Bubbles

Mother's Day Weekend

It's been a while since I updated our blog. For what it's worth, I've thought about doing it on many occasions, but time has slipped away. We enjoyed Mother's Day weekend (now two weeks ago!) at camp with my mom. It's so peaceful and quiet this time of year at camp. Leah loved playing in the sand and watching the waves - just wait until we can jump in!! We visited two playgrounds over the course of the weekend - one behind the Wayne church. Noah's Ark was a big hit - not only were there lots of places "on deck" to explore, but also LOTS of toys just waiting to be discovered.

Here Leah's climbing on board and at the helm (or running away from it).

Loading and dumping the dump truck was a very serious endeavour!

Back at camp, trying to fill dada's shoes!

Sadly, our camera battery didn't make it past Saturday afternoon - I was kicking myself for not bringing the charger.

On Sunday morning, Leah, my mom, and I were treated to Eggs Benedict for breakfast. Chef Kramer even made his own hollandaise sauce! The meal was delicious - it was even made with free-range eggs that we receive weekly from a student of mine whose family raises chickens. There is such a noticeable difference in the color and taste of these eggs - YUM!

Leah got her outdoor fill at the Ladd Center playground and fields and the Mill Stream. It's so much fun to watch her play - she's becoming so independent, wanting to climb, walk across shaky bridges, and slip down slides all by herself. Her independence also comes through in her communication. She certainly knows what she wants - which shoes she wants to wear (yes, shoes are still a huge fascination), what and how she'd like to eat, and when she'd like to go outside (which is always). I love that she is growing into her own self, and that we are able to see and understand, through her actions and her "words," so much more of her thoughts and ideas. She's fiercely independent and stubborn, and I just need to keep reminding myself that these are good qualities.

Finally, our Mother's Day festivities ended with a late afternoon trip to Tubby's Ice Cream! For the second year in a row, we've taken advantage of their Mother's Day promo - free ice cream for ladies! Leah took part, too, with a sample-sized cone of blackberry ice cream - she loved it, ate every last bit, was wired for some of the ride home, and then crashed.

Cribnastics

I briefly panicked when I went to check on Leah and couldn't find her! When you're put to bed under the covers and oriented correctly, how, exactly, do you end up falling asleep horizontally, on top of the comforter, at the foot of the crib?!?

Pebbles

At the grocery store, of all places, I found a bag of 120 hair ties! I was drawn to them because they contained all sorts of different types - in particular, small and soft ones for Leah. She still doesn't have much hair - it's longer in the back than on top - but it will be getting into her eyes soon enough. She loved playing with the plastic, zippered bag and ALL the different bands while I tried out a few different dos. The Pebbles look is particularly cute! I should ask Payson's mom for some advice, as she's been wearing pigtails since she was just a few months old!

Rainy Weekend

We haven't had such a rainy weekend in a while. Saturday consisted of off-and-on showers, however Erik and I managed to accomplish some yard projects while my mom cared for Leah. Our biggest project was to move a bush from our front yard to a corner in the back yard. The bush was too big for the front yard, didn't really fit where it had been placed, and neither Erik nor I really like the it too much. This "good idea" turned into a major production that drew the attention of our neighbors - Craig from across the street showed up with shovel in hand saying, "you look like you could use some help!" We took him up on his offer (how could we not?), and it took all three of us to dig, shimmy, lift, slide, and re-plant this giant bush. In the end, it looks great in the back yard! Sadly, we don't have any pictures of the event.

Meanwhile, Leah was sometimes outside and sometimes inside having a great time with her Nannie (a.k.a. Birdie). Here are some cute photos of her "accessorizing" with rings from her stacking toy.



Sunday turned out to be really rainy. We had plans to go to a bakery and then playground with Kelly, Lynn, William and Charlotte. We made it to the bakery, and then Lynn, Charlotte, and I sat it the car drinking our lattes while the dads and older kids briefly ventured outside. They were determined! We returned to our house to play (inside) and have lunch before nap time!

Corn on the Cob

We introduced Leah to corn on the cob tonight, and she loved it! The corn was sweet and "yummy, yummy" and the cob served as a great teether. We're all anxious for native corn this summer!

Camp is open!

Nannie returned from Florida this weekend, and we joined her at camp on Saturday. I wish I could say we helped her open camp, but most everything was done by the time we arrived. Erik did a few jobs, but mostly we enjoyed the sunshine and good company. Leah loved playing on the beach - just a preview of how much fun we'll have this summer!

































Leah and Nannie walking on the back road.




















More fun in the sand!




















To see more pictures, click here.

Words

Leah has been saying a few words for a while now - her favorite is her very own name.... Wee-aah. She went through a phase at day care where she said her own name over and over again. In fact, Owen's mom (Katye, who is a friend from yoga class, too) reports that instead of Mama or Dada, Owen's first word is Lee-laa! Maybe teaching is in her genes! In the past few weeks, Leah's vocabulary has exploded. Here are a few examples:

Yah or Da = yes (Russian influence???)
Dada = Daddy or doggie, depending on the context
Dat = that (we think this came from asking, "What's that?")
Mama
Baawl = ball
Baybee = baby
Jah = jacket (she LOVES to get her jacket because it means we're going outside!)
Uh-Oh
Weeee
Yummy yummy yummy

Leah also shrugs her shoulders and turns up her palms whenever asked a question, even if she knows the answer. It's very funny - maybe I'll capture it on the camera one of these days.

A Few Cute Pics!

Is Springbrook open yet?




















Hanging out with Dad.















What's going on up there?




















Curlie Q.

