New Beginnings

So Daphne got a cold almost immediately after we moved to Washington. Being sick, she would wake up a few times at night. Then she got better. But she still wanted to wake up a few times at night. After about a month we finally whittled it down to just once a night, but couldn't get rid of that one. So last Friday when she woke up at 2:00 a.m. we just let her cry herself back to sleep. Problem solved.

Now that I'm starting to feel human again, I can focus on more than just sleep. For example, posting on my blog after almost 2 months! Oops. So here's what we've been up to....

We moved to Washington! The move went so much better than we ever could have hoped for - especially with such little notice beforehand. We had huge help from Steve's parents, who voluntarily flew out to help us pack and drive the big van. Thank you Mom and Dad! Once we arrived we got settled pretty quickly, putting most of our stuff in storage since we plan to live with my parents while we save and look for a house.

Living with my family has been fun, but different. We've found it can be distracting - we keep forgetting that we're here to stay - so sometimes we just sit around talking and talking and get nothing done, which is okay if I was just here for a long weekend - but day after day is not good... So I made a list of daily minimum requirements - one of them is to be dressed before Steve gets home. I'm getting pretty good. But seriously, I think the list is helping me get back into a productive lifestyle (and most are slightly more challenging than just getting dressed).

Steve likes his new job, especially now that he feels more comfortable and competent with what he's doing. We both like the new hours - he's often home before 4:00 p.m. He got a gym membership and is happy to actually have time for things like that now.
My mom and I have been having fun planning meals every week - including one "foreign night". So far we have done Italy, Germany, and Jamaica. This week is France. For the other days of the week we wrote down everyone's favorite meals and rotate them throughout the month so we all get something we like once in a while. So far it's working pretty well. And we try a new recipe now and then.

I am taking piano lessons! I have had two so far so I'm just about ready for my first recital - NOT. But I'm excited to be learning and I like having something each week that is just for me.

Steve and I are searching for favorite restaurants on our weekly dates. We found a good Pho place and a decent Mexican restaurant. I liked the Thai restaurant we tried but Steve is hoping for better. Can't seem to find a good Greek cafe though. Nothing could beat the one we had in California. Unfortunately.

Now for the baby update...

Daphne is learning new tricks everyday. She started army crawling when we first moved here - which was perfect because Steve's parents got to see it. Now she is "real" crawling (on hands and knees) most of the time, unless she needs to get somewhere fast. She is sitting up and pulling herself up on anything taller than the floor. She likes tags and making noise and sneaking into the kitchen when no one's looking. Though she's not much of a "cuddle baby" (WAY too active and busy to have time for that) she's still a very happy baby and loves all the attention from her grandparents, aunts and uncles. She smiles all the time and laughs often. She's seven months old now and weighed 14 pounds at her last check-up (6 months).

She started solid foods just after we moved in (rice cereal at 5 and 1/2 months). She ate it like a pro, not even making any kind of face at all. She has made some faces and gagging noises with the other new stuff (yams, peas, carrots, apples) - but usually gets over it after the first try. I am making all the food myself (except the cereal) so that has been fun for me, way cheaper than buying the little jars, and so much easier than I expected.

There's probably a lot I'm forgetting, but it's hard to catch up on everything after so long. So that's it for now!