Jump Shake Your Bootie!

Apparently, this is another week full of constant discoveries for Annabelle.

I'm continuing to read "James and the Giant Peach" to Annabelle on a daily basis. I try to read 1-3 chapters a day to her (one in the morning, one before one of her nap times and then another before bedtime). She seems to really like the cover of the book as she will point at all of the characters on the cover until I tell her the name. "That is James Henry Trotter." "That is Miss Spider." "That is Ladybug." We are just now getting to the chapter in the book where the sharks are starting to attack the giant peach.

Well, anyhow, since I now read "James and the Giant Peach" to Annabelle about three times a day, she seems to be very aware that this is a popular book for us right now. This evening, my husband and I were sitting on the floor with her in the living room, and she decided to trail off to her bedroom. We heard her knock something down in the bedroom, and then "pitter patter," and there she was...Miss Annabelle was back in the living room with us again holding the "James and the Giant Peach" book. Coincidence? I don't think so. I think that she really understands that this book has been a focal point for us over the past few weeks. I don't know that she brought the book in the living room with her because she wanted me to read it to her, but I think she can relate to the book. Her three books of choice right now include her "100 First Words" and another picture book and "James and the Giant Peach."

I am thinking I'd like to read "Superfudge" to her next because I remember loving that book. There were two of those books, weren't there? Was Superfudge the 1st or 2nd one? I remember that I liked the 1st one. I also loved the Beverly Cleary books, Amelia Bedelia books and Little House on the Prairie books. I have the set of the Little House on the Prairie books, so maybe I should pull those out to read them to her.

So, as for the title of my blog. You are probably wondering where the title came from? Well, this evening as my husband and I were studying one of Annabelle's picture books with her, we pointed to a picture of a lady jumping, and we said, "That is a lady jumping." The word description under the picture literally says, "Jump." Strange, if you ask me, because most of the pictures in the book are of animals, objects, etc., but not actions. Well, it was the cutest thing I have seen so far...she started jumping! Every time we said, "That is a lady jumping," Annabelle would start jumping up and down on the floor (as she was standing up next to the glider stool while we read the book to her).

I am amazed at how fast she learned the word "jump." On Monday evening, I had just started using the word with her to show her the action (besides pointing it out in the book as I've already been doing for a few weeks). And when I started using the word with her on Monday, I didn't even have the book in sight. Instead, I just started jumping like a bunny rabbit towards her, and I'd say, "Jump!" I cannot believe that it clicked that quickly!

Of course, when I realized that Annabelle understood the word "jump," I had to stand up with my rear end facing her to sing "Jump shake your bootie! Jump, jump, shake your bootie!" We actually would sing this to her when she was probably about 3-6 months old. We would bounce her up and down and shake her little bootie as we sang the song to her, and she would just smile and laugh. She thought it was so funny. My nephew actually starting referring to the song as "Annabelle's song," and now my niece, my nephew's sister, refers to it as "Annabelle's song" as well.

When I showed Annabelle how to jump and shake her bootie though, my husband turned to Annabelle and said, "Annabelle, we don't do that out in public though." I laughed and said, "Why not? I think it would be kind of cute." He said, "You think it would be cute for Annabelle to go to church and then jump and shake her bootie for everyone there?" Well, maybe not at church!

And some more words that seemed to click with Annabelle today...I pointed to a picture in her "100 First Words" book, and I said, "Crib." Then, I pointed and touched her crib. She understood the connection because she would then look at the picture book and then at her crib as if she understood. On another word, I would point at a teddy bear in the book and say, "Teddy Bear." Then, I would point at her own Teddy Bear that she was holding. After that, she'd look in the book at the teddy bear picture, and then she'd point at her own teddy bear.

Also, there was a picture of a "Queen" in the book. When my husband pointed out the picture to Annabelle, he said, "Queen. Mommy is a queen." As soon as he said, "Mommy," she looked at me, and then she pointed at me. It was sort of funny though because of the context of the conversation with him saying, "Mommy is a queen."

I also asked Annabelle, "Where is your Daddy's nose?" this evening, and she went to his face to find his nose. She was very close as I think she pointed right below his nose.

And, last, but certainly not least, Annabelle sat down this evening on the floor on her own with such grace, and she didn't even use her hands. She had two toys, one in each hand, but she lowered her little body to the ground to sit, and it was without a bump and without her hands as support.

My baby is no longer a baby! It is still so bitter sweet!

Hot Water!

Annabelle discovered yesterday, Sunday, November 25th, how to turn on the hot water faucet in the tub! Yet another danger lurks in our home!

Now I have to worry about Annabelle burning herself with the hot water AND about Annabelle running a tub full of water to try to "swim." Of course, I hope I am watchful enough that I'll catch her before she runs even the slightest drip of water. You know, we are suffering the worst drought that I can remember in my lifetime. All we need are babies learning to waste more water by running faucets and flushing toilets (which she learned to do the week after Labor Day weekend). Thank goodness though, she doesn't try to flush the toilet very often.

Of course, dummy me showed her how to turn the faucet on yesterday, but I didn't think she'd do it all by herself right away! I was just trying to teach her something new.

To Work, or Not To Work: That is the Question.

Okay, I am going to try and make this post short and sweet as I am very tired, and it is 10:17 p.m. as I am just starting this post, and I am pretty sure that Annabelle will be awake by 7:15 a.m. tomorrow morning.

So, today was the longest amount of time that I have actually spent away from my daughter since she was born. In order to keep my license active, I am required to obtain so much Continuing Education every year, and 8 hours of this "CPE" has to be in Accounting & Auditing, also known as A&A. Well, the firm that I work for part-time hosts this annually, and everyone in the firm attends so that everyone can knock out their 8 hours of A&A in one day.

The subject matter is absolutely torturous and very, very boring! And, this time, the speaker pretty much read from his PowerPoint presentation the entire time.

Well, every time I go to a work event, no matter how boring (obviously), I really start to miss my previous life BA (before Annabelle). The firm is growing so fast that there are so many new faces, and then when I meet some of the new people, they will ask which department I work in. Of course, I am always stumped for an answer because I feel the need to explain that I only work from home and this is why they've never even met me even though I've been working with the firm for 8+ years (minus the 1.5 years we were in TN, so that makes 6.5+ years).

