Some Squeals!

Saturday we went to a little Christmas gathering at Melissa and Brian's house. They had a fireplace and lots of lights that Wee Goblin found fascinating. She also chatted with Liam and Kasper, although they weren't too responsive. Possibly six weeks old is a little young to carry on a conversation. Sunday we watched football most of the day and also took trips to Publix, Home Depot, and Mommy and Daddy's favorite store, Borders.

Yesterday was busy, busy, busy. Little Monster and Mommy went into work with Daddy to pick up Mommy's car and to make a trip to Target for travel necessities. After a trip home and a morning nap, Eva and Liam came over. We all traveled to the farmer's market together, which Madeleine enjoyed from her perch on Mommy's hip. For some reason she wanted nothing to do with the shopping cart. After the trip home, Miss Fuss was very worn out so she took a long afternoon nap. Meanwhile, Mommy prepared for dinner with Aunt Joddie, who brought the oh-so-appropriate placemat for our Little Monster.

Today will be spent cleaning house and tying up last minute loose ends before our Texas trip on Thursday. Mommy will be running around like a chicken with her head cut off, but MJ will take it all in stride, and just be the happy baby that she's been.

In the last several days, Miss Fuss has discovered her voice. Or, shall we say, the range of her voice, from deep belly grunts to high pitched squeals. She's also doing a lot of babbling, which usually culminates in a quizzical look at Mommy or Daddy as if to say, "Right, guys? You get what I'm saying."

Christmas Presents!

Look at our new placemat:

It's a Little Monster!

Christmas Partytime!

Little Monster visited Daddy's office today, and she was a big hit at the Christmas party. She had a chance to talk to Santa Claus, as you can see, and she was fascinated with the jolly old elf's beard. Santa had a gift for all the kids, but Little Monster was too young for the types of toys that he was giving away, so she gave him a bye on this visit in the knowledge that he'd be visiting her again later in the month. Then she hung around a little bit for the adults' secret Santa gift giving, but she got a tiny bit fussy and Mama took her back to the cafeteria where it wasn't so loud.

Wee Goblin was a very sweet girl throughout the whole party and stayed out way past her bedtime! It was very cold outside, so the ride home was spent in tears. Just when she managed to get to sleep, a brownie plate fell off the pile and made a bunch of racket, scaring her and waking her up. It was a tragic tale, to be sure.

This morning, Mama slept in a little bit while Daddy and Wee Goblin played in the bouncer and fixed some grits for breakfast. Then Little Monster had some rice cereal and bananas, and headed for the nap after a brief time tormenting Zoe the Cat. On the agenda for today are lots more naps, because there's another holiday party tonight, where Miss Madeleine hopes to see six week old Liam again and continue her conversation with him from last night.

More Rainy Days

So, this week has been a bit of a bummer so far. The vast majority has been spent with Mommy and Madeleine stuck in the house - in the sense that it's too much of a pain to take a six month old out in the rain. Oh, well. Miss Fuss still enjoys her time with Mommy, whether it's at home or out and about.

We finally had a bit of a break in the rain today, just in time for a doctor's appointment. Don't worry - it was for Mommy. No shots for Little Goblin, at least not until she's due for her second flu shot next week. Mommy can't decide whether we should go ahead and get it taken care of on Wednesday, and deal with the consequences of flying with a recently vaccinated baby, or just wait until we get home. We shall consult with the all-knowing Daddy on this.

Madeleine has received two Christmas presents in the mail already. One was from Aunt Brenda and Uncle John in Kingsville and the other was from one of Mommy's online pregnancy buddies, who she did a Secret Santa exchange with. MJ was given permission to open her presents as we will be in Texas for Christmas. She was more interested in the wrapping at first (as was the cat) but definitely came around to her musical table and stacking rattle bugs. We're sure this is only the beginning of a holiday haul for the ever-so-spoiled (and deserving!) Baby Girl.

Also, here's a little video taken from Mommy's phone, since the camera and sound issue has yet to be solved. It's a bit grainy, but we hope you enjoy!

