Hummus Monster!

I gave Tessa zucchini and water for the first time today. I found a couple of sippy cups at Target for 89 cents each, and tried giving her water with and without the sippy lid. She preferred the sippy lid because she liked chewing on it. She didn’t drink any water, though! Without the lid, I had to help her tilt the cup so she could sip the water. I don’t think she liked it much! More water ended up on her tray and on the ground than in her mouth!


The zucchini was a hit! It took a while for her to come around to it, but once she did, she really seemed to enjoy putting it in her mouth and taking it out, over and over. I gave her some of my homemade (very mild) roasted red pepper hummus to go along with the zucchini. She really loved that! It got everywhere! She looked like a hummus monster by the time she finished eating, so it was straight to the bath tub! All in all, I think zucchini was a successful first food!


Licking the tray

Hummus EVERYWHERE! Even on her forehead!

6 month check-up & Project Five White Onesies ~ Half Birthday!

Today was Tessa’s 6 month appointment. It went really well! She hasn’t grown a whole lot since 5 months, but is still right where her pediatrician (and parents!) want her. Here’s where Tessa is now:
Weight: 15 lbs. 13 oz. ~ 25 -50%
Length: 26 in.* ~ 50%
Head Circumference: 16.25 in. ~ 5-10%
All percentiles are based on the Baby Growth Percentile Calculator on BabyCenter.com
*Her nurse measured her length at 25 in., but I know she didn’t shrink this month, so I measured her again at home, and she is still right around 26 in.

I really like Tessa’s pediatrician. She is very down to earth and always cites her sources, which is important to this teacher!! She also doesn’t make me feel guilty about anything and often states statistics and research followed up with “but you do what works for your family.”

Here are my ups and downs from the visit (a la PregTASTIC!):
Downs:
~ Shots! I hate watching my smiling, laughing baby girl crumble into tears with that needle prick!
~ Tessa’s doctor said it seems that Tessa may have a little stranger anxiety. This isn’t devastating, or anything. In fact, it’s probably good for her to be a little anxious around strangers. But, I don’t want her to be as devastatingly shy as I was! Another reason for me to keep going to MOPS, for the childcare experience!
Ups:
~ Everything looks very healthy! Skin, eyes, ears, growth chart, diaper area
~ Tessa’s doctor said she seems very smart. Her recognition skills are beyond six months and are more like a nine month old!

I forgot to add one thing to yesterday’s 6 month post. Tessa is moving around so much these days! I’m not sure how, because she always does it when I’m not looking. I’ll put her down on one side of the bed, and several seconds later, she’ll be all the way over to me with her arm resting on top of my shoulder. And our bed is a California King, so that’s a long way for her to move! Also, when I go check on her during naps, she’ll be completely upside down from the way I left her! It has become close to impossible to change her diaper because she flips around constantly! Poopie diapers are seriously dangerous now, with poo ending up in areas it should never be, like on her foot, on her elbow, on MY elbow, etc. It looks like we’ve officially entered the stage of disgusting diaper stories. I’ll try my best to not share too much, and always warn you if it’s gross!

And for my Project Five White Onesies ~ Half Birthday part of this post:

More appliqué! I showed off the front of the onesie yesterday, but didn’t show a picture of the back. Isn’t that heart so cute!

And an update on washing the onesies ~ I’ve machine washed and tumble dried all of them, and so far, so good!

Half a Year!

Today Tessa is six months old! That is half of the year already! Tessa’s 6 month well baby check-up is tomorrow, so I’ll post her measurements tomorrow night.

Tessa, you are half a year old already! These past 6 months have been the best and most adventurous of our lives! You had a busy month. Here’s what you’re up to:
• You are barely wearing size 3-6 month clothing still and just moved up to a size 3 diaper, although they are really big on you.
• We went on our first long road trip this month to Ventura, Sacramento, Angels Camp, back to Sacramento, and back to Ventura! You were such a trooper in the truck and only whined a little bit! You got to meet your new cousin Scotland, your Lopez cousins, the Fulp family, Stephanie and Rob, your cousins Amy, Ryan, and Gavin, and the Eveland family. Everyone loved meeting you!
• We went to the California State Capitol building. I have wanted to go there for decades, so I took you for the tour! We didn’t get to meet the Governor, but you got to experience your first protest while we were there!

• You are communicating pretty well. I know your cries and yells much better now. You have even signed “milk” a couple of times to tell me you’re hungry!
• We started to feed you solid food last week. You aren’t quite sure what to do with it yet, but seem to enjoy exploring the new things we’ve given you.

• You are sitting so well now! You sit more often than you lay down now, while playing. You have become so strong and are confident enough to reach for your toys!
• You have graduated to the big tub! You like it so much more than your baby tub and the shower. You never liked your baby tub, and you barely tolerated the shower, but you actually have tried to enjoy the tub a couple of times! I know you'll be a good bather someday. You have to be! You're MY child!
Picture was censored to protect Tessa's privacy!

