So it has been quite some time since I last posted. This has nothing to do with how Abigail is doing and everything to do with Erin and I being sick. During the month of October, there was not a single day that one of us was sick and several where both of us were. During this same time, Abigail got by with just a little cold. Erin and I are both in agreement that we have no idea how someone could manage to be a single parent, that would seem to be an impossible amount of work and would require and endless amount of energy.
Luckily, we are on the mend now (for the most part) and Abigail has been making some huge strides in development. The second weekend of October, we traveled to Evansdale for UNI Homecoming. Abigail spent time with Grandma and Grandpa O'Connell playing in the leaves while Erin and I went to the game and out to dinner.
Grandma and Grandpa Weiler visited the following weekend and Abigail got to experience the Des Moines farmer's market and Arcadia in Ames (a little cafe that a friend of Erin's owns). Then on October 22 - 23 we headed to Kansas City. We spent part of Saturday visiting my sister Brenda, her husband John, and their daughter (who is only 6 days older then Abigail), Jocelyn. Then we spent the night at John and Susan's house (Erin's Aunt and Uncle) before heading home on Sunday. Abigail did great and traveled well.
After returning home from KC, Abigail had rice cereal for the 1st time and loved it. She has now moved on to 2 meals a day that include rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, squash, or carrots and she is such a good eater.
The 1st week of November was a busy one as Abigail had 6 month pictures taken at Sears on November 1st, then had her 6 month well baby checkup on the 2nd. Both went very well. At her 6 month appointment she was 23 3/4 inches long and weighed 14.1 lbs. The doctor is starting to get a bit concerned about her weight, so we have started to add rice cereal to all of Abigail's bottles to add calories. She also switched her off of Zantac for infant reflux to Previcid which seems to be helping even more as her spitting up has nearly disappeared.
A lot has happened over the last month in the way of development. Abigail is now sitting up completely unsupported and playing with toys. When put on her back, she will roll back and forth from side to side but won't quite roll over yet. She has rolled over a couple of times from her tummy to her back but doesn't do it very often. She can pass toys from one hand to the other and has figured out that if a toy is out of her reach, she can pull the blanket she is on to move it closer to her. Most of her time is spent laughing, smiling, and more recently screeching. One week during October, she enjoyed sticking out her tongue and spitting...nothing like getting a baby spit shower in the afternoon! Of course, everything is a chew toy right now, her favorite being her fists. She loves to play with her feet but surprisingly doesn't put them in her mouth.
I am really starting to look forward to the holidays and Abigail experiencing so many firsts. She was a pumpkin for Halloween (thanks to aunt Melissa for the costume) and helped me hand out candy to the kids. My parents and my sister Brenda's family will be visiting for Thanksgiving (the 1st time ever I will get to make a Thanksgiving dinner). Then of course, Christmas and all of the fun that goes with that season. So much to look forward to over the next couple of months!
