25 Weeks!

Week 25 was very similar to week 24... lots of movement, rolling, sleeping, and new foods! This week, Anna Kate tried sweet potato and banana. Both went much better than the first applesauce experience with no gagging involved! The only truly new development this week is that AK is really into working out, in the form of baby push ups... crawling is just around the corner (unless we follow Mark's suggestion of putting weights on her back).

Now, enjoy too many pictures. What's new?

Beautiful baby girl

"I'm working on my modeling faces. I call this one 'Gerber Baby'"

Actually smiling for the camera!

"What? Everyone went on vacation this weekend but us?!"

Tripod status.

Work those arm muscles, girl.

"Move out of the way, Mom!"

Everyday Events, Part Two

Just so all of you millions (10? 20?) of readers can get your baby fix... here are some cutie patootie photos of Anna Kate doing her everyday thing. You're going to catch on to the theme of her playtime pretty quickly.

Chilling on the floor... it's what I do.

Check out those stacking cups... what do I do with those?

Eat them. Obviously.

Checking out the play mat...

Blocks are for eating.

This must be for eating.

Forget frog legs. Bunny legs are where it's at.

Hmm.. what to do with this...

Eat it? Don't have to ask me twice.

Sunday Adventures!

This past Sunday, Anna Kate was able to have her first Lake Norman boating experience! Thanks to Richard and Shanda for taking our little family out on the boat!

Before photos, a little reminiscing was required. When Mark and I were first married, young and irresponsible, ALL of our Sundays were like this one. Get ready, go to church, eat a quick lunch, and get on Richard or Grandpa Steve's boat... Unless we were at my parents lake house, on the water. Especially in summer, when I was off from school, this was pretty routine and we would stay out sometimes until dark. Wake boarding and Air Chairing was required, lots of lake water was drank, and many sunburns were nursed the week following. Well, except for when we went out on the water during the week too. Then it seems we grew up and summer by summer chores replaced lake trips. Hopefully next summer we can teach Anna Kate the irresponsible summer lake lifestyle... I sure won't be taken kicking and screaming onto a boat or float!

Okay, cute pictures. Obviously. Props to Shanda for taking them! (Except the ones she is in... no one could be that good at a selfie)

Family photo on the boat! Complete with awesome shades.

Apparently I found my child's discomfort in the huge life jacket humorous.

Cutie patootie and Mommy. Ignore the drool...

Finally figured out how to get those fingers to her mouth over the life jacket and all was well.

Too cool for school. And too young.

 Daddy and his baby girl.

Finally a photo with Shanda! And in matching wayfarers, nonetheless.

Kisses for baby girl!

Lastly, a photo to show how big Anna Kate is! This is a 9 month swimsuit... she is 5.5 months!

Applesauce for Dinner!

As I mentioned in her weekly photo post, Anna Kate had her first non-cereal food. She loves her rice cereal, and gets very excited when she sees her spoon and realizes what is happening. Mark has been begging me to get her started on some more solids (he doesn't have to clean the diapers or her seat!) and I made some homemade applesauce and froze it in cubes for Labor Day weekend so that she could try some before her 6 month appointment. As soon as Daddy caught wind there was "baby food" in the house, it was game on!

So we defrosted a cube of applesauce, and, well I think these photos speak for themselves...

She is getting used to them, but likes a starch on the side, so we have applesauce and rice cereal. Next up, sweet potatoes! (Don't tell Mark, they're in the freezer already..) I'm thinking she may not get to wear clothes for that one, considering she insists on putting her hands in her mouth in between bites. And sometimes her toes.

"Sweet, it is time for rice cereal!"

"That is NOT rice cereal!"

"Yuck!"

"Get it out! Get it out!"

"Dad, what was that?!"

Now, for your enjoyment, this is what it looks like when a baby blows raspberries with applesauce in her mouth... rasbblesaucerries?

Getting all wound up...

Blast off! We have food in the air!

24 Weeks!

Week 24 brought back sleep! Thank goodness! Anna Kate is back to sleeping her 10-12 hours in a row per night, starting last Monday evening. She seems to have a hard time Sunday evenings, which we don't know if it is a result of an over stimulating Sunday/weekend (nursery at church seems to knock her out!) or just a coincidence, but she woke last night at 4am after 6 nights in a row of not waking!

In other news (I am so glad I have this blog so I don't over-share in other places... *cough*Facebook*cough*) Anna Kate had her first non-cereal food, applesauce! More on that in another post where Mark captured some hilarious photos in typical "baby's first food" fashion. AK has also started more "talking" with adding in the beginnings of consonant sounds and blowing little raspberries. She can roll like a pro and one day I monitored as she rolled from one side of our king sized bed to the other! She is capable of getting 180 degrees head to toe as well, although she prefers to be sneaky and do this while you are not just sitting and watching her. Her favorite things this week include: her index and middle finger... Oh wait that's always. Okay, cue the cute pictures!

Once again, thank Google for deciding four of these should go into a little collage and saving you from scrolling. She was a happy girl on Saturday! The last photo is her sitting up!

Blowing raspberries is hiLARious!

Toes are also in the running for "favorite appendages".

I am finally getting better with the camera and lighting. 

No editing in this photo! Just a beautiful baby!

Yo Hablo Español

A frequent question I am asked, whether it be from my former students, friends, family, or members of the Pine Lake (my school from 2008-2013) community is, "are you going to teach her (Anna Kate) Spanish?". I find it humorous, similar to being asked if I order in Spanish at a Mexican restaurant, except the answer is actually yes I do plan on teaching her Spanish (and no I do not order in Spanish at a Mexican restaurant... I find it awkward)! Not that she will be bilingual in any way (at least not now) as Mark and I do not speak enough Spanish in the home for this to be true, but I do frequently speak to her in Spanish and read her books in Spanish.

So what does this have to do with a blog that is mainly pictures? My friends Torrey and Matt are currently spending several years teaching at the American School in Mexico City, and of course, Torrey had to bring Anna Kate some wonderful Mexican goodies (including several of those books I mention reading!) including an authentic Mexican baby dress! Anna Kate told me that is what she really wanted to wear today, so we had to have a photo shoot. Then she decided it would be awesome to eat, and we changed into play clothes.

¡Mira mi vestido bonito de Torrey!

Puedo ser una modelo de bebé, claro.

(if any of my students are reading this, it is NOT a grammatical error! 

"Modelo" is an exception to the rule... you will never get away from me teaching you!)

¿Qué es esto?

Es un sombrero... ¿Yo pienso?

(Also pictured, my niece Avery at approx 5 months in a tiny hat. 5 months is the milestone for enjoying other cultures through the act of wearing tiny hats. I read it in a book.)

Me gusta mi sombrero :)

Soy muy auténtica, ¿no?

¡Viva México!

Daddy Love!

Here are some photos before church of Daddy and his little girl! We decided they needed some more photos together, and they were looking pretty sharp!

Mommy loves these two!

Trying to get some smiles.

As close to smiles as we got. She never takes those fingers out of her mouth!

She loves Daddy's kisses!

Outtakes!

Here two funny and adorable outtakes from the shower on Saturday!

Anna Kate wasn't thrilled about being awake at this point... I love everyone's response to her reaction! Especially Monica, on the far left!

Adorable baby girl!