Exotic Fish and Pony Rides

Today we took a trip to the Seattle Aquarium and then walked the waterfront. It was such a great day! Morgan loved all the fish- she particularly liked the really bright, tropical fish. One of the buildings on the waterfront had a carousel so Morgan took her first ride. We then stopped and had some clam chowder and Matt and I had a beer. It was a very Seattle day (minus the rain). Here are some pics!

Can you see the otter behind us?

My little fishies

Whoo hoo! A carousel!

Coloring is FUN!

Matt reminded me that I've been a terrible blogger over the past months! I am going to post some of M's 1 year birthday and pro pics over the next couple of days, but in the meantime here is a little video of her new found love of coloring.

Skinny Minnie

This past week we had Morgan's 9 month well check with Dr. Hott where we got some good and not so good news.

First the stats
Weight: 14lbs, 9oz
Length: 26 inches

Length wise she's in the 20th percentile- on the non-preemie chart (the regular old baby charts). Great news!The problem is her weight is low. She's always held steady at the 10th percentile (on the preemie charts), and is now at the 5th percentile. Meaning, we gotta fatten that girl up (and, we're back to monthly doc visits to check weight progress). She definitely has her daddy's metabolism. So, my job is to create meals that are healthy but will pack on the pounds.

I've put together a baby friendly menu for the week with lots of healthy fats! I figure if I ate like this I would pack on the pounds so hoping it works the same for Miss M.

Breakfast:
Oatmeal (Bob's 7 grain) with sunflower seed butter, apples and cinnamon

Snacks:
Avocado
Sweet potato fries (made with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper)
Whole greek yogurt with mango and banana (this is given to her in very small quantities as it hardens the poo)

Lunches and dinners:
Spinach and mozarella smothered chicken breast with rice and roasted veggies
Rice and veggies with homemade coconut curry (coconut milk, curry and ginger)
Butternut squash soup (made with butter and olive oil)

I'm So Lucky to be Morgan's Mommy! (long and sentimental)

First I want to take this opportunity to say "Happy Mother's Day!" to all my mommy friends!

So, I've been thinking about Mother's Day quite a bit this week, with tomorrow being my first and all. Honestly, I sort of always thought it was a Hallmark holiday. Don't get me wrong- I love celebrating Hallmark holidays, and I love celebrating my mom (best mama EVA!)  but I didn't realize the history went back to the 1600's. Yep, before Mr. (Mrs? St.?) Hallmark was even born.

Anyway, now that I'm a mom, I have such a different opinion on Mother's Day. I have a greater appreciation for my mom, and how much she did for me, and sacrificed for me, and loved me. And, I look forward to the opportunity to tell her how much I love her tomorrow(another shout out Mama B!).

I'm also thinking about how LUCKY I am to be a mom. And, specifically Morgan's mom. Excuse my ooey gooey sentiment, but seriously. Her smile is contagious. Personality bursts from every inch of her petite little body. She's so sassy and funny and perfect in every way. I can't think of anything that makes me feel so special than when she wants to snuggle (it doesn't happen very often). All of these milestones she's hitting are so exciting. But, I want to slow down time because the past 9 months have gone by too fast.

I always think back to her birth, and how scary it was. We had a whole team of neo-natal specialists in the delivery room ready to take her to the NICU after my emergency c-section. And, she was born at 4 lbs, 9oz, kicking, screaming and hot pink and perfectly healthy. Not a minute in the NICU. And, she came home with us 3 days later. Such a trooper. I'm so lucky to be the mama of the cutest little girl in the world. I love you Morgan Biagi Scheck!

And, just because it's fun to look back at pictures:

3 generations. I had just had major surgery. Excuse my face.

Proud mama

I can't believe she passed the car seat test. Look how small she was!

Our little peanut





9 Months!

Morgan is 9 months old today! We have her 9 month doc appointment next week so I'll update with stats then.

