Rolling Along

Things have been rolling pretty smoothly here in Connecticut. Spring is definitely on the way. I wouldn't say we've had warm weather, but it's been pretty nice. The sun has been shining, the birds are singing every morning, and the air has that fresh crisp smell. It's enough to put a smile on your face in anticipation of longer days and outside fun :).

We're all finally healthy again and hoping that things stay that way. Last week was relatively uneventful. Millie went in for her second DTaP shot on Thursday. It was the easiest vaccination in the history of vaccinations -- at least to our knowledge :). I don't think Millie even knew she got a shot! She was too busy looking around, watching the clock, and smiling at mommy. Her smile never broke and not one tear fell. I wasn't entirely convinced that the nurse actually GAVE her a shot, but the needle prick was there on her little thigh as proof, so... I wasn't going to complain! Millie did well the rest of the night too, though the shot must have made her feel a little icky 'cause she nursed and slept for most of the evening and didn't want to be far from mama. Again, no complaints from me! And for those keeping track, Millie weighed in at 13 lbs. 3 oz. Not too shabby! No height measurements since we were just there for the shot, but we'll get the full work-up for our 6 month appointment in April. I can't believe Miss Millie is already 5 months old! It's cliche and all, but they really do grow up too fast...

Friday night mommy, daddy and Millie went out to dinner at the Silvermine Tavern. It was a nice treat for mommy and daddy and Millie was a very good girl -- alternating between laps and her car seat. She got lots of attention from the other diners and enjoyed looking around at everything. Turns out we just missed our friends Kara, Ian and baby Em who also dined there that night. They arrived just 15 minutes after we left. We're still a bit stuck in our Midwestern ways and have not adjusted to the New England habit of late dinners... Sigh. 8:00 just seems SO late :). At any rate, we had a nice night.

Saturday we ran errands and then enjoyed an afternoon with the other mommies, daddies, and babies at Baby Cole's house. Donna and Peter have a beautiful home and we really enjoyed the company of the other parents and seeing all the other babies (minus Jonathan's family this time...). We're hoping that we can get everyone together in April at our house :). Millie had fun playing with her toes (we were assured from the other parents that she is not alone in this obsession) and checking out the other babies. Millie does not like to miss a minute of the party, but eventually she did give in and take a little nap in mommy's arms. All of the babies were so good and so fun to watch. Cole is a jockey in the making as he "rode" his bouncy chair!

Millie and Emerson took some time to try to figure each other out. I think they wanted to eat each other's hands :). And yes, Millie had a wardrobe malfunction and had to change outfits!

It was fun to see all the dad's interacting with the babies too. I think there were several points when all of the dad's had the little ones in their arms. :)

John and Baby Anna, Peter and Baby Cole

Jason and Baby Chase

Ian and Baby Emerson

A picture of all the baby girls: Me and Millie (the youngest), Kara and Emerson (1 week older than Millie), and Katharine and Anna (3 weeks older than Millie)

Somehow Emily, Dave and baby Will escaped my camera this time -- so did Carrie and Donna. Hmm. Next time :)!

Today has been a quiet day at home. Millie did some tummy time this morning and rolled over 5 times in a row!! (with some good quality and enjoyable playtime in between) I think maybe the rolling thing has finally clicked :). At least from her tummy to her back. I don't think she's had any desire to go from her back to her tummy yet! She'll roll on to her side though -- especially when she's playing with her toes :)! Millie and daddy went for a stroll this afternoon so Millie could try out her new wheels. They must be pretty cozy 'cause she fell asleep on her walk and is still sleeping in the stroller (inside the house)!

Just two more weeks of work before I get a week off :)!! We're looking forward to having so much of our family here with us during that break! Hopefully spring is really in full swing then!

Opening Day!

Tomorrow is opening day for the 2008 baseball season. As you can see Millie is conflicted on which team to root for. There are the Detroit Tigers, who are clearly awesome and poised to have a big year (if the pitching holds up..._). There are the St. Louis Cardinals, who are always in the picture and have had more recent success (see Me in Front of Things for the details). Anyway, as you likely know, Daddy is and always has been a Tigers fan, whereas Mommy grew up rooting for the Cardinals. The Ross side of the family had Cardinals gear for Millie as early as last June, when Millie went to her first game in St. Louis. She even got to meet Fredbird (although she was still just a little chickpea...) and got a stuffed Fredbird from Uncle Brandon. The Reithel side responded to the challenge in August with some Tigers gear as Cousin Meghan picked out the Tigers bear for Miss Millie.

