Tuesday, March 29, 2011

independence

fortified for the journey
hittin' the pavement
on the road


she returns to her mama!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

fifteen months!

penny is now fifteen months old!  thursday was circus day!  we had an excellent time at the show - penny watched the whole thing, and though we had to take a walk to the top of the section to get a little distance a couple of times, overall i think she had a good time!  we got to spend some time with friend clowns after the show, and it was a wonderful time catching up with them.
this week we went to the doctor for penny's checkup, so i have new stats for you!  she is 21lbs 9 oz (25th percentile) and 31 inches tall (70th percentile).  the doctor says she's right on track development wise, and complimented her on her calm demeanor during the exam.  unfortunately, she was not so calm when she got this round of vaccinations (hep A and chicken pox), but she got a circus band aid, so all is well.  also, according to the doctor, she is getting 6 teeth right now, so we're being generous about her crankiness and random screaming.
we had a lovely girls' weekend together, and finally we had gorgeous weather.  we spent most of our time outside in the playground, waving at kids, eating an alarming amount of snacks, and working on stairs and ramps.
i am REALLY excited to show you this video.  i am increasingly convinced that we have a cute baby:

also,this week's photos:

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

spring!

spring is slowly but surely arriving - it's getting nice enough to spend significant time outside.  poor penny had a fever and has a cough, and she's getting at least three teeth right now.  this has not stopped her from enjoying her weekend!  we spent a good two hours or so at the park on saturday, and she did not put her snack down for a moment.  she enjoyed watching other kids play, and clapping along with them and laughing with them but she wasn't in a playing mood.  saturday night, my parents came over to hang out with penny, and alex and i went to dinner and a movie!  we had a lovely time, and so did they.
on sunday, alex's parents came over and we all went to the prospect park zoo.  we had a great time visiting with the animals, and we got to watch the sea lions get fed.  the day had a rough patch in it, but overall it was a great time!
hopefully this week penny will continue to get better, and everything will get a bit easier.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

toddler.

i think penny is getting the terrible twos early.  is this possible?  she has been asserting her will all over the place, and is testing her limits all the time.  she's also moving from two naps to one, which means that she's exhausted absolutely all the time.
on the other hand, she is learning words at an amazing clip, she's getting funnier and funnier, and she is a super personable baby who loves to snuggle.
the other morning, alex was on the AM shift, and the two of them were playing in the living room while i tried to get a few precious moments of morning sleep.  she came charging into the bedroom shouting "mama, mama!,"  pointed at me, wanted me to get out of bed and pick her up, and then pointed to my nightstand very deliberately saying "guh, guh."  when i put my glasses on, she said "YAY" and clapped.  i can't tell if she was super psyched that i put my glasses on (which means that i am definitely up for the day) or that she successfully gave me a command that i understood on the first try.  either way, it was a fantastic moment and we were both full of joy.

the past few days have been slightly more trying.  i know we'll get through it, and i am glad that we have a spirited daughter who is clearly intelligent and opinionated.  it's just hard that every time it seems to get really good and easier, we make it to another hurdle to get over.  but never mind that!  we had a great weekend of inside and outside funtimes!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

one year ago today...

here is a video of what penny was doing one year ago tonight.  i can't believe what a different baby she is now, and what a huge deal it was for her to reach out towards a toy for the first time.  she and mr. hamburger pancake have since parted ways.