Mott Tot's First Christmas

The pictures are of a smaller size since there are so many! Don't worry I did not post all 100+, only the best ones. There is a picture I wanted to post with music--does anyone know how to do that? (ST?)

Meeting Grandma Mott 12/19/08

Daddy making fun of how Grandpa Mott (RIP) would hold AK
(There exists a picture of Harold holding J exactly like this!)

Daddy being silly. We love to make faces at each other.

AK's Episcopal "Thanksgiving Service" at Merrill Gardens. This is how we told H and N about the baby...I emailed them and said "Would you be able to do p. 439 in the BCP for us in December?" H probably did not even need to consult the BCP to know exactly what the words were on that page. A lovely afternoon had by all. 12/20/08

Father H blessing Anna....Definitely something to that--it was one of her (few, indeed) scream-free nights!

Does this need a caption?

stellar behavior the whole afternoon....
Note: This outfit was worn by her Mama, some 35 years ago for Christmas 1973--
though her Mama was 3 months old at the time.

With her "Auntie B," who finally got to hold her!

With her "Auntie J," who is a fantastic Mommy of three girlies!
I don't know how she does it!

With her Mama

Symphony in Red, as Grandma Johnson would say,
though she'd actually say "Sinfonie in Rot"... 12/21/08

I debated whether to post this picture since I am wearing my PJs. But after thinking about the fact that I have now given birth in a hospital room of people, it doesn't seem so bad at all.
This is what we do sometimes in the evenings.
Much better in Alabama, since there is an ACTUAL PIANO in the house!

With two of "Auntie J's" girlies! 12/22/08

Thanks for this great picture, JW!

Hangin' out with Grandma Mott! 12/23/08

Second encounter with Ms. Huff, Grandma's 92 yr old neighbor!

Hangin' out with "Auntie F!" Thanks for singing songs with me!

Christmas Eve Dinner 12/24/08
Back in August, Grandma had commented "Should we do a dinner? There will only be three of us?" We said, "But, of course--we will have FOUR, just a different four."
Grandpa, your memory lives on and I am in your SEAT!

T-town Aunties: Notice my shirt!
Hangin' out with my Papa!

First Christmas! 12/25/08
70 degrees....

The Family Gifts :)

Three Generations

One of Grandma's Favorite Christmas Presents
Her other? A photo album of 24 AK pics!

OK, so using the timer mechanism on my camera is only going to get more challenging...And I thought using a tree was difficult on our honeymoon. HA!

Silent Night, Holy Night

I survived. Let's go home! 12/26/08

AK and her rattle

I took this a few days before Christmas. Some people couldn't see it on their computers. I hope this format is better. You'll be rewarded with a smile after you watch it!

AK and her loot

I'm sure everyone who follows the blog is anxious to see our Christmas pictures...Well, I took over 100 so it will take me a few days to sort out the best ones. So, below you'll find a little teaser. Shirt says: All Mommy wants for Christmas is a Silent Night. (Thanks RF and family)

Ironically, we were granted one. Yes, one of very few indeed.

Music while in the womb...Hmmn....You'd think I ought to be ALL about that, right? Well, while I didn't play too many CDs for her in utero, I did sing a whole host of nursery tunes, hymns, German folk songs, lullabies....The one I never sang was Silent Night...and guess what? Yep. That is her favorite one (sung in German first, then in English)--promotes instant calm (almost) every time! Her second favorite is "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." (OK...I did sing that one to her in utero)

Sittin' on the Big Bed

Here AK is sitting on our bed while I fold the laundry. Gives us a picture how she'll be sitting up on her own in a few more months!

Did I report the other day that she is now 9 lbs 1 oz and got a clean bill of health from the newborn screening results? yeah!

Helpin' Mama do Laundry

Each time I do laundry, I offer AK a ride in the basket. :) This picture is not quite the best one. I had taken her up the stairs and it was picture-perfect, but alas my camera was downstairs. By the time I ran down to get it, she was fussing. This was a posed picture (much against her will--ha ha) and she had started moving around too much. Poor baby. But it's cute anyway.

Santa's Little Elf

Time for a Good, Stiff Drink

The events of this evening were way too funny to not write about....

Tonight was another bath night, which by the way AK is really starting to enjoy now. I tried to teach her to splash tonight, but I guess she's still a little young. Either that, or she is way too pampered to splash. From her personality (minus the vampire costume), I gather she is the latter. Grin. She also takes forever to eat, which also makes me think she prefers the finer things in life. Hmmn, wonder where she got that...

Anyway, I digress. Back to the bath....nice warm water, some splash lessons, a clean face, a lotion treatment and a trip to the spa (aka hair combing) were followed by the next feeding. Now, before I go on, I have to tell you another story:

Several months before we had AK, a friend of mine (EG) related the funniest story to me of the night her husband was in charge of the diaper change. He gently called to her on the monitor and she was still sort of sleeping and so didn't hear him for several of his calls. Then all of a sudden she hears "E, I have poop all over me and I need help!" Or something like that.

Enter the myriad of stories of "The Poop Blowout."

Well, I kept saying to J, our baby doesn't do that, I wonder why.....

