Hanging in the back yard

Here's some more video footage of Sabine hanging in the back yard on May 24, 2009.







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Bath time is fun!

Sabine is starting to "talk" more and more. We love when she vocalizes like this, it's really endearing. Filmed on May 25, 2009.



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Time to EAT!

Sabine started eating solid foods this month. Pears, bananas, peas, sweet potatoes, carrots and more. She has a very sour reaction to the first few bites of anything, but after a few minutes she has her mouth open like a baby bird, begging for more. In short, a good eater.

This picture and video are from the first time she ate solid foods on April 13th, 2009. She wasn't that into it, but she was in a good mood afterward.




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The Double Burp

Video from April 13, 2009. Even Bine thinks it's funny!

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Finally catching up!

Ok, this is a long time coming - almost two months! I keep meaning to update the blog, but there is always a lot going on, plus I have been working quite a bit on some freelance projects.Much has happened in the last few months, but time is still short, so this will be a brief summation.




So, starting back in mid-March, my old college buddy Tim and his fiance Christina came down from Seattle for a visit. Actually, they were here to see Wicked, but we were happy to be their sloppy seconds.


Of course, since it's Springtime it's time for yardwork! Sabine had her first real time outside, hanging out while Mommy worked in the garden.





In April, we had a visit from Arlene and Mike. It was the second time Heather's mom had been out to see Bine, but the first time for Mike. We went out to the coast both weekends. The first weekend was beautiful, the second weekend it rained like mad.




As usual, Arlene and Mike helped out around a lot around the house and helped us finish some projects. They also gave Mommy and Daddy several nights out on the town while they stayed home with the girl.


The weather has been great this spring and Sabine has spending a lot of time in the back yard.



In late April, we had another visit from Ulla. By the time my mom left, Sabine was sitting up on her own pretty well and had learned a few other tricks from Omi.

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No swaddle, no pacifier. no worries

Well, we entered it with a lot of anxiety, but I'm happy to report that the sleep training went great. We had a read a number of books on how to get your baby on a good sleep schedule, but none had really resonated with us. Then our friend Jodi recommended The Sleepeasy Solution book and we took to it immediately. It was clearly and concisely written with step by step directions, which really helped a lot.

The basic idea is to set up a soothing and consistent bedtime ritual and then put the baby down in the crib without swaddling, a pacifier or rocking to sleep - and we were doing all three. Then say goodnight and leave the room. When the baby cries, you go in in 5 minutes and speak comfortingly to her, but no picking up or touching. Then come in in ten minutes, and then fifteen minute intervals until she stops crying and falls asleep. You also follow this same procedure for naps - she is still taking 3 one-hour naps a day.

It sounds a bit harsh, but the long term benefits are so worth it. Not only does she learn to "self-sooth" and fall to sleep on her own, but she ends up being much more well-rested. And she is now weaned from her pacifier. The first night (Friday, 3/27) was really rough. She cried for an hour and a half before falling asleep. I sent Heather out on some errands so she wouldn't have to hear the crying, which made her really upset. It upset me too, but being a German I can really do anything as long as I am following orders:)

The next night was a lot better, just a half hour of crying. Then the next few days it got shorter and shorter until it was taking on the average of 5 - 10 minutes of whimpering and maybe a little crying before she slept. And boy, does she sleep. Heather gets up around 1:30 to give her a "dream feed", but other than that she sleeps through the night and straight through till morning - usually eleven and sometimes twelve hours. We have finally been getting good sleep again. This past weekend I slept nine hours one night and eight another. It used to be nine hours over two days, so you can imagine how happy we are.

Speaking of happy - Sabine was always a happy baby, but now she is even more so. Just smiling and laughing all day long. They said in the book that the better sleep wold make a happier baby, and they weren't lying. She is just so much fun right now.

One of the first steps to being a good American - figuring out the TV remote...

Happy five month birthday!

Not much new to report, except that Sabine is doing great. No major advancements, but she is just getting better at the little things like picking stuff up. She has learned to roll over on her stomach now, but in general she is not a fan of "tummy time".