It's been a while...

Sorry it's been so long. Flora has been keeping us busy now that she can crawl all over the place and has been pulling herself up on everything. One her favorite things to do is pull things out. So, with the crawling and pulling, she has our constant attention. Here is a recap of the holidays. Flora celebrated her first Winter Solstice on Dec 21st. We had a"lights out night", snacked on hors d'oeuvres, and exchanged gifts with each other. She liked ripping the paper once she figured it out. She got a drum, two hooded sweatshirts, a sock monkey that Mama made, little cars, a monkey hooded towel.
For Christmas Eve, we went to Auntie Robyn's house for supper and presents. On Christmas day we were at the Enz's for breakfast and gift opening. Flora got some clothes and some toys, too. We thank everyone for the great presents!
At Flora's 9 month check-up(on 12/17) the doctor gave her a clean bill of health! She weighed, 19 pounds, 4 ounces(61st percentile) and was 28.8 inches(89th percentile).

In recent "news", Flora got her first cold on Sunday, and cut her top left central incisor on Monday. She was in a pretty good mood despite it all. Her cold only lasted about three days(I had the same cold at the end of last week). She just slept very poorly at night and took short naps. But yesterday she took long naps and slept through the night without making a peep!
Flora is eating a lot of finger foods lately. She has been eating tomatoes, avocados, beans, fruit, even grapefruit, quesadillas, pasta, hard boiled eggs, cooked broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and potatoes. She likes almost everything!
She is also transitioning to a sippy cup. She does pretty well with it, but prefers a bottle. I usually don't give her a bottle until bed time, though.
Tom and I have been helping Flora walk around the house. She absolutely loves it! She gets all silly and laughs and screams. Of course none of this silliness is conducive to walking well. She is very wobbly because of her excitement. That's all right, she has plenty of time.
Flora is getting to be such a big girl, it's amazing how fast time goes! Thank you all for checking out Flora's blog and have a great new year!!

St. Nick and the Gamblers

It has been a busy couple of days in the life of one Flora Enz.
St. Nick filled her stocking for the very first time.



On Friday, the 7th, she went to her first Green Bay Gambler's game.
She saw her first Zamboni and she got to meet the Gambler's Mascot, Gus.



At first, she didn't know what to think of Gus (What is he anyway?), but she liked him enough to follow him down the hall and into the next luxury box he visited.

The "Sled" Ride

Flora enjoyed her first "sled" ride this morning. The laundry basket was Tom's good idea. She was comfy and happy. In fact she was almost sleeping by the time we got home. It worked pretty well, too. We only dumped her once. She was totally face down in the snow and didn't even mind!
Rumor has it that Flora will be getting a sled for x-mas, so until then, the laundry basket will work!!

X-mas Wish List Update

We hope everyone made it through Thanksgiving alright. We had two family dinners and are stuffed to the gills with turkey and all the fixin's! Flora had her first Thanksgiving meal, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, a roll, cranberries(ninja fruit!), and of course, pumpkin pie!
We also hope no one got hurt if you went out for "Black Friday" sales today. Flora's Grandma Mae went out this morning and got Flora the following items from her x-mas list: a Glo-worm, a wagon, and a sled. She also got a doll from Auntie Robyn.
Good luck with your holiday shopping! We haven't even started ours. We better get shopping!!

Almost 8 months- update...

Flora is officially crawling!  She can do the traditional crawling, but mostly she pulls the bottom half of her body forward with her arms.  

But what's more exciting is that she has started to cruise around the furniture!  This morning she made some laps around the coffee table and also was going from the table to the couch and back!

She has gotten very good at standing and can stand for quite a while.  I think she stood for a good 30-45 minutes this morning.  She sure is a go getter!!!

Another update for all who wonder, I weighed Flora last Friday and she was 18lbs, 4ozs.  Her height is 28 3/4 inches.  Sorry, I don't know the percentages.

Flora has really been enjoying finger foods.  She has gotten her pincher grasp working pretty accurately, and enjoys almost anything we give her, usually bread-type things.  This weekend,  she decided she wanted some of my cake and grabbed a handful of frosting!

(Sorry, I don't know who that little girl in the back is.)

Flora's New Cousin!

Today Flora and I went to welcome her new cousin into the world.
Joshua J. Lichterman was born this morning at 1:15 a.m. to David(my brother) and Amber Lichterman. Joshua's weight is 6 pounds, 13 ounces and he is 19 1/2 inches. He has darker hair and looks a lot like Amber, at least I think so. At any rate, he's a cutie. He even opened his eyes for us at the end of our visit. We are all so excited to welcome him to our family!

Look Mama...

Flora surprised me this morning by standing in her crib! I could tell she was goofing around, by the sounds coming from the monitor. I thought she was just sitting up. We knew this day was coming soon! Time to lower the mattress all the way.

