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. :)