A look back at the mini girl

Looking back through our photos it's crazy to think that I've already somewhat forgotten just how small Amber really was!

Amber at 1 month old

Amber at 7 months

Napping with Dad at 3 months

Napping with Dad today

 She seems big to us even if she is only in the 10th percentile!

Sleep? Who needs it!

Amber is still struggling to have a full nights sleep these days. Actually, I wouldn't say that she's struggling, but I certainly am!

Sleep isn't a problem as long as mom is willing to hold me!

At 7.5 months she still has quite a few nights where she wakes up every hour. Needless to say I am more than just a little sleep deprived - sigh. I've tried quite a few different techniques to have any sort of success, but nothing seems to work for any more than a token night here or there.

It would be great if it was just a case of her having her days and nights confused, but she hardly naps during the day. So either she's not getting her recommended 14 hours of sleep each day, or she's sneaking naps in when I'm not looking!

A rare and peaceful moment

Somehow I've managed to adapt to only getting ~4 hours of sleep each night (I wish this was an exaggeration, but I'm actually lucky to get 4 hours each night). Once I get up and mobile - and have my much needed one allowable cup of coffee - I seem to be able to function as well as any other new mom :)

I find I'm quite jealous when I hear of other babies around the same age sleeping so well through the night. I've even heard of some that are quite a bit younger than Amber that sleep better than she does! I'm sure there will come a time when I look back at this and have a laugh. At the moment, however, it just seems tiresome.

You don't need sleep when you look this cool ;)

To Washington and back!

Amber has really been logging her driving miles these days! We took a little mini vacation and decided to drive down the Washington coast. It was a bit of a dual purpose trip as Tim found a canopy for his truck in Aberdeen Washington.

Our first stop (after picking up the canopy) was to Westport, which is a beautiful little surfing town southwest of Seattle.

While in Westport we stayed in a cute little motel that overlooked the ocean. Loca was pretty happy that we were in a ground floor unit so she could run out the door and sniff out her new surroundings.

After some much needed rest we checked out in the morning and headed for the beach so that Tim could get in some surfing. As for the girls and I, we had a nice relaxing time on the beach - pure bliss :)

Tim getting ready for a surf session

The girls and I enjoying the beach

Next we were off to La Push for some camping. I was impressed at how well Amber did with her first camping trip. I think she really enjoys being outdoors as much as possible.

I have to admit, our tent was more than just a little cozy with all four of us in there, but it was an adventure. Plus, the fresh air really does feel great when you wake up in the morning - too bad it was only about 16 degrees though! I had Amber wrapped up like a Stay Puft marshmallow for most of our time at the camp ground :)

Other highlights of our night in La Push include:
Forgotten BBQ nozzle = weenie roast over the campfire

and Loca's extreme fetching

The next morning we took our time, enjoyed the campground and beach a little longer and then packed up and started to make our way home.

The McNelson's at La Push

Amber ready to roll out!

We decided to do a bit of sightseeing while on our way home as well. We made it to Hobuck beach which is pretty close to the most northwestern point of the contiguous United States. Once again the beach there was absolutely amazing and nearly empty!

Amber and dad at Hobuck beach

After Hobuck we made our way to Port Townsend and then took the ferry over to Whidbey Island for the last leg of our trip.

On the Whidbey ferry

It was a long day of travel with quite a few stops to see the sights and stretch our legs, but it was worth it to see the beautiful coastline!

Approaching the 7 month mark!

I can't believe Amber is only a few days away from being 7 months old! Time is really starting to fly now that she is a lot more interactive and eating solids. We're even up to three meals a day :) She definitely lets me know what she likes and doesn't like - full body wretch = dislike.....baby bird open mouth = like

In terms of development, Amber is still resisting sleep at night. Some nights are better than others, but there are still a few nights here and there where I see every hour on the clock. I keep thinking that "tonight will be different", but so far Amber has proved that she is anything but predictable!

After her 6 month check-up and shots we found out that Amber is taking after mom a little more these days. She's fallen to the 15th percentile in weight and the 10th in height. Looks like we have a petite little girl!

All in all things are going great. Amber is really helping me keep in shape as she loves to go on jogs with me in her stroller. She usually just looks around at all the things going by and then after she's had enough of that, she peacefully falls asleep.

Passed out with Grandma after a long day :)