Beanish and Other Languages I'm Learning

A New Address

2007-02-10T18:11:00.000-06:00

Hi, Everyone. This is my last post on the blogger website. I've moved my blog over to Word Press. Here's a link to the new URL for the blog. Be sure to update your bookmarks with the new address. I'm finding Word Press much easier to use than Blogger and am glad I've made the switch.

Stop by for the tour and leave me a comment at the new place.

Thanks,
Kim

She's So Sweep...I Mean Sweet.

2007-02-05T10:31:00.001-06:00

We've been trying to teach M to be more independent and self-sufficient. We handed her the broom yesterday so she could "help" sweep the floor. She seemed to have fun with it, but I think we need to get her some Bean-sized accoutrements for "helping" around the house. This one just isn't her size, but she gets an A for effort.

Clear Ears, Beanish Babbling, Pants That Don't Fall Down

2007-02-04T15:06:00.001-06:00

M had her check up with the ENT doctor this past week. Despite the fact that she's had a cold all week, her ears look "perfect." She'll go back in 3 weeks to have them checked again and have her hearing re-tested.

As far as I'm concerned, this cold is the litmus test for the ear tubes. In the past, we could just about predict what day we'd be heading to the doctor's office for anti-biotics when she exhibited her first sniffle. I'm thrilled that she's been ear infection free so far.

As another bonus, we're hearing more words in her Beanish babbling. Granted, T and I are probably the only ones who can pick up on a good many of them since we hear her Beanishness more than anyone else, but there are new and clearer words noneltheless. Hooray!

Thanks to Aunt C, I've also found a solution for keeping Morgan's pants from falling down all the time. Because, let's face it, even when you're a toddler, pants around the ankles just aren't the fashion statement you want. Target, it seems, has pants with adjustible waists. We have two pair right now, but I'll be snatching some more up before too long. Some other mother out there with a tiny-waisted toddler apparently had a wonderful brainstorm which we now can all benefit from.

I Can Fit!

2007-01-27T19:20:00.001-06:00

Today, I looked over while M was playing to see her climbing in one of the bins we use for her smaller toys. Apparently, she decided that she needed to get into it too.

Here, M is trying to ease herself down into the bin. She's pretty small, but so is the bin. It was a bit of a squish.

She managed it and sat there for a little bit quite pleased with herself. M worked at getting in and out of it off and on for the rest of the day. By bedtime, she had even gotten steady enough to step in one foot at a time without holding on to anything for some of her ins and outs.

M's First Haircut

2007-01-27T10:08:00.001-06:00

Well, M had her first haircut today. Her hair had finally gotten to the point that it wouldn't stay out of her eyes. So we went to Cool Cuts 4 Kids and got a haircut.

M did really well since she is used to me brushing her hair and blowdrying it after her baths. She did get a little excited and started bouncing up and down in the chair. But who wouldn't be excited for a new hairdo.

Playing at Mamaw and Papaw's House

2007-01-25T20:17:00.001-06:00

M's Mamaw got a little play kitchen for M and, when she's older, M's cousin, M, to play with when they are over visiting. It was still a little tall for M, but she didn't let that stop her. She played with that kitchen every chance she got while we were visiting. Mamaw did a great job picking this out. I know there will be many hours spent "cooking" up some fun when the girls come over to visit.

Grandmother's Birthday Dinner

2007-01-25T19:59:00.001-06:00

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we had a special dinner to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday. Many of her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids were able to be there to wish her a happy birthday. Here's a picture of Grandmother in her birthday corsage.

Here's a photo of everyone who was able to be there, except for my sister-in-law, A, who was actually taking the picture.

Here's Grandmother with the three great-grandchildren who were there. Hannah is on the left. C is sitting in Grandmother's lap, and M is on the right. You can see my cousin, A, on the left, and barely see me on the right, waiting in the wings to corral H and M if they decided it was time to run off and play some more.

M enjoyed visiting with her Aunt C who sweetly held cups so M could fish out ice chips to munch on. M's little hands were so cold, but she just kept dunking them in the cold water for more ice.

My Aunt B made Grandmother's birthday cake. It was delicions. M turned down a bite when I offered it to her, but later helped herself to her Auny A's piece when no one was looking. Luckily, Aunt A was happy to share, and we got some good photos out of it.

M's New Seat

2007-01-25T19:37:00.001-06:00

Aunt C gave M a big, purple ball for Christmas. Today, M decided it would make a nice, bouncy seat while she watched TV.

M Cuteness Alert!

2007-01-24T15:38:00.002-06:00

M enjoyed playing with Gran and Paw's phone while we were visiting. She even managed to call Paw on his cell phone a couple of times by hitting the re-dial button while punching away with her thumbs. M likes phones. She'll put it up to her ear and say "hello." It probably won't be long before she's chatting away on it.

M also enjoyed getting to pet Gisha while we were visiting. One of her favorite things at Mamaw and Papaw's was watching their dog Ra-jah through the windows. She's a dog lover for sure.

Gran and Paw gave her a new blanket square which she promptly converted into a hat. She likes putting these on her head for some reason. When we check on her at night, she usually is sleeping with one covering either her face or her head or both. Silly girl!

We Are Really Still Alive

2007-01-24T15:26:00.001-06:00

Things have been quite busy here for the past few weeks. I think this is the longest that I've gone between posts before. We've been out of town and back, off of work and back at work, and visited pediatricians and doctors both in Houston and Louisiana. It's been a whirlwind.

We went to visit family in Louisiana for a belated Christmas visit and for a special birthday dinner for my grandmother. There's a whole post about that coming up. It was really good to see family. We got to see our new neice as well. T's sister and her husband had a baby girl on December 26. Here are some photos of her if you'd like to see how adorable she is.

M has been sick with another ear infection since the first of the year. We ended up having to see the pediatrician when we were in Louisiana, which was interesting since I took her to the same doctor who was my pediatrician when I was growing up. Funny how somethings come full circle.

Anyway, M had out-patient surgery for eartubes this morning. She's a little fussy but doing well. I'm just excited that we will hopefully have fewer or no more ear infections. I'm also hoping that her speech really improves since she hopefully won't be trying to hear through ears full of fluid for the first time in about 7-8 months.

I hope that each of you are well. Write me when you can to fill me in on all your news!

She'll Fit Right in at Family Reunions

2007-01-07T17:03:00.001-06:00

I present you with irrefutable proof that M inherited genes from my side of the family. She likes ketchup.

Merry Christmas!!!

2006-12-25T13:23:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas to everyone! We hope each of you are enjoying time with family and giving thanks for the birth of our Saviour this beautiful day. We enjoyed our candlelight Christmas Eve services last night at church. M seemed to enjoy the music and wanted to help hold the candle. It was a good reminder of how Christ and each of us are His light in this world. Thank you, Father, for the blessing of Your Light...Your Son.

Here's a few photos of our Christmas morning. No, I didn't get her dressed up in her Christmas dress this morning, but I wanted to post M's "official" Christmas card photo on the blog for everyone to enjoy.

Here, M's enjoying her new Bounce and Spin Zebra. She LOVES to bounce, so this should provide a lot of entertainment, not to mention relief for Mommy and Daddy's arms when M wants us to bounce her up into the air.

Here's M checking out her new ABC puzzle. She's REALLY good at removing all the pieces. Now, we just have to work on putting them back.

M's enjoying her new princess chair complete with wand. Her new books are propped up next to her so she can grab one whenever she feels like flipping through it.

