Savannah at Sweetfest

The family went to a desert festival this weekend called Sweetfest. It was a great day. I realize you probably shouldn't post pictures of bad parenting decisions, but below is Savannah's first taste of a Hawaiian Shave Ice (also known as a sno-cone, depending on your geographic region - we have lots of Hawaiians here in Seattle). I especially enjoy the third picture where she is deciding if she likes it.

Smarty Part II

Since Savannah spent so much of her early life on her back, anything up on the ceiling (ceiling fans, murals, beams) was fascinating. She loved laying on her back in the dining room looking at the chandelier and would laugh everytime I said "chandelier". Currently, she enjoys Conor holding her up so that she can touch it.

This evening, we were sitting at the kitchen table finishing up dinner and I said to Conor "Why don't you two go in the dining room and play while I clean up. She can touch the chandelier." At that moment, Savannah looked up at the light fixture over the kitchen table. Conor and I freaked out and kept asking her "Where's the chandelier?" She looked up at the light EVERY TIME, ya'll! (I'm sure her internal monologue was "You IDIOTS! It's right there! I keep telling you!")

That is some serious vocab for an almost nine-month old.

Cute and smart.

Why it's cool to have a techy husband

This is what Conor and Savannah did while I was working on Saturday. It's a time lapse video. He took one picture every 5 seconds and then made a movie out of it - cool, huh?

Lazy Blogger

I have been a lazy blogger lately for lots of reasons. I've been super busy with work, but am now done with weddings for a while. I just have to wade through my reprint orders and process a few things and then I will be caught up and might have a chance of cleaning my bathrooms and getting some business accounting done (this is the time that my business degree comes in handy).

However, even when I'm busy, I do love my job. It sure beats getting bossed around by a bunch of idiots in the banking world. It's also the perfect mommy job as I have a super cool husband who is amazing with our baby and is completely willing to give up his Saturdays to watch her.

Also, who doesn't love making pretty things like this:


Savannah is doing well. Still no progress on the crawling. She is so frustrated. She wants things and looks at me like "Are you going to get that?". I've recently been letting her fuss around on her tummy for a while, but I don't like her to just be upset all day long. It's so perplexing to me as she was so early in holding up her head and rolling over. She does love standing and 'walking' though. She's got no balance yet, but can lift her feet and move pretty well if we're holding her hands. She hasn't figured out that she can pull herself up onto things. That will probably be in a month or so.

We had a fun weekend and I of course have some pictures. I'll get some things updated during the afternoon nap.

Toooooth!

We have a new front tooth as of today, which explains a lot of the complaining the past few days. I think the second front tooth should be here soon.

Alma Mater Death Match Part I

As most of you know, Conor and I went to rival schools - he to the University of Texas and myself to Texas A&M University. This has posed quite a challenge for our baby girl as we both want her to be a fan of OUR team.

The battle has been quite civil within our family for the sake of a happy household, but friends of ours have been bombarding the house with branded apparel. Not that I mind, as Savannah outgrows things every day.

I will now present part I of our contest. In the name of fairness and good sportsmanship, I will begin with UT. (I will also be reshooting some of her pictures this week as she wasn't in the best mood when I was taking these). YOU get to be the judge of which colors she looks best in. A poll will appear soon.

Pros for UT:

1. Yes, they won the national championship in football last year. Also, as much as it pains me to write, they have beaten A&M the last five years in football.
2. They were recently voted the nation's #1 party school (this could also be listed as a con, I suppose).
3. Austin is a great city, probably the best in Texas.
4. Famous Longhorns? Lots of them. Janis Joplin, Walter Cronkite, Michael Dell (of Dell Computers) plus about a bazillion others in sports, science, etc.
5. A great school in lots of areas. I didn't go to UT and don't care for them, so it's hard for me to come up with a list of pros. I'm sure there are a bunch more. Longhorns, please feel free to put some in the comments section.

Cons for UT:

1. I could go on and on and on with cons - they would probably degenerate into personal attacks, so I just won't start. Just know that cons exist.

Apologies

Dear Savannah,

Your father and I would like to apologize in advance. We have just realized that Halloween is coming up and that we get to dress you in whatever we want. You also know you're going to be photographed to death right?

Love,

mama and daddy

Smarty

She may not crawl and her vocabulary consists of "mmmmmm" and the occassional "Ba" or "Meeeeee" but she knows her toys. meet Ducky:

He's really not evil, the horns are just an unfortunate accessory choice. (But great for chewing!)

Today I lined him up with some other toys and asked Savannah "Where's Ducky?" and she picked him out right away. Yea Savannah! She did it three times and then, in her own subtle way, let me know she was done being tested. 'MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

POTD: August 22, 2006

Big things this week

Four words...Alma Mater Death Match

POTD: August 18, 2006 Part II

For all you Zoolander fans - Blue Steel

POTD: August 18, 2006

Santa's Vacation Home

So I am going to have to be on my best behavior the next few months, because it appears that Santa is spending some of his down time in Seattle. Look what I saw at my drycleaner's!

Post-a-palooza Part II

More pictures!

Post-a-palooza

Ok, here comes the make up posting.

Savannah's fever seems to be going down and she is getting better by the minute. As far as colds go, this one wasn't so bad.

