Lots of "Firsts"

I've been meaning to post this for a while now, but time always seems to get away from me.

A "first" for Jasmine was trying baby food a week or so ago. She spit out the minuscule portions I squeezed into her mouth...I've tried a few little things since then but she is not a fan. I'm not gonna push it, as breastfeeding is loads easier. Plus, it's evident that she is thriving on breast milk. :)

This little girl will not even take a bottle of expressed breast milk. But you know what? I'm not worried about it. This kind of thing would have stressed me out with my other two...I was worried about leaving them for even a couple of hours without a bottle. I know Jasmine can go for four hours without eating, so if I need to leave for a few hours, I will. Which leads to our other "first:" babysitting. My sister watched the kids once while Sevak and I went on that rock climbing date a while back, but Jasmine hasn't really ever been with another sitter. Well, now I'm teaching Zumba on Tuesday mornings, so she goes to kids' club at the gym. Apparently she does really well. I even asked Rose and she said she didn't cry at all. She also stays with my friend Julie for a few hours on Mondays while I work at Rose and Simon's preschool (I watch Julie's baby while she works at the preschool on Fridays). I always leave a bottle, but she never takes it and never needs it. Today she slept most of the time...I'm so glad this is working out so well.

So, yeah, another first is preschool. Rose and Simon are in a co-op, which is a lot more work than a typical preschool, but it's so rewarding to be involved. Plus, since it's a co-op, it's pretty reasonably priced. Even so, I like it more than other schools I've checked out. The kids can do so much more than they could in a typical preschool because there are so many parents to help. Oh, and the reasonable cost means that we can have both Rose and Simon go (Rose 3x a week; Simon 2x a week). They definitely like it, but I think they're still warming up. There's always a little bit of apprehension when I drop them off, but Rose didn't even want to leave today!

My friend threw a little back-to-school party a few days before school started, and the kids made some cards for their teachers...

...they also received cards in the mail from their teachers!

Simon especially loves getting mail...he always asks if there's something for him when I go to the mail box.

Here's a shot from the first day of school:

Another first for the kids is riding bikes. They got their very own bikes a couple of weeks ago and have been learning to ride (with training wheels). Rose is really good, and Simon still has a little way to go. :) He often slows down and the loss of momentum makes it hard for him to start pedaling again. But he's getting lots of practice! The kids are getting really good use out of their bikes. In fact, I got my very own bike, too! We also got a trailer and a child carrier, so our whole family has gone on a couple of bike rides together. Lots and lots of fun. 

And here's a picture showing another "first" for Jasmine, I guess: sitting. She's been doing it for quite a while, actually. She still has the tendency to fall over if you're not watching carefully, but she is able to hold herself up:

I can't remember if I mentioned on here that she rolled over from her back to her tummy a few times, just a few days after turning four months. However, she has not done it again since that day! It's the oddest thing. I think she realized it wasn't worth it since she has all her needs quickly met by brother and sister. :) Again, I'm not complaining about this. I am loving having a stationary child and will enjoy it while I can!

Here's a pic of her holding and analyzing a toy, another thing she's been doing a lot of lately:

She also likes to grab her feet, stick out her tongue, smile, and laugh. She is the chubbiest, happiest baby and I just adore her.