I feel like a pee-on once again, and I am actually somewhat envious of some of the people in my department who are moving up in the ranks and making great impressions on the partners. I am jealous because it isn't me, and I am no longer an integral piece of what is making the firm so successful. I used to be the "Superstar," but I am no longer privy to that title as I only work 10-20 hours per month!

But, I, instead, am staying home with my daughter and, as a result, putting my career on complete hold. I never thought this would bother me (before Annabelle was born and even before I got pregnant), but it truly does leave a pit in my stomach.

I often wonder... Am I making the right decision staying home with Annabelle? Would I not be as good of a mother if I worked more than I do now? Would I maybe be a better mother if I worked full-time or even more part-time?

Sometimes I feel that some of the other women are looking at me and thinking, "Well, that must be nice. She gets to work when she feels like it." And, don't get me wrong, I do have the ideal situation. I can work my own schedule around my toddler's schedule and still pull in a little extra income to help us take those much enjoyed vacations. Little do they know that staying at home is really a very demanding and exhausting job. Finding the time to actually "work" for pay is very difficult. And when I do find the time in the evenings after Annabelle has gone to sleep, I am exhausted, and instead, I'd rather use my time either blogging, reading a good book or scrapping (well, hopefully one day I'll scrap). Of course, I am pretty exhausted right now after being at work for the seminar and firm meeting after the seminar (all lasting from 8:15 this morning until 7:10 this evening). And, then, I didn't get home until 7:30 p.m. or so.

So, "To Work, or Not To Work: That is the Question." I need some encouraging words as I am being selfish again, and I feel that I am missing out on my own personal career growth.

My husband told me (after I mentioned to him that I no longer felt like the "Superstar"): "Did you see Annabelle's eyes light up when you got home this evening? You are a Superstar to her." Of course, my response was that he works full-time, and her eyes light up when he gets home from work. He couldn't argue with me on that one.

I guess all I really need is to be a "Superstar" in her eyes though, but I know that 10 or 11 years from now, she is not going to see me as a "Superstar" and she probably won't see me as a "Superstar" again from that age until she has a child of her own.

What is Thanksgiving without...

my Mother's Cornbread Dressing and Pumpkin Pie? Those are both probably my two favorite must haves for Thanksgiving lunch or dinner. It is a sad Thanksgiving when I don't get my Mother's Cornbread Dressing and Pumpkin Pie. It is such a sad Thanksgiving without them that I opted to have Thanksgiving at our home (instead of opting for a much easier meal at the nearest Cracker Barrel) just so I could enjoy the Cornbread Dressing and Pumpkin Pie.

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year with a luncheon first at our house (around noon). My parents and my aunt (my mom's sister) and my uncle (her husband) joined us. I bought a Jennie-O turkey breast from Sam's, so the turkey was easy as I only had to heat the turkey for 1 1/2 hours (since it was already cooked).

And, I made two Pumpkin Pies (my mom's recipe) on Wednesday, and then on Thanksgiving, I got up and made my Crock pot Macaroni & Cheese and Green Bean Casserole. My Mother made and brought her famous (very yummy) Cornbread Dressing and she made a Sweet Potato Souffle as well because I told her that I really wanted to make one, but I thought it would be a lot of trouble to make with a little one holding onto my legs. Because, what is Thanksgiving without a Sweet Potato Souffle? My Aunt brought her famous Pineapple Casserole, and that was the makeup of our Thanksgiving Feast celebrated at our house for the very first time ever! Oh, and I bought a can of Cranberry Sauce too (without the whole berries).

My brother and his wife have always had Thanksgiving at their house, but they moved to New Jersey earlier this year. My brother actually moved away in October 2006, but they didn't sell their house and move the family until 2007, so we celebrated Thanksgiving with them last year. This year, they stayed home in New Jersey. We missed them, but at least I didn't have to fight my brother this year for the Pumpkin Pie! We both love the Pumpkin Pie that my mom has always made, and as siblings, we've always fought for the biggest slice. Fortunately, my mom always makes two pies (because the recipe makes two pies), so we normally have each gotten a pie of our own (after sharing with Mother and Daddy, of course).

Maybe I'll have Thanksgiving at our house again next year.

For our trip to my husband's Granny's house, I made "Puppy Chow" on Wednesday. "Puppy Chow" includes 9 cups of Crispix mixed with a small bag of milk chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter and a stick of butter. The latter ingredients are melted together before they are mixed with the Crispix. And, then, after the Crispix is tossed with the melted ingredients, you pour a box of powdered sugar over the Crispix and toss until the Crispix is covered. It was a huge hit, and it was finished off before we left his Granny's house on Saturday afternoon.

I now know that some type of finger food is the best junk to take to Granny's to get the "Oohs" and "Aahs" that I normally NEVER get. Finally, at last, I was the Martha Stewart of the Thanksgiving! Ha! Ha! I wish! Everyone really did seem to enjoy the Puppy Chow though, and they all wanted to know the recipe.

Let's Give Thanks

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I wanted to take a moment to give thanks to the many things that I am thankful for. I think we all too often take things for granted, so I am just taking this moment to blog for my own reality check.

So, this Thanksgiving I wanted to take a moment to thank God for everything he has given us!

I am thankful for:

1. God for blessing us with another breath!
2. Annabelle who brightens each and every day! I cannot see my life without her now, and I am so thankful that God blessed us with such a sweet, beautiful and upbeat little girl.
3. My husband who has ALWAYS been very supportive of me. And, for being the most intelligent and unselfish person I know.
4. My parents who have shown me how to love unconditionally by example through their own lives of loving each other as well as the love they have shown towards me.
5. My mother-in-law who raised an exemplary man!
6. My brother, sister-in-law and their three kids for teaching me a lot about love, marriage and innocence through the years. I'll never forget my 2nd nephew telling me (while I was pregnant) to be careful as I walked up and down the stairs in their house because "I was carrying a baby in my tummy." And, I won't forget (according to my mom) that my brother insisted that my Dad go home to check on me the evening that I had my first date with my husband. At the time, I was still "going steady" with someone else whom my mom claims was a "stalker," so my brother, while in the hospital after a surgery to his jaw, insisted that my Dad go home right away to check on me. He had to write this out on a paper though because he couldn't talk. And, my mom said he wrote it out with such exclamation. He apparently wasn't worried about the date with my husband, but instead about the "stalker" boyfriend showing up. And the care, concern and love that my sister-in-law showed before and after the birth of my daughter.
7. My brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their two kids for teaching me a lot about reaching out to others. I was amazed at the love and support they showed after the birth of our daughter.
8. My best friend who has been there for me through thick and thin all of these years despite me not always being the greatest friend in return. She has taught me the true meaning of a friendship.
9. My college friends that I have stayed connected with now since our freshmen year back in 1996. I have learned something from each of them, and I appreciate their friendship and support.
10. My part-time job that has helped me keep my foot in the door with my profession.
11. My part-time job mentors that have helped me grow both professionally and personally.
12. Our home which provides us with shelter.
13. Our health.
14. The opportunity for me to stay home with Annabelle.
15. Running water (need I say more)!
16. Clothes to protect us from the weather.
17. Beautiful days and nights. (This is the day that the Lord hath made!)
18. Food to keep our tummies full and our bodies nourished.
19. Freedom as a United States citizen.
20. Eternal life.
21. Again, my sweet Annabelle who just started crying, and I realized, as I muttered under my breath, "Why do you always start crying when your Daddy walks out of the house for a minute?," that I am thankful for those cries as I know she's alive and breathing!

