Fager-Moore Vacation 2011 = Success!!

Well, we're back to being Illinoisans.  Florida was fun, but it's nice to be back home.  Vacationing with a baby isn't the most relaxing thing, but I'm quite sure I've been blessed with the most laid back, easy going, happy baby.

I was so nervous and anxious of how V would do on the 2 1/2 hour flight.  I only slept around 4 hours the night before.  (On a plus note, since I couldn't sleep, I watched the finale of The Rivals, and it was awesome!!)  But to my amazement, V was incredibly happy and well behaved on the flight!  I mean, I always knew I had a good, happy baby, but this vacation really opened my eyes to just HOW good of a baby she is!  She slept during half the flight and the other half, she stared and waved at the other passengers.  In fact, I think she only cried one time during the whole vacation!

Once we got to the condo, the Moore fam was already there.  The moment we walked in the door, we hit the ground running, chasing kids, feeding kids, trying to get the kids to sleep, shushing kids and drinking a few adult beverages to try to numb the chaos.  The Moore's have a 4 year old (almost 5) son, Davis,  a 3 year old daughter, Leila, and an 8 month old son, Wade (or Wadey, as D & L called him).  So, add in one more 6.5 month old girl, and we probably should've had a license for our Floridian daycare!

Violet just LOVED the big kids and especially being reunited with her boyfriend!  She loved watching them play and watching her boyfriend, Wadey, crawl all around the place.  V is on the verge of crawling and watching her boyfriend crawl and pull up on things just made her desire to crawl even stronger!  Leila was SO good with V!  She loved playing with her and told me she would teach V how to crawl.  So she got on the floor and started crawling in circles around V.  V loved it!

Watching Davis and Leila play with each other was the sweetest thing ever.  For the most part, they got along and didn't fight.  And they simply ADORE their baby brother.  They're so protective over him.  Watching them love on Wadey is true love in its purest form.  Watching all 3 Moore kids made me excited to someday make my family bigger!  But only if my kids are as well behaved, polite, funny and cute as the Moore kids!  Can you tell that I'm mad about these Moore kids??

We pretty much hung around the condo most of the time.  Every morning we would eat a big breakfast on the lanai, the kids swam in the pool almost everyday and we grilled out most evenings.  We drove around on the golf cart at night and we each picked our very own multi million dollar home that we would someday live in.  We had big plans of going to the beach one day, but then decided against it.  Maybe next year when the babies are a little bigger.  We went out to eat one night and then decided we weren't doing that again...  And the hubby's bought Kara and I a 90 minute massage at a spa one day.  We. Were. In. Heaven.  Although next year, Kara and I decided next year, we're doing an ALL DAY package at the spa...

Okay, no more talking...I'll just post some pics.
PS-thank you, Irene for sparing us and actually sending some cool breezes our way!

(These pictures aren't in any particular order.)

Davis, Violet and Leila

V loves kisses from her daddy...  

Happy vacationing baby!

How cute are they??

Ummmm....why are you trying to steal my camera time?  

Princess Leila 

Best friends and their offspring

Time to go to the pool!  YAY!!!

V couldn't take her eyes off of Leila

The beautiful Moore family

Our first vacation as a family of 3!

First time she saw Wadey...she pretty much couldn't keep her hands off of him!

Reunited and it feels so good!

Leila is acting like a puppy.  So cute!!

Best friends forever!

No love for V!

But she's still in love with him!

Fager-Moore Vacay 2011

Showing off her curls.

I Need Travel Advice...

This Thursday, baby daddy, V and I leaving for a much needed vacay.  We're meeting some great friends and their three kids down at my in law's condo.  Yes, that's right.  Our vacay consists of 4 kids under the age of 5.  To many people, this may not sound like a vacation, but I'm super excited.  Hey, at least we're not outnumbered, right???  V is excited to reunite with her boyfriend, Wade...

I was needing some advice on how to fly with a baby.  My friend, April, gave me some great tips and I plan on using them...and referring back to them throughout our trip!  But now I need some advice on how to travel with a baby...during a hurricane!  BOOOOOO!!!!  Damn you, Irene!

