This is what its like changing Anna's diaper now...

EVERY TIME!!!!!!!

THE BEST!

That's what Anna is... at least according to her parents, and pretty much everyone who meets her.

At dinner tonight, basking in her cuteness, we decided that we HAD to make a list of all the cute things she does.

-Claps - often
-Waves to practically everyone. (She charmed the whole long waiting list at Chipotle Restaurant with her waves.)
-Giggles and laughs
-LOVES "This Little Piggy" and other games like that.
-Does a little "High Chair Boogie"
-Dances (by bending her knees)
-Give Daddy good pats on the arm and head
-LOVES her kitties despite their constant rejection.
-Blows messy raspberries.
-Give GREAT BIG open mouthed kisses.
-Clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth and gets kick out of you repeating it.
-Claps to music.
-Can do "Are you Happy and you Know it..." (OK, maybe only the clapping part, but still.)
-Plays with her hair while she nurses.
-Plays Peekaboo.
-Loves to bang stuff (especially stuff that makes loud noises.)
-Sings and hums. Not in tune or in any melody, but it's still the most beautiful sound on earth.
-Has to look out each window in her bedroom when she wakes up to say hi to the yard and trees.
-Gives kisses through her crib bars.
-SLEPT TEN HOURS Last night! (Oh yes... in a row....)

Anna and crew at the Blumenhoff Winery

I sure do love my granny!

Mimi and Papa are really special, too!

What?! I have to wait another 20 years and 3 months? You mean I sat quietly like a good girl for almost two hours, and I'm only allowed to drink water?!?! You have to be kidding me!

Even more Anna pictures!

Here is Anna at the Babin's house in Louisville, Kentucky.






















Here is Anna, knocking you out with her beautiful blue eyes.













Quiet Sunday mornings watching the sunrise are the best!













I like bath time. Mama gives me a feauxhawk every time!

An Ode to Kayla

In the September 2008 Reader's Digest...

"I was a boring kid. Whenever we played doctor, the other children always made me the anesthesiologist!"

:-)

More Anna magic

So my litte one, besides saying Momma, Daddy, Goggie (Doggie), Kitty, and woof, also claps and dances, blows bubbles in her drink, and breaks and reconstructs my heart everyday!

So nice....

The Secret Life of Moms

Overheard at a "Mom's Night Out" last week:

-"My mom called me when I was in college and told me: '_______ was just charged with breaking into an older laides' house and killing her...... the year you were dating!'"

-"So then I put on this white outfit and went onstage and did a little dance."

-"So at the end of the trip, the kids still had ten minutes left on their movie so we left them in the van and went inside to......."

God bless moms (and their lives beyond babies)

Hangin' with the Gma

Here are cute pics of Anna tearing up the kids play area in the mall yesterday while MaryHelen and Grandma Stokes watched. Anna LOVES watching the other kids run around. I'm sure she's thinking, "How DO they DO that?"

Just Because I'm on a blogging role:

And just because I can :-)

Here are a selection of Anna's 6 month pics.
She's amazing!

And she dances!!!

Yesterday, Curt and I noticed Anna dancing to music! She's been waving her arms to music for a few days, but yesterday she heard music while standing and bent her little baby legs and bounced up and down. OH ME OH MY it was so wonderful!

We are trying to get good video but in the meantime, please enjoy some complimentary lyrics from the Lee Ann Womack song "I Hope You Dance" :-)

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

WE HOPE YOU DANCE, ANNA!!!!!!! (Love, Mom and Dad)

The Crying Game

I just let Anna do on those of evil, horrible, vile "crying it out" things and I need a HUG and a soda treat... oh and a brownie. Perhaps a glass of wine. She has been a weird napper all week and finally, knowing she REALLY needed a decent nap this afternoon, I left her in her room to make her go back to sleep.

Oh the horror. I always tell myself that I'm being a strong parent by going in and rocking her and making her go back to sleep if she wakes up too early and I KNOW she needs more. But yesterday, that little independent sprite fought me for 50 MINUTES while I rocked her. I alternated between utter boredom and ferocious anger until finally giving up. As soon as I said her name, she looked at me and smiled an honest-to-God "I.... win....." smile. Then I was SOOO steamed when I walked out with her and realized it had been 50 minutes. I was sooo mad. Anna behaved nicely with NO whining because she knew I was on the warpath.

Anyhoo. Due to yesterday's failure, I decided that since rocking her didn't work, not going in would....... eventually. Ugh. She SCREAMED off and on for ONE HOUR! That's like.... a whole Oprah. Three 5K's. Half of a movie in a movie theater. While that may seem short - picture me - sitting on my bed - fighting World War Three in my head: "Do NOT go in there." "Oh my gosh, she's crying because she got her leg stuck or something!" "Do NOT go in there!!!" "She thinks I've disappeared and abandoned her!" "Shut UP - She doesn't even know what those words mean!" "Oh but she's never going to stop!" "She'll stop eventually you weenie. STAY HERE."

Meanwhile. Anna is screaming at times so loud I'm afraid the neighbors will hear and come knocking, wondering if I'm passed out on the kitchen floor or something. See, when she is really, really mad she does not cry OR scream. She does this awful banshee wail sound. I can't describe it but it's not human. It's frightening and sad at the same time. Bleh.

So after she FINALLY fell asleep, I HAD to go in and check on her; convinced as I was that I killed her with my neglect. She is, of course, fine but she's doing the post-wailing gaspy jerky breathing thing... IN HER SLEEP. Well, that was enough mom punishment for sure. So I of course had to check on her a second time later, just to see relaxed, even breathing with my own eyes.

When she woke up, happy as can be, she was the cutest most pathetic thing ever! She was all smiles and jabbering but her little eyes were swollen and red. Saddest thing ever! I felt equal parts successfull and evil at the same time.

Whew! Glad that's over. Can I have that brownie now?

To the Night Wakenings

I don't think I like you very much. You aren't my friend... okay?

Don't get me wrong, I still appreciate, even after eight and a half months, how beautiful and relaxed-floppy Anna looks after eating at night. And who couldn't love the full body stretch she does when I lay her on her changing table to change her night diaper.

But if you don't mind going away, without me having to FORCE you to go away, I'd really really appreciate it.

I promise to dream about you...
while I'm sleeping...
ALL NIGHT!

Love,
Me

Mommammmammma Mooommmmaaaaa mamamam

Oh the sweetest sound in the world! For about two weeks now, little Anna Banana has been saying my name! Yep - my little one is a-talkin'! And it's the best word there is. I can't tell you what it does to my heart. To know I'M the one, specifically, she wants when she calls! Oh the joy!

(She also likes to say kitty and daddy - but those come less often.)