Presents and Jingle Bells

2006-12-18T21:01:00.001-06:00

M has a jingle bell on her shoe. She really likes the jingle bell. When you put her shoe on, she stomps so she can hear the bell jingle. You can hear her running all over. I'm thinking I'll leave it on even after Christmas so I can hear her even if I can't see her. A nice bouns for each of us.

We put our first wrapped presents under the Christmas tree last night, and M noticed them right away this morning. She somehow zeroed in on the ones that were hers. She picked them up and was shaking them to see if they made noise. We'll have to ask Gran who she gets that particular traint from. Hmmm...it's a mystery.

Squeals of Delight

2006-12-18T20:51:00.001-06:00

As I've discussed before, M LOVES dogs. When she sees a dog, she gets a HUGE grin on her face and squeals. She has to get as close as she can trying to pet the dog. If we are at someone's house, M will follow their dog around laughing and trying to pet it.

At church, one of the members has a seeing eye dog. When we picked her up from the nursery, the lady with the seeing eye dog and her husband were picking up their child too. M walked out the door to see a big German Shepherd and was in heaven. She grinned and squealed and kept trying to pet it. We had to keep herding her toward the door so the poor people could actually pick up their son.

We're definitely going to have to get a dog at some point in the future.

Christmas Card Outtakes

2006-12-10T14:31:00.000-06:00

We spent part of today trying to take pictures for our Christmas card this year. I know we're a little late, but we've been sick at our house, and Mommy's just getting around to it.

Here's a few of our outtakes from this years Christmas card photo session.

First, we were so tired from playing all morning that we took a quick doze by the tree...

...but then we woke up and were hungry for a snack of Chrismtas tree ornaments...

...before we moved on to stick out our tongue out to truly express the spirit of Chistmas!

Seriously, we did get a few good pictures. Expect Bean adorned Christmas cards in the mail sometime before Christmas.

So Tired....But Getting Better

2006-12-06T15:08:00.001-06:00

We have had a LONG week at our house this week. We ended up back in the emergency room Monday night, along with what looked like the entire population of Houston. M was having an extremely hard time breathing having to pull with muscles in her stomach and neck to get air in and out. She hadn't slept well, hadn't eaten well and had drunk even less. She was lethargic, and when she cried, she sounded like a wheezy newborn instead of her usual bean wailing. She was not doing well.

We got to the ER about 10:30pm and waited an hour and a half to see the triage nurse. They didn't have a room open yet, so she sat us right by the desk so she could keep coming out to check M's breathing while we waited. After waiting another three hours, T asked if it would be quicker for us to go home and keep the pediatrician appointment we had scheduled in 6 hours. They found us a room pretty quickly after that.

We had breathing treatments, suctioning, steroids, chest x-rays, oxygen, and heart, respirations, and O2 sat monitoring for the next 16 hours. It was loads of fun especially while operating on no sleep. They gave her a diagnosis of bronchiolitis. They were going to admit her, but M made a lot of improvement while we were waiting for a room to open. We were able to head home about 5pm which meant it took us an hour and 15 minutes to get home through rush hour traffic.

M did actually sleep last night, which I think made a HUGE difference. It also helped that T and I finally slept too. We went in to see our pediatrician this morning who discovered that M also has another ear infection. She gave us an antibiotic for that and a daily inhaler to use to get M through the cold and flu season with hopefully, no more ER visits. She said she wasn't ready to diagnose her with asthma, but I got the impression that if things continue the way they have, that will likely happen.

M is doing MUCH better today. She is acting pretty much like herself and is breathing almost normally. She ate a good lunch and is drinking well. This afternoon, she decided she needed to wear her blanket square as a hat while she watched Little Einsteins. I think she's feeling better.

Fun with Photoshop

2006-11-25T17:04:00.001-06:00

I took some photos of M this morning and have been having fun with them in Photoshop this afternoon.

Enjoy!!

Bye....BYE!

2006-11-23T18:54:00.001-06:00

Well, today has been a memorable Thanksgiving day. It was M's first ER visit. She's had a cough for a few days, and last night was breathing more rapidly than usual. This morning, she was working even harder to breathe, so we called the pediatrician who advised us to take her to the ER so they could check her out. She's fine. No RSV and no flu...just a really bad cold virus. We're home now with an inhaler for her to use every 4 hours for the next few days.

M did pretty good despite the 6 hours we were there through lunch and nap time without getting lunch and a nap. She wasn't too keen on the doctors examining her, even when they were just listening to her breathe. When the pediatric resident came back in to listen to her breathe after they gave her some medicine, she told him "bye" as he was trying to listen to her chest. When he didn't immediately go away, she voiced a more emphatic "BYE." T and I had to laugh.

Our Bean is most definitely not shy.

Hap-Bean Thanksgiving!

2006-11-22T22:32:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful for cute Beans in turkey hats.

I've Bean Relaxing.

2006-11-22T22:25:00.001-06:00

Ever feel perfectly comfortable? M seems like she's got relaxation all figured out as she checks out an episode of Charlie and Lola.

No, we didn't chop off her left hand. It's just hiding up her sleeve.

The Bean and the Banana

2006-11-16T21:18:00.001-06:00

When she was getting baby food, M enjoyed bananas. She wasn't too interested in them once we transitioned her to table food. We decided to give her a banana this week to see if she was more interested.

I think they're a hit.

Is She an Elf or Is She a Bean?

2006-11-12T13:19:00.001-06:00

Mom, AKA Gran, sent some photos they took of M when she was in Louisiana visiting them at the end of September. To me, she looks just like a little elf in this one.

Her eyes are REALLY blue in this one.

Here's M with her great-grandmother. I see she confiscated Grandmother's keys pretty quickly into the visit.

Fun With Bubbles

2006-11-12T13:12:00.001-06:00

We got out the bubbles to play with the other night.

M enjoyed trying to catch them.

A New Friend

2006-11-06T19:11:00.001-06:00

M and I went to the mall this past weekend to pick up a couple of things. Here's a photo of her in the new pajamas we picked up a The Children's Place. She likes that they are so soft and fuzzy.

We stopped in Build a Bear while we were there, and M got to make a new friend.

As we have discussed in previous blog entries, M loves dogs. So she picked out a dog for her new friend. We named him Ra Ra on his birth certificate that you make before you check out. Rah Rah is the name of Mamaw and Papaw's dog in Louisiana.

I think she likes him. She's been carrying him around to play with and goes straight for him if we tell her to "go get Ra Ra."

All Dressed Up

2006-11-03T22:18:00.001-06:00

Here's M dressed up on Halloween. She was too cute. I have to admit that I was a horrible parent and didn't take M trick or treating or even to the carnival at church. It was just too much after the couple of days at work that I had already had.

But we dressed up for any trick or treaters that came to our door. She is still enjoying carrying around the pumpkin basket that I brought home for her. She'll put it on her arm and head for the door like she has her purse. I guess she's taking after her cousin, H.

M liked that the fabric was so slick and satiny. I'm not really sure if satiny is a real word. Hmmmm....we'll just pretend that it is.

A Happy, Healthy Bean

2006-11-03T22:13:00.001-06:00

M is definitely feeling better...finally. She has been acting like the smiling, happy bean that she is for most of the week now.

Her appetite has returned too. She really enjoyed spaghetti and meatballs a few nights ago.

Imagine Hearing a Long and Heavy Sigh....

2006-10-28T17:55:00.001-05:00

Well, M and I made her FOURTH visit to the pediatrician's office in the past two weeks. Yep, you read it right...FOUR visits in TWO WEEKS. We've started our third antibiotic this morning and are fervently praying it's the one that will clear up this horrible ear infection she's got.

