TJ And Nichole

We set up a photo shoot for Mia and Bryce (neighbor boy) to have their 6-Month photos taken.  We decided to warm up with this picture for you all to say “Happy Valentine’s Day” from Mia with love

St. Louisans don’t realize how lucky we are to have all of these attractions at no charge. I would hate to see them become paid attractions.  I do, however, agree that it is not fair for only Saint Louis residents to bare the cost for these through their property taxes. Instead of punishing everyone, why not allow Saint Louis County residents to still use for free and charge non residents a fee?  Surrounding counties have long enjoyed the benefits of this park, and now more than ever as the counties grow in population and the city shrinks.  I fear that if this is allowed to pass, all of these attractions will suffer as will our children.  Think of all of the kids who have been inspired to learn about new and amazing things at the History Museum, the Art Museum, the Zoo, the Science Center and so on.  I think that parents will be less likely to frequent these attractions if the fees are that of other cities.  These attractions in Saint Louis are, in my opinion, some of the best in the country.  Don’t let them become memories.
http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-forest-park-fees-zoo-021110,0,5116394.story

This afternoon I put Mia on her blanket in the living room next to the recliner and went into the kitchen to do some dishes.  A few minutes later I heard her laughing and realized that the laugh was coming from the wrong direction.  I walked toward the living room to find her next to the front door on her back laughing.  For those of you who haven’t been to our house, that is about 15 feet from where she started.  She didn’t crawl, but she did roll.  I can’t believe how fast it happened.  She will be running marathons before we know it.

We drove through Lone Elk Park today. Since the speed limit was 10 mph Mia got to sit in the front seat like back in the “good old” days.

More photos from the day.

So… I have been sewing, somewhat in secret and now a little less so.  I am considering making some goods to sell on Etsy.com, but I worry that people have a lot to sell on that site, but nothing ever sells.  I fear that Etsy has become a wonderful place to troll for good ideas.  Another option is to sell at the O’Fallon Farmers/Craft Market this year.  If I did that I would get a booth once a month.  Last year’s fee was $15.  I figured I could try to hock my crafts as well as any surplus goods from our garden as well as the neighbor’s.  Last year we had an abundant bounty and this year should be even better since we are bit seasoned now.  Here is a picture of one of the blankets I made last night:

Mia had her 6 month checkup yesterday (Thursday, February 5th, 2010) and received another round of vaccinations.  She is such a trooper!  She cries only when poked and as soon as they are done, she stops.  I am so blessed.  The doctor said she is doing great and growing, although large, at a steady pace.  She weighed in at 18.1 lbs (87.92% of growth percentile based on weight-for-age), and 28.25 in (99.54% of growth percentile based on length-for-age).  She confirmed that she is now wearing 12 month clothes so if we were going to buy this season for next year, we can be confident purchasing 24 month sizes.  That means she will be in 18 month sizes this summer.  I guess in someways she is twice the baby that most people get.  (I like to think she is twice as smart too!)  So if you are going to pick up something cute that you just can’t resist… make sure you remember her size is twice as old as she is

Just a quick snapshot of Mia at the Saint Louis Science center over the weekend demonstrating her new trick.

I have been researching backpack carrier/stroller combos lately.  Something like this fits our lifestyle perfectly.  Right now, I use a Snugli front carrier a lot and I love it!  I think Mia loves it too.  She can see and she is close to me, but before too long, she will be too heavy for the ones we have now.  Most have a weight restriction of 20lbs give or take a few and she is weighing in at 17.5lbs as of two weeks ago.  Time to find and alternative and it would be nice to have the flexibility of a stroller as well as the carrier.  This brings me to the fun things I have found:

The Taga bicylce/stroller.  This one seems like the perfect combination for Grandma Sina and Grandpa Don:

Bicycle / Stroller

Or this Kelty Carrier…

Kelty Backpack Carrier / Stroller

This is a fun little stroller too.  It is made by Quick Smart.  Their strollers fold up small and fit into a backpack:

Stroller in a Backpack

I think this one is the winner for my family.  It is the InStep Carrier / Stroller combo.  It gets rave reviews and happens to be available at a Once Upon a Child (a second hand store for kids).  Something like this would be great for hiking, walking around town, and vacations with Papa Cubby and Grandma Vickie.

InStep Backpack Carrier / Stroller

Of course with all of the natural talent in our family it is safe to assume that Mia too will follow suit.  Just to be sure, I am posting her first pieces of artwork.  I took her to an event called “Baby Van Gogh” which was hosted by the Fort Zumwalt School District’s Parents As Teachers program.  Mia enjoyed watching everyone first, then diving it.  TJ said it was so that she could learn how to be better than everyone else before she started.  What a dad!  While we were there one of the educators said that she was showing some pretty good skills ahead of schedule.  Even though we love her no matter what, that is always nice to hear.  Also while we were there Mia was showing off her new sitting skills.  She is getting pretty good at it.  Well, now to the art…

Mia is in this in-between stage with her bathtub and seat right now.  She is too long for the Safety First Tub and too skinny for the Safety First Seat.  I got to thinking about it and realized I had a bath pillow that I don’t use anymore and that it was small enough to fit behind her when she is in the seat.  We tried it out and she had a great time in the tub and didn’t fall over.  Success!

After it was dry I took it out of the cover and took a towel of hers and began trying to figure out how to design a supportive pillow that could be removed, but at the same time, stay put.  Well here it is!  It is perfect.  I am sure by using it I am voiding all kinds of warranties, but hopefully she won’t need it that long.  I attached elastic bands and velcro to allow for taking it off and putting it on again.