Crib Climbing

Just curious, how long do I have before Annabelle will learn to climb out of her crib? Just a few days ago (within the last week), I noticed that Annabelle was actually lifting her leg up when I went to get her up one morning. I guess I wasn't moving fast enough for her, and she was trying to figure out a way to lift her leg to climb over the crib railing.

Safe Haven (or not)

So, when Annabelle has trotted to her bedroom alone, I normally do not worry as her bedroom has been pretty much child proofed (until today)! I don't leave her for an extended period of time by any means, but if I'm in the kitchen washing dishes with my hands soaked in dish water, I normally have a second to dry my hands before I trot off after her to her bedroom to find her.

I can see her go into her bedroom from the kitchen, and she normally either closes the door so she can access the books on the bookshelf behind the door (which is fastened to the wall) or she'll go to the corner of the room nearest to the bathroom and back of the house (which houses a bright pink fabric foldable box of her toys). All visible outlets are protected with those little child proofing thing-a-ma-jigs you put into the outlets with the exception of the one that has her CD player plugged into it, and the CD player is sitting on the floor. I guess she could unplug the CD player to access the outlet herself, so maybe I need to rethink that one.

So, I was actually thinking yesterday about her climbing fiascoes, and I started wondering how long it would take her to figure out that she can climb onto couches, recliners and the glider in her bedroom.

Because she often will just "get it" suddenly (about anything), I started thinking (again) that maybe I need to pull out the baby gates to lock her in the kitchen with me while I am cooking. For the most part, when I am preparing dinner, I am in a time crunch to get everything prepared by the time Annabelle's Daddy gets home so that we are all ready to eat by 6:00 or 6:30 p.m. If dinner is served much later than that, Annabelle is typically a fussy little girl during dinner.

So, Annabelle's Nonnie visited us today, and she watched Miss Annabelle while I cooked Pumpkin Pies and Puppy Chow for Thanksgiving tomorrow as well as tidied up a bit. She took Annabelle to her bedroom to read books, and when I walked in Annabelle's bedroom to say hello, Annabelle was sitting in the glider with her Teddy Bear, and she was just grinning ear to ear as she played with Nonnie's jewelry and rocked. Very cute, right? Well, yes, it was very cute at the time as she seemed to enjoy herself, and Nonnie said that she liked to rock her Teddy Bear.

Later on in the day, Annabelle went straight to her bedroom, and I followed her. She immediately went to the glider, and she proceeded to lift her right leg to try and climb onto the glider. Where on earth do they learn that they actually have to lift their legs to climb onto things? I don't lift my legs to sit in the glider.

So, I am afraid that Nonnie has introduced Annabelle to yet another new danger, and as a result, Annabelle's bedroom is no longer a safe haven!

I did get on to Nonnie for showing Annabelle this new trick (jokingly of course). She was going to learn it some day on her own anyway. I was just hoping that I had a few more weeks!

Climbing Again!

So, my little climber is at it again!

First she started with the stairs at the condo we rented in Blue Mountain Beach, Florida this summer.

Then it was the toy that Granny gave her for her birthday. She still prefers to play with (I mean climb) the toy when it is in the box (versus outside of the box).

Then, she discovered the little white chair that Grandmama had brought over for the photo shoot.

And, then, it was the kitty cats' scratching post!

And, now (on Monday, November 19th), she discovered that she can climb up on the bottom of my kitchen cabinet (once the doors are opened) to try and climb into the two large pull-out drawers inside the kitchen cabinets that we use as our pantry drawers.

She has been opening these drawers and scattering my pantry contents for months now, but now she has discovered a new danger!

I want even go into (right now) a discussion of our fun-filled weekend of following two 13 month old toddlers up the stairs of this log cabin constantly! I am so thankful that we do not have stairs in our house. I have decided after following these two toddlers up the stairs all weekend that I am more prone to buy my next house as another ranch. Thank goodness we didn't buy that house near Grandmama and Granddaddy's earlier this year (with stairs to all of the bedrooms and basement).

Please pray that I'll always have a watchful eye over Annabelle to prevent any major falls or mishaps! If I'm not with her, may God be with her.

Eyes and Ears and Mouth and Nose!

So, Miss Annabelle has been a busy little girl since I last blogged. This past weekend, my husband, Annabelle and I met some friends (that we had gotten to know when we lived in Knoxville, TN) at a log cabin near Pigeon Forge. The cabin was awesome, and my husband and I are now dreaming of buying some land in the mountains to build a little (okay, hopefully a big) log cabin in the near (reality: far) future.

We left around 2:00 p.m. on Friday, November 16th, and we arrived in Pigeon Forge to meet them for dinner at the Apple Barn around 6:30 p.m. Before we left, I stopped by the public library with Annabelle to check out "James and the Giant Peach." (Why doesn't this blog allow you to underline? Books are supposed to be underlined, and that annoys me very much).

So, anyhow, "Annabelle's Mommy" (and this doesn't refer to me) has inspired me to try and read a novel to my Annabelle. "Annabelle's Mommy" is currently reading "James and the Giant Peach" to her Annabelle, so it sounded interesting to me as well. Of course, we will see how well Annabelle does with this new book. She is very much into the picture books right now. She loves to look at the pictures and just continuously points at them until I tell her the name. It is so funny to watch her though because she got the pointing from me. I have always tried to point at objects and at pictures in books for her, and I will move my finger up and down while I'm pointing at a picture or object as I state the name of the object. Well, she caught on, and now she'll point at the pictures in the book (the same way I do) for me to tell her the name of the picture.

