I kept delaying this post because I wanted to make Annie a cute onesie announcing our plans, but it never happened, so you get plain text. If you haven't heard, and most of you have, we are going to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving. We will be meeting up with all of Sam's mom's family and having a grand ol' time hanging out together. I wanted to write "Vegas Baby" on a shirt and take Anne's picture to tell you all, but there was just never time for that. We are leaving Tuesday morning and coming back Saturday (attention thieves: our house will be unmanned--help yourself to our cheap-o furniture and sub-par electronics. Take our dog, too.)
Anyone know good things to do with our 1-year-old on a 3 hour flight? I've got finger puppets, a sticker book, regular books, lots of snacks, the thus-far-forbidden juice, and the potent Tylenol-and-blankie combination. Please pray that she sleeps well while we are gone; experience does not show that she's a good traveller.
The planning and packing for this trip helped fuel yesterdays brutally honest post. Funny how stressful things sort of compound and build up and you don't really know how it is going to blow up, only that it IS going to blow up. So I'm planning and packing for a 5-day vacation with a toddler, finishing my semester of grad school (writing papers), working without my full-time assistant (doing the job of two people instead of one), and to top it off, I just started teaching Sunday School to a handful of kindergarteners. They're cute and all, but holy cow there's a lot of prep work to do! Plus Sam is working extra to counteract the time he is taking off for the trip, so he's not home to help much (though he does what he can, especially in the morning.)
I'm not trying to complain--this is the life I lead and most days it's pretty sweet. Just trying to give a little perspective on why Anne's PT mess really freaked me out. It made me think "I don't need one more thing to think about!" I already felt like a dum-dum this week because we totally missed our appointment for Sam and Anne to get flu shots. Sam probably won't get one now, and Anne got hers thanks to Opa. We traded cars one morning so he would have the carseat and took her all by himself to the clinic for her shot. He was surprised at how taxing it is to carry her from the car to the building to the desk to the waiting room. She's no lightweight, I know! Plus now she wiggles and twists around!
I'm rambling and I know it. To summarize: this week has been crazy, I want it to be over, I have 12 items on my to-do list for tonight, and we are in desperate need of this vacation!
Happy Thanksgiving, all! We will miss the Kleinman festivities very much, as well as the Red Wing "Holiday Stroll"(they're having live reindeer this year!). Enjoy your families, remember to be thankful, and color a "hand turkey" just for fun.
Lots of pictures and fun stories to come from our trip to the desert--stay tuned.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Here We Go
Okay, I think I have my thoughts somewhat organized now. We'll see what comes out on my e-paper here.
Annie, as you know, is not yet walking and has never crawled. She's 13.5 months old now, and apparently this is a problem.
Anne is part of the Follow-Along program, a program from our local public health department. Every 3 months they send us questionnaires about what she is doing and we fill them out. Up until the 12 month survey she was doing just fine. However, on the 12 month survey she could not do any of the gross-motor activities they suggested. Because she scored low, the public health nurse followed up with us, and she referred us to the pediatric physical therapist in our school district. They set up a home visit and came to see Anne last night, along with the new-case manager from the Family Center. (It was nice because I know them both, but it was still kind of weird)
They watched Annie scoot, stand, and play. As they watched we talked about the assessment process and what they plan to do next. The PT believes Anne has a "significant delay" in her motor skills and so we are going to have a formal assessment done after Thanksgiving. This involves 3 more home visits and lots of questions about her movement. If her test results show a true delay (as compared to other children her age) we will make a plan for regular physical therapy until she turns 3. They did comment that Annie seems advanced in all other areas: social skills, verbal skills, fine motor, etc. We talked about how she never liked to play on her tummy and the fact that she is a "content sitter" meaning she is happy to sit and play with her toys and isn't super-motivated to move. They also commented on how shaky her standing is and the fact that she still walks on her toes sometimes. All in all it was a nice visit, but there will be much more to learn and do after Thanksgiving is over.
The Mom Perspective: It was a weirdly emotional thing, to have these 2 experts in my house analyzing my kid. I wanted to say "She's fine! She'll get it! She can't be advanced in every area, can she? Something's gotta give if she talks this much." I'm sure lots of kids don't walk right away at the time they turn one. And of course, being in education, when you hear the word "delay" you think "developmental delay" and then you think "special ed." and it makes you panic. The PT said "She's very smart, and that makes me think something (physical) is keeping her from moving. It's not that she can't figure it out, it's that something keeps her from doing it." Great, so she's deformed or something?!?! Or something is hurting her every time we put her on her tummy and that's why she cries? Maybe there's some weird spinal fusion or attached tendon or God-knows-what and she can't move her legs like she should?!?
