Matilda 7 Months

Matilda officially crawls (on hands and knees across a room, not just a few feet here and there)!!  This happened two days before her 7 month birthday.  She's still not too good at sitting but she'll get there.  Still no teeth either and now weighs 9 kg (19.8 lbs) which is 90+ percent!   

She also eats avocado and LOVES it!!  I was just telling Matt tonight how I'm so happy she eats avocado and he said, "I'm just glad she eats."  Touche, very true.  After Elliott, we are so pleased to have a eater. 

Her calm nature is evident through and through with everything we do with her.  I took her to swim class today for the first time and she didn't make a peep or cry.  She really enjoyed herself and we'll continue to go for a bit while I'm on part time.

I wanted to document a few things Elliott has said lately that show how much he loves and adores Mei Mei.

A month ago, after the kids got flu shots, Matt asked Elliott if he wanted to be a firefighter when he grew up.  His response was, "No, I want to be a doctor so I can take care of Mei Mei."

Yesterday morning when Elliott woke up, he came into our room (I sleep in the bed with Matilda after she wakes in the night) and whispers to Mei Mei while cuddling her, "I love you Mei Mei.  You are beautiful."  I had to ask him what he was saying because he was so quiet.

This morning, same thing, he whispered something barely audible and after I asked him, he replied, "You are a sweetie."

Elliott loves to eat do sha mien bao (red bean paste bread), a Chinese breakfast snack, and I had one for him today.  He and I usually share it and this morning, as I was breaking it apart, he instructed me to "Break a part off for Mei Mei and save it til she can eat it."

Everything is a guitar, his arm, his shirt sleeve, the air, etc.

On my day off last Monday, I found her exploring new ground. There is a picture of me when I was little when I crawled under the end table.  :)

She was exploring!

Trey is Sam's brother and only 2 weeks younger than Matilda.  There was hardly any room for him after she sat down.

On Thursday, ANZAC Day, Matilda made it down the hall.  This was her "official crawling" day!

I went upstairs for a bit and came down to find this!

Elliott is very comfortable in his monster shoes (thanks a-yi!) and watching a movie.

Too cute!

She's supposed to stand in the exersaucer but crawled in.

She made it! And quickly didn't like it.

Over the weekend, she pulled herself up!!!

7 Month Big Smile!!

Look at those cheeks!

Big Smile!

Happily grabbed the teething biscuit from Daddy.

Dad and Elliott guitar time after dinner.  I made zhia zhang mien for him and he's been gobbling it up!

Elliott studying Daddy playing the guitar.



Up to not much, just the way we like it

After the long Easter weekend full of activities, we've been up to not much at all the last two weekends.  Here are the fun photos of my sweeties!!

Getting better at sitting!

Rolls around the floor

For Matt's birthday, I set up a Sunday lunch with our friends here at Feral Brewing Company.

Robin and Joanne holding Matilda.

Aussie meat pies, sausage rolls and spring rolls to munch on.

Play area for the kids.

Elliott wanted to swing and he held on all by himself.  This made me tear up!!!!  Evidently he loves it as he exclaimed "Higher!"  He must be like me - no fear.

I finally cleaned up the exersaucer we borrowed from friends.

See the thigh rolls?

Elliott watching a movie, eating popcorn and Matilda was grabbing his toes.  He didn't mind.

Hook'em Horns!!

Daddy Love!

Mommy Love!

Easter Weekend 2013, Matilda 6 Months

So the delayed entries begin....last week, I had a plan for this blog entry and now a week later.....my mind is a junlge of thoughts.  I'll go ahead apologize now for my upcoming lackluster posts.  **I prematurely published this last week and this is now my fourth attempt to complete it.**  Easter is a big public holiday here in Australia so Good Friday and Easter Monday are off.  We had a 4 day weekend and no plans so we jam packed it with a staycation.

Good Friday: Caversham Wildlife Park (kangaroos and kaolas) / Whiteman Park picnic

Feeding Kangaroos

Petting the dirty and stinky kangaroos

Playing with the rabbits

I just thought this was peculiar.

Elliott holding a 3 week old bunny.

Family Koala Photo

Matilda liked rolling around on the blanket at Whiteman Park during our picnic.

Elliott overheard the Bullard's kids requesting ice cream and Matt got him one too.

We were standing here for over 30 minutes until he finished this...

but I was able to take lots of pictures.

This next series of pictures are ridiculously cute.  Elliot wanted to share his chair with mei mei so he scooted over to one side as I placed her next to him.  What happened next was just too cute!!  My heart was melting taking these pictures.  I got over 20 photos and here are a few....they love each other so much!!

Notice Elliott's hand on her leg and Matilda leaning into him

He wanted to tickle her feet

Saturday: bus into CBD, Fremantle

Me and my lovely, sweet baby!

We told Elliott we could ride the train into the city but turns out it's the one weekend every year they do maintenance on the Perth Underground....so we took a bus instead.  Luckily, even though Elliott saw us approach the bus, got on the bus and sat with us, he still thought we were on a train so all was not lost. In his defence, this weekend, he has asked about riding the train "because it was broken yesterday but now it's fixed."

Dinner at The Mexican Kitchen in Fremantle with friends. Tasty food.

In Freo for the Street Arts Festival and went to the park for a bit for the kids.

Easter Sunday: Easter basket, Dinosaur Park, Marcus's 3rd Birthday

Finding his Easter basket fun and toys

Happy as can be

Matilda was changing clothes at Dinosaur Park in King's Park and I had to get a picture of her chubbiness.

Trying to get that perfect 6 month photo

Standing up and walking around with Daddy's help

We invited Ewan, Elliott's best friend, and they had a ball!

After naptime, we went over to Ana's house for Marcus's 3rd birthday party for a swim and cake.  Matilda outgrew her bathers so we went in with just the nappies.  She liked it but we didn't stay long as it was a bit cold for her.

Cute and random photos:

Elliott is showing mei mei how the singing teapot works.

Hello, teeth???  Chewing on Sophie the Giraffe

We've been writing a capital and lower case letter on the doodle pad (thanks Rosa!) during meal time lately and this time, Elliott insisted on writing it himself.  This made me cry!!!!!!!!!!  I know that it is the letter "O" but I didn't know he knew how to do it. 

Note: He still seems ambidextrous (both right and left handed) to us and drew these in a counter clockwise motion. 

Additional Note: Grandpa Baldwin is ambidextrous. 

This was Elliott's Easter art work he came home with.  Good thing he told us it was a chicken!!  Mom and Dad had no idea!!  Love ya Elliott!!

Love you Matilda!

Onsie provided by Rosa.

Wearing Elliott's Rockets onsie and putting a girl's twist to it by adding a skirt.  I was taking picutres of Matilda before going to school and Elliott insisted I take one with him in it.  He LOVES her!!

6 Month Stats

eating rice cereal, apple puree and carrot puree

100% breastmilk

no teeth

can move up to 4 feet in a scoot/crawl motion

extremely happy, content, sweet baby that loves to smile, such a joy!!

8.6 kg (19 pounds)

Thank goodness she hasn't grown too much since her 5 month mark!