So, anyhow, this particular book does not have many pictures, but I still think it makes a lot of sense to read a chapter or two a day to her just so she can get used to more advanced vocabulary. I used to read my books to her when she was an infant because I did not think the subject really mattered. Then, we started reading books more age appropriate all of the time (instead of just some of the time). But, I am hoping that reading a novel to her on an ongoing basis will help to increase her vocabulary (in the long run) and also keep me entertained!

Sometimes I get tired (and frankly bored) of pointing at objects and saying "Cow" or "Spoon" or "Red Spoon," etc. But, I try my best to constantly label objects as I think it is very important to constantly talk to your children (whether or not they can understand you). I would talk to Annabelle at the grocery store, etc. when she was just a few months old, and I know that some people must have thought I was crazy! They probably looked at me wondering where my "Blue Tooth" was hidden. And, Annabelle, if you are reading this 30 years from now, a "Blue Tooth" is a little headset or earphones that is connected to your cell phone (but it is wireless) so that you can talk on the cell phone without holding the handset.

Okay, so anyhow, I wanted to have "James and the Giant Peach" for our 4 hour trip to Pigeon Forge, and I was able to get it from the library! So, I started reading it to her in the car, but I barely finished the 1st chapter before Annabelle started getting fussy. So, I pulled out one of her picture books because these always seem to settle her down for a good 15-30 minutes or so (normally more like 30 minutes or more). She was entertained for a long while until she finally fell asleep around 4:30.

Well, while I was "labeling" the pictures in the picture book, we came across a picture of a hand. And, it was only the hand...no arms, elbows, etc. She pointed at the hand in the book, and I said "Hand." Then, I held one of her hands in front of her face and said, "Hand." She looked at the book and then she looked at the palm of her hand, and then, she turned her hand around and examined the top of her hand. She got it! She made the connection between the picture of the hand and her hand, and she understood they were related. It was such a precious sight to see!

And the best part, she was looking at the book a little later on (after she woke up from her nap), and she looked at the picture of the hand in the book, and I didn't even say "Hand" to her, but she immediately (before I could even say anything) looked at both of her hands (front and back). It is truly priceless to see her progress! It really makes me feel like I am truly making a difference by staying home with her. I guess she would eventually learn the same things if she were in daycare, but I'd like to think that she's learning it faster because I am with her 24/7.

And to top it off, I started asking her where her nose was (during the same car ride and after she found her hands), and she put her hand to her nose. Then, I asked her, "Annabelle, where are your ears?" And, she put one hand on her right ear. By the end of the weekend, she found both ears, but at that time, she knew she at least had one. Then, I asked her, "Annabelle, where is your mouth?" And, she put her hand to her mouth as she opened it. She finally got it! I have been trying for months to teach her nose, and she would not pay me any attention. Of course, I do think that Grandmama has a little something to do with Annabelle finding her nose as Grandmama plays a little game with her of "I've got your nose." Grandmama acts like she takes Annabelle's nose from her (with her thumb between two fingers and the thumb is the "nose"). But, whatever, the point is that Annabelle is now learning her body parts! And, she seemed to get it (for the ears, mouth and nose) all in the same day.

We are still working on finding our eyes though! Maybe next week?

What has Squeakers been up to? # 2

Okay, so I'm a little behind keeping up on Annabelle's new found talents and "firsts", so I am going to recap now.

Friday, November 9th
On Thursday, I spent 2 hours in the kitchen cooking a Cooking Light recipe, Italian Meat Rolls, my husband had found for us to try when I asked him to help me find a new recipe for the week (as I'm tired of eating the same thing over and over again), and I have a really hard time picking out new recipes. So, we won't be trying this recipe again! It was such a pain, and I told him that if he liked it, he would be making it next time. Okay, well, that's off subject. I just had to mention it though because they were a nightmare to make, and I was not happy with him for picking out such a complicated recipe. I told him it looked complicated too! But, I'm not going to complain too much because at least he helped me find a recipe, right?

So, with the Italian Meat Rolls, we had zucchini sauteed with onions and peppers. It was very good by the way (the zucchini, that is), and it was the first time we've had zucchini cooked in this manner. So, we ate late that evening, so Annabelle had already eaten by the time dinner was ready. So, on Friday, November 9th, she had zucchini, onions and peppers for the very first time, and she really seemed to like them. Yea! Maybe we've found something besides peaches, bananas and cottage cheese that she'll actually eat.

Sunday, November 11th
I cooked a roast for dinner, and I made squash sauteed with onions and peppers as the side (similar to the zucchini we had on Thursday and Friday). And, once again, Annabelle really seemed to like the squash as well. She had the squash again on Monday, but by Tuesday, she was not interested in the squash again. It seems that my little girl is not a big fan of leftovers.

This evening, while I was cleaning up Annabelle's room a little bit before bedtime, Annabelle was sitting on the floor flipping through her favorite book, "My First100 Words." I think that is the title. I'll have to double check tomorrow when Annabelle wakes up, and I'll correct my post with the correct title. So, as she was flipping, it sounded like she said, "What's this?" This isn't actually the first time I heard her say this as I'm pretty sure she said "What's this?" earlier last week. I just have a really hard time deciphering her babblings. But, as soon as I mentioned it, Nonnie (my husband's mom) agreed that it sounded like she said "What's this?"

Also, during dinner earlier in the evening, it sounded like she said, "Thank you" again. I haven't heard her use it very much since she said it the first time I thought I heard her, but once again, Nonnie validated that it sounded like "Thank you."

Oh! And how did I almost forget?!?! During Annabelle's breakfast this morning, my husband was feeding Annabelle while I was busy trying to steam her smocked 1st birthday dress for the photo shoot, and Annabelle said, "Ma Ma." She looked over at me when she said it, and she just smiled. I turned to my husband and I said, "Did she just say Ma Ma?" He said, "It sounded like it?" So, I am thinking that she said "Ma Ma" for the first time on Sunday. Of course though, I am writing this blog on Wednesday, and I have yet heard her refer to me as "Ma Ma" again. I know she knows me as "Ma Ma" and her Daddy as "Da Da," but that stubborn little girl just won't say it! I think she's said "Da Da" directly to her Daddy as well (before Sunday), but I wasn't completely sure at the time that she was directing it towards him, so I didn't document it.

