Kelsey at seven months

On Saturday, Kelsey hit seven months. This is truly one of my favorite ages, as Kelsey is generally happy (except when teething), her personality is developing, she's easily entertained, and she's changing with each day.

Kelsey at seven months ...

• Her two bottom teeth are finally coming in!
• She's added squash, sweet potatoes, oatmeal cereal, and bananas to her menu. She devours bananas. We haven't fed her peas or anything else green since she showed some signs of an allergic reaction. (So hard to know for sure when she was also teething and fighting a stomach bug.)
• She's taking a bottle now. Hooray! She has two bottles on the days when I'm working at the office.
• She loves bathtime. Loves it.
• She bounces like crazy in her exersaucer, and really enjoyed playing in her friend Jackson's new Rainforest bounceroo. Seriously, she could launch into space in that bounceroo!
• She talks lots and has learned to adjust her volume (read: get louder) when the boys are loud.
• Brendan and Ryan have been coughing lots lately. It's that time of year. On Sunday night, Kelsey spent all of dinner coughing. Not because she needed to cough, but because she noticed her brothers doing it. Already trying to catch up to her brothers!
• She's sleeping very well, though often wakes at 4 a.m. Letting Brendan cry it out was so much easier. Now, hubby and I worry that she'll wake the other kids, and we're just a little softer!
• She naps twice a day, though the afternoons can be a stretch for her on some days. Occasionally, she sneaks in a third nap.
• She's not crawling yet, but she is making her way across a room through other means, such as by rolling or inching her way on her belly. I'm always amazed when I find her in her bed exactly 180 degrees in the other direction. It's as if someone picked her and flipped her.
• She's sitting up but definitely needs support or she'll tumble over eventually.

Photo to come soon!

And a tiger says ...

The other night, Ryan was in the bathtub with Kelsey. We decided to make animal noises in an effort to entertain Kelsey. So I asked Ryan, "What sound does a cow make?" He answered, "Moo."

We ran through a dozen animals, and then I asked, "What sound does a tiger make?" Without hesitation, Ryan answered, "I don't want to take a bath!"

Readers of the Little Tiger series may recall the book, "I don't want to take a bath," in which Little Tiger says at least a half-dozen times that he won't bathe.

Clever kid.

Writers' strike

I need the writers' strike to end now. It's been two weeks since the Grey's Anatomy writers have posted a blog after a show. I need that blog! It offers such great insight. I would love to hear more about last night's episode, with the complete parallel of the high school bus crash victims and the hospital staff. The show has always just been high school in scrubs, which is one reason we can all relate to it so well.

Start your sewing machines!

Tomorrow night the long-awaited fourth season of Project Runway begins. (Doesn't it seem like it's been too long since last season?) This is one of my favorite reality shows, and I'm NOT a reality show junkie. I believe there are a couple of designers from Dallas, so I'll be cheering for the Lone Star State connection as long as they merit it.

What I love about this show is that it actually requires true talent. I am always in awe of people who design and sew clothes. (My mother has an excellent sewing ability, which sadly was not passed along to me.) Maybe that's why the show is more intriguing for me. And what is not to love about Tim Gunn?

And if you're really into this show, check out this blog that is insane with information about every season. No idea who these people are, but I love the blog.

On a side note: In today's Detroit Free Press story about reality shows, it lists The Bachelor as lowbrow reality. Come on! What is so lowbrow about 25 women acting in desperation (exemplified by sorority house-like behavior and fueled by many, many cocktails) and claiming their love for a guy they've spent two minues with in three weeks? Lowbrow, perhaps, but totally worth it!

Kelsey at six months

I'm a couple of weeks behind but wanted to share a bit about Kelsey at six months old:

• She's eating rice cereal and has recently added carrots and peas to her menu.


• While learning how to eat solids, she has also discovered her tongue. It's very difficult to feed a baby when she is constantly sticking out her tongue throughout the meal!


• She's teething ... terribly. I expect her first tooth to appear any day now. Until then, we're (she's) enduring endless BMs (TMI, I know), diaper rash, and general fussiness.


• She hasn't been taking a bottle, but began with some exposure last week. Today, I can happily report that she scarfed down nearly three ounces and cried for more.


• She loves to blow bubbles.


• She loves finding her feet during diaper changes and trying to get her toes into her mouth. Too bad her Aunt Amy isn't nearby. She'd be eating those toes every day!


• Kelsey does an impressive push-up. (She has the upper-arm strength to support this, believe me.)


• She's quite the roly poly, having discovered how to roll from her belly to her back now. Turn your back, and she'll have rolled halfway across the room.


• I can see the wheels turning in her little mind when she's playing on her tummy. She'll be crawling very soon.


• She still naps twice a day: one morning nap that begins about two hours after she wakes and one afternoon nap that begins around noon or 12:30. She could stand a late afternoon nap most days, but she's not convinced.


• Her brothers still absolutely adore her.

Halloween fun

Grammy and the kids

Brendan walks with his class during Gallimore Elementary's Halloween Parade. Brendan is the Special (silver) Power Ranger in the middle.

Kelsey, dressed as Tigger, with Grammy during Trick-or-Treat night in downtown Plymouth. The costume was cousin Kylie's. I think she looks like her cousin in this photo.

Last Friday, we attended a Halloween party at our friend Jen's house. (She's a friend from my book club.) The party was fabulous, though Ryan didn't wear a costume. We tried several, including this Woody outfit.

Brendan and Ryan are ready to go on Halloween night. In the end, Ryan agreed to wear a firefighter's jacket.

Soccer & pumpkins

Kelsey cheers for her big brother during Brendan's final soccer game. The season started and ended with rainy, cold, windy weather. (That's why she's wearing the adorable, hand-knitted hat from a good friend of ours.)

Brendan (right) huddles with the team during the final game. He'll play indoor soccer with this crew in January. Thankfully, it's only games, no practices. Practices were a little more difficult to endure.

A week ago, we visited the pumpkin patch with Grammy and Papa. It was a beautiful fall day. Cool and crisp.

Brendan and Ryan do their scary monster imitations. It's just not the same without audio!

Brendan and Dad trace a pirate flag onto one of three pumpkins. Now I remember why carving pumpkins was so fun as a child. The parents do all of the work!

Colorado & family

Grandma and Grandpa Healy with all of their grandchildren in Colorado.

Brendan (right) and cousin John Mitchell play superheroes. This was one of many costume changes.

Grandma and her granddaughter, Kelsey, who had just turned six months.

Kelsey tries cereal for the first time. She's since moved on to peas and carrots. So far, carrots are the fav.