Sweet Lip-Outs

Before Anna was born I guess that neither Matt nor I had been around babies enough to realize that when babies get sad they actually stick their lower lip out. Anna didn't do this when she was first born, but maybe around 7 weeks of age she began doing this when she started to get sad, but was not crying yet. This face didn't precede every cry, but just some. As much as we don't like Anna to be sad, we both think this face is just so adorable. We often say to her, "If you're going to get sad, at least give us a lip-out."

In the past week Matt and I noticed that she hasn't been making this face as often as she used to. We were getting sad that the lip-out era might have ended without us ever capturing it on camera. Then last night as she was getting tired before bed she started tossing her lower lip out:

 

Matt would like me to point out that this is a little different that the cutest lip-out face because the rest of her face is showing some distress. In her cutest lip-out look the rest of her face is perfectly normal except for the one small lower lip jutting out.

Don't worry, we only spent a small amount of time capturing this look before we did relieve her of her misery and put her to bed.

Love the Baby

Lately I've been noticing that Anna likes to hug her burp clothes so I realized that it might be fun to give her an actual toy to hug. Here she is hugging a few of her toys:

 

 

I keep telling her that these are her babies to hold. When she hugs them I say, "Love the baby," and she gets this huge smile on her face.

Also new this week I've noticed that Anna is starting to drool a little. I've been anticipating this as her friend Clara (2 months older) went through a stage where she used 3 bibs during a single Ladies Luncheon. Besides drooling Anna has continued to become a lot more vocal this week with laughs, squeals, and happy screams (she's always been able to scream during a good cry, but these happy screams are new). She hasn't rolled over or fallen asleep in her play gym this week. For now I guess those are special tricks for Nana's house.

Hanging out at home

Anna missed her Daddy last week. Since she's gotten home, she's had lots of extra special Daddy time:

 

Daddy and I watched a football game on TV. Dad said it was a rerun of a very important game. I don't know who was playing, but the blue guys beat the green guys and everyone was blowing smoke out of their mouths. Daddy said I saw the game before, but I don't remember.

 

Daddy reads to me.

 

Daddy makes me laugh.

 

Daddy got my Bebepod out of the attic. I can almost sit in it on my own!

Photos from the week

playing with Uncle Dan

Taken before she rolled over for the first time, but obviously getting close!

Anna with the Sherwin boys. As cute as this picture is, the story as to how this picture came about is even cuter. After I laid Anna on a blanket on the floor Gabe decided to join her - on the same blanket, which you will notice is not too big. Steve then gave Gabe his own blanket so he could have a little more room. Thomas then found his own blanket and placed it next to Gabe. Then believe it or not - John picked up his own blanket (okay, okay, he had some help) and laid it next to Anna. Left to right: John (2 weeks), Anna (2 months), Gabe (almost 2), Thomas (almost 4).

Face it, I have more fashion sense than my mother.

Just laying out by the pool in the sun (well, actually shade) with the ladies!

Viewing herself in the mirror Anna exclaims, "Now I see what all the fuss is about."

"But Uncle Jeff, why can't I play with my cousin now?"

On the Road Again...

Anna & I hitched a ride with Nana to come to Albany for the week. We're having a fantastic adventure. So far we have had lots of fun dinners with Nana, Aunt Becky, and Uncle Jeff (including a trip to Mom & Dad's favorite old hang-out, Frank's Ice Cream and including dinner last night with Uncle Danny too, who is visiting from NYC). We've also visited the Sherwin Family in Saratoga and got to meet the newest addition to their family - John Dominic Sherwin, who is only 2 1/2 weeks old!! I can't believe Anna was that size just 9 weeks ago!! We've also spent an afternoon swimming in Grandma & Grandpa's pool. It has been a fantastic week so far and the only down side is that we miss Daddy!!

Anna has had two new accomplishments this week:

1. She rolled over! The first time she did it, it was in her play yard, which we decided was a little easier than the floor because of the way the mattress gives a little. She did that on Tuesday, but this morning she just did it on the floor! This is all from her tummy to her back and it looks like back to tummy is still a little ways away.

2. Anna feel asleep in her play gym. Anna has never feel alseep in "play" mode before. She usually gets cranky first & most of the time I nurse her to sleep after that. This morning she was just playing in her play gym - one minute she was kicking her pooh bear and the next minute her eyes were closed and she was taking a little siesta. This is a perfect example of how I sometimes have trouble adjusting to her new schedules. My first thought was, "Should I wait until she is cranky to take her upstairs??" How stupid is that - This is exactly what we want - her to fall asleep without getting cranky!!

Pictures of the week will be coming soon!

Anna's Baptism

On Sunday Anna was baptized at St. Mark Church in Vienna, VA. It was a beautiful ceremony & wonderful weekend as her Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, Uncle Dan, and Aunt Bridget all came! Here are some photos:


Anna is the first to wear what we're hoping becomes a family baptism gown. Her Nanna bought it special and embroidered her name and birthday in the slip.


Anna was so cute when she was getting the water poured over her head. Her Mom, Dad, Uncle Dan (Godfather), and Nana (proxy for 34 week pregnant Godmother, Aunt Becky who was so sad to miss the day) were all touching her while the priest poured the water over her head & she just looked up at them with this look like she knew something really special was happening. It was truly the best moment of the day.


You may notice that the beautiful baptism gown that Anna is wearing before the ceremony is not pictured during or after the ceremony...of course, there is a story. It was about 95 degrees and humid in Vienna yesterday. While the church was air conditioned, apparently it was not air conditioned enough to wear a two-layered linen gown. Anna started fussing in the beginning of the ceremony and after trying to feed her & burp her without success, we realized she was a sweating! Luckily I had packed the dress I planned to put her in after the ceremony for her party (a beautiful pink & white dress from her Aunt Andrea & Uncle Bruce). We made the switch & she thoroughly enjoyed the resty of the ceremony. I say "luckily" not because she would have had to tough it out in her baptism gown if I didn't have a second dress, but because she didn't have to get baptized in a diaper! I guess that could have been an even more interesting story. We were joking that Nanna should embroider "pictures only" under Anna's name on the slip of the family gown.

I will get you Mr. Canary!