Melissa's Major Milestone 5-6 Month

Melissa had her 6 months check up couple days ago. Here is a quick summary of her growth and development:

Weight: 17 lb 4 oz (74%)

Height: 26 1/4 inches (69%)

Head Circumference: 42.9 cm (63%)

Here are some major milestones when Melissa is 5-6 month old:

• Lift both legs and rotate 360 degree.
• Loves going out either on the stroller or in the car.
• Very talkative.
• Almost roll over but not completely yet.
• Smiles and laugh often when you play with.
• Observes things and show strong curiosity in everything.
• Starts on solids: rice cereal, then banana, and carrots. She loves to eat solids and about 2/3 of food stays in her mouth.
• Starts drinking some formulas. Eats about 6 oz per feeding (3 oz breast milk & 3 oz formula)
• Can sit by herself for a few minutes.
• Very active in her crib or any bed.
• Puts everything in her mouth to “check.”
• Understands who mommy is really well.
• Doesn’t mind tummy time.

Melissa Can Sit Now!

Melissa is starting to sit pretty well now. She does not need support to sit straight and can keep going for a few minutes. She was playing the new toy that we got from the baby shower, and she was very interested in the music and lights. Look how busy she is!

Melissa Can Stand?! (sort of...)

Look, Melissa can stand in her exersaucer, well sort of...Melissa seems to be very interested in her new toy, exersaucer. She can't stand in there very long, but she is clearly entertained by all the different toys on the top.

Melissa is also doing very well during tummy time. Look at how happy she is!

Melissa is fully recoverd from her allergy break out last week. Her daycare says she eats and sleeps well there. Somehow Melissa wakes up during the night since she goes to the daycare...She is either sleeping too much during the day time or trying to get used to the new environment. Hopefully she will go back to her normal schedule soon and sleep through the night.

General Update (updated with picts)

It’s been a while since we updated the blog, and not because of lack of interesting activities. Unfortunately, we’ve simply been too busy lately. Here are some of the notable events the past few weeks.

2/15-2/26: I went on a business trip to the outskirts of Sydney Australia. Sounds like fun but unfortunately it was one of those bad business trips where you work 16 hrs a day and never get to see the outside.. Well, I did have a weekend there and although I had to work Saturday, I did manage to get out to Sydney and looked around a bit on Sunday. Was a pleasant break and I guess it’s like doing scouting work for potential future vacation spot. I would have to say Sydney seems like a pretty pleasant place if you’re relaxed and out there to have fun. Although the 15 hr flight makes closer places more appealing..

2/26: Melissa goes into the hospital for food allergy. She had been on mom’s milk and on the morning of the 26th, she was given some formula for the first time and had a fairly severe allergy reaction. I went directly from the airport to the hospital and got there around noon while Sandy and my mom had been there since 10am. Turns out the ordeal would continue for quite a bit longer as Melissa had to be admitted to ICU for overnight observation. Everything turned out ok though but it was a bit of a scary moment as we really didn’t know what was going on or what to do. She has since had the allergy tests and actually didn’t have a super strong reaction so it’s still a bit unclear what the cause or trigger ingredient was. But obviously we’re not trying the same formula again (and no, it wasn't some China branded melanine laced formula :P). Hopefully a follow up skin test in 2 months will result in more detailed analysis and let us know exactly what things to avoid.

3/4: Sandy started her new job at Affymetrix. I didn’t mention it but throughout most of late January and February she had also been busy job hunting. Given the economy it’s quite good that she managed to land two offers and had a choice to pick from. Affymetrix is very close to our house and it’s great that she can work so close to home and not have to deal with commute, also just getting away from the grind of public auditing was a major plus too and the primary reason that she looked for new job in the first place.. I wonder if I should look any time soon, feeling a bit burned out at my current job after that Australia trip. And who knows.. I might need to return there for a second visit yet.

Finally, some more things about Melissa, which is what everyone is really interested in. She’s started to go to day-care and seems to be okay with it. Although for some reason, since going there, she’s started waking up in the middle of the night again. Perhaps it’s because she’s sleeping more at the day care so at night she doesn’t need the long sleep anymore. She’s also started eating various baby food as you know from the previous blog. Back then, she was only on rice cereal, now, she’s added banana and carrots to the mix. All is well it seems so long as we avoid the baby formula