Some people call me Baby-Phelps, I prefer Aqua-girl

Since the day that Nicole was born I've marveled at her huge feet and thought, she'd make a great swimmer! (I know what you're thinking, but it's one of the reasons Michael Phelps is so fast...seriously). This Saturday we put Nicole in the swimsuit that fit her best and set out to put those feet to work.

When we got to the pool, we found out they were having a two-year anniversary party, free swimming and Otis Spunkmeyer cookies for all...yeaahhh! The downside, a ton of kids hopped up on chocolate chip cookies, frolicking around in an aquatic playground with every squeal of delight reverberating off every wall in the glassed-in room. The whole experience was overwhelming for Nicole initially.

She eventually got used to being semi-buoyant and did her best Neil Armstrong impression around the wading pool...with a little help. She liked to look at the other kids and splash around, until she started being splashed in the face, she's still working on cause and effect. The water features were also very interesting, 87 kids under 5 agreed!

You're probably thinking, "Rooney, what gives? You talk about this junk about Nicole being the next Phelps, what's her 100M time already?" Well, I didn't clock an official time but let's just say baby dolphins would be impressed. Once she gets her flip turns down, watch out!

After a tough swim workout it was time for some "I got your nose...in my mouth." It was pretty fun and a great way to end the day. We hit the showers and enjoyed our cookies on the drive home; we're going to have to get a good night's sleep if we're going to go to Bernkastle winefest tomorrow.

Exploring the World

Nicole is growing up too fast! The last few weeks she has been really exploring the world. She has really good control of her hands now and can grab the things she wants, she can put almost anything she grabs in her mouth, and she can pass things back and forth between her hands. Ever since she started solid foods, she is especially interested in anything I put in my mouth. The other day, I had a V8 can that I had just finished and she kept reaching for it. I gave it to her and she held on to it and really inspected it.

She put it in her mouth and she liked it because it was cold. She's also been doing that with my glass when I take a drink of water. I'll let her put it in her mouth and she just kind of sucks on the glass. This weekend we took her to a festival and I had a sandwich. She was staring at it, so I started to hand it to her. She went to take it with both hands and pull it to her mouth. I had to remind her she wasn't ready for that kind of food yet. She really is a pro when it comes to food though. If only her tummy was as ready as the rest of her is.

She had bananas for the first time a couple nights ago. She seemed to like them, but tonight she didn't like them as much. Tomorrow, we are going to try squash. So far, so good. No allergies or reactions. She gets pretty gassy, but she always has, so that isn't surprising.

Nicole has been a little sick for the first time. She seems to be allergic to something in the air. We have had a lot of rain lately and it is giving her a runny nose and cough. The cough is so sad. I hate to hear it. She coughs in her sleep and it sounds terrible, but it isn't keeping her up and she doesn't have a fever, so we are doing alright. I just feel bad for her. Hopefully, it will clear up soon.

5 Month Check Up

Today we went for Nicole's 4-month check up. It was actually on her 5-month birthday though. I almost felt like I was cheating on the test. I was able to answer "yes" to all the questions on the developmental questionnaire. She started the appointment off with a dirty diaper, which is always fun :) Then she got weighed. She is still a really small little girl. She seems huge to us because we look at how much she has changed. She weighed in at 12lb 3oz and 24 inches long. This caused her percentages to go down, but the doctor said it was fine as long as she is still gaining weight and hitting all her milestones and having the necessary diaper changes. We knew she was small, but her weight put her in the 13th percentile and 32nd for length. Her head circumference stayed about the same with around 50%. She loved all the docs and thought they were playing with her when they checked her out. She was as smiley as can be. Her next appointment will be around her 6 month point just to get her back on schedule and then to make sure we see a doctor before we head back to the US.

First Solid Food!!

Wow our little one is growing up sooo fast! We decided to try solid foods today. Here she is getting ready. The first time we ever handed her a spoon and she stuck it straight in her mouth like she had been doing it for years. Our little one is a natural eater. She used her spoons from her Aunt Jackie and her bib from her Aunt Stephanie. She's lucky to have so many Aunts that love her so much.




At first she seems a little confused and we couldn't tell if she liked it, but she kept trying it and making funny faces. Then she saw that we liked her eating it, so that made her smile. We didn't want to push it too much, so we only tried a little. We will try again this afternoon and see how she does.

Rolling Over and Running

Nicole is rolling over all the time now. Almost as soon as we lay her down to play, she rolls to her belly. She can roll back the other direction, but doesn't normally. A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks. She started rolling over, she found her feet (both of them now), she's laughing (although she is pretty stingy with those right now). She really is growing up so fast.


Nicole also loves our new running stroller. We got the BOB Revolution. It was pricey, but has really been worth it. I've been able to go running without feeling guilty when I leave or if Shaun isn't home. She normally stays awake for the first little bit and then falls asleep. It has been a great incentive to keep me running longer to get her a nap. Today we ran for just over an hour and she slept almost the whole time. I've been running without her too and that gets easier after running with the stroller. I have to get ready for my PT test in September. The AF only gives us 6 months after the baby is born to get back into shape, so I really need to get ready. I know I can pass it, but I'd like to do well on it.

A Few Pics from Nicole's 3-month photo session

Nicole 4 Months!

Nicole seems to be growing up so fast. I remember when she was a newborn, I couldn't wait until she was 4 months. Everyone told me this would be a good time and it really is. Nicole spends most of her day so happy. She loves to talk to us and her toys. We got her

an exersaucer and she LOVES it! I think she likes it the most because it keeps her in a standing position, but she also loves the toys. She also loves her Kickin' Coaster because it plays music when she kicks her feet and she can make herself slide up and down. I used to put her in that just so I could take a few minutes to get ready, but now that she has figured it out, she'll hang out there for awhile. She is doing great sleeping during the day and at night. She still wakes up at night to eat, but then goes right back to sleep. A little over a week ago, she had gone back to waking up every 1-2hrs, but luckily that has passed now.We are moving back to the US in October. We'll be heading to Langley AFB, VA. We will both be working at ACC HQ. We're excited to bring Nicole back, so she can meet all her family. We are house hunting now. It is fun looking at houses and considering if it will meet our needs with a baby. I'm excited to decorate a room for Nicole. We didn't do that here.