The Best Weekends Are Lazy Ones

One of the benefits of having a daughter is knowing that the daughter, in all likelihood, won't throw a game-losing interception in the final two minutes of a game that has a huge impact on a team's playoff picture. Am I right?

Anyway, it's been a busy week but a good weekend. Mama and Daddy dug up a few leads on some houses, and we went to look at one, which was a really nice place in a neighborhood that wasn't where anyone wanted to be. So we took a pass. We also went to visit Joddie and pick up some Christmas decorations for Wee Goblin's first Christmas. While at Joddie's, we learned to pet Lucky Dog. Mama spent the rest of the evening putting the decorations together while Daddy went to work at the bar.

Mama and Daddy took Little Monster to Waffle House for late breakfast on Sunday, where she was, as always, beloved by the various patrons and staff of that fine establishment. One woman said Wee Goblin looked just like her daddy. Another said Tickle Bug was a fat little baby -- as a compliment, of course! Then we went shopping until Little Monster had decided enough was enough, so we went home for a nap and to watch the early game (bird team). After she got up, Miss Madeleine was sort of a crab for some of the afternoon, but she did spend a whole hour playing happily in her bouncer. After that came a few failed attempts at naps, followed by an early bath and bed before a Big Pick happened and the Steelers stole the game.

This coming weekend we have the holiday party at Daddy's office. Mama is preparing a dessert and Daddy is competing in the chili cook-off, in hopes of avenging himself over a dubious second-place showing last year. Mama dreads Daddy's office parties because Daddy always gets "too tired" at them, and Mama ends up taking Wee Goblin home alone.

Little Contortionist!

Remember how Mommy talked about the blanket woolies? Well, Miss Fuss also has another bedtime quirk. She no longer sleeps on her back with arms up in the "VICTORY" pose. (See August 10th post for reference.) Now she arches her back and tilts her head back as far as it can go, while rolling to her side. Little Monster still woolies her blanket, and keeps that in a death grip between her arms. As she develops her little idiosyncrasies that come out of nowhere, it's more and more evident that she is growing into a little person. Crazy.

Miss Fuss is also sitting pretty reliably without support for thirty seconds at a time. She is still highly distracted by, well, anything, and usually lunges for whatever that is and faceplants into the blanket. It's pretty amusing to watch.

This week has flown by. Daddy worked at Georgia Tech on Monday and Tuesday, so he barely got to see Wee Goblin at all until Wednesday. Afternoons have been quite rough for some reason. Mommy believes it is teething, but who knows. With the cold temperatures and ever present rain, the house confinement is starting to make Miss Madeleine and Mommy both a little stir crazy. Hopefully clear skies are on the way, so we can resume our afternoon walks. Plus, Tiny Bouncer has been jumping so vigorously in her jumperoo that socks have been left behind. Now that's jumping!

Chubby Cheeklets

We made it through Thanksgiving! Mom made pies and Dad made stuffing and fresh green bean casserole, which was why we went to the store so early on Thanksgiving morning.

With a car full of food and baby accouterments, we went out to Mike's place, where we played until we were so sleepy we had to take a nap. Then we came down for dinner, and everyone ate until they were fat and happy. Mom and Dad's food was very well received.

After that, we went outside and had some wine on the deck and then a few more drinks around the fire. It was cold but the fire kept us warm and Miss Fuss slept in the Snugli while less sensible people hooted and hollered through the yard. When we came back, we watched the last bit of the football game on the couch before going to bed.

The next day was a sleepy one, too. Our original plan was to bring Wee Goblin to the Stone Mountain Christmas celebration, but it was gray all day. The moment we decided to leave, it started to rain. Phooey! Mom and Dad were very much looking forward to having Little Monster meet Santa Claus, but the weather prevented us. Maybe this coming weekend.... Instead, we risked the mall, which was okay. Miss Fuss was very well behaved, taking in all the Christmas sights and enjoying the stroller ride.

Today Little Monster has taken two naps, and we'll be heading out to run a few errands when she gets up. Zoe the Cat needs some new food for when Wee Goblin visits Texas again. Dad has a lecture to give at Georgia Tech on Monday and Tuesday, so he wants to get all the minor things taken care of before that. So that's the plan!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gobble, gobble, GOBLIN!

