Christmas 2010

We have had such a special Christmas this year, DESPITE pink eye!! There are some good things that come from being confined, like enjoying our time as a threesome and having nothing to do and nowhere to be except in the moment with each other.

On Christmas Eve, we started out by following same tradition as last year: she gets to open a book, a pair of pajamas, and a toy. (Anna Claire was not able to open the gifts herself. I had to undo the tape, then she would rip off the paper.)
This year the book was her favorite library book, Max's Bedtime (I always try out books first at the public library before buying!) She also opened her snowman pajamas, and a set of toy cupcakes. She absolutely went nuts for the cupcakes.

We knew she'd like them, but if we'd known how much, we'd have got them sooner. I was actually all done Christmas shopping for her last Sunday, but spending the week with her out of school, I noticed whenever I asked her what she was making in her kitchen, she'd say "cu-cakes!" I told Larry Friday morning, that we needed to try to find cu-cakes for this child while we were out if at all possible. Toys R Us had one set left, and they are awesome. They have interchangable frosting and come in a muffin pan. She loves dumping them out and putting them back in - and they just BARELY fit in her oven.

Oh, I made actual chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and chocolate chips for her too, of course. This was to offset the possible meltdown that would insue after discovering that toy cupcakes are not edible. :)



Christmas morning, We loved waking up to see a beautiful blanket of snow out our window and large fluffy snow still falling. So nice to spend the entire morning in PJs.

When Anna Claire first woke up, I wondered if she'd want breakfast or presents first, and I guess the best answer is BOTH. She had a hurried breakfast, then wanted "uh" (up). She went straight for the tree at this point...she was happy to see the presents under the tree.

We just put half of the gifts under Christmas morning, because Meme (Nene) funded a great deal of what Santa brought this year and we wanted her to see them get opened. I also think we did a good job of not overwhelming Anna Claire by letting her open things at her own pace. She would open a toy and immediately want to play with it, then we'd wait until she came back over to give her the next. I think Larry and I had as much fun as she did. It helped that I took a friend's advice and wrapped all toys removed from their packaging with batteries already in them so she could play with something as soon as she opened it. What great advice!

Round one: She opened her stocking containing her Biscuit Christmas book, Ni Hao Kai Lan Bubbles (non-spill!), butterfly mirrors for dress-up center, holiday stickers, and a candy cane full of chocolates.

Next, Melissa and Doug Vehicles puzzle that makes the vehicles' sounds when you place the pieces, Once Upon a Potty book, 2 pairs of pajamas, two pairs of pants, and a wooden book caddy for her board books (surprised how much she liked this! Maybe they make her books feel even more special?)

Then, the finale for round one...a giant purple crayon!! SHE LOVED IT! She did exactly as we suspected and went straight to her coloring table to see if it really colored. So darn cute.



Later on, we took walks outside in the snow and came in to warm up with yummy hot chocolate(her first time trying hot(warm for Anna Claire) chocolate.)

Round two: (Meme arrives) Anna Claire got the most amazing Nursery Rhymes pop-up book. It is so cool, I'm including pictures in this blog for you later when I get the chance (yes, it is THAT cool).

We called Step2 and they were willing and able to sell us ALL of the accessories that came with the kitchen Gan gave us. We are fully up and running. What she loves best is the burner that really lights up and bubbles when you place their special pots/pans on top. Anna Claire also got the Step2 Food Bundle which is freakin' awesome. I never had toy food so cool when I was a kid. The only complaint that the three of us have is that the hot dog CANNOT be removed from the bun - seriously? She keeps handing it to us, saying "Out! Out!" Poor baby. Finally, she got Potsy the Pot, which I already love. It is so cute, sings to her, and fits in well with her kitchen.

Round three: Grandma's house! Anna Claire once again opened gifts in phases, playing with cat toys, Papoo's cast iron stove, and Larry and Clint's old toy train and elephant in between. :) One of my favorite things that she got from Grandma was the Crayola Color Me a Song. It's the thing that plays music faster as she colors faster. Best part is it comes with washable crayons. The crayons are triangular-shaped so that made them a novelty to AC. Good thinking, Grandma!! <3

Grandma also got Anna Claire two Christmas tree shaped books (one Dora, one Spongebob) which she loved! Both books have flaps throughout that reveal hidden pictures. So cool.

She got clothes many other fun things like holiday hacky sacks, a puzzle, and a teddy bear.

She got her first doll! Baby Stella. I blogged about Stella a few weeks back - she is neat because she comes with a magnetic paci, bottle, diapers, a pack of "wipes", teddy bear, pajamas...basically anything a baby would have, you can get for Stella. I love her already. I wonder if Anna Claire sees Stella's paci and thinks "I want my paci." We are in the process of breaking her of paci, so I'm thinking maybe about the time the paci fairy comes to get Anna Claire's paci, she gets Stella's too, and they both get lots of goodies when they wake up in the morning, sort of like the tooth fairy. I so stole this idea from Supernanny.

One final note: I have enjoyed reading Christmas books with Anna Claire, so much so, I am sort of sad to pack them up for next year, as I will be when we take down decorations. Thanks to the books, school, Nick Jr, and a set of plastic holiday cookie cutters we got her first of December, she recognizes and can name Santa, sleigh, reindeer, elves, snowman, sled, Christmas tree, and candy cane.

Nene's Christmas Tree and the China Buffet

Today we went to "Nene's" house to help put together and decorate her Christmas tree. Anna Claire loved being there. She didn't walk much on her own today, but was constantly grabbing my hand to walk around and explore Nene's house, and pulling up on the furniture a lot.

She seemed to have the most fun crawling right up to the TV. At home, she physically is not able to get too close to the TV because we have created a wall of toys to limit how close she can get. I think until today she really thought she could "skidoo" into the TV just like Steve and Blue on Blue's Clues. She looked so disappointed when she touched the TV and nothing happened. She also kept trying to give Kai Lan a kiss.

The Christmas lights were also a huge hit with her, we closely supervised and allowed her to play briefly with a strand of lights. That made her whole day. And she was sweet about giving them back when we needed them for the tree. Here is a pic!


