More photos from Granddaddy's and Grandmom's Visit

As promised, more pictures from the second week of the visit with Granddaddy and Grandmom.

During the second week Granddaddy Bruce and Grandmom Caroline visited us, we all enjoyed a concert at the zoo. The ZooTunes concerts are held in the summer and are very family friendly. This concert was Jadyn's first, and it was a warm day with bright sun. The performance (Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, and Shawn Colvin shared the stage) began a little after 6 and they were finished around 8. Jadyn weathered the sun and heat well, enjoyed being passed around to be entertained, and chewed on her toes as well as a toy.






The heat and wall-to-wall sunshine continued, and the next day, while dining in a pub, Daddy thought giving Jadyn a cool beer glass to suck on would be soothing to her. Jadyn liked it! She also liked being propped in the corner of the booth.


On the 4th of July, another warm and sunny day, we had a BBQ in our backyard, thankfully shaded by an apple tree by the time the gathering began. Jadyn spent quality time with her grandparents as well as relaxing on a blanket, practicing her roll over moves and reaching for the grass.





Here are a few other pictures we hope you like.

A family photo at a Seattle park

Jadyn, pensive and sleepy

Practicing sitting with the support of the Boppy pillow

We've Been Busy!

Sorry there has been such a gap in posts, but we have been busy! We had two weeks with Grandmom Caroline and Grandaddy Bruce visiting us here in Seattle, and we took TONS of pictures. Below you'll find a few from the first week. There will be more posts soon with photos from the second week of their visit.

Here are a couple of shots of Gmom and Gdaddy's first evening with Jadyn. She was very playful and everyone in the family enjoyed trying to get Jadyn to make raspberries with her tongue. She tried her best!



Jeff took some time off while Bruce and Caroline were in town, and so there were plenty of opportunities to catch Jadyn enjoying time with Daddy....


and Grandaddy....


We spent at day on the Kitsap Peninsula trying our luck at clamming. Here's Jadyn and Grandmom studying the beautiful surroundings....


and Jadyn with Mommy....


Jadyn continues to practice her raspberry skills (thanks, Jeannie and Alexa, for the Whoozit toy)


A particularly sweet moment frozen by the camera

Update: 4 months and going strong!

Jadyn turned 4 months a couple of days ago, and we celebrated with a doctor visit and some immunizations. At the doctor appointment we learned she is now 12 pounds and 23.75 inches long; she is just 'perfect' in her growth progression; she is not yet teething; and she just might be learning to manipulate us. We got some tips as to how to get her to sleep without creating bad habits that will be hard to break. We were also given the green light to start solid food if she shows interest in the food we're eating. She hasn't yet, so we'll put off the soupy mess of rice cereal dripping all of her and us until she does.

Two weekends ago we spent a couple of nights in Ocean Park, a beach community on a peninsula in the southwest corner of our state. The peninsula is nestled between the Pacific Ocean and Willapa Bay, which is known for oyster farming. Ed and Marcela were kind enough to invite us on this trip (that's Ed and Jadyn below). We did take Jadyn onto the beach while we were there, but both times she was napping, so she didn't get to experience the beach in all its glory. But the Bob stroller was great!


This weekend we were invited to a cookout on Puget Sound with some of Jeff's co-workers, and Jadyn plunged her toes into the sand for the first time. We weren't sure what she'd think of it, but once she realized she was feeling something different, she broke out in a huge smile and made cooing noises. This is a short video of her with her feet touching the sand. (We're working on getting the video rotated properly. Sorry about this kink!)



Also, this weekend we hooked up for a picnic of sorts with some friends who also have kids. There were six each of parents and kids at this gathering!!! Jadyn napped a little in Nancy's arms while the other kids rode bikes and kicked a soccer ball. Though it was overcast it wasn't too cold -- officially, summer is right around the corner!

