iPhone Update

You know it's time for a blog update when your iPhone has run out of space because of all the pictures taken!  We have had such a fun month since Tony has been back.  The weather has been great and we are getting out as much as we can before it turns to the crazy Okinawa summer of heat and humidity.   Fortunately, we will miss most of the summer since we are COMING HOME!!  We bought our tickets a couple weeks ago and are very excited for May 23rd to come :)  Tony will leave mid June and Quinn and I are staying until early August as Tony will be in Australia for work.

Enjoy a few pics!!

This is our new friend and neighbor, Liza.  Liza is 4 months younger than Quinn and is as sweet as can be.  I've never met a 5 month old that sleeps as well as this girl does.  She will fall asleep playing on the floor, sleeps through the night, and I have yet to witness a "cranky pants" Liza!  (Quinn should take a few pointers!) Liza's mom and I go on many walks with these two cuties and "schedule" plenty of happy hours...oooooh the advantages of having a neighbor that lives across the street :) It will be fun to watch these two grow and become little playmates together!

Okinawa has some pretty awesome parks.  Tony and I have always said how much our nieces and nephews would love all the crazy slides and fun swings they all have.  Quinn hasn't developed too much of an appreciation for them yet, but I think by this fall/winter she will love them :)

I hope i'm not jinxing anything, but Quinn has been awesome sitting in the stroller at the courts while Tony and I play tennis.  I hope this is the case for a little while longer!  Once she can walk, she will have a racquet in hand anyway.

John Deere sweatshirt in support of our favorite farmers - Uncle Geoff & Uncle Andy - and Chris Soules (The Bachelor from Arlington, Iowa)

That's dad getting a small handful of sand out of Quinn's mouth. Nom nom.

Quinn loves watching all the kids run around on the playground!  Soon enough she will join in on all that fun!

We had a playdate this week and I let Quinn crawl around in the garage and outside.. She was very, very dirty!

This would be the face she makes when she can't get down ;)

Working out at the park with the group.  I haven't been able to go to many lately because the timing just doesn't work all that great. 

"Um, hey - dad....that's MY iPad"

In love with this plant... it was $300.  Crazy, huh!  If I were back in the states you can bet your bottom dollar this would have gotten a home that day... my home.

We've been having some sleeping "issues" with Quinn lately.  When she wakes up she immediately stands up in her crib and assumes she can't get back down - or just simply doesn't.  A couple days ago I brought my makeup bag into her room (she loves that thing) and practiced with her getting down from a standing position by laying the bag on her mattress.  It took some time and hesitation on her part, but eventually she did it.  I need to do it again.  Who knows if it's actually helping - but I can't think of a reason why it would hurt...so why not!

little gymnast who thinks she's pretty hot stuff.

Helping mom at JA (our farmer's market down the road)

You can see how large the produce is!  for $16 I got a huge thing of celery, head of broccoli, 4 humungo carrots, 5 potatoes, 2 bunches of flowers, 4 onions, a carton of baby tomatoes, and 3 green peppers.  That would have been close to $30 at the good ol' commissary on base.

Stay tuned for the 9 month post on Wednesday!

8 Months Old

Another month down for this girl!  When I asked Tony a couple days ago how he would explain Quinn to someone if they asked, he responded with, "she's a monster".  He's not far off :)  Although, she's the sweetest monster we know!

This past week we have had some pretty intense teething going on.  I see the swollen gums on the front teeth and it doesn't look all that comfortable.  I'm crossing my fingers that she just gets as many teeth as possible all in one shot so we don't have months and months of this.  For her sake and mine ;).

She is talking a lot these days and is trying her hardest to imitate our voices and words.  She loves to stand and play with her toys or crawl over them.  She loves to grab diapers out of the basket I have on the floor and throw them everywhere or grab toys out of the chest and take one by one by one out :)  In a matter of seconds my house can go from clean to a mess.  Many years of that ahead!  My sister sent us a "play" table that she is really enjoying right now.  Just yesterday I saw her scoot/walk sideways so she could get to the other side.  She still likes playing with all things other than her toys and I don't see that ever changing. When she decides to be "cranky miss crank" I usually go upstairs and pour out her shoes and that keeps her busy for a few minutes.  She loves laces and cords, as well.