After we left my mom's, we took Anna Claire to the New China Buffet in Oak Grove (mom lives near Gate 1, Ft. Campbell). She LOVED it. More importantly, she loved crab. Larry and I were both so stoked. We are shellfish fanatics, so we naturally want our child to be as well. Grapes and mandarin oranges came in a close second. Anna Claire also enjoyed watching all of the people, especially the waitstaff, who were stationed right behind us. They kept smiling, waving and talking to her, and she ate up the attention. One huge hurrah: NO food, I repeat, NO food under the table when we left. First time since I have had her that we've taken her to a restaurant and we haven't left embarrassed for the mess she left on the floor. What a big girl she is getting to be. Oh, and she loved getting to go in the ladies room and wash her hands. That was a really big deal for some reason!

Sweet Memories

I need to jot these down in case I forget. (Btw, is it still "jotting" if you're typing? Or do you need to be writing by hand to jot?? Hmmmm....)

Last night, Anna Claire was carried her purple and blue crayons over to her coloring table. Larry thoughtfully brought the other 6 over to her. She looked up and said, "tank oo!" I love it!

Momma brought Anna Claire a Build-a-Bear box full of little stuffed animals. Now, everytime Anna Claire pulls out an animal from the box, she holds it up and says, "Nee-Nee!" And I say, "That's right! Nee Nee gave those to you!" (Grandkids call my mom Meme, but this comes out Nee-Nee when she says it. Nee Nee it is. Too cute.)

Anna Claire says "Awwww" anytime she picks up her blanket, sees me or her daddy, or anything she loves. We think it is how she says "I love you" right now.

I am sure I will think of more, but it is time to go to her Christmas performance!

Anna Claire and the Purple Crayon

Today, Anna Claire once again was all about drawing. She loves that she can just point at the drawer where the crayons are kept and we will get them for her. We love that when she moves away from her art table with crayons in hand, we can say, "Anna Claire, it's time for your crayons to go night-night" and she'll hand them over with no fuss. We can then put them back on the table for her to use later. What a good girl!

She continues to favor her purple crayon, but branched out today by trying a little black and blue. Larry gave her 5 sheets of plain white paper. She was SO excited to have so many sheets at once. I normally give her one sheet of color wonder at a time, but his paper contribution reminded me of how blonde I can be. We don't have color wonder crayons. They are Crayola washable crayons and they totally work on plain paper. Duh!

We like giving Anna Claire plain paper to see what she can create, as opposed to coloring pages. After talking to my dental hygenist friend, I'm rethinking this. She said her daughter who is now 4, could color a picture of Barney and stay in the lines by the time she was 2. I'd like to see how early we can develop this skill as well. Purple will most likely be the color of choice.

She also will follow simple instructions. For example, she will now move her purple crayon in a circular motion if you ask her to draw a circle. Nowhere near drawing one, but I think it's pretty smart of her to know the direction. Or if I say "dot, dot, dot" she will make dots with her crayon.

Today I loved how important it was to Anna Claire to name EVERYTHING. She was constantly looking around the room, pointing out objects and telling me what they were: ights, chee, nana, piwhoa, awa, jink, nack, eyes, ca-cane, ipes (lights, tree, banana, pillow, water, drink, snack, eyes, candy cane, wipes) There were many more, but these are the first that come to mind. So cute.

Tonight, after bath, Anna Claire was walking unassisted across the room ALL OVER the place. We were so proud of her!

I can't believe we're out of school again tomorrow. I want to get out of the house since main roads are clear and do some fun things with my girl.

Organizing Toddler Books

Loving this to organize Anna Claire's books!

http://www.landofnod.com/Favorites/

Dear Santa,

Since Anna Claire is not old enough to write Santa a letter or list of things she would like, I am glad and willing to do this for her (and having fun doing it, I might add!)

One of her favorite things to do is to play in her play-kitchen. I'm thinking some added accessories could make it even more fun. We also would like to organize her toys and books better so she can get to them more easily.

https://www.walmart.com/giftregistry/gr_detail.do?registryId=86163330551

As much as she loves coloring and anything art-related, I am thinking Anna Claire would ask Santa for and easel http://www.toysrus.com/wishlist/wishlistdetails/index.jsp?overrideStore=TRUS&wishlistId=30809875
and a table and chairs. I am thinking dark finish.
http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/my-first-table-and-chairs/?pkey=rromplymfs

I am looking forward to the holiday season and love how much more exciting it is with a child, seeing everything through her eyes!

Baby steps, yes/Baby no cry/Baby no sick

What a title for a blog entry. You can tell I'm tired!

Anna Claire is now taking 3,4,5,6 steps at a time, unassisted. So proud of her! When I hold one hand, she will walk around forever. And now that my back is on the mend, I can do this much more! (with the sciatic nerve pain it was very painful to hunch over so she could walk)

It is hard for me to leave Anna Claire at daycare in the mornings because she always cries when I leave. I know hanging around isn't the answers, and teachers tell me she is fine within a few minutes after I leave. It's still hard! What's harder is that she cries when I pick her up. I am SO happy to see her and I want her to be happy to see me. I know she loves me and how much fun we have together, so to gain some understanding and sanity about this, I've done some reading. Many articles/publications say that for some babies/toddlers, their tears are their way of letting us know they missed us. That is how I choose to take it!

Anna Claire has had a pretty bad cough the past week or so, but only when she's sleeping. Because she is still too little for cough syrup, I opted to try honey, which the AAP recommends giving. Seems to help. She is, of course, still teething, and unfortunately we are getting diarrhea along with that. We gave here a bratty dinner to help firm things up on that end.

I am really loving how Anna Claire can communicate, but more than that, I love the look of satisfaction on her face when she realizes she's communicated effectively. Prime exapmle, tonight she said "ights" (lights) and looked up at the Christmas lights. Then looked at the lamp and said "ah" (off). Lights off! I turned off the lamp and she was so happy. She is still saying poop when she has pee or poop diaper, but this is still VERY helpful!

Seething Teething and Back Flack

Between her teething pain and my back pain, we are quite a pair.

Anna Claire is getting 4 molars. The better to eat with? Sure, but she is really hurting this time. She is drooling like crazy and do we ever know when her Motrin has worn off. I am always glad when these periods are over. And not just because I hate to see my child in pain, but because I am paranoid about medication. I know prolonged use of pain reliever is not good for her liver.

She has never taken to teething rings or cold/frozen rings. She does love a frozen waffle! That has been her daily treat, but maybe a trip for ice cream is in order.

Only we'll need somebody to carry BOTH of us...

Two goofy 7th graders were play-fighting in the hall yesterday and one of them ran into me - retriggering my sciatic nerve pain. I was SO mad. Yes, I wrote them up.

