Gorillas, cholitas, and bears, oh my!

Happy Halloween! We finally got to dress Azure up as a bear. The only thing was that her costume was too big! We ordered the newborn size which is supposed to fit 0-6 months. It even says newborn on the tag. But, it definitely could fit a one year old! So, maybe she'll be able to wear it again next year and actually fit into it.

Hence the rolled sleeves

We think she's the cutest bear cub ever!

I was a cholita (native Bolivian woman) and Charles was a gorilla. The effect isn't the same without his mask though...

4 meses

Azure had her 4 month checkup on Wednesday and was only 13 lbs! We thought for sure that she'd be 15. She also received more shots which gave her a fever :(

Because she already started teething and has somewhat of an interest in food we asked the Doc if it'd be ok to give her some rice cereal and he gave us the go ahead.

So, here she is eating her first "solid" food, which wasn't very solid at all, pretty liquidy actually. She probably swallowed about half of it. We'll try again next week.

We've also started a new bedtime ritual where I feed her before her bath so she can learn how to fall asleep on her own a little better.

And just so you know- in the above pictures with Azure in her Bumbo seat, she was never left unattended not even for a second just in case you've heard about the accidents with said seat. (There is NOTHING wrong with the seat itself)

Autumn in Provo

Provo autumns are quite beautiful so we decided to take some pics in the pretty leaves.

Azure has almost outgrown all of her 0-3 month clothing, which I guess is expected for her being officially 4 months on Sunday but it is still sad to pack it all away for the next baby girl (that is if we have another girl).

And because it has started to get so cold now, her onesies and sleeveless dresses are out too. There are some outfits that she's only worn once or twice, which is also quite sad.

This dress is one of my favorites so I made sure she wore it today b/c it was warm. Of course she wouldn't smile for any of these pics :(

She who laughs last

Azure has started her first stage in teething. It's coming in small spurts and we've just gotten through the first one. It wasn't fun for any of us and we're not looking forward to the next spurt which will probably include lots of crying, no sleep and more severed fingers due to her razor sharp gums! But, just to keep things fun she's started laughing a little more and we finally got it on video. Enjoy :)

Cubby Chubby

Before I explain the title, I just wanted to say thank you to those who've changed their vote to Azure looking like me! As I've mentioned before she looks exactly like I did when I was a baby and unfortunately I haven't had too much motivation to find a scanner and scan my baby pics to prove it to those who haven't seen them or who knew me as a baby.

So about the title, it's Azure's new nickname. Cub has turned into cubby and though she's not really that chubby compared to other babies, she is getting denser and denser. By looking at her you'd have no idea how heavy she was when you picked her up!

I gave in and bought Azure a Bumbo seat. We were looking on Ebay and other discounted websites to find a cheaper one b/c they are somewhat expensive for a chair, but they are about the same price everywhere. (And yes I got her a blue one to match her name)

Buying Azure new toys is like buying myself new clothes, always fun and exciting! I can't wait for her to play with them and try them out. She's quite the wiggle worm, always trying to get out of her swaddles, the swing and the car seat. This chair is specially crafted so that it's almost impossible for babies to get out. It's funny to see her arch her back with arms outstretched trying to wiggle herself out, but alas, it's a futile attempt :) (she really does like this chair though) Watching Curious George with daddy...

Our little girl is growing up. Last night was her first night sleeping in her own room in a real crib. Up to this point in her life she's been in a bassinet in our room. So, as we moved the glider downstairs into her room I thought about what it might be like to help her move her stuff when she goes away to college. (I know, I know, that's 18 yrs from now) The thought of packing up her bassinet and taking it out of our room made me want to cry! She's just getting too big for it now.

Answers

My cousin-in-law/friend Kara "tagged" me with these questions and even though technically this is Azure's blog I'll answer them but I'm changing some of the questions...


What were you doing 10 years ago?
Fall 1997- I was 16, a junior in high sch. My parents had just bought me my first car, a 1979 Chevy Nova. Lots of fun memories with that car but it only got about 8 miles to the gallon, not so fun! I was also singing a lot in choir.


What were you doing 5 years ago?
Fall 2002- I was on my mission in Bolivia so it really wasn't Fall, it was Spring. I was just transferred to my 2nd area, Satelite in El Alto. I was just getting the hang of being a missionary and finally started to love it and my Spanish was improving.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Fall 2006- Ugh! Probably one of the worst times in my entire life. We just found out we were pregnant! That was exciting, what wasn't was that I threw up about 5x a day and was horribly sick on and the verge of death.


What were you doing yesterday?
Hmm, nothing too significant. I did laundry and finally finished unpacking one box that I've been trying to for the past month. I played with Azure and took a walk with her and Charles before bed.


5 snacks I enjoy...
Vitamin water (not really a snack), ice cream, granola bars, cheese, fiber cereals :)

5 things I would do with a million dollars...
Donate some to Alliance of Students Against Poverty to help with microcredit, save for our dream home, travel, pay off our student loans and travel some more


5 places I would run away to...
Casa Laguna, Madrid, Sicily, Cuba, a secret beach in the Dominican Republic


And b/c I hate TV I'm changing this question. The only thing I watch is devotionals on KBYU and occasionally the Food Network
5 things I love...
warm weather, going out to eat, tropical rainstorms, the temple, time alone with Charles :)


5 things I hate...
TV, bad drivers, washing big pots, predatory lending (mostly payday loans!), freezing cold weather


2 People I tag ...
Julie, Jamie

And just to make it fair to Azure since this is her blog here are some more adorable pictures of our bear cub

I found Charles playing under Azure's play gym after he got home from work and had to take a picture!

Plane rides, bonfires, and great grandparents

We took a trip to Cali this last weekend to visit my family and Azure did a lot for a 3 month old. First she went to the renowned Stinking Rose restaurant in Beverly Hills and watched her dad eat 60 cloves of garlic! Unfortunately we have no photographic evidence of this but Charles reeked of garlic for about 24 hrs after the incident.

Then she headed to the beach to have a bonfire at Corona Del Mar in the city of Newport Beach where her parents were wed. Aunt Tally and Tio Angel joined us and they so graciously watched her while Charles and I took a romantic stroll on the shore :)

Then my mom and sister babysat while Charles and I went to the Redlands Temple. I was away from Azure for a record 4 hours! The longest we've been separated since her birth. Here she is attempting to take the bottle but in the end she refused it!
On Sunday she met lots of family: great grandparents, great aunts and uncles and second cousins!

Azure also realized that it's possible to choke oneself if one puts their fingers too far down their throat.

She did great on the plane! She barely slept b/c she was so excited about the surroundings and kept looking around. She can't wait until her next adventure!