M also has a lovely rash all over her abdomen and back. When I talked to the nurse this morning before heading to the pediatrician's office, she said to give her a dose of Benedryl in case it was hives from an allergic reaction to the antibiotics. When the doctor saw her, she said it looks like a viral rash called Roseola. Apparently, it will clear up in a day or two. But now M' is zonked from the Benedryl. At least she should take one doozy of a nap today.

All I can think about is that it's still 5 or 6 months until cold and flu season is over. I'm not sure I can do this constant run to the pediatrician's office for the next 5 months. If M keeps having these horrible ear infections, we'll probably ask if ear tubes would help. Some friends of ours had this done for their now 2 and 1/2 year old son earlier this year and have told us that he was like a different child after having them put in.

All I know is that if it keeps from doing this over and over again, it will be worth it. Plus, she doesn't eat well when she's sick, and the doctor is already concerned that she didn't gain weight between her 15 month and 18 month check up. As long as she's sick, it's going to be a struggle to get food into her. We'll see what the future brings.

Here is M after her nap this afternoon watching Charlie and Lola.

New Teeth Anyone?

2006-10-24T20:14:00.001-05:00

It looks like M finally has more teeth coming in. She's running a little fever, and we can feel two new teeth on the top barely poking through the gums. I had expected the next new teeth to come in on the bottom since she has 4 on top and 2 on the bottom. But it looks like she'll be sporting a whole top row of teeth before she gets more than two on the bottom.

I'm hoping that her fever doesn't crop back up tomorrow. I really don't want to get a call from daycare to come get her. I've missed enough work lately between the two of us being sick. Pray that she does okay tomorrow.

Shameless Laughs and Scaling Furniture

2006-10-22T19:55:00.001-05:00

M likes to grab post it notes off the computer desk and play with them. She usually ends up dropping them on the floor or leaving them in unexpected places.

You never know where one will end up.

On a separate note, M has also learned how to get onto the furniture by herself.

We're REALLY stressing the "sit on your bottom" thing since she seems to be fond of hanging over the back or arms and lunging for things. Hopefully, we won't have an injuries from tumbling off the couch or loveseat.

The Bean, the Pumpkins, and the Pants

2006-10-21T15:38:00.001-05:00

Despite the cloudy skies and M and I still being sniffly from colds, we went to the pumpkin patch today to take some photos and let M could pick out a pumpkin to bring home. I had hoped to go last weekend, but we were still battling the remnants of the stomach flu at our house. I will be glad when the last of this cold moves on, and we are, hopefully, done with being sick at our house for a while.

Anyway, M had a blast at the pumpkin patch. She wandered around feeling and picking up the pumpkins. She especially liked the knobby, bumpy ones since she likes textures.

While we were there, M decided that she needed to build a pumpkin tower. She's getting really good at stacking things up.

M was excited to find some bean-sized pumpkins in the patch. She carried these two around for most of the time we were there. The yellow knobby pumpkin is one of two that we brought home.

In the photos, you'll notice the ribbon I'm using as a makeshift belt to keep her pants up. She needs the 12 month size for the length, but they won't stay up on their own. I've been unsuccessful in finding bean-sized belts. Suspenders have been suggested. Do you have any suggestions for us to consider to help keep M from going unexpectedly pants-less?

Height, Weight, and Other Such Measures

2006-10-16T20:50:00.001-05:00

M is still fighting her cold and cough, plus she had to get vaccinations at the doctor's office today. It was a tough morning for her. I will be so glad when this cold runs its course. This is the worst one she has had with so much chest congestion. Poor sniffly M.

M did get taller in the past 3 months...almost 4 inchest taller, and her head is bigger which means that her little brain is growing. She did not, however, gain any weight. My hypothesis for this is that she's lost any weight she gained in the past week and a half that she's not been eating well since she's been sick. Usually, she eats pretty well, but that hasn't been the case since Thursday or Friday of the week before last.

Whatever the cause, the doctor wants her to come back in a month to see if she's gained any weight. If she still hasn't gained any weight, I'm not sure what they will want to do.

Personally, I think she's doing all the things she's supposed to be doing, so I'm not terribly worried about it like I was when she was first born. I just hope she has gained weight so the doctor doesn't feel the need to suggest all kinds of interventions and such. But I try not to worry about what hasn't happened, so we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.

Apologies, Anecdotes, and Babbling in Beanish

2006-10-14T20:15:00.001-05:00

Hey, All. Sorry for the infrequent posts since we have returned from vacation last month. It has been one thing afer another lately and this week has definitely been no exception.

We have all had a lovely stomach virus that finally seems to be moving on. M also is in the midst of a nice cold and ear infection. But true to her nature, she's been in a great mood for someone who's constantly coughing their head off. But I think the cough medicine we got today is working better than what we were using before.

Despite the germ warfare going on at our house, we've had been having fun here and there. M is getting smarter all the time. She's been having little conversations in Beanish for quite some time, but now we're picking up more and more intelligiable words in the midst of her chatter. Most recently, she's been saying Charlie and Lola whenever we pop in a tape of the show. She also laughs out loud and gets a huge grin on her face when she hears the theme song. Need I say that she REALLY likes the show.

M also is starting to try to do things on her own instead of just sitting while we do it for or to her. We have been working on using utensils at mealtimes for a while, but the most she has done until today is pick them up and wave them around or try unsuccessfully to get food on them. But today, M actually speared a piece of fruit with her plastic fork and got it into her mouth more than once.

It also appears that M is becoming interested in fixing her hair. She likes to put her hands in it to fluff it around when I'm blowdrying it with the diffuser after her bath. She also likes to brush it with her hairbrush. She definitely knows what the hairbrush is for. She brushed T's hair the other day, and apparently felt that his 1/4 inch coif wasn't enough of a challenge. So after she pondered his face for a bit, M decided to go after his mustache and goatee with the brush too. Once she was done with brushing them, she also felt that they needed a little patting down for good measure. I think T has a new stylist.

M has her 18 month check-up on Monday, so we'll see how much she's grown in the past 3 months. She's definitely taller. We're at the stage now that if I buy pants that are long enough for her, they fall off because she's so tiny around. Too bad she's not at the age where a tiny waist is a good thing. I bought her some things for her fall wardrobe today that I hope will not meander to her ankles as she walks across the room, which is never a good thing even in the toddler world as it usually means you've fallen on your face. Most of them are still in the 12 month size clothing. She actually still has some 6 month clothing that she wears on a regular basis. From what I'm told, stature-wise, she's following in the footsteps of her cousin, A, who I would be thrilled to have M grow up to be like. (Thanks for the encouragement, P. It always helps to hear from someone who's been there before.)

All in all, things are moving along here in our neck of the woods. How are things going for YOU?

There and Back Again

2006-10-02T19:58:00.001-05:00

I hope that no one has wondered where we have been the past week or so. Various family members have been continuing to trek across the country.

I spent a weekend in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, substituting on the Association of Social Work Boards Exam Committee. I had forgotten what a fun and professionally rejuvenating experience that is. I've been told that I may be contacted to substitute for them again in the future.

M also has been traveling. She spent this past week in Louisiana with Mamaw and Papaw and Gran and Paw. I drove up this past Friday to pick her up, and we drove home on Saturday. I think she had a blast while she was there, especially since both sets of grandparents have a dog. T and I have pretty much accepted that we're going to have to get a dog at some point. M is definitely a dog person. We stopped off to say hi to M, P, and D on our drive back to Houston, and M wasn't even nervous around Heidi, their German Shepherd. Yep, we're definitely going to have to get a dog.