Video, As Promised

Let's get something straight. The problem lies not with a recent Mac update, but in the irascible Windows .AVI media format. Dad had found a shortcut around it in the previous version of iMovie, but after the update, he needs to find a new solution.

In the meantime, our friend Harry Connick, Jr. came by to sing a few songs to Madeleine, and we managed to get one on video. So enjoy!

Oops!

Well, we have a problem. We know we promised a video of Little Monster, but with the new Mac update there are some compatibility issues with the camera. It doesn't mean no videos, ever, but Daddy will have to do some legwork to fix the problem. So sorry!

At any rate, we've had a pretty good week. Miss Fuss has been a little cranky from her shots, but she is still the sweetest baby ever. We also introduced green beans and pears this week. Chicken was also on the menu, but as soon as Mommy opened up that jar and saw what looked like cat food, it was determined that the sweet girl would not be subjected to it. Mommy is now researching homemade meat baby food recipes.

Yesterday we took (yet another!) trip to Target to wander about. Miss Fuss came away with more spoils of war, including a rattle and her very first Sippy Cup. No liquids in it yet, the doctor said to let her play with it for "practice." Amazingly, Madeleine somehow managed to get slobber INSIDE the no-spill cup. Ah, the talents that are just waiting to manifest themselves. Today we took a trip to the office warehouse, where they were having a big sale on board games. Mommy and Daddy shopped, while Goblin charmed, as Goblins do.

Six Month Checkup!

Short post today; Mommy is feeling under the weather and Daddy is at trivia.

Little Monster visited the doctor today for her six month checkup. She clocks in at a whopping 28 inches (90th percentile) and 16 pounds, 15 ounces (75th percentile). Amazingly, she's only in the 50th percentile for her head circumference, which means she apparently didn't inherit her Daddy's gigantic noggin. Poor Miss Fuss also had three shots and one oral vaccine. It didn't seem to faze her too badly, as she was all smiles and giggles before bed. These antics were actually captured on camera, and will be posted tomorrow evening.

The first picture is the first evidence of Wee Goblin sitting on her own. She doesn't sit up straight yet, because her toes are way too enticing. The second picture is of what she had for "dinner." Moo Cow Rump Roast! (Accompanied by green beans, carrots, and banana for dessert.) It is now off to bed!

So Much Going On

We had a busy weekend, even though Dad didn't have to work at the bar on Saturday night. He made up for it by putting the finishing touches on his book and getting it shipped off to the online store -- and he already has a sale!

Friday evening was spent at home quietly, since we had such a busy week. Little Monster had her bath and was in bed before Jeopardy! started, but that was so she could save up for the weekend adventures. Before we went to bed, though, we did get a chance to chomp on a bag of lettuce and play with the gift Nona sent us in the mail.

On Saturday, Little Monster visited the Atlanta Downhill Challenge and watched all the crazy people race their soap box derby cars down the hills at the drive-in at breakneck speeds! We saw Ned and Theron and Melissa there. Wee Goblin saw some very cute puppies and made a few new friends, too. She also saw a band she and Mom liked called Here Come the Mummies, but by the time the Mummies performed their set, Miss Fuss was ready to head home for the day. But she did get to wave at the mummy procession as they made their way, marching-band-style, to the stage. It was cold, and Wee Goblin had been out for hours, so Mom and Dad decided not to argue with her. When we got home Little Monster ate one thousand spoonfuls of squash and applesauce, and even dove headfirst into the jar to gobble up what was left.

On Sunday, we got up early for breakfast and to run some errands before friends came to dinner. We went to Target to pick up some photo prints (keep your eyes open, grandparents) and to visit the grocery store so Dad could pick up stuff for stew this evening. Then we made a brief stop at Five Guys, where the hamburgers were bigger than Mom and Dad counted on, and Little Monster hung around in her car seat being cute and doling out the smiles sparingly.

