Ready for summer

Thanks to Lana we are ready for summer! Bring on the hippo pool and any other fun places to swim.

The cake!

How could I forget to post a picture of the cake? Okay, well, not a cake so much as a bunch of cupcakes. But that way Etta could have one and not "share". I made the cake and frosting from scratch and with my limited artistic baking capabilities I created a "rainbow of flavors". Um, it was just a rainbow or colors, but she is just one, right? I'll practice up for next year!

My baby is one

[Gotta include this post. Isn't it some blog requirement?]

April 28th, 2008

One year + one day

Yesterday was a blur. Unfortunately I did not get her 12 month annibirthery pictures posted on the day. But I know that everyone understands!

We had play group party from 11:00-1:00 and then family party from 5:00-8:00. Getting everything ready was fun but time consuming. Etta did great, as always, and I think that we all had a great time.

No Grandma, I want to play!



Okay, I'll lay here for just a second.



What a difference a year makes.



Pre-party playing



Big boy helpers showing Etta how it's done.



One candle, one cupcake



What's this?



How is it going to taste?



OH MY GOSH! Best cake ever! Must. Shove. More. In.



With experience comes cleanliness. (Well, at least at first...)



Muffin top. Cute on babies.



Great grandparents = great party!

5 1-year-olds + 5 snack cups + 2 hours =

Tons of fun actually. On Tuesday we had Etta's birthday party during regular play group time. It worked out super well actually. The dogs especially loved playing clean up after the festivities!

Chillin'



Porter



Yeah, that's MY grandpa!!



[Note: 5 one-year-olds + 5 snack cups + 2 hours = very few pictures. When you are focused on everyone walking around, falling down, spilling snacks...there's not much time for anything else!]

Birthday Party #1

On Sunday during fellowship time after church we had a little party for Etta. But according to Jonah and Noah it wasn't a party because there was 1 - no balloons and 2 - no candles. Leave it up to almost three-year olds to make me feel like an inadequate mom!

Grandpa and cake



Jonah and cake



Great cake!



No, seriously. It's MY party and I DON'T want my nose wiped!!



What's in the bag Uncle John?



Wait, the bag is better than a present!

Boring (but funny) stats

Doctors appointment today. Here is the down and dirty. More fun birthday pictures to follow tomorrow!

Weight: 21 lbs. 3 oz. = 54%

Height: 29 in. = 49%

Head circumference...


wait for it...


46.5 cm


waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait for it...


87%

Thank you Grandpa Eddy.

We ended up having to wait over an hour before we even saw the nurse. Not the doctor. The nurse. (Want the longer version of the story? You can ask me...) Etta found ways to entertain herself.

One? Seriously?

I think that she may be three or four!

I like shoes!

Just like my Aunt Molly!

Birthday Picture

[Just so everyone knows: we have officially entered the birthday TRI-WEEKIUM. Bob's birthday was Monday, Etta's is next Tuesday and mine is the following Thursday. I have a feeling that there will be many a huge celebration in the year to come.]

I wanted to get some nice pictures of Bob and Etta on Bob's birthday with our beautiful tulips. I am not a great photographer so you can pick your favorite!

A Discovery

In most areas I feel that Etta is right on track developmentally. And then, she made a discovery. One that I thought that she had made ages ago. One that Brooke has had under her belt forever.

The tongue.

No joke. Just late last week she finally really discovered her tongue. She started to play with it one morning during breakfast. She can push food out with it. Food that she doesn't want to swallow. Sweet for me. I tried to capture a couple of pictures. Hope that they illustrate a bit.







[On a side note. The sign language learning is going quite well. Depending on your definition of well. She now signs "milk", "all done", and "water". Great, right? Until this morning when I was in the middle of feeding her cereal. She signed, "All done! Water!" Multiple times. Until I gave up and gave her the rest of her bottle. To be fair she had eaten almost a whole banana and a hand full of Cheerios.]

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Bob!

Over



Under



Around



and Through



Success!!

Beauty and the Beast(s)

Yesterday (Saturday) we had a very exciting day. First "Beauty". The Idaho-Washington Symphony annually presents a gift of a free children's concert. This year we were able to attend. Like all music "stuff" Etta did pretty well. Always pays more attention while the music is playing and less attention while there is talking. One of the high lights of the concert is getting to "walk through" the orchestra. That interested her A LOT. At the end I took her up and stood in front of the stage. The things that interested her the most? The percussion. Uh-oh. Well, as long as she learns keyboard instruments too!

Violins



Cellos and violas



Cellos and the bass



After Christine and I ran 10 miles (Sweet!) and Etta took a little over a three hour nap (she must be growing...) we went up to the dog show to see the "Beasts". Some people were super nice and let Etta pet their dogs. We did not get any pictures of this though. But here are a couple of super cute Parson Russell Terrier puppies. (It's like a Jack Russell only different.) More pictures of Etta to follow tomorrow.

Play house

Etta is at the perfect size to play underneath of our dining room table. She crawls under a chair and then stands up and plays with little toys on the seat cushions. Sometimes she forgets how to get out or gets stuck which creates some frustration for her - but overall she is loving it!

Getting closer

Etta has shown zero interest in walking. She pulls up and cruises around but is still very cautious when it comes to "letting go". I am not in the least bit concerned about it as she doesn't even turn one for another week and a half and gets around very very well but imagine my surprise today when she decided to take a spin!



Just gotta have the right toys I guess.