Best of friends

Bentley may not know it yet, but he has a new best friend.  Malin over the last few weeks has become VERY interested in our furry friend.  She'll stop crying if she hears Bentley walk into the room, she loves to give him pets or ear pulls, and best of all, she likes to give him wet kisses just like he does to her (although we do try to discourage this!).

6 months

Well, January 8 came and past with no post! We spent the morning of Malin's half birthday in Port Jefferson with my good friend Susanne...followed by a quick trip to Dr. Schwartz since I had an inkling that M's ear infection hadn't cleared up (Thanks Susanne for convincing me!). Unfortunately, our suspicions were correct...M has a double ear infection.  So another 10 days of antibiotics it is.  In the meantime, she let me take her picture, but wasn't quite in full spirit.

Malin's 5 month stats

Weight: 14lbs5oz (16th percentile)

Length: 26 inches (55th percentile...she went from 25th to 55th in one month!)

Head: 41 cm (11th percentile...ugh oh!)

This month Malin...
-learned how to sit up
-Eats rice cereal, oatmeal, pear, apple, banana, avocado, sweet potato, mango, and her favorite...PRUNES!)
-sleeps from about 7-10 then 10-4 and awake at 7:30
-laughed at a little boy in her daycare when he started crying
-finally sleeps unswaddled (that may have happened right at 5 months)

Christmas Catch-Up

In an effort to record Malin's first Christmas, I'm blogging a little late! We had a great first Christmas as a little family.  This year, we stayed in NY but were lucky enough to have Lucas off both Saturday and Sunday (Christmas eve and Christmas day).

So here is our Christmas in pictures!

My little Christmas helper

Our Christmas guest, Moose, the bulldog 

Waiting to open the "Erickson" gifts on Christmas Eve

In her fancy Christmas outfit

Loving those lights!

Mini-meltdown called for a paci

New frog, one of her new favorites

Playing with the frog before bed

Last sleep before Santa comes

Her favorite man

Christmas morning!

Spoiled much?

Back to that froggy! (Thanks Suzy!)

And another thank you to Suzy for the gift of Swedish coffee cake!

Until next year!

5 months

How how how can it be that you are 5 months old?  Ok, so you still kind of sleep like a newborn, but you are definitely my active baby who is growing and learning so fast.

Malin's 5 month stats

Weight: 13lbs7oz (25 percentile)

Length: 24 inches (25th percentile)

Head: Didn't get this measurement this month...

This month, Malin started rice cereal and bananas.  She won't eat the rice cereal now unless there is banana added.  Today we're going to try applesauce. We're still not sleeping through the night, but hopefully getting better and longer stretches.  We tried to break the paci this month with no success.  Maybe next month!?  Malin has found her feet and if her hands or a toy is not in her mouth, then her toes are.  She loves to roll from her tummy to her back, but hasn't quite made it the opposite way (getting close though).  M loves to stand, loves to dance, and LOVES her baths.  Bath time is by far her favorite time of the day.

I'm 5 months old so I am going to show off my tricks. 

I am a little distracted in this one by my daddy - he is my favorite person these days

I'll show you how close I am to sitting by myself

When I get tired, I just roll forward...this scares my momma

Ok, well if you insist, I'll just hang back and do what I do best...smile

Kick out my feet

And pretend that I am a model

My mom and dad think I'm going to be a singer or a dancer...definitely a performer

These days, my toys don't stand much of a chance when it comes to my mouth

 Of course if my toys aren't around, I always have my hands..

Christmas time in the city

We headed into NYC with some friends to experience the city in its full Christmas glory.  Let's just say maneuvering through the city with two strollers amidst the hustle and bustle is challenging! But we had a great time!

First stop, Time's Square on our way to Rockefeller Center

Two men and their babies

Rockefeller Square (home of the Today Show, famous Christmas tree and ice skating rink)

We also stopped at the Bouchon bakery (a Napa bakery that has made its way to NYC).

The tree was actually not as big as I imagined it being.  The crowds here were out of control.

Outfit change after a diaper that will go down in the record books**

My little bear (and my other favorite person in the world)

**We apologize to the Korean restaurant that we ate lunch at for the mess we left in the bathroom.  M of course had been storing up for 2 days and decided that while we were out of the house for 10+hrs with only one change of clothes would be a great time to do her business.  Well business was done and the screaming that ensued from the bathroom from the cleaning job that was required up to her hairline resulted in an employee actually coming to the bathroom to check that everything was OK.  Oh yes sir, it is, minus the fact that our baby is literally covered in poop up to her neck and while cleaning her she has peed all over your floor.  Needless to say, we rushed out of there pretty quickly after.

Snacks

Somewhat out of desperation for sleep and partially at our doctor's advice, we are dabbling in the new world of solids.   More specifically, runny rice cereal which is not in fact solid.  I think we'll emphasize that we will just be dabbling in this as the reaction was not all that eager...

The "before shot"... clean, smily baby

The ingredients

 She actually "took" the spoon

Still hasn't realized what's on the spoon

Moment of realization

Not so sure about this

No longer clean

Starting to protest

Realizing that eating her own hands may be better

So far we've tried 2 other times... one completely unsuccessful, one border-line successful.  And did it help her sleep?  Yet to be determined.  We're on day two of NO PACI.  Lots of tears around here (and not just from Malin....)