She hasn't had a ton of new milestones this month, but she does love to stand and play on her music table. We also think she's getting close to crawling as she'll get on all fours and rock. She's added many foods to her repertoire and is the same happy little gal. Here is a pic of her with her fave giraffe:

Pearly Whites and Sunshine

The teething has started! We have yet to see any teeth, but the drooling, chewing and fussing are sure signs that one is sure to break through in the upcoming days/weeks. Morgan has been taking really short naps (ie usually she takes 2 naps a day, both at least 1.5 hours), and for the past few days she's been waking from her naps after about a half hour very upset and not easily soothed.

In other news, we saw the sun this past weekend! The fair-skinned Schecks all got a little bit pink. But, mostly Matt because he refused to put on sun screen. After a full day of yard work he's actually more of a fuschia. Real men wear pink (and, Matt is a real man!). The yard is looking MUCH better, and we finally moved the weird yard waste/compost bin/manure smelling garbage can from the front yard. It was a klassy little treat that was left for us in our new place. We're all for composting but this got wet and nasty and smelled like a barn.

We also went down to Ravenna Park (our first time) and found a park full of trails that will be great for trail running and walks this summer. There was also an entertaining drag/cosplay (think Role Models) May Day Festival going on.  All in all, a great (and typical sunny Seattle) weekend.

Here are the pearly whites and sunshine promised in the title of this post:

Bring on the vitamin d

Rain, rain, go away....I've been finding myself singing this a little too often lately. May is quickly approaching but the sun is being a little slower about things. I am looking forward to getting out and about, visiting Greenlake and Ravenna Park, ordering ICED lattes (after my 30 day hiatus, of course), and wearing summer dresses and sandals.

We did have a warm day a few weeks back and Morgan and I walked down to the park. She had been begging me to do a photo shoot (translation: goooo ga ga ba). And what Morgan wants, Morgan gets. So, since Seattle won't cooperate (bastard), these pics are my little ray of sunshine today.




Yay, this is fun, mom!

Get back here, you squirrel, you!



OK, I'm done with this photo shoot, woman.

Morgan's First Easter!

Road trip! We decided to head on over to the east side of the state to spend easter with the Biagi side of the family in Walla Walla. We arrived Saturday afternoon, visited my cousin Laurie, watched JC's baseball game (he coaches the local community college baseball team), and had dinner with the family. A jam packed day, followed by an evening of no sleep. Morgan had a tummy ache and could not get comfy in the pack n play.

Sunday was filled with good food and great wine. The ride home was long, and we still haven't fully unpacked our new place, but it was a fun weekend!

Getting ready for a road trip!

Morgan with Ci-Ci and Grandpa

The Schecks

Heading back to Seattle!

Morgan's getting fresh with her puppy

I know I say this in every post, but MAN I've been a blogging slacker. The good news is that we finally have internet at home (thank you, Comcast, for showing up 4 days late). So, expect a barrage of Morgan pics and stories over the next week. For now, please enjoy this hilarious little video of Morgan making out with a stuffed animal.

Matt was upstairs playing with Morgan in her room and hollered for me to bring up his phone. She was laughing hysterically at him making barking noises (or, the dog making barking noises. Or, Matt making barking noises from the dog. Whatever). By the time I got there she didn't think the barking dog was so funny, but, instead....(please watch to find out)....

8 Months!

We just finished our big move last weekend (pics of the new house to come soon, promise), and we just have tons more space. We're absolutely thrilled to be in such a wonderful neighborhood in a WAY bigger house and with an awesome deck (summer bbqs at the Scheck's!). The only downside? I can't find Morgan's giraffe friend for her monthly picture. So, instead, here is a makeshift 8 month pic of our little gal.

We think she's having a bit of an adjustment issue in the new place as she hasn't been sleeping as well as usual. I think once I've painted the nursery and put her butterfly mobile back in place she'll be back to her normal self.

