First Time for Everything

Vanessa also received a highchair from Santa (her great aunts) and sat in it for the first time last evening. What a big girl!!! Vanessa's been showing signs that she's ready to eat, so we started with rice cereal before bedtime last night. For a baby's first feeding you're supposed to dilute it a whole lot -- 1 part cereal to 4 or 5 parts infant milk -- so it was like spooning milk into her mouth. Even so, it was as if Vanessa knew what her highchair was for -- she started smacking her lips as soon as we put her in it. She did an awesome job swallowing the first few spoonfuls. She even wanted to try using the spoon herself. Toward the end of the feeding she started spitting it out, so we took that as a sign she was finished, especially since she seemed to be swallowing most of it at the beginning. We may try a thicker consistency tonight. If so, I imagine she'll get messier . . .

Scratch That!

Okay . . . scratch the frog play mat. Vanessa's favorite toy now is the ExerSaucer Santa (Grandma and Grandpa) gave her for Christmas. Check it out! She loves it! She's already rotating in it and has also figured out several of the toys.

New Favorite Toy

Vanessa has a new favorite toy. It's an activity mat that has an inflated outer ring and a water filled center. There are also inflated frogs that are part of the outer ring. She loves to stare at the frogs’ big eyes . . . and she’ll even talk to both of them. In the water filled center there are floating toy insects and a snail. She tries really hard to pick ‘em up! She loves this toy so much that she’d sleep on it if I’d let her!

Four Months

Vanessa just turned 4 months yesterday. We can't believe it! She's changing way too fast, but it's very enjoyable to watch. She's well aware of her surroundings now. She's laid back and likes to observe things. When she's comfortable, she talks a lot. She likes to smile and laugh when you tickle her. She likes to play Where's Vanessa? She holds objects and shakes rattles. She rolls over, and loves to do it when you're not looking to get a reaction out of you when you do look. (See picture for example.) She tries to sing along with her mommy in her sweetest, softest, high-pitched voice. She chews on a lot of different things. She'll follow your every move with her eyes. She's been sleeping through the night for several weeks now. She even smiles when taken to her crib. Now we're trying to regulate napping -- on average she'll nap for twenty minutes or so, four times a day. Mommy thinks Vanessa would be happier if she would take two longer naps instead. She'll figure it out, though. She did an awesome job figuring out her current sleeping schedule! Her new interests are studying how people use the TV remote and phones. Vanessa's realizing that even though a person is looking at her while on the phone, he or she is not necessarily talking to her. "And how does Daddy's voice come through that thingamajig? I don't see him!" These are just a few of the wonderful things she does. As many of you know, I could go on and on. :)

HO! HO! HO!

Because she's cute in her outfit . . .

Vanessa's First Christmas Tree

We haven't decorated it yet, but it was so much fun to take Vanessa to get her first tree! Now I think she's wondering why we put the thing in our house . . .

Are you a morning person?

Vanessa is a morning person. Here are a few photos from our collection that were taken soon after she gets out of bed in the morning. She makes getting up in the morning awesome! We always look forward to her glowing face and endless laughter. (The second one shows how fast she moves -- she's quick, like a ninja! ;-)

Neglected Vanessa

This week Vanessa and her mommy went to three different malls and several department stores looking for hot pink tights. We finally scored a pair yesterday! Although the tights will complete an outfit for Vanessa to wear for the next two months, she didn't quite understand why they were so important to Mommy. So, being the independent little girl that Vanessa is, and because her mommy's attention was more on looking and trying to brainstorm alternatives, she learned to hold her bottle for short periods of time. Poor girl . . . (The truth: Vanessa would do this as her mommy tried to hold the bottle for her. Of course each time Mommy had to let go to see how long she would hold it! She wouldn't do it for very long, but she did do it! And yes, I'm sure the burp rag and blanket helped to balance it -- don't burst my bubble!)

New OSU Sweater and Hat

Vanessa received this beautiful new sweater and hat from friends. As you can see, she's extremely excited to wear them, even if she has a little growing to do before they fit well. And she loves the taste of scarlet and gray!