Smiles

Awwwwww... ain't that the cutest thing?

 

Overdue Update

Once the holidays begin, everything else goes into suspended animation mode, but today it’s time to wake up.  I’ve had my coffee, Anna’s had her milk; we’re ready. 

This Christmas season has been more fun that usual simply because Anna is so much more aware and willing to participate in what’s going on. We have a local group of moms that we meet up with every week, and last Tuesday we all got together for a cookie swap party.  Now, when Anna and I first met all these people, she was bashful and emotional and couldn’t let me out of her sight.  Well, the times, they are a changin’.  Anna was a new baby at that party.  In a room packed with adults and children and noise and cookies, Anna sat happily on the floor, playing with the other kids and didn’t even look for me.  I actually got to stay in the other room and talk to people, it was a Christmas miracle!  She also let several other people hold her without protesting, and was generally a very happy girl the entire time. 

We went to the zoo with my friend Jen and her daughter, Olivia, on Thursday last week. As usually, the giraffes were a big hit, though the meerkats are always a close second.  The weather here in the mountains has been very mild for almost two weeks now, and the zoo, which sits high up on the side of Cheyenne Mountain, was quite pleasant and not at all busy.  We walked around and the girls looked at everything and tired themselves out with all the excitement.  Anna, who almost never falls asleep in the car anymore, was out like a light about two seconds after we left.  That evening, Lisa brought over the kids and we exchanged gifts in a mountain of wrapping paper, ribbon and boxes.  Lisa gave me this really beautiful handmade sweater and a cool crochet journal to log all my projects.  It has inspired me to actually branch out in my crocheting and try some new things, as well as actually complete the handful of projects I have all over the house. 

Friday morning I got up bright and early… and very sick.  About 2 in the morning I had woken up with a bad stomach bug, but I thought I’d still be okay to go pick up my brother in Denver.  Boy, was I wrong.  About halfway there, I started to get a fever and horrible aches all over my body, and the wait at the airport was pure torture.  I could barely lift Anna, who is by no means a heavy girl.  Valentine was a trooper, and even though he was exhausted from his travels, he drove us all back to the Springs.  Once we got home, we found Kurt weak and in bed, having come down with the same thing. What a great way to spend your first day of work in a month, right?  Val took over, sent us all to bed and started making dinner for the family.  I started to feel better as the evening approached, but Kurt, poor guy, spent the entire day in bed.  Mom, Kent and Terry came over that evening for dinner, which Val had spent the day preparing.  We would have canceled dinner due to plague, but it was a surprise for mom that Val was there at all.  He and I had conspired to have him fly in almost two days early- he was originally supposed to get here late on Christmas Eve.  Dinner was delicious, (pot roast, yum!), and by morning Kurt and I had almost totally recovered from our illness. 

In the Schwartz household, we celebrate the holiday on Christmas Eve, opening presents in the evening after dinner. Kurt’s parents were both European, and it’s the way they celebrated when he was growing up.  It’s also very convenient because we can have our own private family Christmas in the evening, and then join mom and everyone over at her home on Christmas Day. 

This year was our first year with just the three of us, since Monica is in Virginia with her new little baby boy and family there and Otto, Kurt’s dad, was in Brazil.  We had a great time and Anna loved ripping into all the paper.  She got a Leapfrog Baby interactive book and several Sandra Boynton board books and a new pine toy chest for all her things.  It’s beautiful and designed especially for kids, with a lid that won’t snap little fingers and bench on top. Afterwards, we snuggled up and watched, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, which I had never seen entirely before.  Then we got Anna out of bed and joined the rest of the family at church for the candlelight service at 11 pm.  That’s a tradition from my side of the family and something I have always enjoyed. 

Christmas Day was wonderful too, over at mom’s house.  There were more presents, lots of yummy things to eat, games to play and pleasant company. We received a surprise call from my Uncle Paul in North Carolina.  He and Val hadn’t talked in years, so that was a nice treat.  Terry cooked up a delicious Christmas dinner and by the time we were ready to go home, everyone was stuffed to the gills and groaning from the feast.  We spent the beginning of this week over there for dinner, too, and I have never seen so much food disappear so fast! Val left last night to carouse in Denver before his early flight this morning, but not before getting to spend some quality time with his little niece and the rest of the family. 

