Mans Best Friend

I love this picture on so many different levels - I like the color, the angle, and the fact that I'm glad that the doggies have a new friend who feeds them cheerios while trying to feed herself.  Whenever she sits at her high chair or chair hooked to the counter, she hangs her hand down just asking the dogs to giver her kisses (even if they're feet below her and don't stand a chance of being petted).  Whenever I let the dogs out of their crate, Bailey always goes straight to the couch where Sarah normally sits to say hi, before greeting me (or scratching at the door to go outside).  When she cries in the middle of the night, sometimes I go into her room and I notice the door has been pushed open and Toby or Bailey is sleeping next to her crib.  I just hope this love between them continues when she tries to start riding them or pulling their tails.   

On the Move

Sarah was a late mover.  I was a spoiled mom.  Ever since she's been born she's liked to be upright.  Even in the hospital she was never a baby that you could snuggle in your arms and rock to sleep - she much preferred to be over your shoulder looking around at the world.  I think it was that predisposition that had her sitting at a young age - around 5 months.  However, she had no desire to move once she was upright.  She'd grunt and groan if something she wanted was out of her reach, but she didn't seem to realize that by rolling over or scooting forward she might actually be able to attain it for herself. She also has never like sleeping on her back, so I think that delayed her rolling - she's preferred to sleep on her side since she was very young, and if you put her on her back, she was talented enough to get herself to her side to get back to sleep - and mommy and daddy liked this too, because a baby on her side was much less likely to lose her binky.

Somewhere near the end of May she decided she'd start rolling over.  Somewhere near the beginning of June she decided to start "inchworm crawling", where she'll put the entire front half of her body down on the floor, scoot her legs forward, lift her body up, and try again.  If I can figure out how to link video to this/get video off our camcorder, I'll post video of it because it's quite funny.  Recently, we've moved forward toward what I consider real crawling.  She doesn't quite move forward yet on hands and knees, but she holds herself up on them, and will move one leg forward before she loses track of what she wanted to do.

Moving has become a challenge and a game to her.  Pillows, dogs, and legs are now obstacles to cross.  I left her on the floor in our bedroom to run downstairs to get her bottle, and I can't do that anymore as when I came back she had crawled under the baby gate blocking the entrance to our room and had got herself stuck.  She doesn't pull herself up on objects yet, but can push herself up to her legs - so if I'm lying down she'll crawl over to me and push herself to a modified plank position on her hands and legs.  I envy her ab strength. Twice while writing this I had to stop to keep her from crawling off the couch.  Unfortunately along with her new-found mobility does not come an appreciation for being on top of high places. 

Standing makes her happy - whenever she's upset, most of the time if you just put her in a standing position she calms right down.  I hope she'll make it the next three weeks, but I suspect my post summer school time will be spent baby proofing the house.  And thus ends 9 months of relative peace.

Sarah loves her musical table - mostly because it's the right height to stand up against!

Down on the Farm (in South Riding)

Sarah does not like goats.  Or camels, or cows, or a large furry animal that we could not figure out what it was.  Yesterday we went to the "Celebrate South Riding" festival where there was a free petting zoo.  Sarah does great with Toby and Bailey - she lets them lick her face, she pets them, sticks her fingers in their mouths, so I figured a petting zoo would be something that she was into.  I was wrong.  This was the first time I ever saw abject fear in my daughter.  Anytime I put her anywhere near the animals (and some of the kids (goats, not humans) were really really tiny!) she would cower into my shoulder and start crying.  Every time.  Every  animal.  It wasn't the size of the animal - the baby goats were just as scary as the camel - it was the fact they were animals.  I worry now about taking her to Disney - will the giant life sized mouse freak her out too?

I did have T.J. take one picture of us trying to pet the animals. 


So we missed our afternoon nap yesterday - we slept so well in the morning that she wasn't ready for  a nap until we were already heading out the door.  My goal was to make it to the fireworks because I love fireworks, but as soon as she had a meltdown I was prepared to leave.  We lucked out - no meltdown!  She just fell asleep for a nap right in my arms.

Considering how scary the goats were, we really weren't sure how fireworks would go over.  But the loud noises and bright lights didn't seem to phase her.  I think she's become accustomed to loud bangs and barks at home.  Special thanks to Toby and Bailey for prepping Sarah to not freak out in the presence of startling noises.

