Mount Vernon Round 2

We took advantage our our annual passes to Mount Vernon and went back this past weekend. It was a beautiful fall day. It does seem that fall actually exists out here on the east coast, which is nice. This time around we took a tour of the mansion and walked around the grounds some more. We also let Penelope take a picture with George and Martha.

This is the view of the Potomac that George and Martha had from their back porch. Pretty sweet, I think. It was fun just to sit on the porch and enjoy the view. The leaves are starting to change, which makes the view even prettier. I think if you focus really hard you can see the colors changing in the leaves.

Yes, both their eyes are closed. That's what makes this so funny. Penelope really is Dave's baby-twin!

Sitting on the porch and enjoying the weather.

This is the view of the mansion that everyone knows (think National Treasure). Even Mom and Caitlin have been here! Anyone want to come and visit us? We'll take you here!

Watching TV tires you out!!

Sometimes Penelope stops playing with her toys to watch a little TV. One of the shows that always makes her stop and watch is NBC's "The Sing Off." She must like the singing.

She did take a break from watching to play with me.

Then she fell asleep. This is the first time she's done this. Usually she only naps in her bed.

I'd better get started on dinner instead of blogging! It's Dave's birthday today and I've got to finish his cake and make him a yummy dinner!

Funny Girl

Personally, I think Penelope is quite funny. Here are a few reasons why:

• Penelope just lays on the ground and grunts, moans and screams at nothing. She loves to hear her own voice. If you talk to her about it she just grins from ear to ear. Then she'll probably get so excited she'll pant until she gives herself the hiccups.
• Penelope doesn't need toys. Whenever I walk away to do something around the house I turn back to her and she is guaranteed to have the blanket she's laying on wrapped around her so she can suck on it. If it's not her blanket it's her burp cloth or a piece of clothes (I've started giving them to her instead of toys, she really likes the patterns on fabric lately). Who needs toys when you can simply suck on fabric?
• Penelope is compelled by some unknown force to PULL my hair and try to eat it. She looks at me, grins, gets a very concerned "turtle-face" look and grabs at my hair. She's quick, too. She often grabs my hair before I can get it out of her way. (Ask Shelby what "turtle-face" is.)
• Penelope is lazy, and happy to be so. She barely rolls over, although lately she's been doing it more and more. If I roll her to her stomach she automatically flops to her back, and then continues to do the things described in bullet points one and two.
• Penelope doesn't like real food. Since hitting the 6 month mark we've started to feed her rice cereal and have tried some baby food. Her reaction is the same every day: shudder and gag. I can't get her to open her mouth to even put it in these days. On the rare occasion when I can get a spoonful in she literally shudders and gags, then spits it out. No matter what I do. I've done straight rice cereal; I've tried feeding her vegetables (sweet potatoes); I've tried feeding her vegetables mixed with rice cereal; this morning I broke down and tried fruit (peaches). I suspect the peaches were a little sour, but I got the same reaction. SHUDDER and GAG, followed by a look from P that said "What are you doing to me, Mom?". I'm not going to keep trying every food under the sun because I have to look for allergies. I'm just going to keep plodding along and hope that one day she'll eat more than 3-4 spoonfuls where she spits most of it out. Here's hoping--until then she's super funny.
  
  

6 Months ago

Six months ago we had just brought Penelope home from the hospital and my sister Marisa was in IL helping us. We also got to watch General Conference like this:

General Conference wasn't as easy to watch this time around. Penelope is much more alert, to say the least!

Here are some more 6 month comparisons:

Coming home from the hospital

Hanging out at the Zoo (OK, this is more like 5 months, but I wanted to show the car seat comparison).

Lordy, Lordy, look who's 40...er, I mean 6 months!

Today is Penelope's 6 month birthday!! This picture is a good depiction of what she does all day--puts stuff in her mouth.

We went to the pediatrician today. P is now 16 lbs 2 oz and 27 5/8 in. long. That's my girl, long and skinny!!

She's just so precious. Her hair is getting longer in one chunk in the back and up front. She still kind of looks like a balding old man with fuzzy hair and a comb over! I love it!

Penelope now has two bottom teeth. The second one popped through last Sunday. She still likes to chew on Dave's and my finger, but it's much more painful (for us)!

Penelope Rolls Front to Back!!

Pardon my dorky-ness and over-excitement, but Penelope just rolled front to back for the first time, and she continues to do it. She hasn't rolled back to front in about 3 weeks, but this morning I found her on her tummy in her crib (but she wasn't happy about it). A few minutes ago she rolled back to front when I wasn't watching. I let her hang out like that for a minute, and voila!, she rolled to her back. Maybe she's not as lazy as I was starting to suspect. I am warning you, I might post a few more videos because you get to see her little personality in each of the videos I took.

Colonial Market and Fair at Mount Vernon

Our weekend started out with a bang! We went to Mount Vernon with my best friend Becky Jex. We only live 10 minutes away, and we bought an annual pass, so we'll be coming to visit quite often. This weekend was the Colonial Market and Fair at Mount Vernon. There was a historic 18th century market with artisans and demonstrations.

Penelope didn't like the reenactment of the loading and firing of the regiment's weapons--she burst into tears, but it was fun to see a historical representation.

Dave and Penelope thought it was fun to walk around the grounds. The whole estate was originally 80 acres, and is still a historical working farm. But you do have to work in historical clothing, so that might deter some farmers these days.

See, proof Becky came with us. I love having good friends around!

I imagine this was an 18th century version of a show choir...they just kept singing about grogg and tobacco. I wonder if Glee will do a mash-up with that song; somehow I doubt it. :(

We didn't see most of Mount Vernon, in fact we didn't go on a mansion tour. But, this weekend only the boat tours of the Potomac were free--our main reason for going. Here we are on the boat tour. Penelope seemed to enjoy herself, and I sufficiently dosed up on dramamine so I enjoyed myself, too. I was a little loopy on the way home and for the rest of the day, but you do what you've got to do! Dave is used to my dramamine-induced delirium at this point in our marriage. He just laughs when I start slurring my words and stop to stare at nothing. Thanks, Dave!

Dave and I were excited to visit Mount Vernon. Penelope was excited to try and eat my jacket. Typical.

Boat tour. This is Penelope's "you pulled out the camera so I'm not going to smile" face.

I made sure to do my Saturday work. Mom and Dad taught me well!

In front of a typical home for the slaves.