M's grandparents seemed to have fun during her visit too. They have told us that she's the smartest, quickest, sweetest, happiest, cutest little girl ever. We knew that already of course. Grandparents and parents aren't at all prejudiced about that kind of thing. We're all completely objective when it comes to M.

Lots of Cousins

2006-09-17T13:29:00.001-05:00

Here's some of the photos we took at my cousin, B's, house at our family get together.

All the little girls together.

All the April 2005 babies with their mothers.

Aunt B with her granddaughters.

B, H, L, and E.

M, A, and C.

A and H.

T, M, and me.

Family Photos at the Beach

2006-09-17T13:28:00.001-05:00

Here are some photos of everyone at the beach. T, M, and I didn't get the memo about bringing a white shirt for the photo, but it turned out great anyway.

Photos of the whole family.

Here are Gran and Paw.

This is Uncle C and Aunt A.

This is Aunt C.

Here's photos of T and M and me.

The Mellow Mushroom

2006-09-17T13:27:00.001-05:00

One night while we were in Gulf Shores, T and I left M with her grandparents and aunts and uncle and went out to eat on our own. We decided to eat at The Mellow Mushroom in Foley which was about 5 miles north of Gulf Shores.

The pizza was really good. It was extremely filling. We had to take most of it back to the resort with us to eat the next day. If you're ever close to a Mellow Mushroom location, I'd recommend it.

M and the Dogs

2006-09-17T13:26:00.001-05:00

As I've mentioned in earlier posts, M really seems to love animals. My Aunt B has a little poodle that gave M hours of delight when we stayed the night at her house. It wasn't too long after we got there that M found Tootie in her kennel and plopped herself down in front of it to look at Tootie and laugh.

B got Tootie out of the kennel so M could pet her. M really liked it when Tootie would lick her hands. She spent quite a bit of time sitting in front of Tootie's kennel. Unfortunately, she started banging on it trying to play with Tootie. Apparently, this is not a new experience for Tootie as B's grandkids do it too, but I didn't want M to think it was okay to do that. I think we'll have to work on this some more when she's around dogs again.

B had dogs at his house, and M went right up to the fence to see them while we were there. When my parents arrived with their dog, she got to pet her too. M was in dog heaven. We're defintely going to have to get a dog once we have a yard.

Hmmm....Lemons

2006-09-17T13:25:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday evening, we all went out to eat seafood at the Shrimp Basket. The food was great. Everyone said that their dish was excellent. We may have to eat there again sometime.

Since seafood is usually served with lemons, we put a wedge of lemon on M's plate to see what she would do with it. She picked it up and put it in her mouth, and a few seconds later came the sour face. It was quite funny.

I expected that that would be the last of the lemons. But M suprised us all, as she kept picking the lemon back up and chewing on it some more! It wasn't long before she was gnawing on it like it was any old piece of fruit and not even making sour faces any more.

I guess she likes lemons!

The Blue Angels

2006-09-17T12:55:00.001-05:00

The National Museum of Naval Aviation is the home of the Blue Angels. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, they practice next to the museum. If you get there about 8:30am, you can watch them.

T and M and I didn't get to see them in person since we left a little later than everyone else and took the wrong road to Pensacola at first. We had to turn around and go back. But Paw and Uncle C took a lot of photos and video of them practicing.

If we ever get back that way, we'll have to be sure to show up in time to watch them practice.

Future Fighter Pilot Perhaps....

2006-09-17T10:45:00.001-05:00

One of the most interesting things we did on our vacation was visit the National Museum of Naval Aviation on the naval base outside of Pensacola. It was amazing to see all of the planes and there was no charge for admission...you just show up and walk right in.

We spent several hours looking at all the planes and displays. I didn't ask but it seemed like a lot of the museum docents and staff were retired military who had either flown or worked with some of the aircraft on display. They were wonderful sources of information.

The museum had one area full of cockpits from all types of aircraft that you could sit in. M got to check out a number of aircraft up close. She really seemed to take to it. She was adjusting the flight controls and maneuvering the flightstick like she does it everyday. T was especially excited when she automatically pressed the trigger button in the cockpit of the F-14 Tomcat.

We ate lunch in the cafe there which is a replica of the officer's club at the base in the Phillipines. It was a really nice day. We would have stayed longer if M hadn't needed a nap and was not cooperating with going on to sleep while we were there. She conked out in the car fairly quickly on the drive back to the resort.

Hopefully, we'll go back one day to see more.

More to Come

2006-09-15T22:46:00.000-05:00

I'll be posting more about the rest of our trip this weekend, so be sure to stop back and check it out.

On the Ferry to Dauphin Island

2006-09-15T22:05:00.001-05:00

After we visited Fort Morgan, we all decided to take the ferry across Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island. We didn't get off and explore the island, but just rode the ferry there and back. It was 45 minutes each way, so the trip was a good hour and a half.

It was nice, but would have been much nicer if there had been a shady spot to sit on the ferry. Although the weather channel had predicted thunderstorms that day, the sun was out in full solar force while we were crossing the bay. We were all feeling the effects of the sun by the time we got back to Fort Morgan and piled in the car for a little air conditioning.

Luckily, My sister, C, had sunscreen in her purse, and I had sunscreen in M's diaper bag which made the rounds. That kept us from getting broiled on the trip. It worked great too, since M wasn't even pink. I think the fact that I coated her in it more than once helped too. The last thing we wanted was a baked bean.

Despite the sun, the views from the ferry were wonderful.

Eaten Alive at Fort Morgan

2006-09-15T21:32:00.001-05:00

One of the things we did on vacation was visit Fort Morgan, Alabama. There is an actual Fort Morgan that was used by the military from 1833 until 1946. Since it was less than 10 miles from where we were staying, we decided to check it out.

They had a little museum that told about the history of the fort and had a good number of artifacts on display. We were not able to spend a lot of time in the fort itself due to the mosquitos. We were inside the fort for about a minute when we decided that it wasn't worth fighting them to stay and explore more. I would have liked to see more. But I'm glad we left when we did since M ended up with 5-6 mosquito bites in just that short time. I'd hate to see what she would have looked like if we had wandered around for 30 minutes or more. Nevertheless, we enjoyed it there and took some pictures outside.

The rest of the family (my parents and siblings) took some great photos of the fort which they shared with us. Next time we go, we'll be prepared with some insect repellent.

A Day (or two) at the Beach

2006-09-15T21:10:00.001-05:00

As much as M loves to splash in her bath, we figured that she’d love being at the beach. She definitely did not disappoint. M liked the way the sand felt to play in, and it must have tasted good too since she tried to eat it more than once.

When we put M in the water, she splashed and splashed. She would even open her mouth when the waves were coming in. I think she would have enjoyed it even more if she hadn’t gotten cold.

A Relaxing View

2006-09-15T21:08:00.001-05:00

I love the sound of the waves at the beach and the breeze that always comes in from the Gulf. It's one of my favorite things about being there. The combination of the waves and the wind is quite relaxing.

Even though our condo was on the side of the resort farthest away from the beach, it still had a fabulous view. We enjoyed sitting out on the balcony quite a bit while we were there. M seemed to enjoy being out there too, although we had to make sure she didn't drop anyting off since we were on the third floor.

Here are a couple of pictures of the view from our balcony.

