Now that Mirei is getting more and more active, she and Mio are also interacting more. While Mio still often seems to regards Mirei as a little bit of a nuisance, it’s sweet when we find that she is not just tolerating/ignoring her and letting her join in activities alongside her and even playing together.
Mio and Mirei playing in Mio’s room.
Backyard fun together back on first day of fall
This is from over a month ago, but Mio tickling Mirei with me:
Shopping at Home Depot with Daddy
Sisters napping together
Mio playing with Mirei… and Mirei deciding she’s not going to take it anymore.
Bathtime together. They both love taking baths! (And it’s so much easier now that we can bathe them together.)
Watching a Japanese children’s show (Shimajiro) together
Mio likes to crawl into Mirei’s crib and put a blanket over it, creating a little tent within it. Mirei usually hates being put in the crib, but she’s totally fine with staying in it as long as big sister’s in there with her! π
My desk is right next to Mio’s crib, and sometimes when I’m hard-pressed to get some work done and can’t give Mio 100% of my attention, I’ll put her in the crib with some toys so that she doesn’t get into any mischief. Now that she’s able to pull herself up everywhere, she’ll stand up against the side of the crib that is next to my desk, and quietly stare at me for as long as she can keep herself standing up. It’s cutest thing, but so distracting! It’s not long before I find myself saying, “Fiiiiine, I’ll play with you” and swoop her up in my arms.
It tickles me when she rests her chubby cheeks and chin on the rail.
Oh Mio, I love you and couldn’t ignore you if I tried….
This is what I wake up to in the mornings these days… Mio on all fours, with her head up, peering up from the crib with a smile brighter than the sun.
She’s definitely in her best mood in the morning, and then her temperament gradually goes downhill throughout the day, becoming extremely cranky in the evening and at night. ::sigh:: If only she could be in this great of a mood all day!
She always wakes up on her tummy...
She'll occasionally stick her tongue out.
Quite a sweet sight for sleepy eyes...
Love the way her eyes follow me, even through the crib slats… and how she breaks into a smile when recognition sets in.
And then, the other morning, we found her doing this:
Sitting up in her crib, peering through the slats.
Smiling to herself, as if the magnitude of what she had done has just dawned on her.
Laughing. While it was cute at the time, this photo looks a little scary... Crazy psycho baby!
Sitting up unsupported in her crib.
Hmm… thinking that it may be time to lower the crib.
We had mentioned that we were on the search to find a good crib back in November, and we have an update! Right before we left to go back East at the end of December, we purchased the Graco Victoria 5-in-1 Convertible Crib in white! π I’m kind of particular when it comes to beds (since you do spend a third of your life sleeping), and so even though we may get other furniture used, I usually like to purchase my beds brand new. So with our first baby, even though we have been very fortunate to receive/borrow some hand-me-downs in terms of the stroller, car seat, and some other big ticket items, the crib was one thing we wanted to buy new and unused, if possible. We thought it would be a good investment, since babies spend much of their time sleeping in the crib, and getting a convertible one would ensure that it would enjoy use beyond the baby years into toddlerhood and beyond, as well as be used for future children.
I did a good bit of online research before we decided on one, and fell in love with the Graco Victoria. I was immediately drawn to its super-sweet, shabby chic aesthetic, but beyond the visual appeal, it seemed very safe, sturdy and versatile based on the reviews I read. It is a fixed-side crib, so we don’t have to worry about the dangers that are associated with drop-side cribs, and although it was a little pricier than what we’d originally set out to pay, it was still affordable and didn’t come with a four-digit price tag like some of the nicer cribs we saw in baby stores. The fact that it is convertible and can ensure long-time usage won me over, too!
It can convert into a toddler bed and/or daybed when baby has outgrown the crib…
…and eventually turn into a full size bed with the headboard and footboard.
Dan and I got around to assembling it this weekend, and it was relatively easy to put together, too — only took us about an hour! Here it is in the corner of the room in its princessy glory, along with the piles of other babygear we’ve been accumulating.
It’s a little bare right now and I can’t wait to put the bedding set in, but we have to wait until we get a mattress pad for it. We still have three months until the due date, so we will slowly be getting the nursery ready for our little princess!