An Oldie

November 2010 

31 January 2011

Photo of the Day-31/365

Relaxing on Mommy and Daddy's new bed built by the talented Gramps! 

Magnolia Pearl and I had a relaxing day. Andy is working tonight so it is just the two of us. She has been really content all day long. I think the teething monster is giving us a break! She was such a pleasure to be around. She has been standing straight up on her knees all day. It's the new thing to do I guess. It almost looks like she is trying to stand without pulling up on anything. 

4 second clips from almost every video I've taken in the past year.

30 January 2011

Photo of the Day- 30/365

Today was one of my favorite days of 2011 so far. We started the day with coffee and breakfast and then went out. We stopped by Best Buy and then went to the island to look at houses that are for rent. When our lease is up this summer we are considering moving into a place on the beach. When we got home it was so warm and nice out that we had to spend some time in the back yard. Today was the very first time Magnolia has sat in grass. She is in love with the outdoors. After we came back inside I was in our bedroom folding laundry and she crawled all the way down the hall to see me! Another milestone! It feels pretty great to know that she wants to be with me all the time. I know one day I will be less enthused about her ability to go anywhere in the house, but for now I am just going to be happy for her new trick. The second picture is her first car. I cut out a steering wheel and windows and Dad insisted that she have a spoiler on the back. I even monogramed her back window. We pushed her around the house for quite a while, giggling the whole time. She ate carrots for dinner and made an absolute mess. I was busy getting her bath ready and Andy was undressing her when he called for me to come quick- I came to see her standing on her own! She did it a few times and finally I had to get the camera. She is a mess in the picture and the flash made her close her eyes half way, but there she is standing on her own two feet! The longest she stood for was about 10 seconds before plopping down on her bottom. I am so amazed at how quickly she is learning. She has only been pulling up two weeks or so. She just started crawling less than a month ago! I wish I could describe her personality. There are no words for how quickly it is growing. It is larger than life, that's for sure. She says "Dada" all of the time now. I keep trying to teach her "Mama" but so far no luck. It is amazing how quickly it all happens. 

29 January 2011

Photo of the Day- 29/365

The first photo is a picture of her top gums. I feel the need to document how cute they are because I fear they are going to have two teeth poking out very soon. I adore her baby gums. If I had to choose a favorite feature of hers they would be it. The competition for favorite feature is tough, so thats saying a lot. The next three pictures are just of her cute outfit and favorite new toy. The ballerina is the first toy she picked out for herself. I showed it to her in the toy store and she cried when I put it back so we had to buy it! The 29th was Saturday so we were all at home together. We made a quick run to the commissary and spent the rest of the day hanging out at home, practicing pulling up and crawling! 

28 January 2011

Photo of the Day- 28/365

Magnolia is learning to walk as she holds onto the couch. Whats next? A learners permit!? 

I put her in a dress and we stayed inside. I am ready for spring and to see her chubby legs all the time. I've definitely missed them over the past few months. 

27 January 2011

Photo of the Day- 27/365

The teething monster would like to say hello. 

It wasn't a terrible day, she was just a little fussy. We tried peas cut in half instead of pureed for dinner and that made her happy. She would only eat if we fed her with chopsticks. She is really developing quite the personality :) 

26 January 2011

Photos of the Day- 26/365

Loving Daddy

She's pulling up on anything she can reach these days.

 She only likes pears when I'm trying to eat one.. 

I used chairs to block the exit from the living room. It didn't last too long. Yes, thats a shoe in her mouth. 

25 January 2011

Photo of the Day- 25/365

We spent most of the day lounging around the house. The teething monster is back so we had a few meltdowns (mostly from MP) We did have some fun playing with the bookshelf though. She likes to  take all her books off the shelf and play with them after I set them up. As you can see, she is doing quite well at pulling herself up these days. As grumpy as she can be sometimes I still find her irresistibly cute. 

24 January 2011

Photo of the Day- 24/365

We spent the morning exploring New Bern with the Grandparents and then went to see Daddy's boat. It was a very chilly day on the water so Magnolia and Daddy cuddled up close. We found a small restaurant to eat dinner at that surprised us all with how great the seafood was. Magnolia was very pleased with the lemons. When we gave it to her I was expecting a funny reaction but I think she really likes sour things.

 We enjoyed our visit with the grandparents very much! 

23 January 2011

Photo of the Day- 23/365

We woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland! We played in the snow a bit and then the grandparents arrived for a visit in the evening. 

