Guess Where?

Of course we are at the zoo again! Abbey and I went to the zoo this weekend with Aunt Colleen, Brendan, and Aunt Kathie. It was fun to take our former Girls' Night and turn it into a Girls' Day, complete with a picnic lunch and lots of fun with the animals. Speaking of animals, Abbey decided she didn't want to be "penned in" so to speak, in her stroller. Here is a picture of her trying to flip onto her stomach and slide out the front. She was NOT happy when she had to be strapped back in. She would like to thank Aunt Kathie for carrying her around for a while so she could see things better!
Brendan and Abbey seem to be looking at the same thing here. Let's pretend they are focusing on an exotic animal like the gorillas that we saw hanging out and wandering around. It's more likely that they are looking at some other kids!
Abbey, of course, had a wonderful time hanging out in the water tunnel. Brendan had a great time there as well, since he was allowed to wander around to his heart's content. Aunt Kathie was a great walking partner for Brendan, who is very close to walking like a big boy!!
Here is Aunt Kathie wrangling both of the little ones while Colleen and I nap under a tree. Just kidding! Another successful zoo trip. Our next visit might be at Halloween...spooky stuff...

Great Uncle Larry

Abbey met some new faces this weekend. Great Uncle Larry was in town for a high school reunion, so Abbey got to spend some time with him and his fiancee, Mary. We had a really nice visit and enjoyed meeting Mary very much.

The Sunday Paper

Ryan and I really enjoy the Sunday paper, although our opinions about the best sections are pretty different! Abbey is already joining our morning tradition of coffee and the paper. Well, ok, not really the coffee part, but she more than makes up for that with her energetic perusal of the important sections. I don't know if you can tell, but the section she is reading oh-so-intently is the Shopping section. It looks like my little shopping partner is in for the long haul...

Splish Splash

Despite having some sniffles, Abbey and I continue to enjoy our swim lessons. Colleen and I are the worst pupils, however, and we are setting a bad example for the kids in terms of paying attention during class. Our instructor is wonderful and has lots of great ideas to get the kids involved, but we tend to do our own thing, since our little ones are a little young to really understand the lesson part of the swimming.

I am continually surprised at how much Abbey enjoys herself, since she disliked bath time for so long. I guess that's why I took her last week, even with her little cold (stupid germs that I brought home from school!)

No, we are not on our first family vacation to Russia...I just like to make sure she is warm and snuggly for the car ride home. She usually falls asleep on the way home, wakes up for a snack, and is out for the night. Well, her version of out for the night, which is actually interrupted for snacks periodically. Who needs sleep when you have this little face waiting for you in her crib?

A New Friend!

We are excited to announce the arrival of Abbey's future best friend! Stacy had her baby this Saturday, and Madison Nicole Lukas is an absolute doll. I went to see the happy family on Sunday, and realized how big Abbey is actually getting. Madison is a little peanut, 7 lbs, 5 oz, and 20 inches. Ryan and I are absolutely thrilled for them, and Abbey is excited to have another zoo buddy (you might remember the picture of her and Connor, Stacy's son, hanging out at the zoo this summer.) The girls are almost exactly 7 months apart and COULD one day be roommates at Michigan State. Who knows? With four alumni for parents, it might be fate...

867-5309

So...have your people call my people...

Forgive my goofy 80's song reference in the blog title, but you know me...I have 3 months of free satellite radio, and I have been making good use of the 80's station. Anyway, one of Abbey's favorite toys is Mommy's phone. She is fascinated when I talk on it or text on it, and of course she loves putting it in her mouth.

She still hasn't mastered crawling, but she has discovered a combination of sitting, rolling, and pushing can get her anywhere she needs to be. It is so funny to watch her move all over the room using her own method of locomotion. Maybe it's something all babies do, but since I don't have any experience with other babies, I am going to continue to think Ryan and I just have an outside-the-box thinker on our hands!!

Hopefully I am not overloading everyone with all these posts in one day. Since going back to work, Abbey's blog hasn't made it to the top of my "to do" list much. Work is just ok. They have extended our hours this year, so I am working until 4:00, which was NOT on my radar before going back this fall. Abbey is having a wonderful time with Grandma Sharon (and sometimes Grandpa Don, too!) but I miss her like crazy the whole time I am gone. I think I am having a harder time adjusting than she is. This Friday night I took her out of her crib for a little while just to hold her, even though she was sleeping.

Sleep is for the Weak

Abbey has discovered that sitting up is a great way to stay away from that silly thing called sleep. We found her sitting in her crib a couple of times this weekend, and it is very cute, but a little nerve-wracking as well, since she could very easily pull herself all the way up. I think it's time to lower the mattress a little!

Inspired by Michael Phelps...

Abbey and I started a Tiny Tots swim class this week with her good friend Brendan and Mommy's good friend Colleen. Colleen was on the sidelines while her husband, Brian, wore the trunks this week. GMa Sharon came with us, as well. It was great to have the extra hands while we figure out how to get in and out of the pool and all dried off with the babes in tow. Abbey and I hope Daddy can come at least once, since he is the one that loves to swim.
I was a little worried about the whole swimming concept, because Abbey has only started to enjoy her baths very recently, and this was a LOT more water than her little tub. The water ended up being very chilly, and the poor kids were shivering and a little purple-lipped by the end of the lesson. However, Abbey seemed to have a great time. She really loves being around other kids, even though they don't always "talk" back to her.
We had fun, and I am glad that we decided to take the plunge. Abbey mostly checked out the people and cooperated while I tried to help her "kick" and float. Maybe we will try blowing bubbles next week! Hopefully they warm the water up a little...

Getting Closer

Abbey is trying so hard to crawl and getting so frustrated that she can't go forward yet. I feel like she is getting so much closer, but she just can't get her little hands to move at the right time. So she's still motoring around in reverse and turning in circles!

After a few not-so-sure days with food, Abbey is becoming much more interested and excited about what she eats each day. Yesterday we tried carrots (can't you tell??) and she liked them a lot, but they seemed to upset her tummy a little. She loved her peas, though, so hopefully she likes green beans as much. As you can see, she is so curious about trying to feed herself, although she can't manage to figure out how to get the food on the spoon and in her mouth without making quite the mess.

I am missing my girl like crazy being back at work, but I guess it is just making every moment I do spend with her even more special. (And I will try to remember that every time she decides she doesn't want to sleep at bedtime!)