Monday, November 12th
I believe that Annabelle is also trying to say "Please" when she wants more at mealtime. She doesn't use this word very often though as she mostly points and then starts to whine when she doesn't get what she wants.

Tuesday, November 13th
Annabelle is learning how to get on her little riding toy (that used to be the push toy before she started officially walking) all by herself. She still needs a little assistance though as she tries to straddle the seat by starting with the leg farthest from the seat. That isn't going to work Annabelle! I just noticed on Tuesday that once she is on the riding toy, she can move herself backwards on the toy using her little feet. She hasn't quite figured out how to move herself forward yet though. I am sure that will come very soon though.

While she was riding on her little riding toy, she had her play cell phone in her hand. Being the sweet and giving child that she normally is, she held out her hand (with the cell phone in it) as if she was trying to hand me the play cell phone. I reached out to grab it, and when I did, she jerked it back quickly, smiled and made this little sound, "Ha Ha." She was faking me out! And, she knew that she was faking me out. I instantly thought, okay, who taught her how to do that? Grandmama!!! Of course, I just asked Grandmama about it today, Wednesday, and she said that she had not taught her how to do that. Sure!

Wednesday, November 14th
This evening, after our excursion to Burt's Farm in Dawsonville earlier in the day with Grandmama and Granddaddy, Annabelle decided to find something new to climb (since her little white chair was missing in action). While we were looking through the pictures we had taken earlier in the day, I turned around to see my little girl climbing on top of the cats' scratching post. I had not turned my head but for maybe 1 second! I had just vacuumed the office, so I had put the scratching post in the kitchen while I vacuumed, and I had not moved it back yet. Annabelle was playing in the kitchen, where I could see her, but I turned to look at one of the pictures for 1 second, and she proceeded to climb up onto the scratching post, and when I saw her, she was sitting on her little feet just about ready to stand up. I immediately ran over and grabbed her off! It scared me the most because the scratching post was in our kitchen which has slate floors...very dangerous! What is up with all of the climbing though? I am thinking it is time to pull out the baby gates. I think it is so important to let babies explore, and up until just recently, I have been able to follow Annabelle around constantly (when she was crawling and when she just learned to walk). But now that she is practically running, I cannot turn my head for even a second before she's gone!

Photo Shoot (12 months, 3 weeks and 3 days old)

So, the "12 month" photo shoot took place on Sunday, November 11th and Monday, November 12th. I never dreamed it would be so much work, but it really was a lot of fun!

On Saturday, my husband rented some equipment from a nearby photo supply store while Annabelle and I visited Jo Ann's to try and find a white "back drop" we could use for the photo shoot. My husband found out it would cost $25 to rent a back drop, and I figured we could buy one for under $25. Grandmama and Granddaddy met us at the Jo Ann's (since we went to the one nearest to their house which is also the one nearest to us). We found a white cloth to use that was just thick enough and wide enough. It was 60 inches wide, and we purchased 5 yards (15 feet).

Annabelle and I made it home long before her Daddy did though as the process to actually rent the equipment was somewhat cumbersome for him. He had to complete an application, and then they needed an hour to approve the application. And, then, they had to set the equipment up to make sure that everything was working properly before they sent it out the door with him. So, we all had gone our different directions at 2:30 p.m., and Annabelle and I made it home around 3:45 p.m., and I don't believe that her Daddy made it home until closer to 4:30 p.m. So, that left no time to even set up the equipment as we had a wedding to attend at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday evening.

It costs us only $54 ($50 plus tax) to rent the equipment, and believe me, that was a good deal considering we took close to 2,500 pictures! Crazy, I know, but with digital cameras, you can just snap away, and you are bound to get a good shot. Not to mention, my husband is a really good photographer, so he gets much better shots (with less pictures). My photo shoot on Monday probably resulted in the majority of the 2,500 pictures.

Well, my husband calls me on the way home after renting the equipment, and he says, "You'll never guess how much the deposit was on the equipment?" I said, "$400." And, keep in mind, I was shooting way high with my guess of $400. "No" he said as he laughed at me. I thought, "Thank goodness it wasn't $400!" Then, he says, "It was $2,900." You've got to be kidding, right? Nope! He wasn't. We put a $2,900 deposit down on this photo equipment that we rented for a measly $54! And, instead of making the deposit with a credit card as I would ALWAYS prefer to do when messing with deposits and companies I've never dealt with, they apparently required a check, so he gave them a $2,900 deposit using a check from a bank account that had no where near the $2,900 in it. Keep in mind, I handle ALL of the financing. He assured me that they told him that the check would only be cashed if we failed to return the equipment. So, no worries! And, he was correct, so no crazy story on this $2,900 deposit, thank goodness! But, I just had to write about it because I'm still blown away by the deposit amount. The equipment doesn't even cost that new! Fortunately, when I took the equipment back to the photo supply store on Monday, I received the actual check back from them. Grandmama wasn't aware of this, and when Granddaddy and I left to go to the photo supply store to return the equipment I told him, "Please remind me to make sure I get my check back." I said, "I didn't want to mention this earlier as I knew that Grandmama would have a conniption (am I using the right spelling for this word here?) if she knew I left a $2,900 deposit by check." Not to mention, my husband was told the equipment was due back no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, but the paperwork actually stated 9:00 a.m. Once again, he assured me that the guy told him 5:00 p.m. We didn't have any problems returning the equipment though, and I didn't have to listen to Grandmama nag me. Thank goodness!

Okay, so enough on that, Annabelle's 12 months, 3 weeks and 3 days old photo shoot went very well, and we really got some awesome pictures! I had great intentions on Sunday night (after the first photo shoot) to make her another birthday cake to match the original 1st birthday cake just for the photo shoot on Monday, but I promptly realized at about 10:00 p.m. on Sunday that I was crazy! I was going to make another pound cake (by scratch) and decorate the cake for this special photo session. It wasn't until I realized that we did not have ANY milk or much butter that I decided that I was crazy! Thank goodness for small miracles!