Nanie K. and Grandpa Gordon's Visit

Nanie K. and Grandpa Gordon couldn't have picked a better week to visit! We were all (finally) on the mend after sharing some kind of nasty bug. And, in terms of weather, we seemed to skip spring and jump right into summer! We enjoyed some nice walks, visits to playgrounds, and even meals outside on the deck.

Here's the crew at Willard Beach (after a stop for some goodies at Scratch Bakery).

Leah walking with Grandpa Gordon - she did just fine until she realized those jeans didn't belong to her dad!




















Leah discovered that holding TWO hands can be lots of fun!














Exploring at the Maze Craze playground in Falmouth.

Leah received a "baybee" as a gift from her grandparents. She's having lots of fun carrying it around with her (in its bassinet, of course) and pointing to it's nose, eyes, ears, etc. Too cute!

A music lesson with Nanie K.

Leah's First Bike Ride!

We were very excited to take Leah on her first bike ride! Last fall we found a very 80's neon bike trailer on Craig's List, and today was the day to try it out. Our weather was supposed to be rainy and cold, but since this morning it's been dry and somehow we took advantage of a short window of sunshine.

Here's Leah just loving that she's outside! I wonder who she gets that from? This summer will be so much fun!




















Ready....














Set....




















GO!




















In the end, I think Erik and I were much more excited than Leah. I'm sure it seemed much like a stroller ride to her. While she wasn't too animated during the ride, she did enjoy taking in the scenery.

You may have noticed that it's been a while since our last post. Last Friday I received a call from Kay to pick Leah up from day care. When we got home, she had a 102 degree fever! This ended up lasting 5 days. When we took her to see her pediatrician, he figured she came down with the flu, and then developed an ear infection from the congestion that didn't clear. Who really knows? Leah was a real trooper, though. At times she had enough energy to play, although mostly she just wanted to sit with one of us and read some of her favorite books (Dear Zoo, Brown Bear, Ten Little Ladybugs, Maisy's Big Flap Book, and her photo album).

Ready for the Open Road

Leah's bike helmet arrived in the mail today (we ordered it from REI since we had dividend money to spend). She thought it was novel to try it on, but the novelty wore off quickly. Hopefully the weather, and Leah's patience for wearing a helmet, will cooperate so we can go for a ride this weekend!

Swings, Slides, and Snow

The Riverton School and Community Center has a great playground that we enjoy year round. Leah always loves to swing and slide, but this time she particularly liked walking in the snow. It was only an inch or so deep so she could walk on her own, hear it crunch, and see her very own footprints.














Weeeee!




















Ready for a snowball fight!




















I just adore this one...

A Very Special Hand-Me-Down

Here's Leah looking cute in a comfy fleece jacket. It was given to her when she was just a few weeks old by the mom of a little girl I used to babysit. I can't believe Leah is already outgrowing it! AND, I can't believe that Sarah, the original owner, is in college!!

Bruno's Birthday Party

Leah got all dressed up to go to Bruno's birthday party! Now that she's walking, dresses are more sensible, although Leah's not a big fan of putting on tights. Who is? She recovered well, though, when she realized we were going to put on her Mary Janes, too. The shoe obsession continues!




















The Birthday Boy himself!




















The drum was a big hit (no pun intended, actually)!

Easter Weekend Adventures

Easter weekend has been full and exciting for us. We somehow arrived early to our 8:30am Saturday morning swim class. While sitting at the edge of the pool kicking our feet, Leah decided to slide right in (just as I was talking to a mom on the other side). All those advice givers are not kidding when they say these things happen SO quickly! Instinct kicked in, as I don't even remember reaching down to pull her back up. Erik said it looked completely casual - I'm glad it appeared that way! Leah was fine and we pretended that it was just as fun as all those dunks we do during the lesson itself. Thank goodness she loves the water!

Sunday morning was an early one, too. We decided to go to the Easter service at a local Lutheran church. This is not the normal routine for us, but Leah did remarkably well. From there, we headed to camp for our annual winter (spring?) walk down to the lake. On the way, we stopped at Jillson's Farm for the Maine Maple Sunday festivities. We got lots of maple treats (maple ice cream with maple syrup was, hands down, Leah's favorite)! And, we saw a variety of farm animals. Leah was very skeptical of the sheep.















Erik managed to say upright for most of the steep section!















It's a beautiful spot anytime of year.















No deck furniture needed!




















See more photos of our camp trip here.

Yoga Babies Birthday Bash

Last weekend we went to a big one-year birthday bash. Everyone there met at a prenatal yoga class, and we've kept in touch ever since (through e-mail, potlucks, cafe visits, etc.). This photo captures only some of the chaos!

Spring in Maine

We've had quite a winter, and this year spring means that the roads, at least, are clear of snow so Leah can practice her walking skills. Just the other day she discovered the fun of puddles!

And, her independence is growing with each step!

I hope you noticed her rain boots. They are cute, right? Well, Leah sure thinks so. She'd wear them to bed if we let her. Honestly, she's completely obsessed with shoes. She'll wear yours or mine or hers on both feet and both hands. Just today Leah's note from day care said, "She watches Simon and when he loses a Croc she goes and tries to slip her foot in... sometimes successfully!"

Finally, we're still maintaining our photo gallery. If you just can't get enough, click here.

Ok... we're really blogging now

It took a while for us to become convinced, but we've decided to use this blog as a way to share our family happenings with all of you. Below are some videos that will catch you up on Leah's winter. Everything from sledding to scooting in the kitchen to her latest dance moves!

Leah's on two feet!

Once upon a time I thought I might use this blog to post pictures of Leah. We're still happy with Picasa Web for that, but this seems like a better place ot post videos...

Leah has found the confidence to take more than just a couple steps - check out her moves (and our 70's tile floor that we can't wait to replace this summer) in the video below.