Sorry, we missed posting Flora in her Halloween costume. Better late than never! She was a flower, what else would she be?! She had a nice time "trick-or-treating" her grandmas' and grandpas' houses the Sunday before Halloween.

Flora is still not crawling. She has had some good attempts, but gets frustrated easily and would rather push back into sitting or stand.

A Busy Sunday

Today, Flora went to Papa's work for an open house.
After the open house, we headed up to Door County to go to a corn maze, with Auntie Val.
We decided to dress alike for the corn maze. See Below.

7 Months, Already!

Yesterday marked Flora's 7 month birthday! Yesterday we were also busy getting the house decorated for Halloween. Flora has her costume all set, but you will have to wait to see it! She even has a party to go to, Auntie Val's annual Halloween bash. Lucky girl!
Flora's two little teeth are very visible. Although I don't think she is currently teething, she still has to put everything in her mouth. I can't wait for the oral stage to be over. Something tells me we have a long way to go.
Crawling is on Flora's "to do list" this month. She can get to her hands and knees from sitting, but doesn't know what to do from there. Sometimes she rocks and other times she takes 2-3 steps with her hands and ends up on her belly. I'm sure by her 8 month birthday she'll be crawling, if she's not walking...
Flora has also been trying to pull herself to standing using us or the coffee table. She is very determined and gets frustrated easily when she can't move the way she wants to.
We have been feeding Flora a variety of food lately. Sometimes she even gets what we are having for supper. Which means she is getting more texture in her food. She does well chewing, but still likes smooth baby food, too.
Since we took Flora off the pacifier, she has been doing great and hasn't gone back to it once! She falls asleep on her own and has been sleeping through the night without waking up. She is still taking 3 naps a day, which is fine with me because a well-rested baby is a happy baby!
Flora has been somewhat of a copy cat lately. She has learned to cluck her tongue, shake her head, clap, and, Tom's favorite, stick out her tongue when we do it. She is such a goofy girl!
Christmas is coming and maybe some of you are wondering what Flora might need or want. Well, here it is:

Flora's Wish List: (Flora will be in size 12 months for clothes and size 3 for footwear at x-mas)
Sweatshirts or sweaters
Pants, cords, khakis, or jeans size
Sleepers
Wagon with all -terrain type wheels
Socks-any color but white - size 12 months and up(not 6-12 months, they're too small)
Slippers/booties(can be hand made, Flora's feet are 4.5 inches long by 2 inches wide)
Stacking toys
Wooden building blocks
Shape sorters
Bath toys
Baby puzzles
Walk behind toys
Books
Most of you already know that I am opposed to pink, some pink on the decoration is okay, though. I do however love purple and Flora looks great in yellow.
Optimally I would really like things(toys, clothes, etc.) that are not gender specific. I am not trying to be picky or difficult(believe me I know it is very hard to find clothes that are unisex), I'm just trying to be practical. So the next time we have a child, we might be able to use the same things.
Here is a link to Flora's wish list on Amazon for those of you who would like some specific gift ideas(there are a lot of books on here I would love for Flora to have). You don't have to buy from Amazon, you can just see the item on-line and try to find it, or something similar at a store/rummage sale near you!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/16MYPZGZ362TK/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go/002-0985447-7921619

Flora in the leaf pile

Nothing says fall is back more than the cutest baby, in the world, in a leaf pile.
Next up........SNOW.
Flora is learning lots of new things. Like sticking her tongue out and clapping her hands.
She, also, ended up with her first bout with diaper rash (She doesn't like it at all).

Guess What...

Flora's second tooth popped through this morning! She is still in good spirits about the whole teething thing, which is great for all of us! We can't wait until they are totally in. It'll be so adorable!
We had a nice time yesterday visiting with family. Thanks for everything!!
Today we will be going to Octoberfest to see some bands. Flora already got a taste of real Octoberfest music on Thursday. We rode the trolley downtown to see the polka band Dorf Kapelle. They were really good. Not like an oompa polka band, but more like folk polka music. It was fun, though!
Tomorrow we will be going up north to see the fall colors and take some cute photos of Flora in the leaves. So stay tuned for more pictures.

Holding Mama's coffee in the grocery cart. What a good little helper!

6 month Check-up

Today Flora had her 6 month check-up at the doctor. She weighs 17 pounds 3 ounces(73rd percentile) and is 27.8 inches(98th percentile). The doctor said she looks healthy so we are doing everything right.
The doctor also said Flora can start eating finger foods and drinking from a cup.
She is continuing to sit like she's done it all her life. We are starting to work on crawling, but it may take a little while.
Flora's tooth is coming in nicely and I think the one next to it is on the way!
Flora has kicked her pacifier habit. She did it cold turkey and is doing as well as can be expected. She just needs a little back rubbing at sleepy time and she falls asleep. She has also been sleeping better through the night without her pacifier, because she knows how to put herself back to sleep.
On Tuesday, Flora started to hold her bottle with a little hand placement from Mama, she does pretty well. At least until she gets to the end. Then she needs some help tipping it up high enough to get the last few ounces.