This evening we will see Eric and Nicole and Joddie, but we also have to take a bath after our weekend of fun activities, so we can start our week fresh and clean.

Rainy Fall Day

Well, it poured last night. So the "FALL FUN PHOTOS" Mommy was planning to take today are going to have to be rescheduled. With all the beautiful orange and red leaves on the ground, MJ was going to adventure to the park to pose for the camera. Oh, well. There's always the weekend.
We've also had to put off our daily walk, which we just started yesterday. Because of Miss Madeleine's apparent change of heart about the Snugli, we went for a walk around the block yesterday. It was still a bit chilly, but the hills Mommy climbed with an extra 18 pounds of Goblin sure helped to keep us warm. We're going to attempt a walk every day until it's just too cold to continue, because Mommy feels chubby, and Wee Goblin just loves being outside. Benefits all around!
Little Monster is currently enjoying a nap after consuming two teaspoons of squash and almost half a jar of bananas. Mommy is furiously cleaning house for some odd reason. Tonight we will join Daddy up at the office for dinner. Hopefully Miss Fuss will hang out in one of the office high chairs while we eat. Mommy will try to remember to take more pictures of the Adventures in Video Game Land.

Amongst The Animals

Big day today! Mommy and Miss Fuss accompanied Rachel and Spencer to the zoo. After a bit of a rough night (MJ has started waking in the night again) we were all a little tired, so around ten a.m. Wee Goblin went down for a morning nap. She woke up shortly after Spencer and Rachel arrived, and we were off! With the temperature in the mid 60s a little bundling was necessary, but didn't seem to bother Little Monster too much. She rode in the stroller for a little while, ventured into the petting zoo with some goats and sheep (no touching yet!) and then decided she had had enough of the stroller. We then progressed to the forward-facing Snugli, to which previous attempts were met with screaming. Not this time - as evidenced by Exhibit (Photo) 1, which was taken in the Reptile House. After about an hour of vigorous Moo Cow chewing and animal watching, somebody was getting tired and fussy, so we switched to chest-facing Snugli and within three minutes Slobber Goblin was out cold. As we were wrapping up the park, Madeleine woke up and peered about suspiciously from her burrow in Mommy's coat (Exhibit, or Photo, 2). Quite the character we have here.

Hard Work Is Its Own Reward

Here we are, hard at work in our exersaucer, doing the things that baby girls do when they have the whole day before them.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

There's been a breakthrough! Since Mommy and Daddy put away the coffee table last weekend to make more room for floor time, Miss Fuss has become quite the accomplished roller. Most of the time it's just from back to tummy and sometimes back again. Usually though, Little Monster gets to her tummy, then gets angry because she's not sure what to do next. This results in fussing until someone rolls her back over again. She also loves to stand up and 'walk' but normally she dives headfirst for whatever toy is in front of her. A few times she has ended up on hands and knees with Mommy supporting her around the stomach, but no movement yet. We're crossing our fingers that Wee Goblin will be crawling in time to terrorize all grandparents at Christmas. Or at least terrorize their pets and fragile objects.
Mommy is working on a special surprise craft project for Miss Fuss for Thanksgiving. Well, it's not a surprise for MJ, but it will be for all of you! We also took video of Tiny Bouncer spinning in her Exersaucer this morning, which Daddy will fix and post later. Right now Madeleine is (unwillingly) down for her morning nap, and after which we will adventure to the grocery store. The rest of the day will most likely be spent doing absolutely nothing, which is just how we like it.

Halloween Festivities

Lobster Goblin was quite the hit, of course. On Friday the whole family trekked on over to Fred and Rachel's house to accompany Spencer trick-or-treating, along with a couple of neighborhood friends. Miss Fuss was quite content to be carried around the block while giggling at the occasional Mommy and Daddy antics. We then stayed to have Indian food with Fred, Rachel, and Spencer and it was home to bed as usual. Saturday and Sunday were spent with the normal errands and family time, with the exception of Auntie Joddie joining us for meatball dinner on Sunday. Little Monster still isn't too sure about Auntie Joddie holding her, but as long as she keeps her distance MJ is a little charmer. She cooed and smiled at Mommy and Auntie Joddie on the couch while she laid on the floor playing with toys and rolling over.

