Fun at the park!

This morning we took Annabelle to a park in Rollingwood where they have baby swings. She had lots of fun! It was almost her nap time, so she looks a little tired in the photos, but we managed to capture some smiles!

Chris got his first kiss from Annabelle yesterday. She uses her tongue only! It was very sweet though. She loves her Daddy!

8 months old

Annabelle is 8 months old today. That's totally unbelievable to me. We celebrated by going to Toys 'R Us and buying some new toys that will hopefully interest her. She's getting bored with all of her old toys! So we got lots of stuff that makes noise since she seems to enjoy making plenty of it.

This week was hell for Annabelle. She is getting at least two new teeth on top. I can't really tell how many are coming in because she won't let me look. But she spent about three days miserable from the pain! The worst of it seems to be over now, thank goodness!

Her 8-month weight is unofficially 17.4 pounds, and her length is about 28 inches. She's long and lean!

A swimmingly good time!

Chris and I took Annabelle to the YMCA today so that she could go swimming for the first time. She did wonderful! She didn't get scared at all and really seemed to enjoy herself. And of course, she looked adorable in her yellow bikini. She even got hit on by a 5-month-old named Henry!

The Baby in the Mirror

Annabelle loves to look at herself in the mirror. Chris takes her from room to room to see the "baby in the mirror" and she just squeals in delight. One of her favorite mirrors is in our guest bathroom. She gets to stand on the counter and dance. And she loves to kiss the baby and spit at her too!

Annabelle LOVES the Pets

Some of the things that are sure to make Annabelle smile and giggle are our dog and three cats. She adores every one of them! She is always after them and can roll anywhere when she sees them. They are going to have to stay on their toes once she can crawl. I got some pictures of her picking on Gatsby the other day. He is such a good sport and takes almost everything she dishes out. And Ansel, unbelievably, doesn't bite off her hand when she pulls out big clumps of his fur. That's one way to reduce shedding!

We also took some goofy pictures together. She is developing quite a silly little personality.

Little Girl Keeps Growing Up!

Annabelle had a wonderful week! She continues to amaze us every day.

Her favorite toy by far is her Deluxe Jumperoo. She absolutely loves that thing. It is a little seat she sits in with her feet touching the floor. It's suspended between four bungee-type ropes attached to a sturdy base. The second we put her in it, she starts jumping like crazy! She has a blast in it!

She's also getting stronger with sitting up. Last night in her bath, she refused to sit back and relax. She was having too much fun being a big girl and sitting up with extremely good posture!

We're also starting to see some hints at crawling. She is starting to get her knees underneath her. It's very hard to describe, but once she gets them under her, she starts pulsing up and down, trying to get some momentum going. It's very cute to watch.

She's been eating more table food as well. She's now eaten Gerber puffs, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, corn, salmon, bread, tortillas, watermelon, honeydew, and more! She loves to eat with us. I think she really likes being included.

Annabelle Hearts Uncle Doug

Annabelle got a visit this week from her Uncle Doug and had a lot of fun with him! For some reason, she was really fascinated by him and whenever he would hold her, she would stare very intently at him like she was really trying to figure him out. And she was incredibly serious about it...no smiles, no messing around. Just quiet concentration on his face. It was very funny to watch! And she got to go on walks with him, which was a lot of fun!

She's doing great otherwise. Her two teeth are getting longer and are quite sharp. She's also been eating a lot more table food this week when we're at restaurants. Last night, she feasted on sweet potato fries, cheese and a wheat bun. Very nutritious! And she's getting even better with her balance and sitting up.