8 months!

How has this month flown by! Daddy finally came home and we spent just a day getting Annie used to a life sized daddy as opposed to her daddy doll. :) we then had our first visitors with Aunt Christine and Uncle Jason coming for their babymoon! I am also finishing up my stroller strides fitness instructor training, so soon I will be teaching classes all by myself! 

Annie has been changing and eating lots!

- sitting up all by ourselves for long periods of time!

- eating lots of food - oatmeal, avocado, applesauce, sweet potato, mum mums, pancake, and all the other old ones. We are getting ready to do some major food intros!

- more interactive with people other than mom

- laughs lots

- super ticklish

- using her pinchers to grab puffs

- babbles lots (like her mom...)

- gets distracted while eating

- hair almost long enough for bows

- LOVES reading books

- rode in shopping cart for first time 

- rolls more now but still not a fan of being on her belly

Getting ready to get daddy!

Reunited with his girls!

Beds ready for our guests.

Uncle Jason paddle boarding

Aunt Christine snuggles

Big girl on her high chair

Making funny faces 

We love books!!!

Go hoos! First college football watching

1stbridebin shopping cart

Playing with daisy

Sleeping

Eating like a big girl with her sippy cup!

It is crazy how observant and fun Annie is. She takes it all in with a concerned eye but also has the best belly laugh ever. We can't wait to see what changes there are this month!

Our next month post might be a little late as we will be moving into our permanent Hawaii home right around month 9! This one has 3 bedrooms, a bigger kitchen and living area and a fabulous backyard! Visitors welcome!

Happy 7 months!

Our little one is 7 months! 

We have had a great month of doing stroller strides, hitting the beach, hanging in our plastic pool, and snuggling! I am guessing she weighs close to 20 pounds but no official weigh in this month. She is definitely getting longer as she fills up her bouncy seat. She also got watched twice by our upstairs neighbor this month! (1st real babysitting!) she did great both times. I learned though that it helps if I leave during nap time so she doesn't know I left her. I also took a class to be certified to be a stroller strides instructor. I should start teaching mid September. 

Now onto Annie's accomplishments!

- rolling both ways!

- sitting up on her own briefly 

- laughing lots and with you

- smiles at our neighbors (thank goodness)

- naps twice a day

- likes to tilt her head sideways when I say upside down baby

- drooling lots- still no teeth

- loves grabbing her toys. Has much better ability to grab small things

- eats pears, green beans, bananas, carrots, rice cereal, mango, and banana puffs

- eats 3 meals a day!

- loves grabbing daisy and getting kisses

- still smiles lots, gives big kisses, pulls hair, snuggles

- weathered 1st tropical depression

Hanging out 

A little bath time reading 

Hydrating after class 

Being babysat by a 2 year old

Mom has a fever! And there is a tropical storm coming!!

They taste good...

Diaper less in our own pool...

Daisy ... I love you!

We kind of like her. 

We are soaking up our time here and have our first guests coming in less than a week! Can't wait!

Friends

I had lunch today with my 11th grade homecoming date and his wife. (And Annie, of course). The fact that 11 years after I graduated from high school and 12 years since he asked me at a cross country meet having never spoken to me before (my response was "I'll have to check my schedule") is reassuring that you will run into people again and you can reconnect.

 I am having one of those days that Navy wives and anyone who moves can relate to. I miss my friends. I miss the community I built back in Texas as small as it was. (The group, not Texas). I miss that crazy job that connected me with kids who desperately needed someone to set boundaries and expectations. I just am missing my buds. Those people who send you random emails at work that get you through the day and who bring you coffee because its Tuesday. Or who take off work so you aren't alone with a newborn or who leave their child's birthday party to come hug you good bye. Meaningful friendships are an important part of life and make life so much sweeter. But damn does it hurt when you have time to miss them. 

So sitting across from a guy I have known for 12 years and who used to drive me around in his gold corvette, I was comforted by the thought that I might be sitting across from many of my sweet friends in the years to come. You never know when and where those paths might cross. And if you are really lucky during this reunion of friends, your child will suck on your arm so loudly and for so long that she interrupts conversations and leaves a large hickey. But only if you are truly lucky. 

