HAPPY 1ST FOURTH OF JULY!

Dear Galena,

We're not doing anything special for the fourth, but you've had a number of 1sts lately that have been fun!

Your 1st Month Birthday
We were pleased to see that you are now 10 lb, 10.9 oz and about 23 inches (your length is tough to measure with your wiggling all around!). That means you have gained over 1 lb, 6 oz and 2 inches since your 2 week appointment, which makes Mom & Dad very happy! You are in the 95%ile for length and 80%ile for weight. Let's hope we keep it up at this pace :)

Your 1st Smiles
This is tough to know exactly when your 1st smiles are because all of the cynics out there say, "Oh no, that's just gas". Bull honkey. I like to believe that I saw your first smile on the night of 6/9 when I was standing at the stove and you were looking up at me and just put out this huge smile. It was gorgeous. I guess that was too early on, so I've been trying to keep track of your smiles to see what is "real". Right around 3.5 to 4 weeks, I saw a few (6/22 I saw three in a row, 6/26 I was lucky enough to snap one in a photo before we left for the coast). Again, I like to think these were real, but they were far and few between. Then yesterday, you started showing us more and today even more - I think we've seen about a dozen in these last two days! That first one you gave me last night was in response to seeing me pull out your "meal" and it was different - not to mention the fact that you just kept smiling and smiling for a long time. You were happy to be getting dinner! :) So, we are really looking forward to many, many more of your beautiful smiles :)

Your 1st Road Trip
Last Friday, we hit the road to Ferdinand, Idaho for your Grandma Radtke's family reunion. You got to meet heaps of cousins and aunts and uncles and everyone fell in love with you (how could they not?!?!?!)! You did an amazing job on the road and we only had to stop twice for you on the way home (in about 8 hours).

Your 1st Taste of Real Food
Mom & Dad went to a BBQ joint for lunch today and Mom ordered one of her faves - yams. They were very mashed up, so we thought it might be a good opportunity for you to try some real food. You weren't really phased, but just didn't know what to do with it. I don't think any of it ended up in your tummy :)

Here's to many more fun, fun 1sts! :)

Love you heaps,
Mommy
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO