Feeding Time

Abby reached another milestone this weekend, we started her on solid foods! Well, we started her on rice cereal, which we mixed with lots of milk (1 part cereal for 4 parts milk), so the whole meal was pretty liquidy. We're not really sure how much of it she actually ate either, as you can see in the video, quite a bit of it ended up on her face and on the bib she was wearing. But still, she had her first solid food! She has been watching us eat dinner pretty closely lately, and she has definitely been interested in food, so she took to eating with a spoon pretty well. She did get a few good swallows down, so overall the whole experience was a success!

Before you watch the video of the first feeding, here is a video that almost shows her first experience of drinking out of a cup. Grant was having some orange juice with breakfast yesterday morning, and noticed that Abby seemed really interested in his glass. He put it in front of her and she grabbed for it and brought it straight to her mouth. She definitely acts like she is going to be a natural with drinking out of a cup.

Here is Abby's very first experience with solid food! She ends up wearing quite a bit of the food, but that is how you know that your dinner is good when you're only 5-months old!

Summer Photo Extravaganza!

Since the summer is sadly coming to an end I'm doing a picture post to catch up on what we have been up to.

Grant and Ricky after racing the go-carts on Grant's Birthday on July 21st.

The happy family just before diving into Grant's Birthday cake from Ricks...Yum!

After returning home after some errands. Abby's way of telling me, "Mom I'm worn out and need to rest a bit."

Sue and Howard came out for about two weeks at the end of July. While Grant and his dad went for a Saturday breakfast together, Sue, Abby, and I enjoyed getting some fresh produce at the Farmer's Market and then visiting the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks to see the beautiful flowers.

Abby enjoying her toes as she posses on the quilt Jackie Rockhold made for her.

Nana and Abby enjoying the Arts Festival in Park City, UT the first week in August. This was my first time flying solo with Abby, without the help of Dad. Although I was pretty stressed about it, everything went very smoothly. Little did I know the adventure was yet to come!

Abby's first ride on a chair lift at Deer Valley where we heading for a short hike while my brothers and dad mountain biked. It was fun to get to be with the entire family. We were all out in Park City for my parents annual Jimmy Buffett Party.

Abby and I up on top of the mountain...it was quite the view.

Back home after our travels out west Abby is enjoying her first time in her high chair. Going off what we have read we are starting to put her in it when we eat to get her ready for eating solids. Notice the position of the dogs. Although we have not introduced foods to Abby yet the dogs seem to know what will soon become a good food source for them!

Irene, Leah, Abby, and I enjoying the last concert in the park of the summer. I am so sad to see these end. They have made for good times!

Abby meeting her Great Grandfather Bowden for the first time. Abby has become quite the traveler. After this trip Abby has been in 10 states: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Tennessee, North Carolina, Michigan.

Abby's first time in a big pool. She was not quite sure about floating on her back.

She loved this little boat we found.

Four generations.
I had set Abby down with her doll while I went to wash my hands when I came back Abby was holding the doll's hand, too cute! She has become fascinated with faces. She gets a kick out of watching the other kids play at daycare.

Yes, with the mention of daycare the summer has ended and it is time to head back to school. I find myself torn about this. I am very excited to get back in the classroom and get a new year under way and yet I am heart broken about having to be away from Abby. Teacher inservice started Wednesday so Abby has had a few days to get to know our wonderful daycare provider, Jennifer, and to met the other kids. It has not been easy but I know it will be better with time.

Another Adventure with Flying

Yesterday was an adventure to put it simply. I will be updating what we have been up to the last few weeks soon but today is focused on our day yesterday.

Abby and I took a short trip to Greensboro, NC to visit my Grandfather. This was his first time meeting his great granddaughter so it was a neat trip. We have a great time that included Abby's first dip in a real pool.

Flying back home started smoothly as we flew through Detroit. I found myself thinking that Abby is a great traveler (as this was her third trip flying making that 10 states this girl has visited already!), she must be my good luck charm (I seem to have bad luck flying and run into all types of complications). Well my bad luck started with the plane from Detroit to Fayetteville being a bit delayed. We finally got on the plane about 1/2 hour late. Once they got us on board we found out that the air conditioning unit on the ground was broken, they were sure to let us know that it would work when we got in the air... this doesn't quite make sense to me but I am not an airplane expert. Forty minutes after an announcement stating that they would hurry and get us up in the air they finally started to prepare

for taking off. Abby and I both were not fans of the hot hot airplane, but she was a trooper. Thankfully once in the air it did cool off.

Things went smoothly until we got down to Fayetteville and the ride got a bit bumpy. After circling a time or two the captain informed us that Fayetteville's control tower had been struck by lightning and had lost all power therefore losing communication with its planes, so we were being rerouted down to Little Rock. As our flight was extended Abby fussed a time or two but still was very good.

Once in LR they de-boarded us (thankfully due to air conditioning problem) telling us when they got the go ahead from Fayetteville they would refuel and get us home. Thirty minutes later an airline representative had the fun job of informing us that our flight had been cancelled and they would be busing us back to Fayetteville....

In my mind....

Well crap, that's a 3 1/2 hour drive.... during Abby's fussy time of night... I'm going to somehow have to get my extra large bag (or so it seemed at the time), car seat, carry on bags, and sweet Abby on a bus by myself. This stinks.

Some wonderful people put my fears to rest by helping me. Including a very nice man who shared his sandwich that he had been smart enough to purchase before he left security. FYI there are no places to eat outside of airport security in Little Rock besides a small Starbucks.

The bus ride went smoothly Abby was awesome and we happily got to see Grant and head home at 10:30 that night.

I have no desire to fly for a while now.

Couldn't post without sharing a photo of our little girl.