8 (months) is great!

Raegan is 8 months old! We think she is getting cuter by the day! She has really started to be able to get around.....by scooting, rocking her body forward, reaching, and turning. One of my favorite things she does is use her legs to turn her self in a complete 360 degrees circle while sitting. She does this to scout out something interesting to go after...such as the dog's toy, the dog, electronic devices, wall outlets, and oh yes...the Christmas tree! She is more and more content playing on the floor and moving all over the place! I went to get her from her crib the other night and she was sitting there looking at me! We have never seen her be able to move from a laying position to sitting, but the little magician did it. So today we shifted her crib mattress down so she can't topple out.

She loves to stand up holding on to things, and can move along the side of the ottoman by shuffling her feet. Her favorite food is these organic rice crackers called baby "mum mums" that she can feed herself. She is also drinking water (with help) from a sippy cup. Despite my mother's concerns, I give her slices of raw veggies and fruit to suck on and rub on her gums. She really enjoys this! (Here are pictures of her enjoying a slice of apple). No teeth yet, but we can see them in the gums so I'm sure it won't be too much longer.

She will also now imitate facial expressions, closing eyes, giving kisses, clapping, and slapping her leg to call the dog. We are so excited for baby's first Christmas, and given how helpful she was with Christmas wrapping, we are certain she will have fun with all of the presents!

love, love, love....

My current favorite photo, courtesy of Aunt Meggo. :)

Thanksgiving 2011

We had our second annual visit from my Mom for Thanksgiving! Meghan and Shari also came for dinner, so we had a very nice party of 5 (including Raegan). Matt joined us later that evening for some dessert! Jay did a wonderful Turkey, and everyone else pitched in to make several pies, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, home made corn bread, a beautiful salad, and honey glazed carrots. Delicious!

During my Mom's visit, we did some Christmas shopping, we went for walks, played with Raegan, did quite a bit of cooking, and otherwise just relaxed! Here are a few pictures from the week...

At the mall.....

Looking for Black Friday deals......

Cheese!! 

Eating at "The Counter" Burger joint. 

Watching the water fountains at one of our favorite shopping plazas..... 

Thanksgiving day!!

Don't forget Jasen in the background! :)

7 months old!

Two weeks ago, Raegan turned 7 months (so this post is a bit late)! Her claim to fame currently is her new ability to stand up! She does really well holding on to the ottoman as she reaches for the remote controls and magazines (to eat, of course!). Within the last few days she has started imitating hand motions, such as clapping, opening and closing her hands, and tapping her leg. She will even imitate facial expressions! We just started doing some "baby sign" with her for milk and Roxy....her two faves! She has signed both in appropriate contexts....coincidence? Who knows!? We think she is brilliant!

Her favorite food is Mango, and she basically eats nothing other than this. She also likes to drink from my water glass! She is completely sick of her toys, and protests them adamantly. As soon as something new is placed in front of her, even if it is amongst dozens of toys, she grabs it immediately. She also subsequently protests the new item being taken from her! We think she is more and more fun everyday! :)

Our little pumpkin

I haven't carved a pumpkin since I was about 12 (I think). And, sadly enough, this is the first Halloween that Jasen and I actually put out decorations. We have always handed out candy, but I guess Halloween wasn't really an occasion that we really got that in to.

Raegan dressed as the cutest pumpkin on earth, and she helped us hand out candy to the kids. She actually had a really good time, and wasn't scared at all! We were playing some scary Halloween sounds at the front door, and it was pretty cute seeing the scared faces of some of the little trick-or-treaters. We had a few stragglers who, once I gave them their candy, just kept walking right into the house....newbies! :)

A moment at the park...

While we try to teach our children all about life,

Our children teach us what life is all about.

~Angela Schwindt

Kellytrutter.com

I have just recently launched my website for my private "practice." It is super easy to remember.....www.kellytrutter.com. As some of you may have noticed in the news, legislation just passed Senate Bill 946 which mandates medical insurance to cover ABA intervention for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. This is a huge advancement in the field, and a long time coming for many families who have been paying tens of thousands of dollars per year for intervention and treatment for their children. It is also estimated that this bill (effective next July) will create approximately 20,000 new jobs in the state of California. Currently, I have a contract with Aetna medical insurance who started the ball rolling a year or so ago and is already covering ABA services for their insured. So, check out my web page! Right now I am only willing to travel around Northern California, but once Raegan is a bit older I will be willing to travel further. My Aetna contract is approved for several states, including Illinois. Many Aetna members are not aware they qualify for these services, without a even referral being needed! Help me get the word out so that these families can obtain the support they desperately need!

6 months old!