I can't pick Anna Claire up, and she is still not walking completely unassisted. A few steps here and there, but very inconsistent. She will look at me and say, "Mama, Mama, Mama, up!" wanting me to pick her up. I am handling it by staying on the floor on her level, and calling Larry when I need to pick her up to move to another room or put her in/take her out of the bathtub.

I am reading everything I can get my hands on about how to treat nerve pain/pinched nerve/bulging disc. We are still not clear on exactly what I have. If the pain is still with me end of month, I'll schedule an MRI. I NEED to pick up, hold, carry, and love my baby!

Bye-bye patches, hello tights!

We are SO getting there! Anna Claire is just as excited I think as we are.

Yesterday she took eight unassisted steps at school, and a couple here and there with them today. At home tonight would knee-walk over to wherever I was sitting, grab one of my fingers, pull, and say "up!" She wanted me to walk everywhere with her, but just one finger. She wanted the other hand free! Up until tonight she has wanted to hold on to both of my hands, and if I let go of either one she would get so mad at me. So this is really a turning point!

I have to admit I will miss her little patches on the knees of her jeans. I will not miss her homeless-looking, hole-in-the-toe shoes. No, back pain, I will not miss you.

Oh, I can't wait to see her in dresses, skirts, leggings, tights, boots! Maybe I CAN enroll her in the 18 month to three-year-old gymnastics!!

Little Milestones

Several little milestones today. Some are not new for Anna Claire, but for me. Like her shape blocks, I know she can do this because her teachers have told me so, but she NEVER plays with them at home. But today she did. She emptied them all, and within a couple of minutes she had placed them in the right holes and then put them all back in the bucket. I was glad to see it for myself!

Anna Claire also followed a FIRM instruction I gave her today. I say FIRM, because she does things I ask her in a kind tone all the time. When I have repremanded her and ask her to do something in the past, she would scream or cry. Tonight she took her infamous purple crayon over to her kitchen (don't worry- they're washable crayons) and began coloring on her kitchen counter. I said, same as always, "Anna Claire, we color on our paper. No color on kitchen." Normally one of two things would happen. She would keep coloring on the kitchen and look at me to see if I really mean it, or she would color on something else she shouldn't and look at me to see if that was ok. Tonight...breakthrough! She walked (on her knees) to her coloring table, colored on her paper and looked at me and smiled. I told her what I good girl she was! She was proud and I was proud of her!

Later in the evening she held a crayon up to my mouth and said "No no!" She knows we don't eat crayons or put them in our mouths!

We are learning more about "her language" and how she communicates day by day. When a TV show she likes goes off, they are "night night."

"Paci", for some reason, is coming out "totsy." I say "for some reason" because she really does get consonant sounds right in most words.

Anna Claire is parroting me a lot. Tonight I was talking to her about CDs and how someone took my DVDs. She copied back, "CD, CD, CD!" and "DD, DD!" During diaper changes I tell her I always tell her what I am doing, that I am putting on her cream and paste and diaper. She always repeats back, "ceeeeam!" "pace!" and "diada!"

Her favorite words/sounds right now though are "uh oh!" "mmmmmm!" "beep beep!" and especially "awwwwwwwwwww!" She says "awwwwwwww!" whenever she sees a baby or cute animal, when she give/receives a hug, or when you give her blanket or paci. It's really sweet!

Drawer pulls remind her of our door knocker so she always gives them a knock and says "knock, knock." Any handheld electronic or remote is a phone to her. She will hold up to her ear and say "ho?" (hello).

I was listening to a radio dj explain that no one thinks stories about your pet or child are half as funny or cute as you do. I don't know, I think hers are pretty cute!

Oh, I almost forgot the best one. It's the best because I see that it's going to make my life easier. No more WONDERING if she is pooping. Today she looked up at me as she was going and said, "Mama, poop."

Bathtime Woes

I'm reading blogs to figure out how to keep Anna Claire seated during her bath. She wants to walk on her knees from one side of the tub to the other. I see this as unsafe, not to mention how difficult it is to bathe a moving target.

However, what I am reading is to let her be wherever/however she likes and bathe her there, that insisting she sit could be more dangerous and result in a tantrum. One lady also commented that she would calmly but firmly say, "when you stand you are letting Mommy know you are done," then remove her from the bath.

I am certainly open to suggestions after tonight. I must have retrieved and seated her 30 times. I'm pooped!

Our little miracle

Most nights I either read Goodnight Moon or Lullaby Little One to Anna Claire for bedtime story. I forget about Sleep Baby Sleep. She reminded me of it tonight, pointing to it (sitting on the bookshelf) when I held up our two usuals. I always get misty-eyed when I read the last page:

Sleep, Baby, Sleep
Our promises we'll keep
Be the miracle you are
A wish come true on a shooting star
Sleep, Baby, Sleep.

Each time I read those lines, I'm reminded of how true this is. How long we wanted and prayed for Anna Claire and what a blessing she is to our lives...which leads me to Thanksgiving.

Both went well. Anna Claire had a blast at her Aunt Kathy's. She loved eating cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and ice cream. She REALLY loved Aunt Kathy's homemade bread. She had so much fun playing with her cousins and with metal bowls and spoons. She did more walking Thanksgiving night than we have ever seen before. Here's a clip from that night:

Last night we went to Cracker Barrel with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Clint and Aunt Lisa (yes Lisa, you are earning the title!) She enjoyed looking around the gift shop, where she had fun playing with a ball that lights up. The candy was a point of excitement and drama. At dinner, she loved playing with a pair of metal spoons, coloring her kid's menu, and eating lemons. She really loved her mac n'cheese and corn - it was really good. I tried some. Larry and I spent most of the evening playing goalie, retrieving crayons, spoons, and ColorWonder markers from her high chair and floor, but all in all she (and we) had a GREAT time. Just wish I had more time to talk to Grandma. ;)

Here is a little video clip from Thanksgiving dinner last night with Larry's fam - her debut playing spoons.

Easier and Easier

Every day I think being a mommy gets easier. Today Anna Claire was an absolute joy.

Anna Claire loves to color so much - we fingerpainted a turkey yesterday using her handprint. I added the beak, waddle, and feet and glued on a googly eye. She really likes that googly eye. She spent a lot of time this morning coloring over and around it (the turkey, not the eye) with her crayons.

Today I thought about taking her by Walmart to pick up the supplies to make turkey- hand cookies like they've been showing on NickJr, but I felt so weak and sick, I will hold off til tomorrow. I also need to return and renew some of her library books over the weekend. Wonder if they are open on Friday.