All in all, a wonderful Christmas!  Now it’s time to get Anna back on her normal schedule, (she’s supposed to be napping right now, but is instead singing and yelling in her crib…), catch up on chores, and get back in touch with all the people outside my immediate family whom I’ve neglected for the past two weeks or so.  Oh, and my brand new treadmill has been looking a little desolate and lonely downstairs, so I’m going to go spend some time with it today, too.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  Pictures will be up, soon. 

 

Anna's Christmas

Here's our girl sitting in her wonderful new present from Terry Bear. It's a little chair and table that lights up and plays music. She LOVES it. 

Ryan Andrew!

Look at this adorable kid! Look at all that hair! And he's got natural Bon Jovi highlights, it's amazing! So cute and, at least for now, he really, really looks like his dad. :) 

I'm an Aunt!

He’s here, he’s here! Monica is now the beautiful mamma to a beautiful baby boy, Ryan Andrew, born this evening. He weighs 7 pounds, 13 ounces and is nearly 21 inches long, with a full head of light brown hair. Mom and baby are doing well, I’ll fill you all in after I get a chance to talk to her more tomorrow. Everyone say a big, “Welcome!” to my little nephew!

Spoke too soon!

Well, Monica just called. Her water broke this morning and she’s a couple centimeters dialated and been having moderate contractions since 4:30 a.m. They’re on the way to the hospital now! I’m so excited! Everyone say a little prayer for Mo and keep her in your thoughts. I’ll keep you updated!

mobility

Ah, the joys of a mobile baby.  Anna may not be getting around in the traditional sense, but, oh boy, is she ever getting around, and into, everything.  Luckily, for the most part, she’s ignored the presents under the tree, choosing to expend her energies towards more fascinating things.  For instance, she loves to get up close to the gas fireplace while it’s on, reaching her delicate little hands out towards the painfully hot glass. Or she will roll herself over to the vacuum cleaner, neatly parked in a corner, and start kicking and pulling it in an attempt to crush herself beneath it.  She also seems fascinated with getting herself half under the coffee table and then trying to sit up- thereby totally knocking her head on the edge of the table.  So far she hasn’t discovered the joys of kitchen cabinets, but it’s only a matter of time. 

This will be, as always, a good Christmas. I’m very excited because my brother, Val, is flying out to visit.  He hasn’t seen Anna since her christening in April, so there’ll be a big change. She’s actually a little person now, not just a little baby bundle.  John won’t be coming home this time, but we hope to get together with him next summer for some kind of family vacation.  Other than family, I’ll also have friends around, with Lisa and her kids both being in town this year.  I can’t wait to give everyone their presents! 

It’s possible that Monica, Kurt’s sister, will have the best present of all this season, since she’s due with her first baby any day now.  She had a bit of a false alarm the other night and I know was disappointed that the baby wasn’t ready yet (since she is SO ready), but I’m thinking that some time this week she’ll be a new mom!  That’s my guess, anyway. We’ll see when the time is right! 

Hope everyone has a safe week of holiday prep and travel. It’s off to the post office for me, as soon as Teletubbies is over!  (I know, I know, I shouldn’t have left it, but I did, so now I deserve the lines I have to stand in.)

On the Move

Anna has developed this strange crawl/sit/roll maneuver that seems to really be working for her.  Every time I look up, she’s in a different part of the room!  I guess my carefree days as a mom of a non-mobile child are over now, huh?  J  As for genuine crawling, so far Anna has only managed to go backwards, but she’s really, really trying now so everyday it feels like she’s about to really get it figured out.  Maybe today will be the day.  What she does is start in a sitting position, reach far over for something, until she’s on her belly.  Then she sort of squirms/army crawls towards the object of her desire, and then she rolls a bit, pushes herself up with her hands, and ends up sitting again.  It sounds complicated, but she’s gotten so good at these things that she is really getting around quickly. 

