Fun vocabulary

Here are two fun words that I have learned in my classes this semester:

From my multivariate statistics class: Kurtosis
Sounds like a disease, but it really has to do with the flatness or peakedness of a curve. Even more fun are the related terms platykurtic and leptokurtic.

From my clinical measurement/evaluation class: Schistosomiasis
The professor that teaches this class is an infectious diseases doctor, so he used this disease in one of our class examples. Actually what happened was that he asked for us to call out a disease, and someone suggested schistosomiasis, but I think they just said it because it sounded cool.

Four months old

Ally had her 4-month well-baby check-up yesterday. She is 13 lbs 8.9 oz and 25.25 inches long, which puts her below the 50th percentile in weight, but approaching the 90th percentile in height. She also got her second round of vaccinations, during which she howled very loudly. However, once I picked her up and fed her, she went back to being her happy self.

For the past two nights, Ally has gone to bed shortly after 8pm. This has been nice, because Ben and I have been able to work on schoolwork after she goes to sleep. I am wondering if this is a real shift in her bedtime, or if she is just doing this for a couple days and will revert back to a later bedtime. I have to say though, Ally has really become a very good nighttime sleeper. She sleeps through the night for the vast majority of the time, and she is even taking some substantial naps during the day at daycare. (Of course I realize that as I write this I may be jinxing myself!) She is becoming more fun every day with her smiles and giggles and interest in everything going on around her.

Ally's Baptism

Ally was baptized at St. Thomas More on Sunday. We were so glad to be able to share the experience with her godparents Jim, Victoria, and Matt, as well as my parents and several of our other friends from church. Afterwards, everyone headed back to our house for a fun spaghetti lunch. Here are some pics from the day.

Fr. Romen anoints Ally on the chest with holy oil

Ally getting dunked (yep, they baptize the babies naked at St. Thomas More!)

Fr. Romen anoints Ally on the head with sacred chrism

Receiving the Light of Christ

After Mass by the baptismal font

With Ally's godparents Matt, Victoria, and Jim

With most of our small group

With my parents

Ally enjoying wearing her baptismal gown my mom made