Eating is hit or miss these days.  She still loves her orange foods, but also does pretty well with everything else.  Dinner time is our best bet to get her to eat well, but as far as any other time of day - she has little to no interest and would rather nurse.  We also tried puffs/yogurt puffs a couple of times and she gagged on those...we'll try again in a week or two.

Before this whole teething stuff, sleeping was going so well!  Most nights I was able to put her down wide awake at night and she would find her comfortable spot in her crib and fall asleep for 4-5 hours. This was heavenly!  We are back to every 1-3 hours of waking at night.  Hopefully that ends very, very soon.

Quinn absolutely hates the vacuum.  A few days ago I brought it out and was just going to quickly go over the living room rug and she was scared out of her mind.  She was shaking more than she ever had and kept looking at the evil thing and tucking her head in my arms.  We also need to take her outside if we use the ninja mixer!  She also continues to hate getting dressed after her bath, although Tony is having better luck with that right now - and also is starting to get pretty mad when we take away a super fun toy (like the iPad) from her.  Of course it takes .2 seconds to switch gears into something else...but man that look we get is priceless!  She has quite the fake cough going on right now, too.  and the fake "crylaugh"(I meant for that to be one word).  It's pretty cute I have to admit.

There are many, many dogs (or "puppies" as we call them) around here and Quinn isn't too sure about any of them.  She loves to watch and hopes they will come closer to her, but then once they do she gets a little uneasy.  I'm not sure if now is a good time to tell her that we'll probably never have a dog?

Here are some 8 month pictures of this little monkey.  Tony thinks we should start calling her by her actual name... I still think sugars, monkeys, and doodles fit just fine :)

Copy Cat Post.

My sister just posted a blog that was pretty cool.  Thanks sis for the idea, don't mind if I do:

What I'm reading: Well, my New Year's resolution this year was to read 1 book a month.  The goal seemed attainable at the time, but now I'm not too sure.  Maybe it's because Tony has been gone and I go to bed very early now.  We were getting into a good habit of reading together before bed, but that's not always the best time for me because 2 pages in, my eyes start to close!  Last month I did read "Wild" and I give it 2.5 stars.  Apparently the movie is going to come out soon so hopefully that's better!

What I'm reminiscing about: My Minneapolis days.  I have a friend who is moving to Linden Hills very soon and that has sparked many memories of my days in that incredible neighborhood.  I loved walking to the coop and running out my door around Lake Harriet.  I can't wait to go back there... to visit - and hopefully one day TO LIVE!

What I'm looking forward to: Gosh, many things.  Today, I am looking forward to planting a few new flowers in my pots.  On Tuesday I will have my 2nd half home with us which we are SO excited about!  April a new (and only one like it) mall is opening up in Okinawa.  It's about 10 minutes from our house :).  Looks like we will probably be going home end of May now, too.  Fun things!

What I'm loving: I've started working out with a small group of ladies across the street from me.  I ran into my neighbor at the park last week and she said she has a 4 stall garage that has a playroom and a workout gym!  I thought I was dreaming!  I have been there twice now this week and I've never been so sore in my life.  I love it.

Sorry about the black line through the picture.  Quinn had my phone..

This is the playroom in the back of the garage where I workout.  Pretty awesome, huh!

What we've been up to: Running errands, cleaning, playing, walking, running, and I think teething ;)

If I could have treated this girl to ice cream for her good behavior that day, I would have.  I would have ordered her an extra large sundae if she wanted.  She sat like this for about 20 minutes while we waited.  So sweet.

What I'm dreading: Today I'm dreading walking down the stairs, sitting down, or getting on the floor to play with Quinn.  I'm that sore.  Otherwise I guess I'm half dreading the flight home and half dreading the extreme hotness on island in August/September when Quinn and I return home.  Oh, and I also hate emptying the dishwasher.  Is Tony home yet?