During her nap I spent some time online shopping for her for Christmas. I'm wanting to get her her first doll, and some kitchen accessories. I am thinking about getting the Baby Stella doll, which has a magnetic paci, you can get magnetic bottles, feeding set and bathing set for her. I absolutely love this doll. But I told Larry maybe that is not the best doll for her if we are trying to break her of having a paci.

Watching her learn how to talk is so much fun. She is trying to say everything, and we always make a point to repeat back to her what she said, correctly. Then she makes a second attempt. It's important to her that it's right! She has some letter sounds that she isn't able to make yet, so she's substituting other letter sounds or omitting the sound altogether.

Right now I am listening to and watching her sleep on the monitor. I think her paci must have water in it. It's making a crazy squeaking noise. Funny.

11/27/2010: We did end up making the Turkey Hand cookies. Here's how they turned out.


Anna Claire liked the candy corn and the red frosting (waddle) the best. Now when they play that segment and the man asks, "What is our turkey missing?" she says "waddle! waddle! waddle!"

Gaining Confidence

Anna Claire is gaining confidence everyday in her ability to walk independently. This weekend, every time she wanted to get up on her knees to cross the room, I've asked her if she wants to walk and offer my fingers. She pulls up, and we cross the room. Today at "school", her teacher said she would pull to standing when asked and walk holding just one finger. I expect to walk into her class any day now, and for them to tell me she has been walking all over the place.

She also became extremely attached to her paci and blanket during her two week illness earlier this month. We allowed her to have them nonstop, and are now paying the price. We have gone back to only allowing them at bedtime, which is resulting in tears in the car, when snuggling, and during Mommy/Anna Claire reading time. I know it will get easier, but the past two days have been rough.

Today she enjoyed playing in her kitchen, stirring good things to eat and having Mommy taste them. She had fun coloring and fingerpainting. Since reading Harold and the Purple Crayon, she has a definite preference for her purple crayon.


I am looking forward to spend this long weekend with my precious girl and to share traditions and excitement of the holiday season with her!

October/November Update

Not sure where to begin, but Anna Claire and I have both been through our fair share of health-related issues this month (stomach virus for her and kidney infection and sciatic nerve pain for me). It has been a physically tiring month, but also exciting watching this sweet baby girl learn so many new things every day.

Anna Claire is now able to read the majority of the YBCR words, and many other words, simply from repeated exposure to them in books. I just finished editing a video for her in iMovie, using the same format as YBCR, but with words that are important to her in her world. I can't wait for her to see it. She is also the star of the video, along with Kitty and many of her toys. I think she will be very excited.

We have wanted a toy kitchen for Anna Claire for several months now. We were so blessed that our friend Gan's daughter had no interest in her toy kitchen, he offered it to us for Anna Claire. We drove to Brentwood last weekend to pick it up, and she absolutely loves it. She is not able to reach the microwave or open the top cabinets yet, but there are so many other features she can enjoy, that she does not care.

We are currently working on good manners and nice hands. She wants to throw her toys (and food at mealtime). She also wants to pull Kitty's tail and grab faces. She REALLY loves praise, wants to please, and seems remorseful right away when scolded, so it is getting better.

Walking. Not yet. She does not want to, but will walk for long distances holding mine or Larry's fingers. After talking to my cousin last week, who is a physical therapist, I became concerned. He said that walking on her knees for so long will cause her to walk on her tip toes and not properly develop the muscles in her legs that children use naturally by walking flat-footed. He said she may need PT if she doesn't start walking soon. But he also suggested an exercise I can do with her after bathtime each night to help her develop those muscles. She really likes the exercise. It's sort of a massage and stretch similar to some we do in yoga class. In fact, after I put on her Baby Aquaphor she sticks her feet in the air for me to do the exercise. It's cute.

Don't get me wrong. I am HIGHLY motivated to get this kiddo walking. My doctor suggested that carrying a 23 lb. baby, who isn't walking yet, could be part of reason I'm experiencing the sciatic pain. I fully intend on pushing through this pain, because I plan on being a very physically active Mommy.

Fall Break

Today is Thursday, and we have already had quite an eventful Fall Break. Anna Claire hasn't felt 100% due to teething, but I feel like she has had a lot of fun and that she is very excited about everything she's been able to experience.

We began with a trip to the farm on Saturday. We didn't stay as long as I would have liked, because temps were in the 80s. I do feel like we saw everything we wanted to see and had a good visit. Anna Claire was able to see and pet baby animals. We swang on the swings. We looked at and felt different types of pumpkins and gourds. What was really neat was watching the magician make animal balloons and making coins disappear. I really don't get how he did it. Anna Claire looked surprised too. I loved hearing her try to say the names of the animals we saw, or make their sounds.

Monday I took her to the Red Barn to give me time to REALLY clean her room and toys. I bleached every single solitary plastic toy she owns, Murphy's oiled all the wood surfaces, washed all linens, and caught up on all of her laundry. The big job was going through her toys and deciding what to sell and what to give away. I ended up taking a bunch to Once Upon a Child and faired pretty well.

Tuesday Anna Claire and I went to the pool at the YMCA. She loves swimming so much. I try to emulate the structure of the classes she had with Miss Nicole this summer as much as possible. I wish she did classes year round: envision a college age girl who looks just like a young Katie Holmes, full of energy and lots of fun. She was so great with the babies and knew what they liked.

After swimming, we have to get our diaper changed and go home. This never bodes well. She does NOT want to leave the pool! And she has NEVER liked getting her diaper changed in public. This has not changed.

After lunch and nap, we ventured back out to look at leaves. I highly recommend a drive down Ussery Road. I heard lots of "Oooooh Mama"'s from the back seat. After our tour of leaves we stopped off at the public library to renew her favorites and to pick a few others. I can totally trust her with paper books now, so this really has broadened our options. After the library, we headed to Lowes to get a new filter for the refrigerator, only Mommy forgot to check the model number before she left the house, so had no idea which one to get. Anna Claire loves riding in their race car shopping cart though, so that was a win. After Lowes, was Cupcake Connection. We had yummy strawberry and they gave us a free sweat potato to try. Those are the best. I am sold on Cupcake Connection! So is Anna Claire. Lots of "Mmmmmm Mama"'s.

Wednesday Anna Claire went to play with her friends at the Red Barn while I went shopping for fall and winter clothes and gear for her. I found such cute things at Once Upon and Child, and with the credit from the toys I sold, I paid next to nothing for it. I am so excited to see it all on her. I also found some dress up items which she is already really enjoying: feather boa, large mardi gras beads, pirate hat, cowboy hat, and tutu. I bought a big Rubbermaid container to put it all in. She loves going through all of it, trying it on, having me try it on, and putting it back in.

