Photo Palooza......5 Month Milestones, Daddy's Mini-Break Back Home In Maine and Lots More!

Goodness, where to begin? I have been so bad about updating the blog lately. I've good reason though. Its not like I've been sitting around doing nothing. Well, I've been doing a little of that now that Gareth is here for a few days, but when he's not here, I've got no time to lollygag whatsoever!

On Friday the 26th, Gabriella turned 5 months old. So hard to believe! It's really gone by so much faster than I thought it would and in a way, it's sorta sad. She's getting to be so big, physically and developmentally. Starting to sit up on her own, bit by bit...showing a preference for one toy over another - and I gotta tell you, if she drops it and can't get it back in her chubby little hands, watch out 'cause this kid's got a temper! Whoaaaa Nelly! She's also really starting to mimic the shapes that mommy and daddy's mouths make and we think she's pretty close to saying "hi"...actually she does say it. She's said it to both Gareth and I on a few occasions now. Pretty cool huh?

Adding solids to her diet continues to be a new adventure every single say. She does not, I repeat DOES NOT like runny food. She wants some texture! So we've been working on that. Her preferences though are oatmeal (none of that nasty baby rice cereal for Gabz), pears, bananas, green beans. squash and carrots, prunes, apples and *gag* spinach.

Seeing as how I know Grammie and the Aunts (especially the Aunties) are chomping at the bit for new photos, I suppose I'd better shut up and get on with it. So, here we go:

Mommy and Gaby on Gaby's 5-month anniversary:



Trying to get her to hold one of our little home-made anniversary markers. This time around it was much easier said than done:





Just moments after arriving back home after picking Daddy up from the airport on Friday morning...As you can tell, both were very happy to see one another!



Daddy tired her out:



Beaches wants some love too, now that her best buddy is back:



Trying one more time with the 5 month marker, before bed:



Daddy put together Gaby's brand new high chair (because Mommy had it for a week but had a major temper-tantrum trying to put the damned thing together) early Saturday morning and here's our girl getting ready for her breakfast!



Mmmmmmm yum!



All cleaned up and practising with the sippy cup, looking at it and wondering what she's supposed to do with it?



There we go, we've got the hang of it now!



Showing off her new bib:



She loves her snowbaby and this is the response I got when trying to take it away and get Gaby ready for her bath:



Daddy's are the bestest pillows in the world!



On Sunday we walked down to the beach (love living only 3 houses from the water). Here are Daddy and Gaby getting ready to go stake out our spot on the sand:



The rest of these are just some pics of the afternoon down at the water:



Gaby was not too thrilled at the "refreshing" temperature of the water:





We got Gaby a little baby beach tent.



Time for a snack:



After a brief nap, she's ready to play again:



We spent about 3 hours out there. Gaby was lathered from head to toe in sunscreen....I on the other hand, forgot most of my body. I am about as bright red as the steamed lobsters for which Maine is so popular.

While the baby beach hut was a cinch to put up, it wasn't so easy trying to get the damned thing folded back up, add to that, Gareth's efforts weren't exactly helped by the strong breeze blowing off the ocean:





He did finally manage to get the hut folded back up and put into it's little carrying case.

After a nice nap back at the house it was snack time. One of the mom's in my birth club talked about getting these baby-safe-feeder things, mainly because they are great to introduce foods to your baby and eliminate the choking hazard (it's got a little mesh bag you put the foods in), but they are also for teething babies. And I think we have a teething baby. So I cut up a nice juicy ice cold (I keep my fruit in the fridge, I abhor room temp fruits!) Braeburn apple and popped it into the feeder thing and Gaby LOVED it!



Here she is attacking it! When she was done with it, it was pureed!



A little bit later in the evening after tea, we sat out on the front porch for a while, just listening to the waves lap the shore and talking and enjoying the nice breeze.




And being that Gareth has never had a S'More in his life, I decided it was time to introduce him. And we did this the hard way seeing as how we haven't bought our BBQ yet (I'm getting there - well we are, this afternoon actually) and have not put together the fire pit. So we used a large candle.

Gareth trying the s'more.




Neither one of us really care for them, but you can't let a summer go by without at least cremating a marshmallow or two and having one.

I think that about does it for right now.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend.

Auds