Six Months or "Scoot-A-Rama"

HERE'S TO SIX MONTHS OF LIVIN'

Six months!  Can you believe that it's been six months?  Well, I can.  I mean - of course the time has flown - but since I am lucky enough to be with Analiese everyday I am also lucky enough to see every minute of her development.  And when you think that THIS:

Can so quickly change to THIS:

It is pretty amazing but it also seems like six months is a rapid amount of time to grow and change so much. Here are some of our favorite pictures and milestones that have occurred from month five to month six - -

Analiese has learned how to undo her cloth diaper covers.  It's really fun for me to discover her around the house with diapers dangling. Or worse, finding the diapers in their cover on the floor- - - with no baby in them.  Needless to say she wears her onesies more often now.

Analiese loves to drink water from our cups. She gulps down about three times more air than water, and most of the water goes down the front of her clothes, but she loves it anyway.

Since she was so enthusiastic about water, and watches us eat like it's a tennis match, we thought she might be ready for food.  It turned out that she wasn't so ready for that after all.  We'll stick to water and breast milk for now.

I joined a MOMS Club in this area in an effort to actually meet people.  Part of that experience has been joining a baby playgroup.  Our Analiese has been all over the southern CA area, passed around to multiple strangers, been to weddings, funerals, airports, etc. and has greeted everyone with a smile. Put her down on the floor with five other children under the age of 1 and this was her response.  She wanted none of it. For now, she spends her time on my lap while the rest of the babies roll around happily with one another.

The weather has finally cooled off around here.  Translation: The highs are usually only in the low 100's now.  As a result, we can hit the pool once in a while in the late mornings before the temperature rises.  Analiese plays happily for a long time in her little floaty frog.

 Analiese is a scooting machine. She's real thrilled with herself and the fact that she can get around the house without our help.  It's a game changer for us. Daytime relaxation is nonexistent. And watch out, because today she pulled herself into a standing position for the first time...

August Travels

WOW! That is the only word that comes to mind when I think about the month of August. WOW! It was a busy month and it included both being travelers and hosting those who were traveling.  To begin the traveling portion of our month, Analiese and I drove to Tehachapi to drop off our dog, Marshall, and our parakeet, Clover. My Nana had kindly volunteered to watch them for us while we were gone.

Luckily for us, our trip there coincided with the 38th Annual Mountain Festival. For those of you who aren't from small towns, you have no idea what this means. For those of you who have lived in small towns, you know exactly what this means. Here is a photo of the family as we lined Tehachapi Boulevard to watch the parade. Afterwards, we strolled the city park to check out the local arts and crafts booths and to catch up with lots of friends, many of whom I have known for two and a half decades.

We arrived home from Tehachapi in the evening and at 3:00 a.m. we got up, loaded the car and were on our way to Ontario Airport. A bit bleary eyed but very excited, we boarded our first flight as a family to visit Kentucky. A plane flight with a baby sure is different than a plane flight without one! Gone are the days of reading, sleeping, listening to music or daydreaming out the airplane window. Now, it's a contained traveling circus with two overly animated adult faces, as many small toys as can be crammed into the carry-on diaper bag, and lots of juggling/readjusting of a wriggling little human.
But, we can't complain because Analiese never made a peep of discontented noise on any of our four flights (much to the relief of those who were seated around us). It was mildly discomfiting to see the horrified gazes of our fellow travelers as we made our way down the aisle...What a relief to prove them all wrong!

We spent a week in Owensboro Kentucky and it was heaven. The weather was gorgeous and we all enjoyed the ability to sit outside. Bystanders were able to overhear Kevin and I explaining things like, "See Analiese? This is what the outside looks like.", "Those things are called trees", and "That's the color green. Some people get to see green instead of brown when they go outside". One of our favorite things to do when we are in Kentucky is to visit Papaw on his houseboat - and to take the pontoon around Rough River. 

 Analiese got to wear her first life vest and hang out with her mama on the water.  She loved it.  I realize that you can't control your kids - they are their own human selves - but it sure would delight me it if she loved the water as much as we do!



 

It was great to see Nana again. Analiese was just starting to be animated when Brenda came out to visit us in June. But two months makes such a difference and they spent many an hour playing and giggling together while we were there. 

She and her husband Steve live in a gorgeous, renovated, old Owensboro home. Steve's granddaughter coined the phrase GrandmaPa, which is what Analiese will call him, and we were proud to introduce the two. Steve and Brenda are amazing cooks and this was just one of the many great meals we shared together - laden with home smoked/BBQ'd meats, various homemade sauces, and about three hundred side dishes. This is life in the South - and I love it!

Analiese got to meet her Aunt Jordan for the first time and  the two hit it off splendidly.

She also met her extended Kentucky family.  Our Aunt Becky has a home out at Rough River.  She, Aunt Sandy and our dear cousins, Leigh Ann and Sara hosted a huge family get together.  We met them out on the river for some boating and swimming and then reconvened at Aunt Becky's house for a wonderful BBQ.  The table was groaning with homemade food and we had such a fun time.  Now - you might wonder, "Where are the pictures?"  That's what I wondered when I sat down to write this blog.  Amazingly enough, NOT ONE SINGLE PICTURE was taken of the whole day.  I am heartbroken.  The only thing I can say is that it just goes to show what a great time we were having - so great that I left the camera in the diaper bag inside and spent my time being present with our wonderful Kentucky family members.  Next time,  THERE WILL BE PICTURES!

Our trip to Kentucky was wonderful and we are already homesick and ready to return. We figure if Analiese's legs get any bigger, we might get to skip the plane altogether, strap ourselves to her back and have her run us there!

Robert Emery Whittier (July 15 1927 - August 16, 2011)

For the Thompson Tribe, August was a month of beginnings and endings.  The Beginnings were the subject of my last post. The Endings were symbolized most poignantly with the passing of my beloved grandfather, Robert Emery Whittier. Here he is with Analiese when we went to visit him on his 84th birthday in July. I admire my grandfather for many things, not the least of which has been his unwavering presence in the lives of my brothers and I.  But in the end, I admired his courageous choice to die naturally in his own home, rather than using medical technology to string along his last shred of human life.  I am grateful to have had him in my life for as long as I did, and for the fact that he got to see and hold his first great-grandchild on several occasions.  I wish his soul a safe journey.