Our First Family Vacation

Matt, Olivia and I went on our first family vacation last week to Santa Fe, NM. Olivia and I had never been there before and it had been a very long time since Matt had been there. I found a hotel that ended up being just perfect for us... a 2 room suite that was basically a 1 bedroom apartment with kitchen, family room and separate bedroom/bathroom. It was great because then Olivia could sleep in a separate room from us and we didn't have to worry about waking her up.

She did great on the 5 hour drive down, sleeping about half the time and otherwise being entertained by Mommy. We arrived a little before her bedtime on Tuesday night. On Wednesday we headed to the Plaza to check out the shops. If you are a fan of southwestern art and jewelry then this is the place for you! But I'm not really, so we didn't go into too many stores. We did check out La Fonda, a very nice hotel Matt really wanted to stay at until we saw that the cheapest rooms were $300+ per night! We hung out in the plaza and enjoyed the guitar music playing while we people watched.

Thursday we started our morning by taking Olivia to the pool. This was her first experience in a pool. At first she was a bit unsure, but quickly she was smiling and kicking and having a great time. Then we headed back into town and checked out the San Miguel Mission, Loretto Church and the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. The churches were beautiful and Olivia was great walking around town in her new Baby Bjorn. The Georgia O'Keefe museum was very disappointing because it doesn't show many of her painting. Instead it has rotating exhibits with a few of her painting scattered throughout. Thursday night we went to dinner with a friend of Matt's from college and his family. It was great to meet them, and Olivia was very well behaved as usual!

Friday we headed home, stopping in Taos on our way back. It seems to be a nice town, but it's Plaza isn't nearly as big or nice as Santa Fe's. We walked around and got some lunch and then headed home. It was a much longer trip home and Olivia had one meltdown, but overall she did great considering it took us over 6 hours to get home! This was a great first family vacation and we really enjoyed ourselves!!! Next up... Hawaii in January!!!

6 Month Check Up

I can't believe that Olivia is 6 1/2 months old now! The time is starting to fly by more quickly now. Especially now that she is learning so much every week! Last week we visited her pediatrician for her 6 month check up and to get more shots! The doctor was very pleased with her progress and said she was just "lovely". Here are her newest stats:

Height: 27" (she grew 3" in just over 2 months and is in the 75-90%!)
Weight: 14 lb, 10 oz (25% - same as last time... I think eating some solid food now will help her put on some weight)
Head: 43cm (50%)

Since seeing the doctor last she has:
- Gotten 2 teeth
- Starting to eat solid food (including applesauce, peas, carrots, zucchini, yams, sweet potatoes and pears)
- Grabs at toys and can hold and shake them
- Rolls over from her back to her tummy
- Sitting in her stroller without her car seat
- Getting stronger every week at sitting up on her own

I was also excited because the doctor said that her eyes will remain blue!!! They are a deep blue with a bit of grey in them. I have some grandparents who have/had blue eyes, but neither Matt nor I do, or any of our immediate family, so we definitely were not expecting Olivia to keep her blue eyes. They are beautiful!

She received 4 more vaccinations... one oral and 3 shots. She didn't even cry at all with the first shot and then started to cry about halfway through the second shot. About 10 seconds after the third shot, she stopped crying all together... my little Rock Star continues! I'm so impressed with her! Next visit (at 9 months) we don't have to get any shots!!!