22 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 22/365

We had quite the snow day today. I have never seen so much before in my life! We had well over a foot in our yard. I ran around like a fool sliding into the ditch and making snow angels. Magnolia was only out for under a minute (this photo was her just outside the front door) She has just gotten over a cold and I did not want to risk her getting sick again. She enjoyed the little time she was able to play very much though. I can't wait until she is older and I will have someone to run around with me since Andy is a snow Grinch. :) 

21 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 21/365

It really saddens me to have to do this, but from here on out I will have watermarks on all of my pictures. A blog friend of mine has had photos stolen from her. Someone took ultrasound photos and made a blog pretending to be her. I can't believe what kind of a person would steal such a personal photo. My watermark is the web address of this blog. If you find it being used anywhere else, please inform me. 

With that being said, yesterday was a great day! Magnoliepies and I went to the park. As she is getting older swinging at the park is more exciting! She loves the wind in her face. It was almost 50 degrees so we took full advantage of the warm weather. 

20 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 20/365

This is another one where I almost forgot to take a picture. I took this right before laying her down for the night. I have a spin class on Thursday evenings, so Thursday is a crazy day for us. This is an important part of my day though- I am glad I snapped a photo. Every night between 7 and 8 we go into my bedroom and I wrap her and set her up so she is ready to fall asleep. Then I feed and rock her until she is asleep. Andy always lays in bed quietly with us. At about 8pm, if she is asleep or maybe just relaxed I take her into her room and put her in her crib. She is great at getting herself to sleep. Last night she obviously didn't have a problem falling asleep. I think Daddy wore her out while I was away! I know I'm with her all day almost everyday but during this time I always study her face and take mental notes of how it has changed day to day. Sometimes I will hold her for a while after she is asleep just so I have more time to look at her. She is getting more grown up features and I am starting to see what she will look like in the future. She is so active in the daytime now that it is good to get some cuddle time in whenever I can :) 

19 January 2011

Photo(s) of the Day- Day 19/365

This one is posted a few days late. I'm not so good with keeping up with this blog, but I do take a picture every day. This is from Wednesday the 19th. We went out to Kabuto and Magnolia had her very first taste of sushi! It was actually just grains of rice off the sushi, but she still loved it. She may have loved the chopsticks even more than the actual food though. I hope she is always a good eater and willing to try anything. The second picture is from when we got home. She is still in love with her bouncy seat. Sometimes she will stop bouncing, stand still and whine and I will walk over and pull her musical toy that is hanging from the bouncy and she will start to go crazy dancing to the music! It's on the top ten list of the most adorable things she does. She also bounces if you say "Bouncy bouncy bouncy!" or "Boinga  boinga boinga!" She doesn't even have to be in the bouncy seat! She is one of the most entertaining people I know. We are never bored anymore! Right now as I type she is using a rattle as a drumstick and banging on a box with it. She's never done that before and I've never showed her how to do it. I'm sure every parent thinks this about their kids, but she really is something special. 

18 January 2011

Today's Photo is a Video

Photo Video of the Day- Day 18/365

The hours of 5-7pm are rough around our house. My solution to the evening blues? Dinner and a Show. Please note that I saved all the very best moves for MP's eyes only. (the galloping horse, the splits, etc.) 

Sometimes as a parent one must humiliate themselves for a laugh :)  

17 January 2011

Helping Mom with Laundry

Trying to grab Mom's camera. Hmm.. Maybe she will be a photographer?

Hanging out before bath time!

Pearlie's Pearly Whites

Photo of the Day- Day 17/365

I had a hard time choosing just one photo today. Andy was off work for the holiday so we hung around the house as a family. This evening Magnolia said "Dadadada" for the first time! It was exciting. Then I put her in the bath tub big girl style and she proceeded to pull up on the side of the tub and stand! She is growing up way too fast. 

16 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 16/365

How terrible is it of me to take a picture with the flash on as she is trying to fall asleep? I dropped the ball and forgot to take a picture until the very last minute. She handled it very well. She fell right asleep before I even left the room. Today was a great day. We were so busy enjoying it as a family that we forgot to take pictures! 

15 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 15/365

Today we went to Wilmington to pick up a bridesmaid dress and stumbled upon a little bit of shopping fun. We ended up leaving with a few more things to complete Magnolia Pearl's shabby chic nursery and three big smiles. I loved her outfit today! The only thing missing in this picture are her shoes. They were pink ballerina flats with ribbon laces that tie into a big bow that Gram made for her. Surprisingly, she kept them on for most of the day.  My daughter is certainly pretty in pink. 