So, the highlight of the photo session was this little white chair in great need of a paint job. Of course, we love antiqued furniture, and my husband actually antiqued our daughter's shift robe in her bedroom himself, so it doesn't bother us that the little white chair has paint chipping off of it everywhere. "It adds character," as my Mother (Grandmama) would say.

Well, Annabelle apparently loves this little chair as well. As soon as we set it down on the white back drop, she immediately walked over to it and she proceeded to climb right into that little chair, and then she turned herself around in it, and she sat down! Wow! I knew she was started to become interested in climbing, but where on earth did she learn to climb into that chair and turn around and sit down? Grandmama!!! I later learned that Annabelle had apparently done the same thing the night before when Grandmama and Granddaddy babysat for her while my husband and I attended the wedding.

Well, that is not the worst part! Please keep in mind, I have not left my daughter's side, and my hands are right there in front of her and behind her to catch her if (maybe I should say when) she falls. So, the next chance she gets, she decides to stand up in the chair! Wonderful! My husband is busy snapping shots of our "Little Climber." And, our "Little Climber" is then busy tumbling forward over the back of the chair. I grabbed her with both hands though as she seemed to jump forward off of the back of the chair. We continued to use the chair for our photo shoot, but she was no longer allowed to stand in the chair...not that I allowed her to stand in the chair in the first place. She just wanted to show her Mommy and Daddy her new found talent.

Nonnie came to visit for the evening photo shoot, and she saw how interested Annabelle was in the little chair that she said, "She needs her Daddy's little rocking chair." I thought, "No, she really doesn't." After the photo shoot on Monday, I asked Grandmama to take the little white chair home with her. We don't need to worry with another bump on the 'noggin like the other day in the bathroom! Especially if we can prevent it.

The Many Hats of a Mommy

I have decided to compile a list here of the many jobs we perform as Mommies. I will add to this post periodically as my own job description as a stay-at-home mom changes and as I think of the duties I have performed as a Mommy, so here goes! Now if only we could tag a price to these items and actually receive a paycheck for these many jobs we hold.

1. Mommy (first and foremost)
2. Teacher
3. Singer (poor Annabelle)
4. Cook (again, poor Annabelle)
5. Dietitian
6. Maid
7. Nurse/Doctor
8. Photographer
9. Sleep Therapist
10. Event Planner (for all of those special birthday parties)
11. Accountant
12. Comedian
13. Entertainer

Savoring the Moments

Sometimes I wish we could hold and capture every moment of a child's life to savor forever. And, I don't only mean the first time they roll over, the first time they sit up, the first time they crawl, and the first time they walk. I am referring to the moments that occur every single day at nap time and bed time. These are the moments at the end of a three hour period or at the end of a very long day that we sometimes long for, especially when we are not ourselves, and we aren't feeling the best. These are the moments that we often long to pass quickly because there are dishes to be cleaned and laundry to be folded. These are the moments that lead to complete peacefulness and solitude for everyone, baby or toddler, Mommy and Daddy.

But, it isn't just the moment that Annabelle falls asleep that I find so special. It is the moments that lead up to bedtime and nap time (even though I find nap time quite a struggle).

It is the way that Annabelle will walk from the living room to her bedroom at bedtime when asked, "Are you ready to go night night? Let's go to your bedroom and get ready for bed." I've just noticed that she's starting doing this within the past few weeks (probably right around Halloween).

It is the way that Annabelle will immediately hand me her paci (that she was sucking on seconds before) just as soon as her little head hits the boppy pillow when it is time for her to nurse before nap time and bedtime. It is this trust that she so completely has with me that she trusts me to hold and protect her paci until she is ready for it again before bed.

It is the way that Annabelle will fight sleep at nap time by babbling and sometimes shrieking "Da Da Da Da Da Da Da" very loudly, just as her eyes are too heavy to hold open any longer. And, how suddenly, her eyes are no longer heavy as she says, "Da Da Da Da Da Da Da." I will often have to look away from her to avoid eye contact just so I can laugh. If she sees me smile or laugh, she knows she's won me over, and it makes nap time that much more difficult.

It is the pleasure and overwhelming love that one feels by watching her baby sleep with her baby's knees pulled to her chest underneath her little body while she is lying on her tummy.

Another Knock to the Head

Okay, how did that just happen? It was about 10:45 a.m. or so this a.m., and I am in the bathroom brushing my teeth trying to finish getting ready to head out the door. My husband just got home for a quick 20 minute break to see his precious daughter before leaving for a business luncheon at 11:00 a.m.

Well, I am brushing my teeth, and my sweet, little Annabelle comes trotting into the bathroom to find me. I'm watching her, trying to prevent her from opening the toilet lid to splash in the toilet bowl and trying to prevent her from falling head first into the shower while at the same time trying to brush my teeth, and next thing I know, she takes a stumble to the ground.

No big deal, right? She stumbles ALL of the time. And, it looked like she caught herself with her hands as she always does. She apparently had tripped over the rug in the bathroom.

Well, she cries a little bit, and I am so used to her stumbling and crying for sympathy when she is tired. And, she is getting tired because nap time is around 11:00 a.m. So, I say, "Annabelle, you're alright, aren't you?" I pick her up and prop her on her feet and send her on her merry way, and she's fine again...no more whimpering. She did not cry long or very hard.

About that time, her Daddy walks in to rescue her, and he picks her up to hold her. I look at her, and there it is...another knock to the head! This time it was to her forehead. The goose egg and bruise quickly begin to form, and my heart aches for my little girl.

I still cannot comprehend how she got a goose egg out of that fall, but she did. I guess the tile floors should explain it. The dangers lurk everywhere! It doesn't matter how cautious you are, there is ALWAYS something that can really hurt them...even when you are right there watching them 24/7. I guess the rest remains in God's hands. He is there to catch them when they fall when we cannot catch them.

Maybe this was a learning experience for me too. I've been putting off getting those corner things to put on the end tables to prevent babies and toddlers from cracking their heads open on the corners because the ones I've found stick to the furniture, and being the selfish one I sometimes am, I didn't want to mess up my precious furniture! I am not a big fan of babyproofing anyway as I think you should let your child explore and just watch them, but I now think the corners are a GREAT idea. I thank God that she hasn't tumbled into one of those corners yet. Now that would be devastating! I just didn't realize how dangerous the corners can be until she took this little stumble on the bathroom tile floor.

