Growing....

I just realized I did not update her height and weight after her 6 month check up! Her next appointment is in May!

• August 18th, 2008 20 inches long, 6 lbs 10 oz
• September 9th, 2008 21 inches long, 8lbs 4 oz
• October 22, 2008 22.25 inches long, 11lbs 13 oz
• December 18th, 2009 24.25 inches long, 14lbs 12 oz
• February 27th, 2009 27 inches long, 18lbs 9 oz
  

Is it really April!!!

So I have not been writing because I have had an eye infection. I have some stuff going on with my corneas, so I have been trying to not be on the computer as much. I have been on drops for almost a week and my eyes are getting better and my vision is no longer blurry! We had Helena's second swim lesson this week and BJ and I both took her. She goes on Fridays at 9:30am which is not the best time, because Helena is usually napping around 10ish, so she is just really tired and cranky at this time. Friday, she was a little bit of both. She was doing great until it was time to practice underwater swimming. The teacher did the first underwater dive and we noticed she goes under the water with her eyes wide open! She then comes up a little angry that she went under! Everyone in class claps for Helena and then she stopped! BJ did the next one, I know he was super nervous but he did a great job, she did not go in has head down as she was suppose to, so she was even more mad when she came up! Helena has the week off from swim lessons this week and I am sure she will be grateful!

• Helena also started clapping this weekend! It is very cute, she joins in when we clap and she seems to start clapping when we say YEAH!!!!! She also closes her eyes when she claps it is pretty funny!
  
• We are also still having tummy time to encourage her to crawl. We know she can get up on all fours because she does it a lot. So for now she just scoots in a circle on her belly! She is also defending her sit and reach championship!
  
• Helena is also feeding herself more with her hands and with her spoon. We give her melting puffs on her highchair tray and she gets 1 out of 5 in her mouth and then the rest she gets stuck on her face:) She does really well her spoon, she gets it in her mouth and then she picks it out with her fingers and smears it all around! Lots of fun before bath time!!!
• She is also still talking a lot, between squeals, cooing, and yelling MAMA in lots of different ways. She is also really good at singing to songs! She hmmmmm's along, IT IS ADORABLE! She is also blowing tons of bubbles that is very wet:)
• Helena is getting really good at taking all of her rings off her ring tower, she is also getting a few back on. The best part is that she has realized she does not need to take them off one by one anymore, she now just turns the tower up side down and watches them fall off! HA HA
  
• Helena also did something new today, she was sitting on BJ's lap and I was across the sofa from them, I reaching my arms out and she was trying to stand herself up! She did a few times, she is just so cautious so she would just lift her butt up a little bit!
• BJ wanted me to add that on the weekends Helena enjoys lounging on him! She does this almost every night and pets his arm hair. She really just loves every minute she can spend with him and I know he loves when she snuggles on him!!

BJ and Helena were playing guitar this weekend, she got very excited about this and enjoyed strumming with him! I also brought Helena to lunch with me this weekend with a girlfriend! She did so great! Never fussed, just ate her puffs, sweet potatoes and teething biscuit! She loved talking to everyone around us and just being the center of attention!

Other updates for the Cook's, BJ's business is really booming, they are Fung Shuing the office and getting settled. We are really enjoying that summer has arrived in San Diego, yes we skip spring! It was 79 degrees today:) We are just enjoying every minute with Helena, I just can not believe she is going to be 8 months next weekend!

Helena is finding her voice!!!

We were at my friend Natalie's house. Helena has her days of loving the dogs and then hating them. She loved them this day! TOOOOO FUNNY:)

SWIM LESSONS!