So Millie, who is it going to be? The TIGERS of course! Whoops, that was daddy talking. Luckily she doesn't have to choose sides. We play in different leagues, play in interleague games once in a while and have met in the World Series twice before (Tigers 1, Cardinals 1). Even in 2006, the World Series battle did not strain our relationship in the least. As much as it sucked that the Tigers lost (sloppily, clumsily, sigh...), I was glad that if it wasn't the Tigers it was the Cards. Plus, I think it is perfectly acceptable to favor a team in each league. So we will try and straddle the fence and try and maintain equal favorites. We just have to make sure Millie does not stray to the dark side - in Connecticut, it seems most people are big Yankees fans! I am sure out Midwestern friends agree with me when I say "Yikes!" Other folks are split between the Red Sox and Mets - not too many Tigers or Cards fans out here. I And hey, maybe Millie will not like baseball games at all, which is fine too. In the meantime, since she can't do anything about it, we will dress her up in her team duds and say Go Tigers! (um, and go Cards!)

Happy Easter!!

Millie was just the picture perfect Easter baby yesterday. Today will be a pretty quiet day for us as usual, but we don't mind. We all got up early and went to church. We hadn't made it in awhile, but Millie was well behaved as always and had a nice time looking around at all the people. All that stimulation made her sleepy and she crashed on the way home and continued her nap when we got there. Pretty much typical Sunday stuff around the house for the rest of the day. We wish we were able to see family and friends for Easter, but hopefully everyone is having a nice day! We have gotten some nice Easter cards and are happy to be thought of. Here are some more recent pictures and Millie updates. As you can see from the pictures, Mommy and Daddy are blessed to have a super happy and fun baby. We get lots of smiles and laughs out of her. Millie always has a nice big smile for me when I get home from work. Whether it is because she is happy to see me or because she thinks I am funny looking, I am not sure. Maybe it is both. Either way, it is great to come home to 2 special ladies!

Millie got a present from Grandma Lainey and Grandpa Ric for Easter. It is her new favorite friend Twinklebug, whose cheeks light up and plays "Twinkle Twinkle" little star when you press her tummy. But mostly, her crackly wings are really tasty.... Millie will reach both hands out for her so she can munch away.

Millie also has another favorite toy - her toes! She found them on Thursday and has been enjoying them ever since. It has been suggested that she will be a toe sucker because of her breech position in the womb, but she hasn't gotten there yet. I think she probably will soon enough!

Millie has been enjoying tummy time more and more lately (or at least putting up with it longer). On Friday, Daddy finally got to see her roll over from her tummy to her back for the first time. I was quite impressed. Millie is definitely getting to be a big girl and she is doing great!

Could it be...spring?





Thursday was the first day of spring and we are finally seeing some signs of it around here! Shannon and Millie had Good Friday off and spent some time outside. There are some of these random purple flowers popping up and they took some great pictures. Hopefully, this is a sign that the cold weather is going to stay away!

Straight from the Patch

The cabbage patch that is...

Grandma Reithel sent Millie some new handmade hats yesterday. Millie is not generally a fan of hats, but she liked wearing these! And I think she looks a bit like a cabbage patch doll with the yellow one on :). Thanks Grandma!

More Birthday Fun!

We all had a great time in Boston on Sunday celebrating Cal's first birthday. Millie did a great job in the car on the way up -- slept for most of the 2 1/2 hour ride! There were so many new things to look at when we got to Bevin and Robert's that Millie had a hard time concentrating on anything -- even eating! And then, the babies came! There were SO many babies!! There were a couple of really little ones, the youngest only 3 weeks old, and lots who were a few months older than Millie (closer to Cal's age) and then a couple of "big boys" (3 and 5). It was great fun to see all the different stages of development in one room! Millie was only able to take it all in for about an hour and then she passed out in mommy's arms. It was good timing, 'cause she slept while mommy and daddy ate some lunch. When she woke up again, she was ready to play and charm like always! Cal is super cute and did a great job sharing all his toys with everyone. Millie really liked his play mat and his birdies :). We even got to see a Leprechaun :)! Bevin and Robert are still doing such a great job as parents (no surprise) and are an absolute inspiration for how we want our family to be. The ride home was a success too, though we stopped one time for Millie to eat. All in all it was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday!

Happy Birthday Cal!

Sittin' Around


Hey Dad, look at me!


Ahhh, I'm just gonna stretch a bit before I go for my nightly run :)


Am I doing this right?!

If at First You Don't Succeed....

The end attempt was videoed yesterday afternoon while mommy and Millie waited for daddy to come home from work. It wasn't the first time Millie rolled over, but it was the first time I was able to get it on video. It's a nice leisurely roll with a brief intermission on the side and a couple of stops for snacking on arms and fingers :). The successful roll is worthy enough to be seen in it's entirety (in my humble opinion...).