Morgan updates

This month has flown by! I can't believe we're approaching 8 months with our little lady. Morgan has always been a fantastic little sleeper, but even more so lately. We've cut out her 10pm "dream feed", and she's sleeping from 7 or 8pm until somewhere between 3-5am. Then, she'll sleep until 7am. So, she's consistently getting at least one good 6-7 hour stretch. Which, in baby terms, is sleeping through the night! Go, girl.

The past couple weeks in Seattle have been absolutely amazing. Which for Seattle simply means we've seen the sun. So, we've been out and about, going to the zoo, the park, on long walks. Morgan had fun at the zoo, but was definitely more interested in the other babies around her than she was the animals. I've been terrible at loading pics lately, but will get some of our outdoor adventures posted here soon.

For now, here is the little Miss showing off her fine motor skills. She loves her building blocks.

It's Play Time!

I've been a slacker with posting lately, but here is a great video of Morgan just being Morgan! Enjoy.

Whheeeeeee!

Some more park fun! Morgan's first slide ride....

Morgan is 7 months old!

Wow. I can't believe it's been 7 months since this little gal was born. I just want her to stay exactly this size forever! She is officially sitting up all by herself. In addition to her favorite toys, Morgan loves books, blocks and drinking out of big people cups (she shunned the sippy cup). She's loving a wide variety of food these days as well!

A Town So Nice They Named It Twice

First of all....geez it's been a while since I've updated! I wrote this blog last week but didn't have the picture so I've been saving it. Now you can enjoy!

Don't know which town I'm referring to in the title above? Why, Walla Walla, of course. Morgan took her first trip to her mama's hometown (and, home of all the extended Biagi side of the family). The drive to Walla Walla was smooth sailing, Miss M slept most of the way. The way home was a bit stickier, since it was mid afternoon and it was play time! But, I sat in back with her and entertained her (or was she entertaining me?).

Grams and gramps Biagi threw her a little meet and greet at great grandpa and grandma's house (does this all make sense?), where she got to meet extended family and family friends. She was her usual social butterfly self, giggling and chatting.

During our trip we stayed with our friends the Whalens, which was a lot of fun. We stopped by a couple of parks and the kids had a blast playing on the swings and slides. Makes us really look forward to the warmer months when we can get out and about regularly.

Miss Morgooo, birth to 6 months

I figured the 6 month mark is the perfect time to put this photo collage together! I'm already thinking about how fast our little chickapee is growing up. And, looking back at the first few months of her life I can't believe how much she's changed. Please note week 1- missing sock, missing mitten, no pants and 2 hats. I think that probably sums up the first month of parenthood (and, her life). Not that we've perfected this whole parenting thing (by any means), but it brings me back to those first few weeks of staying up all night, even when Morgan was sleeping, to make sure she (or was it we?) survived through the nights.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The love is in the air in la casa de Scheck. Daddy Scheck gave us sweet cards and Morgie enjoyed her first day of chocolates and smooches (minus the chocolates). While I cooked dinner, Morgan and Matt had a blast playing in the living room. My heart swells with Valentine's Day love for these two.

Food, food, eat your food!

I probably could have included this in Morgan's 6 month post, but I think we can all agree that solids deserve their own post! We have an eater. And, so far, not a picky one. We've now introduced some basics like avocado, sweet potato, squash, banana and apples. And, Morgan literally gobbles them up.

Now, with the blessing of our doctor, we're starting to move into taking our meals and modifying and making them baby friendly consistencies. For example, right now there is a chicken and vegetable curry dish (with barley) slow cooking at la casa de Scheck. When I get home I'll take some of the vegetables and barley and a bit of the chicken and grind it up into Morgan friendly food. This will be the true test of the baby palate! We're experimenting with the hope that she'll learn to enjoy a variety of foods...and ultimately eat whatever mom and dad are eating. Crossing fingers!

6 months old

I've mentioned it before, but the past couple months have been the best EVER! Morgan is just a blast- rolling around, giggling, chatting, and just having so much fun with life. I cannot believe she's now officially half a year old. CRAZAY! Here is our favorite little gal posing with her favorite giraffe:

Our little roller girl.