It’s funny when she tries to crawl, though, and only ends up going backwards.  It clearly frustrates her, but still, she’s moving, so it’s exciting for her too.  Her major development these past few days, and one that we’ll have to adjust the crib to, is that she can sit herself up all on her own now.  I’ve gone to get her from her nap several times lately and she’s been sitting up in her crib, waiting for me and pulling on the crib bumper.  Kurt and I plan to lower the crib mattress tonight so she can’t pull herself up and out, too. 

It has been ARCTIC around here this whole week.  This morning we woke up to a balmy -8 degrees!  I haven’t taken the baby out of her pajamas all week, it’s just been too cold.  It doesn’t really matter anyway, since we’ve hardly left the house at all since Monday.  I finished all my Christmas shopping that day, and have spent the rest of the week (and the weeks to come, I bet) working on all the hats I’m crocheting for people for the holidays.  A hand-made Christmas gift sounds nice… but then there’s the actual hand-making part that you have to do!  I’ve become a hat fiend.  Most of the ones I am making are for children, and Anna has been a willing size model, thankfully.  She loves to pat her head, which means ‘hat’ in sign language, and try to put the hats on and off. 

It’s amazing how much she’s grown-up just in the past few weeks!  She’s no longer so shy of strangers, she’ll let me leave the room (briefly) without crying, and she has let several other people hold her without any complaint.  She is still very shy and nervous of men, but that’s fine with me!  We’ll just hope that lasts into her teenage years, right?  Really, she seems to be losing some of her sensitivity to new situations, which is a relief.  She still gets nervous, of course, but a lot of the time now she’ll just go with the flow and play and be herself, regardless of where we are or who’s around. 

Mostly, though, she is just displaying a lot more initiative and curiosity to explore her surroundings and it is so fun to watch as she discovers new things and gets excited about what she can do. 

Happy Birthday to my brother Val, he turns 30 today!  Congratulations, we love you and can’t wait to see you in a few weeks! 

Anna's Top Ten

Ten Things I Like to Do This Week

1. Beat the drum with my drumsticks.
2. Beat the cat with my drumsticks.
3. Beat my parents with my drumsticks.
4. Lick my drumsticks.
5. Refuse to eat my dinner, but act starving at all times.
6. Attempt to crawl, unless someone is watching, in which case I cry helplessly.
7. Pull myself to a sitting position all by myself!
8. Use my drumsticks to pull far away toys closer to me. 
9. Talk in random babbling connections of syllables that sound almost like English… but aren’t.

And Finally…

10. Lick other people’s shoes vigorously, preferably the bottoms, where all the good stuff is.

And the winner is...

I think she’s practicing to be an Olympic athlete. Lately, whenever Anna is doing ANYTHING, she’ll suddenly smile, call out some nonsensical babble, and throw her arms up high in the air and wave them around. Like she’s saying, “Woohoo!! I did it!!  Look at me, I’m a WINNER!!!”.  Actually, maybe that is what she’s saying.  I’ll never know, since mostly I don’t understand a word of it. 

She is SO close to crawling, the air is thick with the promise of her efforts.  She reach, reach, reeeeeeeaches for her toys, getting her legs under her and her belly off the ground.  She still hasn’t done it, yet, but I think it’s something she may conquer sooner rather than later.  Then her “Woohoo!” move will really have something to celebrate!  He two bottom teeth have finally come in, and she’s starting to experiment more with her foods now.  The one thing I’ve really noticed is that a lot of the time she won’t eat unless she can be in charge of the food.  Things that she used to like are no good anymore, she wants food she can hold.  This morning, we met mom for breakfast and Anna ate half a pancake all by herself… though “ate” is sort of a grandiose word for what she did.  Mostly she smooshed large portions of it into the vicinity of her mouth.  A good half of that ended up stuck to her face, shirt, hands, high chair and the floor.  She enjoyed it, though, and that’s the important part.

My mom spent Thanksgiving in California this year with my cousin Liz and her family.  She says that Lizzie and my Aunt Juanita read this site every week, which I think is great.  I never know who’s checking it out, so it’s nice to know I’m not just talking to the universe at large.  Hi, Lizzie!  Hi, Auntie!  I hope you are both doing well, Anna says hi, too. Leave me a note in the comments, it gives me instant gratification.  J

Anna discovers she can get into the toy basket all on her own. Happy Thanksgiving!

