Our Little Reader

Abbey also went for a couple vaccinations today. Although it's not fun watching her get two shots (one in each of her little legs!) I think it's worse for me than it is for her. Today she cried for a couple of seconds then started smiling at the nurse. Unlike some babies, the shots don't seem to make her tired! Here she is, later in the day, with a couple of her favorite books.

Lunch with Daddy

Abbey and I met Ryan for lunch today. She was going to wear her i love daddy shirt until she decided to make my day a little more interesting and spit up all over it. We were a little late to lunch since Abbey had to change first!

Under the Tree

Abbey likes to be outside, so we spent some time this Sunday under the tree in our front yard. For a while she was happy playing with Bizz and looking at the leaves.
Then she started to think about moving around a bit.

Hey! What's going on over there?

That green stuff is kind of interesting. If only I could reach it.

Once Daddy came home from his baseball game, Abbey was content to just watch him & listen to how the game went. (Daddy's team clinched the first seed for their playoffs!)

Our Favorite Place

Abbey and I have spent a lot of time at the zoo this summer. Before today, she was content just hanging out in her stroller and being outside. However, today she "discovered" the underwater part of the Arctic Ring of Life (polar bears & seals). The long tube of water fascinated her, and it was definitely a highlight of the day for me to watch her get so excited.Staring at the water (and maybe a seal)

Talking to herself & still staring at the water

Cracking up & having a blast

Her friend Connor!

Jumperoo - Friend or Foe?

I don't know about this new contraption that Mommy calls a Jumperoo...

I'm just not sure what to do with all of these gadgets...

Oh, it's starting to make a little more sense...

Ok, I'm getting the hang of it now!

Abbey now likes sitting in the Jumperoo, playing with the toys, & listening to the music. However, she still hasn't figured out the jumping part of the equation. She bounces like crazy in her bouncy chair, so I am sure she'll love jumping when she figures it out.

Abbey Rose Goes to Brighton

GPa Don, GMa Sharon, Great Grandma Rose, Abbey, and I visited Brighton last Thursday. Abbey had a wonderful time visiting with Great Aunt Karen & Great Uncle Al, especially because they have the most beautiful gardens that she has ever seen. Hopefully she isn't too disappointed when I take her outside at our house now! (Pictures courtesy of the Wirths)

Mmmmm, Good!

Dear Mommy,

Since you are still only giving me milk, I have found other things to snack on. My toes are especially delicious.

Love, Abbey

Trying New Things

Abbey is trying to figure out this crawling thing. She is hilarious when she decides where she would like to go and really tries to figure out how to get there. Unfortunately, she has a little trouble coordinating her arms and legs, so she usually ends up getting her legs going before her arms. This results in a lot of frustration, since she ends up either flipping herself onto her back or moving in the opposite direction than she wanted to go. We know she'll get it eventually!

Four Generations

Four generations of mothers and daughters

You can see we take that very seriously!

Pap's Watch

All babies love Nan & Pap, and Abbey definitely loved them. She loved watching them and listening to them talk and being cuddled.

Abbey also liked Pap's watch.

Pap had no problem letting Abbey play with the watch.

Abbey tried to figure out how it worked, then she decided it would be a great teething ring...

...Nan put a stop to that!

Group Photos

Of course no family visit is complete without the group photo opportunities! Abbey adored meeting her relatives and having all that love and attenton.

Uncle Mark

Abbey loved Uncle Mark's shirt. He quickly became a friend when he read to her and bought her a little monkey, a new favorite toy.

Welcome to Michigan!

Nan, Pap, & Great Uncle Mark are visiting this week, and Abbey is loving all of the attention and different faces. She adores listening to Pap and is particularly fascinated by one of Uncle Mark's shirts. We are having a great time hanging out and even spent the day at the zoo with our visitors, plus Aunt Jessica & her nephews.

This weekend, Great Aunt Jane, Great Uncle Butch, & Amy came to Michigan, too! Abbey was quite the social butterfly on Friday night, entertaining all of us with her amazing rolling skills. Saturday we went to see Grandma Sue & Grandpa Ray, where she repeated her performance. Saturday evening, back at Grandma Sharon's, she got a little tired but tried to tough it out instead of napping. Tonight, people not only saw her smiling face, but her cranky one as well. Oh well, at least we know her lungs work!

Stay tuned for some pictures when we poach them from Grandpa Don's camera...

The Afterparty

After checking out the water, Abbey headed back to the blanket for a nap with Mommy. Daddy, Uncle Joe, and Aunt Amanda all went out into Lake Michigan for a swim.

The rest of the visit was wonderful as well. Abbey loved hanging out on the west side. She even got to meet Great Uncle Joe & Great Aunt Rosalie and really seemed to like walking around on the deck and looking at their beautiful yard.

Partying at the Beach

Abbey took her first road trip to visit Uncle Joe & Aunt Amanda in Kalamazoo. While in town, we visited the beach at South Haven. Abbey absolutely loved being outside and laying under her umbrella. She spent a lot of time just chilling out and talking to herself, her toy Bizz, and anyone else who would listen. The water was a little cold for her, but we'll try that again next time.

Visiting with GMa Sharon & GPa Don

Grandpa Don & Grandma Sharon came to visit Abbey before leaving on their 4th of July trip to Nashville. She will miss them while they're gone!

We sat outside for a lot of the visit, because Abbey really enjoys sitting up in her stroller and checking out the world around her. One of her favorite things to do is watching the leaves blow on the trees in our front yard.