Cousin photo shoot

Amber and I decided to get some pictures of Bethany and Charlie together and dressed them in overalls and hoped we could get a few cute shots. They did very well and not only did we get a few of them together, but they had some fun ones by themselves and with all 4 of us! Bethany will be 6 months next week and Charlie 3 months. It will be fun to do this periodically as they grow since they are so close in age.

Sitting Up!

On Friday April 16th, Bethany was able to sit on her own!

She felt confident enough to smile about it...

Then she got brave and started to reach towards me...

And promptly toppled over!

But, good job Bethany! You are doing so well sitting up a couple weeks before your 6 month birthday! We are so proud of you and happy that you are continuing to sleep through the night. Right now you go to bed around 7:30 and usually sleep until 5 a.m. and sometimes 6 a.m. for an early morning feeding before falling back asleep until 7:00 or 7:30! You are enjoying your rice cereal and little bits of veggies and fruit. We've tried peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, applesauce and prunes. You start out with a funny face and then eat a Tbs of a fruit and veggie along with a couple tablespoons of rice cereal 1 or 2x a day. Big girl!

Easter!

We had a great Easter at Amber and Brent's house last weekend. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed visiting their church. Bethany wasn't having as good of a day though... she was rubbing her eyes and they were all red and watery. After looking online and talking to the nurse line we are wondering if maybe it is allergies? It seems to happen when she is outside, or when we have the windows open. I hope not, as she was clearly miserable on Sunday.

But, we still enjoyed a great meal, and a fun Easter basket and egg hunt outside. Bethany and I beat Amber and Charlie in the egg hunt :)

Thanks Amber and Brent for hosting such a fun day!

A family photo

"What are these things on my head and why are you all looking at us wearing them? Stay back Charlie - I'll try to figure this out." - Bethany

Snuggling my red eyed, sniffly baby

Carrying on the tradition of coloring eggs with Bethany (although she doesn't appear to be enjoying it as much as we are!)

5 months old!

On Palm Sunday Bethany turned 5 months old! Only one more month until her real half birthday :) We went to Dan's parents church for the first time and then had a nice day at their house watching basketball while Dan got our taxes done for the year. The weather was nice so we went for a walk, and all this week its been even warmer! I can't believe today, April 1st, was over 80 degrees! We took Bethany for walks yesterday and today and she seems to be tired out from the wind and just being outside. Hopefully it turns into another long night sleep like last night.

Last year on April Fools Day we told my parents we were pregnant. It is funny to think how much has changed in one year!

We don't get updated stats on height and weight until her 6 month appointment but I can tell she is getting bigger. She is long and lean, but she does have chubby rolls in her little legs that are so cute and squeezable! Her hair is really getting worn off and all that is left is the ring of hair at the bottom of her neck... it looks like there is some blonder hair coming in so we'll see when she gets more hair again!

Bethany is getting really strong at pulling herself up into a sitting position when she grabs onto your fingers while laying down. She can't quite hold herself sitting straight up yet, but she's getting closer. She also really likes to grab things and study them and if you get your face close to hers, she loves to press her head next to us and grab and touch our faces. It is very sweet. She also likes to look around and know everything that is going on. When both Dan and I are in a room and one of us leaves, her eyes follow the one leaving and then she waits until we return and then gives us a big smile.

Bethany is also getting very good at putting herself to sleep! I'm sure we'll always have ups and downs, but she has been talking and humming herself sometimes instead of crying. And, if she cries at all it is usually very short and her eyes are closed as she drifts off. Her bedtime is around 7:30 or 8 and she sleeps until 5:30 for a quick feeding and then back to sleep until 7:30. Her naps during the day are usually 1 hour around 8:30 or 9, another nap for 1 or 1.5 hours at 11:30 and then a 2 or 2.5 hour nap at around 2 p.m. We are glad she is happy with a routine or schedule so she knows what happens next in her day, but also seems flexible when we have to adjust for changes. Now that we've been working on sleeping for about a month I am feeling more comfortable that she is starting to get it and changes once in awhile won't be as bad as they were before!

Bethany and her monkey at 5 months

Bethany - we are so happy you are growing and doing so well at putting yourself to sleep at night! You are getting to be such a big girl! We love your open mouth kisses and snuggles, and how your eyes get so big when you experience new things. Now that the weather is getting warmer we can't wait to show you how fun MN is outside. Pretty soon we can show you the boat at the lake and take you on your first ride.

We love you so much! Love, Mom and Dad