Grandpa and Annabelle

Annabelle stats: 9 months

Weight: 16 lbs 14 oz
Height: 28 1/2 in
Head Circumference: 17 in


See Julia's 9 month stats

Julia's Ballet Performance

This video came from another parent in the class, so it is not focused on Julia, but you can still see some of Julia's dance moves. Julia is the ballerina at the end, furthest from the teacher.

Pulling Up

Annabelle is so busy these days: crawling so fast, pulling up, waving, and clapping her hands. She also gives sweet little (often open-mouthed) kisses. She's growing up so fast!

AB, pulling up

Happy Girl

Julia: First Ballet Recital

Julia loves her ballet class! She was a penguin in the Winter Wonderland ballet recital.

Princess Party

Julia was invited to the princess birthday party of a classmate. To say she had fun is an understatement.

Julia: First visit to the dentist

Julia did really well at the dentist. She wasn't scared, and she did just as they asked her to do. I think she actually enjoyed her first trip to the dentist. They put her in (princess!) sunglasses to shade their eyes from the bright light.

(By the way, she picked her own outfit here.)







After the dentist, we enjoyed a visit to Costco together.

No Need to Adjust Your Monitor

Yes, Annabelle's nose is orange. The baby loves her sweet potatoes and squash, so it leaves her skin (especially her nose) with an orange tint. Don't worry! It's harmless.

It's especially noticeable right after she eats sweet potato, as in these photos.

Little orange nose

Little orange nose

"Your baby's body uses the beta-carotene in sweet potatoes to make vitamin A, which is essential for cell growth, good vision and also has an antioxidant effect.

But your baby only converts as much beta-carotene to vitamin A as he needs - the rest is deposited in his skin and is responsible for the orange hue (particularly around the nose) often seen in babies who eat lots of yellow or orange veggies."

From homemade-baby-food-recipes.com

Halloween is coming!

This girl (and her Mom) are both excited about Halloween in our new neighborhood, as most yards are decorated and rumor has it that we get many, many trick-or-treaters!

Decorate!

Most of the houses in our new neighborhood are decorated for Halloween, and Julia is so excited about the decorations.

As we drive through the neighborhood, she points at the various houses and says, "That one is decorate! That one is decorate! Look at that pumpkin! Two pumpkins! That one is decorate!!"

We went out of town one weekend, and Jake stayed at dog camp while we were gone. They gave Jake a bath before we picked him up. Julia went with me to get him, and when he came out at the boarding place, he had a fall-themed bandanna around his neck.

Julia exclaimed, "Mommy, Mommy! Look! JAKE IS DECORATE!!"

Julia Says...

"I like Hello Kitties & princesses."

Upon seeing a security guard riding a Segway:
"I'm gonna ride on one of those things when I get bigger."

Upon receiving a new magic wand: (Available for $1 at Target.)
Julia: "What do you say with a magic wand, Mommy?"
Me: "Abracadabra!"
Julia: "ABER CADABER!!" (Repeat ~100 times)

Passing a church on the way to preschool:
A month ago:
Julia: "Who lives in that castle?"
Me: "No one lives there. That's a church. I know someone who got married there."
Julia: "Who got married in that castle?"
Me: "Miss Jane"

On a daily basis, for weeks:
Julia: "Who got married in that castle?"
Me: "Miss Jane"

This morning:
Julia: "Miss Jane got married in that castle."
Julia: "Did she wear a sparkly dress just like me?"

Annabelle Tooth #3

Annabelle's third tooth broke through in the last week. She's also sitting much better. She still topples over pretty easily, but she can sit on her own. Most mornings when I go to get her, she is up on all fours, rocking back and forth. Usually, she has her head up and is grinning from ear to ear. (Note to self: get a photo of this!)

She WAS sleeping through the night for a while, but she has regressed to waking once per night. The other night it was twice. It could be any combination of the new skills, teething, and the @#$@#$!@#!@# cough/sniffles we can't seem to beat!

Little Sister

Annabelle stats: 6 months

Weight: 14 lbs 9 oz
Height: 27 in
Head Circumference: 16 1/4 in

See Julia's 6 month stats

Annabelle Tooth #2

Annabelle's second tooth has broken through in the last couple of days. She's also been getting up on all fours rocking back and forth in preparation to crawl. She has even scooted a few times. She's almost mobile! She's not sitting yet, but she's making progress in that direction. Almost 6 months! It has been a particularly busy 6 months with the move; I wish I had more time to devote solely to Anna-bee, my little sweetie.

Julia is 3!

Sister Love

Annabelle: 5 months

Slow down, my sweet girl! You're growing up too fast!

Alot of Work

Yesterday, I took the girls to a restaurant and had parked near a fence that some workmen were repairing. After lunch, I parked the stroller by the car, unlocked the car, and opened the door so Julia could climb in her seat, leaving the door open as it was hot. I strolled to the other side of the car, took Annabelle in her carseat out of the stroller, and snapped her carseat in the base in the car. I took the diaper bag out of the stroller and walked it to front seat of the car. I walked to Julia's side of the car and buckled her in, again leaving the door open. I walked to the trunk, opened it, folded the stroller, put the stroller in the trunk, and closed the trunk. I walked to Julia's door and closed it.

As I was walking to my door to leave, one of the workmen said to me, "Wow! That was alot of work!" I figure this says something coming from a man doing manual labor in August in the midday, Georgia heat.