• I left you at child care for the first time this month for MOPS. I cried when I left the room. So did Grammie! Grammie’s friend, Miss Mary, checked on you several times and said you were playing, swinging, and sleeping. When I picked you up, you were asleep with a toy gripped in your little hands! The nursery care lady said you had fun and played with the other little girl in the room most of the time. I know you’re going to be little miss social!
• You are now facing out in your big girl stroller. I think you like it, because you get to see a lot more of the world!

• You danced this morning for the first time! When you are in your exersaucer, you like to push the music buttons, and this morning I found you swaying and bouncing along with the music!

You got to spend a lot of time with Daddy this month! I think you are just as lucky as he is to get to spend all that time together! You are both my favorite people, and I love you so much!

I put together a collage of the pictures of her first 6 months. Look how much she has grown!

And here is a comparison from when she was just a few minutes old to now!

Last year at this time:

Project 5 White Onesies ~ It's Gameday!

Ryan, Tessa, and I were invited to a diaper shower that takes place during a Chargers game. The hosts requested that we all wear our Chargers gear to cheer on the team as we celebrate the coming of their new baby girl! Tessa has some official Chargers clothes from grandparents and cousins, but it is all pretty much too big. It’s set aside for postseason and the Superbowl!! So, I quickly whipped up this appliquéd lightning bolt onesie for today’s party! I think it turned out to be really cute!!


I was a little concerned about the thickness of felt, so I appliquéd the blue bolt onto the onesie, and the white and yellow bolts together. Then I put them all together. I put the SD on her back to finish the look! For accessories, I cut a pair of her Chargers socks that no longer fit and used them as wrist bands. Her HUGE yellow bow tops off the outfit perfectly! Plus people will know she’s a girl with this big of a bow in her hair!


I am very pleased with the final result! We’ll see how it looks after being washed. I think I’ll probably hand wash.
GO CHARGERS!

Tomorrow is Tessa’s half birthday! I’ve already finished her onesie for the occasion! Tomorrow’s post will be a combo 6 month update and Project Five White Onesies post!

**When I was at MOPS last week, I was able to pick up 4 more plain white onesies! Now that I’m addicted to appliqué, I know the projects are going to keep on coming!**

 

Welcome Fall!

Project Five White Onesies ~ Appliquéd Monogram

I LOVED this project! It was so easy, fast, and adorable! I may start appliquéing a lot more often! Another one of my Five White Onesies ideas also involves appliqué, but I won’t be able to work on that one until I get back home. (Ryan doesn’t have an iron at his apartment!)

Tessa had just woken up from a nap when I took this picture. She wasn't in the mood to model.

So, I have two onesies done, two planned and/or started, and one more onesie. Any suggestions on what I should do for the final project? I’m thinking some sort of Halloween project. (The other appliqué I have planned has an autumn theme.)

Road Trip ~ Part 1

Last Wednesday, Tessa and I hit the road for her first long road trip! We drove up to Ventura Wednesday night, late, so Tessa slept the entire way. Yea for a nice smooth drive through Los Angeles! On Thursday, we finally went to meet our newest family member, little Scotland! He is a doll! I can’t believe Tessa was that small just 4 ½ months ago! That evening, we drove out to Magic Mountain to pick up Daddy for Labor Day weekend! Yea!
We had a pretty low key weekend. Ryan's Mom was away, so we had her house to ourselves (plus Pura Vida (cat) and Teddy (dog)).

Tessa loved the animals! She kept grabbing their fur. I was able to quickly protect the poor, unsuspecting animals from Tessa's yank! She is one strong little lady, and I don't think the dog or cat would be as forgiving as Mommy is when her hair is pulled!

We spent time with Papa and Karie on Friday. Molli and Scotland came up to Ventura on Saturday, so Ryan was finally able to meet his new little nephew. Unfortunately, we didn't get any pics of Ryan or Tessa with Scottie! I only have some with me!

Look how well Tessa is sitting now!

Saturday night was Brandon’s birthday dinner (a cousin on the Lopez side of the fam.) We had a great time at the pizza parlor. Tessa was in a great mood and played with her aunties, uncles, and cousins with hardly any fussing!
Tessa with her Lopez cousins

On Sunday, Ryan, Tessa, and I went up to Ronnie and Mia’s for BBQ and pool time. Their daughter is 10 months older than Tessa, so it was nice to spend time in a home that is baby proofed and a hot tub (warm tub) that is kept at 90 degrees!

Monday was the first long leg of our road trip. Ryan, Tessa, and I drove to Sacramento. It’s about 6 hours from Ventura. I was pretty nervous, because I’ve had short drives from Riverside to San Diego that take 2-3 hours due to a certain unhappy, screaming passenger! Tessa was fantastic on this trip! She fussed a little, but I was able to keep her entertained most of the time! Hooray!

I just realized how long this post will end up if I write about the entire week, so I’ll just leave you with Labor Day weekend for now. I’ll write more about our trip soon. Let me just say that Tessa and I are so happy to be spending so much time with Ryan!