As if I'm not stressed out enough traveling with a baby for the first time...now I have to worry about evil Irene blowing us all away!  I know that hurricanes aren't something you take lightly...I'm just hoping and praying that she'll calm the (*expletive) down before we get there.  

I'm mentally packing right now, and so far, I've got 17 suitcases packed.  I'm thinking my husband will make me downsize...or he'll never let us go on a vacation again.  Maybe all I'll need to pack is a swimsuit, raincoat and rain boots...I hate you Irene!!!  

Now, I'm going to end this post with a story of V and her elephant, Ellie.  Enjoy!  :)  

Dear Violet...

Dear Violet,

Happy 1/2 birthday, my love!!  Seems like just yesterday that I was seeing double and thinking there was Corona in my IV!  (If this doesn't make sense to you, then read this post.)  The days between month 5 and month 6 have seriously flown by.  You are constantly changing on me...but I think I'm adjusting well to all the change!  ;)  For your 1/2 birthday present, I bought you a rockin' new stroller!  Okay, maybe that gift was more for me...but you really do like it!  I bought you a couple of new toys, too.  It's so crazy to think that in 6 more months, we'll be celebrating your 1st birthday.  And if these next 6 months go as fast as these past 6 months, I don't know what I'm going to do!  I love watching you grow, but as I put all the clothes that are too small for you away, it makes me sad.  If you grow too fast, I'm going to replace you with a new baby!!!  So you better slow down, lil lady!!  Here are some of the new things you've been doing this past month:

--You love love love swimming!  You are definitely going to be a water baby.  You kick your legs and splash water in your face, and it doesn't bother you at all.  This also means that you love bath time as well.  You splash water all over the place...including all over me!

--Your 6 month appointment is next week, so I don't know what your stats are yet.  However, YOU ARE HEAVY.  You used to feel so light and petite, but now, you're a hoss!  Well, you still look petite, but you're definitely gaining some weight!

--I stopped breastfeeding you about 2 weeks ago.  My goal was to breastfeed for 4 months.  And then I bumped up the goal to 6 months.  But I was just not producing enough milk for your growing hunger!  So, you had no problem eating some formula!  You didn't care...as long as your belly wasn't empty!  So needless to say, weeding you wasn't difficult at all.  It was a little sad for me at first, but then I got over it and enjoy bottle feeding you now.

--You still aren't a fan of rice cereal.  

--We started you on baby food last week.  You love love love sweet potatoes!  You didn't like apples too much at first...I think it was too sour for you.  But now you love it!  You also love bananas as well.  I plan on making your baby food as soon as the baby food maker gets here!  

--You still drink 4--6 ounce bottles.  But it seems like you're less interested in the bottle.  I'm thinking the more baby food you eat, the less milk you'll drink!  Which is fine by me...formula is stinky!

--You're still a great sleeper.  But you move around SO MUCH....which wakes you up sometimes...grrrrr.  You pretty much do flips and somersaults while sleeping.  I'll look at the video monitor at night and see that you've completely switched top to bottom.  

--You like to sleep on your belly now.

--Considering you're doing flips flops while sleeping, we don't swaddle you anymore!  

--You love sitting in your new high chair.  

--When I cook or do dishes, I put you in your high chair and put you in the kitchen with me.  You love watching me do my thing in the kitchen.  

--I feel like you're going to start crawling at any moment!  You lay on your belly and pull yourself all around the place.  As soon as you figure out how to move your legs, you're going to be on the move...even more than what you are now!  Then my life will DRASTICALLY change...  

--You still take 2 naps.  You take an hour nap in the morning and then a 2 hour nap in the afternoon.  

--The week after 4th of July, you started losing your hair...and I was devastated!  You lost about half of your hair in one week.  Then it stopped falling out.  Thank goodness you still have a ton of hair!  (Which is still curly!)

--You can still fit into 3-6 month clothing but you're mainly wearing 6 month clothes.  

--You are very social now.  When you meet someone new, you study them really hard and then when they work hard enough, you'll give the a smile.  

--You are happy 23.5 hours of every single day.  