MAMMA!

Woohoo!!!  She finally said it!  We were at the grocery store this afternoon, stocking up on everything for Thanksgiving, and Anna was loudly singing “Dada, dada, dadadadadaaaaaaaaaa” all through the store, like she always does.  Then she sort of looked away, down at my hand on the grocery cart and said very quietly, “mamma”.  I wasn’t sure if she really said it, but then a few aisles later, she looked up at me and said it again.  Then, as I was putting her in her car seat, she smiled, touched my nose and said, very clearly, “Mamma”.  The whole car ride home was a mixed-up chorus or mamma and dada.  Yay!!!!!! I feel official now!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

All I Want for Christmas...

Is my two front teeth!  Or, in Anna’s case, one front tooth.  She’s finally, finally, finally got a tooth!  It just started popping through a few days ago, and this morning seems to have made it’s way through.  There’s just the tiniest edge of tooth on her lower gum, you have to look very closely to see it.  She doesn’t like when I try to feel it, I think the gums are still sore.  The other front lower tooth looks like it’s about to come through, to, so who knows?  Maybe she will get her two front teeth for Christmas!

Anna is really developing in leaps and bounds now.  Just a few moments ago, she finally managed to crawl!  Well, sort of… she went backwards and it was only for a few seconds, but still, progress is progress, so three cheers for Anna!  She is so close to the real thing, I keep watching her all day, so I won’t miss it.  She sits and turns her self all around, pulling her legs around her and reaching far over and balancing on her hands. She’s doing lots better with real people food, too, and seems to especially like all kinds of pasta, especially with her daddy’s famous tomato sauce on it. We’re also starting to realize how much of what we say to her she really understands.  I can say, “Clap, Anna!” and she’ll clap her hands, or I’ll say, “Shake, shake, shake!” and she’ll start shaking whatever’s in her hand.  If her hands are empty, she’ll start shaking and bopping herself.  She’s always drinking her sippy cup backwards, but if I tell her to turn it around, she understands and turns it around.  Her language is becoming clearer, too, and she mimics a lot of what we say and do, though no “mommy” yet.  I think she’s holding out for dramatic effect.  And that’s your Anna Update!

diaper dysfuntion

I am tired of diapers. I actually sat on the floor this morning, smelling the reek from my sweet girl’s bum, for several minutes before biting the bullet and changing yet another diaper. I know, all you veteran moms out there are laughing your patooties off right now. Diapers are my reality, and will be for many, many years to come. But that doesn’t mean I love ‘em, oh no. They’re just one of the many yucky things I do in exchange for getting to enjoy Anna’s often charming company. On the bright side, my absolute exhaustion with diapers assures that I’ll be that much more happy when Anna is finally potty-trained. Of course, by then, there’ll be more diapers for the next monkey, and so on and so on…

I am convinced that my mom is still secretly reveling, from time to time, in the utter lack of diaper-changing in her day-to-day life. I know I will be when my kids are grown.

New Photo Album Posted

Check out the new album I (finally) have posted in the Pictures section. There's some photos from Anna's birthday, as well as just lots of random pictures. Hope you like!

Happy Birthday, Stella!

Yesterday evening, my dear friend Renee gave birth to a little girl, Stella.  She weighed in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces and is 19 inches long.  Congratulations to the happy family, I can’t wait to meet her! 

Oh, no! Run for your lives!

It LaLa’s ball on Teletubbies!  Ahhh!!! 

This is exactly Anna’s reaction whenever episodes feature LaLa’s big, yellow, bouncy ball.  She’s terrified of it, she starts screaming the second it bounces on to the screen, twisting her little body around in an attempt to get away.  Fortunately, we have a DVR, so I just keep a few shows recorded and play them for Anna when she’s in a Teletubbie mood.  This way I can be sure there is no Vast Evil Yellow Ball threatening my daughter through the TV screen.  Another day, another battle against tyranny and terror… such is the life of a mommy.  J

It's her party, she can cry if she wants to!

