Thank You For Being a Friend

When I was home with Anna after she was born, many times during the day I would have old Golden Girls reruns on as I was doing things around the house. I think the theme song has stuck in Anna's head because whenever I have the reruns on lately, she stops whatever she is doing when the theme song is playing and stares completely mesmerized until the song is over. Today she was being a little cranky when we were getting close to nap time so I started singing the theme song. Anna started smiling and bopping up and down. I guess she really likes the Golden Girls!

Expanding Your Husband's Diet =)

I have been making LOTS of new recipes for dinner lately. I am actually cooking my way through a pretty awesome cookbook. Anyway, I have actually gotten my red meat and potatoes eating husband, the man who thinks that the only vegetables are green beans and corn, to try many new things. Amazingly (I think he has been surprised too) he has really liked each thing I have made. Sometimes he still picks out some of the things, but I have gotten him to eat spinach when I made Turkey Florentine, carrots, peas, and lima beans when I made these yummy little things called Chicken Baskets, and tuna when I made Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes. There have been some other things that I was really surprised he ate, but by far the previous items were the most surprising. So the lesson here is, as long as you don't tell the eater what is in the food until it is served on the table in front of him, it is likely he will eat it!!!!!! Lesson learned!

10 Months Old

I can't believe it but Annalise turned 10 months old on the 22nd. She is busier than ever and always finds plenty of things to explore each day. We took her for her 9 month pictures (which are really her nine months and 3 weeks pictures) at Sears the other weekend and how different she was this time from the last! She was all over the place! As soon as the lady would get her where she wanted her, Anna would either move the prop or crawl away herself! The pictures turned out great though and I can't wait to pick them up on Friday.
Lets see....some specific things she has been up to.........
Here are 10 specifics in honor of her 10 month birthday:
1. Anna now crawls up on her knees some of the time. She still relies on her tried and true "army crawl" though for most of the time. She does creep a lot now and can make her way around the living room using the furniture. She uses her little cart too.
2. When she pulls herself up to a standing position, she has started letting go for a few seconds and seems pretty steady on her feet.
3. She loves to stand at the toy box in her room and take EVERY toy out, look at it, and toss it to the side to grab another toy. This continues until the box is empty. She thinks it is funny if you sit next to her and put the toys back in as she takes them out...especially if you use sound effects.
4. She has just started pointing at things and making a "eh eh" sound when she does it.
5. I think she might know what the work "cracker" means because when I ask her if she wants a cracker she looks at the cupboard where they are and makes her "eh eh" sound....don't know though if this has just been coincidental. She has done it a few times though.
6. I also think she might know where the phone belongs. This also might be coincidental but she did it two nights in a row. I was talking on the phone sitting on the floor with her. When I was finished talking I put the phone on the floor. Both times, Anna picked it up and held it toward the table where the phone charger sits and made her "eh eh" sound. Each time I picked her up and took her over to the charger and we put the phone in it and she smiled.
7. She has started what I call "playing with a purpose". She knows how some of her toys actually work and is entertained by some of them for a little while. Especially her Jungle Tree with the sliding animals.
8. She still LOVES to look at (and chew on) books.
9. I have been cutting fresh fruits and vegetables into small finger food sized pieces for her each night. She has loved every single one she has tried....don't know where she would get that from. She only has a mother who lives for eating fruits and veggies. I hope she continues to love them as much as I do. Other than graham crackers I hope to hold off on any other junk foods for a loooooooooooooooong time. Well, except ice cream after she is a year old. I mean, who can live without ice cream (her mommy's FAVORITE junk food).
10. She continues to be the most precious incredible gift we've ever received =).

Crawling on all fours

Still crawling

Decided to turn away from mommy....

Being under the kitchen bar is much more fun....

Wow...looking at these pictures makes me really realize how bad we need to replace the floor...hopefully next summer.....

Playing with her Jungle Tree. Right now this seems to be her favorite toy.

Still playing....like the pose??
Oh yeah, one other thing just popped into my head. Anna knows how to climb stairs. Since we live in a bi-level house, she never really has had access to the stairs. At the top they are gated and we don't spend much time downstairs unless it is winter when the wood stove is burning. Anyway, the other day I was in the computer room downstairs and Anna crawled into the hallway. I followed her and she went right over to the stairs. I wanted to see what she would do, so I stood behind her and she very methodically climb right up them without even stopping or looking back. She was so excited as she was doing it because she was squealing and laughing th whole time! One thing she still doesn't seem to have any interest in doing is drinking from a sippy cup by herself. She still waits for me to hold it for her..........I know she will do it in time though. It is not like she will be 30 and I will have to come to her house to give her a drink.....I hope =)......

Finally.......Some Teeth

After nine months, Annalise FINALLY has two teeth on the bottom.

New Use for the Cradle

Now that she is bigger, Annalise found a new use for the cradle that Grandpa made. She found that it makes the perfect spot to sit/stand to look out the window, which she LOVES to do. Of course I was standing right beside her the whole time, but it gave my arms a break from standing there and holding her like I usually do!

Walking Little Woman

Here is a video of Anna walking with her walker cart thing today. The video really shows an amateur videographer at her best......as you will soon see. At the beginning of the clip she gets hung up on her toy bin, so instead of stopping the camera, I put it on the floor. It was still taping and I do pick it back up again and get her going across the room. Also, I now know that I have to have the camera the other way because the video is on its side. Oh well, I never claimed to be a pro....=).

On the Move

Today for the first time, Anna walked with her little walking cart that makes music! She gets the biggest smile on her face when she is walking with it. She has not yet discovered how to turn yet though, so she continues forward until she runs into something and then turns and looks as me like "Ok, aren't you going to turn me around?". I will have to post some pictures later! Also, lately when she is standing and holding onto something, she has been letting go and standing on her own. I am sure now it won't be long until she is running everywhere!