Anna's Christmas

We spent this Christmas at home due to my inability to fly or really travel very far. Anna woke up on Christmas morning and immediately snagged a cookie that Santa forgot to eat. When she saw the presents under the tree, she went nuts. 'Oh Look - Wow!', she kept saying. It was very cute. She would open each present and immediately want to play with it. She has been playing non-stop with her new toys since Christmas and barely wants to leave them. Big thanks to grandma, grandpa, oma, opa, nana and pop pop and all of her aunts and uncles for making her Christmas one to remember!

Anna's first sentence

So, to take copy a little off of my good friend Molly's blog- ( see Redheadedhowler ), I finally have a 'quote of the day'! Karl and I were riding along with Anna on our way to Williamsburg when suddenly we heard from the backseat a FULL SENTENCE. 'I made poop' - straight from the mouth of our sweet angel. We almost veered off the road! So, we pulled into the very next rest stop fully prepared to find a really stinky diaper, but it turns out that our lovely lady also learned how to tell a fib.

Thankful for Friends

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This year, among a lot of other things that I have to be thankful for, I am thankful for my friends. We had pre-Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday with the crew and it was a blast! Everyone made something yummy and all of the kids played nicely. It's so nice to see all of the beautiful babies - we counted 8 under the age of 3 and one on the way! They will soon outnumber us and I cannot wait to see how they all grow up together. Here is a picture of everyone.

No More Nuks!

It's time to get rid of Anna's beloved mimi - aka paci, aka nuk, aka Anna's best friend. She is a horrible sleeper and wants the silly little piece of plastic all of the time even though we do only let her have it during nap and bedtimes. Enough if enough though - after Karl spent a good hour last night trying to calm her after she couldn't find her mimi in bed, we decided that she's getting off the junk. Wish us luck!

Yay Back Bobama

In our efforts for Anna to say Barack Obama, we got Back Bobama. I'd say that is close enough. I for one, am happy to have Obama as our President - Elect and am excited to see where our country goes with his leadership. Out with the old!

We love the fall!

Anna spent a lot of October outside with friends - we had the trip ( multiple trips ) to Homestead Farms for apple picking/hayride/pumpkin patch. We went with our niece Cameron, our friends and with Anna's Oma and Opa. I could go there every day. Fortunately, they do Christmas Tree chopping, so we'll probably be out for that. We also had our yearly Halloween party last weekend. We had to move it due to rain, but we're so glad we did! It was a beautifu 70 degree day and the kids were adorable. It's so fun to see our friends and the babies and to see how much they've grown. This is last year's picture -

And here is this year's picture -

Each year there are more babies added to the mix. We are excited to have a new family and friend annual party. Next year we'll have two babies of our own on the couch! Plus a few more from the other new parents in the group. Now that we're in November, I'm looking forward to the holidays - and the eating - since I'm pregnant, the holidays are a fantastic time for me!

First Name Basis

We are dealing a completely sassy 18 month old. Annabanana has taken to calling us by our first names! At first it was kind of funny, she would interject our names only once in awhile and we weren't sure if she knew who she was actually referring to. Well, now I know, she's just being impudent. She has quit using the more age-appropriate 'mama' and 'dada' to stricly calling us by Sarah and Karl. At 6am this morning, she hollered up to her daddy- "Karl, Karl, Karl!". I guess we're going to have to start calling each other Mom and Dad and have our friends refer to us that way too until she no longer thinks our names are Sarah and Karl. I expect this out of our naughty teenager, but she's only a toddler!

Pumpkin Patch

We took a trip this weekend to Homestead Farms in Poolesville, Maryland. We've been there two weekends in a row now, it's a great farm - they are open year round, with the exception of November. Anna's friends - Eleanor and Henry, Riley and Spencer ( and their parents ) all came along for the trip this weekend. We had a blast - the weather was amazing and the kids loved being able to see the animals, pick apples and run around.

Big sister

Many people know by now that I'm having our second baby in March. We're 17 weeks. Anna will be almost two when this one comes and I'm a little concerned about how she's going to take it. Keep in mind that Anna is a good only child and probably would be fine with that status forever. Both Karl and I come from large families and wanted more than one kid, so she didn't get a say in the matter! I'm pretty sure she's going to revolt and attempt to run away. I loved being a big sister - more so than I imagine my little sister Molly liked being the little sister. I hope Anna embraces it as much as I did! And, no, we're not finding out the sex or telling anyone the baby's names we like - sorry!