And cry she did.  Well, at least some of the time.  In true Anna fashion, she became very nervous and anxious the second people started arriving for the birthday party.  Still, she did calm down, as long as she was allowed to remain firmly attached to Mommy Central, (i.e., to ME).  They tell me she’ll outgrow this leach-like existence, though I’ve seen no sign of it lately. I’m not complaining, though.  I plan to hold her tight for as long as she’ll let me.  There’ll be years enough in the future to put her down. 

Truly, it was a very fun party.  Many of my friends from the playgroup came with their children, as well and Fred and Robin, Terry and Lisa and the kids.  Anna thoroughly enjoyed her birthday cupcake, and tried to reach out and grab it instead of blow it out, which was pretty darn cute.  I blew it out for her at the last moment before her fingers discovered fire. I think Kurt has a picture, (which he swears he will give to me, along with the other hundred or so he’s been promising to burn for me for the past year.  No pressure, sweetie!).  She really started to loosen up when it came time to open her presents.  So many toys!  And, even better, so much paper, so many bags and ribbons!  She had a blast, and everyone really went all out.  She received blocks and balls and toy cars and a drum and rattle and xylophone and an exersaucer, and even the long-acclaimed “School House Rock!” DVD.  Kurt and I have been really enjoying that one.  But that’s the real reason we have kids, right?  So we can play with all their toys!

She also received an entire wardrobe of mix n’ match outfits from Terry Bear, thank you so much.  Later that night, Terry gave us another present, too, by babysitting at the last minute so that I could go to Kurt’s band’s final show.  They’re taking a creative break, so it was really nice to get to see them together for what may be the last time.  Aren’t we lucky to have such a wonderful Bear? All in all, it was a very fun birthday extravaganza.

Monday we had her one-year well baby check up, which went okay.  She had to have FOUR shots, poor girl, and was very upset about the injustice of it all.  She’s still a skinny-mini, coming in at a little over 17 pounds, which is 3^rd percentile.  However, she has consistently been 3^rd percentile since birth, so the doctor’s aren’t worried.  She’s just thin like her daddy.  She’s still extra-long, too, but altogether healthy.  The doctor was somewhat concerned that she’s not crawling, standing or pulling up yet, but he said not to worry, so I’m just going to turn off my over-active mommy-worry sensor and turn to the doctor-prescribed remedy: time.  In the meanwhile, we’ll just enjoy the fact that she mostly stays where we put her.  *grin*

Thanks again for all the presents, love and well-wishes.  This was a wonderful 1^st birthday for all of us! Now that it is over, we get to turn our attention to the holidays.  Turkey, anyone?

Anna and I at the park we go to for our weekly playdate with other stay-at-home moms in the area.

Auntie Monica and Anna, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Happy birthday, ladies!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The day is finally here, it’s Anna’s first birthday!  Happy birthday, baby girl.  It’s also Monica’s birthday, so happy day to you, too, sis.  It’s already been an exciting day, with the wild wind starting at about 3 this morning.  We spent breakfast watching huge tumbleweeds blow through our backyard.  Then, as we were cleaning up, Kurt noticed a package on the front porch.  Anna’s first birthday present!  It was a lovely outfit for her from her good friend Lucy, Renee’s daughter, who lives in Boston.  At this moment, it’s quite possible that Renee is at the hospital in labor with her second child, so as soon as we hear for sure, I’ll let you all know.  That’s all for now, but more birthday updates are sure to come!

Anna's sizes

I keep getting questions about what Anna wants for her birthday and what size she is wearing now, so here it is.  Anything 12 months or above is good for clothes and hats, about 6-12 months for shoes and socks.  Pajamas are best when a bit bigger (she’s so long!), so 12-18 months is good, and the fleece ones with feet are best for this winter.  As for toys, she likes things that rattle and things that light up.  She is especially partial to books; board books, touch and feel books, picture books.  She likes her books in all shapes, sizes and colors.  Other than that, I can’t really think of anything else.  I’m still trying to decide what to get her myself.  I have found a great cake recipe, eggless and dairy-less, which comes out tasting yummy, so at least I don’t have to worry about that.  Thank you, Joy of Cooking!  (That translates into, “Thank you, mom!”, since she is the one who gave me the Joy of Cooking as a wedding present.)  E-mail me if you have any other questions. 

