Regular routine

I am moving into the 3rd full week of school with the kids. I seem to have a good group of students this year. Mary Elizabeth is still enjoying school. Mike takes her everyday around 7 am and I pick her up around 3:30. LuLu picks M.E up on Tuesdays, so I have 1 day a week I can run errands or stay later at school. She is eating more baby food, so the formula intake has decreased to 25-30 ounces a day (instead of 40!). WE actually seem to have a real schedule, which is very exciting. The baby food and nap schedule had been pretty regular, but now the bottle schedule is regular as well. A normal day is:
6 am- wake up
8 am- cereal and bottle
9 am- nap
noon- fruit and bottle
2pm- nap
3 pm- bottle
5 pm- meat, veggie and bottle
7 pm- bath
8 pm- bottle
It is so nice to have a routine! I hope it lasts for a little while. Everyone is finally well and off medicine. M.E goes back next week to checck that her ear infection is cleared up.

Surviving School

Mary Elizabeth and I have survived the first week of school. We both managed to get sick and pass it on to Mike. Oh the joys of school germs! Sickness aside M.E. is still enjoying school. She naps well, eats all her cereal and fruit and drinks her milk. She seems to like her teacher and her school buddies. There are 3 girls and 1 boy in Infant 3 now, which is a good class. My classes seem to be good as well. I am the newspaper sponsor this year, which is a fun new adventure. I'll keep you updated.

First day of school

Ready for the first day of school
Snoozing at school

Mary Elizabeth started daycare today and I went back to school as well. M.E. seemed to have a good day. She drank 3 bottles, ate her cereal at breakfast and lunch, and took two 30 minute naps around her usual naptimes. She had just started another nap when I arrived around 2:45. Mike will be on his own Tuesday morning as the official drop off person. I will pick her up in the afternoon after school. So far so good in our new routine!

6 month check up

We got a good report at our 6 month check up yesterday. Mary Elizabeth weighed in at 24 lbs 9 ozs and is currently 28 and 7/8 inches long. She is in the 12-18 month range on the growth charts. There is nothing little about our little girl!

New toys and family fun

Mary Elizabeth splashing in the pool. She was so surprised when she hit the water and it splashed all over her face!

Big Joe found this activity center at Walmart and M.E loves it.
Playing in the pool with Dad
Hanging out with LuLu at the pool

M.E. has finaly discovered the mirror in her bed. She loves to look at the baby in the mirror and make the music play by spinning the roller.

Last Friday I had some alone time. Mary Elizabeth spent the night with her daddy, so I could go take a couple of lessons and bring Doodlebug back from Fran's. I had fun visiting with Fran and Jay Friday evening after my lesson, then I stayed at a hotel and took another lesson Sat. morning before coming home.

Mom, Scottie and I all celebrated birthdays this past week, so we had a family birthday party on Sunday 7/20. Jim, Lea Ann and Peggy came over along with Pat and Big Joe. Scottie was here Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. We all went swimming, then Mike boiled some shrimp for dinner. On Monday Scottie, Reba and I (and M.E. of course) scoped out some weding locations. Mom joined us when she got out of class.

Big Joe has been a faithful babysitter. He continues to come over almost everyday, so I can ride or run errands. Pat has been working at church music camp, so I know she will join us once camp is over.

New Toy

Mary Elizabeth got a new chair/ activity center last week. She is really enjoying her new "stuff"! We also discovered a 5th tooth yesterday, so she has 3 on the bottom and 2 on the top.

Riding lessons anyone?

Cruising with Fran in the golf cart

My mare Doodlebug is still at my trainer's barn, so I have been trying to coordinate with LuLu and Mike so I can go ride (it is about 70 miles away). Well this past week we were having a hard time coordinating schedules, so Mary Elizabeth went with me. It all went rather well actually. We set up the play yard in Fran's office and M.E. made herself at home. I was able to tack up, lunge and ride Doodle while M.E. entertained herself. Fran checked on her every so often and M.E. stayed content until the last 5 minutes or so. When I was done, Fran put Doodle away so that I could get M.E. We really had a good time.

Pat and Big Joe came over 3 mornings this past week to hang out with M.E. I rode Norman 2 days and ran errands one day. Pat is teaching church music camp this week, so Big Joe will be the official playmate for M.E.

I went to have dinner with Heather and caught up on some girl talk Sat. night, so M.E. and her daddy had the evening all to themselves. Mike handles the evening routine most nights (feeding, bath and putting to bed), but it was nice for them to have some quiet time for just the daddy and little girl.

M.E.'s top 2 teeth have finally broken the surface. She has also finally gotten the hang of taking food from a spoon, so we feel like we have made great strides this week!