14 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 14/365

I often wonder who Magnolia Pearl will be as she ages. I think this is the appeal of babies- the idea that they can be absolutely anything. This is why every woman (and some men too!) who crosses Magnolia Pearl's path stares at her with wonder. Sure, babies are super cute (even the ugly ones) and smell good. Well, sometimes. I think the biggest thing that attracts people to babies is how they have yet to learn bad habits. How they have yet to learn to drive bad or be greedy or have bad manners. I am going to try my hardest to keep Magnolia Pearl as sweet as she is today. I will prevent her heart from becoming heavy for as long as I can. I don't want the world's weight to crush her. I want everyone who meets her to be in awe of her personality and her manners. I want her to be gracious, kind and giving. As I see more and more of her personality I can't help but think in my heart that she is not only sweet because she is a baby and doesn't know better but that she is sweet to the core. That is who she is. I love the person she is becoming and I adore watching her grow. 

13 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 13/365

Very first time in the big girl bath! She loved it. And no, a baby can never have enough bath toys. 

12 January 2011

12 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 12/365

Action Shot! 

We got the little lady a doorway jumper last night. Lately she's been jumping when I hold her, jumping when she sits up and jumping when she pulls up on stuff. I thought she'd like it but I was wrong- she LOVES it. I had no idea they still sold these things because I thought for sure they were dangerous. Andy read the directions and then tested his weight on it before giving it his seal of Daddy approval. I am so thankful for stuff like this. It's not bulky or plastic and I'm not setting her in front of a tv so I can get things done. She is right in the doorway to the kitchen so I can keep a good eye on her. She loves it! Added bonus? I don't have to worry about her crawling over to the fireplace when she's in it. (Don't worry- we never use it, it's just not something I'd like my daughter to play in and she has been fascinated by it lately) 

11 January 2011

11 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 11/365

I'd like to call this one "Blueberry Blues" Magnolia tried steamed and pureed blueberries for the first time yesterday. She liked the first few bites but then was over the whole thing. Yesterday was just a no good day for Miss Magnolia. She has a stuffy/runny nose and a her top right tooth is about to come in. Last night was the worst night since she was born. My good girl who never cries screamed for most of the night. Today she is being so pleasant and playful. We go to the doctor tomorrow to get checked out. I'm certain that it is just a cold, but I want to take every precaution. 

10 January 2011

10 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 10/365 

Snow day! We had so much fun watching it fall. I'm pretty sure this is the most snow I have ever seen. We have about 8 inches on the ground! I hope it is still around when Andy gets home tomorrow so we can all play together. 

9 January 2011

9 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 9/365

Photos from playtime. We spent a few hours this morning trying to figure out how to crawl. Her motivation for learning today was to get my Tervis Tumbler. I emptied it and let her roll around with it for a while. I hope she is always so easy to please! 

8 January 2011

8 January 2011

Photo of the Day- Day 8/365

Magnolia Pearl standing in her crib! She has pulled up three or four times now. This was taken right after she made two tiny crawls. She is growing up way too fast but it's so much fun to watch. 

Can anyone guess what she was trying to crawl to? My tanning/firming lotion. I really hope she is a girly girl. 

7 January 2011- 7 Months Old!

7 January 2011

Photo(s) of the Day- Day 7/365

As you can see, I couldn't just pick one today. This was Magnolia Pearl rolling over to the bookshelf in the living room and pulling her toy basket off the bottom shelf. She has never come close to doing so before. She enjoyed the fruits of her labor very much and even turned the basket over to use it as a drum! Today marks her 7 month birthday. I can't believe how grown up she is already. She started kinda-sorta sitting up sideways while using her arm for support one month ago exactly and now she is sitting straight up like a pro and has even pulled her self up on the side of her playpen a few times. She is one of the happiest babies I have ever seen and rarely ever fusses. Separation anxiety is starting to kick in and for the time being I am flattered. She is going to crawl any day now but doesn't need to. Her rolling is a very effective mode of transportation. She has been eating solids for one month now. Her favorites are peas and carrots but she likes almost everything we have given her. The two foods she does not like at all are green beans and butternut squash. Just when I think her personality and my love for her could not grow anymore, it does. Happy Seven Months, Magnolia Pearl.