Words and Activities

I thought I'd better make a list of words before I forget them all:

Mama
Dada
balloon
boom
moon
row (as in Row, Row, Row your boat)
cheese
outside "side"
poo (new today)
the letter "C" (as in ABC alphabet song)

Signs "more" and does a happy wiggle for "yes"

Stands unassisted for nearly 10 seconds

Can recognize many more words than she says

Knows where nose, feet, ear, hair, and teeth are

Grandma, what words am I forgetting?

Christmas Pictures 2009

AK with her camera in front of the tree.
Holding "her" camera (my old broken one) is the only way she will sit still
for a picture these days!

Grandpa trying to catch the "baby on the run" for another photo!

Quite a good picture of Grandma and AK!

Christmas Dinner

This year's Labor of Love

A good picture of my parents--with their gift certificate to ATL Bread Co.

Her handprint, made at MDO....awwww

Helping G'pa open his present (another frame)...she actually brought the present right to him!

Tasting every cookie and putting it back on the tray

At her friend EJ's 2nd bday party

EJ's father asked AK: "Would you like some cake?" She didn't react. I said, "R, ask her if she'd like some cookies." He did and immediately came her body wiggle--which means "yes!"

Playing "nosies" with Gpa. (We'll let him think he taught her this....I've actually been doing "Chinesiche Nasen or Eskimo noses" with her since birth) :)

I thought she'd look cute in a box. Yep! :)

Gpa got her a balloon for Christmas....

Family photo

Opening the Nativity...

Crawling away from the Nativity...

Family Photo

Angels and the Like

AK loves reading her First Christmas story. It was a gift from JW and has those neat flaps that kids this age love to lift. She wants to read it over and over and over. You can't tell me that kids aren't somehow innately attuned to some sort of knowledge of God....at least that's how it seems to me. I also have a German "Angel Bible Prayers" type of book. It has German prayers (including the 14 angels prayer from hansel and gretel) on the left and oil-painting type pictures on the right side. Several of these paintings depict Christ or Mary and the baby Jesus. So, I say to AK, "Where's the baby Jesus?" And often, she can find him. It is very touching to see her do this.

At the recommendation of my neighbor, I bought her the Little People nativity and some extra wisemen and a camel for Christmas. It also plays "Away in a Manger." I can't wait to give it to her next week! :)

The First Pearly White

On this significant day in history, Pearl Harbor and my dad's quitting of smoking in 1959, we add:

AK's FIRST TOOTH! (probably about a quarter of it, but definitely cut through and sharp!)

So Smart!

This morning, John wanted to see AK shrug....he just loves that.....so he asked again, "A, where are your feet?" Well, she outfoxed him and pulled on her feet!!! :) So smart. Then I asked, "A, where is your nose?" And sure enough, with those sweet little fingers, she pointed to her nose!

This is EARLY! Our baby newsletter said that she should be able to find those parts on US! Yeah, smart baby. :)

Rabbits and Shrugs

Miss Personality is really developing. It is my bedtime but these two things were too good to not write about...now.

Over Thanksgiving, she learned to "shrug"....as in when you tilt your head, shrug up your shoulders and lift your hands in the air--palm up, as if to say "I don't know." She learned it from me....I'm not sure what started me doing that with her, but she has picked it up and it is very cute. Of course, she doesn't know what it means, but today it was so hilarious when I said, "A, where are your feet?" And there she went with the shrug. So funny.

Many of you will remember the embarrassing Peter Rabbit from the rehearsal dinner. Well, the kid really is not adopted. The rabbit has been in her room somewhere since close after birth (in honor of my parents...personally I find it "scary" as compared to my "much loved" version), but recently it has been moved to atop her crib. Each night it lands in there and keeps her company at her tea parties.

Tonight we just went in to check on her...she lifted up her head and crashed it back down...I moved the rabbit away from her head to the other end of the crib....she got on her knees and maneuvered herself head 180 degrees, grabbed that rabbit's feet and crashed her head back down. Hilarious.

Oh, and Auntie B, she is taking a real liking to your green blankie. It's her first "in the crib" (I figure with the crochet holes she could still breathe if it went over her head, which it doesn't!) and she loves cuddling with it and playing peek-a-boo. :)

Singing

I don't know how I forgot to write about this....AK is starting to sing. Well, as much as a 13-month old can!

