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Mon, Feb 28, 2005 5:30 PM
Katie seems very glad to have her father back home. She was in her crib when he returned yesterday morning. She was excited to see him, and they've been back to their usual antics ever since.

Today he watched her at home while I worked. Miraculously, under his care, she has resumed her usual napping and feeding schedule. And, not surprisingly, he claims full credit for this! (But, who knows--maybe she DOES feel better with both parents around again?)

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Sat, Feb 26, 2005 2:00 PM
Today is our last day sans Steve--and the first in several days that Katie and I have gotten out of the house due to a recent snowstorm. At Panera Bread--where we (well, I) had lunch--Katie and I met a mom and dad out with their four-month-old son, Anthony. The mom told me it was their "first attempt to eat in a restaurant with the baby." I couldn't believe it! Maybe we're weird--or just lucky to have a summer baby--but Katie has been out and about in restaurants since she was, oh, one week old. If Steve and I went four whole months without taking her out to eat, shop, or just run around, the two of us would be dining in a loony bin by now. Jeez.

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Wed, Feb 23, 2005 8:30 PM
Most mornings, Katie wakes up before I do. She usually occupies herself in her crib for awhile before "summoning" me. However, this morning I had to get up extra early to prepare for a work meeting.

While I was using the computer in our study--which is directly below her nursery--I suddenly noticed what sounded like a herd of stampeding buffalo. Of course, there weren't any wild animals in the house. It was just our kicker extraordinaire making a ruckus in her crib: "Boom! Boom! Boom!" (Now I know what she does to stay busy while I catch my final "zzz's"!)

Steve is still away on business. When he called tonight, I held the phone to Katie's ear so he could speak to her. No exaggeration--she immediately made a "serious" face, then broke into a giant smile and tried to eat my cell phone. No doubt, Steve would diagnose her as having Stage One "Daddy-itis." (She must've caught it from Danielle! ;-)

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Mon, Feb 21, 2005 9:00 PM
Gran and Grandpa returned home to Kentucky tonight. During their four-day visit, they helped her fully "recover" from her recent illness and gave me a hand during the first part of Steve's lengthy business trip.

Because it had been two long months since Katie last saw them, we weren't sure how she would react. Would she exhibit stranger anxiety, or would she warm right up to them? Thankfully, it was the latter; Katie genuinely seemed to remember them.

In any event, they definitely enjoyed each other's company--with lots of cuddling, laughing, and playing "Where's Katie?" While we were out to lunch on Saturday, she even initiated the game using one of her fabric books. In our 100 percent "unbiased" opinions, that is extremely clever for a seven-month-old! :-)

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Tue, Feb 15, 2005 8:45 PM
Katie *is* doing better now. She is sleeping through the night again, her color is much improved, and her personality is--for the most part--back to normal.

We've noticed that she is fussing more than we are accustomed to. Interestingly, she can appear to be in dire "pain" but then is immediately "cured" when she pulls on her dad's nose or twists one of my necklaces. In other words, the fussing stops when she gets her hands on whatever it is she wants at that moment. I am sure THIS will continue, oh, forever! ;-)

Tonight after work, I got to see our neighbors' son, David, who is two weeks older than Katie. I couldn't believe how different the two are! David's mom said Katie is like their older son, Alex, who was right in the middle of the growth chart and loved to sit on the floor and play. David, on the other hand, is in the 97th percentile for height, wears size 12-18 months (wow!), and can CRAWL all over the place, but not sit up. Also, David already has quite a few teeth; there are NO signs of any pearly whites in Katie's mouth.

I doubt Katie will sprout four teeth and learn to crawl in the next two weeks. It's truly amazing how babies do things their own way, at their own pace!

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Sun, Feb 13, 2005 8:30 PM
Well, so much for Katie being "much better." She's still miserable--congested, cranky, and coughing. We haven't had a good night's sleep in several days. Fortunately, she does OK during the day. But as the evening progresses, it gets harder to console her. Poor thing!

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Fri, Feb 11, 2005 5:30 PM
In health news, Katie seems to be doing much better. She's still off her schedule as far as sleeping and eating, but her personality has returned to normal. Now that she's back in good spirits, she's enjoying her usual antics.