So, she seems fine. I tried to apply a "Rapid Relief" cold compress to her little forehead, but she wanted nothing to do with that at all. I was able to apply it for a little while, but not very long. It is supposed to help with the goose egg swelling.

I just put her down for a nap, and she went down fine. Probably because the stumble made her sleepy, but I am not too worried as she wasn't knocked unconscious, and apparently, according to the doctor, you need not worry about them sleeping if they weren't knocked unconscious.

My husband said that the goose eggs are actually common when you bump your head on something. He asked me, "Have you never knocked your head on something and then got a goose egg as a result?" Well, no, I really don't think I have. He is the accident prone one, and I think Annabelle is following in his footsteps. I think she gets her "high tolerance for pain" from her Mommy though. Otherwise, you would have thought the child would have cried for longer than she did this morning? Right now, if my husband is reading this blog, he is laughing at the "high tolerance for pain" part. That is exactly why I quoted it, just for him! He thinks I toot my own horn for having a "high tolerance for pain." I remind him all of the time that I gave birth to his 7 lbs, 9 oz daughter without ANY meds...almost 24 hours of labor, with 12 hours being hard labor! Hard labor defined (by me) as contractions 5 minutes or less apart.

And, on another side note...my plans for this weekend were to have my husband take her 12 month pictures (at almost 13 months). I am already mad at myself for not getting these done sooner, but every week since her birthday, she's done something to her face, and I didn't want it to show up in the pictures. Of course, those were all minimal blemishes with just a little scratch here and a little scratch there from those sharp finger nails of hers that I don't even bother to cut any more because it is too much of a struggle, and I eventually will just tear them off when they get long and flimsy enough.

And, to top it off, I just learned earlier this week that the photographer that I have been using at Portrait Innovations and loved is no longer working there! Big bummer! Grandmama, Granddaddy and I took Annabelle and her Cousin James back at Annabelle's 6 month birthday for a photo shoot, and we didn't make an appointment with the photographer I like, and the pictures were not impressive at all. So, I've decided to get my husband to try and rent one of those big flashes, and I am going to buy a white cloth, and we are going to do our own photo shoot at home. It is stressful enough taking a baby (now toddler) for a photo shoot. It stresses me out even more having a photographer that I cannot stand or who is not good with her or patient with my indecisiveness, for that matter.

The subject for the pictures is awesome, and she smiles a lot, so how on earth did this guy's pictures show the worst smiles of my daughter when she has a beautiful smile 99% of the time! And, I really am not exaggerating too much, she does have a beautiful smile most of the time.

So, I guess this just goes to show you that you shouldn't procrastinate. Maybe I was procrastinating because I really didn't want to deal with the stress of the photo shoot, and it had nothing to do with the blemishes. It was probably a little bit of both. Oh well!

I have faith that my husband will take magnificent pictures of her for her 12 month photo shoot at 13 months, and we'll still dress her in her birthday dress, and maybe I'll make another cake just for the occasion.

It will be cheaper in the long run to buy our own flash (or even rent it), then pay the prices I've been paying for these photo shoots just to get the CD with all of the pictures on it.

What has Squeakers been up to? # 1

Okay, for those of you that don't know, Squeakers and/or Squeaky is Annabelle's newest nickname. She only has about 20 nicknames from birth! For her 1st birthday, her Daddy bought her pink squeaky shoes off of ebay. These squeaky shoes are apparently a Chinese tradition, and all of the Chinese babies that come home to the United States from China have them. Or, so we've heard.

They actually arrived in the mail on her birthday, so we put them on her that evening after the cake. It was the very first present that she opened, and she LOVED them! There really was no need to open any more presents after the squeaky shoes were opened because with every step, she just smiled with excitement and joy. All she wanted to do was walk around the house. She really did not have much interest in opening presents when she had squeaky shoes to enjoy.

To see her happiness with every squeak was a special moment for her and for her Mommy too (and probably her Daddy, Nonnie, Grandmama and Granddaddy). Talk about sharing the simple joys of life with a child! This was one of those moments that you must stop and enjoy.

So, she quickly inherited the nickname Squeakers and Squeaky because she would not stop walking around the house. She just wanted to hear her shoes squeak. I know that to some, these shoes would be an annoyance, but I cannot imagine missing the joy in her eyes solely because I could not stand the squeaking. I love to hear her squeaking around the house! It makes me smile. Not to mention, I also know if she's up to something. When the squeaking stops, she's probably up to no good, so Mommy is quick to find her little Squeakers.

Okay, so enough on the nickname. Let's get into the question. What has Squeakers been up to (since I last posted and probably before that too)?

Brocolli for the 1st time on Sunday, October 28th? The ? is because I think it was on Sunday. She loved the brocolli the first time she had it. And, she seemed to like it the next day too, but after that, she decided that she wasn't a huge fan. I thought I had finally found something full of fiber to help with these constipation issues she has been having. After these past few days though (Tuesday, November 6th and Wednesday, November 7th), I think we may need to start her back on the Miralax again. Poor baby! She just hurts so bad every time, and I don't blame her one bit. Have you seen the size of these things?

For Annabelle's 2nd Halloween, she was a ladybug. And, she was one cute ladybug. If I can only figure out how to posts pictures on this blog, I'll post some soon for you all to see. I found her Halloween costume at a church consignment sale for $2! It is an older year's Old Navy costume, and when we went to Old Navy just a few days before Halloween, I probably would have bought the newer version for a sales price of $11.75 (regularly $23, but it was 50% off), but they didn't have her size. Thank goodness they didn't because it would have only been a waste of money! She looked just as cute in her $2 costume, and I saved $9.75 plus tax!

We took her "trick-or-treating" at the nearby assisted living in Buckhead. We took the old folks with us too, and we told them we hoped they had brought their bags with them because they wouldn't be coming home with us because they were going to their new home. Ha! Ha!

The assisted living home was rather depressing. I really wasn't expecting that because I thought assisted living homes were for older people to hang before they lost their mind and functionalities. Boy were we wrong! Some lady started telling me about how she was a member of the Cherokee Country Club, but that she liked this place much better, and it was much cheaper. And, she talked about how she had played tennis earlier in the day (with some supposed to be famous person, at least it sounded like they were supposed to be famous, but I didn't recognize the name). The ironic thing...she was in a wheelchair, so she definitely did not play tennis earlier in the day.