Making Friends Across the South

2006-09-15T21:07:00.001-05:00

On our drive to Gulf Shores, we stopped at the Welcome Center in Mississippi to stretch our legs a little. There was another family there with a little girl named Winnie who was M’s age. She and M had similar coloring and looked a lot alike. Someone even asked if they were related.

M and Winnie spent a good 20 minutes chasing each other around the welcome center laughing and squealing. The ladies who worked at the welcome center said that they made for a pretty good show.

Who knows if we’ll run into Winnie and her parents again, but M sure enjoyed playing with her while we were there.

Paw Paw's Pets

2006-09-15T20:56:00.001-05:00

My cousin, B, owns a pet store in Denham Springs, Louisiana, which is right outside of Baton Rouge. We got to stop by while we were there. His daughter, L, who is 3 ½ gave us a tour of the store.

M got to look at all the fish and animals. She even got to pet a ferret, a rabbit, a guinea pig, and a kitten. She definitely had a good time.

If you’re ever in the Baton Rouge area, be sure to stop by Paw Paw’s Pets 1950 Florida Avenue Southwest, Denham Springs, Louisiana, 225-664-6266 and spend some money!

M and Her Cousins

2006-09-15T20:55:00.001-05:00

On Saturday morning, we had a family get together at my cousin’s house. My Aunt B and all her children, my cousins, B and his wife H, A and her husband M, and A, as well as all their children were there. My parents also drove down for the morning to be there before heading to Gulf Shores with us.

This visit was significant since M got to meet all her cousins. She is one of 5 girls B, A, A, and I have had in the past 3 ½ years. Three of those girls were all born in April 2005. It was a definite photo op that we all took advantage of even though our subjects didn’t always want to sit still for picture taking. We did manage to get some good photos though.

M had a blast. She started running around with her cousins as soon as we set her down. They were all playing and squealing and running everywhere. It was something to see. I think she enjoyed being outside in the yard too. Since we’re in an apartment, M doesn’t get to run around in a yard too often, and she definitely took advantage of being able to do that at B and H’s house. She even ended up with her first skinned knee. It was quite the momentous occasion.

It’s too bad we don’t live closer so M could play with them all the time.

On the Road with M

2006-09-15T20:41:00.001-05:00

While we were very much looking forward to our vacation, T and I nevertheless had some apprehension about how M would do for so long in the car. On the drive to Gulf Shores, we stopped for the night at my aunt’s in Baton Rouge. This meant that the drive was only about 4-5 hours (depending on stops) each day. M did great. She enjoyed watching the scenery and playing with various toys that we brought to keep her occupied.

M did so well that, we decided to drive home in one day instead of breaking it in half again. So we spent 9 ½ hours (including stops) driving home on Thursday. She only fussed once for about 2 minutes. That’s better than a lot of adults I know. When I opened the door, she walked in and ran straight to play with her blocks. We made it home about her bedtime, so she got to run around while we unloaded the car. Then it was bedtime. I think she was glad to be in her own bed. I know I was.

The Bean Days of Summer

2006-09-08T09:24:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the sparse posting lately. It's been a whirlwind of activity in our life the past two weeks. It's going to be another week before I get back to posting like I was. We're heading off on vacation for the next week. We'll spend tonight in Baton Rouge with my aunt and then have a family morning at my cousin's house before heading to Gulf Shores, Alabama. I should have lots of pictures of M with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and at the beach. See you soon!

We're Learning Colors Among Other Things

2006-09-01T18:45:00.001-05:00

M seems to be picking up her colors. We have a book we read every day about colors, and we talk about them a lot. In her bath last night, she picked out the colors I asked her to more than once before she got tired of that and just wanted to splash. It was consistent enough that I feel like it wasn't just a fluke.

She also seems to be saying more intelligiable words. Of course, she still doesn't repeat anything or say anything on command. I'm starting to be convinced that one day, M will just start speaking in sentences out of the blue. T and I think she's said: milk, yogurt, Mommy, Daddy, dog, cat, peekaboo, book, go, good, thank you, ducky...I think that's all. I think we're getting there.

M really enjoys stacking the little blocks that came with her activity table. I think we may have to get her a set of those big lego blocks so she has more to play with than the few she already has. She makes towers with them all the time.

Tonight, the three of us when out for supper after work. T and I shared a pizza, and M has some spaghetti. She was messy, but did really well. A lady at the restaurant said that she was the best baby she had ever seen. Of course, we had to agree.

Teriyaki Chicken

2006-08-23T21:16:00.001-05:00

M eats so well now that it's hard to remember what a struggle it was to get enough nutrition in her for so long. It's a rare meal that she doesn't eat most or all of what is on her plate. She eats whatever I fix for T and I. We just make sure it's tender and small enough for her and her 6 little teeth to handle. I for one am glad that she's finally eating with ease.

Here's a couple of pictures of M at supper the other night. She really enjoyed the teriyaki chicken (cooked with marinade in the crockpot), brown rice, green beans, and fruit salad. It's one of her favorite meals.

Snacking in Hostile Territory

2006-08-20T16:22:00.001-05:00

As I posted a couple of months ago, M seems to be drawn to T's special forces books. She pulls them off the shelf nearly every day, and it seems that all that studying she's been doing has paid off.

Yesterday, M and I went to visit a friend who has 3 boys, ages 8, 5, and nearly 4 months. They had friends visiting them, both boys ages, 11 or 12 and about 5. M was the only little girl there, and except for the baby, was also the youngest.

During the course of our visit, a couple of the boys each got a doughnut to have for a snack while all the kids were playing in the living area. Before long, I hear my friend's son saying, "M, you're a bad girl", and look up to see him leading her over to me. She's holding and chewing on one of their doughnuts quite happily. It seems she had waded into this throng of boys and come out with their food. Quite an accomplishment in a houseful of boys, I must say.

Anyway, I picked her up and told her that it wasn't nice to take other people's food. The mother of the boys who were visiting, said, "If she can go into that bunch and come out with it, she deserves it." I have to say that I agree.

So M sat with me for a while eating pieces of doughnut. Apparently, stolen doughnuts taste better than the animal crackers I had been offering her all afternoon. She sure is something.

A Few More Photos

2006-08-18T20:43:00.001-05:00

Obviously, I'm trying to make up for my sparse posting lately. Enjoy!

Play Piano

2006-08-18T20:23:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, M's Mamaw and Papaw came to see her last weekend. I think she really enjoyed them being here. There's nothing like being loved on by grandparents. When they came, they brought a gift for M from her Aunt J, a little toy piano that lights up and plays several different tunes.

M really likes it. She has been playing with it quite a bit. I think she especially likes that a lot of the music it plays is the music in the Little Einsteins show that she loves so much. Thanks, Aunt J, for thinking of sweet M.

I Can Reach It

2006-08-18T20:15:00.001-05:00

M has been growing and growing lately. She's still small weight wise, but she's getting taller all the time. The arms of our sofa and loveseat are quite high, and in the past, we could leave items up there that we didn't want her to reach. This has not been possible for the past couple of weeks. M is tall enough to reach most things we put up there. We're going to have to find another place to put things out of her reach.

We Are Still Here

2006-08-15T19:44:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that we are really still here. It's been a hectic week or two. I was in Oklahoma for part of last week for the wedding of a friend I've known for 28 years. T was a single parent for part of the weekend before his parents came into town. I got home the day before they left to go home, so I was able to visit with them for a little bit too. That's always nice.

M is doing well. She's been sick again. Apparently the cold she had last week caused her ear infection to flare back up again. So she's on some antibiotics that are a little stronger than the last ones to be sure that it completely takes care of the infection. She seems to be feeling better than she was on Saturday.