On the way down, she was doing a lot of what sounded like E-I-E-I-O, without the O....We've taught her to sing it in the correct places of Old MacDonald!! (We fill in the O, although last night she was doing more oooh) It sounds like ee-yeye--ee-yeye--ooh

Also, she can do the Row-Row-Row at the beginning of Row, Row, Row your boat! She comes in a hair early, but if you sing it fast enough, the timing works out. Her "row" sounds like "woa-woa-woa". It is soooo cute!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, here it is Monday and there is SO much to do....Prepare for the student Christmas party this Friday, heaps of laundry, no dinner planned, Christmas decorations to locate, etc, etc...and here I am posting while baby takes a quick nap.

Spent Thanksgiving in Alabama. Had to drive since the weather was less than presentable, but only above us here in town. Switched AK to her big-girl seat (convertible, but we're staying rear-facing for safety) and she did really well on the trip. I think both ways we only made 1-2 stops and I'm not sure they were even for her. ha ha. We ate at our favorite Bob Evans in Bowling Green and ordered her first two "kids meals." Mama loves the crayons there because they are authentic Crayola. I will have plenty for the diaper bag when she gets started drawing!!

Here are some pics of our time with Grandma Mott.

Our Thanksgiving "spread"--"have turkey, will travel..."

Pigging out. The girl has a very healthy appetite!

Skipping on to Mardi Gras....

Visit with our dear friend Hoyt who "dedicated" AK last December.


Itching to go home...

In my Daughter's Eyes

This is my new favorite song. I hear it from time to time on the radio and nearly lose it every time. Here are the words. Martina McBride is the singer. Google to listen if you don't know it.

I post this today because Anna is so brave and strong. I already see a lot of that in her. Something that I feel I've never had and am still trying to grasp. I'm only referring to how she got her shots today, but still, what a brave little girl. Some tears and some crying, but tough, tough, tough. She had 5 in a row. FIVE NEEDLE STICKS. And then if that wasn't enough, they had to draw blood from a vein I couldn't even see to check hematocrit. The nurse was a pro, so that helped. Now she is taking a well-deserved nap. Her other stats were all in the 25-50%....weight 20 lbs 6 oz (not quite triple, but that's ok); length 29 inches; head 18.25 inches.
Yeah!

In my daughter's eyes, I am a hero.
I am strong an' wise,
And I know no fear.
But the truth is plain to see:
She was sent to rescue me,
I see who I wanna be, in my daughter's eyes.

In my daughter's eyes, everyone is equal,
Darkness turns to light,
And the world is at peace.
This miracle God gave to me,
Gives me strength when I am weak.
I find reason to believe, in my daughter's eyes.

An' when she wraps her hand around my finger,
Oh, it puts a smile in my heart.
Everything becomes a little clearer.
I realise what life is all about.
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough;
It's givin' more when you feel like givin' up.
I've seen the light: it's in my daughter's eyes.

In my daughter's eyes, I can see the future.
A reflection of who I am,
An' what will be.
An' though she'll grow an', some day, leave:
Maybe raise a family,
When I'm gone, I hope you'll see,
How happy she made me,
For I'll be there, in my daughter's eyes.

Falling Leaves

The M.T. had a very busy day today! We went through her first photo shoot. An unusually perfect baby (says the proud mama, ha ha ha) , she had napped AND eaten by the time the photographer arrived. How cool is that....and although she was in a good mood, she was quite serious, so no-telling the results of that exciting hour! And, if that wasn't enough stimulation for the day, J was fortunate enough to be given to borrow a serious leaf blower! It made for more great pictures to make up for that day sans camera in the backyard. Enjoy. Can't you just hear the "crunch, crunch?"

Happy First Birthday (Weekend)!

