Last Saturday during a visit with Grandpa David and Grandma Vicki, the fam packed up the CRV and made a trek out along Route 2. First we ate lunch at Helen’s Restaurant in Concord (note: they serve Brigham’s ice cream — yum!) and then we went for a walk around Walden Pond.
Moogle (aka Marty) pointed out that it is a 1.8 mile walk around the pond and schooled us on the history of Thoreau, who lived in Walden Woods for several years. Here’s the Bean posing along the beach line.
Dad got a brand new camera. He has loved the Canon Digital Elph since he got one for Christmas five years before I was even born. So he bought the latest version of the camera, the SD600. And wow is it fancy. It has a large display screen, lots of options, and takes photos that can be printed to about 11 x 17 inches. That’s a big photo. Dad started taking pictures of me right away this morning (he’s off work for a few days). I still had my spaceman jammies on and to tease him I stuck my face right in the camera.
I got a taste of my first solids — a little bit of rice cereal — for dinner tonight. I don’t have the hang of eating from the spoon just yet, but it sure was fun to make a mess. As you can see I’m anxious to do the spoon thing all by myself, but Mom says I have to learn how to actually swallow the food on the spoon first before I feed myself!
Flora is getting the hang of tummy time these days, and during this session, Marty and I got her to belly laugh by quietly, then loudly, shaking her Sqwish. Who knew the Sqwish was so funny?
Well, I really turned four months old on Sunday, but today was my four-month checkup with Dr. G. I shot up to the 90th percentile for weight, height, and head circumference — Dr. G. says that makes me perfectly proportionate. After gaining nearly 4 pounds and growing more than 2 inches over the past two months, I weighed in at 15 pounds 4 ounces and measured 25.25 inches long! Pretty soon I can start eating solid foods — just wait to see how big I get then!
Dr. G. was happy to see that I have good muscle control and can pull myself up to a seated position and sit up (with help, of course), as well as push the top half of my body up during tummy time. My other new tricks are to pull out my binky… and put it back in … all by myself; roll over from my tummy to my back when I feel like it; raise my legs up high and bang them down on the floor; hold and play with all my toys (my current favorites are my Taggies blanket; my Carter’s Giraffe Teething Blanket and Caterpillar; My Sassy Toys Linking Letters; my Tiny Love Hummingbird Mobile and Butterfly; and my most, most favorite is my Manhattan Baby Sqwish); squeel and talk REALLY loud (I can even say Ma); and belly laugh … if I think you’re funny. But I showed Dr. G. my best trick of all … sticking my tongue out!
I was a really good girl and only cried a little bit when I got my shots, but unfortunately, I am coming down with my first cold, so I’m not too happy about that.
By the way, Dr. G liked my birth announcement so much she has it on her home bulletin board and is even going to use it as her screen saver — she said it was the best one she has ever seen, and she’s seen a lot! Way to go, Mom!
Marty and Flora wished me a happy, first Mother’s Day by making me breakfast in bed (cream cheese, chocolate chip, and banana stuffed french toast with berries and maple syrup … coffee … orange juice … yum!) and surprising me with a sweet, little bean necklace … Bean of course being Fora’s nickname!
What a wonderful way to start a dreary Sunday — it’s been down pouring all week! Happy Mother’s Day, Moms! And Happy 4-Month Birthday, Flora!
Here’s the Bean’s hands at age 3 months. Click the link below to see her feet … and her “chops.” Grandpa David will have to tell us the literal translation of the Chinese characters, but essentially one of the stamps is Flora’s Chinese name, Fu Lian, and the other is her American name, Flora Hergert. Grandpa David got the chops on his most recent trip to China.
While chillin’ in the Boppy pillow, Flora had fun playing with her feet. Of course sticking out her tongue is still her most favorite game to play. Thanks to Paige Zobenica who told me that you can get warmer photos indoors if you use the cloudy day setting and no flash. I like the slight blurry effect it produces.