I'll try to have some new pictures to post this week or this weekend. See you soon!

More Pictures with the Lei

2006-08-07T21:48:00.001-05:00

As promised, here are more pictures of M with the lei. It fits around her head just perfectly. It's really cute when we can get her to leave it on for any length of time. She loved wearing hats when she was younger, but she won't keep much of anything on her head for long now.

I'm hoping she'll let us keep a hat on her when we go to the beach in September. I guess we'll find out.

Po' Man's Playhouse

2006-08-06T18:10:00.001-05:00

In M's classroom at her daycare, they have one of those indoor/outdoor heavy-duty plastic playhouses. Everyday when we drop her off, M heads straight for that to play in. Everyday when we pick her up, she's in the little playhouse playing. T said that on Friday, she was in there dancing.

So we decided to make M a make-do playhouse. We cut down the box for the second carseat so that it has a door and windows. She seems to like it all right. The biggest drawback is that it just falls over when she puts any weight against one of the sides.

Maybe one day we can get her a real one, but this one seems to be doing okay for now.

Multi-Purpose Balloon

2006-08-06T18:05:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we had a luau at work for the residents. Afterwards, they had these huge, flower balloons just floating around the activities office. Our activity director asked if I wanted to take one home to M, and of course I said yes since she enjoys balloons so much.

Here's a few photos of her with it. It's like she's using it as an innertube or an inflatable chair.

Beans and Pigtails

2006-07-29T19:44:00.001-05:00

M's hair has been getting longer and longer. It has a natural side part which seems to help it stay out of her face for the most part. I'm glad for that since I don't want to cut it yet.

Today, we tried a new hairdo.

I think M liked it.

Ready for the Luau

2006-07-28T20:43:00.001-05:00

Here's M modeling the lei I brought home from work today. We had a luau for the residents tonight. I didn't stay for it since I had a previous date with my two favorite people in the world...who would be T and M just in case you were wondering.

She seemed to really enjoy wearing and playing with the lei. I have a feeling that I'll have more pictures with it in the future.

Baby Jedi

2006-07-26T20:24:00.001-05:00

M is definitely feeling better. She seems like she's back to her normal self. It also helps that her runny nose is abating. She can't stand when we have to suction it out. We have to almost hold her down to do it, so I'm also quite relieved that we're hopefully done with this go round with the bulb syringe. She also has another new tooth. We're up to 6 now.

Tonight, M pulled one of her hoody towels out of the cabinet and started waving it around. I put it on her head, and wore it that way for quite a while before pulling it off. I think she liked feeling around her like a cape. T said that she looked like a baby Jedi. I can definitely see that.

Are we geeks or what.

The Sorting Queen

2006-07-25T13:12:00.001-05:00

M is starting to get over her ear infection. She hasn't run any fever so far today and her runny nose is letting up a tiny bit. She finally ate a decent portion of her lunch today. It looks like she'll be able to go back to daycare tomorrow, and I can go back to work.

I guess we can't complain that in nearly 16 months, she hasn't really been sick except for a few mild colds. We'll see how long the antibiotics the pediatrician gave her will ward off another illness.

On another note, M's new fascination is with sorting and rearranging things. She likes to move her food from one compartment on her plate and back again. Which unfortunately isn't the most appetizing thing unless you're a toddler. She has, however, come up with some unique food combinations.

She also likes putting her toys into things like her drum, her toy bin, the activity table, the shelf, and then taking them out again...and back in again...and back out.

If anyone has anything that needs sorting, M will be happy to help you with it. I can't vouch that anything will have even a semblance of organization (we've found Noah sitting next to her tamborine, her rubber duck in her elephant sorter's snout, and her egg shaker in Noah's ark with the animals), but things will definitely sorted in some way shape or form. She doesn't do anything halfway that girl.

And It Begins

2006-07-23T19:54:00.001-05:00

As you all know, this past week was M's first week at daycare. By the end of the week, she'd adjusted pretty well. She was napping and eating just fine. The teachers said that she'll come over to be picked up for a few minutes from time to time, but was playing most of the time. All in all, not bad considering how big of a change it was for her.

But, now she's sick. M had a runny nose all day yesterday and today. This evening, she's started running a 101 fever and having some nastier looking drainage. So, T will be packing her off to the pediatrician tomorrow. I guess almost 16 months is not a bad track record for not needing antibiotics other than what she's gotten when she's been in the hospital.

Even though she's sick, she's not been too terribly fussy. She hasn't had a great appetite and has had a crying spell or two. But it hasn't been anything horrible or constant. M's good spirits continue to amaze me. She is such a blessing.

Pray that she gets better soon.

Day 2

2006-07-19T20:22:00.001-05:00

M's second day at day care was much better than yesterday. I guess knowing that Mommy and Daddy do come to get you at the end of the day makes a big difference. I imagine that all she knew yesterday was that she was in a strange place with strage people and where are Mommy and Daddy. Poor M.

But today, she ate her lunch and took a good nap. She was playing just fine when I went to pick her up. Hopefully, we're through the worst of the adjustment. Knowing M, we are. She's pretty laid back about things for the most part.

Today was 50s day at the day care. I didn't really want to go out and buy a special outfit for her, so I put her in a cute little dress that Gran got for her. The style of it reminded me of the 50s in a way, so that's what she wore. Here's a couple of pictures of her in the dress.

M's 1st Day at Daycare

2006-07-18T21:04:00.001-05:00

Well, M has survived her first day at daycare. T dropped her off, and she was just fine and jumped in playing with the toys. I picked her up today, and she was glad to see me. They said that she didn't nap at all and didn't eat much of her lunch. They tried a couple of times to see if she would eat more, but she wasn't interested. It was just too much of a new thing for her.

I know she'll get accustomed to it soon, probably sooner than I expect. I know she's safe there too. Boy, these transitions are tough. Tougher on me I think. I'm the one who will actually remember them the rest of my life. I'll be able to regale M with tales of her toddlerhood adventures. Whenever I share them with her, she'll probably look at me funny and shake her little bean head wondering how she ended up with such a silly mommy. I can't wait.

PS. M had a new tooth come through yesterday. She's up to five teeth now.

Hmmm...Static Electricity

2006-07-16T19:48:00.000-05:00

Yummy

2006-07-16T19:46:00.001-05:00

Hmmm...yummy. Honey bun cake. Recipe courtesy of T's mom. Thanks for sharing.

Oompa Loompa

2006-07-16T14:40:00.001-05:00

Here's M at lunch today. She looks like she's donning her Oompa Loompa makeup.

To Play or Not To Play

2006-07-15T20:20:00.001-05:00

Since M is starting at daycare this week, we had to get a second car seat for T's truck. I'll usually be dropping her off, and he'll probably be the one picking her up in the afternoons. So we needed a car seat for both vehicles.

Luckily, there was a grand opening for a Babies R Us not too far from where I work this weekend. They had $10 off any car seat over $40 (and really, how many aren't over $40), and then I had a coupon for $5 off any purchase over $25. So I ended up getting $15 off the regular price. As an added bonus, I was actually able to drive there on my lunch break, find the car seat, check out, and get back to work in about 20 minutes.

After we pulled it out, we gave M the box to see what she'd do with it. She crawled in it for a little bit, but didn't seem super impressed. Still, we've left it on the floor for her in case she decides she wants to play in it later. I think there will be a time that she definitely enjoys playing in it.

Getting Comfy

2006-07-15T20:10:00.001-05:00

M has started pulling all the pillows off the loveseat onto the floor. Once she gets them there, she does one of two things. She enjoys piling them all together and then wallowing in them, or she'll take them one by one and put them different places...usually up by the TV.