Well, we survived it. The first year. We had no idea what we were in for--that special secret privilege of first-time parenting. Wow! But, we survived and we have this little golden girl, wearing her birthday crown, to show for it:

Grandma and Grandpa arrived on Thursday afternoon. They successfully babysat Thurs. night while I was at choir. (J was at a conference most of the week.) Thurs. night, we decorated. Actually, mom hung up the streamers (her first time) and did a great job. Our color scheme was purple, pink, and green to go with some "I'm 1" napkins I found this summer. The other theme was "The Itsy bitsy spider." We hung a friendly purple and black spider from the kitchen chandelier and decorated the cupcakes, too:


Here is our little one-year old girl on the actual day!

The morning began with bakery bagels and ended with apple cake and pumpkin pudding.

Lovin' that cake!

Happy Hallowe'en! The pants were part of a set I had made especially for her birthday. The dress/top is below.

Enjoying the ride at the apple farm (one last time this year!)

Eyes only for Mama!

AK and her mama's first hayride!!!

Trick-or-treat chicken! She loved it!

Reading with Grandpa the morning of the birthday party

Here you can see the Itsy Bitsy Spider on her dress! That's one of our neighbor children. :)

Here she is getting a big, wet, birthday kiss from the youngest neighbor boy:

Here she is with one of the balloons that now is never allowed to leave her hand!!

Pushing the big-wheeler (yep, it's an AIRPLANE!)

Very proud!

Hey, look--I'm one!!

What a great weekend! We miss "ann-ma" and "ann-pa" a lot already! AK is also beginning to go downstairs the correct way, asserting herself (a-hem a lot in just this weekend!), clapping and I've also begun trying to teach her to sing. Yep, can't start too early....

Happy Birthday, Baby....I mean, sweet little girl!!!!!!!

Hilarious!

So, tonight post-AK's dinner came, well, that which sometimes comes after dinner....So, up we went for a change and a post-dinner bath. Since I wasn't quite ready to run her bath, I decided "what the heck" I'll let her roam free....knowing full-well that I was risking a puddle somewhere. (Which incidentally has only occurred one other time)

Well, about five minutes pass and I say "Bathtime!" And, as I step in front of the tub to turn on the water......yep, you guessed it, my foot got a little wet. My first thought was actually "Oh, did I not soak up the bathwater last night?" And then I came to my senses and took a sniff. Still not convinced, I got some toilet paper and sure enough, yellow came to the front!

But the sheer hilarity of it, that our baby will pee in the bathroom in front of the toilet before age one!!

*laughs*

The Countdown is On!

Today was a precious moment of memory again...sans camera. I felt guilty that our yard man (age 13) had to take it upon himself to clear the leaves off our grass before he could mow (because neither Mott believes in raking leaves...), so AK and I got out in the back yard in some old clothes and started working. It was a picturesque day....back up to nearly 70, sunny with the sun starting its descent, and more than enough crunchy leaves to play in. AK took full advantage. I started her in the stroller, unstrapped, and she nearly tipped it over trying to get out on her own. I lifted her onto the grass and she started playing with every leaf in arm's reach. Then, when she got bored with those, she crawled to the next section. She nearly covered the entire backyard. I think that amounts to "miles to crawl before I sleep" when one is so tiny.

Now, snow. That ought to be really interesting. Hopefully she'll be walking by then!

Four days until the big #1! No doubt, you can tell who is most excited!!!!!!!!!! Call it survival.

Pumpkin's Pumpkin

Below you'll find a series of pictures from this weekend during which we braved the elements (44 degrees and wind)!

Taken shortly before our latest trip to the orchard:

Too cold for even the little red wagon:

My first official trip to the pumpkin patch:

Lately, the pumpkin refuses to smile for pictures. Very serious. Of 22 pics these are the best I could do:

You'll see some serious motion going on in that arm. Hence, the blur, but at least I got a smirk!



Color-coordinated:


A smile at dinner, full-belly, and quite the mess!


Then, no pics of this afternoon, but we went to the interactive historical place which even includes a town in 1836. She loved seeing the goats, sheep, pigs, month-old calf, cows. Can't wait to go back when she is walking!

Also, very cool: This summer we bought her a toy maraca and a few weeks ago she got another at the neighborhood Fiesta party....Each time we shake them, I sing "La Cucaracha." Well, today in our photo shoot, I was pulling out all the tricks to get her to smile....I started sing L.C. and she just crawled away to get her maraca! Now, how about that!