Today - Pumpkin Patch! Perfect weather. Upper 60s, just cool enough that a sweater feels good. Hardly any people there, but enough kids there so that Anna Claire was excited. They each had a pumpkin, so it was important to get her a tiny baby pumpkin that she could carry. Maybe they had cotton picking last year, but I don't remember it. This year, they do! We walked down and picked cotton. I opted not to take her on through the corn maze. I'm thinking next year. We did, however, swing on the swings, where we enjoyed looking at and talking about all the beautiful leaves and pumpkins.

After we left the patch, we stopped by the Barn to see if we could find her Monkey sweater and to get her laundry to wash for Monday. After lunch and nap, we got out again. We hit the pet store, the party store and Walmart. Anna Claire loved looking at and talking to the guinea pigs and birds. She tried to feed them some of her cereal through the glass. It was so cute. At the party store she loved looking at all of the balloons and was really excited to see the balloons that look like soccer balls and baseballs. She LOVES balls.

Groovin' and Readin'

We are raising quite a little ham, which I love. Larry has taught her to "groove" and raise the roof. If you ask Anna Claire to groove, she will bob her head side to side, usually with closed eyes and a big smile. It all started when listening to the jazz theme intro to Little Bill. She kind of started grooving on her own, now that I think of it. Daddy just assigned a name to it so now we can ask her and she will do it on cue. Either way, it's too darn cute.

Her reading vocabulary is upwards of 30 words now. She can read and say cup (up), keys, eyes, no (na na), moon (moo), diaper (dot da), ball (baa), bubble (bubba), hi, hat, green (geen), and duck. She opens her mouth and says "ahhhh" for mouth. She says "ahhh and sticks out her tongue for tongue. She moos for calf and waves for wave. These are all YBCR words. She can say many, many more words than this, but these are the ones she can read AND say.

She can also say Miss Jeannie, Miss Leah, and Miss Keisha's names at Red Barn. She also attempts to say many large words that I would not expect a baby to say, many of them correctly, and others she is getting the syllabication right.

I am not sure how common it is for babies to orient a book the correct way, get front to back, left to right, and carefully turn paper pages without tearing, but she is there.

This is going to get interesting...

Yesterday Larry and I took Anna Claire to the public library. She immediately dove toward the board books and began handing me some to read. I opened a book and began reading the story outloud to her: "I see with my _____" (I began to leave out words I knew she could read, just like I do at home.) Only I forgot I wasn't at home. There was a lady behind me looking at me like, "Lady you are crazy. She's a baby!" Of course it would have been perfect timing for Anna Claire to chime in with the word "eyes", but nothing from her. So I am just sitting there looking like a weirdo. People just don't see babies the way we do. This is going to get interesting.

My Baby Can Read

I'm afraid I am not as diligent as I'd hoped at keeping track of Anna Claire's first words. After the affirmation of the first four or five, she gained great confidence and is now in just one week's time, talking up a storm, attempting most words I ask her to say. Today, new words were "bib", "blue", "uh oh" and I'm sure there were more. Oh yeah, "fish".

She can READ and say: hat, eyes, green, moon, no, banana, diaper, book, keys. These are all YBCR words, with the exception of "banana" and I believe that is due to exposure to it in two of her favorite books.

If you show her lion or bee or car, she will make the sound for those, and if you show her clap she will clap her hands.

I am no longer skeptical about this program. As she learns to say words, she is confirming for us that she can also read them. I am confident now that she knows all the words, and that it is just a matter of time before she provides us with that proof!

Talking up a STORM!

It's so much fun watching Anna Claire learn how to talk. She is now saying and reading several words plainly: ball, hat, eyes.

And she's attempting to say many others, but isn't quite pronouncing the entire word: nana (banana), nunya (onion), bk (book).

For some words, she makes sounds that represent the word: brrrmmm (car), grrr (lion or tiger), bzzzz (bee). This is true when she sees the word, the object, or a picture of it.

My baby can read, which is just so freakin cool. I can't tell you how proud we are to see all of her work and our work pay off. So fun!

A cute video for your enjoyment.

Walkin' or Talkin' - Which Will Come First?

Larry and I think TALKING! She is attempting difficult words like butterfly which sounds so cute coming from her, "Buddabye." She can clearly say "map" and "ball" and "bear" and knows she is saying these words (Dora's Map is on TV when she says "map", she is holding her ball or bear when she says those words). I love it! It is so exciting and is absolutely the highlight of my day to watch her progress.

Your Baby Can Read officially rocks. I have been skeptical myself throughout the process, but we committed to it and have been true to it since Anna Claire was 4 months. She KNOWS these words. I can give her two, three or four words cards, say a word, and she will select the correct card. When watching the videso, she now does the action for the word before the announcer says them. I am trying to get this on video to share with you, but everytime I think to video it seems she would rather cruise and be on the go. Getting an aspiring walker to sit still and look at notecards is a challenge!

I just keep thinking, what an advantage this skill will be to her, and what confidence she will have to have already mastered phonics and letter recognition at such a young age. I can show her any two letters, name one, and she will choose the correct one. Amazing. This is true for colors, shapes, fruits and vegetables as well.



Here is a recent video of her. What's she eating? A clover.

It just keeps getting better...

It has been a difficult transition for Anna Claire - going from staying home with Mommy and Daddy full-time to the Red Barn. For the first two weeks, my child was doing good to get 11 1/2 hours of sleep, including naps. She was hardly eating - at daycare or at home. Larry and I were so worried about her. On top of that she caught the cold virus that was going around and began to cut two molars. It's also hard passing off your baby and to leave her kicking and screaming. Harder still is hearing anecdotes and about milestones, and wishing you were there for them.

Here's where it gets better: after two weeks, I am VERY pleased to say that I have one happy baby. In fact, I have never seen her happier. She is eating most/all of her snacks and meals, and sometimes wants seconds. She is sleeping an additional half hour each night. She is so tired from her day, she is easily bedding down 30 minutes earlier. She is napping an hour or more - an improvement from the 30-40 minutes she was clocking in on week one.

When Anna Claire wakes up in the morning, she is all smiles...lots of "talking". I am so glad she is a morning person.

When I drop her off, she is a big girl. She goes to Miss Keisha or Miss Johnna without crying. I worried about leaving her so early because her main teachers are not at the Barn yet, but she likes Keisha and Johnna a lot. I like them too.