Today, she decided to sit in them and flip through a book.

Earning Her Keep

2006-07-09T19:45:00.001-05:00

We decided that it was time M started earning her keep around here. After all, 15 months of being waited on hand and foot. Come on, you have to agree, it was time she started pitching in.

Folding the laundry seemed like the perfect task for M to start on. I mean, the washclothes are the same size as her little blanket squares that she sleeps with. She'd be in familiar territory.

She was excited to help, but her technique needs some tweaking. M was more interested in unfolding the washcloths and waving them around like a matador. It seems, we've got some more teaching to do. But she was quite entertaining, so I guess she contributed in her own way.

Alter Egos and Super Powers

2006-07-08T13:48:00.001-05:00

As anyone who reads this blog or knows M is aware, she is truly an exceptional child. I'm sure you'll agree. There's just no denying it.

T and I have become aware that Morgan possesses...shall we say...a few genetic gifts. For example, she's capable of producing copious amounts of drool. My day is just not complete if I haven't been licked or slobbered on somewhere on my person.

Surely a gift of this nature wasn't wasted on an ordinary child. We were convinced M was a superhero waiting to vanquish dry mouths and hairy tongues from the world. Well, today, I was able to photograph M's alter ego.

Meet Princess Raspberry!

Art...Bean Style

2006-07-08T10:58:00.001-05:00

M and I tried our hand a coloring today for the first time. M enjoyed looking at the colors...dropping them on the floor...getting off my lap to pick them up...wanting to get back in my lap...looking at the colors...dropping them on the floor...again and again.

Here's the results of our efforts.

M's main contribution was the big bite out of the middle outlined in slobber. I have to admit, I'd have never thought of doing that. She's got some flair that girl!

Sad and Wonderful

2006-07-05T20:10:00.001-05:00

M had her 15 month check up today. She weighs a whopping 18 pounds even. We still can't turn the car seat around yet. It looks like she may be nearly two before she hits the 20 pound mark. She is growing though. She's gained weight from her last check up and is taller too. We had to buy new pajamas because she got too tall for the old ones.

M is growing and learning everyday. She's so much fun to watch and be with. Her personality is blossoming as she grows up. T said that he knew she'd be fun, but didn't realize she'd be this much fun. Gran likes to say that M is better entertainment than TV.

It's amazing when I think about how much she's changed. M's not a baby any more. She's a little girl. It's sad and wonderful at the same time.

M's Thoughts on Pot Roast

2006-07-05T20:08:00.001-05:00

Bat Bean

2006-07-02T19:46:00.001-05:00

M has decided that she likes to hang upside down. When we hold her, she leans back farther and father until she's upside down. We'll pull her upright, and she leans back again. We've started helping her turn flips too. She's turning into quite the little tumbler.

Due to M's goal of twisting and turning in any way her little body will let her, T and I have become her climbing walls as she does acobatics to see just what she can do. It's a workout for us too. But in the end, we end up getting in a lot of hugs and kisses, so it works out great all around.

Mamaw's Spaghetti and Meatballs

2006-06-23T19:52:00.001-05:00

Todd's Mamaw V has a spaghetti and meatballs recipie that all the grandkids love. M had it tonight for the first time, and Mamaw's batting average with her spaghetti and meatballs remains unblemished. She cleaned her plate.

Thanks for sharing your recipe, Mamaw V.

To Quote Julie, "M juego, juego, mucho juego."

2006-06-22T21:45:00.001-05:00

M really enjoyed playing tonight. She's decided that it's fun to pull out a wipe and chew on it. Even though this picture is a side shot, you can see the purpose in her face as she heads for the wipes. I think we're going to have to find another place for them from now on.

M also liked playing with the doll on her bed. She likes looking at the doll's face. She hasn't quite gotten the hang of holding the doll yet. It's a good thing the doll isn't a real baby. Let's just say that M would be facing strangulation charges about now if she had been holding a real baby the way she handled the doll. But at least she had fun.

M and Mommy

2006-06-22T21:34:00.001-05:00

Here's a picture of M and me. We don't have a lot of them with the two of us together. Usually, I'm snapping pictures of M when T's at work. If we do take pictures when he's home, I'm usually weilding the camera then too.

Occasionally, I try to take a photo of M and me on my own which isn't the easiest thing to do. Usually, I end up cutting off part of our heads or skewing the photo in some way.

So, I was glad to see that this one of us together came out pretty good.

We Like Silly Daddies

2006-06-18T17:24:00.001-05:00

Thanks, T, for being such a wonderful daddy to our sweet M. She's lucky to have you for her father.

I love you.

A Little Light Reading

2006-06-18T11:18:00.001-05:00

As most of you know, T and I both love to read. We have shelves full of books and books that still need shelves. So it has been with great joy that we see M seeking out and looking at her books even when we are not actively reading to her. It makes me smile everytime I see her flipping through them. A child who loves to read will have a tremendous advantage in this world.

Due to our personal library, M has a myriad of choices when it comes to reading material. It's really interesting to see what books she pulls off the shelves to look at.

Lately, we've been wondering if she's planning a commando mission to break out of her crib after we've gone to bed. We'll keep you posted.

Multitasking M Style

2006-06-17T09:59:00.001-05:00

Last night when I went to the grocery store, I got a mylar, helium, father's day balloon. I know that T appreciates the sentiment, but we all know M will get a lot more entertainment out of it. Which, in turn, is something T will definitely enjoy.

Anyway, she was already asleep last night when I came home, so she didn't see the balloon until this morning. I was afraid that it would distract her so much that she wouldn't want to eat. But M, as always, had her own way of combining breakfast and balloon time.

She held onto the balloon and waved it around with one hand while holding her bottle with the other one. Leave it to M to figure out how to make it work.

Hairdo

2006-06-12T20:14:00.001-05:00

M's hair is getting longer and curling up in the back. You can see it in this picture. It's so cute. We washed it tonight in her bath...which was good since she smeared food in it at both lunch and supper. Somedays, she really gets the food everywhere.

Her hair started out red when she was first born. T's employees at the store nicknamed her Fireball. As she's gotten older, her hair has started coming in almost white blond underneath. It's getting lighter and lighter. I don't know why, but I never imagined ever having a red-headed or blond child. Both colors are strongly represented in the family, so it's not a huge leap for her to be either.

Even though, I didn't expect it, I think her hair is beautiful.

Bubbles at the Birthday Party

2006-06-10T22:02:00.001-05:00

M went to a birthday party at Gymboree Play and Music tonight. She had so much fun playing with everything. She's not old enough to really play with the other kids, but she loved crawling on everything and playing with all the different size balls they had everywhere.

She was just playing and doing her own thing until they brought out the maracas. She zeroed in on those and headed straight for them. M really enjoys things that rattle, shake, and make noise. She made sure she got a hold of a couple of the maracas.

M liked the bubbles as well. There were bubbles everywhere. We were able to get a bubble kit like the one at the party so we can have fun at home too.

Did She Say....

2006-06-06T20:17:00.001-05:00

We have been waiting and waiting for M to talk. We're still waiting. She jabbers on in Beanish, but nothing we can definitely chalk up to being a real word yet.

Every now and then, it seems like she'll whisper a little word. But it's so quiet, you're not really sure if she said something or not. So far, we think she's whispered peekaboo, cat, dog, and Gisha, but she won't repeat anything or say it loud enough that we're sure she's talking.