Madeleine does the cutest thing at bed time. We put her in her crib with the mobile going, and as the blanket is pulled over her, she grabs it and rubs (or 'woolies') it all over her face. Mommy has even noticed that if Grumbles is particularly upset at naptime and has kicked the blanket off, Mommy can cover her back up and as soon as she woolies the blanket, she'll calm down. Grandma B.J. first noticed it while Miss Fuss was in Texas, but Mommy just thought it was a fluke. Guess Momma should listen to the experienced Grandmas more, huh?

The Five Month Mark

Well, seeing as how Madeleine is (over) five months old now, we figured we should list her accomplishments up to this point.
1. Miss Fuss definitely knows Mommy and Daddy, and has developed an awareness of strangers. She rarely wants to be held by anyone other than Mommy or Daddy, and can handle one or two new people at a time. Any more than that is asking too much.
2. We are falling into a routine. MJ wakes up somewhere between 8 and 9 a.m., nurses and has cereal. We then play for about an hour, then go down for a one or two hour nap. This cycle repeats itself about three times during the day (eat, play, sleep) until veggies at around 6 p.m. then bath and bed at 8. She usually wakes once between 4 and 6 a.m. to nurse, then goes right back to sleep. Yes, we know, we are very blessed.
3. Although Little Monster has only rolled over a handful of times, she is very close to sitting on her own and can stand for long periods with assistance. Maybe she'll be one of those kiddos that will skip crawling and go straight to walking. God, help us.
4. Favorite things include the jumperoo, Exersaucer, chewing on any number of things that come within range, and laying on her back giggling at goofy Mommy and silly Daddy antics. Not so favorite things are tummy time, the aforementioned strangers, and having her clothes changed.

Mommy feels so blessed to have such a happy, easygoing baby. Miss Fuss is rarely actually fussy, and when she is it's within good reason, the most common reason being Mommy keeping her from napping. We're just waiting for the terrible twos.

Hello, Solids!

One of the big developments while in Texas was Little Monster's introduction to rice cereal. The first three or four times Miss Fuss was not having it, but all of a sudden, she changed her mind. This is video of that time. As you can see, Wee Goblin has prospects of becoming quite the Wee Tank. Mommy couldn't shovel food in fast enough for her. Tonight we moved on to sweet potatoes, which despite Mom's reservations, Miss Madeleine took to like a fish to water. Just wait until she's buried up to her elbows in birthday cake.

A Long Absence

Hello, all! Originally, the idea was to keep you apprised of all Madeleine activities while Miss Fuss and Mommy were in Texas, but Daddy cannot remember the password to the blog, so no dice. Hopefully we can spend the next few days sharing pictures of our many adventures in Texas.

Both plane rides were pretty uneventful. Little Monster was very good, even sleeping for about half of the time. The other half was spent playing and making friends with any surrounding passengers and flight attendants. The first two days in Texas were spent with Grandma B.J., Grandpa Roger and Uncle Nick. Miss Fuss was unsure of her new surroundings, but warmed up nicely after the first day. Nights and naps were spent in Mom's suitcase, which was just the right size for the goblin. Unfortunately, Mommy forgot to take a picture of that (mostly for fear of waking the crabby girl up) but rest assured, it was a pretty amusing sight. Most days were spent puttering about town, shopping with Grandma B.J., Great-Grandma Chris and Great-Grandpa Dwight, who arrived several days after Mom and Miss Fuss. MJ made out like a little bandit, batting her eyelashes and cooing at Grandma B.J. in order to get all sorts of goodies. Among the winnings were new clothes, a Halloween rubber ducky, several teething rings, and a rather dashing sock lion, who is posing in the second picture with our photogenic darling. More tomorrow, as Mommy is still catching up on sleep from traveling and taking care of a jet-lagged Goblin.

We're Back!

A more involved post for later, but here's a picture from last night's Halloween party. Lobster Goblin was a huge hit. Don't worry, no goblins were harmed in the making of this photo.

