Keeping Up

I am not keeping up as well as I'd like with your journal but between this and the other blogs I am logging, your amazing and fantastic life is documented in full and living color. It's late but I can't bare to think you may not know a few very important things before I go to bed. First is that I absolutely ache to hold you and hug you. My arms yearn for you even in the exhausted moments of putting you down after a middle-of-the-night snack (q hates when I call it that). I am amazed by you and caught myself thinking much today of how I will long for these days and perfect moments with you when I am old and you are no longer little and so squishy. I told Q tonight how weird it feels that in the same instant I am excited for when you are older but want to keep you frozen like this forever. I listen to Grandma Polly talk about her kids when they were babies and it makes me realize just how precious this time is. Here are a few things about you. I try to keep the intimate moments between us or day-to-day snap shots in this journal so you have a better picture of what you life is like when you are the most perfect adorable baby in the universe.

(Above) You are really getting into play time and can sit up so well now. Here you are in your activity center. Your feet are almost touching the bottom but for now I have to spin you from toy to toy.




(Above) I wanted to capture the precious moments we have with you when it's time to go to bed. Q is the best at getting you to accept lotion being put on your face. This is also the most perfect time (in your opinion) to suck on your toes! You love your right big toe the best so I caught it on film. You also make the cutest faces (straight lips and pudgy pouts). Lately you giggle when I kiss your chubby legs. It is so fun to play with you and you LOVE getting your diaper changed!

(Above) I'm not sure if anyone loves you more than your Grandpa Ron. He calls himself "grandad" and refers to you as "his baby". Right now you like to sit on his lap, touch his face, and listen to his crazy sounds. He talks about you all the time and is amazed by you perfect little face and fast development.

(Above) You are starting to try to sit up on your own and we think you are getting quite bored with being immobile. In this pic you are watching your favorite thing ever: Football. You absolutely LOVE football. You will sit on Q's lap and watch football forever! If we turn the channel, you don't like TV nearly enough- and you totally know the difference between football and any other sport. You have loved football from your first months of life. It is so funny!


(Above) You like to move your right leg MUCH more than your left. Your right leg is ALWAYS going a million miles an hour or you are playing with your right foot. Usually, you just forget about your left. You particulary love to slide and kick your right leg back and forth when it sit you on a table and hold onto to you.

(Above) You love people and to be in the middle of the action and commotion. In this pic I am carrying you around at our New Years party in PV. You also let me put your bunny hat on without a fight but I generally don't put hats or bands on your head because I can't stand to cover your totally rad mad scientist hair!


(Above) You have always seemed to know Grandma Polly, like you two are kindred spirits from the start. Here she is singing your favorite little birdie song! When you were just two months old, you would stop and focus on GPo when she sang this song and seemed to recognize it when I sang it to you at home. You also love Claire de Lun and This is a Little Irish Jig for Annie (I made it up and you LOVE it- it's the only one that will get you to stop crying when we are driving and you are imprisoned in your car seat).

(Above) Look at you! No more pram. Tonight I put you in the Uppa Baby and pulled you up to the table so you could watch us play cards. You love this ugly crakle-book so much! In fact, mom bought it because you liked the one I bought you so much. When all else fails, you will play with this with no abandon.


(Above) Q moved your bath of the counter and into the tub because of your intense splashing. I took these photos because your hair was too awesome to forget. I need to get you some bath toys. We have moved your bath time up a bit because (thanks to a suggestion from Mom, we discovered your bath gets you too hyper for bed right away). We let you soak as long as possible and lately Q has been the best bath giver.

ANNIE AVI:
I really need to start getting your videos uploaded so we will start with these two. The first is from tonight when GPo wheeled you around and then played for you while we had a card game. You love music. No, really- you LOVE music. GPo and Mom are convinced you are some sort of Mosart sans the autism. I am so excited I got GPo singing the Birdie song on tape!

(Below) In this one you were mesmorized by your first ever look at a candle. I'll have to remember this in case I need a distraction in the furture. You have done so well with the boppy early on.

Reindeer Annie

Last night we wrapped presents for the Mortuary party at Mom and Dad's. Dad (grandpa Ron) put these antlers on you and you were so cute. I think you liked being the center of attention. Later that night you had a 30 minute giggle fest that melted all of our hearts (why didn't we video?!?!?. You are SO CUTE and SO MUCH FUN!

It has been much too long since I have written last. You are changing too fast for me to keep up! It is both exciting and sad to see you grow into and out of phases. You are interacting so much more now (but you were always an exceptional alert baby so interacting is no new trick of yours).

Two new tricks of yours are giggles and a funny trick you do. If I hold you on my lap you will tilt forward and touch your head on my tummy. You think it is so much fun. At first you are all serious business about it but if we play this little game long enough, you will start to laugh when your head is on my tummy. It is funny to watch you try to laugh when you are all scrunched up. Your little hands are also more advanced. You are now a pro and grabbing anything that happens to tough your hands and you are starting to reach for things too. You are even letting Q and I give you tummy time (which we are horrible at keeping up with).

A few more things of note:

• Whenever I take you out, people stare at you and crane their necks to see you. Q said that when I take you shopping, people follow the stroller to get a better or longer look at you. You are a captivating baby. Everyone who crosses your path is mesmorized by your darling tiny face and little features and your happy personality. You smile on cue no matter what. Even if you are tired or crying, I can always get a smile out of you. I've also noticed that you don't have a huge head like all the other babies. You are an itty bitty gorgous girl!
• My dad was holding you two nights ago and after he put you to sleep in the sling he came into the office to tell mom, Q, and I how perfectly pretty you are. He went on and on about how beautiful your features are and how gorgeous your long fingers are. He couldn't get over you and neither can we. I know I am your parent so I'm biased, but you really are a breathtaking baby. You are the most darling baby I have ever seen and based on the reaction of everyone who meets you, I'm guessing that I'm not the only one who thinks so.
• Did I tell you what Q said the other night? He said that if we had purchased a baby made to order, it would have been you! If we had designed you peice by peice, not a speck of you would be different. You are perfect. I find myself staring at you in wonder. I often marvel how you could have come from me! I look at our faces together and think how much cuter and pretty you are... and I love it! I am so proud to be your mum.
• You just woke up and are now sitting on my lap. You love to see pictures of yourself on the computer and you love to watch TV- expecially sports. Football is your favorite. Actually, I'm getting a little worries about your TV affinity. You seem to be quite happy though so we will let a few games slide for now. Did you know you go to bed at midnight and sleep tell 9 am? Now that's my kind of schedule. You still have to eat twice in the night, but you are slepping longer. It's awesome.

Well Annie, it's time for your lunch and then it's up to Pine Valley for us and the Mortuary party. Meg is going to tend you. You love her so much. You are so lucky to have such a devoted fan. Love you Love you!