3 months old

Posting this morning, I am proud to wake up after Michelle slept another one of her marathon 10 hour stretches! I was cautious to label her as a "good sleeper", but for the past 3 to 4 weeks she has slept consistently for eight, nine, TEN hour stretches...in her crib...by herself! Of course, the week in L.A. threw her off the routine a bit, but as soon as we got back home, she settled right back into the game. Michelle and I spent the night at Tammy's on Thursday night and she had some trouble getting to sleep that night, but considering last night's marathon, I am chalking it up to strange surroundings. We picked Barry up at the airport on our way home from Bothell yesterday afternoon and I am happy to say, it looks like that was the last work trip for him for awhile.
Wow. 3 months old. The "Fourth trimester" officially over. We have this little human developing that giggles and smiles and cuddles and experiences her world. What a delight!

Auntie Tammy carries Michelle on our walk on the Sammamish River Trail.
Io is NOT allowed on the nice purple couches at auntie Tammy's house. He knows this. But he does often eye them with a look of longing for the heavenly giant purple dog bed. I was uploading pictures WITH MY BACK TURNED after Tammy left for work and Io found himself and very comfortable spot. He made himself VERY small thinking "If I am extremely still and make myself very small in between these pillows, perhaps I may blend into the scenery and no one will notice..." Sorry Io. I noticed. And Tammy, if you read this, I DID brush off the dog hair after his momentary lapse of reason.

Fit baby work out!

As the weather is getting crappier, I need to find other ways to exercise on Michelle's schedule. As usual, I thought she was out for a nap around 10:00 this morning and laid her down thinking I might actually be able to do a living room work-out. As usual, she woke up 10 minutes later, just as I getting warmed up. She cried when I put her on the play mat, bouncy seat or swing so I had to stick her in the Bjorn. The "Fit Deck" is a deck of cards with different exercises on it. Barry gave me both a prenatal and postnatal deck. It's great because you can shuffle the exercises to mix up the routine. I did all the ones I could do with Michelle in the Bjorn adding nearly 12 pounds to my work-out! Several exercises require bending over which gives Michelle suspended "tummy time" and while I am on the floor stretching, she gets her baby yoga. Her favorites? Superbaby crunches (suspending her above me while doing crunches on the floor) and Toes to the Nose of course!

Work, Fun, Friends and Milestones

First of all, the format is all screwed up and I am driving myself crazy trying to fix it. Sorry, the words don't match with the photos. I'll try to fix it later.

BIG MILESTONE!!! CHECK IT OUT!!!

Back from California today. Greeted by wet, dark, heavy rain in Tacoma. Yes, we had some rain in So Cal, but there is something nice about the rain when it is actually needed in a particular region. Here are some highlights from the trip!

Michelle decked out in pool attire in San Diego. Unfortunately, the pool felt a little cool for 12 week old babies so she just strutted in her own little beach-wear fashion show.
I snap hundreds of pictures of Michelle but it seems like I am rarely quick enough to catch that heart-glowing smile. Her whole body is smiling in this one! Tuesday's walk on Huntington Beach. Michelle and I made the most of it while Barry hit the road for work. We came across this red rose that looked like it was washed up by the tide. It seemed so random and beautiful to see the delicacy of the petals against the energy of the waves. Of course, Michelle's fair skin and eyes must be protected. Daddy brought home her first pair of sunglasses that day. It looks like our California baby already has the So Cal attitude!
Is there anything cuter than a baby in sunglasses "Bjorned" by her daddy? Thursday, the clouds melted and we were left with sunny, 83 degree weather. We drove to Burbank on Wednesday night which was reasonably close enough to spend time with my good college friend, Heather. And what better thing to do on a fair-weather day with a 3-month-old and an 18-month-old? The ZOO, OF COURSE! The last time I saw Heather's little girl Abby, she was about the age Michelle is now. It was like peering into a crystal ball to see Michelle's future. A little girl, running around, speaking words, eating her little PB & J sandwich, taking in all the animals and naming them in Toddlerese. It really hit me how much Michelle will change in the next year. My baby will only be a baby for such a brief time. Cherish every moment.