Lets Get Vertical!

The last couple weeks it has become evident that Ari is in the preliminary stages of walking and I've been looking forward to buying her a new toy to help the process out. As soon as we got back from LA, my mom and I each bought Ari a push toy and because it's been such a hectic week, we just got around to trying ours out tonight (she did have a practice run at nana's so these aren't the first steps). There is something about this video that makes me incessantly happy. Perhaps it's her need to dance AND walk at the same time, but most of all it is just that she is starting to show so much personality, even in a video that hardly shows her face.

Attack of the Fall!

Seriously, are we really at the end of October? Fall came on so fast and usually by now I have a couple batches of homemade soup done and have had spent at least a couple rainy weekend days in my slippers and nestled up with a good book. Not a yet. Instead, I packed my flip flops, husband, and baby and headed down to LA for some fun in the sun. We just got back last night from a few days of food, friends and fun. The occasion was my friends Isaac and Lizz getting married and we got to stay with our other friends Kirsten and Carlos. K and C are excellent cooks and we brought them a salmon from Pike's Place and feasted. Ari did great on the plane and she was quite the social butterfly. She turned 10 months yesterday and started saying "wow". I also caught her trying to stand on her own.

Getting ready for her first plane ride..

First peek at the ocean...
Directing traffic at the wedding....

Just being cute...

Potty Humor

Ari has already developed a sense of potty humor.

Stari

I've been hanging on to a photo album with baby pictures of Steve which I borrowed from his mom right after Ari was born. It's taken me awhile to get around to scanning the photos, but the timing was perfect as I realized that Ari is now just past the age Steve was when the photos were taken. I've always known that Ari looked a lot like her daddy, but when I really started to look at the pictures I realized that not only do they look A LOT alike, but they also have so many of the same expressions. My favorite Ari expression is the "WTF" (what the F@#^*?) eyebrows raised expression, as evidenced in photo this first photo.


No genetic testing necessary. And if you want to know what she inherited from me: it's my small ears (see last photo). We are still hoping she doesn't have my teeth. Seeing as how she just got her two front teeth, things are looking good since I had three come in when I was a baby. :)

Midnight Snacks

Dear Mommy,
This crawling thing is really great! If I want to pull all my clothes out of my dresser, I just crawl over there and do it! If you walk into the other room and I want you, I just follow you. Now I can take all the videos out from the TV stand and bang them around (thanks for cleaning up after me). I really have so much to do these days that I can’t be bothered by eating during the day. So, it was nice of you to feed me at 10:00 last night. And at 1:00 this morning you really made me mad when you decided you needed to go to the bathroom while daddy changed me, but you came through and fed me (I didn’t know for sure you were coming back). I appreciate you just letting me sleep in your bed cuz I was really hungry again at 3:00. I don’t remember much about eating at 5:00 but I guess you figured I wanted something because I was grabbing your lip and kicking your stomach. And at 6:30 I don’t know why you were in such a rush to leave, but thanks for sticking around to feed me until I fell back asleep. Last night worked really well for me! Maybe we should do it again tonight. Sorry I missed you leaving for work this morning. I was pretty konked out.

Love,
Ari
_______________

Dear Ari,
I’m so proud of you for crawling. You are such an independent girl now. Before I know it you are going to be backpacking around Europe by yourself! Regarding last night: I love you and would do anything for you, but maybe you should eat when you daddy makes you a bottle during the day. He works really hard to make it just right. You’re a good girl and I know you can do it. Maybe then we can both get a good night sleep and can play together in the morning before I go to work.

Love,
Mommy

8 months and crawling!

Yesterday was Ari's 8 month birthday. I got to my parents house and she crawled across the floor to greet me! Before that she would only take a couple crawls and then would be done. She is also giving hugs when I get home at the end of the day which includes a little pat on the back. I must say, being away from her all day is difficult but the feeling of coming home to her is such a good one!

Ari's First Piano Recital

A little avante garde for me, but better than Yoko Ono...