All I Want for My Half Birthday is My...

This weekend, Flora's "Auntie" Liz got married in LaCrosse and Mama was in the wedding party. This was Flora's first time there and her longest trip in the car.
The wedding went beautifully. Flora slept through the ceremony and was in good spirits at the reception.

While Mama was getting her hair done, Papa and Flora went shopping and got Flora a half year birthday gift(even though it's not until Monday). She got the book "Millie Moo" . It is a sensory book about a silly cow.
Flora also got another "present". Her first tooth broke through! It's the one on the bottom left. We think it happened today sometime, it was discovered this afternoon. Mama tried to get a picture. You can kind of see it. It is the tiny white spot on the right side. Mama and Papa can't wait until it is fully grown in. It will make her smile even cuter!!

Getting So Big!

Flora is getting to be such a big girl. She sat up today for 25 minutes! She is also working hard to perfect her pinchers grasp. As always she is very curious and grabby. She will grab hold of anything she can put her hands on. Guess where it goes? In her mouth of course!


Flora has been working on her "shy" bit. Someone will talk to her and she will turn her head into the shoulder of the person holding her and glance at the other person out of the corner of her eyes. She even does this to Tom sometimes. It sure is adorable!!









She is babbling more. She loves to gurgle, grunt, cough, and hum for fun!
Eating solid food is going really well. She is eating apples, pears, nectarines, watermelon, bananas, green beans, carrots, acorn and butternut squash, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and rice cereal. She loves them all.

Flora isn't crawling yet, but she will roll where ever she wants to go. The other day I set her down and she rolled over to the speaker and put her feet up on it. I guess she wanted to feel the music.
Tom thinks she may just skip crawling and go straight to walking. Boy would we be in trouble then! Time to baby-proof!
P.S. Even though we haven't been posting very often, I have been putting pictures in her online album, 3-6 months, on a more regular basis.

Look, No Hands

Flora, and Momma, have been practicing sitting. Flora is able to stay up, by herself, for a bit, but her curiosity gets her in trouble. When she reaches for things, she tips over.

Have a nice weekend......

Flora is 5 months old!

Wow, I can't believe how fast the last 5 months have gone! It seems like just yesterday that she was born. She was so tiny then. Now she is 16 pounds, 4 ounces and is 25 3/4 inches. Flora is now wearing 3-6 months but will very shortly be in 6-9 months clothing. She is right on track! As for her hair, it is growing slowly, but surely!!
Flora is rolling around a lot and often ends up in a very different position than the one we put her in. We're thinking she may just skip crawling and go right to walking! She hasn't sat up by herself, yet, but can sit pretty well with minimal assistance.
We have introduced her to solid foods and she really likes them. She is starting with veggies and will start fruit and protein a little later. She has eaten peas, green beans, broccoli, spinach, potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Acorn and butternut squash and beets are in her future. Most of these were homemade from the veggies in our garden and Grandma Mae's and from the farmer's market. I have tried rice cereal with her, but she didn't care for it. We'll have to try again later.

Flora making her "humming face" and eating carrots.
Lately Flora's vocalizations are mostly humming with some screeching, as well. When she hums, she sucks in her bottom lip. It is adorable!
Everything Flora can grab has been going in her mouth. She especially likes crinkly things(like chip bags) and her toes!

Flora is still very social. She loves animals and kids. She will smile at strangers who talk to her at the grocery store, too. Recently she has been a little unsure when someone she hasn't seen in a while holds her. Then she warms up and is her little charming self! Hopefully she's not starting the separation anxiety stage.
We had a lot of visiting this week. Grandpa Joe spent the afternoon with us on Thursday. Grandma Sharon came on Friday and we went to visit Uncle David and Auntie Amber to see their new house. On Sunday Grandpa Ed and Grandma Mae came over for dinner.