Birthday Week

Thursday is Anna’s birthday, I can’t believe it!  I still find myself saying to people, “I just had a baby.”  But, no, it’s not true, she’s 1 already. And what a good 1 year old she is.  Anna behaved very well for the majority of our trip out to see Monica and Chad this past weekend.  Sure, there were some episodes of baby crankiness and emotional drama, but on the whole, I think she did very well.  I was very nervous about taking her to Monica’s baby shower, too. I didn’t want her to throw a fit and ruin the whole thing, but she was absolutely perfect, as long as I stayed within site.  She likes her momma, does Anna. 

It was a wonderful trip.  We got in Thursday night, and Monica met us at the airport.  She’s about 7 months pregnant, and looks amazing.  She’s got the perfect basketball belly.  It was also Chad’s birthday, so we went out to dinner at a really nice seafood restaurant in Alexandria, right on the water.  Anna was charming the whole evening, too, which added to the pleasure of the experience.  Friday we went down and walk the National Mall, visiting the war memorials and the Lincoln Monument.  It was chilly but really beautiful out and we walked for hours.  Saturday was the highlight of the visit, Monica’s baby shower, the likes of which I had never seen before and may never see again.  It was a baby extravaganza.  I think Monica was a little overwhelmed by the whole outpouring of gifts and affection, but I wasn’t surprised.  She’s a wonderful girl and everyone who meets her loves her and wanted to celebrate her pregnancy in high style.  Little Ryan will have everything he could possibly need when he comes to the world, and then some.  Plus, the cake was really good!  Really, a truly memorable party, and it was great to get to see Chad’s family again.  While we celebrated, Kurt had a day to himself down at the Air and Space Museum, which was really spectacular.  Sunday we relaxed more, and met my friend Wayne down in Georgetown for lunch, then had really yummy Thai food for dinner. 

Anna did pretty well on the airplane ride back, so it’s probably best to just strike the whole flight there from my memory.  The less said, the better.  She’s readjusting to her schedule very well today, and slept great last night, so I’m hoping she’ll be in top form for the party on Saturday.  We’re having dinner at mom’s on Thursday night for her actual birthday, since mom will be out of town for the party. 

I’ll try and get a new photo album up this week, including some from the trip.

up, up and away!

We are getting ready today for our big trip out to D.C. to visit Monica and Chad.  Since we leave early tomorrow morning, I’m spending the day doing laundry, cleaning and packing.  Woohoo!!  Anna and I both woke up with colds this morning.  Or, to be more exact, I woke up with a bit of a cold, and she’s been grumpy as all getout, so I’m assuming she has a cold too.  Either way, I’m hoping she’ll cheer up for our flight tomorrow.  Wish us luck!  It’s back to laundryland for me. 

Miss Kitty

We had to say good-bye to Miss Kitty, Kurt’s cat from before we got married, this weekend. It was a really hard decision, but she was very unhappy and hadn’t adjusted well to the new marriage/house/baby/cats/etc over the past few years. We tried different ways to help her get comfortable but she was compulsively peeing all over the basement, and we just didn’t know what else to do. Poor Kurt took her in to the humane society on Saturday, and since she was an older cat and very aggressive, they decided to euthanize her. I will miss her, but I just can’t think of what else we could have done for her. Everyone send hugs to Kurt, it was an especially hard weekend for him.

Anna the frog.

Skinny baby

I took Anna in to the pediatrician this morning. She’s been pulling on her ears a lot lately, so we wanted to make sure she didn’t have an ear infection before we got on the plane for D.C. next week. Turns out, her ears are fine, but she does have a mild cold, which should be totally cleared up by the time of our trip. Also, of course, they weighed her at the doctor’s office- she’s at 16 pounds, even. 16 pounds! That’s barely the 1^st percentile for baby weight. She’s about 85^th percentile for height, too, which makes it official- Anna is a String Bean! Good thing her Halloween costume is green, I just hope no one tries to eat her.