WELL. THAT HAS CHANGED!!!! HA HA HA HA HA

So, back to the feeding. Then we hear her special noise that she makes when it is TIME. So we get all sympathetic (aka laughing) and wait until she is finished and we head to the changing station. Admittedly, I may not have put the diaper on quite tight enough this evening, coupled with the fact that she has nearly outgrown the newborn size (not that she has a big butt :) )....Man, it was all over....up the back, on the brand-new onesie, and on the clean nightgown. It was hilarious. Then, of course, we ran out of wipes before I could even get the diaper off. Then, at this point I discover it all over the clothes and don't know how to take them off without spreading the mustard anywhere else! And AK was hungry and screaming! :)

We ended up just pulling everything off and sitting her in the tub again. Then, sitting in the tub, I hear a noise I'd never heard before....(no, she didn't go in the tub)....poor J had gotten the water a bit hot! At least we know what the sound was. And she was clean!

Nothing a half bottle of bleach and some 409 couldn't handle! *GRINS* Oh, and some Johnson's baby wash!

A is for AK and AGO (and airplane, of course)

Last night, AK attended her first AGO meeting! She gave new meaning to "the youngest person in attendance!" ha ha ha ha! She stayed in her front carrier and we paced around in the back of the church.
It is fun to watch her when I put on music. Some of it might be coincidental with other things, but I like to think she hears when things are "different." Like last night, the first piece was a good full sound at the front of the church, but then all of a sudden, the player used the soft sounds in back and her eyes came wide open. I think she noticed the difference. At least she has good hearing! ha ha ha
Today we're listening to a different Christmas CD with harpsichord, cello and what sounded like celesta or some kind of bells...She listened very intently.
As I told her the other day, the angels in heaven play flutes and trumpets, but her Grandpa Harold plays the sackbut! :) (For those of you that don't know, that is an early music instrument and Harold loved early music!)

We're making some progress with the nights...it has been a week since our experimentation began. Last night's crying was reduced to about 15 minutes. We have started putting her in the pack and play on vibrate and nature sounds (3 nights now) and this seems to work wonders! After the first night feeding, she generally will sleep in her crib, though she has woken up in closer intervals these same 3 nights. But the whole point was to curb the screaming and I think that's working, so YEAH!
We also read a bunch of articles that I had saved from baby magazines and apparently this "fussiness at bedtime" thing is completely normal. Some babies just start earlier, like at 4pm. Thankfully AK is a night owl like her mama! It is not colic and it will pass (?!?) by 3 months or so....uh, that's about January 22!

In memory of Grandpa HM

Here sleeping beauty (aka "Vampire Princess") is attired in Pooh, in honor of Grandpa Harold because tonight she'll be going to the "A Journey from Loss to Living" service at church with Daddy. (Mommy has to be there earlier) Notice the cute shoes from JF! They have her name and birthdate in gold script on the bottoms.

First Playdate

Here AK is with her new pal, E, who is almost 1 year old. I guess you could call this her first official playdate except that she slept through most of it, ha ha. But here she is awake, checking out what's going on. E's mom, L, brought over the very helpful bouncy seat! Now AK doesn't always have to be in a sleep position--maybe this will help keep her awake more!

AK also took a walk today in her stroller and it was snowing!

Practice!

No pictures tonight but AK and I went to practice today! She was awake and batting her favorite rattle for the first hour and she slept for the second hour. It was a good experiment because now I know it can be done--yeah!

We are still struggling to straighten out her days and nights. What an uphill battle it is...She winds up about 945 at night and wails (we need a wall) until 2am....Then things ease up. We realize we are pretty lucky...she is such a good baby during the day!

Mott Tot's First Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone. Here are a bunch of pictures from our weekend meeting grandma and grandpa for the first time!


Wearing purple for Grandma--who then was also wearing purple!

Meeting Grandma and Grandpa for the first time!

Sacked out on grandpa's arm....

Here she is meeting some of our neighbor children for the first time!

Hmmn, wonder what's for dinner?

First Thanksgiving!

Family of three: First Thanksgiving

In this picture, AK is wearing a Tshirt given to us by her delivering doctor. It says "Feed when hungry, Change when wet. Love 'em daily and don't forget"

Three generations. Oma, rest in peace.

Here we are on her first official outing on her 4-week birthday. You can just barely see her head. This was dinner out at a fancy place J found for really good (southern) fried chicken!

This is a close-up in her "first outing" outfit. Isn't she pretty?

Here she is next to her Christmas stocking! Soon she will be longer than it! Outfit is from grandpa and grandma.

This picture was taken today and is a new outfit from our neighbor in the northeastern state. I always swore I would never put one of those silly headbands on my baby, but since she has hair it looks a little better than on a bald baby. HA!

Pretty in Pink II

Just bein' cute...

Am I going to be a Daddy's girl or what??

Here I am sitting in the middle of a very unique and cool baby present! It is a wreath of diapers with combs and soap and pacifiers and a bear and onesies and burp cloths, etc! Thanks KR!!

Picture Caption: "Yes, A.M....What is the answer?"

Pianist? Neurosurgeon? Masseuse?