We've got 2 more pictures to share. The first is Jadyn grabbing her toes. At 16 weeks, though she had touched them and grabbed them before, she became much more aware of her feet and interested in holding her toes and squealing in delight. It happened virtually overnight. Now she grabs her toes all the time! Second, we have Jadyn in her jumper. We were planning to install it soon and really moved on it when the doctor told us it was good for her, since she likes to stand so much, and is age-appropriate stimulation at this point. She is a little small for it, and ends up shifting to one side in the too-big seat after a few minutes. But it won't be long and she'll have this contraption all figured out. She is just so darn cute, don't you think?!?!

Saying good-bye to May

May ends today, amid great spring weather in Seattle. Here are a few of the things we've been up to lately. Jadyn got to see Elliott Bay and the Olympics for the first time while we visited the Olympic Sculpture Park on one of these nice sunny days. There have been several BBQs in the neighborhood, and Jadyn has loved spending time on other people's backyards. In fact, she loves being outside in general, strolling in our arms or in the car seat affixed to the Bob stroller, checking out trees, flowers, and neighborhood activity. It's tough to keep the sun off of her, though we try with the flappy hat we've borrowed from Jeannie and Alexa. Jadyn has become very interested in 'reading' her first book, a gift from Doug. The book photos below were taken on two different mornings in the last week or so. And today we made a quick trip up to Edmonds to visit with Deann and her twins, Emma and Kaylin. It'll be so fun when Jadyn can chase the 'twinkies' around!

Jadyn's schedule has become a little less predictable over the last week or so, with her waking earlier and/or more often in the night for a snack. Either she is going through a huge growth spurt, or a developmental milestone is around the corner. She is on the verge of rolling from her tummy to her back on her own, so maybe that's the reason. Our next visit to the pediatrician is in a week and a half, and we'll get weight and length updates then. Stay tuned!

At the sculpture park

Reading in bed

Cute!



Hanging with the girls at Deann's

14 weeks old today

Jadyn is 14 weeks old tonight. In the last week or so she has been trying to roll over, and her neck strength continues to improve. We've really noticed more neck control during tummy time. Often when she is reclining (for examples, in her car seat, bouncy chair, or swing) she tries to pull herself up to sitting with her neck and stomach muscles. Little BabyJ does crunches! She has learned the most fundamental lesson from all the yoga classes she has attended with Mommy -- it all begins with a strong, engaged core. Check her out in these photos....



The photos below were taken today

BabyJ is 3 months today!

Our little Jadyn is growing bigger every day. Today marks 3 months since she arrived in our arms! It's hard to imagine her at that newborn stage, as she is now interactive, smiley, and so much easier. She has grown into many of the super cute outfits given to her, so it seems like she is a whole new person -- her wardrobe has expanded that much! Here are some of the things that we've noticed about her developmentally, since our last post:

-She smiles and giggles a lot, especially when being reunited with Mommy and/or Daddy after a separation.
-She likes looking in mirrors, and will make eye contact via the reflection.
-She likes gripping things (toys, strap on the stroller, Mommy's hair).
-She likes to be pulled to a sitting position for a better view of things (she still needs to be supported in this position, but not for long!), and can balance her head exceptionally well.
-She prefers to face out, observing the world, when we're holding her (unless she's eating, burping, or super tired).
-She enjoys watching other kids play or interact with her.
-She can make it through an entire bath ritual (undress, washing, rinsing, and toweling off) without melting down.
-She can sit in her bouncy chair or swing and entertain herself with toys for 15 minutes or more, especially when Mom or Dad is within view.
-She squeals to get our attention.
-She has slept overnight for as long as 8 hours without interruption!

The trip to visit family for Grandpa's birthday in Vega$ was a success! Jadyn appeared to like the bright lights and fun sounds of the casinos, and she seemed to try to stay awake so as not to miss anything while we were there visiting with family. Mom was a little concerned about her erratic eating and napping schedule, but Jadyn just rolled with the short vacation's natural rhythm. The plane rides were very uneventful for her, as she pretty much ate and slept through them with very little fussing. And Jadyn enjoyed all the people paying special attention to her. Thanks, Grandpa Jim, for Jadyn's first out-of-state travel opportunity! See pictures below of Jadyn with her Grandpa and Auntie Julie.






Jadyn sleeping on Mom's shoulder

Jadyn facing out while eating her fist