Ali looooooves to move. To be carried, bounced, swung, driven, strolled…you name it. I have also found the PERFECT mommy device. It’s my yoga ball. I can sit on it and bounce…it’s a rest from constantly walking, she likes it better than the wing because she’s still with me and if I hold herfacing out towards the window she enjoys looking outside. The last few days I’ve turned music on and sung along….she’s goes to sleep within 2-5 songs. Doesn’t tend to stay asleep once she’s set down, but still. Also, it’s a really good ab workout. The bad? After all this recent bouncing and the constant rocking before, during, and after feedings I think I messed my inner ear up somehow. Since last night I’ve been feeling really dizzy and off-balance, as if I just stepped off of an elevator. We walked through a neighborhood park this evening and Ali got her first ride on a playground swing. I could hardly even watch her though, the motion made me feel all loopy.

In her swing this afternoon.

Not so sure about this.

REALLY not so sure.

Photoshop.

Those dangling feet.

Calming down.

Just having a chill.

We had a little photo session this morning before Tony went to work. After a rather brief nap that allowed me breakfast and a shower (at noon), a load of laundry and quick chance at the dishes, Ali has basically been up since one-thirty. It’s seven-thirty now. She fallen asleep for a couple fifteen of so minutes but awakens whenever she’s put down. Have I mentioned how spoiled this girl is? She’s slept in her crib maybe half a dozen times. Two nights ago she slept in there from 2:30am until 5am. It was reason to celebrate! Other than that she sleeps with/on my every night. Which is good for the breastfeeding aspect (she’s nearby and I don’t have to get up nor necessarily stay awake through the feeding) but bad for getting good sleep. I’ve always been a stomach or side sleeper, but have become accustomed to passed out propped up on pillow with my arm around an infant (or one on my chest).

Perhaps adding to the nighttime dilemma (which it really isn’t, more just an annoyance) is that Ali likes to suck but we’ve pretty much limited her to our fingers. We’ve hesitated on a pacifier and kind of deterred her from sucking her fingers. Though lately Tony has been assisting her getting her thumb in her mouth. this afternoon I was the one who gave her that extra push.

This is the first time (at more than five weeks old) that she’s had a pacifier in her mouth…Tony took it out.

It’s August and the blackberries are getting ripe! There are a ton of them on some land a short walk from our house and I have been checking on them every few days the past couple of weeks, eagerly awaiting their edibility. Saturday afternoon we went on a walk and found then ripe for the picking! In the evening we went back with a container and picked for awhile.

That’s how much I got and the raspberry jello I mixed them into. Not as good as my mom’s with her fresh raspberries but not bad. Especially for a $1 dessert. This is my fourth August up here and I never remember how disappointing it is. The clouds roll in more mornings then not and take the morning and sometimes most of the afternoon to wear off. Usually the sun comes out and sometimes it warms up, but the nights cool down real quick and realy far….like low to mid 50s. It always feels like the rug of summer has been yanked out from under me. Anyway, today was overcast and almost cold all day long. Off and on showers. It felt like April. Yuck. i’m so not ready for the dreary darkness that is fall in Seattle.

I’m backlogged on pictures…she’s just too cute to omit a single one.

Apparently we sleep the same.

Sunday, I think.

Standing on Daddy’s head!

Getting out of the house today.

Mom, leave me alone!

Wiped out.

Just is case any of you missed it, Karlin posted a number of cute pictures in a comment on the last post.

I’m not sure how we started calling each other that. Some time in high school for some reason that’s long forgotten (by me at least). Yesterday Karlin and Cynthia made the long trek up here to meet Alizabeth. In Friday rush hour traffic. And home late the same night. The kicker is Cynthia had to get up for work at five this morning. You two are amazing! Cass, you were missed but hopefully we’ll see you soon. We’re hoping to come down either Labor Day weekend or the weekend before.

Ali liked Karlin’s hair.

Cynthia is so a veteran mother.

Mugging for the camera.

Cynthia was in my kindegarten class and, Karlin, my first grade so I’ve known both of them most my life. Cynthia and I became friends during our years in Girl Scouts…Karlin and I sometime in seventh grade? We had a lot of mutual friends and both played the clarinet in band. We went on to become self-proclaimed "band geeks" throughout high school. Cynthia has a nearly two-year-old daughter, Shayla, and is a bevy of parenting advice. All three of us have gone through so much together and it sucks I don’t get to see them very much. Yet another reason to move to Oregon sooner rather than later.

Us and Ryan, the original "F4," on a beach trip in 2001.

Class of 2003.

Grad party. What is Cynthia doing to Cassie’s hair?

Cynthia’s 21st birthday – December 26, 2005.

Cynthia and Shayla – Mother’s Day Weekend 2007.

Also, yesterday Ali was ONE MONTH! I cannot believe it. Both that she’s that old and that we’ve only had her that long. Also that I’ve gone one entire month without sleeping more than five hours in a row.