Daddy's Birthday

Newsflash: Daddy's old. So old, his birthday went by with barely a blip on the radar of day-to-day events. Unfortunately, that's because poor Daddy had to work all weekend. Friday night was fast food and a work reception for him, while Mom and Little Monster had a low key, early evening. Saturday Mom and Wee Goblin went to yet another baby shower (Yes, lots of babies on the way, but who can blame those guys for wanting one after seeing how sweet a goblin can be?) and then spent the afternoon catching up on sleep. Daddy left for the dj job and both ladies had early bedtime again. Sunday, which was Dad's birthday, was spent at work for him and with Fred, Rachel and Spencer for Mom and Miss Fuss. We took her Exersaucer over to their house and played on the patio with Spencer and watched the dogs attempt run-by-lickings of Sweet Goblin. Today Mom cleaned house so that Dad doesn't have to worry about it while Mom and Lil' Monster are in Texas for Aunt Kate's wedding. We did take Daddy to dinner at Dolce for braised veal breast (Dad) and crab risotto gnocchi (Mom) and a chocolate souffle for dessert, which Goblin missed because she had already conked out. Note the tired eyes in the above picture.

Tomorrow is another dentist appointment for Mom, during which Dad will keep Miss Madeleine at home. The rest of the day will be spent with furious preparations for the Texas trip, because Mom is always a maniac when she travels, and that is now compounded by having to fly alone with Miss High Maintenance. The plane leaves at 7:40 a.m. Wednesday morning, so everyone send cheerful baby vibes our way! Mom will keep you apprised of all developments from Corpus Christi for the next two weeks.

Also, I'll bet Grandma B.J. will recognize the pink doll below. That's right! That was Mommy's when she was a wee bairn. Apparently there was some sort of tussle going on in the below picture, and Little Monster was furiously churning feet and arms to avoid the attack. Our feet get in on the action quite a bit lately, so we're sure it's only a matter of time before those monkey toes are in Maddie Jo's mouth. There are worse things that could be in there.

Dentist Visits

Not for the Goblin, of course. Mommy needed her teeth cleaned and Daddy needed some repair work. Actually, he got them all pulled and had scorpion stingers put in. Very attractive, and amazingly, Little Monster doesn't seem to mind. Miss Fuss was very good during Daddy's appointment, smiling and cooing at the receptionists, and slept a little during Mommy's appointment, but then we had some diaper pyrotechnics and had to skedaddle. The rest of the day was spent at home, with Wee Goblin alternately snoring while napping and playing in her jungle gym. Mommy did housework and played pillow to MJ. Tomorrow is more of the same... perhaps we will order the infamous Halloween costume online.

Keeping Busy

Little Monster's favorite pastime is bouncing in her spring-swing. Watch her little feet kicking up a storm! Dad wanted to put some Judas Priest in the video, but Mom wanted everyone to be able to hear the wee goblin's squeaks and giggles. Just let us know which you prefer in the comments section. Provided, of course, you prefer Judas Priest.

We think Little Monster might be teething. You've seen her teething ring in a photo or two, and she sometimes gets a little cranky and only somethin' to chaw on sets her right again. Who knows -- you may see the little nubs of some wee teeth here in the pictures sometime soon!

My, How Our Goblin Has Grown!

A friend of the family emailed some pictures that were taken at a BBQ when Little Monster was about eight weeks old, if Mommy remembers correctly. It's amazing to see how much she's changed and filled out. (Check out the photo at left.) That was also the only day that Madeleine has ever taken a pacifier on her own and for more than five minutes. Now she just chews on them, probably because we suspect she is heavily teething.

Dinner Thursday night went fairly well. Madeleine took a long afternoon nap, so Mom was able to completely prepare lasagna and most of the fruit cobbler, as well as attempt to toddler-proof the house before she even woke up. It was nice to visit with Fred and Rachel, and we always get such a kick out of two year old Spencer, who is such a character. Miss Fuss was a little out of sorts, so Mom had to hold her the whole time, but that's nothing new.

