Update - May 21, 2009

Amazing how time flies. In one week, Erin will be 11 months old. Sheila and I find it hard to think about a time when we didn't have her. The last year has been filled with so many ups and downs, with some of the highest highs and lowest lows either of us has ever experienced (not all related to Erin), but the one constant throughout all of that has been the incredible joy that Erin brings to our lives every single day.

As I write this, we are in Scottsdale where we have been for last week. We continue to have a scorpion problem, although thankfully nobody has been stung (yet!) on this trip. We continue to work with the experts in trying to eradicate our home of these pests. It is definitely an experience, checking every floor and corner continuously while Erin is in the room to make sure there are no lurking scorpions.

The last week has been a bit stressful with Erin, as she has returned to her fussy eating habits. We think this is because she is teething, this time on the top. Over a 5 day period, feedings were nothing short of battles that would take up to 15 attempts before Erin would take the bottle. Her normal intake went from mid-30 ounces per day to as low as 20, and it was a big struggle to just get to 20. We were both very stressed over it, but she seems to be back to normal now. Interestingly, other than being overly fussy when trying to eat, she was her normal very happy playful self the entire time.

From a sleeping standpoint, Erin has really come a long way. She understands now that we are not going to come running back the minute she cries, and as a result she rarely cries when going to bed for naps or at night, and if she does, it is literally for a minute or two. We have a camera set up in her room that shows an infrared picture of her for observation purposes. After putting her to bed, she will usually play quietly by herself in her crib until she falls asleep in some of the most uncomfortable looking positions.

Mother's Day was a real highlight. We drove to Champaign to see Sheila's parents. I know it was a thrill for Sheila to spend the day with her mother, and with new new daughter in the home where she grew up. She pulled out her old Barbie dolls to show Erin, who of course promptly gave them the taste test. All in all, it was a perfect day.