Anna's new cousin

Anna and I traveled to Chicago to see my new nephew, Benjamin. Let me just start by saying that the plane was FULL to the brim on the trip out and Anna had to sit in my lap the entire time. It was like trying to contain a bowl full of jello on a tilt a whirl. Not exactly easy. Thankfuly, she fell asleep for a good bit of it. We arrived in Chicago to see my sister, Molly and her baby, Benjamin. The weekend was great, the weather was perfect and the babies were adorable. Well, with one exception. Anna's reaction to my holding Benjamin was 'NO! My MAMA!'. No joke, she was seriously aggravated. We quickly found that as long as I wasn't touching or looking at little Ben, she was quite interested in him. She liked to hold his bottle and try to give him her nuk. Poor little dude didn't quite know what he was in for. I'll bet though, that soon enough, he'll be bigger than she is and will be able to hold his own. We went to a apple festival on Saturday and visited several parks near Mol's house that were great fun. Anna was particularly enraptured with their dog, Luke and chased him around the house during all waking hours. Silly me for bringing toys with me, next time, I'll remember that she prefers to torment the dog. Our trip home was just as jam packed and wriggly but we made it home in time for the Steelers game, much to Karl's delight!

California

Our trip to California to see Carolann went very well. It was a whirlwind though. First, we went to Sea World -

Then, on to Disneyland to see Mickey and friends.....

Then, off to LA to see the where the fabulous people live. We visited Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, a beautiful beach near Malibu, walked through Hollywood ( crazy ), went to the Getty Museum ( gorgeous ) and spent time at farmer's markets, a lot of playgrounds.

We had a terrific time, I need another vacation to unwind though!

The first boo boo

It finally happened. In some ways, I can't believe it took so long. Anna finally got her first official 'boo boo'. It happened at Karl's sisters house in LA. She has a beautiful glass table. Anna, of course, was cavorting near it and I knew I should have moved the thing out of the room. Well, this particular Sunday, she was watching Sesame Street and dancing happily along and WHAM!, her legs got ahead of her and her forehead went crashing into the corner of the table. Instant blood, instant wailing. I thought I was going to throw up. Poor baby had a big goose-egg on her noodle for a week, but surprisingly, she was fine within two seconds of the incident. If only I could say the same for myself!

In her own room - finally

Some of you may know that Anna has been sleeping on our floor since she was 13 months old ( 4 months ago! ). She gave up her crib and we finally took it down after countless nights of trying to get her into with no success. Well, we weren't sure what to do with her then! We put her crib mattress on our floor near our bed. She has been fine there for the past four months, but I finally decided, enough was enough! She snores, she wakes me up, I wake her up, Karl wakes her up, we were all up all night most days. This past weekend, I had enough. She's old enough to learn how to sleep in her own space, so I said, to your room you go! We bought her a toddler bed and she's been sleeping there for three nights. I thought for sure, I was going to have a fight on my hands, but no, her big girl bed hasn't even phased her. Makes me wonder if I should have moved her long ago. Also makes me wonder who's running this show? Doesn't seem like it's me :) It isn't Karl either. Hmmmph.

Musical Genius

Karl bought Anna a harmonica the other day. You should have seen the total delight on her face when he played it for her. She immediately started her little dance ( you know the toddler dance, right? - completely adorable and mostly bouncing up and down without any rhythm whatsoever! ) It only took her one day to figure out that she, too, can make fun noises by blowing or sucking air into the harmonia. Now it's impossible to pry it out of her grubby little hands. Next up, guitar lessons!

No No No No No No!

Well, it finally happened, Anna learned the word 'no'. Oy vay. I know we say it to her enough through the course of the day. I read all sorts of books about not using that horrible two letter word with your toddler and trying other tactics, but the word just pops out of my mouth all of the time! It's sort of like cussing. You just can't help it. So, now we get our pay back. She sings it like a song all through the house, yelling no at anything that crosses her path, the dog, her dolly, a chair, etc. Thank god she hasn't got the finger point to go with it just yet!

Lists - 8/11/08

I have been meaning to keep track of Anna's new fun words and phrases.


