The Tickler

Happy Baby

After 10 weeks of having Della as an official part of our family, we are beginning to see her personality come through and she sure is a happy baby :) The past couple of weeks, she has been sucking on her hands when her pacifier falls out of her mouth but just today, she started sucking on her thumb. This is kind of exciting as she is able to do a little self-soothing without us having to constantly put her pacifier in when she is trying to fall asleep.
Derek has been playing on two softball teams - a men's league and a co-ed league - so Della and I get to go to the games that fall before her bedtime. So far this season, Derek has hit 3 home-runs!! 2 on the men's league team and 1 on the co-ed team. I am pretty sure being a Dad has given him super powers.
Every morning when we are getting ready for the day, Della gets to spend time on her "Under the Sea" playmat. Above the play mat, there is an octopus shaped rattle that she loves to look at and right at her eye level there is a stuffed whale that she loves to babble on and on to. I am pretty sure he is one of her closest friends right now (other than Mom, Dad and Dutchie :)
On August 9, I went back to work for 4 days a week (Tuesday and Friday) and the first day was definately tough but each day gets better (although Friday afternoons are hard too). We have been liking our child-care facility so far. The main lady, Carolyn, truly loves kids and the other children seem to really like Della. When I get there to pick her up in the afternoon they always make sure I know where the baby is at and they want to know if the baby is going home :)
Needless to say, we have been loving having Della as our daughter and can't wait for more exciting developments to come.

Derek the movie star

Derek was asked to be in a short video to help recruit new high school leaders for the youth ministry at church. Here is the end result - it kind of has a bit of the "Die Hard" feel to it :)

Happy 5 Year Anniversary Bando!

Expressions in overalls!

2 Months already!!

Derek, Dutch and I have all successfully made it through Della's first month. Each day she is getting more and more interactive and she has started being a little bit more vocal in addition to her crying. She has a little bit of cooing going on and I think that any day now, she will begin to laugh out loud. Right now though, when she finds something funny, she justs opens her mouth up really wide with a big smile. She is so happy after she eats her breakfast in the morning and she just loves to watch mommy and daddy make faces at her - she thinks it is so funny!

On Thursday, August 5, Della got her 2 month immunization shots. I had never really heard her "pain cry" and so it sure broke my heart when I heard it come on her first shot - I wasn't expecting to cry but I took longer to calm down than she did. (Thanks for all those self-soothing techniques you taught me when I was little Mom!)

We all just got back from a big trip to Idaho to celebrate my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. In all, there were 64 relatives that came for this and we did our annual camping trip at Anderson Ranch Reservoir while we were there. It was so much fun seeing everybody and Della even got to meet Aunt Julia, Baby Korbin and the rest of the Hyinks for the first time. Bentley just loved putting his forehead right on Della's and talking to her in his baby voice (ie. really high pitched squeals that I'm sure she was thrilled to hear :)

On this trip, Della got to spend time in the cabin with Korbin who is the first person she has met that is smaller than she is but I am sure they both will grow very quickly. The drive to and from Idaho went very smoothly. Della was alert most of the time and really liked watching Dutch who was in the back-back.

Next Tuesday is my official first day back at work after my maternity leave. I am feeling very bittersweet about this as I think Della will really enjoy her daycare and will eventually make some very close childhood friends there but I am sure going to miss being around her all the time. It is really amazing at how quickly and deeply you fall in love with such a tiny person!

The plan for now is that Derek will take her to daycare in the mornings around 8:30 or 9 while I go into work at 7:30 and then since I'll be going in to work early, I will pick her up around 4 or 4:30. I am looking forward to getting to have my special time with her in the evenings and I am really excited to see how the Daddy time goes in the mornings. Derek's favorite outfits for her are the ones that have sayings such as "Daddy's little cutie" or "I love Daddy" etc. but this morning he was commenting how he really likes the color purple on her.

That is the most recent happenings in Grass Valley... thanks for such a wonderful time in Idaho Pake and Beppe - we miss you already :)