Six months later…

Wow. Six months already. I’m a little ashamed that I haven’t written since Ashlyn was one week old, but then again, there are more important things now. Ashlyn is an amazing baby. Clarke and I are so lucky she’s so easy and we’re constantly reminding each other of that. She certainly has her crazy baby moments but overall, she’s awesome. Admittedly, the first month or so was a blur. We had so many wonderful people coming over to help, visit, bring food and snuggle Ashlyn. I’m so glad to be able to be home with Ashlyn and even more glad that Clarke is home too. We’ve all gotten into some sort of routine(ish). Clarke and I have even managed to return to paddling and hula.

From pretty early on I began writing a journal to Ashlyn, from everyday things we do to the big milestones. Someday I’ll get those milestones into the baby book. The journal is actually monthly notes on my phone because I usually write it in the middle of the night while feeding her. Here are some highlights:

12/21/11 Your first visit to the beach. OB pier beach, we dipped your feet in the ocean and you didn’t even cry. It was a beautiful sunny day but cold water. Winter solstice, although that’s not why we did it, it was a matter of convenience. We were coming back from your 2 week check up, you were awake and agreeable so we went. Daddy threw your umbilical cord stump into the ocean (the original reason for heading to the beach) then Mommy dipped your feet in the water. We weren’t sure what we wanted to do with your umbilical cord stump once it fell off. We were glad when it did fall off, it was making us nervous being rubbed by your diapers. It fell off a few days before, the morning of December 19th, and Mommy kept it by the changing pad for a while why we decided what to do with it. As we were going to bed that night, Mommy suddenly thought “why don’t we throw it in the ocean”, like we do with our lei. So Mommy wrapped it up in a paper napkin and kept it with us when left the house the next two days, in case we were able to make it to the ocean. In case you haven’t realized by now kiddo, your parents are hippies (or hippy light at least).

2/3/12 I can hear your tummy gurgle when you’re eating.

2/6/12 Your hair is getting longer. It gets fuzzy when rubbed by your bath towel. You started blowing bubbles today.

2/13/12 Long distance spit up, down Mommy’s back and onto the floor and wall behind the rocking chair. Twice.

3/1/12 Your neck control is getting so good that I don’t have to cradle your head when I put you over my shoulder to burp, I only need to use the tips of my fingers. Harley licked your face today for the first time. Summer came over tonight with her parents. The two of you hung out on the floor making noises at each other.

3/13/12 6:30pm you rolled over! During tummy time you rolled over onto your back over your left arm.

3/16/12 Mommy and Daddy’s first date night. You had four babysitters: Grammy, Nana, Papa and Auntie Jennica. We went to see our friends’ band, Brain Buckit, play at The Harp in OB. I only checked my phone about four times in the hour and a half that we were gone.

4/14/12 12am It’s midnight, you’ve just finished eating after a good four hour sleep and you are wide awake. You’re making all sorts of great noises and faces, I wish we could stay up and play. Daddy takes you so I can try to go to sleep but I think you two are having too much fun.

4/14/12 4am It’s crazy stormy outside, windy and what sounds like hail. You stop feeding to listen to the noise.

4/17/12 Sleeping in, in the big bed. You and I slept in until 10:30 this morning, it was blissful.

4/28/12 Baby Winston was born early this morning. Looking at pictures of him and his parents in the hospital make me nostalgic for your birth. Not so much the stress and fear, but the amazing fact that only five months ago you were still inside my belly and now you’re here and how amazing it has been from day one.

4/19/12 We went to the zoo today! Jen is working her last week at panda so we took the opportunity to get a behind the scene tour and your first visit to the zoo. For the tour, you were in the Bjorn, facing front, and you loved it. You made excited noises through the whole visit. Gao Gao, the male panda, woke up as we were finishing the tour and we went to watch him eat his bamboo. We also got to watch porcupines get fed and we walked around and saw a few other animals, some of which you slept through.

5/7/12 Five months! When taking your monthly picture today, we were having a hard time getting a picture of you without the owl in your mouth. You’re almost as tall as the owl now (when you’re sitting). I wonder if you’ll be sitting on your own by next month’s picture.

5/13/12 3am My first Mother’s Day begins with feeding time. I love you so much Ashlyn.

5/24/12 You and I went to see Caitlin’s masters presentation today – your first science lecture! You were fairly attentive and only made a few squeaks.

5/25/12 5:40am When you curl up on my shoulder to burp, you are so long you’re feet reach my belly button. It doesn’t seem that long ago when you were this little hedgehog curled on my shoulder. You don’t even need my shoulder to burp anymore. Usually all you need to do is sit up after feeding and you burp yourself.

5/25/12 You’re almost six months old. It had gone so quickly in an awesome, albeit sleep-deprived, blur. You are so interactive now and respond to our voices and faces. You smile when we enter the room whether it’s after a nap or you’re just playing on the floor. That smile is amazing. It makes my heart soar every time I see it.

Despite not having any posts since December, I have been keeping up to date with Ashlyn’s photos. Here’s her section of the photo gallery and here are some videos.