 

Half of a year old already! I can't belive it! She is just more fun every day. At her checkup yesterday she weighed 17lbs 14 oz, and was 26 and 1/2 inches long! She can now sit up very well on her own, and will often roll to her stomach to try to reach her toys (or items that are not toys, such as the remote control). She can transfer items from one hand to the next, and sometimes we catch her just looking at her hands...as if seeing them for the first time! One of our friends calls her the "bye-bye" baby because she loves to go bye bye...anywhere! She is most content when we are out of the house doing things. I am approaching the solid food issue again (after a very discouraging run with rice cereal), but I tried apples yesterday and after one bite she was done. We are hearing a lot of babbling...she likes the "mmmm" sound and when she is upset it sounds an awful lot like "mama." Her favorite book is a lift the flap book called "Where is baby's belly button" and she will look at me and smile even when I say those words without the book. Daddy has found lots of ticklish spots and we notice that sometimes it seems Raegan will laugh in order to see Jasen or I laugh. She is no longer taking a pacifier - which can present its own challenge, but we will see if that ever comes back or if we are done for good! We are excited to see her start crawling soon! :)

A weekend excursion

Last weekend we headed to the bay area to visit Aunt Meggo! The weather was beautiful and we had a really wonderful time! While we were there, we decided to take Raegan to see the ocean, so we took a trip to Half Moon Bay. The famous Bay is only about 35 minutes from Meghan's place, but with the pumpkin and Fall festivals in full activity, it took a bit longer. When we finally arrived, we stepped out of our vehicle to a surprisingly very cold and very windy beach! Raegan didn't seem to mind too much, and she enjoyed looking at the waves and the birds. :) I think my favorites part was leaving the beach and stopping at a very warm and cozy coffee shop for some delicious hot drinks! We also ate at some cute restaurants in down town Palo Alto, one in which served sandwiches on gluten free bread - hooray! :) Raegan was so excited to be at Aunt Meg's that she didn't want to go to sleep that night, so she stayed up with the big kids until 9:30  with lots of smiles and laughs. What a fun weekend!

The newest Packer fan!

Raegan officially joined the packer crew last week when she attended her first Packer Party. She wasn't too sure about so many people making so much noise, so we saw a quivering lip here and there. However, this week we hosted the party at our house and she did great! She was smiling at everyone and enjoying all of the attention. Our friend Robin made Raegan a special Greenbay bow for her hair....so cute! :)

38 and Fabulous

We just celebrated the 9th anniversary of Jasen's 29th birthday. :) So, needless to say (needless, right?), I have been quite busy with two part time jobs and a new baby. As such, Jasen decided if he didn't throw himself a birthday party, no one would (aka, his wife wouldn't). So, last weekend he threw himself a really wonderful birthday party. He sent out the evites, he divied up the side dishes for people to bring, he cooked the tri-tip, rented the tables and chairs, and bought himself a birthday present What did his wife do? She picked up a store bought cake. :) Not getting wifey of the year award, but how about pushing out an 8 1/2 pound baby this year - that's gotta count for something!

The party was a lot of fun! Meggo even drove up for the party and we had a great turn out. The weather was decent - low 90s, wich is tolerable. The tri tip was delicious, as well as the pulled pork by the Reverend himself. Everyone brought delicious food, and there was a TON of it!

Happy Birthday Honey!!!

P.s- Jay and I managed to sneak out on the day of his actual birthday for a few drinks and some gambling. The birthday boy hit his luck at the three card poker table and took home over 100 bucks. :)

5 months old!

Raegan is now 5 months old! I nearly titled this post "rocket poop" or "a little tipsy." She is sitting up really well on her own, but is still a little tipsy sometimes and takes one good dive to the floor every day. I'll give you one good guess about "rocket poop." Anyone want some pics of that?!

I know it is cliche, but she really is growing like a weed! Her most noteworthy accomplishment is sitting up on her own, which she seems to be quite proud of! As you saw in the last post, she is also laughing instead of just little giggles. She still LOVES Roxy and now will "talk" to her. She protests the bottle (sometimes) by pursing her lips together and she makes a loud grunt when she has had it with just about anything. She is really great at protesting naps. I am really great at protesting her protests. Despite this, naps are pretty short and infrequent. As a result, she crashes at 8:00pm on the dot, so that part is nice. She is also sleeping in her own room now, in her beautiful crib. This is a first for her, and I was sad to move her out of our room but we are all sleeping much better.  Even when she is fussy, Raegan sits super still and stares while we sing her two favorite songs (ABCs, and Coming 'round the mountain). I think its because we have such stellar singing voices. ;) Outside is still her favorite, but she is pretty much thrilled to go just about anywhere. She wants to get her hands (and mouth) on everything, and she still really enjoys riding in the sling so she can look around.

She is growing out of her clothes at an incredible rate. Actually at her last weigh in she was 16 1/2 pounds! (just a week ago). The doctor said she fits in the "chunky monkey" category. :) Luckily, I have spent a very small amount of money on clothes by hitting garage sales like crazy. Actually, we just went to one this morning for some winter clothes. Sixteen pieces of clothing for $8. Deal!! Target charges $8 for one item! Incredible. Hopefully Raegan takes after her bargain shopping mama. ;)


P.S.- As you'll see below, she isn't too crazy about the rice cereal. The only way to get her to eat ANY of it is through shear trickery.