What is most upsetting is this: More likely than not, she is totally fine. She's making progress each day and is doing WAY more than she was a month ago. So this emotional freak-out is probably completely unnecessary. But this is parenting, I guess: the hyper-analysis of everything, the attempts to take care of your kid that backfire on you (it was good to have her followed by public health, it was good to ask the doctor questions about her walking, it was good to be referred to specialists, but now I feel like crap.) It is trusting God to take care of your kid when you have done everything you can and still don't know how it is going to turn out.
To end on a happier note, she was very charming during the home visit. She stood at the coffee table, she scooted, she signed for "milk" and then drank from her cup. She opened her book, turned the pages, pointed at and said "ball". She sucked her thumb and snuggled and demonstrated "where are your socks?" a number of times. She really is a gem.
Annie, as you know, is not yet walking and has never crawled. She's 13.5 months old now, and apparently this is a problem.
Anne is part of the Follow-Along program, a program from our local public health department. Every 3 months they send us questionnaires about what she is doing and we fill them out. Up until the 12 month survey she was doing just fine. However, on the 12 month survey she could not do any of the gross-motor activities they suggested. Because she scored low, the public health nurse followed up with us, and she referred us to the pediatric physical therapist in our school district. They set up a home visit and came to see Anne last night, along with the new-case manager from the Family Center. (It was nice because I know them both, but it was still kind of weird)
They watched Annie scoot, stand, and play. As they watched we talked about the assessment process and what they plan to do next. The PT believes Anne has a "significant delay" in her motor skills and so we are going to have a formal assessment done after Thanksgiving. This involves 3 more home visits and lots of questions about her movement. If her test results show a true delay (as compared to other children her age) we will make a plan for regular physical therapy until she turns 3. They did comment that Annie seems advanced in all other areas: social skills, verbal skills, fine motor, etc. We talked about how she never liked to play on her tummy and the fact that she is a "content sitter" meaning she is happy to sit and play with her toys and isn't super-motivated to move. They also commented on how shaky her standing is and the fact that she still walks on her toes sometimes. All in all it was a nice visit, but there will be much more to learn and do after Thanksgiving is over.
The Mom Perspective: It was a weirdly emotional thing, to have these 2 experts in my house analyzing my kid. I wanted to say "She's fine! She'll get it! She can't be advanced in every area, can she? Something's gotta give if she talks this much." I'm sure lots of kids don't walk right away at the time they turn one. And of course, being in education, when you hear the word "delay" you think "developmental delay" and then you think "special ed." and it makes you panic. The PT said "She's very smart, and that makes me think something (physical) is keeping her from moving. It's not that she can't figure it out, it's that something keeps her from doing it." Great, so she's deformed or something?!?! Or something is hurting her every time we put her on her tummy and that's why she cries? Maybe there's some weird spinal fusion or attached tendon or God-knows-what and she can't move her legs like she should?!?
What is most upsetting is this: More likely than not, she is totally fine. She's making progress each day and is doing WAY more than she was a month ago. So this emotional freak-out is probably completely unnecessary. But this is parenting, I guess: the hyper-analysis of everything, the attempts to take care of your kid that backfire on you (it was good to have her followed by public health, it was good to ask the doctor questions about her walking, it was good to be referred to specialists, but now I feel like crap.) It is trusting God to take care of your kid when you have done everything you can and still don't know how it is going to turn out.
To end on a happier note, she was very charming during the home visit. She stood at the coffee table, she scooted, she signed for "milk" and then drank from her cup. She opened her book, turned the pages, pointed at and said "ball". She sucked her thumb and snuggled and demonstrated "where are your socks?" a number of times. She really is a gem.
She did it...
...no, she didn't walk or anything....
If you follow the links on the right side, you see a blog called "A Year of Crockpotting". It is the work of a woman named Stephanie who resolved to use her CrockPot every day in 2008. She has recently been doing a string of Thanksgiving recipes in preparation for the big day, and yesterday she made a WHOLE turkey! In her CrockPot! I know I am lame for thinking this, but that is freakin' amazing. You must click over there and check it out.
Do it. Do it now!
Baby updates coming soon, as soon as I can organize my thoughts and emotions.