Cue awkward 11th grade homecoming pic, mom.... 

6 months!

This post is a little late because momma got a little emotional with the 6 month birthday. I cannot believe she is half a year old. I spent so much time wishing her to be able to sleep longer stretches so I would feel human and never believing that would ever happen. Now we are there and it's just insane!

We have spent this past month keeping ourselves busy by going to the beach, the pool, target, and stroller strides which is a workout class for mommies. Annie loves the water and will float on her back for a little before realizing her head is damp. She has changed so much this month and has just the sweetest disposition. She is rather attached to momma, but as the pediatrician said, "It won't last forever."

What Annie is up to:

- rolling over from tummy to back

- laughing lots

- being ticklish

- trying to sit up on her own

- saying "momma"

- eating rice cereal, green beans, pears, bananas, prunes and loving them (daisy is also loving them as she licks Annie any chance she gets)

- taking two naps

- sleeping 10 hours at night

- grabbing smaller toys

- enjoying books - especially "Good Night Moon"

- screaming at church (we are taking a brief hiatus to let mom relax about the whole thing)

- eating her toes

- grabbing for daisy

- grabbing mom's hair

- snuggling her owl lovey

- giving kisses to daddy and mommy

- doesn't want anyone else to hold her but mom

These six months have been amazing, stressful, full of learning, but filled with lots of love. When I walk in her room and she gives me a huge smile that lights up her whole face and kicks her legs and wiggles her arms, what more could you want? She has certainly blessed us!

Reading

Eating

Grabbing for Daisy

Napping with owl (she moves lots in crib! This is her swinging herself 90 degrees)

Hanging out nakey

Practicing sitting up

Keeping it classy at all times 

Thanks for all of you who have loved and supported us especially my mom and sister who kept telling me that it would get easier even if I didn't believe you at the time!

Our little abode

So we got our furniture a week ago, and it took a good four days to get it either unpacked or moved to the storage unit. Kenny worked his little booty off trying to get this all done quickly especially since we were borrowing our upstairs neighbor's garage. 

We decided not to hang anything on the walls because we ultimately would like to move on base, but I did manage to pull out some framed pictures and our anniversary art work from last year.

Here is the kitchen. Tiny, but we have used the hutch to store plates, etc.

Here is the entryway from the garage access. Our bookshelf has been repurposed as our junk drawer, game and craft holder, office supplies, and some books. Then you see into the living area. Our half bath is to the right of me. Didn't take a picture because well, it has a toilet and sink. Whoa!

Here is the view of entry way from living area including our special UVA print ;).

Here are two views of the living area:

(My assistant daisy on hand!)

Our room. 

The full bathroom

Annie is napping so no pic of her room. But here is a pic from another day when I had to wake up sleeping beauty.

And another pic of Annie sitting in her rocking chair! 

We love our home! We love having neighbors upstairs to play with and hang with!

5 months?

How did we get here?? Annie turned 5 months today and we are both in awe. This month has flown by as we have settled into our new home and become more familiar with our surroundings!

Annie is up to lots:

Singing often. (She wakes us up in the wee morning hours singing in her crib)

Smiling and reacting to peoples' smiles

Being very aware

Taking 2 naps

Loves the water on her feet at the beach and in our wee pool.

Rides in the stroller facing out

Sleeps from 7pm- 530am (praise!)

Had rolled over twice!

Doesn't despise tummy time

Loves patty cake

Loves this little light of mine

Has the best giggle and belly laugh 

Loves grabbing her toes 

Still loves kisses and likes to give them back with a wide mouth and lots of slobber

Playing more independently. 

Teething

We don't have a weigh in this month but we would guess around 16 pounds, and she has definitely lengthened out some. We started wearing 6 month clothes after our 4 month check up. 

In other news, our stuff had arrived! We are unpacking and making it more homey feeling. We definitely don't have enough room for all of it, so we have also rented a storage unit. Pics to come! 

Annie's month 5 pics!

First beach trip:

First time in a bathing suit

First walk in park near our house

Family fun!

Playing in the pool

Love the beach with daddy!

Sunglasses needed

Sleeping like a big girl- no more swaddles!

Loving our paci