The Couch of Doom - now with video!!!

Alice is terrified of the blue couch at Grandma & Grandpa's, with good reason: it always seems to swallow her up whole when she's playing on the floor...

6 months old!

It is hard to believe that Alice is already six months old! Her sultry roll pose and "shucks" gesturing are definite signs of her diminishing floppiness.

Fine Young Cannibal

The halcyon days of Alice staying comfortably in the spot you put her, and not reaching around and getting into too much trouble, are clearly coming to an end.

There was a strange, happy munching sound coming from Alice's room this morning. Sarah walked in to find that Alice, on awakening, had somehow managed to sit up and grab one of the "baby faces" placards from the mobile hanging above her bed (it's high enough that she shouldn't have been able to reach it unless she was sitting and stretching way up). Alice, quite pleased with her find, was making like a gerbil and gnawing rapidly through the cardboard.

When Sarah had first walked in, it was clear Alice knew she had done something she wasn't supposed to. But Alice eventually couldn't help but giggle; she was quite proud of her tricks. So naughty!

Rugrats

Grandma Sandy & Grandpa Ted were down helping babysit this weekend. Alice really enjoyed all the extra attention; Ted and Alice played well together on the floor until Sarah baked up some Cinnamon Rolls. Then Alice's inability to crawl really became a liability in the epic struggle for breakfast.

Tuck In Game

One of Alice's favorite games (to judge by giggles alone) is the tuck-in game. This started innocently enough as a way for Sarah to make the bed each morning before work; however, it has morphed into a fun game at any time of day.

County Fair

Today, we went to the county fair with Alice's friend Mia. Alice took a lot of notes on how to be cute at the fair, and next year, we anticipate Alice hopping around, petting goats AND eating mini-donuts just like Mia! Alice clearly has ice cream on her mind already.

Cool breezes

Escaping the heat, but meeting the 'skeeters & then sucking her thumb, in the tire swing made for Alice by her Grandpa Ted.

Mealtime

In the ongoing saga of attempts to get Alice to eat anything besides milk or formula, Sarah counts it a "solid victory" that Alice shows any degree of enthusiasm for peas.

Top of the pile

After our old washing machine flooded out the basement, mom got us a new front-loading high-efficiency one. I'm not sure we're going to save any money on utilities in the long term, though, because Alice keeps us doing a load of clothes and diapers nearly every day. She likes to play in the laundry basket and suck on dirty bibs -- gotta love the taste of old, dried, stale milk!

Alice goes swimming

Kirke tried to maximize his time home with Alice this afternoon by simultaneously teaching her to swim, spell, and do the cannonball, -- but she mostly just wanted to munch on the floating foam letters.

Thumbsucker

Her left thumb has become Alice's go-to stress reliever. Whether she's having problems falling asleep, or is frustrated with yet another of Kirke's attempts to teach her to crawl, she can usually self-comfort with a good old-fashioned thumbsucking.