If you follow the links on the right side, you see a blog called "A Year of Crockpotting". It is the work of a woman named Stephanie who resolved to use her CrockPot every day in 2008. She has recently been doing a string of Thanksgiving recipes in preparation for the big day, and yesterday she made a WHOLE turkey! In her CrockPot! I know I am lame for thinking this, but that is freakin' amazing. You must click over there and check it out.
Do it. Do it now!
Baby updates coming soon, as soon as I can organize my thoughts and emotions.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Annie's uncle (her mommy's baby brother) William! He's turning the big 2-0 today, if you can believe it. This marks the end of my parents' long run as parents of at least one teenager. Let's see, Travis turned 13 almost 14 years ago, so that's a long time! I remember when Will turned 13--all 4 of us were teenagers for a few weeks before Trav turned 20. Crazy! So Happy Birthday, Will. You're the best. And I need a more updated picture of you :)
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Fun Info
I got these tips in an email from a friend. I've been meaning to post them and log them for posterity here, but it just kept getting pushed back to another day. So I'm doing it now while I'm on hold on the phone! They're pretty interesting and all worth a try. Thanks, Stacey!
Bananas
Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
Cheese
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!
Peppers
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating raw.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
Frying ground beef
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
Scrambled eggs or omelets
To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.
Brownies
For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.
Garlic
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.
Snicker Bars
Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!
Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low And heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy microwave pizza.
Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, Cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg.
Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.
No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.
Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and... And TA DA!... Static is gone.
Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car . When the window s fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!
Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.
Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.
Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed.
INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I
always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material... I'm
sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ...
The hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit.
You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ..well this stuff
builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your
electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months.
He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?!
Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share!
Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it... The water ran right thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!
Bananas
Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
Cheese
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!
Peppers
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating raw.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
Frying ground beef
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
Scrambled eggs or omelets
To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.
Brownies
For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.
Garlic
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.
Snicker Bars
Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!
Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low And heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy microwave pizza.
Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, Cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg.
Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.
No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.
Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and... And TA DA!... Static is gone.
Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car . When the window s fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!
Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.
Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.
Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed.
INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I
always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material... I'm
sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ...
The hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit.
You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ..well this stuff
builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your
electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months.
He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?!
Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share!
Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it... The water ran right thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
And into November
In case you hadn't heard, or didn't live it yourself, it snowed here this week (and last week, too). I could comment on how lame it is to scrape the car, how schools around us had a late start Wednesday but we didn't, or bemoan our lack of a true fall season (and the fact that we never finished raking the yard). But I'm choosing to tell all of you non-parents out there about how sucky it is to put your baby in a giant winter jacket. Worst. Thing. Ever. Okay, not really, but it is annoying. She hates the hat, the jacket triples her width, and you just kind of grab on to any puff of fabric and carry her to the car, hoping she doesn't slip out on the way. And then her little legs stick out the bottom all twig-like and cold. I really wanted a fleece snowsuit for her, but I can't find anything in 18 or 24 month size. They are all for little babies. So for now she remains the Pink Puff and we try to wriggle the carseat straps around her gigantic form.
Oh, and she can't suck her thumb if she's wearing mittens, either.
She's thinking "I sure do have two bone-headed parents. Look at this get-up."
Oh, and she can't suck her thumb if she's wearing mittens, either.
She's thinking "I sure do have two bone-headed parents. Look at this get-up."
What?!?
We are sorting through some old books here at school, and this one we pulled off the shelf made me laugh out loud. Click on it to make it bigger.
The blurb under the title says "Dinky isn't addicted to heroin, but she does have a big problem. Then there are boys and parents to complicate the rest of her life."
What!?!? This was published, purchased, and checked out? Weird...
Wrapping up October
Well, October has come and gone and we are well into November. Here are a few pictures that were trapped on our camera--I let them free last night!
Probably not the best toy in the world, but Annie really likes these ceramic bowls. I figure they're educational--nesting toys teach spatial relationships!
Just in case you forget which sport Anne enjoys the most...
With her new mobility it has been hard to get Annie to sit still and take a nice picture. I got a good one when she was playing the piano.
This is the tired face, blankie in hand...It's weird, she like to hold the blankie in her right hand, which is also the thumb she sucks. I guess she needs one hand free for other tasks.
Anne with her pumpkin, pre-Jack-o-lantern. Her shirt has a Frankenstein on it and says "Little Monster"
Showing off the shirt again. We got it in the Dollar Spot at Target.
Sam with the giant pumpkin he just had to have.