When Danielle stopped over today, we did a round of the "Where's Katie?" blanket game. The game is simple and, no doubt, entirely unoriginal. We put Katie on her back and cover her completely with a blanket. After hearing the signal--"Where's Katie? Where did she go?" (or, in honor of Grandpa Murphy, "Paging Katie Fanelli")--she pulls the blanket away to reveal her face. She usually does a self-satisfied chuckle at the same time!

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Thu, Feb 10, 2005 5:30 PM
A quick update: The doctor said kids Katie's age rarely get strep, so he didn't even test for that. He said it's likely a viral infection. He told me to give her Tylenol as needed, keep an eye on her, and call if her condition worsens. Luckily, she seems a bit better today, but she still gets fussy when the pain killer wears off--and she has quite a cough!

In other news, she is beginning to exhibit stranger anxiety. Yesterday while she and I were at my office, my co-worker, Eric, was smiling and talking to her. She studied him briefly, then stuck out her lower lip and proceeded to cry. He left my office for a bit while I soothed her. When he came back in, she did it again--even while I was holding her. I couldn't believe it!

It was a repeat performance today with the doctor. This time, she gave him several dirty looks before doing her lip-and-tears bit. The nurse and doctor told me this kind of behavior is normal for seven- to nine-month-olds. (So much for all those adorable interactions with folks we encounter while out and about!)

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Thu, Feb 10, 2005 6:00 AM
In the last day, we've had another milestone: Katie is sick for the first time. She was running a temperature, coughing up a storm, and acting fussy/clingy all day yesterday. She would scream and cry if I even put her down--VERY unusual!

I am taking her to the doctor this morning. It may well be a common cold. But, two of our sitter's three kids have strep throat, and we want to rule that out. I'll update after the appointment.

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Sat, Feb 5, 2005 8:00 PM
Whew, talk about a busy day!

We started with a 9 a.m. appointment for Katie's six-month portraits. They turned out great--especially the shots of her wearing only her diaper. After that, we went to an open house at the new Central Bucks South High School. Steve and I were eager to see our tax dollars at work (we weren't disappointed--what a SPECTACULAR facility!). And, of course, Katie got to "see" where she will most likely attend high school. Assuming nothing changes, she'll be in the CB South class of 2022! :-)

After THAT, we had lunch with Danielle, relaxed briefly at home, and then dropped Katie off at Carol and Chris's house. Steve and I had to go to Bolton's Turkey Farm in Silverdale for a photo shoot. In case you haven't heard, we are being featured in a local newspaper article about unusual marriage proposals. It will be published on February 14.

The photographer had us kneel with a ton of live turkeys--which was a little smelly and more than a little muddy. However, we really enjoyed meeting the turkey farmer (is that the right word?), who has been doing this business his entire life. It was interesting to break out of our homogenous little world, if only briefly.

P.S. Gran and Danielle, it would have been a big mistake to bring Katie! It was WAY too dirty for an infant.(Both of them thought she should be in the photo, too.)

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Wed, Feb 2, 2005 9:00 PM
Tonight was Katie's first haircut--albeit a partial one. We had my stylist trim up her bangs, since they were really in her eyes. I am surprised by how different she looks with the cut! It will be interesting to see how it looks as it grows in. One thing's for sure: She can see much better!

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Tue, Feb 1, 2005 6:30 PM
Yesterday evening Katie kept taking the spoon from Steve while he was feeding her. Eventually, I handed him a second spoon so she could hold on to one herself. It wasn't long before she decided to "dip" her spoon into the bowl along with his. (Another case of "Monkey see, monkey do," I guess.) Naturally, I had to capture her efforts on video. Just as I began recording, she pulled another stunt to keep him on his toes! (See the clip under "Videos.")

In other news, Katie tried a sippy cup for the first time last night. (At her six-month appointment, I got a little brochure about this stage of her development. It suggested introducing a sippy cup around this time.) She did well with it. She had a little trouble with the different-shaped spout, but it certainly kept her busy for awhile!

And, in non-eating news, she sits up independently all the time now. If you arrange a few toys in front of her, she will play happily on the floor or in her crib. It's fun to watch!

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