joy in the little things

I find myself excited over the smallest things. I am pretty sure it's because I'm a first time mom, but sometimes I wonder if I'm a little overboard.

Example one:
Obviously, her first toothbrush

Example two:
First time to have a hotdog

Example three:
Well honestly, this was not her first, but instead, it was me getting excited that she found so much joy and entertainment in standing at the door. Then, I soon realized it was an awesome artistic-e kind of pic. Pretty cool, eh?

Example four: The previous post says it all.

Anyways, I love spending time with my daughter and taking tons of pictures of every first little thing because I'll never get these days back. And plus, I'm hoping one day she'll appreciate it and not just think I'm a nut with the camera.

tribute to the paci's

Yesterday was the first day of no pacifier for my (almost) 11 month old. It has gone pretty smooth so far. I think only allowing her to have it when she's in bed has helped with this transition because she usually tosses it out anyways and has to soothe herself to sleep. I think I find more comfort in them than she does. I admit, it's a crutch. BUT, no more! They have been sealed and put away until the next little one. I'm pretty sure I think about and miss those things more than she does. Haha. I guess because I get a little nervous when it's time to put her down wondering if she's going to realize they're gone. If she acted more heartbroken about it I would have a way more harder time. It would be super sad for me to take something she finds comfort in away. But anyways, they're gone and she's been doing good.
So, thank you, wonderful paci's, for serving your purpose in our home.

my little lady

Today I was watching Anna♥Kate as she was eating her little snacks and was thinking how she has really turned into her own little person. I love how she uses her whole hand to put food in her mouth and when she nearly fails at getting it completely in she slides her hand up and uses her wrist to push it the rest of the way in. It's so cute. I also love how she is completely fascinated with doors. She gets a kick out of making her way to one and opening and closing it a million times. I think it excites her to see herself making things happen. She enjoys chewing on the bill of her daddy's hat, seeing how loud she can squeal at the most inappropriate times, "typing" on the computer, messing up what I just fix (or clean), playing with the latch on the dog crate, being outside, taking baths and so much more. I find great joy in actually knowing my daughter. I find nothing more sweet than being with her.

my babe is crawling

Here is my child doing the army crawl.



Isn't she soooo cute!!!

time for an update

It's been a while since I last updated.
Anna-Kate is doing very well. The fall caused no lasting injuries, praise God. Since then, she has hit her head about a handful more times. I guess it comes with the expanded independence of every child. They think they can conquer the world. I love it though. I am so proud of every new thing she is learning to do. Consistent rolling over seemed like it took a lifetime to master but one night she just got it down. It was amazing to watch the look on her face when she realized that she can do things herself. Sitting up was another great milestone to watch. Everything looked so different from this new found angle and you could see the joy in her eyes. Now she's pretty much crawling (only to things she really wants of course). She isn't exactly cruising around the house but she's getting more mobile every day. It's not a "up on the hands and knees" kind of crawl but more like a frog...without the hopping. It's too cute, really. When she's in the zone, on the way to capture mommy's phone or camera or something else she's not supposed to be playing with, she does this little "hah" noise all the way to it. It's really funny. Like a, "hah, look at me go" kind of hah. It cracks me up. I LOVE MY BABY. She is the most wonderful gift E V E R !!!

I celebrated my first Mother's Day this year. It was so fun. We went to church and then to lunch at Chili's. I love going out to eat with my little family. Then we came home and I insisted on mowing the grass. When the outside of my house looks nice it makes me feel sooo good inside. So, oddly enough, mowing the grass is quite refreshing for me...especially when I don't even break a sweat (great weather). Oh, and my mother's day gift was Photoshop Elements 6 and Premiere Elements 4 (which is a video editor). So I totally feel like I hit the jackpot on that one. YAY.