Last night my Dad laid me on my tummy (my least favorite position) and I propped myself up on my arms AND my knees … and then … I rolled over! But, I soon spit up, so we’re going to give it another try tonight.
Today the Atlantic alum said goodbye to Julia, Ethan, and Asa at a farewell party hosted by Lucie and Richard (you remember them from one of our B-Side brunch dates). Somehow we managed not to get a single good shot of Flora and Asa together (admittedly, it was Flora who spoiled the shoot), but the paparazzi was in full force and Jen Farmer was able to snag this one. I guess Asa won’t have to put up with this sort of abuse anymore!
Being the two most spoiled babies in the Boston area, Flora and Asa walked away with an armful of gifties — thanks to all for thinking of them!
We wish Julia, Ethan, and Asa all the best in Chicago, and we’ll miss them tons!
This morning our neighbor Eric stopped by and brought Flora a t-shirt from his recent trip to Mexico — it’s a little, pink number with lots of fishies. Later in the afternoon, Jen (Younker) and Craig Gibson stopped by for a visit on their way in to town for a Red Sox game. They brought Flora a sweet wrist rattle and some Barefoot Books board books. Fussy Flo (aka Meltdwon Magoo, aka Captain Cranky Pants) gave Jen and Craig a small dose of things to come — they have a little one due in the beginning of October!
The weather was so warm today — nearly 80 degrees — that I got to dress Flora in my favorite sundress — a present Kat Newbegin sent her. Our neighbor, Brian, had the day off, so he and I drove down to SSgA and had lunch with Marty, Eric, and Kether in Post Office Square. Of course we had Mexican food to celebrate Cinco De Mayo!
Marty skipped out of work early, and when we got back home, Julia, Ethan, and Asa came over for a visit. We went for a walk through The Fells, then back home it was for a cook out and Coronas — the boys even did shots of tequilla to toast the finish of Ethan’s law degree! Flora was content to lay on the blanket and look up at the trees.
But just when I was sitting down to eat, Flora showed off her lung capacity by having a major meltdown, which was quickly resolved with a bath and bed. It was her second meltdown of the day — the first being in the lobby of SSgA when we pushed off her next feeding a little too long.
Mom and I met some old Atlantic alums for lunch at Henrietta’s Table in Harvard Square today. We walked all the way from Union Square with Julia and Asa and boy were the Moms beat! But Asa and I sure enjoyed being outside, and we even got to stop in the Walnut Street Park for a rest on the way home.
Me and Mom will sure miss them when they move to Chicago next week. But we’ve been meeting some other Moms and babies through the North Suburban Family Network, and yesterday after the parent infant group, she and I joined a bunch of them for lunch at Panera.
I hooked up our web camera last night to broadcast Flora’s smiling (or crying) face out to friends and family. We are using Yahoo! Messenger with voice, so you can even hear her across the internet. If you would like to see Flora, download the Yahoo! software and we will be logged in most evenings as dmhergert -at- yahoo.com. Come see the Flora show and, if you have your own cam, she would be delighted to see you as well.
Here’s Flora’s best Elton John impression — man, you should have seen her pound those ivory keys and sing the chorus: “…Oh no no no, I’m a rocket man … Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone…” — she’s a musical genius! Thanks for the cool sunglasses, Gram Kaye!
Mom had a spa day with some of her friends today, so Dad and I got to hang out all by ourselves. It was a sunny spring day. Dad put me in the stroller and I relaxed outside while he cleaned and stained the front porch. Around 1:30 pm when Dad was making lunch, I started to get really hungry. I squaked at him from my papasan chair until I finally got a bottle. But one wasn’t enough since it was only three ounces. When Mom got back, her cousin/Godfather, Michael, came over for a visit — he was in town for a teacher’s conference. He has three girls of his own, so he didn’t even blink an eye when I spit up all over his nice, black shirt … twice! We all went out to dinner at Stearns and Hill Bistro in Melrose Center. I was such a good girl I waited until everyone was done with their coffee and dessert before I made a peep — perfect timing, my Mom said.