Month: April 2006

Weight: 16lbs 15ounces
Height: 2’3″
Head Circumference: 17.5 inches

When Mommy told the doctor about Austen’s developmental milestones, including her strong interest in standing and cruising, he said, “What’s her rush?” Maybe Austen needs a more ambitious pediatrician.

Austen finally received her six month shots, after several delays due to illness and such, and is now up to date with all immunizations. She won’t get shots again until her nine month appointment.

Austen now eats spinach, peas, apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, and sweet potato veggie puffs (which she feeds herself). Mommy and Daddy want to start proteins like beans and chicken soon.

Today, Austen said something that sounded like “Caaa” when clapping. We think she was attempting to say “clap.” After all, that’s what everyone else says when she’s clapping. “Clap, clap, clap!” And clapping is currently her favorite activity. Whenever she’s happy, she claps.

Austen recognizes her name very well at this point. She almost always turns her head in the direction of the person calling it.

Austen understands the word ‘milk’ and starts making hurry-up grunts if she hears it when she’s hungry.

There are times when Austen copies Mommy and waves “Hi!” accompanied by a “hhhah” sound.

Austen slept through the night for the first time. 8pm to around 7am. Thanks, Grandma Rodey, for playing with her and giving her a bath before bedtime.

The only trouble is that Austen now gets up and crawls around her crib, then pulls herself to standing. When she gets sleepy, she does a nose dive and drifts off to sleep in strange bent-over positions. Sometimes Mommy and Daddy sneak in while she’s asleep to adjust her onto her side. Austen sleeps in a sleep sack with no blanket and no stuffed toys in her crib because of her tendency to doze off on her stomach now.

Austen’s infant friends and their mommies joined her for a Jane-Austen-inspired tea party. Mommy got out the fine china and bought some scones and Devonshire cream.

In attendance were Miss Eileen and her daughter, Miss Mia (“The Birthday Girl”); Miss Kelly and her daughter, Miss Riley; Miss Nancy and her son, Mr. Connor; Miss Hema and her daughter, Miss Nithya; Miss Heidi and her son, Mr. Dean; and Miss Reshmi and her son, Mr. Ayush. Mommy’s not sure why she’s insisting on using ‘Miss’ so many times; it must be a Jane Austen thing.

Mommy’s attempt at Jane Austen decor (helped by Mozart playing in the background):

Daddy and Mommy took Austen to Gymboree and she impressed Daddy by climbing one step up a ladder.

Austen uses crawling not as an end in itself but as a means to get to places where she can pull herself up to standing. Her primary interest is standing.

Austen’s first tooth broke through last night. The front right.

When Austen wakes up in her crib, she turns over and starts crawling around. Often her arm or leg falls through the railing.

…then she snuck out to get a head start.

“What do you mean there’s nothing in these eggs? Where’s the chocolate?”

Austen had a gay old time seeing her relatives and crawling for Easter eggs.

With Daddy:

With her rambunctious three-and-a-half-year-old cousin, Emma:

With her three cousins, Erin, Emma and Morgan:

“Why did Mommy put this big hat on me?”

“Keep away from my Easter eggs!”

(Note to Austen: You weren’t actually possessive of your Easter Eggs; Mommy’s teasing. You’re actually grunting in this photo, which you did everyday at this age. We think you enjoyed the sensation of making throaty grunting sounds.)

Two photos. One of Mommy, when she was little, wearing a yellow sweater made by Nana (Emma Lloyd’s mom) and sitting next to her brother Mark. The other of Austen wearing the same ultra-soft sweater while visiting Mark’s house.