Sadly, this also means that it’s going to be awhile before we can turn her car seat around to face forward. It’ll be so nice when we finally can, then I’ll actually be able to see her face and hand her stuff without ripping my shoulder out of its socket. I was really hoping to be able to do it on her birthday, but she needs to be 20 pounds.

Always keep your hat on.

teletubbies

I know TV isn’t the best thing for babies, and in general we try to limit how much Anna watches, but there are exceptions. She has recently discovered Teletubbies.  She LOVES Teletubbies.  It’s really fun to watch her watch the show- she dances, laughs hysterically and grins like a maniac.  How can I turn off something that makes her so happy?  J  Plus, now she’ll have something to share with her Uncle Val when he next visits, since he is already a big Teletubbie Fan. 

Right now we are getting ready for our big trip out to visit Monica and Chad in D.C.  We’ll be leaving next Thursday, I can’t believe it!  This will be Anna’s longest airplane flight so far.  I’m a little worried that she’ll be fussy, since she’s now much older and more cognizant of her surroundings than when she last flew, but I mostly think she’ll do fine.  Also, we’re really grateful to Monica’s mother-in-law, Sharyn, who has gone out of her way to get us everything we’ll need for Anna while we are there, so we won’t have to lug a car seat across the country.  Mo, who is due with her first baby at Christmastime, already has a crib, stroller and high chair that we can use.  Anna will be set up like a tiny little queen, lucky girl!

Pikes Peak this morning, glowing from the first snow.

Anna, happily modeling the very first hat I've ever made.

First snow of the season, from our front porch.

Let it snow!

Woohoo!! It’s coming down out there, I love it.  This marks the first snow storm of the season, the earliest one since, apparently, the winter of 2000.  It was so wonderful to wake up and see the bright white landscape from our bedroom window.  Anna is very excited, I could barely get her attention during breakfast, she was so busy staring out the window and commenting with awestruck chirps.  J 

We were going to go to the zoo today, but I think we’ll just have to postpone that until later in the week.  That’s one of Colorado’s charms- no matter what the weather is, if you just give it a couple days, it’s sure to be back to mild and sunny.  Happy snow day, everyone!

 

Yay!  Three cheers for Anna, she’s finally figured out self-feeding.  As little as three days ago, she absolutely wouldn’t put food in her mouth, she’d just open up like a little bird begging for worms.   Then, all of a sudden, while I was out to lunch with Terry on Friday, she just- did it.  We had put some baby snacks out in front of her for distraction, and she just reached out and started shoveling them into her mouth.  Since then, she’s progressed on to cheerios and small pieces of fruit.  She’s already started chewing, though she has no teeth, and I have hopes to be done with mushed baby food in the coming months.  Good job, sweetie! 

11 months old! Now the fun of the holidays really starts. It kicks off with Anna’s first Halloween- she’s going to be a frog! I got her a fuzzy frog costume with a warm hood, so she’ll be nice and cozy, as well as adorable. It’s already getting chilly here, and the cool days are beginning to outnumber the warm ones. For Halloween, we’ll be taking Anna to Boo at the Zoo at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

The weekend of Halloween, we’ll be visiting Monica and Chad in Virginia and celebrating at Mo’s baby shower. They’ve just moved into a new townhome and I can’t wait to see it and the baby’s room. Mostly, though, I’m just looking forward to seeing Monica and giving her a big hug! I miss having her near us and I’m so excited to give that baby belly a rub!

I just heard from my friend and neighbor, Jen, that she gave birth to her baby girl, Olivia, on the 4th! She was about one month early, too, but is doing just fine, weighing in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces. Jen had some complications following the birth but is doing okay now, so I’m going to go visit them this afternoon.

Also, welcome to the world, Vivian Belle! She was born September 26th to our good friends in Chicago, John and Jen. Vivian is their third daughter, and Maya and Lydia are thrilled to have a little baby sister to play with and take care of. So congratulations to both my Jen’s and their families. I can’t wait for Anna to meet these little girls! --Megan