Visit with Great Auntie!

A few days ago, Virginia got an out of town visitor from North Carolina - her great aunt, Lynn Barnes (aka "Auntie")!  We had a great time eating at In 'N' Out Burger and exploring Union Square with her.  Virginia slept through a lot of the time we were hanging out, but has promised to be a little more alert when we see Auntie again in July.

Next up for the Harveys... a cross country trip to Connecticut and Alabama to visit more extended family.  Wish us luck on the plane flights!

Sleeping Beauty, Part II

I would never have believed that a 10 1/2 week old baby could sleep a 9 hour stretch, but apparently Virginia can!  She had her last feeding last night at 9:30 pm and slept until 6:30 am.  We were AMAZED...  I hope this trend continues!

Look Ma, No Hands

At ten and a half weeks, Virginia has decided that she would prefer to feed the bottle to herself.

We're Hand to Mouth These Days

On her 10 week birthday on Friday, Virginia suddenly discovered how much she could control her hands.  She had already used them to bat at objects, but she began to consistently control them and get them to her mouth.  She now loves to try to get her entire fist into her mouth at once.  She also grasps her rattle and brings it to her mouth.  It is nice that she can can more easily self-soothe now.

She continues to be an extremely social baby, spending much of her day playing the smiling game at whoever will engage her (which is usually me).  Next up - rolling over!  Virginia is just so close to rolling from her back to her tummy.  This is unusual because most babies roll from tummy to back first, but I have a feeling Virginia is going to be a nonconformist.  So far, she gets onto her side regularly, then teeters precariously close to tipping over.  No luck yet, but we think it will be very soon.

We Will Miss You, Emma

In the midst of all this joy we have had welcoming a new member to our family, I'm very sad to report that Thomas lost his cousin, Emma, on Wednesday.  Many of my friends and family were lucky enough to have met her when she and her little sister, Sarah served as flower girls in our wedding.  She was such an integral part of the Mack family - always at the center of all the celebrations at Gram's house and always up for a fun time.  She welcomed me to the family with open arms, and I have so many happy memories of her over the nearly 9 years I was lucky enough to know her.  We miss her so much.

Sleeping Beauty

I am SO lucky to have a baby who is a champion sleeper.  We have really not had any sleep struggles - we just swaddle her up, put her in her bassinet (sometimes with the pacifier if she is super energetic), and walk away.  No crying, no fussing!  By the time we walk back again 10-15 minutes later, she is sleeping peacefully for the night.  

Last night, Virginia went 7 hours and 20 minutes between her nighttime feedings - a new record and pretty impressive for 9 1/2 weeks.  She started doing a 6 hour stretch several weeks ago, and it is encouraging to see that she is starting to lengthen it.  Thomas gave her a bottle at 10 pm, we put her down at 10:30 and she then slept until 5:20 am!  It was actually daylight already when I got up to feed her.   The best part is that she goes right back down after I feed her and sleeps another 3+ hours.

The next challenge - naps!   She naps very well in her bouncy seat, but doesn't really like naps flat on her back.  We are hesitant to swaddle her for naps, since she associates the swaddle so well with sleeping through the night.  So, we may just keep using the bouncy seat for the next few weeks until she loses her startle reflex and can sleep flat without needing a swaddle.

Some recent photos of Virginia this week:

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

This weekend, Thomas left me home alone with the Worm and went mountain climbing with a work buddy, Nathan and another friend, Mark.  They went up to Mount Shasta in Northern California, camping out in a snowstorm, but finally ascending to the top!  Thomas was recovering from a sprained ankle, so I was very impressed that he made it.

I survived my first two nights home alone with Virginia while he was gone.  I had lots of help from Thomas's parents, who had me over for dinner on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  The only event of any note was that Virginia had her first bout of inconsolable crying on Saturday night while we were with the Harveys.  She's generally a very happy baby and only cries when she's hungry - a problem that can be easily remedied.  She's never had any tummy troubles that have caused her pain, but she had a very painful bout of gas that night.  We were beside ourselves trying to comfort her.  The only person in the house who was unfazed was Uncle Steven - apparently his son, Beau, cried like this all the time.  I'm so relieved I don't have a colicky baby.  One night like this was enough!

Hit Me Baby One More Time

Today, Virginia suddenly began taking whacks at the toys hanging from the toy bar above her bouncy seat, setting off lights and music and causing general delight.  This keeps her entertained for at least 10 or 15 minutes, so it is perfect for letting me get a shower!

(Note: this is the short version of the video - to see the full length, go to Virginia's MobileMe Gallery link on the left side of this page).

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Virginia attended her very first Oakland A's game yesterday (her last game was 4 days before her birthday, so it doesn't really count).  She was accompanied by the whole Harvey clan, including Uncle Steven Mack, visiting from Connecticut.  Oakland won 3-0, so she was definitely good luck!

Tummy Time

Here is Virginia lifting her head at 7 1/2 weeks and loving her tummy time!  She's close to being able to fully support her head now and really enjoys lifting and turning it to look at all the sights in her new world.

More Cuteness

Here are some of our favorite recent photos of Virginia being cute.  We couldn't resist posting them!

First Night Out

Thomas and I had a busy anniversary weekend - including two outings without Virginia.  On Saturday, we attended the Whiffenpoofs' 100th Anniversary West Coast concert while Virginia chilled with Grammy for the evening.  Here we are all dolled up and ready to attend the concert.

On Sunday, we accompanied the Harveys to see Spamalot to celebrate Susan's 60th birthday.  We had our first non-family babysitter, Lizzy.  Virginia behaved beautifully and we returned from the show to see her taking a nap:

So cute!