Richmond and Washington D.C.

Selah's first trip to the Eastern Coast was great. We had cool and damp weather, but I think her bear suit kept her warm enough.

Richmond is one of the most beautiful American cities we have ever seen. This picture taken by Doris and used without permission.

Dave and Rachel got hitched on Saturday and the reception was at a club house at the military base in Petersburg. Selah danced the night away.

We met up with the Wescott's and the Shapiro's for brunch in "Carytown" in Richmond on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Where did Matt go? Arlington Cemetary. The view from the Robert E Lee house.

The Supreme Court, which we toured on Tuesday morning.

Marianne and Paul, Dave's mom and step-dad got us a tour of the Capitol on Monday afternoon. It was awesome. We saw columns designed by Jefferson, the place where Adams pretended to sleep during congress sessions, the room where congress now gathers to debate and vote, the old Supreme Courtrooms, and much more.

Then we went touring all evening on Monday with our friends Bill and Tia, and Mike and Robin.

The Washington Monument at night.

On the Mall with our D.C. hostess, Christy. We stayed at her house four nights, and she even took off work Tuesday to show us around the city.

At the "castle" Smithsonian building.

We saw the "motorcade" twice while we were in D.C.

Reaching for higher levels of knowledge

We have been out of town for 11 days, so I'm going to spread the pictures and videos out by back-dating them.

Developmental update: Selah's on her fifth tooth. She gets stuck under the chairs and bed and the only thing she can think to do to get out is bang her head on the crossbeams. She's got great bumps bruises and scabs on her head. She just reached up to the third shelf on the bookshelf. Her favorite toys are boardbooks, funnels, real keys with metallic flavor, sunglasses, colanders, spatulas, hangers, and camera cases. She doesn't really go for stuffed animals or cloth. She still uses a pacifier to sleep. She laughs on the outbreath and again while inhaling, often causing a coughing fit. She still just fits into 3-6 month clothes. Her full body eczema is clearing up thanks to some expensive Triple Cream. She falls asleep in the car whenever we play Modest Mouse at high volumes. All the trees in Phoenix are nearly in full leaf. Selah loves to watch them in the breeze. She also startles when cars roll by the street out front. She smiles or laughs whenever the garage door is opening, when someone clicks their tongue, when white paper/material is thrown up high and falls to the ground, when she is tickled, or when she makes eye contact with the driver through a series of mirrors during a car ride.

She makes the sounds [mmmma] [bababababa] and [dadada] and [də], as well as a hissing [tth]-like sound. Today she was telling a long long story about baba from bababa who went bababababa. It must have been about hills or a merry-go-round or the pony express for all of its ups and downs and loud starts.

I made my first homemade babyfood today, cheaper and messier. Selah LOVED it... peas of all things. It was much greener and sweeter than the jarred kind. Other food she eats regularly: rice, oatmeal, green beans, pears, bananas, carrots. We're on our way to get a Costco membership, I think, if diapers really are cheaper there. Plus Casson wants V-8, tilapia, and edamame beans everyday from now on, so buy bulk.

Papa Mike and Grandma Judy

Meeting Papa and Grandma at the airport.

Riding the light-rail to our central Phoenix home. Say "shake me up Grandma Judy." Grandma and Papa arrived on Thursday. We had an adventurous weekend riding our bikes all over town. Selah recognized them from the beginning, and she was so excited to be with them that she barely needed any naps all weekend. She got her third tooth while they were here. This picture shows Grandma Judy and Papa Mike biking through Dreamy Draw Park on their stylish matching Raleigh town bikes. Saturday morning at Lola's where we met all of our Phoenix friends for coffee.

Late Saturday lunch at Aunt Chilada's. There was a lot of great-for-playing-and-eating-outdoors weather this weekend.

We spent some time indoors so that Selah could crawl around and over everything and everybody.

8 months

Something in her smile looks like the Shadow Creek Johnson's family. It's grapefruit season in the desert. Valley yards probably have enough crop to feed the country, but most end up rotting on the ground, or being eaten as sustenance by the valley roof rats. These came from Nadine's coworker/boss's house. There's nothing like free freshly squeezed white grapefruit juice in the morning. Getting ready for our Silent Sunday ride at South Mountain with the Shapiro's. Once a month no cars are allowed in the park, only bikers, hikers, skateboarders, and anyone seeking mountain silence in the city. Selah's biking theme is the motto from the Terry bike company: ride like a girl. She shook her snowman rattle all the way down the mountain.

