still in our room as her cousins are visiting in a few days and Hebe will be using her room. I get to have her close for a few more weeks!

She also went on her first swing ride last week. I thought she might be too small, but she loved it. Can't wait to take her back to the park!