11 Months Old

Allie is learning SO much!  She learned how to operate a few of her toys by pushing the buttons with her finger.  She also knows how to open and turn the pages of her books.  Allie loves taking baths and splashing in the water with her bath toys.  Allie learned how to clap her hands and even waved a couple times.  Opening the kitchen cabinets and shutting doors are one of Allies favorite things to do.  She likes to see what is in all the kitchen cabinets and  pull things out to investigate.  Allie is pulling up to stand on everything.  She is getting really good at moving around the house.  Allie likes to hold onto my hands and walk around.  Unfortunately, Allie became sick this month with a fever, runny nose, and a really bad diaper rash.  One more month to go before my baby is no longer a "baby."  I really cannot believe it!  It's only a matter of time before she is walking and toddling around.

Happy Halloween!

Allie brought home her first art project from day care. We put it right up on the refridgerator. I was so proud! Now I need to figure out a cute keepsake box where I can put all of Allie's many art projects she will bring home in the future.

I'm so cute, it's scary

My sweet, sweet strawberry!  I dressed Allie up as a strawberry for her 1st Halloween.  I'm surprised that she didn't pull the hat off because she usually will.  She must have really liked it. 

All my mommy friends with new babies needed a reason to put their kid in their costume more than once...so we had a Halloween play date.  All the babes wore their costumes and we managed to get a few good shots out of the 50 or so we took.

After I decided that Allie would be a strawberry for Halloween, I thought it would be cute to dress up at Strawberry Shortcake. I teach 2nd grade this year and we ALL (kids and teachers) dress up for the Halloween parade and party.  Todd was home that day so he was able to bring Allie up to see me.  She the perfect accessory to my costume.  We were a bit hit!





On Halloween night, Allie went trick-or-treating with her good buddy, Ronald McDonald (aka: Austin).  It was a little chilly out that night so we only stayed out for a bit.  Allie trick-or-treated to a total of SIX houses!  She was very nice and shared her candy with her Dada.

Ready for trick-or-treating with my pal, Autstin

Check out my haul

My Little Pumpkin

Oh yes I did!  I just had to do it!  Allie was very content inside the pumpkin (yes, it was a real pumpkin).  This day happened to be an 80 degree October afternoon...very unusual for Michigan weather.  I stripped Allies clothes off and put her in the pumpkin with just a diaper on.  At first she just stood there, probably wondering what the mushy, gooey goop was beneath her feet.  Finally I managed to get her to squat down and she then started eating the pumpkin.  From then on, she was as happy as a clam inside that pumpkin.  I put one of the these pictures in a frame on my fireplace mantle.  I'm going to put it our every Halloween and Thanksgiving.  It is so adorable!

10 Months Old

Allie is 10 months old this month and her Boston buddy Adele is 6 months old.  Adele and Allie are exactly 4 months apart...they were both born on the 1st (Allie in December and Adele in April).  For the most part, Allie and Adele cooperated pretty well for their mommy's photo session.  Allie was very intrigued with Adele's mouth.  She kept poking her little finger in there.  Luckily Adele was a good sport and didn't mind too much when a mysterious little finger was poking around in there.

"No, Allie...I don't have any teeth yet."

Awww...sweet hugs

Tooth number two grew in this month.  Allie didn't seem to notice.  Allie became very mobile...scooting all over the place.  She can transition from her belly to sitting very well.  Allie is beginning to pull up to stand and is so proud of herself.  She is a little investigator.  She crawls all over finding anything to get her hands on and get into.  Allie started going to day care when I went back to work.  She seems to be happy and continues to nap and eat pretty well while there.  Allie is learning how to drink from a straw quickly.  She loves drinking water from her cup with the built in straw.  Allie and I flew back to Boston for a week to visit Todd.  She does pretty well at the beginning of the flights, but by the end, she is ready to get off the plane...and so am I!

9 Month Photo Shoot

Here are a few of my favorite's from Allie's 9 month photo shoot.  It was difficult to get photos of her sitting still.  She was on the move!  Thanks Denise for some great pics!

Back To School

Every Memorial Day I get the same jittery feeling..."Summer is almost here!" 

Every mid-June I get the same relieving feeling..."School's out for summer!" 

Every 4th of July I get the same feeling of disbelief when I walk into Target..."NOOOOO!!!!  Why are they school supplies out?  Summer JUST started!" 

Every August I get the same sad feeling..."Summer is almost over." 

And...every September I get the same in denial feeling..."Back-to-school."



With every summer vacation, comes a back-to-school.  It's that time again.  It's my 10th back-to-school.  Yep!  This will be my 10th year teaching.  After I complete this school year, my pension will be vested within the state of Michigan.  I can collect retirement (if I'm still around to get it...and if there's any to get) whenever I get to the age you collect retirement at.

This back-to-school is a lot different than my past 9.  This year I have Allie.  I spent all summer with my little pal.  We were buddies.  We did everything together.  We napped, we shopped, we played, we exercised.  We were basically inseparable (mostly due to the fact that we don't have a babysitter in Boston).  Regardless, this year going back to school is going to be a little more difficult. 

I'm not sure how I'm going to make it alone?  It's me...and only me...taking care of EVERYTHING!  I know I can do it...I would just rather be doing it a different way.  I'm also a little nervous about leaving my Allie at day care. She has never been to day care.  I know she will be fine and I feel good about having her in day care.  She'll get to be away from me and around other people and kids.  This is a good thing.  But, I would just like to be a fly the wall all day and watch her.  Not that I don't trust my day care ladies (they are great!) But I just don't want to miss out on anything in Allie's life.  I made her, now I want to see her at all times.  Some parents would feel differently about this, but I guess because of my struggles to have her, I don't want to miss a thing.  I want to be a part of everything and I want her around me. 

How many days till summer?

9 Months Old

Allie learned how to click her tongue this month.  She would watch Todd and I and then do it herself.  Allie began to roll all over also.  She would start at one end of the room and roll to the other.  Todd called it her tactical roll.  Allie has a bit of separation anxiety.  When Todd or I lave her alone in the room, she cries.  Allie FINALLY got her first tooth!  It didn't seem to bother her too much.  Some new foods she's beginning to like are peanut butter, chili, and spaghetti.  Allie is improving at drinking from her sippy cup.  She's beginning to reach for Todd and I when she wants to be picked up or held.  Allie continues to babble and giggle often.  At the end of the month, Allie and I traveled back to MI so I could go back to work.