Friday Mommy had to get a pedicure for yesterday's wedding, and all the nail girls just fawned all over Little Goblin. Then we took a trip to IKEA, and hung around the house for the rest of the day. We went to watch the debates at a restaurant with some friends, which kept Little Monster up past her bedtime, but she just dozed most of the time anyways.

Yesterday was a bit difficult. Daddy had to be out at the wedding site at 10 a.m. so Mommy was on her own with the wee one. Fuss Goblin didn't want to nap all day, so by the time we got to the wedding at 5 p.m., Little Monster was way out of sorts, and Mommy was quite frustrated. Despite a cranky disposition, Miss Madeleine looked adorable and was definitely the cutest goblin of them all. Unfortunately, by the time we got around to a family picture, Miss Fuss was completely fed up with the whole thing, so this is the best shot we got. Oh well, there's always next time.

Where Does the Week Go?

Goodness. The week is almost over and we haven't posted since Sunday! Mom doesn't even have a good excuse, just preoccupied with Miss Fuss, which I'm sure you all can understand.

We proclaim sleeping in the crib at night a success! Little Monster has adjusted well to her new bedtime routine, which is bath at seven, then lotion and jammies, with bed at eight. We turn on the nightlight, humidifier for white noise, and mobile, then put Madeleine in her crib. Crying has lessened to only about five minutes, then Goblin drifts off to sleep until a five a.m. feeding. Day napping is still a little iffy. Mom decided yesterday that we need a routine, which she hasn't enforced up until now. Currently, Little Monster is screaming her head off in her crib for her morning nap. We'll see how the afternoon nap goes.

Yesterday Miss Fuss accompanied Mom to the mall to get her sapphire jewelry cleaned for Saturday's wedding. After a stroller ride through the mall and a stop to look at the tall fountain we went to the grocery store and then home for the day. Dad made a delicious prosciutto and basil pizza before heading off to trivia, and Mom bathed the Slobber Goblin and put her in bed. Today we will clean house a little bit and make dinner for Fred, Rachel, and Spencer. Vegetarian lasagna and salad is on the menu, which allows for Mom to take breaks throughout the day to tend to Little Monster. Hopefully the new nap time routine won't make her out of sorts for the evening visit.

Important Madeleine Update!

WE LIKE GRAPES.

Four Month Checkup = MONSTER GOBLIN!

It's official. Wee Goblin has graduated to Monster Goblin. At her four month checkup on Friday, Little Monster was 25 inches long (75th percentile) and weighed 15 lbs, 4 oz (80th percentile). Dad had guessed 16 lbs, 3 oz, and Mom said closer to 17 lbs, because Miss Fuss sure feels like she weighs a ton when Mommy's been carrying and bouncing her all day! Well, we overestimated, but are glad we have a healthy little house goblin. She also got two shots, one in each leg, and one oral vaccine. Poor baby. Dr. Koenig said she looks great, and it's just fine if we're not ready to start solids yet, as Wee Goblin is obviously thriving on nursing alone.

As you can see, Miss Fuss enjoys her jumper seat very much. She hasn't quite figured out the bouncing part, but likes to rotate in the doorway and act surprised every time Mom comes back into view. She also loves the Exersaucer more every day, and Daddy is amused to see her "doing something," like grabbing for the toys, instead of just lounging in the Boppy seat like the spoiled little Buddha we know she is. It's amazing how much Little Monster has changed in her short four months, from a little larva that was constantly sleeping and swaddled, to the happy, curious baby we have today. And there's still more to come!

This morning and early afternoon was spent with Daddy because Mom had a baby shower to attend. Then the whole family took an afternoon nap before dinner with Uncle Eric, Aunt Nicole, and Auntie Joddie. Little Monster was still quite tired from her antics with Dad though, so it was straight home for bath and bed after dinner. Dr. Koenig has ordered Mommy to stop rocking Wee Goblin to sleep, so as soon as she was sleepy, Mom put her in the crib to watch her new mobile and drift off to sleep. Hopefully the "crying it out" won't send Mommy and Daddy to the madhouse. Tomorrow, we will try to get up a new Madeleine movie.