15 month checkup

Addie had her 15 month checkup today. And because she is still on the recovery end of the flu from last week, we held off on one of her 2 scheduled immunizations. So she and Dylan both got their flu shots and Addie also got her Chicken Pox shot. We then headed over to Rite Aid for stickers and ice cream cones. Made it all better. For me too. ;)

Here are her 15 month stats:
Weight 21#, 6oz (20th percentile)
Height 31 inches (70th percentile)
Head Circumference 47 1/2 (75th percentile)

Not surprising that her weight is down slightly after all of last week with her upset tummy and fevers, not eating like she normally does.

We go back next month for her second flu shot and the MMR immunization. More ice cream? You betcha!

Junior Scientist

Yesterday Ryan had some work to do at lab. So the family went together and spent a few hours on campus. While Ryan worked, the kids and I went down to the turtle pond and got some samples of pond water. Then we met back up with Ryan and Dylan was able to do a little experiment with daddy to investigate the pond water we collected. Dylan pulled on some gloves and they got to work.

They spun it down to concentrate the gunk into a pellet.

Then sucked off the supernatant.

Next they resuspended the pellet and mounted a sample on a slide to see under the microscope.

Meanwhile, Addie napped in the stroller.

It feels good to be back at Caltech after the past few months.

New home

We've moved. From Pasadena to north Glendale, so not far, but a move nonetheless. Lots of boxes. More stuff than we thought we had.
The highlights of the new place are this: it's a HOUSE and it has a YARD! We've already suppliied the patio with a new grill and patio furniture (happy birthday to Ryan). And this past week we've eaten more meals outside on the patio than inside in our diningroom, so it's clear we are enjoying being outside as a family.
I'm working hard to adjust as quickly as possible. As my mother in law has reminded me, "a family is as happy and content as the mom is". Very, very true.
The other fun detail about this new place is that despite being considered a three bedroom (because even a sliver of a closet makes a room a bedroom apparently), the kids are still going to share a room and we are using the extra room as a playroom/office. The windows look out to the backyard, so I can pay bills, catch up on emails, and even peek around the corner from the kitchen if the kids are playing outside in the yard (which is newly fenced-in). I'm enjoying this too because Dylan needs a LOT of outside time everyday and now I can continue to get things done in the house and keep track of him during Addie's naps. Win-win.
Pictures haven't gotten put up on the walls and there are a few nagging boxes of stuff that shouldn't be tossed into the garage but has no real place inside yet. We are still working on those, but overall it's beginning to feel more like home. And that is what is important.