Words

Bye
Baby
Hi
Hello
Mama
Dada
Car
Plane
Mine - really, our very favorite word of hers
Banana
Blueberry - said only once so far - this is a tough one


Phrases:
Updown - all one word
Allgone - also one word, but done with proper hand motions
Iloveyou - said only once so far and to her Daddy, who is very proud
Blessyou - again, all one word but she knows when to say it!

Body Parts:
Nose - loves to pinch people's noses and she's not gentle
Ears
Hair
Toes
Belly Button - prefers to touch other people's belly button and see their reaction

Animal Noises:

Many people know we call Anna our Monkey, her latest affection is putting her hands under her armpits and going 'ooh, ooh, aah, aah, eeh, eeh', while stomping around. Thanks Karl for teaching her how to really 'be' a monkey!

Baa - said mostly to sheep, but also to all farm animals

Woof - said to all animals that are not on a farm

Grandma was here

This weekend, Anna got a special treat. My mom, aka, Grandma Missy, came to visit! We picked her up on Thursday night and she stayed and hung out with Anna on Friday while I went to work. I understand they took a trip to the grocery store and Anna got to ride in the car shopping cart. She loves pretending to drive while at the store! Grandma was a big help to us, it's so nice to have an extra set of arms for hugs and all those dishes:) I know Anna enjoyed her visit too, she was especially vocal and that's usually a sign of supreme delight. Grandma was even the recipient of the ever elusive 'blow a kiss' from Miss Anna as we dropped her at the airport on Sunday. We will miss you lots Mom!

Where did my baby go?

I was looking through old pictures today ( yes, I am working hard, I swear! ). I had not looked at Anna's newborn pictures for a really long time. I can't believe my sweet 16 mth old used to be such a tiny little thing. Ok, except for the day she was born - at 6lbs, 11oz, she's never been tiny. She grew quickly into yummy rolls and huge cheeks. Sometimes, I look at her now and see the little girl that she will become and sometimes I still see the pudgy baby she was not so long ago. For instance, she still has humongous cheeks and there's a roll of tub or two along her thighs. I can barely remember when all she did all day long was sleep and eat. Granted, Annabanana is a lot more fun now, but sometimes I really miss the baby in her. Then there's that ability to put your infant in a swing or on the floor with a toy and either thing will keep them occupied (& happy! ) for a good long time. Long enough to start dinner/ make a call/ fold laundry. Now, there's none of that. Anna is go, go, go, all day and night long! Oh where did my baby go? Guess it's time to start bugging Karl for baby #2!

Anna in 'school'

It has come down to this: Anna love daycare. We don't call it daycare though, for Karl and I, it is school. Makes is seem so much more palatable. I can't believe I ever worried what it would do to her. Here is the list of things it has done for her: new words almost twice a week, more social skills, sleeping through the night ( most every day! ). Every day when we go into her school, she points excitedly at the play ground and giggles. As soon as we're in her room, she wants down and goes to her favorite friend - Soloman - and gives him a toy or a hug. Of course, Soloman likes Anna quite a bit, but his favorite thing to do to her is bite her. No, Soloman, no! - you only get three tries before you're kicked out and Anna would miss you! Anna is also quite enraptured with her teacher, Namila. She is known in her school for being the happy babe and a good eater! The school's director pulled me aside the other day to ask if Anna was going through a growth spurt - I guess she had seen her devour her lunch. Naturally, all of you who know Anna, know also that she loves to eat. I had to laugh, I doubt very much that Miss Anna banana is hitting a growth spurt! She's still not so big on the growth charts - 50% not 90 or 100% like most people think when they see her eat! When I pick her up at the end of the day, I always watch her first through the doors, Anna is always screeching, clapping and happily banging on whatever is nearby. As soon as she sees me though, she runs for me and waves bye bye at her friends. Soloman tries to follow us out the door almost every day. Sorry buddy - I only have enough patience for one toddler at home right now! Maybe in a few years when you stop biting.

Back at Work

I am back at work. I am 8 days into my new job and I have found a reason to be late or leave early every day. Mostly so I can have extra time with Anna ( those 5 extra minutes count! ). I can't seem to get myself moving in the morning, I don't actually know how anyone gets to work on time. And, while we're on that subject, what is 'on time' anyway. Why start the work day at 8:15? What a random time. I can do 8:30 or 9, but 8:15? No one is ever in my office at 8:15.