From Drop Box

We have a roller. Miss M is now rolling from back to front- and sleeping there. Yes, I know my generation was raised sleeping on our bellies...and YES, we are (obviously) still around to talk about it, but these days we are told non-stop (by pediatricians, and, you know, trusted health professionals) that babies should sleep on their backs. Until they're able to roll themselves over. So, needless to say, although it's perfectly fine that our little gal is sleeping on her belly- since she's rolling herself there- we felt nervous about it at first. For the first few days we'd check on her constantly- kind of felt like the first couple weeks home from the hospital.

But look how cute, and clearly cozy, she is! She's sleeping like a champ. And when Morgie's happy, momma and daddy are happy. I especially like the bum in the air, decorated with a big pink heart.

From Drop Box

Submersion

Swim class today was INTENSE. It wasn't for wimps. It was for hard core swimmers! And, let me tell ya, Morgan B stepped up to the plate. Previously, in waterbabies, it was all about back floating, flower swim caps, and other baby swim stuff. This week, it was about under water acrobats. And, Morgan was a fish. Check out this video of Morgan taking her first full under water dive. She is serious about our upcoming San Diego vacation. Sea World, watch out.

And have you thought about what college you're gonna go to?

Best video ever! I just realized I had taped this a few weeks back- great morning conversation between daddy and Morgan. She is just the little chatter box, and they are quite the duo. I had a few other videos of the same conversation where she saw I was there with the camera and got a little shy....but this one is pure gold. Enjoy.

Just Because....

It's Thursday. Which means tomorrow is Friday. Yee haw! Don't get me wrong, I love my job. But, as a working momma I definitely look forward to weekends even more than I used to. This weekend we're planning to meet up with our friends ,the DiMarcos, as we haven't seen them since I was pregnant! This will be the first time Morgan meets them.

And, just because it's fun to post pics, here is Morgan in the adorable hat I picked up for her a few weeks ago. What a stylish little lady.

She wore an itsy bitsy, teeny weeny diaper built in pink tankini

(Make sure you sing the title to the beat of "Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". Aren't those rhyming skills impressive?) We've signed up for a water babies class with the Whalen's (our pals and nanny share family), and Morgan is just LOVING it! We knew she'd be a natural from bath #1. And, when Ci Ci was here in December she gave Morgie regular swim lessons in the bathtub. So, she clearly has a splash up when it comes to her swim class. So far we've practiced pool side manner (aka not jumping in the water until mom and dad give the thumbs up!) and back floating. Next week is water immersion- like, face under water. Yesterday she was not so thrilled when the instructor put the flower cap on her head (as Auntie Eileen pointed out- anyone would be upset to have such an embarrassing hat on). But seriously, if anyone is cute enough to pull off such a ridiculous cap, it's Morgan.

We are so excited that she's able to take these classes, and Morgan can't wait to show off her swimming skills in June when we meet up with Mark, Steph, Sophie and Hanna in San Diego!



Matt and Morgan



Morgan didn't appreciate the flower floaty hat

Bouncy baby

Ahhh, the jumperoo. It's just a good time had by all. Morgan loves the lights, noise and bounciness, and we love to watch her enjoying it! I keep telling her this is my favorite Morgan phase. I swear she's learning something new every day. She's this close to sitting up on her own, she's now rolling from her back to her tummy and sleeping there (more on that later), and she's getting the hang of life in general. Cuteness and fun!

Love that face

Morgan's interest in toys is very minimal (unless it's Manuel, Senor Frog or Jacque the poodle- aka animal toys with smiley faces). She does, however, LOVE social interaction (wonder who she got that from?), as well as showing off her mad core and leg strength (standing, sitting, etc). This is one of her new favorite games- standing on the end of the couch while we take thousands of pics of her. She is quite the little charmer!

Morgan practices standing

Morgan is 5 months old!

From Morgan 4-5 Months