FebRuary

I cannot believe it is February already, but I'm really excited! I can remember almost every day of February 2008 and it is exciting to be heading towards the 25th! I'll be sharing some of those memories and the first birthday-ness in the coming weeks so come back!

Our sitter has been on vacation so Grammy came to be Grammy for a couple of weeks. It has been so nice to have her with us. I think we all love having her here...maybe for reasons as different as each of us! I really appreciate all her support, indulging me with cooking my favorite meals, and letting me have a little time to myself. I got to spend 30 minutes child-free at Starbucks...it was weird!

Morning cuddles...

We've been playing a lot of Scrabble. I'm impressed how much Noah has improved since first ushered into this family tradition, even if it does irritate me a bit when he takes my intended places and makes great use of colored squares. We indulge a little bending of the rules now and again, but I did have to put my foot down a few times....Japanese has no place on the board!

Saturdays are Swimming! Our second week we got our permanent teacher and he runs a good thirty minute program. In between singing and movement, we work on getting the kids to do supported front and back floats and helping them learn to head toward the wall after they "jump in" and "climb" back out. I feel much more comfortable in the water with her and look forward to swimming when it gets warmer.

Georgia is content in the water, but perhaps not the best student. There is a lot to look at and people to wave to (namely the lifeguard). She's also the one who puts her arms up wanting the ball before and after it is her turn...also the one who wants to keep it when she finally gets it. She grins her big grin and no one holds it against her.

We ventured to the Chocolate Fest last weekend. It was incredibly overpacked and thus not stroller friendly, but worth the trouble after a trip to the chocolate fountain and my offering a chocolate covered banana to Georgia for a taste. Her little lips looked like they'd been kissed and she was delightfully happy. She was easier to clean than the stroller!

She is becoming a hillarious mimic. After her first real walking injury last week, Grammy was telling her to "take it easy" as she was sailing around the place. Hearing it repeated again and again, she came back by Grammy and said, "takeiteasy!" On the way to swimming she was babbling in the car. I asked her, "Georgia, do you love Da-da?" She responded, "Ilovedaddy." For real. After lunch out, I told her to say "Thank you" and repeated it a couple times as I showed her the sign language for thank you. A few seconds later she said, "thankyou." That's my girl!

We have a renewed care of what is around and within her reach. Those arms are getting longer and those tippy-toes help her stretch farther every week. After a nap she recently grabbed a picture frame off a shelf close to her crib. Noah found the frame--glass and all--dismantled in the crib and her waving the picture around. But we took the opportunity to review the concept of cousins as it was the cousin picture and Georgia said "Adi"!!!

This was a picnic lunch on Mama's classroom floor after visiting for a pep assembly.

Opening a package she got from the east coast!