Rory's First "Solid" Food

Rory had her first taste of solid foods this weekend, chowing down on (very watery) rice cereal. Video now available.
Rory was an enthusiastic eater, but would you expect anything else from an O'Hara?
Rory tried very hard to help her mommy navigate the spoon into her mouth...
...With time, we hope her aim improves.
"This is fun, mommy. Let's do this more often."
"Finger food. Get it, mommy?"
"Let me help you with that."
"I think I've got the hang of this."
"Uhhhh, mommy, you really want me to take another bite?"
"Stick a spoon in me, I'm done mommy."
"Mmmm, that was good. When do we get to do that again?"

A Big Week for Mommy

Clearly, it was time for mommy to return to the professional world. And so she did ...
... but not before a snow storm gave Rory her first taste of the white stuff.
Rory seems to have enjoyed her first winter walk with her mommy and daddy.
And after a chilly trip outdoors, Rory enjoyed a warm bath inside (sitting up now, you might notice).
Rory had to get herself squeaky clean for a visit from her grandma, who was in town to celebrate both her b-day and Allen's b-day in style.
Oh, and Rory's tongue is back. (Here are pictures of its last sighting.) In this picture, Rory is wearing a sweater that her mommy wore when she was a baby.
But back to mommy. Sarah returned to the Advisory Board this past week on a part-time schedule (Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays). She's got a new, exciting project that she is working on, and she is enjoying the interaction with professional peers. However, she is missing her little girl. Their days together are now even more precious.

A Big Week for Rory

On Tuesday, Rory set out for her first day of daycare. We awoke Rory early, dressed her warmly, and broke the news gently. As you can see, Rory gave us a big smile in response. And, indeed, my commute to D.C. was much more fun with Rory and Sarah in the car, as we contemplated our new family life: Sarah and me working in the same office and Rory right around the corner at daycare. Rory's daycare is part of a small pre-school in the building adjacent to the office in which Sarah and I work.
The facility is nice, the caregivers are warm, the baby room has plenty of light, and the babies have tons of snot (Rory's immune system is going to get a workout).
However, as you can see in this close-up, Rory was a little wary of the situation. In fact, she cried when we handed her over to "Miss Nikki", and it broke our hearts to leave her behind. But by the third day, Rory had reestablished a good feeding and napping routine, and she was starting to cry a little less. I don't know what was harder for Sarah, leaving her daughter in the care of strangers or seeing her husband so upset by a situation. Not an easy week for mommy.
I took a midday break to play with Rory on Thursday, and I snapped this picture of Rory surrounded by her new friends. Daddy and daughter were feeling better.
Ever the trooper, Rory made her first trip to New York City on Saturday, logging more time in an airplane at 5 months than I had done by 25 years of age!
We made the NYC trip in order to participate in Simeen's baby shower. Simeen was Sarah's college roommate and bridesmaid.
In fact, all of Sarah's bridesmaids were able to make the trip. In this picture, Rory plays with Simeen and Belinda.
And in this picture, you can see Michelle (far right) and Simeen's husband Paulash. The gang is certainly growing!
Simeen and Paulash had a wonderful shower thrown by friends who live on Roosevelt Island.
Rory put on quite a show when she discovered the balloons. She insisted on bopping herself in the head and giggling each time with pure delight.
However, all that giggling can wear a girl out, so she and daddy took a nap in the corner ...
... and then it was back to the balloons!
As you can see, a week in daycare and a trip to NYC has already done wonders for Rory's development. We found her today reading the Sunday paper. (You might notice the headline: Hillary Clinton Opens Presidential Bid. Could this be giving Rory ideas for her own future?)
Thankfully, Rory is still smiling despite all the tears and travels of this week.

Rory at 5 months

At 5 months, Rory delights her family with moments of sheer joy, just as she befuddles us with new parenting questions:
Is she old enough for the exersaucer? What do the "Wookie" sounds really mean? Should she be taking two long naps instead of four short ones? But the thing that gives us the most assurance is Rory's smile. I mean, we can't be screwing her up too bad if she still smiles like this?
As you can see, Rory has discovered that she has feet...
...And she sooo wants to crawl. She can lift her head and butt, move her arms and legs, but still can't lift her upper body.
So, after a workout, Rory likes to surround herself with a few of her favorite things and chill.
And then it's back to the action in her new exersaucer! You can check out Rory exploring her new toy on this video.
We are glad that Rory has graduated to the exersaucer, since she has to return her cradle swing to the Peake Family, who welcomed Nathanael Ryan into the world yesterday morning. Nathanael's brother Caleb is very excited, and Tonia is doing great.

A New Year ... With New Sounds

We celebrated an especially happy new year this year with Rory in our lives. And as this picture makes clear, Rory has already learned how to usher in the new year in style! What the picture also depicts is Rory's new-found dexterity and motor skills. But you'll need to watch this video to hear the new "Wookie" sounds that our lovely little daughter is making.

For the last week, we were in Seattle with the Katz Family ...
... And Rory kept us on East Coast time, so our mornings started early. You can see that Rory and her daddy started their day reading.
Seattle afforded us plenty of opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy the city and its surrounding beauty. But the chilly weather meant that Rory had to get especially bundled up.

Cecil considered himself Rory's guardian watchdog, running to her side every time she squawked or wimpered.
This is Rory and her daddy at the Pike Place Market, standing in front of the famous fish stand. Rory is distracted by the guys tossing fish to each other.
This picture also does a good job of showcasing Rory's motor development; she loved the lights on this music board, which has become her favorite toy.

Nan Little, a good friend to the Katz family, made this adorable quilt for Rory.
Our little family poses for the camera on New Year's Day.
On January 2, we celebrated Chrismukkah with Pops, Nonna, and Aunt Sydney. And sure enough, Rory's favorite gift was the wrapping paper!...

Although a close second was the commemorative silver dollar that Pops gave Rory to remember her birth year. (Although, you just know that Rory is staring at that coin trying to figure out the best way to get that silver thing into her mouth. ("Ohhh ... shining thing ... must bite it ... NOW!")
Towards the end of our trip, we ventured out beyond the Seattle borders to Snoqualmie Falls, where we saw a breath-taking view of the 300-foot waterfall. As you can see in this picture, Rory had as much fun selecting her mommy's lunch entree from the menu as she did viewing the falls.
Unfortunately, our time in Seattle eventually came to a close. In this picture, Rory is saying goodbye to her Nonna and Pops.