But, anyhow, we were trying to do our good deed for the old people living in our community. We weren't taking Annabelle trick-or-treating for the candy. It was more for us than anything, so we thought that the old people would get a kick out of seeing her (since she is really cute and all). The tennis player told me that Annabelle had the best costume that she had seen all evening. I am sure that she told everyone that though as she probably didn't remember us one second after we walked out the door.

After the assisted living trick-or-treating, we ventured over to Whole Foods because I saw online that they had something special for the kiddos for Halloween too. It was a bag full of goodies, but we had to find someone to find someone else in Customer Service to give her the bag full of goodies (that she won't eat anyway). Oh well!

We did take her trick-or-treating to just a few houses in the neighborhood. The first one being our neighbor across the street, Ken. And, the second one, well, they didn't answer. And, the third one, our neighbors next door, Michelle and Dwight. They were all happy to see a precious little girl, but then again, who wouldn't be?

Okay, moving on...rutabagas for the first time on Tuesday, November 6th. Annabelle and I met Grandmama and Granddaddy at Five Guys by the Wal-Mart we shop at. Grandmama brought some cooked rutabagas for Annabelle to try. I think she brought them because she cannot get Granddaddy to eat them, so she's trying to pawn them off on my little girl! Poor baby! The funny thing is...she actually ate a good bit of them, and she seemed to enjoy them. I tried them too. So, we can probably document that as one of my firsts as well because I don't know if I've ever had rutabagas before. Mother, did I spell it right?

I started feeling sick again the Thursday after Halloween with another cold! I was just sick on Annabelle's birthday. She got sick, and then she gave it to us (her Daddy and I) right before her birthday. I just hope that she doesn't get sick from me this time. Well, that evening, I sat in the glider in her room, and she proceeded to bring almost every book to me from her bookshelf one by one. It was absolutely precious! Every time she'd bring a book to me, I would just say, "Thank you." And, she'd turn around and go get another book. I just stacked them up in my lap as she brought them to me. She held onto one little book in one hand though the entire time (as she brought me the books). I guess she was keeping that book because it is one of her favorites. When it was time to put the books away and get ready for bed, I said, "Annabelle, will you bring Mommy the book on the floor?," and she did just that, she brought me the book on the floor. Then, I said, "Annabelle, will you bring Mommy the book on the stool?," and she did just that, she brought me the book on the stool. One by one, she brought me the books I asked her to bring me. Then, I said, "Annabelle, will you bring Mommy the cow?" She has a stuffed cow that actually Moos that her Daddy brought her home from Texas when he went out there earlier this year for business. Well, she brought me the cow. I am so amazed with how much and how fast she is learning! It blows my mind that they can retain so much information at such a young age. But, then, I sometimes think, "when will she start talking in sentences to ask for stuff?" I guess that is just being human...always wanting the next best thing. I try very hard to live in the moment though. I know she'll be grown before I know it, and I won't have my little girl to hold in my arms any more.

And, now, she'll actually take the time to sit in my lap to look at a book. This is new to me as she has always squirmed to get free before I even read the first page. In the past, when she's done this, I just let her down, and I'll read to her as she plays. I think reading is important whether they are sitting right there with you or not.

So, then on Saturday, November 3, Annabelle, her Daddy and I took a day trip to the mountains. We made it as far as Black Rock State Park near Taccoa. I think we decided that this will be the last long day drive for a long time. While we were dating and pre-Annabelle and actually even post-Annabelle (last year while Annabelle was probably only a month old), we would just decide to take a drive in the mountains. Well, Annabelle wasn't a big fan of the drive at all. We had to stop several times just to get her out of her car seat. And, it probably didn't help that we forgot to pack the paci! She normally will nap in the car very well, but she didn't on Saturday, and I solely contribute that to forgetting the paci.

Well, while we made the long drive to Black Rock State Park, I sat in the backseat with Annabelle, and I showed her pictures in one of her picture/word books. She loves the pages with animals on it, and she will constantly turn to those same pages over and over again. I'm not sure if it has something to do with those pages being in the middle of the book or not, but whatever the reason, she constantly turns to the same pages. Well, I would point at the pictures and tell her the names of the animals, and then I would say, "Annabelle, where is the cow?" Etc., Etc. I pointed at many different animals, and she got it! She is really making the connection now! She would point to the animal or object I was asking her to find.

Okay, so now that you have a new update on "Annabelle's Firsts" since my last post, I better end this blog and continue on another day as it is already getting late, and we have plans to go and visit with Grandmama and Granddaddy tomorrow. And, I think I just heard my baby fussing! She woke up crying last night around 1:00 a.m., and I had to rock her back to sleep. Fortunately, it didn't take very long though (maybe 20 minutes). I think she is teething again because she keeps putting her hands in her mouth, and she'll hold her fingers against her bottom gums. Those are the teeth that are supposed to come in next.

So, until next week's blog...Ha! Ha! Just kidding, hopefully, until tomorrow's blog...

You'll be hearing about Annabelle lying down with her Mommy on the floor (on Monday, November 5th) , pretending to use her play telephone for the first time (correctly) (on October 31st, I believe) and possibly saying "belly" on Friday. And, Annabelle's use of the toy that Granny bought her for her very first birthday. And, Annabelle looking at her belly when I told her that one of her peek-a-blocks had a bell in it.

Oh, and before I forget, she gave her Daddy his first hug around the leg on Monday, October 29th. And, she gave him a kiss last night (Tuesday, November 6th) that appeared more like a real kiss (using the lips a little more properly instead of her mouth wide open).

We think she said "Amen" earlier this week after we finished saying prayer, I believe it was on Monday, November 5th. And, tonight (or maybe that was last night), it sounded like she said "I love you" to her Daddy. Maybe we are just hearing things though. I think she says "Juice" when she sees her sippy cup. And, when she points at stuff, I swear she says, "What's this?" That would be a lot of words for an almost 13 month old though, so I am probably just hearing things that I want to hear.

Comments please

Okay people! I know that some people are reading my blog because I've personally given you the web address. So, why aren't you writing me any comments? Your comments and/or opinions would be much appreciated! It keeps me blogging. As you can see, I haven't posted any blogs since Monday, October 29th, and this is solely because I have not received any comments from any of you!

Hint: I think it is fairly easy to comment by clicking on the "0 comments" in gray at the bottom of the blog. And, you can comment as "Anonymous" if you don't want to set up a google account or include your user name on the web.

So, comments please!