Sam always thinks he wants to carve pumpkins, but halfway through he is tired of it. So we had Karl help. Karl had never carved a pumpkin before, and I was more than happy to give him mine.
The results: My pumpkin got 3 bats, and Annie's had a nice little face. Sam messed up on the big pumpkin and we didn't put it out. I managed to break the "lid" of Anne's pumpkin, so it had no top. Between trying to eat dinner, dress the baby, answer the door, and get ourselves out the door, I bet our jack-o-lanterns were only lit for 10 minutes or so! Such a production that was really unnecessary. Good thing we had this cute puppy dog to set next to the pumpkins!
Last year's pumpkins, all done by Sam. We had more time then, since Anne was only 26 days old!
And Annie last year as a sleepy penguin with Oma and Opa. All I really remember about that night is changing a really poopy diaper at a friend's house while we were out visiting and Annie looking at my dad and having a visible reaction of recognition. It was the first time she looked at someone and moved her head and eyes as if to say "Hey, I know you!"
Probably not the best toy in the world, but Annie really likes these ceramic bowls. I figure they're educational--nesting toys teach spatial relationships!
Just in case you forget which sport Anne enjoys the most...
With her new mobility it has been hard to get Annie to sit still and take a nice picture. I got a good one when she was playing the piano.
This is the tired face, blankie in hand...It's weird, she like to hold the blankie in her right hand, which is also the thumb she sucks. I guess she needs one hand free for other tasks.
Anne with her pumpkin, pre-Jack-o-lantern. Her shirt has a Frankenstein on it and says "Little Monster"
Showing off the shirt again. We got it in the Dollar Spot at Target.
Sam with the giant pumpkin he just had to have.
Sam always thinks he wants to carve pumpkins, but halfway through he is tired of it. So we had Karl help. Karl had never carved a pumpkin before, and I was more than happy to give him mine.
The results: My pumpkin got 3 bats, and Annie's had a nice little face. Sam messed up on the big pumpkin and we didn't put it out. I managed to break the "lid" of Anne's pumpkin, so it had no top. Between trying to eat dinner, dress the baby, answer the door, and get ourselves out the door, I bet our jack-o-lanterns were only lit for 10 minutes or so! Such a production that was really unnecessary. Good thing we had this cute puppy dog to set next to the pumpkins!
Last year's pumpkins, all done by Sam. We had more time then, since Anne was only 26 days old!
And Annie last year as a sleepy penguin with Oma and Opa. All I really remember about that night is changing a really poopy diaper at a friend's house while we were out visiting and Annie looking at my dad and having a visible reaction of recognition. It was the first time she looked at someone and moved her head and eyes as if to say "Hey, I know you!"
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
More tricks!
I forgot to add in the last post that Annie is saying "What's that?" when she grabs at the camera papparazzi-style. She also has been doing the baby sign-language for "more" when she is eating. We're not doing a ton of baby sign, but it is nicer than having her scream at you when she wants another cracker.
Also, Sam claims Annie took two small steps by herself last night. I didn't see it, so I don't believe it. She's just so cautious--she's not going to walk until she's absolutely sure she isn't going to fall.
Ginger-Annie is definitely her father when it comes to chatting. Sometimes I can't get a word in edgewise in my own house! And Maddy is my cousin Randy's daughter. Anne has a picture of her with her sister Gracie that she plays with. She loves those big girls!
Also, Sam claims Annie took two small steps by herself last night. I didn't see it, so I don't believe it. She's just so cautious--she's not going to walk until she's absolutely sure she isn't going to fall.
Ginger-Annie is definitely her father when it comes to chatting. Sometimes I can't get a word in edgewise in my own house! And Maddy is my cousin Randy's daughter. Anne has a picture of her with her sister Gracie that she plays with. She loves those big girls!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
She walks! She talks!
Annie, walking and talking. She's pushing her hippo and says "Daddy" "Mikey" and "Maddy"
Sorry about the zoom-in on her tush--I bent down to move her hippo away from the door frame.
Enjoy!
Sorry about the zoom-in on her tush--I bent down to move her hippo away from the door frame.
Enjoy!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
One day late...
I meant to write this all yesterday, but it never happened. Busy, busy Mom!
Happy 2nd Birthday to Annie's "cousin" Emma Rae! Really, Annie and Emma's moms are cousins, but it all comes out in the wash. We're just family! We hope you had a good birthday and that you are practicing to be a helpful big sister.
