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Austen eats solids about three times a day. She usually has rice cereal mixed with carrot, apple, banana or sweet potato. Sometimes she even eats straight from the jar. Her record is one and a half small jars. She seems to enjoy all the foods Mommy and Daddy have introduced to her.

She also has numerous bottles of milk and formula each day.

Austen started taking swim classes at the Metuchen YMCA. She’s categorized as a ‘shrimp.’ Here she is in her bathing suit:

Austen is happy, healthy, active and developmentally advanced. Her one issue: sleep … in particular, self-soothing and falling asleep on her own.

After Austen got up 8 times in one night (eating a total of 20 ounces during 6 of those wakings), Mommy and Daddy decided they must take drastic measures.

1) Austen has moved out of her bassinet in Mommy and Daddy’s room and into the crib in her room.

2) Her bedtime is set at 8:30 instead of 10pm.

3) After her goodnight ritual (eating, bathing, singing) Austen must stay in her bed until 1am when she’s picked up for her ONE AND ONLY nighttime feeding.

4) Austen is allowed to cry for 5 minutes, after which Mommy or Daddy go in to soothe her with back pats and lullabies.

Thus far, Austen is thriving on this new system. She’s happy and active during daytime hours. It’s been a little difficult for Mommy and Daddy to listen to strong-lunged Austen’s five-minute crying sessions – so far she’s up to three in a row — but otherwise Mommy and Daddy are feeling more rested. Austen is still waking up every few hours but is easily soothed back to sleep, and hopefully she will eventually cut down on these waking since she’s not being lulled to sleep with milk.

Austen’s teacher’s name is Kelly Wieand. Dean, Andrew, Jack and Mia are in the same music class.

From the confirmation e-mail:

You’re all set for Tues @ 9:30. Please contact me with any questions.
Enjoy!
Patricia – 908-755-7512 – home
Patricia Price,
Center Director,
Music Together of Berkeley Hgts
& Watchung LLC & Metuchen
908-755-7510
www.musictogetherofberkeleyheights.com

The bunny suit just sorta came together by accident. The ears had been purchased for Easter. The shirt is from Abby West. The bunny socks are a shower gift from Janet Wettig.

Austen is just starting to say “Da” and “Mahhh” — and even “Earl,” according to Grandpa Earl.

For Mommy’s birthday, Austen, Mommy and Grandpa Earl went to Johnson Park in Piscataway, located across the river from New Brunswick, where Austen was born. At the petting zoo, there was a beautiful cayote along with lots of colorful birds. Austen liked the goat because it looked like a large-sized cat.

“Side-saddle,” as described by Grandpa Earl:

Last night, Austen’s sniffles took a turn for the worse and she began vomiting phlegm. We took her to the doctor who said she had an Upper Respiratory Infection that had perhaps develped into a sinus infection (or some sort of bacterial infection). When we got her home, she had a fever of 101.5. For the rest of the day and night, Mommy and Daddy struggled to get Austen to drink … anything. Austen was very fussy, particularly when having medicine (tylenol and antibiotics) squirted into her mouth. She hardly played at all, sleeping in Mommy and Daddy’s arms most of the day. Austen had never before not wanted to eat. She’d never had a fever. And she’d never slept all day.