4 Month Update

Sorry it's been awhile since I last posted anything, but my server wouldn't open the page that allows me to post. And as is usual for us, the summer has been a busy one!
Flora is now 4 months old. At her check up on Thursday, July 19th, she weighed 14lbs., 12oz's and was 25 inches long.
She is continuing to be very active. Her tummy time has increased and she can support herself better than ever. The other day she rolled from her back to her tummy several times in a row. Flora also likes to stand on her very strong legs.
She has recently discovered her tongue and mouth. Her hands are always in her mouth. No favorites, yet, any number or combination of fingers and thumbs from both hands! Everything she can get goes in her mouth. She even lunges at things with her mouth wide open to get a taste of something, including the dog! She does this on our cheeks, too, but we think she is trying to kiss us:)
Flora has also been sticking out her tongue and wiggling it around and spitting(she drools a lot!).
One of my favorite things she does is when she puffs her cheeks and then blows the air out of her pursed lips. It is too cute!
Flora still loves to be outside, looking at the sky and all that nature has to offer. We have been camping a lot this last month which doesn't seem to disrupt her schedule too much.
As for her demeanor, she is very social and will smile at anyone who smiles or talks to her. She is still pretty easy-going, but does get frustrated when she can't do something. Sometimes she likes to be silly. She is also very curious and likes to be in on the action. I think this and her little bit of feistiness will keep us on her toes when she starts to crawl and walk!
Flora's next doctor's appointment will be for her 6 month check-up, so I'll write another detailed update then.

Her first taste of peas from our garden. I think she actually like them! At least she didn't mind them. We will be waiting a little while before we give her baby food on a consistent basis. I have been growing some things in the garden and buying some veggies at the farmer's market and have started to make baby food and freeze it.

Weekend at the Park

This weekend, our family went to the Brantmeier Family Dinner(Grandma Mae's immediate family) and then to the park where Flora got to meet her new cousins Noah(on the left) and Jordan(on the right). Noah is 8 months and Jordan is 3 months. Noah shared his blanket with Flora, so she shared her toys with him.
After playing at that park, we went to a park on the Oconto river to hang out with some of our friends. Flora went swimming for a little bit and "played" with her one-year-old friend Brody(below). When the sun started to set, it was off to another friends house for a bon fire.
To keep the park weekend going, we went to Calumet County park for the Brantmeier Family reunion, which includes all of Grandma Mae's extended family)
WHEW! What a busy weekend!!

4th of July

Flora had a great 4th of July. She went up north and saw the fireworks in Townsend on Wednesday. She wasn't scared at all. She watched for a while, but couldn't keep her eyes open any longer and fell asleep and stayed that way even through the grand finale.
Flora also tried swimming again. She was warmer this time and was able to stay in the water longer.

Swimming Lesson

Flora was pretty excited about going up north last weekend. She went swimming in the lake for the first time. She cried at first because it was a little chilly for her. After she calmed down, she was ok with being in the water. The swimming lesson was over when she started to shiver.
We were even able to steal a photo of Flora and Grandpa Ed, despite his objection.

Happy Father's Day!

Flora had a busy Father's Day. She and Mama painted a mug for Papa with Flora's hand print on it and gave it to him in the morning. Later that day we had a cook out with Grandpa Joe, Grandpa and Grandma Enz, Uncle Chad and Uncle Bill. Lots of good food and good company. Flora did get tuckered out and fell asleep in Grandpa Joe's arms.

Strawberry Fest '07

Ma, Flora, and Liz were jamming. They, also, made strawberry torts, bruschetta, and a awesome salad.

A Giggle?

A Flora's Blog first. Video!!!!!!!!!

Is it a giggle? We think it might be.
What do you think?

Uncle David got Hitched

On June 9th, Flora was in attendance at Uncle David's wedding. She spent her time cheering him on from the church's Crying Room. She did stop crying long enough to take this picture.



Big congrats to David and Amber!! For more wedding pics, click:

David's Wedding

Wow, over 1000 visits!!!

Thanks to everyone who checks in on Flora's life. I can't believe this blog has received over 1000 hits in the 9 weeks that we've had it. It just shows how much you all care about Flora(and us) and that's very heart-warming!!
So, thanks again and keep tuning in!!!

Bar Tab's Youngest Fan

Last night Flora went to see The Bar Tab Band(they played at our wedding) at Clark's Place in Stevens Point. Not to worry, Clark's Place is smoke free in the section where the music is.
Flora had a good time and was well behaved. In fact, she slept through most of it.
We had the pleasure of staying at our friend's Peeps and Shana's. Their daughter, Angel was looking forward to meeting Flora and seemed a little captivated by seeing such a little person.
We all had great time!! Thanks, BTB and Peeps, Shana, & Angel!

1st Bike Ride

Flora went for her 1st bike ride, on May 29th. With her car seat securely fastened, she made it to Brad and Nicole's house, without a scratch. She enjoyed the ride and is looking forward to grocery shopping.

Little Fish

It was so nice out today that Flora took her first dip in her kiddie pool. She seemed to like it, but was tired, so we stayed in about 10 minutes before she got cranky. She had good timing, though, because it started to pour two minutes after we got out!

Memorial Day

Well, Flora survived her first camping trip in the van. Her schedule was thrown off a little, but she is already getting back to "normal".
Although the weather was pretty nice, is was a little too cool for her to go swimming. Maybe next time.

"Wow, what a cool sunset!"