The new gruntish laugh.

Vocal play: blowing raspberries.

Everyone stay... in a state of panic.

The Old Spanish Trail in Tucson. Leads into Saguaro Nat'l Park, but we weren't allowed in with the baby situated in her bike trailer the way we have her.

Outside the Pima County Courthouse in Tucson. El Presidio Historic District of Tucson. Historic hotel in Tubac, AZ, a Valentine's Day surprise. We'd spent the night before at a nasty Days Inn in Tucson, where we all caught a cold. Selah had croupe, and had a really hard time staying asleep. So... Phoenix Children's Hospital, a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We went to urgent care hoping to get some medicine that would help the baby sleep that night. The urgent care doctor freaked out when he saw Selah's breathing, and called 911. He put on oxygen mask on her and gave her several kinds of medicine without telling us what they were first. Fire-fighters and EMT's showed up, causing the baby to panic even more, making her breathing really strained. We took an ambulance ride to the emergency room with needles, oxygen masks the whole way. We were pretty angry about the panic that the doctor had caused. It made Selah start to panic, which made her breathing more difficult. Once I finally got her to calm down, it was obvious that there had been no need to freak out like that. I did two things correctly, I stayed calm and I did not let the nurses take Selah away from me once we reached the hospital. I just wish I would have nursed her to calm her down back at the urgent care, but they wouldn't let me. Anyways, eventually she woke up from her calming snooze, and began to get a feel for her surroundings. She pulled off her oxygen monitor relentlessly. It just didn't make sense to her that her oxygen should be measured through her own big toe. We sat here for nearly three hours trying to keep Selah happy. Nowhere to crawl, nothing to chew on except nasty cords and linens. I think about a dozen people made up the medical "team" that kept popping there heads in once an hour. Nurses, doctors, techs, billing staff, etc. When we told the story to one group of people, indicating that we really didn't understand the emergency, the tech replied that at least what we went through meant job security for them. Yep, that was like pouring salt on an open wound.

I took this video as a kind of evidence, thus my factual-sounding narration.

Doing stuff

Doris with the baby at Lola's.

New sippy cup.

Trying her hand at puffy pops.

A little dancing.

Dadadada.

Bouncing in her old boppy - that's all it's good for anymore.

Eating poof daddies.

Pull-ups

Downtown Phoenix on a Sunday morning.

A great shot that accents that flowing golden hair.

Whether she's being tickled or watching you do sit-ups, that girl can laugh.

I came in from the kitchen and FOUND her like this. Of course I helped her down when she let go. On Tuesday I asked someone at the church nursery if you're just supposed to let them fall down and they said yes. So, to demonstrate, she fell down from some play table in the nursery, hit her head, and screamed. Another lady picked her up, but I asked if I could hold her for my own sake. Is it a coincidence that starting that day she now follows me around the house everywhere I go and often cries when I leave the room?

Winter Weather

Our friends James and Julia came over for dinner on Wednesday evening. Julia is 3 months pregnant..woohoo! "Selah, now could you tilt your head just slightly to your left. That's it sweety. Now if you could just rest your left hand on James' shoulder... perfect." No, it doesn't fly... but it is fast. Check out that spoiler. A visit to the Heard Museum.

Selah's first experience with winter grass.

Some crawling and scooting mixed together.

I came into the living room and found the baby completely wrapped up in a blanket like a baby burrito.

Inauguration Day - Seven Month Update

We visited Thunderbird Mountain Park in Glendale. See if you can figure out what's wrong with this scene. Selah started babbling on the 17th. Kind of a textbook baby. I'm referring to my textbooks on speech and language development. She mostly does her babbling during lunch and dinner times, which causes great bubbles of carrots, peaches, and oatmeal to pop and splatter everywhere. It's the BEST.

She also started actual crawling for about 3 feet, but I haven't caught it on video yet...so don't believe me.

http://www.nbc.com/news/watch-the-inauguration-live-online/

Last Sunday we went on a new exploration and found this wonderland playground with tons of rocky caves. Casson wished he were three feet shorter for a day.

On Saturday we tested out the new hiking backpack on Pinnacle Peak. Selah loved it. She was even able to fall asleep comfortably in it.

Leap Frog

I'll get you Hey Camera, if it's the last thing I doooooo!