Picture of Good Health



Millie is finally over her flu :). We all had our first good night of sleep in about a week on Wednesday and Millie made it back to daycare on Thursday (which meant that Daddy made it back to work...). Her first day back was pretty good, though her nose was still a little runny, and when she got home yesterday afternoon she was all smiles. I think we have our happy little girl back :)

Magical Mentholatum



There is a strange attraction? addiction? love? of Mentholatum among the Ross family that stretches back at least 3 generations. Auntie LoLo and Grandma Babe border on the obsessive. In fact, Grandma Babe and Grandpa Bill are quite mixed up in my first memories of Mentholatum. I actually thought that it was a product of the 60's that wasn't around anymore but just happened to be in my grandparent's medicine cabinet still (something about the packaging just made it seem really old...). I was shocked to find out as an adult that they still made it and that I could buy it too! And of course, our house is stocked with it. We also have some Vicks VapoRub, but I refuse to use it, it just isn't the same. While Grandma Babe and Grandpa Bill passed on my love for Mentholatum, Grandpa Bill never was able to convince me to tie a sock around my throat when I was using it :).

Anyhoo, the Mentholatum tradition has been passed on to yet another generation. Millie took her first mentholy whiffs yesterday as we worked to clear up her poor little nose so she could breathe. I think she liked it :).

Daddy Daycare, Part 2

So, Millie was running a slight fever last night and didn't sleep so great, so she stayed home again with Daddy. One aspect of the day was much better - not as much hassle from work. Unfortunately, Millie and I did not have a repeat performance of yesterday. Of course she was still a super sweet little smiley baby, but she really wasn't into the whole eating or sleeping thing quite as much. A little more into the fussing and crying. We made Mommy come home a little early from work and after that she was much happier. Again, the mommy is the best. Its just an undeniable fact. We started out the day pretty well with a bath and a visit to the Doctor (just in case). As always, she had tons of fun at the doctor's and they thought things were running their course and to keep an eye on her. I think they also thought, "Why are you here again?" Better safe than sorry of course, besides, what do we know - how often have we had to care for a sick 4 month old? (Um, never). Really the only thing that seems to be bothering her is a stuffy little nose - we have to clean that out for her. She is not that big of a fan, but it must be done. All that said, it was a pleasure to be able to hang out with the baby for a couple of days. She should be back in action at daycare tomorrow. Now the mommy and daddy need to stay flu-free! Wish us luck!

Daddy Daycare

So, the baby Millie is still experiencing some flu-related symptoms, so it was Daddy's turn to stay home with the baby! She stayed home yesterday with Mommy, but she is all out of sick days until September! (Sidebar: It is completely ludricous that she was forced to take most of her sick time before going on short term disability when Millie was born. Mothers are definitely not given adequate time off/benefits in this country. At least some companies have figured this out and go beyond what the law says they have to, some haven't. Okay, preaching to the choir....) Anyway, Millie and I got to spend the entire day together for the first time. I am happy to report that we had a great day. Millie took about 9 oz from the bottle with only minor fussing. She took a long nap and also several little cat naps. She spent much of the day as a little potato sack and kept Daddy pretty much occupied and one handed for most of the day. We also had some playtime and some good laughs. Unfortunately, Daddy got bothered by work throughout the day, but luckily one-handed one-sentence emails sufficed for the most part. It was nice to spend time with the baby and also find out that I can adequately care for her for a whole day. I think if Mommy were here, it would be a different story since Millie knows that Mommy is the best! She is so smart! (Note to mommy: No editing allowed). We may have a repeat performance tomorrow so hopefully it goes as well as today.

Sick Days

We've been busy the past few days taking care of a sick little baby. Millie started running a fever Friday afternoon. She had fussed about taking the bottle at daycare on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and had a very slight dry cough on Friday along with a runny nose. So, we bailed on a dinner party at Stephanie's on Friday and kept an eye on things. Millie continued to run a fever Saturday morning, so we made a trip to the Dr.'s office.

As usual, Millie was a happy smiley baby at the Dr.'s office -- she definitely didn't act sick! But, this time she WAS still running a fever, so we didn't have to try to justify being there ;). Millie got looked over -- lungs were fine, ears were fine and she was still smiling! The Dr. decided to swab for RSV and on a whim decided to swab for flu too. We really weren't expecting anything to come of either one, but the Dr. came back with the news -- it's the flu!

We got a list of things to watch for (lethargy, dehydration, etc.), an order to give Tylenol if she became fussy/uncomfortable, and that's about it. Not much else for us to do except give lots of love and snuggles. So, that's how we spent our weekend. I gotta say, she must have the most mild case of the flu ever 'cause it hasn't been too bad. I don't know if Millie would say the same thing or not, but there weren't a lot of overt symptoms. She never really developed a cough and her fever stayed low. If she was achy and miserable, she didn't really let it show. She needed to be held a lot, nursed a lot and slept a lot during the day, but she never really got overly fussy. And we're not complaining!

Mommy stayed home from work today to give Millie some extra care and nursing time -- she slept a LOT! About four hours straight! She remained fever free for the most part and started to seem more like herself when she was awake. We're going to keep her home one more day just to make sure she's fully healthy -- tomorrow is daddy's turn :)!

More fun

Tummy time is much more fun with a friend :)