1st Month |
Rachael's First Month (Mar 2002)Rachael actually slept through the night for the first time after meeting Grandpa Bill (Chip's dad). She slept from 10:30pm until 6:00am. She did it again the next night as well. Although, she only did two 3-hour stretches the night after that. We still see it as a step in the right direction. Gretchen is back at work and Rachael is spending the day with her. It has been quite an adjustment for both of them. It has only been one week. Rachael is growing fast. Her more than 600 diapers can attest to her healthy appetite. She has a pediatrician visit this week, we are anxious to hear about her weight and height. Rachael has begun making typical baby noises. She "talks" to her toys - and her swing, her chair, a couple of the walls, and to the light fixture in the den. |
2nd Month |
Rachael's Second Month (Apr 2002)Mom and Rachael are still surviving in Mom's little office all day. Church members often come by and kidnap Rachael for a while, so that's Mom's chance to get some work done. Rachael has now been made an honorary member of the church staff. (Unfortunately, there is no salary involved in that position.) Rachael is beginning to make a habit of sleeping through the night--she is up to four nights in a row - and she is sleeping in her crib. This is a habit Mom and Dad are encouraging. We celebrated our first Mother's Day on Sunday. Rachael gave Mom the best present ever--8 hours of sleep. Rachael continues to add to her vocabulary (we really want to know what she is trying to say), likes to smile at Mom and Dad, and seems to be taking more of an interest in her surroundings. She is very close to rolling over, but hasn't figured out that she needs to swing her arm and leg over at the same time.
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3rd Month |
Rachael's Third Month (May 2002)Rachael seems to be growing so fast that it's hard to keep up with her. On May 20 she rolled from her tummy to her back for the first time, but neither Mom nor Dad got to see it--Dad wasn't in the room and Mom had just turned around to pick up the phone. We both got to see her do it the second time a few minutes later, though. Then just today (June 5) she rolled from her back to her tummy for the first time. She was even able to get her arm out from underneath her after she rolled over. Rachael is determined to sit up and stand--she doesn't stay happy on her back for very long anymore. But she still loves to smile and laugh, which melts Mom and Dad's hearts every time. Rachael is doing a good job sleeping through the night, which makes everyone happy, but we are still working on getting her to nap in Mom's office during the day. A church member loaned Mom a swing for her office, and that has seemed to help for the past two days. Every day brings new joy and excitement, and we are soaking it up! |
4th Month |
Rachael's Fourth Month (Jun 2002)The weekend of June 16th was a very exciting one for Rachael--she was baptized on Sunday and was the hit of the weekend with lots of family and friends. She got to meet Grandma Mary Lou and Uncle Jay from Louisiana and Uncle Eric from Pennsylvania for the first time. Pastor Eddie seemed just as proud to be a part of the ceremony as any of the grandparents who made the trip. Rachael is enjoying being more mobile--she is doing a good job rolling over. In fact, her new favorite sleeping position is to have her bottom half rolled over and her top half on her side. Last night she got a little upset, though, because she couldn't get herself out of that position. We returned her to her back, checked on her a little later, and found her completely on her tummy, just waiting for us to come a see her. We put Rachael in her exer-saucer for the first time this weekend, and Rachael took to it immediately with a grin and a giggle. She was even able to move herself around to look at all the toys. The Rachael tree had its first bloom and we took several pictures. |
5th Month |
Rachael's Fifth Month (Jul 2002)It's hard to believe Rachael is up to her fifth month already--it feels like just yesterday that we held a tiny little baby Rachael in our arms for the first time. Rachael got to go on her first youth trip in July. Mom had to go on the trip unexpectedly when two other chaperones backed out at the last minute. So she packed up Rachael (and lots of Rachael's stuff) and headed out to western Virginia. The week was an interesting one, but not terribly restful for Mom. Rachael certainly was not pleased with sleeping in a Pack N Play in an un-airconditioned house. Rachael has gotten very good at rolling and scooting herself around. We never know where she will end up when we put her down. She is also beginning to sit up on her own--she teeters a little before toppling, but she is learning to brace herself by putting her hands on the floor in front of her or on her knees. Rachael has started teething, dripping like a leaky faucet and pulling everything she gets her hands on to her mouth, including her toes. Nights have been a little rough for the past several weeks, with rolling and teething, but, thanks to Baby Tylenol, she is once again sleeping through the night. |
6th Month |
Rachael's Sixth Month (Aug 2002)Six months?! How can she be six months old already?! Rachael is growing and developing so fast, it's hard to keep up with her. She had her first solid food--rice cereal--a few days ago, and she sucked it right down. Of course, we think she ended up with more on her than in her. She likes to grab the spoon as it's coming toward her mouth and rake the cereal into her mouth, then chew on the spoon. Rachael is also making her first attempts at crawling--she does it inchworm-style right now. She pushes up on her hands and knees/feet, moves her back end forward, flops down on her tummy, then moves her hands and arms forward to repeat the process. Rachael got to meet her Great-grandma Stoner and Great-grandma Weiss in Pennsylvania. And Mom and Grandma discovered that Rachael is a natural-born shopper--she had a great time in the mall. Grandma and Grandpa Knight visited from New York last weekend, and Rachael got to go shopping again. She especially liked the fabric store, grabbing everything she passed. |
7th Month |
Rachael's Seventh Month (Sep 2002)Rachael just wears us out!! She has become very mobile, and certainly keeps us on our toes. She still does mostly an army crawl, but occasionally gets up on her hands and knees--but don't be fooled--she gets around quite well doing it her way. She can now even catch the cat, and has had several fists full of fur to prove it. She has also become quite adept at pulling herself up to a standing position, and tries valiantly to crawl over everything she gets close to. The few noggin knockins she has experienced tells us she is still a good ways away from her first steps. Rachael's mobility makes every day at work an adventure for Mom. Rachael's favorite past time is crawling under Mom's desk and getting tangled up in the computer cables. She has pulled the mouse down on top of herself a few times already. Rachael has become a pro at eating her solid food. Pears seem to be her favorite, but carrots and sweet potatoes run a close second, while she merely tolerates peaches. Peas and squash are next on her menu. She has tasted water in her sippy cup, but is still working on mastering that skill. And what a chatter-box she is. We can often listen to her over the monitors chatting away with her mobile-friends when she should be napping. We like to imagine her describing the day's excitement. The whole family can lie on the floor together grunting, growling, screaming and laughing until bedtime. We just love to watch her hold a toy and launch into a string of "da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da!" |
8th Month |
Rachael's Eighth Month (Oct 2002)
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9th Month |
Rachael's Ninth Month (Nov 2002)
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10th Month |
Rachael's Tenth Month (Dec 2002)
Rachael's First Christmas
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11th Month |
Rachael's Eleventh Month (Jan 2003)
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12th Month |
Rachael's 12th Month (Feb 2003)
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The 1st Birthday Cake March 1st 2003
Another Cake for the Birthday Girl |