Updates for my remaining 3 readers

Maybe I still have 4 readers, but probably not.

On the job front, I didn't get the job in New Jersey. Woe upon me and my family unit as it was our last option for imminent US employment. The good news is that the Philippines job is pretty much tied up, I just need to pass one phone interview (not scheduled) and the high-level management interview in Pittsburgh next Friday. Wish me luck!

In better news, GP once again got a "1" ranking for her school work, the only one in her class of 50 (there can be more than one 1, many 2's, etc.). She was the only person to get a 1 rank all three years and that means she gets one last scholarship check. She also received her diploma (well, her friend in Suzhou has it) and the Mouse and I are very proud of her. Good job, GP!!!

Finally, here are some new Mouse photos. She's getting bigger and funnier every day. I'm hardly ever tempted to toss her out the window anymore, though we do talk about leaving her with Grandma Joyce for a few months. That also gets an "ok!" from Grandma.

Mouse hit the 6 month milestone of foot grabbing. Also sock removal is standard.


Today I broke out the penguin bowling set from Steve and Kathy.


GP wanted a laptop and now we know why. All she needs is a cat in the mix to complete the assembly.


We bought a Bumbo chair for the Mouse and today added the accessory tray. She really likes the tray - it makes a great drum.


I'm always baby juggling. No spit up accidents yet.


Stretchy leg baby has started to damage some of her more oft worn clothes. Time to change to the spring wear anyway.

HAPPY HALF YEAR TO THE MOUSE

Today the Mouse is 6 months old. She doesn't know it, sees no significance, but we will celebrate nonetheless.

Perhaps we'll commemorate the day by taking her favorite food source(s) and replacing them with a bottle. I think her mama will celebrate that more than baby will :)

shopping with the Mouse

The Mouse and I gave mom and break and went shopping by ourselves today. CVS, the post office, the running shoe store, and Macy's. It was a good time and a sunny pleasant day.

Now, everyone says the Mouse is cute, beautiful, adorable, well, you can imagine. Today I heard a new one. We were paying at Macy's and a nice lady, probably in her 20s, was working the register. I forget what she said first, something like "pretty baby", and then she said "oh, she has chinky eyes".

Huh?

She said, "yeah, she has chinky eyes, is her mom Asian?"

Mouse's new clothes

We don't buy many clothes for the Mouse as so many friends and family have supported her well. There was a clearance dress from Gymboree (not shown) and we had to have the clearance hat and shoes from Babies 'R Us.

As a side note, the cashier from B'RU has a daughter born 5 days before the Mouse, both with the original due date. We forgot to compare sleeping patterns. Five people at B'RU stopped us to say how cute Mouse is in her new hat. I also bought her a floppy, summer hat, but haven't photographed it yet.

I should change the blog title to "The House of Mouse" or summat.



Mouse sucking on a honey wheat pretzel (salt removed)

Advances in Mousedom

The Mouse continues changing, almost daily. She found her hands a few weeks ago and can now grab what she wants. She is getting bigger, though not any more mobile yet. I think her hair is getting longer, though not any thicker. She's looking like a little girl instead of a baby, at least to me.

One of her new things is to lie in her crib and bang both heels on the mattress, said mattress being something like a wooden block, complete with the noise you can imagine. I put a temporary fix to that (towel on the mattress) at 4am this morning.

She doesn't go to bed very much easier, still has some fussy nights, in fact we went for a drive twice this week just to fall asleep. Holding her baby style and walking around the house doesn't work anymore, but I happened upon a new hold which seems to work.



Mouse has realized that playing pattycake can be fun, at least when daddy does it. GP learned the words (well, I spelled them and she wrote them down), but her delivery is pretty bad as far as cadence. Cadence and enthusiasm is what makes it fun. One rendition started "pancake, pancake" until I set her straight (with much laughter).

She got me back via a sales lady at the grocery store, though. The lady was admiring the Mouse (as most people do), and asked GP if Mouse was her little sister. I missed the question, but was able to guess as GP was incapacitated with laughter; we always joked that question would come up some day.

Some more photos of the Mouse with her mouse ears on.