Birthday and Other Happenings

There's been an awful lot going on since my last post, but Mommy has been very tired with my little sister growing in her tummy and keeping up with me, so Daddy decided to help me with this post.

For my first birthday, I was lucky that my four grandparents and my Uncle Ron and Aunt Suzie came down to visit. Mommy and Daddy were doing a lot of cooking for Thanksgiving anyway, but they still bought me my own little cake to celebrate. It was tasty, but the icing was very sweet, so I only was able to eat a little bit.

My first Thanksgiving wasn't very exciting. It seemed like a normal day, except there was a pretty parade to watch in the morning and a big dinner that I got sit with all the grown-ups and enjoy later in the day. It was nice to have all those people at our house though, and they were all very interested in me for some reason. I got a lot of new toys and books for my birthday. I like books very much and sometimes ask Mommy or Daddy to read the same book to me over and over.


A few weeks later, we took a looooong car ride up to Syracuse. We left at night, so I was able to sleep part of the way, and I was good playing with my toys in the back seat. I got so see my Grandma Rita, Uncle Ron, and Aunt Suzie again, and this time I also got to see my Aunt Kathy, whom I hadn't seen in almost a year. While we were there, it snowed. This was much different than the little bit of snow that we got in Greensboro, that all melted away a few hours after it fell. Mommy and Daddy took me outside and I got to walk around in snow that was half as deep as I was tall! It took me a while to get used to sleeping in my pack-and-play rather than my crib at night, and it was another long ride in the car on the way back, but Mommy and Daddy said I was a Good Girl the whole trip. I sure hope I get to see some more of that snow sometime soon.

Speaking of walking, up until now, I've crawled everywhere I wanted to go, or asked Mommy and Daddy to carry me. I've been able to take some steps while pushing on the handle of my car, or by holding on to Mommy or Daddy's hands. Over the past couple of weeks, I decided to give a few steps a try without any help. I like walking a few feet over to where Mommy or Daddy are sitting. They always catch me when I fall and tell me what a Good Girl I am.

Maybe someday soon I'll try to walk farther, but for now, crawling is faster, so there's no need to change.

It sure is pretty with all the Christmas decorations and lights around the neighborhood. I don't remember much of Christmas time last year, since I was less than a month old. I like playing with the tree that Mommy and Daddy brought into the house. There are a lot of shiny balls on it to point at and say "bah".

I'll write some more later and talk about some yummy potato pancakes I got to eat and some pretty candles that Daddy lights every night while Mommy says words in another language. There is an awful lot to see and do going on nowadays and I'm trying something new every day, it seems!

Pictures and a Video

Today, I finally convinced Mommy to transfer some pictures and videos from her cameras onto the computer. I'll explain each one as I show them to you.

This is a video from October 15 where I did a little bit of standing on camera. I'm better at standing when I hold onto something first and then let go, but back in October, I liked the challenge of trying to stand up from the floor without help. Now, I've realized that I was doing it the hard way, and I usually don't do this anymore.

Here are some pictures of me in a costume that Mommy and Daddy struggled to get me into on Halloween. It's bulky and the head hole is tight, but once it's on, it's not so bad. First, we practiced wearing the costume on the back deck.

Then we went outside at night to see the neighbors. Unfortunately, I was sick that day, so I only lasted about 5 minutes and then wanted to go back inside for bed. Maybe next year I'll learn what this trick-or-treating is all about.



Once I started feeling better, I was back to my monkey antics. I climb into the dishwasher to help Mommy do dishes. She lets me in for a little while, then picks me up and puts me somewhere far away with pots and pans or a toy she thinks I'll enjoy.

We've been outside almost every day this month because the weather isn't too hot anymore. I like to play with leaves, and after many taste-tests, I've decided that they're not worth eating.


Daddy helped me climb a tree to see where the leaves were coming from.