So newest lessons learned in parenting.  We can stay out past bedtime without meltdowns, goats are scary, and fireworks are fun.  I think we can live with that.  P.S.  Sarah has her first boyfriend :)

Water Baby

I've come to realize that the camera that I had was just not good enough with a quick moving baby in the house.  By the time my shutter snapped Sarah had already moved on from whatever cute action/adorable face she was making or doing.  So our weekend began with a trip to Best Buy to buy a new camera (and yes, it does take great pictures inside without a flash, and yes, I did research and it was less expensive at best buy than online).  This camera has some fun modes that I'm sure I'll grow tired of quite quickly, but was fun to play with this weekend.  I'd like to thank my daughter and my dogs for being (somewhat) willing models.

Toby in supersaturated color

 Our house in fish eye

 Bailey in the toy camera mode

On the way to the grocery store today my car thermometer registered 98 degrees, so while at Walmart we made an impulse buy of a baby pool.  I wasn't quite sure how this would go over as bath time is hit or miss as to whether it's fun or torture, but it was so hot today I figured she might like to cool down.  So after almost passing out blowing up the pool, we put her in her (already almost too small!) bathing suit and plopped her down.

She stayed in for almost 40 minutes until she decided she wanted to try to crawl out.

She was kicking, splashing, and having all sorts of fun!  Even without any toys in the pool with her, the idea of a hot day and water was enough. Next time I think I might try to bring out some shampoo and just use the baby pool as a bathtub.  Far less drama.

Toby thought the pool was a giant water bowl.  I think he was annoyed that the baby was in his bowl as opposed to Sarah being annoyed that Toby was in her pool.

With the temperature projected to maybe hit 100 tomorrow, and the pool only taking two buckets of water to fill, "See you later, alligator" pool may just have to make another appearance tomorrow.

Happy Mothers Day 2011

I know this is after Mothers Day by a couple weeks, but I just received our pictures in the email today, so I figured this would be a good time to share.  I had an INCREDIBLE first mothers day.  T.J. made me breakfast in the morning, and the we went out to Notaviva Vineyards.  They were having a mothers day special where for what amounted to $10 you got a professional picture.  Since my parents decided to join us (the day before they were leaving for Europe) I got two pictures take - one of the Flynn family and one of 3 generations.

From there we were going to go to Hillsborough Vineyards but missed the turn and serendipitously ended up turning in Loudoun Valley Vineyards.  Though the tasting room was a bit dated, it was free wine tasting and free cupcakes for moms, and the grounds were lovely.  T.J. took a whole series of pictures of Sarah and I, and I didn't realize why until later that night.

Before dinner at Ford's Fish Shack, Sarah gave me a present that she made for me - a tri-fold frame with her hand print on one side and her foot print on the other.   Though her foot was a little big larger than it should have been (daddy said she was not too cooperative with that), it really was the perfect gift for a perfect day.

Thanks Sarah!  Mommy loves you very much!

Summer is in the air (even though it's only May)

So we had a busy weekend this weekend, all of which kept me from doing what I should have been doing (grading, cleaning) but at least I got to enjoy the almost perfect weather.  Friday night Sarah went to her first concert.  My daughter is a baby after my own heart - she loves music (and it's not thanks to what I played her while I was pregnant, since most of the time my car is tuned to NPR).  When I sing to her, be it lullaby's or Katy  Perry she bounces along happy as a clam and apparently really loud rock music also makes her happy.  We went to Herndon Rocks with some friends, and there was a point where she was laying on her back staring at the (starless) sky and just kicking her legs bouncing around.  She also took time there to practice her new found rolling and scooting skills.  I am going to have to baby proof the house sooner than I expected.

Saturday Great grandma Andrews came back from Florida.  Again, the weather was perfect so we took time to hang out on the deck bouncing around.  This was the best picture I got of Sarah and Grandma mostly because she doesn't sit still.  I am glad that my grandmother has moved on from calling her "baby" to using her name.  I am so lucky to have my grandma in my life, and even luckier that Sarah can have not one but three great grandmas.

Today we were supposed to be productive and really, for the first five or six hours we were... then the weather was nice, and I live on a fabulous street, so Sarah got some quality time playing on neighbors toys.  The best part of the day was the girl who LOVES to stand up would NOT put her feet down on grass.  As soon as they were anywhere near the grass she's pull them up into a sitting position and freak out if she got too close.  As much as I love having a little princess, I'm not sure I can deal with one who won't get a little bit dirty.  Thanks to Gabi and Anna for sharing their dog.

I don't know how many more days left in school I have, but weather likes this really makes me wish summer were already here.

And then there were 2....

An update for the baby book - last night T.J was trying to feel the tooth and he noticed that there was more than one down there (before she locked her jaws super tight so we couldn't get into her mouth).  Today she spit out her binky across the car while running errands, and I put my finger in her mouth to quiet her down a bit.  Note to self:  Even with two teeth she's already figured out how to bite.