--You are definitely teething.  Drool drool drool!  You like to chew on my fingers and I've noticed that your gums feel a little bit softer than what they did a month ago.  

--You're still a chatterbox.  And you like talking at the top of your lungs!  You definitely get that from me.  

--You love to give kisses.  Wet, open mouthed kisses.  And I love getting those kisses more than anything.  

--Whenever you see me for the first time after being with Nam all day, you give one pitiful whimper.  Then you keep staring at me wondering when I'm going to hold you then you give one more whimper.  It's so pitiful and cute at the same time.

--You cry every time I wear my sunglasses.  You stare at me with wide eyes then your face starts to turn red and then you cry.  I'm not sure why my sunglasses scare you so much!  

--You no longer cry when in the carseat.  I think you finally enjoy riding in the car!  I can see you just looking around, staring out the window, chewing on your fingers and just being happy and content.  Such a good girl!

--You love it when I sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to you.  

--We're going to start going to Wiggles N Tunes next week and I can't wait!  

--We haven't been out and about too much this past month...it's just been too too hot!  I can't wait for it to cool down so we can do more things...go to the park, go for walks, picnics, etc.

--You love other kids.  You let them hold you and you just stare at them.  It's the cutest thing!  

--You're sitting up like such a big girl now!

--When I rock you to sleep, you touch my face..and it's just the sweetest thing.

You have changed my life in more ways than I can ever explain...and I thank you for that.  Thank you for loving me and always showing me through your smiles, laughs, snuggles, and wet kisses, that you need me everyday.  My life is truly complete and my heart is completely whole because of you. 

Love, 

Mommy

"She's going to be a disgrace to the Koreans!"

That was an exact quote said by my good friend, Linz.  That was in reference to V's first experience with eating rice cereal last week.  In case you couldn't tell from Linz's quote, V's first time eating RICE cereal didn't go so well.  Just like any baby's first experience eating something other than milk out of a bottle, she did the norm of spitting out every morsel of rice that you put in.  She didn't cry and didn't fuss...but it wasn't like she was thrilled with the experience or begging for more rice.  I think she liked the crazy noises I was making to get her to open her mouth.  There were times when her mouth was shut tight like a vault.  The bad part came the next day when her face broke out in a bright red rash along with her chest.  She was as red as Alex McCord during a heated argument with the Countess (if you don't watch Real Housewives of New York, you won't get that reference.  If you DO watch RHONY, then you understand just how red she got!).  I was worried that she was having an allergic reaction to eating the rice.  However, she wasn't fussy because of a belly ache.  But the words "Allergic To Rice" sparked such a controversy with my friends and family.  "She's half Korean!  How could she be allergic to rice?!"  So, needless to say, we've tried the rice again.  She's doing better with opening her mouth (meaning, I'm doing a good job keeping the crazy ass noises fresh and interesting) and actually swallowing some of the rice.  Her face is still a little red, but I think it's a combination of drool overload and a reaction to the rice.  I can't let V disgrace the Korean population.  She HAS to like rice.  Wish us luck...  

I must have made a good noise for this picture.  

"Really, Mom?  Really?"

She'd rather eat her toes and feet, than rice cereal....

First time trying rice.  

Helping daddy with the spoon.  

Rice face

Okay, she's done.  By the way, this is her dad's face....  

Messy meal time means bath time!  

Dear Violet...

You are 5 months old today!  5 months!! You are growing much too fast...but it's been so much fun watching you grow.  This past month has definitely been filled with so many changes and so many "firsts."  Your personality is sweet and yet a little sassy.  I'd say you're a perfect mix of your daddy and me...of course you get the sweet from me and the sassy from you daddy...  I didn't realize just how much you had grown until you laid side by side by your BFF, Tatum, who will be 1 month old tomorrow.  It made me so happy to know that you're growing, but also a little sad that you're no longer my little newborn baby.  (I'm seriously going to be an emotional wreck when you go to kindergarten, or when you go off to college, or when you get married!!)  