She spends her day playing quietly or chattering in Beanish. We are just waiting for her to really start talking and say something that we're really sure is a word. I'm sure there will be a day we'll be wishing for her to be quiet, but right now I'm just waiting for her to talk.

M's Day at the Mall

2006-06-05T22:15:00.001-05:00

Usually, Sunday is the only day off T and I have together, and we typically are at church that day. But today, we were both off work together, and we took advantage of that and made a family trip to the mall. We had to pick up a birthday present for a birthday party M is invited to this weekend. I needed to pick up a few items, and T got his eyeglasses prescription filled.

While we were there, M wanted to get out of her stroller and walk some. So she was walking along holding my hand, when all of the sudden she lets go and walks right toward the display window we were passing...for Build a Bear Workshop. They had this giant animated bear in the window, and she just had to look at it. We walked past the store, and all their stuffed toys were in the display window on the other side. M kept pointing to them too. It was funny. I guess those display people know what they're doing. Anyway, I think it won't be too long before we have to take her there to build her own bear.

We ate lunch in the food court. It was the first time we've gone out without feeding M first or coming home to feed her. But she did great eating off out our plates. After lunch we came home, and she went right down for her nap. It was a big morning for her.

I think I'll be braver about taking her out when we'll not be able to eat at home now. I've really had to push myself to do normal things with her after having to be so careful with her for so long. I'm still protective of her healthwise since she's even more susceptible than other babies until she hits about 2 years old. I know she'll go through a period of getting sick a lot at some point, but I'd rather she do that later when her immune system isn't already behind the curve.

All said, we had a great day at the mall. I wish we had the chance to have a family day like this a little more often. It was nice.

Just Because She's Cute

2006-06-03T20:44:00.000-05:00

Splish Splash

2006-06-03T20:36:00.001-05:00

M LOVES her bath. As soon as we start heading toward the bathtub, she starts wiggling all over and pointing toward the water. She splashes around and grins when I pour water over her.

Not too long ago, we got M some letters that stick to the side of the bathtub and shower when they get wet. She likes chewing on them (she likes chewing on everything), but she doesn't seem to have gotten the sticking to the wall yet. We're trying to use them to help her learn her colors right now. Later, we'll move on to letters and numbers.

So Soft

2006-05-31T20:09:00.001-05:00

M LOVES textures. Anything that feels interesting or different evokes a huge grin on her face and she rubs her hands all over it to take in whatever it feels like. For her birthday, her Mamaw made her a mini quilt with squares of fabric that all felt different. She loves it.

Tonight while we were playing, we pulled out one of her blankets that is really soft and plush and spread it on the floor. M started kicking her feet trying to feel it so we stripped her down to her diaper and sat her down on it.

I only wish you could have seen her. It almost looked like she was trying to swim on the blanket. She'd slide down onto her tummy and wave her arms and legs on the blanket almost like when you make snow angels with a big smile on her face.

M's something else.

Playing, Playing, Playing

2006-05-30T20:06:00.001-05:00

Well, M is definitely feeling better. She slept through the night without waking herself up coughing even though we didn't give her cough medicine before bedtime. I'm so glad she's feeling better.

Now that she's feeling like herself again, M is constantly moving. She never stops. She plays and plays until her naptime at which point, she generally konks out in about 2 minutes. She's something.

Sometimes, I wish I had her energy. But then I realize that I'm awake longer than she is, seldom stop doing something whether I'm at work or at home, and generally konk out quite quickly after my head hits the pillow.

Hmmmm....Sounds familiar.

Spoon Anyone?

2006-05-24T20:33:00.001-05:00

If M's appetite as supper tonight was any indication, she must be feeling a little better. She ate so well. I was amazed at how much she put away tonight. Maybe she will hit 20 pounds before she's nearly two. She really enjoyed her food. You can even see her new teeth in this photo.

In the midst of all this eating, M picked up her spoon/fork several times and was trying to use it. She would try to get food on the end, but just matter of factly tossed the utensil on the floor when she was unsuccessful. We've been giving her a spoon or fork at meals for a while. She's been playing with them and throwing them on the floor...well she still does that...and figured she'd start using it when she was ready.

I guess she's ready.

New Teeth and a Runny Nose

2006-05-23T10:56:00.001-05:00

Poor M. She's had a rough few days. She has two new teeth. Her top front teeth poked their way through on Friday night. She's been a little cranky from that.

Now she also has a cold. Her nose is runny, and she just LOVES the bulb syringe and my wiping it with tissue. I got some of those tissues with lotion to hopefully keep it from getting all chapped from the running and the wiping.

She's been coughing and sneezing like crazy. We had to rock her back to sleep a few times last night instead of her sleeping all night like she usually does.

I'll be glad when M feels better. She's a sweet girl.

Motivation or Just Plain Fun

2006-05-21T11:43:00.000-05:00

We've come across this website that will allow you to upload a photo and create your own poster in the style of those popular motivational posters.

Obviously, we've gone for the "just plain fun" version. I'm sure that we'll be uploading other photos and creating more posters. You can download the image or pay them to actually print it out into a poster form.

I can tell already that this site will make for on-going fun for years.

Adventures with a Purple Balloon

2006-05-13T20:13:00.001-05:00

M and I went to the grocery store on the corner this morning. They don't have the same variety as other stores, but it's a lot calmer to shop there than to fight the madness of Super Wal-Mart. Since it's a smaller store, it also tends to be a lot more personable. Every Saturday, they give out free balloons to kids who come into the store.

So today, we came home with one for M. She loves its. She's figured out how to pull the ribbon hand over hand to get the balloon down where she can hold it...shake it...wave it around...bonk it on her face...you get the idea. We spent a good hour playing with the balloon after I got the groceries put away.

M sure is a lot of fun.

Foreign Fashion

2006-05-08T21:05:00.001-05:00

M's nanny, J, has recently returned from visiting her family in El Salvador. It was her first visit to see her son and grandchildren still there in 7 years. We were so glad that she was able to see them.

Last week was J's first week back taking care of Morgan, and she brought M a present. A green dress that is beautifully handmade. M wore it to church this past Sunday and looked so grown up. We had to take some pictures of her, of course. She looks like she's posing.

Splitting Hairs

2006-05-08T20:53:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to decide if I should cut M's bangs or not. They're getting long. But I'm afraid that if I start cutting them, I'll have to keep it up.

If I don't cut them, I'm going to have to start pulling her hair back so that it doesn't look disheveled. It's cute either way because...you know...it's M, so how can it not be cute. But still.

I just don't know which way to go. What do you think?

Learning About Everything

2006-05-02T20:28:00.001-05:00

Many times when someone discusses their career path, they mention that they showed an interest in their chosen field from the time they were very young. With this in the back of my head, I'm always watching M to see what kind of things she's interested in so we can encourage her to learn and grow.

Based on observations thus far, M will either be a document shredder for the CIA or a dentist with an obsession with plaque free teeth. She's quite efficient at destroying paper. We've recently discovered that our junk mail makes for a highly entertaining toy. Unfortunately, we have to take it away once she gets past the shredding part and decides to eat it. Somehow, I'm pretty sure that the mail isn't the most germ-free item she can put in her mouth.

M's current fascination with teeth started innocently enough with her putting her hand on our face when we gave her a bottle. That progressed to her discovery that there was more to explore if she pried our mouth open. She laughs out loud if we chatter our teeth at her, and she gets a look of intense concentration on her face when she rubs her fingers over them. Try as I might, I just can't see what's so wonderful about rubbing teeth, but then I'm not a baby learning about this big world.