On the move

It's rare that I'll post unclothed baby shots but these were just too cute not to share. It's always possible I'll decide to take them down, I just couldn't resist taking a shot of her arm rolls. I just want to eat her up.

As you can probably tell, she's really getting around now. She's still a little slow but I'm sure that won't last much longer. And of course she is now just interested in those things that are not so baby-friendly.

She's such a little investigator--

Watch her wiggle:

I love how patiently she can play and then she decides she needs to go check some other things out. :)

She's pretty proud of all her new skills.

Overall, Alaina is doing great. I have had a lot going on at work in terms of an upcoming grant deadline, journal reviews (6 that are due in a two week period, 6! they are multiplying in my inbox), grading, manuscript resubmissions, etc. However, I've really had the chance to just enjoy Alaina in the mornings and at night. She can be a great stress reliever (of course she is also a great stress producer but I have written plenty of blogs on that subject!). This morning was definitely one of those times. And I certainly needed it!

We aren't sure if her allergies/sensitivities are acting up or if maybe she has a cold/virus. Overall, she is in a fabulous mood during the day but by bedtime, she gets pretty miserable with a runny nose, draining ears, and swollen/yucky eyes. When she first wakes up in the morning, she's a crusty mess. I have to completely wash her face before I can even feed her. Chad called the ENT's nurse today because her ears just seem to be constantly draining and gross. They said to start giving her ear drops again so hopefully they help. She's also gotten benadryl a couple of nights this week. But even without the benadryl, she has been sleeping amazingly well. I hope we stay in this phase because she sleeps from about 8 pm until between 7:30 and 9 am. Sometimes she gets up once around 10 pm for a final feeding but otherwise she's great. And then she wakes up super happy (eyes glued shut and all!) in the mornings which just starts my day wonderfully. This morning I just couldn't stop cuddling her. She's pretty irresistible. Even (especially?) when she's pathetic.