What I'm excited about: I'm very excited to see my nieces and nephews back home.  There's a lot of people I'm excited to see - but I miss those kids aaaaaa lot. I've got 9 of them.  Luckiest Aunt ever :)

What I'm watching: This is embarrassing.  I am currently watching Scandal, The Bachelor, and Revenge.  I've kinda started Parenthood, but haven't gotten into it a whole lot yet.  I've never liked TV as much as I do right now.  I'm looking forward to October when season 5 of The Walking Dead comes on Netflix.

What I'm listening to: Milky Chance, Hozier, and Gregory Alan.  I've also been listening to more country music lately, which is not quite my personality.  Maybe it's because I'm missing Tony or maybe it's because Chris Soules (the bachelor from Iowa) likes it.  ;)

What I'm annoyed by: All the dog "doo doo" on the sidewalks in Okinawa.  I feel like I'm always swerving the jogger around piles of them.  It's very, very annoying.

What I am hoping for: My brother and his wife and my sister's family are all going to Mexico (not at the same time) and I hope they have safe travels, a whole lot of fun, and soak up that sun.  They all deserve it.  I also hope Quinn's skin won't take a beating in the summer months of Okinawa.  The sun is different here - so I gotta get in the habit of sunscreen ALL the time!

Mid Month Picture Overload

When your phone tells you that your "storage is full" when trying to take a picture you know it's time for an update on the blog.  Here are a few (or a dozen!) pictures from the last couple of weeks.  8 month blog will be coming soon so I won't bore you twice with all she's been doing these days! 

Box full of FUN.

We're teaching her great manners ;)

One of the best times of my day is when I go get Q from her crib after a nap or in the morning....especially when she's full of smiles like this :)  When she's not wanting to be in her crib or needs a little more cuddle from mom, she will go right to this spot and look through the bars (the door  is right there).  it's pretty cute.

On our way up to Camp Hansen to get the mail we couldn't help but to pull over and enjoy the beautiful flower fields!

A running path on Kadena (biggest base (Air Force) on Okinawa)

Super Bowl MONDAY.  Mimosas, bloody mary bar, muffins, and mini pancakes.  That's how we do the Super Bowl over here :)

On our way to lunch we saw a man walking his dog cow!

Morning Breakfast from this side of the world!  :)

I've pampered myself with many, many flowers since Tony has been gone.  I'm afraid it's become a habit, but when you get a huge bouquet for 200 Yen (about $1.80) how can you pass it up?  These white roses were "expensive" at $2 :)

Our sweet friend, Ella had a lemonade stand today on Camp Shields.  Isn't it cute!  I suppose these are in my future, huh.  I better start practicing :)

Aunt Jackie made this ADORABLE sweater for Quinn.  Quinn wasn't upset that I took the remote from her in the upper left picture.  

Hangin' out on Mom's bed - with her favorite toy, a water bottle.

It was a rainy day and I wanted to get a short run in so I decided to try out this pack 'n play that we haven't even used yet.  She liked it for 20 minutes!  I'll take it.

The Q babe is 7 Months Old!!!

 

It seems like just yesterday I wrote a very similar post- but it was a MONTH ago already!  Today, Quinn turned 7 months old.  Yup, time is cruisin'.  I wish somehow I could record an entire day with this girl so everyone could see what a joy she is.  We rarely have a "bad" day, but we have those tough moments of course!   The toughest time with Quinn is right after her bath when i'm getting her into pajamas. Seriously, where are the Grandpa's when I need them!!!  My routine every night is this: start the water to let it warm up, go into Quinn's room and crank the heat, set out her onesie, pajamas, diaper, and lotion on the floor, go back to the bathroom and fill the tub.  She loves her bath a ton right now, but never gets upset when I take her out - but it's a whole 'nuther story when we are getting dressed!  Luckily playing "itsy bitsy spider" can keep her sidetracked a little while I torture her into putting the pjs on.  So besides those 2 minutes of the day?  This girl is a keeper ;)

Quinn's favorite things these days are KIDS KIDS KIDS.  No matter where we go or what we're doing, she gets the biggest smile when she sees someone her own size.  She is shy and somewhat cold towards adults we are out 'n about right now (pretty funny actually) but soon enough I'm sure she'll warm up to that generation..  She also loves to play with water bottles that have lids, coasters, blocks, and remotes.  Similar to all the things she loved last month. She is starting to enjoy books a little bit more now which is a lot of fun.  She will sit still for the first 30 seconds :)  She's mastered the crawling and can get anywhere at about any speed whenever she wants.  I have a feeling that walking will be on the back burner because of how good she is at crawling!  Why walk when you've mastered the art of crawling, right?  We'll see!