On Mommy and Daddy's wedding anniversary, we celebrated by going to a Carolina Hurricanes hockey game. I got a seat of my own, but Mommy and Daddy had to hold it down to prevent it from folding up on me. They let me crawl around on the concourse during intermissions.

Today, we went to get pictures taken at Portrait Innovations again. Here are some photos we'll be sharing for my first birthday and for the holidays.

My four grandparents and my Uncle Ron and Aunt Suzie are coming to Greensboro for Thanksgiving and my birthday party. I'll write more after their visit.

"Bah"

I'm learning how to talk! When I see those clear plastic things filled with milk for me to drink, I know to say "bah-bah". And I play with things that roll on the ground and call them "bah". Also, when it's time to leave somebody, I wave and say, "bah-bah". It's amazing how much I can communicate using one syllable. The only words that are different are Dada and Mama, and I can sometimes say those words at the right time, but sometimes I just babble them for fun.

Today, I went to a pumpkin patch with Mommy and Daddy. First, I got to crawl among the pumpkins.



Then, Mommy and I sat in a corn crib. I was good and didn't try to eat any of the kernels.



We walked through a maze made of tall corn stalks. Mommy and Daddy had no trouble finding our way out, because it was really just a big circular path.


Finally, I sat on top of a huge haystack with Mommy.




At home, I'm getting really good at standing for 10 seconds or more. I even like to stand myself up from a squatting position without using a table or chair to pull myself up. My legs are getting strong! Hopefully, Mommy will catch me on camera or video soon.

Paper

When I was little, I thought that paper was only for eating. Now that I'm a big girl, I know that paper can be used for crumpling, ripping, throwing, and many other fun purposes (including the old standby - eating). Here's what I did to Daddy's Sports Illustrated today.



Since I haven't written in a while, I thought I'd share a picture of my first ride on a merry-go-round. I'm wearing the same outfit as I am today, but the picture was taken on September 13 at the Central Carolina Fair.




In other news, I'm learning how to stand. I still love to pull myself up on chairs, couches, and Mommy and Daddy's legs, and I hold on for balance. However, occasionally I will let go for about 2 seconds and laugh while everyone claps, then I grab back on. Maybe someday I'll get brave and let go for longer so Mommy can take a picture.

Feeling Sick

I have a cold. My nose is drippy and I'm drooling a lot. I guess it's the same way the other kids at Mrs. Kirch's felt earlier this week. The good thing is that Mommy gives me an eyedropper of this yummy cherry tasting stuff every 4 hours. I wake her during the night to remind her if my cherry stuff wears off.

I'll write again when I'm feeling better (and Mommy's had more sleep).

Whistling

Well, I don't have much new to report here, but I'm on the computer so I thought I blog and show a picture that Mommy took on Labor Day. I'm on the deck in back of our house, and Daddy is jumping up and down behind Mommy to make me smile.
Mommy is back working every day at school, so Daddy brings me to Mrs. Kirch's house every morning around 8. There are other kids there, so I have fun playing with them. When I see Mommy walk in around 3:30 or 4pm, I always start bouncing in place and then crawl right to her. She picks me up and hugs me, then we go home to play.

I do have a neat trick: I know how to whistle. When I'm five or six, I'll beg Mommy and Daddy to teach me to whistle. They will remind me that I knew how to do it when I was nine months old. Maybe they'll catch me on video someday, but I only do it when I'm in the mood, not when they have the camera out.

Pool Party

Today I went to a party with Mommy and Daddy. It was Mommy's friend Caty's birthday, so we went to her parents' pool. Mommy really wanted me to swim, but I found this really big tennis ball to play with, so I didn't want to get in.

Finally, Mommy grabbed me and I waved to Daddy. But the water was really cold, and I don't even like baths, so I was pretty miserable.
















Mommy got the hint, and put me down to play. I sat on the side of the pool while all of the other kids and grown ups enjoyed the water.
















Here are the ladies that Mommy works with and their kids.
















I like parties, but maybe I'll enjoy pools more next summer when I'm one.