Helena had her first swim lesson today. It started a little rocky since she puked in the pool and the instructor freaked out:) We got all the chunks out of the pool and continued. We splashed and sang songs. We floated on our backs, kicked our feet, went under water, and jumped into the pool. All of these things were assisted.... Helena did a great job, she really loves the water. She did get a little freaked out about going under. They have you dive them under.... she came up a little freaked however we clapped and then she smiled! This is going to be a daddy and Helena activity, however I will be in the water too. We both want to be comfortable in the water with her. We do not have pics from the class, but I did get her a new suit and cover up! I will post pictures this weekend. We are off for a walk, the weather has been beautiful so we are spending a lot of time outside:)

32 Weeks! TIME IS FLYING!!

Wow I am a bad mom, I have not been keeping up on the blogging! Well big things happening in the Cook house. BJ and his company moved into an office space this last weekend. So that is a really big deal for them. They are getting new projects each day, so we feel really grateful especially when a lot of people are struggling. It will be nice to have in only 10 minutes away instead of 30 minutes. So CONGRATS Digital Operative, may the new office space bring you lots PEOPLE/PLANET/PROFIT :)
As for home life things have been a little stressful, we are trying to move out of our falling apart apartment. We are in a lease until August, however there are somethings going on and we would like to work with them on getting out. So we are giving them our notice and MAY 1st, 2009 the Cook family should have a new address:) We are all very excited for this, I am most excited to de-clutter our lives! Really dig in and get rid of stuff. How do you accumulate so much SH$%!!! We found a place we like we are just waiting to finalize everything till the middle of April so we can take advantage of being an immediate move-in.
On a positive not, Helena went swimming for the first time last week, she is natural in the water, she splashes and has no fear! She loves putting her face in the water, kicking her feet, and blowing bubbles! If I would have let her she would have stayed in there all day! Other things she is doing, she is really starting to have a temper, if she does not want to do something she squeals and arches her back and sometime throws herself back. It is very funny I do have to say, however you have to really watch where she is throwing herself, she is soooo strong, she wipes back so fast you can barely catch her. She is cutting her top teeth and I think on a growth spurt, she is eating, drooling, and sleeping a lot! We are doing really good with naps, she puts herself down with out a fuss most days. Bedtime I still rock her, which is not working as well anymore but again most days we snuggle up and rock till our heart is content! All and all she is such a good little girl, she loves to smile, laugh and talk! What more could you want:)

AIR CHEEKY BACCA!

This is one of our favorite pictures, Helena is very much a girlie girl. She loves hats, headbands, shoes and dresses! She loves to pose for the camera and most of the time she becomes very serious. We have to catch her off guard to get a smile. She is just too funny and is developing quite the personality. I can already tell what a smart pants she is going to be we will have our hands full!

Happy St Patricks Day!

I hope everyone is doing well. Things in the Cook house are very well, BJ is currently finishing our tax preparation so we can bring them into our accountant! YEA for our first big deduction... HELENA:) HA HA Lets see what else has been happening... oh that is right Helena is saying M words.... she is mimicking MILK and Meow. She is also a pro at MOM and MOMMA! It is the best thing ever when she says it, I think I might blush a little:) We got a little off with the time change, tonight is the first night Helena went down with out a fight, man she is really stubborn. She is doing really well on her naps, she goes down 2 times a day by herself and with in 10 minutes she is sound a sleep. As for sleeping through the night I have completly given up, we get up between 2-4 times a night, really just depends on the night. Getting up 2 times is a BREEZE.... I have really gotten use to this and it is pretty consistent. We will see if getting her to bed early tonight helps, lets hope so.
So we having been having a lot of tummy time to encourage crawling, she is getting better, however would be just as happy sitting in the same position with all of her toys. So she has a crawl ball that she has been very interested in and that makes her scoot in a circle, its a start right:) We also took Helena to the beach on Sunday and she experienced the sand for the first time, BJ was playing Vball so I do not have a pic, she loved it!!!! Did not cring or anything, I did not let her get her hands on it, I was not ready for a mouth full of sand yet. I have a summer full of sand ahead so I was saving myself.
Helena and I spent the day with my friend Maria and Tristan we played at the park and had lunch. It is always nice having playdates, she sleeps so much better after playing with kids. I LIKE IT:) We also found out today that we maybe moving. We found a place that we really love, so we are waiting to hear if they accept us and then we will need to help find some for our current spot. Our manager is also helping us which is sooooo nice! So keep your fingers crossed, we are ready for a more modern place and a washer and dryer in our unit!!! This is Helena wearing her GREEN, showing her Irish side:)