When I pick her up, she is usually finishing up snack. All of the teachers are so eager to run up to me and tell me about her day and how good she was. I can tell they really like her, and that makes me happy and reassured.

When we get home, Anna Claire is just fun. She wants to cruise, talk, give me hugs, and have me read her books. She is such a little book worm, it's great.

The periodic fussiness that Larry and I saw over the summer has dissipated. We just have this wonderful child who seems to enjoy life. And we enjoy her!

Milestones...

Anna Claire is learning so much, so fast. She can do signs for Itsy Bitsy Spider ("out comes the sun" and she does a pretty decent spider going up the spout). Of course, she loves to clap, give high-fives, and play peekaboo. She can now moo like a cow and meow like a cat, which are both consistently pronounced "Mmmmmmmm". Two arms up in the air means multiple things: arms up, look up, and point. She will touch her feet and head when asked; IF SHE WANTS TO, she will open her mouth and show you her tongue if asked. She is still saying "Did it, did it, did it" for Dora's "We Did It" song. It's funny how you learn what babies mean.

What I think is neat is she already is thinking outside of herself. She LOVES to feed Mommy. If I say I love anything she is eating for snack or mealtime, it will be put in my mouth. If anyone asks her for something she does not hesitate to give it to them. I am so pleased about this!

I love being a mom more than anything and I am so blessed to have this amazing little girl in my life!

Starting Daycare

Anna Claire is acclimating to her new class, teachers and little friends, and being away from Mommy. I can tell she likes The Red Barn and has lots of fun. Just ask her, and she'll tell you (insert Anna Claire's enthusiastic head nod and hand clap here.)

Here is a video her teacher took for me on Friday for their Wet and Wild Water Day:

Interests...

Anna Claire is all about cruising and "reading" her books right now. I love watching the evolution from crawling, to pulling up, to "Look Mom, no hands!" I especially enjoy watching her with her books. She is quite the proficient page-turner. She turns the book the right way (most of the time) and gets that books are read from left to right. I think that's pretty good! Here are a couple of video montages of her in action:

Getting ready for Daycare

Red Barn, here we come. I have to say, I give all of the staff there props for allowing Anna Claire and me to hang out and visit as we please the past few weeks. I can't imagine doing it any other way, and feel so blessed to have the summer off, allowing us the time to pull it off.

Anna Claire's teachers are absolutely wonderful. They have been so supportive, kind, and full of suggestions of how to make the transition easier for her. I shared my concerns about their outdoor play being on pavement, as Anna Claire is still crawling. Thanks to their guidance, I purchased her first pair of shoes, which she now wears everyday. I now have ironed on patches to the knees of all of my soon-to-be-walking-toddler's pants.

We have also taken their advice and weened her off her morning nap (naps were 9:30-10:30 and 1-2, now we're doing 11:30-1 and going to bed a half hour earlier - 7:30). Along with the change in napping, we give her an earlier lunch (was previously 12. Now she's eating at 10:30). This mimics the schedule she'll be following at "school".

We also now have a chair which she enjoys sitting in regularly.

I have gathered and turned in the requisite supplies: wipes, paste, sunscreen, comfort toy, change of clothes, bib, sippy cup, etc. Still needing a backpack for her fitted sheet and blanket. Not finding one that I like just yet. I'm also struggling with what I should do about her blanket. She LOVES her Little Giraffe blanket that she received from her "Aunt Kelly". Not sure if I should take it back and forth between school and home, get a second Little Giraffe blanket, OR see how she does with a second blanket that we already have. Still pondering...

I'll tell you what made my day. I was of the understanding that Anna Claire's teachers did not arrive until 7:30 am. I need to be at work by 7, so I have been worrying about leaving her for the first time with someone I do not know and that neither of us have ever met. Today I found out Miss Ashley (one of her two main teachers) will be there at 6:45 when I drop her off. When she told me, I just lost it. I started bawling. What a weight lifted. How much easier will this be knowing and TRUSTING who I am leaving her with. Thank you God!

A Week in the Life...

This week Anna Claire has hit several milestones: feeding herself with a spoon, standing using one hand only for support, brushing Mommy's hair, feeding Mommy, touching her head when asked, putting blocks in containers, taking one nap (it is 1 hr 15, but she's sleeping 30 min. longer at night since we are bedding her down 30 min earlier), saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah", and singing, "I did it, I did it, I did it" during Dora's "We did it" song. She also likes making the "V" sound and the "F" sound. Larry thinks she will start talking before she learns to walk.

This week I have also encountered some challenges. She is TOO ticklish - making it very hard to clip her toenails, asleep or awake. She's wearing socks and shoes most of the time now, but I know it needs to get done. I am open to suggestions!

This week we had jello fun. I made a large container of strawberry jello just for Anna Claire. Larry and I put her in the yard and let her have at it. I'm posting a video below for your enjoyment. Not sure which is funnier - her with the jello or me escaping my predator. ;)

We have also been visiting the Red Barn once a week to get Anna Claire comfortable with the other babies, her teachers, and her classroom. This is helping a lot! She looks forward to our time there.

Yesterday she and I drove to Todd Co. to Schlabach's Amish bakery. We picked up some homemade bread, cinnamon rolls and honey. Before leaving to return home. We sat on their front porch and shared a tasty pastry while we watched the butterflies, bluebirds and beautiful flowers. Anna Claire said it best, "Mmmmm, Mama!"

This morning Larry and I took her to pick blackberries and blueberries at the Tin Barn. I think she had just as many berries as we put in our bucket. One for the bucket. One for the baby. One for the bucket. One for the baby. She had a precious purple stained face when it was all said and done, and a big smile. Our harvest was so pitiful, the nice owners gave them to us free of charge. We felt obliged to buy one of their pre-picked pints, so we do have some for later!

The second video I'm including in this post is just short snippets of one evening outside.

First Swimming Lesson

Swimming lessons are a hit. Anna Claire loves being in the water and being with other babies, so I shouldn't be too surprised!

On the way to the Y, I told her we were going to "splash in the water with babies" and that we were "going to have fun". She "whoooo"ed, and clapped enthusiastically.

When we got there I worried how she would do b/c we were 10 minutes early. I sought out the instructor to see if there was anything we needed to do, and considered getting in the water early. She informed me that it was a class I needed to register for. I stressed that I had dropped the ball and worried that we would have to go back home with no swimming after I had gotten Anna Claire so pumped up. So we went back to the front desk, and I explained. Everyone was super-kind and let us register with no problem.

