Desert Photo Shoot

On our way home from Palm Desert, we stopped in the desert to play with our new camera and to give Keira a break from being in the car.

Look mom, no hands!

We stopped again when we were close to Temecula.  There are so many beautiful, open spaces so close to San Diego.  I had forgotten about everything that is near to us.  It inspires me to try to get us out camping this spring!  I definitely want Keira to have all of the neat outdoor/camping/hiking experiences that I had with my dad. 

The only down side of cool road trips:  Keira hates being stuck in her car seat!  

Trip to Palm Desert

I was in the mood to get out of town, and I wanted to take advantage of Matt's time off from work, so we headed to the desert on the day after Thanksgiving.

Our first stop on the way was to Londgshadow Ranch in Temecula, where my cousin Eric and his wife were hosting a post-Thanksgiving lunch.  It was a very pleasant stop, and a lot of fun to meet their friends.  Keira got to see a horse up close!

We stayed at the Marriott Shadow Ridge in Palm Desert.  The pools were amazing!  Keira really is a water baby.  She wanted to swim non-stop, and was ecstatic to see all the other kids playing and to see the water spray areas.

All we did on our trip was swim in the pool, spend time in the room for Keira's naps, and eat out at night.  It was my dream vacation!  I would like to make it a yearly trip, but Matt is not convinced........yet.  It is the perfect Thanksgiving vacation spot, because you can still have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at home and a full weekend away.

 We found a really awesome barbecue restaurant called Babe's.  We sat at an elevated booth and it was perfect for Keira because she could stand and survey the entire room.

In the mornings, Matt and Keira would watch the ducks while they waited for me.

Beautiful baby  on a rock.  I loved the landscaping at the hotel.  Crazy the things you notice once you're a homeowner, haha.

Keira and Matt in the pool on the morning we have to leave.  Our vacation was too short!  Hopefully we will be able to do it again next year.

Thanksgiving 2011

We celebrated Keira's first Thanksgiving at the Quirk house. Keira was overwhelmed when we first walked in because there were so many people, so she started screaming and we had to take her outside for a while to calm down. After that outburst, we had a great time!

Unfortunately, I didn't get that many pictures. Oh well, next year!

Aunt Nancy


Seamus and Clare Quirk with their mom Suzanne cooking in the background.

Keira at 9 months

At nine months, Keira weighs 18 pounds, 2 ounces and is 27 inches long. She is at the 32th percentile for weight and the 39th percentile for length. This is quite a difference from her earlier measurements, when she was in the 80th and 90th percentiles! I had known that Keira's growth had slowed considerably. I blamed it on her awesome crawling skills and energetic personality. This girl never stops moving and has really great coordination.
However, during the 8th and 9th month, Keira had a pesky cold that would not go away. It seemed really minor because all of her playgroup friends had similar things, and I also had a cold during this time. It seemed like a normal fall/winter ailment. Keira had a really cheerful personality during the cold, and rarely ever complained or cried. She didn't have a fever and she was sleeping fine at night and during her naps. So, I never took her to the doctor despite the fact that she seemed to be eating less and less and the cold wouldn't go away. I decided just to wait to see the doctor at her nine month check up. The doctor said that he was not surprised that she wasn't eating because it was hard for babies to eat food while congested. (She was still drinking lots of milk, just not solid foods. The doctor also said that her measurements might have gone down because of genetics (meaning that Matt and I are both relatively small so maybe Keira would be too). Still, I am worried that she is not growing as quickly as she was before.
At nine months, Keira takes two naps: One at starting at around 9:30 and the other starting at around 2:30. She is eating solid food but has started rejecting pureed "baby" food. She wants to eat what everyone else is eating. She loves applesauce.
Keira and I have been taking a baby sign language class at Baby Garten in South Park. Keira knows three signs: milk, light, and ceiling fan. I am so proud of her! Her baby sign teacher said that she is really smart and that most babies don't do their first sign until around 10 months. Nice! I am sure the teacher is just flattering a proud mama, but it is working -- I am very happy! It is so awesome to be able to communicate with my little lady.
At nine months, Keira is still enamored with her binkie. I am already worried about how we can ever get her away from that thing! She is just like her auntie Marissa was as a baby: Happiest when she has a binkie in her mouth and one in each hand!