Sunday, February 27, 2011

Month 8

Esmé is growing. Everyday we look at her and can't believe how quickly she's gone from tiny baby to practically a grown woman now!

Some highlights of the month include:

  • She's very close to crawling.
  • She's got two little teeth poking up through her bottom gums.
  • She can mimic us when we clap our hands, shake our heads, or stick out our tongues.
  • She's started wearing shoes (this is a big milestone in a girl's life.)
And it seems like her personality is growing just as much as her body! She's got so much energy and is really good humored. She is so smiley! At church she stands on our bench and puts on a show for everyone behind us, smiling, playing peek-a-boo, and shaking her head crazily back and forth (we don't know why she does this, but whenever she's excited or amused, she throws her head from side to side. It makes me laugh every time.) She also loves other kids and will just smile and babble at everyone she sees.

She also eats socks.

When tired, she can be prone to mood swings, not unlike her mother:


And she loves to eat. She also gets that from her mother.

She loves her reflection. Also, she thinks clocks are funny and she enjoys board books and hand puppets.



We love our little girl so much! This month she has brought us laughter, joy and, according to my calculations, approximately 160 soiled diapers.

Monday, February 21, 2011

San Antonio

Roo came home early from work on Friday afternoon to an ornery wife who had a nasty case of cabin fever. So he came up with a quick plan for us to remedy the solution: get out of town.

We decided to pack up right then and head to San Antonio three hours away. Though Esmé was not too pleased with being locked in her car seat for three hours, the drive was nice and went quick enough.

We stayed one night at the St. Anthony's hotel, where, according to photos in the lobby, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Princess Grace, and John Wayne had also stayed. The hotel was a ten-story brick building full of chandeliers, dark wood, and charming vintage details. We were able to get a discounted rate on our room, which was small but nice.



We had a very comfy and large king-sized bed. Esmé did not get to sleep on this bed. She slept in a pack n' play which fit conveniently in the closet--don't worry, we kept the door cracked. That way we could watch our movie without disturbing her. (I guess I feel like I need to justify why I put my baby in a closet...)Friday night, we walked down to the riverwalk. This is a lovely stretch of river that cuts through the city and which is lined with picturesque restaurants and shops.

Saturday we wandered over to the Alamo. It was a drizzly morning, but not so bad that we couldn't enjoy the sights.



From there, we went back down and explored the rest of the riverwalk. (The picture below is not mine, but I didn't get a good shot of the place, so I borrowed it from the internet.) The place was really lovely and well-maintained, with small-town charm. It felt like a mix of New Orleans Square at Disneyland and Pocatello, Idaho.
It felt so great to get away, even for just one day!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

To My Valentine:

Really, I'm not as funny as I think I am.

I'm not as smart as I think I am.

I'm not as righteous as I think I am.

And yet, you never let me know that.

Thank you for being incredibly good to me. After seven years, I'm so glad we're still in love. But I'm even more glad that we're still friends.

Love,
Annie


Monday, February 7, 2011

At the Grocery Store

I'm standing at the checkout line with Esmé when an older lady passes us and stops suddenly when she sees Esmé.

Lady: OH! Is this your baby?

Me: Yes

Lady [Genuinely concerned]: Oh, but you're so young!

Me [Not sure how to respond]: Yeah, she's my first...

Lady: How old are you?!

Me: I'm going to be 25 this year.

Lady [laughing as if genuinely relieved]: Oh goodness! I thought you were 14!! Ha ha ha.

And she walks away. Her elderliness and mild foreign accent made her observation slightly less offensive.

Slightly.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Happy Birthday Roo!





Splish Splash


Brace yourself for cuteness overload.





Thursday, February 3, 2011