I was surprised that the class began by having the moms dunk the babies underwater. It was fine, the instructors said, as long as we followed the dunking with a big smile and a "yay!" This worked beautifully. The babies loved going in and out of the water! We then sat the babies on the edge and they "jumped" into the water.

Next, we did a series of songs in a circle, like "Wheels on the Bus", and "Ring around the Roses".

Finally we had the babies "dive" for toys on the entrance ramp. Anna Claire did not quite get this. She would rather watch the other babies and splash.

I was so proud of her throughout the entire class. She was by far the most enthusiastic student and it was apparent she enjoyed herself.

The only detail I am leaving out, was not a big deal to me, but it was to the instructors. Our lessons were on one side of the heated pool, and a seniors class on the other. One of the seniors made her way to our side and started talking to Anna Claire. She seemed sweet enough. She was probably in her 70s, a little Asian lady. She held her arms out, and Anna Claire reached out to her. The lady picked her up, and I allowed it. The instructors shook the heads "NO" at me. They were visibly upset. I walked over to them and they explained this was a problem they encountered every week. I moved to the other side of our section of the pool which prevented any further encounters.

My Favorite Time of Day

I really do think bath time with Anna Claire is my favorite time of day. Probably because it's hers. Nothing makes me happier than seeing her happy.

All in a week. Whoa.

I haven't posted a blog in several days, partly due to exhaustion, and partly because I was not sure where to even begin. Anna Claire has progressed so much in the past week. Tonight as I was sitting on the porch watching neighbors shoot fireworks, I thought, if I don't post soon, I will have forgotten all of these little milestones.

JUST THIS WEEK: Anna Claire received her first shoes and will wear them, and received her first chair and will sit in it. She can wave opening and closing her hand, can put objects in a container, and is trying to stack blocks. She is standing using only one hand for support and can stay in the church nursery without melting down. She is in the process of going from two naps to one, has made the transition from rear-facing to front-facing car seat,and is making strides in giving up her paci and nursing. She does great in public, becoming more and more receptive to people approaching her. Thank the Lord she does not cry anymore when someone walks up and says, "What a cute baby!"

Larry and I are both so proud of her!

Keep Trying...

"Keep trying." This has been my summer motto.

Anna Claire's first trip to church, the library, the pool, the Y, and even the first summer stroller ride have all been met with tears. When holding the crying, inconsolable child, it is tempting to think, "We are never doing this again. Fail."

But I am proud to say that I have kept pressing on. We are now attending church, library, the pool and Y with a smile. Stroller rides daily from 9-9:30 am - that is until 95 degree and higher temps return.

Stranger anxiety continues to vex us. I am starting to understand it better, and learn what to do to offset meltdowns. If someone approaches me or Larry and talks only to him or me, she is fine. It is when people get in her face, even close family, that she gets worked up. There are exceptions to this reasoning: the lucky friends and family members with small children seem to get a nod of approval from Anna Claire - no tears whatsoever. OR...in a setting where food is involved. Food and small children seem to be the ticket with her.

Fun, fun, fun.

It's a great feeling to put your child to bed at night and know full well, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she had a great day.

Our day started with Anna Claire's favorite blueberry breakfast, followed by church, also known as "playing with babies". I was assured she did enjoy herself, and Larry and I enjoyed the sermon, like grown folk. Grace is awesome!

We came home and napped straight away. While Anna Claire napped, I got a little housework done, flowers watered, etc.

After her nap, I took her out to play under her favorite shade tree. She does NOT want to stay on her blanket anymore. It is too small. She wants to crawl in the grass. That would be fine, but some of the grass is sharp and scrapes her legs. I will try a large sheet tomorrow.

We had plans to go to the Olive Garden with Grandma, so Larry and I thought it would be wise to do her late afternoon and evening routine a few hours early (swim in baby pool, ice cream on front porch, book time, snack, bath, and spa treatment). We did this to maintain structure for Anna Claire, and so that we could just bed her down whenever we got home. This worked GREAT.

Olive Garden was a hit for the baby, me, Larry, and Grandma. Not so much for our waitress. Food EVERYWHERE. She seriously needed a shovel when we left there. I have an idea though to help future waitresses hate us less: put down a plastic tablecloth under the high chair to serve as a catch-all. Yes, this is an investment I will make and keep in the diaper bag!

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Happy 1st Birthday, Anna Claire!

One summer day...

Today was a fun day. Anna Claire had her half waffle and blueberries for breakfast. I do believe blueberries may be her favorite food in the world.

A bit later, we sat under her favorite shade tree. Anna Claire enjoyed watching the workers mow and weedeat the lawn across the street while she ate her snack of white grape halves, goldfish crackers and pear juice. What a nice morning. A little breeze and not so hot.

We went inside for a bit and played with the Mr. Sketch scented markers. I drew pictures and let her smell each marker. She really seemed to enjoy that. Cinnamon was the favorite to sniff.

Then we took a nature walk outside. We saw three bees, two butterflies, lots of squirrels, and I talked to Anna Claire about each the trees and what kind they were. It was important to "get" a leaf from each tree.

She took two one-hour long naps today, and seemed to enjoy her lunch, especially the buttered French bread and plum. She's gonna be a breadlover just like her folks.

We took off for Toys R Us and Walmart after her second nap. Bought her her first chair and a new swimsuit to replace her popsicle-stained one. We picked up her birthday cake and requisite waffles and generic Motrin.

We normally do baby pool and ice cream from 4:30-5, but the sky was weird and it was raining off and on, so no swimming today.

Anna Claire loved her dinner. Showstoppers were: strawberries, mushrooms, cheese, and corn.

I finally bought and installed batteries in her bathtub bubble machine. It was a hit, although I am not surprised.

Oh, almost forgot. Toys R Us gave her a helium balloon since tomorrow is her birthday. She is totally weirded out by it. She wants to "get" it and is bothered by the fact that it is up in the air. When we hand it to her, she gets frustrated when she lets go and it floats away.

We got a phone call from the peds office letting us know her dr. appt. will be Monday, NOT tomorrow. Thank the Lord she does not have to go to the dr. on her birthday!