Since Anne and Emma were born exactly 11 months apart, that means Anne was 13 months old yesterday. After 1 month of being 1, we see that she is becoming slightly more mobile and a much pickier eater. We have to be careful not to give her too many snacks or her whole dinner gets pushed on the floor (thank God for that dog to eat the mess for me!) In the mobility department we are seeing some improvement. She likes to stand and can even stand on her own for a few seconds. She will walk if you hold her hands and likes to bend down and play with her shoes. She can finally hold herself on her hands and knees, though she doesn't do anything while she's there. So we are making progress, which is what the doctor told us to look for. And Grandma, I think the shoes are helping!
Our November is crazy busy--there are 30 days and I have something on the calendar for 17 of those days. So hold on to your cyber-hats and get ready for a busy month!
P.S. There will be no detailed comments on the election here; if you are dying to know what I think (and if you know me at all, you already know what I think) you can read the comments I left on Erin and Will's blogs. All I know for sure is that Obama will be President until Annie turns five and (God forbid) Al Franken could be Senator until she is seven (that's first grade, people!) Sam and I decided we should move to the ever-red North Dakota where people think like we do...
Happy 2nd Birthday to Annie's "cousin" Emma Rae! Really, Annie and Emma's moms are cousins, but it all comes out in the wash. We're just family! We hope you had a good birthday and that you are practicing to be a helpful big sister.
Since Anne and Emma were born exactly 11 months apart, that means Anne was 13 months old yesterday. After 1 month of being 1, we see that she is becoming slightly more mobile and a much pickier eater. We have to be careful not to give her too many snacks or her whole dinner gets pushed on the floor (thank God for that dog to eat the mess for me!) In the mobility department we are seeing some improvement. She likes to stand and can even stand on her own for a few seconds. She will walk if you hold her hands and likes to bend down and play with her shoes. She can finally hold herself on her hands and knees, though she doesn't do anything while she's there. So we are making progress, which is what the doctor told us to look for. And Grandma, I think the shoes are helping!
Our November is crazy busy--there are 30 days and I have something on the calendar for 17 of those days. So hold on to your cyber-hats and get ready for a busy month!
P.S. There will be no detailed comments on the election here; if you are dying to know what I think (and if you know me at all, you already know what I think) you can read the comments I left on Erin and Will's blogs. All I know for sure is that Obama will be President until Annie turns five and (God forbid) Al Franken could be Senator until she is seven (that's first grade, people!) Sam and I decided we should move to the ever-red North Dakota where people think like we do...
Monday, November 3, 2008
Spotted Dog (striped frog!)
That's a line from one of Anne's books, Happy Moose, Grumpy Goose
Here's Annie in her puppy costume. This picture from Oma will have to do for now. We have more, but our camera batteries are dead and unavailable for uploading. Anne was in good spirits Friday night. We had lots of trick-or-treaters to our house and handed out lots of candy (turns out I'm more generous with the candy bowl than Sam is). We walked Annie over to Oma and Opa's where she got a box of toddler cereal bars in lieu of candy. We also went to visit friends Jamie and Emily and stayed too long, so we had to skip our last two planned stops. Anne went right to bed without any serious sugar crash or anything. We can wait a few more years for that.
We also had a nice visit with my grandparents yesterday. We went up to their house and had lunch after church, which was very enjoyable. Sam had never been there to experience the meat and potatoes feast my Grandma can put on, and he enjoyed it very much. Anne slept in the car both ways, though she got a bit whiny near the end of the trip each way. Have a good winter in Texas, Grandma and Grandpa! We'll send you pictures!
Here's Annie in her puppy costume. This picture from Oma will have to do for now. We have more, but our camera batteries are dead and unavailable for uploading. Anne was in good spirits Friday night. We had lots of trick-or-treaters to our house and handed out lots of candy (turns out I'm more generous with the candy bowl than Sam is). We walked Annie over to Oma and Opa's where she got a box of toddler cereal bars in lieu of candy. We also went to visit friends Jamie and Emily and stayed too long, so we had to skip our last two planned stops. Anne went right to bed without any serious sugar crash or anything. We can wait a few more years for that.
We also had a nice visit with my grandparents yesterday. We went up to their house and had lunch after church, which was very enjoyable. Sam had never been there to experience the meat and potatoes feast my Grandma can put on, and he enjoyed it very much. Anne slept in the car both ways, though she got a bit whiny near the end of the trip each way. Have a good winter in Texas, Grandma and Grandpa! We'll send you pictures!
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