New! South Island Photos | North Island Photos | Trip Report
May 2007: Emily is 5 Months Old
Home From NZ
We had a great 5 weeks in New Zealand in March and April and did a nice mix of sightseeing and visiting with friends and family. Many of the friends we caught up with have a connection to the U.S. and have either lived in the U.S. or visited us in California so it was interesting to catch up with them talk about old times.
South Island Tour
We started on the South Island where we rented a campervan (similar to a small RV) and took 11 days to drive around the island. It was a great way to travel with a baby.
Highlights:
- Punakaiki Rocks (Pancake Rocks)
- Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers
- Dunedin and the Yellow Eyed Penguin Colony
North Island Travels
On the North Island we rented a minivan and spent about a week in and around Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. On April 6 we were joined by my parents who traveled with us to Richard's parent's farm. From there we did a loop around the North Island visiting many popular sites and catching up with lots of friends along the way.
Highlights:
- The Burge farm
- The Art Deco city Napier
- Wellington - the capital city
- Catching up with the Burges
- Barry's 70th Birthday Party
Emily's Best Vacation Souvenirs - Two Teeth!
In the last 2 weeks of our trip, Emily's two bottom teeth made an early appearance. We thought she was just suddenly becoming a fussy baby after several evening meltdowns. Then one day I noticed a sharp, white speck on her gum - it was the first tooth poking through. The second one came a week later and now she is a happy baby again.
Adjusting to Life at Home
After we got home, it took a few days for Emily to get adjusted to Pacific Time but now she is back to sleeping longer stretches - sometimes 8 hours a night which is great for her AND her parents!
Solid Foods!
While we were away, Emily started showing a definite interest in what we do at the dinner table. She liked sitting with us at the table and carefully watched as we brought silverware and glasses to our mouths - a sign that a baby is ready for solid food.
So as soon as we got home, we started feeding her solids, giving her grain cereal and a new veggie or fruit every few days. So far, her favorite food is cereal but she also loves her veggies, too, especially sweet potato, squash, carrots and green beans. She's not as enthusiastic about fruit but we'll keep trying.
Enjoying her first solid food: sweet potatoes
New Crib, New Strollers, New Car Seats!
Now that Emily is 5 months old, she is already outgrowing some of her early infant gear including the wonderful bucket carseat- stroller combo and the adorable cradle she's been sleeping in. So we've been picking up new gear which should get her through the next few years!
Emily's Age Today
More Photos
We have lots of photos from our East Coast trip to share:
North Carolina - We visited my parents at their new lakeside home
Virginia - We visited my sister and her family near Richmond
Connecticut - We hosted another "Meet Emily" party and visited our friends and family