She should be 100% soon. Enjoy the pics!

I have a straw - life is so good.

Mommy took my straw away in order to get a better picture of me. Oh poor me! I am so sad now. Things could not be worse.

The hardest working legs in the baby business. I mean, seriously? How cute is this?

Cute

and.....also cute.

Fever

Sorry about the lack of updates lately. I had a busy weekend working and now poor Savannah has a fever. She's mostly OK, but a little more demanding than usual. Will post more later.

Mom's Group

Mom's Group:

Mom's Group Aftermath:

Even the basket is like "Dude, what just went ON here? How did I end up on my side?"

Congratulations and Welcome Baby!

Congrats to my friends Lisa and Andy (and big brother Jake and big sister Abby) and a welcome to their new baby son - Hudson Andrew.

He was born yesterday afternoon and is 7 pounds, 14 ounces and 20 inches long.

Can't wait to meet you!

POTD: August 10, 2006

Eight Months

Dear Savannah,

Today you are eight months old. You have turned into a little person while I wasn't looking.

A little person that has definite likes and dislikes (likes: sweet potatoes, blueberries, bathtime, drinking water from a straw or a glass, keys, squealing like a pterodactyl, pulling hats off your head, daddy when he comes home from work, clapping, sitting up. Dislikes: bananas, avocados, not being picked when you demand it, teething, toys that fall out of your reach, putting all the toys to 'sleep' after bathtime, eating when you are tired, not having words).

I put you in the front part of the shopping cart the other day for the first time because I forgot your carrier. You seemed so pleased with yourself for being such a big girl - I almost cried right there in Babies R' Us. It was just yesterday that you could barely hold your head up and look at you now! You can sit, clap your hands and splash the water in the bathtub.

You have also accepted your genetic destiny and have grown hair like crazy. I am happy that you got mom and dad's thick hair. For a while there, we weren't sure that was going to happen.

You still aren't that keen about crawling, but have found something even cooler - standing! We have so much fun standing at the windowsill watching the tree blow in the wind and the neighborhood cat lie on our deck.

Books have become an important part of your life. I love how you clap your hands and wiggle all over when I pull out a book to read to you.

We love you more every day and can't wait to see what you have in store for us in month 9!

Stealth Crawler

OK, missy, explain yourself! How is it that I can put you with your head facing north in your crib at one side and when I come to get you up from your nap, you are facing south at the opposite end of your crib? huh? How'd you get over there?

I know that mobile is down there and it's fun to grab, but why aren't you crawling when you're not in your crib?

Oh, I see, complaining until I give you what you want is a much more effective strategy.

POTD: August 7, 2006

Help, please!

When I was pregnant I used to say "Well, I don't want my house to look like a toy store." and then when Savannah was smaller: "Oh Savannah doesn't have that many toys."

Please view Exhibit 1:

That little basket next to her used to hold all of her toys.

It seems that I am now in need of some new storage. Helpful people of the internet I need your advice! I am looking for some toy storage that is good looking, probably made of wood and is large enough to hold a good bit of stuff, but not a huge bookcase or anything. It's going to be in what is actually our formal living room (we don't have furniture for it yet, and probably won't for a while) so I don't want it to be pink or too cutesy. I've checked out Target, Pottery Barn Kids and Ikea and no luck. I would love some suggestions if you have any.

Thanks!

You must have me confused with someone else

I just got an invitation to my college ten-year reunion.

I cannot believe that I graduated from college TEN years ago.

I have to go lie down (because I am OLD).

POTD: August 3, 2006

Shy baby?

I can't decide if Savannah is shy or is just awed by what bigger kids can do. Yesterday at mom's group, she just sat and watched all the other babies play and crawl around while holding a little toy of hers like it was a security blanket. She is one of the youngest in the group, so I think she was maybe just interested, but she did seem a bit apprehensive.

Still no interest in crawling. She can turn herself in a circle while on the floor, but no forward movement yet. Being propped up at the windowsill, however, is big fun.

Sweet Sleep

Ahhhhhhhh.....seven hours of sleep for Mommy last night. Savannah has been a terrible sleeper the last few days (culminating in a screaming fest at 3:45am two nights ago) and finally calmed down last night - not a peep out of her from 7 last night until 6:20 this morning. I love to sleep so much, so I am a happier gal today.

Had you told me a year ago I would be thrilled to sleep in until 6:20, I would have laughed. It really is an uncivilized time to wake up. I would much prefer about 8:00 during the week and 9:30 on the weekends.......

Grandma Bridget and Grandpa Austin!

Grandma B and Grandpa A left today. Savannah was looking at the front door all day long waiting for them to come in.

Did you know that Grandpa Austin can do an amazing impression of the Count (from Sesame Street)? He CAN! Also, Grandma Bridget was a saint for getting up with Savannah in the morning (and dealing with the poopy diapers that usually accompany that job).

Savannah misses you two!

Do you know what's cool?

Knocking things over! Woo!

Catching Up

There have been all sorts of things happening in the world of Savannah Jane lately - good and bad. When I recover from the bad (which included a wide awake baby at 3:45 this morning) I will post a full recap!

POTD: August 2, 2006

Yes, I know that she doesn't match. Conor came downstairs with her in this outfit and declared that she had picked it out all by herself. OK........