Anyhoo - it is going. I am so busy I have not had time to really mourn the loss of my leisurely paced life. I do miss Anna tremendously during the day. I also miss my mommy friends quite a bit, my daily walks are on hiatus and so is the option to nap when Anna is napping. I also have no clue when/where/ or how the laundry/cleaning/dinner making is happening. Oh wait, it's not happening. We've had the same thing for dinner every day this week. Laundry not done. I guess one of these days, I'll figure it out.

Off to put Miss A to bed. So glad she stays up kinda late now!

Vacation from Vacation

I have always wondered how it is possibly to be more tired after vacation than I was before. We were in Smith Mountain Lake last week with my dad and his family and it was beautiful, relaxing and completely enjoyable. I am, however, so tired I can barely stand up! I even did my laundry while we were there so I wouldn't have to do it when we got home. Thank god, I'm still at home and not back at work, I don't know how I would have been productive.

Big thanks to Dad and Jennifer for a great trip. Anna loved the boat and hanging out with her aunts and uncle - not to mention Oma and Opa. We put some miles on Dad's boat and generally enjoyed ourselves to the limit. I think the boys put away two bottles of vodka and I, myself, had at least six bottles of wine for the week. To say we were relaxing and having fun is an understatement! The sunsets were amazing and the lake is gorgeous. Karl and I also got to take a spin on a jet ski ( of which I was scared to death ) and we took Anna for a long bike ride. She and I went for a walk every morning and talked about the ducks and birds that were rampant at the lake.

Anna is a big fan of the water and boat, too. She screeched and giggled the whole time we were on boat rides and pointed at everything she saw. We hope we can get out there again soon.

Hair

Anna is horrified to meet people with different hair. Our good friend, Chris has a crazy head of beautiful curls and Anna is quite scared of him. Every time she sees him, she shrieks, comes running to me and buries her head to hide herself. Today, while we were having our picture taken, the photographer had gorgeous dreads and Anna was completely horrified of him. Same thing happened, she tried to climb into me and basically wouldn't look at the poor guy, he couldn't stick around to take her pictures! I've been telling her that her hair can be quite ferocious as well, but I guess she's too young to understand her similarities to these other two individuals! With time, I suppose, or maybe I'll have to show her pictures of what she looks like in the morning. It brings bed head to a whole new level.

Current Favorite Things

1. Clemyjontri park in McLean, Va. - what a great place for a toddler! So many things to climb/slide/swing from and all of the other kiddos provide such entertainment.
2. Glen Echo Park - right down the street, who could ask for more? What a beautiful old place and it still amuses us, even though we go there almost three times per week! The carousel there is great.
3. Target - sadly, this is true. I love Target. Where else can you find a pair of sunglasses for $5.99 ( for the third time b/c your kid plays with and ruins them)
4. Popsicles - what is summertime without a good popsicle? Every day, while walking to the park, Anna and I enjoy our ice pops. I don't even mind the sticky fingers that from her not quite eating it fast enough!
5. The pool - as a former pool rat, lifeguard, swimming fiend, I'm so happy we joined our neighborhood pool. We go every day after Anna's nap. Thank god, she's taking to the water like her mom did, or I would be quite devastated! We've been meeting lots of people there and find that our neighborhood is full of people with kids, thank goodness!

Back to work

This week, I decided that it would be best for my little family if I went back to work. I have been at home since our daughter was born and have been loving every sweet moment. However, we really want to stay in our neighborhood and DC being not so inexpensive, to avoid having to move, I've decided to get my butt back to work. My start date is June 30th and while I'm really excited about the new office and the new people, I'm also really dreading placing Anna in day care. What if she hates it? Obviously, she's not quite old enough to tell me! What if they don't treat her with the utmost care I feel she deserves? Oh, the questions begin... it's almost enough to make me stay home with her. But, not quite enough. The money is an important factor here unfortunately. We took Anna to the daycare we selected ( based on proxmity to home, cleaniness, values, etc. ) and hung out with her for an hour or so one morning this past week to see how she would do. Well, let's just say that our little social butterfly was a hit amongst the daycare set. The teachers thought she was adorable and she was quite thrilled to be in the same room as six other tots her size! Our babe is quite the outgoing little gal.

Seeing that made me feel alot better, but I'll still wonder every day if she's ok. I am trying to enjoy the last three weeks I have before I'm back in the office environment, but it weighs on my mind!