She is eating very well these days.  Sweet potatoes still remain her favorite food.  I might as well get her a straw for the jar so she can just suck it down faster because right now i'm not sure she's even breathing while she eats it!  She's doing very well with pears, mangoes, bananas, apples, carrots, beets, and peas.  I introduced avocado to her last night, but that didn't go over so well ;)  Maybe next week.  Atleast it didn't go to waste :) I ate that up as fast as she eats her potatoes!

For the past month or so we have been fighting fighting and fighting with her late afternoon 3rd nap.  It would only happen if I put her in the car and drove around for 20 minutes or so.  I don't want to do that every night so i've decided she might be ready to start the 3-2 nap transition.  The first day I tried it I thought it was too good to be true (it was) as she slept 2 hours in the morning and nearly 2 hours in the afternoon and went to bed fully awake, no crying... perfect.  It hasn't gone that well again, but we have had about 4 days a week with a successful 2 naps/day routine.  I'm in no rush - so i'll just continue to follow her lead I guess!

Random facts: she is in size 3 diapers and she is just about done with her 9 month sleepers. :( sad.  Wearing clothes that range anywhere from 6-12 months.

I know I speak for Tony as well when I say this has been the best 7 months of our lives.  Thanks for being such a great peanut, Quinn.  We love you a whole lot.

Keepin' busy

Quinn and I have been busy bees here on Oki.  I told Tony the other night that I was looking forward to an entire day with nothing planned!  We always make it a point to get out of the house even if it's to roam the aisles at the Bx.  Last weekend was beautiful with a perfect 70 degree day back to back.  We haven't been so lucky this week, but we've managed to get out as much as we can!  

We joined a group called "Stroller Warriors" here on island.  We went last Friday and it was a lot of fun.  Stroller Warriors is a huge group here on Okinawa and they are spread out amongst the entire military in multiple countries!  It was great meeting some other moms, but the best part was afterwards when all the kids played at the park!  If only Quinn could walk she would have had an absolute blast.  Not too much longer :-/  This girl LOVES kids.  Her arms were all over the place, kicking nonstop in my arms, and talking up a storm.  I'm looking forward to more of these "events" however, they all seem to be right when Quinn goes down for her morning nap.  Darn!  Well, we'll get to as many as we can ;)

Even though I'm a little bit of a germ freak, this has been so nice to put Quinn in the cart while I shop.  I put things around her so she's extra cozy in there....she loves it and thinks she is pretty hot stuff :)  I'm not sure I want to get the insert pad you put into the carts - but maybe I will. 

Her newest thing is trying to pull socks off her feet.  She is very determined and sticks with it for quite some time.  Being as competitive as I am in some things, I secretly love that she is this determined. :)

We stroll to the park near our house almost every evening before dinner.  There's always something going on whether it's kids in the sand, soccer, skateboarding, basketball, or kids playing on the jungle gym.  Quinn loves to watch and I decided to let her try to sit with the "big" girls and play in the sand.  I watched her like a hawk and made sure she didn't put the sand in her mouth.  We have plenty of those days ahead of us, but not sure I'm ready for that quite yet ;)  

If I can't find something these days - it's always under the couch!

Our fun FaceTime with Daddy this week!  He couldn't believe how big she was getting and all the things she is starting to do now!  I guess I didn't realize ALL the changes until he said it.

Lovin' bath!

Hangin' out with mom at the Bx

24 more days until we see daddy-o!!!!!

6 month pictures and stats

I meant to post these pictures awhile ago but never got around to it!  I decided to just snap some of Quinn on her 6 month birthday and a few turned out ok!  I also forgot to mention her stats in the last post.  She weighed 17.53 lbs (79%), 26.77 inches (which isn't accurate unless she shrunk from 4 months) - 85% and head circumference of 55cm - 99%.  Sorry about the big head there, Quinn ;)