Braces!

We have entered a new era as both Nora and Henry start having some orthodontic work done. On our first visit they made a scan of Henry's mouth in order to make his space maintainers and measured Nora for braces. He was pleased to learn that he didn't have to have spacers put in as was originally planned and could have popcorn for a few more weeks. He will have four teeth taken out next month.

On her second visit Nora had braces put on her top teeth to bring them a little closer and make room for a tooth that is coming in crooked. They are supposed to be on for six months to a year. So no gum or chewy candy for this child.

(And no picture of her with the new braces, but they look good on her.)

Helena loses her first tooth

And poses for a goofy photo to prove it.

Road trip to Idaho

We were there for Halloween so there was lots of dressing up in Grandma's costume collection. These were both made by Aunt Cindy for her cousins. 

One of our audiobooks this trip was Where the Red Fern Grows. "It wasn't impossible even though it was a long way from the Snake River Valley in Idaho," the narrator read as we drove through the Snake River Valley. There is a statue of Billy, Old Dan, and Little Ann in front of the Idaho Falls library because Wilson Rawls lived here for a time. We stopped by after the library trick-or-treat for a photo.

With cousin John and cousin Abby (and Billy and the dogs).

There was pumpkin carving at the house and a harvest festival at the church (Penny loved the bounce house) and lots of candy.

This little ladybug took some unassisted steps while we were there.

We got to press some cider with Mark's aunt and uncle and some of the cousins using his Grandma's cider press.

A fun-filled visit for sure!

Red bed

Penny graduated to a bed and moved in with Nora and Helena.

She loves her "red bed" and only fell out once in the early days. She started by taking naps in it and then spending the night there. Soon Millie will get Penny's old crib in Henry's room.

On the move

This photo is blurry because the baby is scooting across the floor. Today's the first day she's moved much from one place to another. She's moved just a bit recently as she has reached for toys but today she figured out how to cover more ground. She's being baited with the lego car.

Nora and Henry both scooted on their bottoms instead of crawling and it's so funny that Camilla is doing the same thing. It's an awfully cute way to get around.

Eating

Camilla is pretty good at feeding herself these days. She's been making the most of those two little teeth.

She loves being more in control of her food selection, vegetables are favorites and usually disappear first from her tray. She is able to eat much of what the rest of us do which makes mealtime even easier.

Camilla : 6 months

Cindy took some pictures of Camilla while we were in Idaho.

So this is the little one at six and a half months. She has two tiny teeth on the bottom. She sits independently. She weighs just over 14 lbs. She is still a happy, mellow baby. She's started tasting solid foods and likes almost everything she's had.

Sitting up

This is after about a week of sitting on her own. She mastered this skill pretty quickly without too many falls.

It makes such a difference to be able to sit and play and watch the action.

Solid food

Camilla's first foods were egg yolk, avocado, and pumpkin. After some initial bewilderment, she embraced this new experience.

We're adopting a more casual method of introducing foods to her, focusing more on the texture than on ingredients.

She likes scrambled eggs and salmon and most things she's tried.

Camilla : Four months

One third of a year old already! Those fingers are finally starting to cooperate and hold still when she wants them to.

 She rolls up onto her side but hasn't made it all the way over yet. She's just over 13 lbs and sleeping well.

Everyone loves to talk to her and she enjoys the company.

She still likes kicking in her bouncy seat and can get it going pretty fast. She prefers her using her right leg to get up to speed.

Camilla : 3 months

Can you believe she's three months old already? It seems like she was just born. Spring is a busy season and time goes quickly.

 She's still a sweet baby and full of smiles.

She coos and laughs, especially at her older siblings. She'd suck on her fingers if they would cooperate and hold still.

She weighs almost 12 and a half pounds.

Two down, eighteen to go

 Henry lost another tooth!

Camilla is six weeks old

This always feels like a major milestone to me. At six weeks I start to transition out of survival mode.
Camilla slept one six hour stretch (yay!) but two, three, or four hours at night are more usual. She is a sweet, mellow baby, only fussy when tired or hungry. She likes to watch the commotion that surrounds her. We love to see her smile and hear her little coos.

Helena's first haircut

On Easter Helena got bangs. One quick cut of a curl in front and the hair was out of her face. It suits her.

Camilla : Two weeks

She had her two week check-up today and at 7 lbs. 15 oz. she is almost back up to her birth weight. She is doing well and starting to go slightly longer stretches without eating.

Henry lost a tooth

A few days ago Henry reported a problem. "There's something wrong with my teeth. This one won't stay where it's supposed to." He wasn't pleased with the news that this was normal and expected.He got used to the idea and did some wiggling of the tooth and today at lunch the tooth came out.

Camilla : One week old

And what a week it has been. We were prepared for being tired and having things a little out of the ordinary, but were surprised by some extra challenges. On Thursday Penny, Helena, and Henry go the stomach flu. Mark spent a lot of time comforting sick kids and cleaning up. On Friday they felt better but still weak so we rested and watched a movie and made our way through 2 liters of ginger ale. Saturday and Sunday morning were spent recovering and taking some extra naps as well. Sunday night Henry and Helena threw up again. Mark got sick on Monday and Nora joined the rest of them Tuesday. We've done our best to keep the baby away from the kids and she has remained healthy so far.
She sleeps about as well as you would expect a newborn to, with her longer stretches during the day and eating most of the night. The last night or two has been a bit better, for which I am grateful.
We look forward to really enjoying our new one once everyone is back to normal.

Helena's Birthday

She opened her presents from Henry (Starburst candies) and Grandma and Grandpa (skirt and shirts) before breakfast. The we ate cinnamon rolls, fruit salad, and the individual flavored yogurts she asked for.
We celebrated Helena's birthday with our friends at playgroup with pizza and cupcakes. She was the last one eating and casually ate her pizza while we sang Happy Birthday. She says that yellow is her favorite color.There were a few more presents when Dad came home from work. She's wearing her new clothes from the grandparents. Penny enjoyed being a part of the action.She got the 18 inch doll that she had asked for. Nora is so excited for her.Mimmu and Iso joined us for dinner. Helena picked roasted root vegetable soup, rolls, and coleslaw. We finished the cake we started the day before. Happy Birthday to Helena!

Helena : 4 years old

Helena is four! She is as spunky as ever. She's still hasn't had a haircut.Penny thinks she's an excellent big sister and is always interested in Helena's whereabouts. She is such a fun person to have around.

Penelope : One year

She has two teeth on the bottom. She is a fast crawler, can pull to standing, and can climb stairs. When she crawls she usually has her right hand in a fist and her left hand flat. She hasn't figured out cruising along furniture or walking with assistance. She is a beautiful, happy girl.