Sitting up

Maryam can now sit up on her own -- for about 30 seconds, at least!

We've been having beautiful, 70+ degree weather. And now that my horrible cold is gone, Maryam and I have spent some time outdoors. She, as always, loves watching the dog. I'm starting to get jealous :) She even drooled on poor Sera and attempted to chew on her ear. Sera took it like an old pro, loving every minute of it.

I finally finished sewing Maryam 12 pocket diapers, something I will never do again. It saved us considerable money, but was a huge pain in the neck, especially since I had to borrow a snap machine which made me have to rush. And all Maryam does is poop all over them.... :)

5 months old!

The pictures are as follows -- 2 months, 3 months, four months, five months, Maryam in daddy's hat ('cause she's bald, too!)

Maryam is now five months (and two days) old. She reached out to pet the doggie today, and was laughing when Sera licked her! Maryam is definately a dog-person.

Last night was hard -- she was wiggling most of the night. Jim got up with her at 3 AM for a while, because she was driving me bonkers. She played for about 20 minutes, then back to sleep, and up at 5 AM again.

She is grabbing at her feet, reaching for things (and the dog), and fussing much less (if you don't count today).

I'm busy trying to sew her some pocket diapers. She's pretty crabby today, because she was up so much last night. Her bottom is too big for the ones we bought.

The drool-monster

Maryam is officially teething. She seems pretty happy about it, at least at the moment. She is getting hand-mouth coordination, and anything she can grab she attempts to chew. We bought some new toys for her today, and she's been having a great time trying to chew them. Trying is the appropriate word, since she can't quite grasp the true size of her mouth vs. the true size of her toys.

The doggie is a new found friend in Maryam's life now. She loves to watch Sera. When the weather warmed up, we took Sera out, and Maryam was totally absorbed in watching her run around. Maryam also likes to watch the cats, but not as much as Sera.

We took Easter pictures on Friday, and in every single one, you could see the glimmer of drool. It's sort of cute, when it's not dripping all over your hand. Note this in some of the posted pictures.

We are getting very excited (at least, mommy is) about our trip out to Washington. But before we leave, Maryam's Aunt Mari and Aunt Kristin are coming out to visit for the first time!!!

No wonder her diapers don't fit!

These thighs measure 12 inches around!!! She's outgrown another set of diapers -- only in her thighs, though, because her waist (by comparisson) is tiny!

She's growing up so fast!

As I was nursing Maryam today, I noticed how big she is, her feet, her hands, her chubby little legs. She actually looks....big. And it's exciting and it's sad and it's amazing all at once. Everything is growing (except, sadly, her hair).

She's been vocalizing so much lately. I had to call mom and dad on the phone, just so they could hear her. She babbles constantly, happy just to be alive. I am so happy to be her mommy!

Just a picture of us

Four months old!

Maryam had her 4 month check up today. She weighed 15 pounds, 14 ounces, and was 24 inches long. She's around 80th percentile for both height and weight, although she's definately on the 'more plump than tall' side. The doc said that's a good sign. And she rolled over from her belly to her back for the first time, right there in the doctor's office!

The first two photos are from today, at four months one day old. The last one is from when she was a mere 3 months old. Just look at the difference in her head size alone! She looks dazed because she got her vaccinations, and has been pretty tired all day.

Maryam has daddy's nose

And she has mommy's fingers... literally! She's so cute we let her have them until she's done.

We all built a snow fort today. Maryam helped by sleeping soundly in our arms, and later in the stroller -- bundled up, of course.

Our whole family is entered in the talent show at church. Jim is playing the song he wrote for our wedding, Aidan is drawing a picture that will be projected on the wall, Wayne and I are telling jokes, and Maryam will showcase her amazing drool strings and cooing ability. I just hope it doesn't give her a huge ego.

My new toy!

Maryam has a new favorite toy - her jumperoo. She has been loving to stand up so much that we thought she'd love something where she can bounce around. She is not quite getting the bounce part, but she loves to be held upright and move around a bit. This gives us a break from having her stand on our legs!

She also loves to chew on fingers - hers if she can catch them, but mommy's and daddy's are prime targets. She'll gnaw on them quite contentidly, and has a pretty good bite for a kid with no teeth.

Miss Smiley

Maryam just loves to smile lately. She also loves to chew on her fist, which makes taking a picture of the event quite difficult since her hands get in the way. Maryam is also fascinated by the camera. She looks right at it, but it's generally not with a smile.

She is a very BIG baby, as well. She now fits nicely into 9 month clothes. I bought some cute pants for her in size 6-9, and they were too small for her belly.

Here are some pictures of her taken yesterday. I'll continue to try and get some more of the elusive smiles captured.