Oh Canada!

They are 4 1/2 years apart but can still share clothes! Thanks, cousin.

Here's Lillian (ridiculously adorable! doesn't she make you laugh!) at 8 months, 15 lbs...

And Gemma at 6 months, 16 lbs...

And so it begins...

Hey, Dad, what is this stuff?

Gemma is now entering into the world of eating solids! Here we are starting out with a few teaspoons of rice cereal. She has had a few days of trying it out and doesn't seem too interested yet; in fact, her 1st attempt (above) seemed to be the most successful. Since then she has made a lot of faces at the cereal and mostly likes to suck on the spoon and fling it around. If we put the food on our index fingers, she will eat off that better than off the spoon. But we will keep trying, bit by bit. Motivations: avocado! sweet potatoes! bananas!

Mom friends out there: any tips??

Update on her 'stats' after the 6 month check-up yesterday:
16 lb 1 oz; 26.5 in. - at 50% for weight and 75-90% for height.

Out to dinner!

Last weekend we finally braved the challenge of going out to dinner with Gemma - in fact, we went along with Kevin and Laura and Emma (2 months older than Gemma) to an Afghan restaurant. Delicious homemade bread and lamb & chicken kabobs and hummus.

Leading up to meeting at the restaurant was a funny series of phone calls between Laura and I: "Let's meet at 5:15"..."No wait, Emma is still napping, make it 5:45"..."No wait Gemma is still napping, make it 6:00"..."No wait she is awake, make it 5:45"...and so on. With babies this age, every 10 minute interval feels important! especially in the evening when Gemma gets tired and can fade into fussiness very quickly. But as it turned out, she and Emma were very calm and well-behaved, and Gemma seemed to enjoy looking around at the people and the twinkle lights and listening to the Afghan music. So that was our welcome to the world of eating out - early dinners! - as a family!

Kevin and Laura are friends from church and one of the couples in our small group.


While we ate, Gemma sat in her Bumbo seat and threw a variety of toys on the floor.

The girls checking each other out...shortly after this photo, Gemma leaned over and grabbed Emma's hair, and Emma promptly attempted to crawl away.

Welcome, Elsie Katherine!

We are so excited and thankful for the arrival Noah and Katie's beautiful new daughter:

Elisabeth "Elsie" Katherine Brink

Born Thursday 3rd March, 4:20 AM, 7lbs 4oz and 20.5 inches

What a precious bundle with such a cute nose and mouth! Gemma is particularly excited; that makes 6 cousins born within a year of her - wow! We are looking forward to meeting Elsie, hopefully in a couple of months when we travel down to Memphis in May.

6 Months Old

Some faces of our happy 6 month old...

Sitting up pretty well these days; laughing and "singing"/humming; grabbing everything she can - particular favorites are hair, strings, scarves & anything that rattles or crinkles; getting closer to sleeping all the way through the night i.e. 7 PM - 7/8 AM (doing this off/on now, but usually still up once a night to eat); leaning into our faces to nuzzle and get kisses; actually jumping in the jolly jumper; turning her head & smiling when Daddy enters the room.


And her #1 activity: KICKING! She still loves the bouncy seat and her play mat and goes nuts flinging all 4 limbs around to hit objects, and lately she has been sitting on the floor in a semi-reclined position (back against a pillow, like the photo below) kicking at her blocks and other toys, with another block in her hand to chew on. And yes, we are biased, but she really enjoys her mini soccer ball and will push it away and kick at it, and even lift it with two feet up to her hands! Still trying to get that on film.