Look at all my teeth

I have had 8 teeth for months now and I am currently cutting my molars. I was waking up around 5:30, which is unusually for me. I usually wake up after 6 so mom thinks I am cutting my molars and well, she is right.

Cookie Monster

or shall I say "animal cracker monster" because I LOVE the organic animal crackers from Costco. Yum, yum. Often times when mom or dad are holding me in the kitchen I start yelling and they can never figure out why. But, after a few yells and points at the cabinet they figure out all I want is an animal cracker. When they ask me if I want a cracker I quickly nod.

Mom loves to ask me questions because I always answer with a circular nod. It is very cute.BTW, this is mom's favorite outfit on me, but sadly I busted out of it so mom has to sew the backside before I can wear it again. It is a throw back to the 20s and I just look darling in it. Wouldn't you say? Say it or I will sit on you. :-)

Happy Mother's Day

For mommy's day Rogan and I decorated stones for mom's garden. Rogan did a hand print and I drew some lines with a stick. There was no way I was sticking my hand or feet in that cement. Yuck! and Eww!
Rogan also made mom some planter hangers with dad. She loved our presents. And then mom and dad ditched us for a dinner out together. Whatever.

"More"

I'm expanding my vocabulary. In addition to saying, "mom ma," "da da," and "dog" I now say and sign, "more."

I am also walking around the house like a big girl. In fact, mom was turning the corner in the house and almost ran me down. I am walking like and pro and will walk in big circles around the house. My teacher Amy says I work all day long at walking around. I make grunting sounds when I try to stand up because it is kind of hard with the extra poundage. I'm sure I will walk it off though but mom sure does love her "chunky monkey." She thinks I am cute and sweet and beginning to look a lot like my big brother Rogan.

Perfecting my Walk

Once I started crawling it didn't take anytime at all for me to start standing on my own. Now I prefer to walk everywhere. I'm great at balancing myself when I feel like I am about to fall over. I can take up to 10 steps now.
I have also figured out how to climb our stairs. Dad followed behind me the other day as I crawled all the way to the top.

My communication skills are improving too. When I look at River I say "dog." Now it isn't that clear, but mom can hear the "g" in dog.

And Uncle Jason and Aunt Jill came to visit me this week. Jason was more comfortable holding me this time because I wasn't so little. Hee Hee, I like to eat.
I still enjoy food, but I'm not sold on the table foods. I prefer pureed, thank you. Although I do enjoy cut up fruits, such as peaches and pears.
The other day I woke up early from nap and it was a nice day so dad and I went on a bike ride. It was a lot of fun. I'm not sure about the dinosaur helmet though.
And I just finished my first month of swim classes. I did great. The first day I cried the first few minutes, but after that I really enjoyed it. I think I will go back. Below you can see me doing "Butter, butter pop" and the "Humpty Dumpty" song on the edge of the pool.

"Humpty Dumpty"
"Butter, butter pop"

Rumor has it I am turning a year old soon. I can't wait to see everyone.

11 months old

It is official, I am crawling. It is quite nice because I can go wherever I want. Rogan thinks it is pretty cool too, but he is trying to wrestle with me a lot more now. It won't be long before I start walking either. I would have preferred to walk before crawling, but mom insisted I needed to crawl first for my development. I try to stand up in the middle of the floor and will get my upper body about half way up before I plop on my bottom. I keep trying though. I also like to push the walker around the house and Rogan runs circles around me with our second walker. I also walk along the couches and walk holding mom or dad's hands.
Mom is trying to get me on table foods now so I am done with pureed foods for the most part. Mom made baby food for me and it has a lot more texture than other baby foods and I really took to it because I got a lot of carrots today. Rumor has it my brother had an orange nose for months after eating mom's carrots. Cross your fingers it doesn't happen to me.Let's see, what else? I love chopped fruit, particularly pears and peaches. I tried a strawberry, but decided Rogan could have all of mine. He gobbled them down.

Mom thinks I am cutting more teeth because I was extra cuddly this weekend and I don't cuddle. I have also been munching on my fingers and seem a little congested.

Oh and I turned my car seat because I weight over 20lbs, go figure. It is pretty cool. Rogan and I enjoy playing hide 'n seek and holding hands.
Today was my first Mother's day. I made mom a stone for her garden. She wanted a hand print or a foot print, but apparently she doesn't know that involves putting them in cement. No thank you, so she got my name. We also went to the park today. I went in the backpack. I love going for walks in the backpack.

10 months old

I'm back! Sorry it has taken me so long to write my next blog, but mom made me crawl to the computer and well, it takes a lot of energy to get this booty moving.

Alright, get something to eat because I am going to fill you in on the last month of my life in the order I started doing things.

• I'm big enough to sit in the swings at the park.
• I love to eat these little "wheels" that dissolve in your mouth. If I am fussy and mom is trying to make dinner I get to eat a lot. Hee Hee. I also gets cheerios, but they always end up on the floor.
• I drink water out of a sippee cup.
• I love, love, love to stand. In fact, if I could just stand and walk (holding hands) that is all I would do. Mom and dad did not enjoy that phase. Every time they tried to put my down I would stiffen my legs and refuse to sit. But, now that I can push myself up when I tip over, it is much better.
• I am great at pushing my arms up so that I can sit up [as of 4-16-08].
• I sign "more." But I do it by clapping. Oh and I love to clap. After I push myself up to a sitting position everyone claps for me so I do the same.
• Because I am so buff, I now have enough upper arm strength to crawl a very, very short distance. And then I sit up and everyone claps for me again.
• As of a couple of days ago I ate my first table food, peaches. Yum, yum. I think it is pretty cool that I can eat chunks, small mind you. The first time mom put it on my lips I backed my head away, but then I realized, hey this is food too. Give me, give me!
• At school, everyday one of my teachers, Erin, puts my hair into little pigtails. Mom thinks I look very cute. She wishes she could do it, but I don't sit still long enough.
• I say, "mama" very clearly and when I see her in the hallway of my school I kick my feet and wave my arms up and and down in excitement. She loves it.
• I haven't been in for a check-up in a while, but on my last one I got a fluoride treatment because I have 8 teeth and 4 on the way. Mom is guessing I weigh about 27lbs. What? Is that a lot? Is that why everyone is always trying to put me down. Huh. Something to think about.

Well, it was great catching up. I won't be such a stranger now that I am crawling a little better.