Hey Mikey, I think she likes it

It may not be Life cereal, but Alyssa tried rice cereal for the first time over the weekend, and I think she liked her first few bites. Although Alyssa ended up with a wet shirt and cereal in the folds around her neck, under her chin, she did get a few full bites of cereal in her. She was reaching out for the spoon at times and she alternated between licking the spoon, sipping, and opening wide. All in all I think she enjoyed her first taste of cereal.




Alyssa has also been enjoying her first breaths of fresh air. While in Pennsylvania, she was able to take her first walk in the woods with Grandpap and her first ride in a stroller (without her car seat) with Nana. Warm sun and the many sights, sounds, and smells of spring were all new to her. I think she was particularly fascinated with the creek below the house. Today Aaron, Alyssa & I took a walk down by the Minnesota River and Alyssa felt the breeze on her face. All the fresh air wore her out though.

Alyssa is also enjoying sitting on her own; Aaron and I laugh because she has very good posture. Over the past two weeks, she's really become a lot stronger. Today she and I were sitting on the kitchen floor, and she was watching Roni walk all around. She was even able to bounce a little without tipping; we don't leaver her unattended because she sill has a tendency to double over and the potential to bounce her nose off the floor, but she can definitely do it! Check out the video of her sitting below.



Alyssa also did great on her first trip in the friendly skies. We left Minneapolis on a Wednesday evening around 6, flew through Milwaukee to Pittsburgh, arriving at around 10. On the first flight, she ate, was awake for a few minutes and then slept through the landing. There was just enough time between flights to change her diaper, and then we took off again. She was looking at all the lights in Milwaukee when we took off and didn't wake up until we got down to baggage claim in Pittsburgh. During the first flight on the way back to Minneapolis, she was a little fussy, but she did ok. And then she slept through the entire second leg of the trip. She woke up the minute she saw her Daddy though!

We really enjoyed our time in Pennsylvania. It was wonderful to see everyone at home (I think we almost saw everyone I know!) and have Alyssa meet all of her friends and family. I left wishing that we lived a little closer so that she could always feel the love that everyone was giving her; it was so amazing to see how much she enjoyed interacting with everyone. Despite the many different houses and workplaces she was in and all the different people who held her, she remained pretty happy during the most of the trip. Aaron thinks she might have been spoiled a little though with all the attention.

While we were in Pennsylvania, Alyssa rolled from her back to her stomach for the first time. She was trying to reach a green Mazda balloon that Grandpap brought home from work. She's only done it a few times since then, and she's getting frustrated when she can't quite get over, but she's on her way.

Alyssa has also found this new goofy way of smiling. She doesn't do it all the time, but when it comes out, it makes us laugh. Sometimes she'll open her mouth just enough to see her gums and it's really cute.
Now that we're home, we're enjoying getting back into a routine. Alyssa is back at day care, and I'm back to teaching and working on the dissertation. Aaron is enjoying having someone at home with him at night. He continues to be busy at work and may have his first business trip in a week or two to Jacksonville. There could be worse places to travel to! He's hoping that he wins his fantasy basketball game tonight so he can stay in the playoffs, but if he loses, he's done for the season, so keep your fingers crossed.

Hope you enjoy the latest photos and video as much as we do. We love being able to share our joy with all of you!