Thursday, June 28, 2012

8 Months

Anna is sitting down for three "solid" meals/day.  In the morning she eats fruit and oatmeal while Kate & Max eat breakfast.  Midday she has a small bowl of applesauce.  For dinner she eats her veggies and oatmeal with the rest of the family.  We are just beginning to introduce some finger foods like rice crackers, cheerios, puffs, and banana bits.  Anna is thrilled about picking up the food pieces but does not seem to know to put them in her mouth yet.

Besides rolling, skooting and spinning, Anna is working on sitting and hangs on for several seconds before folding in half and tipping over. She seems to have good control over everything she gets her hands on. She enjoys having something like her spatula, spoon, baby doll, or small stuffed animal in her hand(s) all the time.  She enjoys her repertoire of gear including the floor mat, the exersaucer (and Go-pod), Bumbo, stroller, Baby Bjorn and water flotation device.

Anna's biggest change this month is in her new array of noises that have very intentional purposes.  She "sings" with Kate and Mimi when they sing to her by saying "Oooooohhhh".  She says "Uh, Oh" continuously and randomly.  She makes a quiet little squeak when she wants our attention.  She has another noise when she is DONE (i.e. eating, sitting, playing etc.). She likes to growl back-n-forth with Kate.


You can tell Anna wants to be around Kate and Max and misses them when they off at camp, preschools, gymnastics etc.  She gets so excited when she sees them, her feet wiggle, she gives them enormous grins and tries to get their attention with her little squeaks and giggles (which works).  In return the kids oblige by dancing and singing for her, giving her hugs and kisses, encouraging her to eat, play, roll and "talk".
 
I am constantly reminded how wonderful every stage and milestone is.  Just when we want to freeze Anna in time, she does something so cute or amazing. 

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Blueberries

The kids and I took advantage of the super nice weather and picked blueberries at Buckwheat Farm.  I thought this would be a 20 minute activity if I was lucky...it was 1.5 hours of collecting rocks, picking blueberries, spying on bunnies, chasing peacocks and talking to horses.  I mean, seriously, we could not have had more fun if we tried! 

Max picked a lot of berries, ate even more and wanted me to take a picture of every single berry he picked. 

Kate was serious about getting just the right purple color.  She would stop periodically and assess her bucket to make sure there were no berries that were less than dark purple.

Anna got into it too!  She was hanging around in the Bjorn and reaching for any branch, berry, or leaf (oops) she could get her hands on.

These peacocks are wild.  According to the owner, one day they walked up to the farm, the family gave them some corn, and they have been there ever since.  Now the family incubates the eggs and keeps the newborns in cages to keep them safe from predators.
  
The kids were so excited when the two horses came out of the stable and walked right up to them.  Max was eager to pet the horse.  Kate really wanted too but was a little nervous.  Finally, Kate held Max's hand and they got up real close and watched the white one eat.

This was just such a sweet moment.


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Preschool Camp

The kids' preschool held a week long half day camp.  The kids had a BLAST!  There was plenty of play time, projects, interesting creations, new kids, fun snacks, lunch bunch, and a water party. The theme was creation and the kids planted seeds, created their own creatures, sang and read about life and simply enjoyed being with other kids their age and older. 

The teachers said Kate was very independent!  She watched out for Max, played with different kids, tried new things and enjoyed eating lunch with "all the boys" (good heavens).
Max was a little anxious the first day but quickly acclimated and looked forward to each day.  He especially liked having a guy teacher, all the projects and time outside.
In retrospect, I think this camp was a perfect opportunity for the kids to be pushed beyond their comfort level a little in a safe familiar environment. As a parent, I too was pushed beyond my comfort zone and saw how independent the kids really are, have a better idea of realistic expectations for their age and areas we can work on at home.  YAY for camp!!!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Just Chillin'


She has clocked multiple hours in this brilliantly designed floating contraption!  Kids toss little toys in there occasionally and she just plays until a new toy comes to her attention.  The splashes surprise her but she blinks out the water and keeps on kickin'.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Pepsi Baby

A very special gift from Papa D!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Mimi Time

We look forward to all of Mimi's visits for a variety of reasons.  That said, the kids have learned one thing Mimi loves above all is reading to them.  So it seems appropriate that with every visit we find at least one new book has been added to our collection.  Here is Mimi starting Anna early with An ABC for You and Me.

Camp Adventures

Kate & Max just returned from a weekend at Camp Mimi Pop Pop.  We got a lot of updates and pictures but are told "what happens at camp, stays at camp!" :)

Toys
Kate & Max absolutely LOVE finding and playing with the toys Mimi pulls out of her attic.
 
Crafts
The kids painted bird houses and shells we had brought back from the beach

Greensboro Children's Museum
It sounds like a fun afternoon of imagination

Bur-Mil Pool
I want to return to this pool!

Fishing
Leave it to Max and Pop Pop to rig up a fishing pole that works on land!

Love for Anna
No camp openings for Anna, but she got a lot of lovin' before we left

Thank you Mimi and Pop Pop for everything - time, energy, creativity, imagination, patience and unconditional love.

Father's Day

We tried to spoil our Daddy all weekend with extra TIME to sleep, hang out with his friends, get coffee, date nights to Vin Rouge and Crook's Corner - Yum :), quiet time, indoor and outdoor time, brunch with his parents and pool time. 
It was a spectacular weekend for all of us.
Let's do it again next weekend...