Martha at 5 months

Major changes occurred in this month!

In honor of the changes, Mummy's having a go at the blog composition. We have had a number of firsts, and one or two lasts. I've been feeling a bit nostalgic for newborn Martha, and understanding why my Dad (Grampa Walter) used always to urge my brother (Uncle Chris) and me to stop growing. I feel quite sad thinking that I will never be able to see *this* Martha again, as she grows into the next month's incarnation. Yet on the other hand there's never been a development that I wished did not happen--when she learned to coo I didn't think to myself, "Oh, I wish Martha couldn't coo yet!" And she is cuter and more interactive with each passing day. August was my last month of maternity leave/summer vacation. I spent some time at school getting things ready, and Martha got to know her new caregiver, Nana Terry. Then, on August 28th, Adrian had his first day as a parttime stay-at-home Daddy. By all accounts (Adrian claimed and Martha did not dispute), this was a great success.





Also in August, we hosted our second monthly Baby, Mummy, and Partner Group, discussing such hot topics as feeding and sleep. On the feeding front, Martha (as of press time) has just enjoyed her first evening repast of one tablespoon of rice cereal; on the sleeping front, we've decided to try to let her cry a bit in an attempt to break her of her habit of noshing every three hours. Among her self-soothing skills the thumb is beginning to feature regularly.





And,among other exciting events, Martha has been on a few hikes, including the first Cal Hiking and Outdoor Society (CHAOS) family hike,



and one *overnight* camping expedition. She was enchanted by the oak trees and the bays; was in fact so enraptured by Henry Coe State Park that she didn't want to miss a single moment of the night we spent there and was thus awake most of the time. Other than that the camping trip was a success!







We're enjoying sharing our favorite activities, from reading to singing, with our M, and are developing our nighttime routine.