Summer Bucket List

Here's how we're doing so far. The ones in bold have been done. ;)

Zoo
YMCA (play with babies)
Red Barn (play with babies)
Public Library – 10 and 10:30, 2 and 2:30
Cindy’s (play date with Baby Ellie)
Whole Foods
Public pool (outdoor)
Swim Lessons (start in July @ the Y)
Sample ice cream @ 31 flavors
Play date with Lori and Adam
Lunch with Kelly and kids
Nursery @ Grace Community (play with babies)
Water park
Pick berries
Nashville Shores
Old Chicago

My very own roll of TP

This is what happens when you leave the room for 10 seconds to get an aspirator.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Birthday, Party of Three

I had such grandiose plans for Anna Claire's first birthday: invite all of our close family and friends, make an amazing cake, find the perfect location (the zoo, a park, McDonald's?), and we would have plenty of bubbles on hand for everyone to blow at her.

Then I asked myself what the baby would want, and reality hit me. We stay home. Just me, Larry, the baby. We have lots of balloons, wrapping paper, boxes, and of course bubbles and cake. Maybe we take her to McDonald's for a milkshake. Yes, this sounds more like my child and what she would enjoy. And I feel so much more relaxed about the whole thing. That's the beauty of it.

First trip to Baskin Robbins

Anna Claire didn't try 31 flavors, but she did try 3: very strawberry, chocolate, and rainbow. She also tried pistachio - we got Larry a milkshake to-go. Favorite flavor? Not sure. But the actual cone ended up being what she liked the best. It became apparent that she would "need" a cone, as she whined and reached for her cousin's. The sweet Baskin Robbins employee gave us one at no charge.

She's happy, and she knows it.

Anna Claire loves to clap. Even on a day like today when she is feeling rough, she was constantly looking for reasons to clap. Today I watched her clapping in the rearview mirror on the ride home. "If You're Happy and You Know It". Clap, clap, clap. "Five Days Old" Clap, clap, clap. Diego Song. Clap, clap, clap. She was cracking me up.

She is also letting us know we have her approval through clapping. This is cool - communication! So far, ice cream, bubbles, and balloons all get a clap. Ice cream got a clap and head nod. ;)

Teething Woes Continue...

We are in month six of teething. It has been utterly relentless for our poor sweet Anna Claire, even with our medicine cabinet stocked full of generic Motrin, Tylenol, and teething tablets. I could keep her home to spare everyone in greater Clarksville/Nashville area from her wailing, but I think I would go crazy.

Today's trip to the pool at the Sports Complex was not what I had envisioned, but I want her to have the same experiences as other babies. Her cries may not be music to anyone's ears, including mine, but hopefully she had at least a nanosecond of fun between crying spells. *sigh*

Learn how to walk, please.

I know I need to be careful what I wish for, and that once Anna Claire starts walking she is going to be busy, busy, busy, into everything. I get that. However, the child needs to learn how to walk soon because my neck, back, and shoulders tell me so. She is getting SO heavy, and lugging around a 25 pounder is really taking its toll on me!

Mommy Sits with the Big Kids at Church

Today was the first day I've left Anna Claire with anyone besides Larry. I am pretty sure it was harder for me than for her. I spent the first fifteen minutes of the service wringing my hands and watching the screen frantically for Anna Claire's number to flash on the screen, letting me know to come get her. But it never did. She was crying I returned for her, but I was assured it hadn't been for long, and I know it was the best thing for the both of us.

What a blessing that for the past two Sundays the women working the church nursery were actually friends of mine. Both Sundays a friend I've known since elementary school has been there. Last Sunday a sorority sister and friend was there, and this Sunday a parent of one of my former daycare students was working. I would have had a much harder time leaving had they been total strangers.

I was ultimately able to calm down and enjoy and listen to the sermon, for the first time since Anna Claire was born.

As I reflect on our decision to wait until she was an older baby to introduce her to church, I now realize it should have been a part of her weekly life from birth. I will do so many things differently with our next child. I will be much more willing to try things, that is for sure.

First Time Playing with Pots and Pans

Not sure who had more fun - the baby, or us watching her.

Cha-cha-cha-changes...

What a week of change. Anna Claire is now taking all naps in her crib. This has been a huge accomplishment for Larry and me considering that she spent the first year of her life napping in our laps (on the Boppy)!

Diaper changes may need to be on the floor, for safety sake. The child wants to kick and jump off the table. So long changing table, for now.

Anna Claire's focus has shifted from communication to motor skills. She is cruising and pushing up to standing on her own. In fact, today was the first day she has ever stood up by herself. It won't be long until she's walking - we're sure of it.

I love that she can eat what we're eating. Aside from potatoes, she is on an entirely solid food diet at this point. We've replaced our usual yogurt and baby cereal breakfast to half a frozen waffle and blueberries.

Some changes are good and some are challenging, but they are all a part of raising Anna Claire, and we just love her.

It's Anna Claire, not Anna

Ok, peeps. I have always wanted to go by Angela, but everyone insisted on calling me Angie. Please do not do this to my child. We named her Anna Claire. You know, like Jo Ann, or Mary Beth. It is fairly common for Southern girls to go by their first and middle names, and this was our intention. I hereby declare: She will go by Anna Claire until SHE decides to change it to something different.

Getting "the sillies" out

I just love how Anna Claire goes to sleep laughing. She also goes to sleep on my bed. Hey, it works for us so don't knock it (It takes less than five minutes for her to fall asleep after her last bedtime story). ;)

Monday she grabbed the little dome battery-powered light that I keep at bedside and clicked it on and off, over and over, laughing. Then rolled over and fell asleep. I picked her up, into the crib she went. I get up and have about an hour of "mommy time" before my bedtime.

Last night she smooshed her face into mine. I laughed, then she laughed, then rolled over and fell asleep. I put her in the crib.

Tonight she sat straight up, then did a Nestea plunge backward onto the bed, laughing. She repeated this about 10 more times before falling asleep. Into the crib she went.

What a character.

A Low Key Day

Anna Claire is cutting several bottom teeth at once and is in a lot of pain. She is not sleeping well at all, so today we purposely planned a day with no outings. Just routine. Trying to keep things as calm as possible to soothe an overtired baby.

First Day in Church Nursery

What an exciting day. Anna Claire really enjoyed playing alongside the other babies. Larry and I have never left her with anyone, so I stayed in the nursery with her. It was still a great experience, just giving her the opportunity to "socialize". She loved playing with all of the toys, none of which we have at home, so that made them special. She did seem to want whatever other babies were playing with and grabbed toys out of other babies' hands.

Later, Meme visited. We went outside and played with found leaves and flowers. She also took a bite of her first apple.

We ended the day by eating our dinner outside on the porch in our pajamas.