Here are some of the things you've been doing this past month:

--At your 4 month doctor's appointment, you weighed 12 pounds 9 ounces and you were 24 inches long.  You are a petite little lady, but I'm pretty sure you've gained about 5 pounds since your doctor's appointment!  At least that's what my aching back is estimating...  

--At the beginning of June, you were going through a growth spurt.  You were hungry ALL THE TIME and even started waking up at night because you were hungry.  At your 4 month appointment, I discussed with your doctor, supplementing with formula because I just couldn't keep up with your hunger!  So, for about a month, you've been drinking two 6 ounce bottles (usually one in the morning and one in the late afternoon) and then the rest of the time I've been nursing you.  It was a difficult transition for me and I felt a lot of guilt, but I figured I would feel a heck of a lot more guilty if you were starving!  And Linz reassured me that you would not turn into a serial killer because I had to supplement with formula.  I think you're a lot happier now that your belly is so full!  Plus, you've been sleeping through the night again (7:30 pm - 6 am).  So, it looks like formula will be staying in your diet!  

--You went to your first wedding in June!  It was Jami Lee's wedding and you were an angel....until it was your bedtime.  Then it was time to go home.  But it was fun and everyone was so happy to see you!

--On June 30th, you rolled over from back to belly for the first time!  You were so proud of yourself!  You only did it once that day, but then the very next day, you would not stop rolling!  Sometimes you can't easily roll back onto your back, and you get a little frustrated but you can't help yourself but roll back onto your belly!  It's so fun to watch you roll around the floor!  

--Now that you're mobile, it's a little more difficult for me to get ready!  I used to put you on our bed as I fixed my hair, but I can no longer do that.  I used to put you on your play mat in the hallway as I would take a shower, but I can no longer do that!  So, I'm adjusting to your mobility!  

--You're very squirmy now.  You're a little wiggle worm that has to constantly be moving or grabbing for something.  

--You're also a wiggle worm at bedtime now.  You used to sleep in one position on one part of the crib.  Now, I wake up to find that you've somehow pushed yourself to the the top of the crib or you've buried your face in the side of the crib.  It makes me very nervous!  

--You are ticklish.  It's so cute!  You give the biggest belly laugh when we tickle your belly.  Music to my ears.  

--You love to walk.  You pick your feet up and move forward as if you're ready to take off any time!  It's so cute!  But please don't learn to walk too fast!  

--When we read books, you try to turn the pages.  

--You had your first 4th of July celebration!  We had such a great weekend (see earlier post)!  

--You swam in a pool for the first time at Uncle Darin and Aunt Nicki's house.  You loved it.  I hope next year we can put you in a swim class.  

--I'm not sure, but I think you may be teething.  You've been whining a bit lately, which you never do.  You're really slobbery and I've noticed that your nose is a bit snottier (gross, I know).  So, I guess I'm trying to prepare myself for that big change!  

--You take an hour nap in the morning and a 2 hour nap in the afternoon.  I really really really really really really really hope you keep that nap schedule!!  

--You like to splash around during bath time now.  

--No matter where we're at, you are constantly looking around the room and observing everything on the walls, on the floor, on the tables, etc.  You are very curious! 

--You LOVE to be around other kids.  You love watching them and don't mind if they hold you.  I'm thinking you're going to be a social butterfly when you get older.  

--Everything you grab goes into your mouth.  EVERYTHING.  

--You are still a chatterbox.  And I love it more than anything.  

You are the happiest little baby I've ever met and I hope that never changes.  You have made your daddy and me so happy and so blessed.  Every morning, I can't wait to cuddle with you and hear you talk my ear off.  Even though I get a little sad that you're growing so fast, I think about future milestones and get excited when they're coming up!  Your daddy LOVES to show you off and take you places.  I hope you know just how proud he is of you.  Whenever he gets home from work, he can't take the smile off of his face...and it's because of you!  You bring so much joy to our lives and to our families' lives.  Thank you for teaching me how to savor and appreciate the little things in life.  I love you more than anything in the whole wide world!  

Love, 

Mommy

I don't know where she gets this curly hair from!  

Yummy.  

I love this double chin so much!!

Done taking pictures.