Here's a random sampling of some of our learning tools from our first week!
We have a little "grab bag" of things that start with A, and this week, I had airplane, alligator, apple(s) and the "A" Block. I picked up the little wooden cutouts at Michaels, but everything else was around our house anyway.
St. Anthony was our Saint of the week (he's Anni's patron Saint, so it was a good chance for her to get to know a little more about him. We even found a coloring page for her to work on.) We also had a virtue of the week that we just briefly touched on and a Bible verse of the week that we read every morning (Anni actually had it memorized by the end of the week... but she's got a crazy sharp memory like her Daddy!)
We did lots of singing (the 12 apostles song gets stuck in my head all day!) and lots of crafts. We did the Angel craft from our Catholic Icing book:
Some apple stamping (that turned into handprints). This one was so cute when she was all done that I ended up putting it in a frame in our hallway... instant art!
I was running out of steam and craftiness at the end of the week, but Anni was reeeeeeallly wanting to get crafty. I ended up rolling out the butcher paper and tracing around her. Then we pointed out body parts (hair, hands, heart, feet) and then she went to town coloring it.
It was a good week. I think Anni really thrived off of a little structure and some new knowledge.
Colette is happy, she shows off giant gummy grins and recently
added her loooong tongue to her grins for when she's really tickled. We
savor her very few laughs (usually
related to the noises "beep or bumbumbumbum") and compete to see who can get the biggest smile.
She's getting the sitting up thing down a little more every day... and is very pleased with herself about it! She is trying her hardest to crawl, scootch or, really, just move. She lies on her tummy and kickes her feet against the floor as hard as she can just to see if it gets her anywhere. She has started to do a bit of an inchworm backwards (she can really move on the wood floors... she thinks the sliding is pretty awesome, except she'd really rather go forward to to her toys and avoid getting stuck under the couch).
She's become a very distracted little nurser (always afraid of missing out!), but two things will help us get a good session in: sleepiness and sitting on the loveseat by our front window where she can look at the tree outside.
We had her six month appointment today: 13 lbs 12 oz & 25.75 inches... so she added about 2.5 pounds and 1.5 inches... growing up!
I attempted a consistent photo each month of her with her doll, and decided six months was a good time to get them edited and posted. It's true that the time seems to have gone quickly, but I also feel that I really soaked up these last six months, I am in awe of how blessed our little family is!
Lately, I've been trying to keep track of some of Anni's funny little responses (usually by telling Daniel to email them to me from his phone so I didn't forget.) Without further ado:
A- "Grandma is my friend who mommy calls her mommy." True enough!
A- "Can I have some strawberry... short one, too??" Who doesn't love strawberry short cake?
A-Yeah, sure. I do want some sugar. I have a vague memory that this had nothing to do with sugar... but who doesn't want some sugar?
D: I have to go give him money
A: Can I give monies when I'm bigger? Daniel was leaving to pay the carpet cleaner when we moved out of our apartment... if only she knew how often she'll have to give monies when she's bigger!
D-"Can you go to bed quietly if the baby is sleeping in your room?"
A-"No…
Or I can if you want!" We're transitioning the baby into the girls' shared room, but we were afraid Anni couldn't handle going to bed at the same time since she usually sings for awhile before she falls asleep. She actually did great!
A-"My clothes are clean sometimes… When Daddy doesn't spill on them." Daniel accidentally knocked over his glass and spilled his milk on Anni... while I was helping her change, she gave me this explanation.
We decided to home-school this year (preschool is expensive, but Anni was ready to add a little structure to her days), so we're doing a combo of Catholic Icing's Catholic ABC's and 26 Letters to Heaven a few days a week and throwing in weekly Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at our parish as well as a gymnastics class (whew!). [I'll try to share a little more about our week at the end of each week!] This week is "A" Week as well and today was our official first day of school, soooooo, we have the "first day of school" photo (complete with apple babylegs)!
I spent the evening before stressing out about having enough materials and having everything look put together and clean. I told Daniel, "If I'm going to do this, I want to do it right!" He pointed out that I have to remember I'm working with a three-year-old, and things probably weren't goign to go the way I planned. Despite the fact that he was completely right, he very sweetly helped me clean and set ups so I could feel somewhat prepared for the morning (this is when I regret not having a degree in education like most of the rest of my family members do!) I even had some jitters this morning. Luckily, Anni was just really excited to get started!
We did our lesson plan for the day when Lettie went down for her morning nap (she took a wonderfully long one, which made our first day much easier), except for the craft. One of Anni's sweet little friends came over to do our Angel craft with us, and then we repeated some of the lesson again (with a very interested baby by the end).
It was a happy first day, and Anni was super excited to share her angel craft with Daddy when he got home from work (in fact, she even shared it with our dinner guests!) It must have tired her out; though, because we definitely had more nap time drama than usual. Always something new and exciting, right?
Home improvement continues... I'm not sure it will ever end! Last weekend, my uber talented Father-in-Law came over and put in a new stair railing for us on our basement steps.
[There's an after photo but my cord is fritzing again!]
-Two-
The evening of the big "make the stairs safe" day, we drove out to a L'Angelus concert. Anni was so excited she was beside herself. Unfortunately, we had to wait an hour for the music to start as the sky kept spitting at us on and off and they couldn't quite make the decision to move inside. We only got a couple songs in before we really had to head back (it was dark, late and waaay past a sweet little dancer's bedtime). It was all worth it for Anni; though, she danced her little legs off while she could.
-Three-
Anni learned how to do a "front roll" at gymnastics. Usually the supervising coach (we just go to the open gym time) doesn't say much, but this time we had one that actually showed her how to do a few things. Anni soaked it up, so I think we're going to try heading into an actual class soon. She loves showing off her new skills! I'm pretty sure her head is not supposed to touch the ground, but I think I'll have to leave it to the professionals to teach her the right way (coming from someone who has never done gymnastics!)
-Four-
We "kind of" started Miss Lettie's food journey (she'll be six months in just a little over a week). We're dipping into the world of baby led weaning, so it'll probably be a little while before she manages more than a taste, but she was excited to be given something to try the other night (though her face when she got a lick in may say otherwise).
-Five-
Yesterday, we celebrated the Solemnity of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary... the icing on the cake being we got to celebrate with Daniel since he had the day off.
We started with waffles and homemade blueberry syrup (Daniel made it while I snoozed... isn't he amazing?!)
Then we headed off to Mass, where Miss Anni was wiggly... as in, it's been months since we had to correct her so much. Ah, well, we made it to Mass, so it was good. After that, we had a little lunch.
Thank you, husband, for having your phone to capture the cuteness of having lunch with our little sweeties (Anni's habit of wearing her sunglasses on her head cracks me...especially because I don't wear them, so she's never seen anyone do it before!)
I made a yummy dinner and then we closed out the evening with bubbles... we know how to celebrate!
-Six-
Look who's learning to sit?! She lasts about half a minute before she tips over, but by golly is she pleased with herself! I love watching my babies learn and explore the world... what a blessing to be a momma!
PS I may or may not have no watched all seven seasons of Sabrina (nursing sessions and letting it run in the background while I work). You're welcome for that embarrassing little tid-bit.
This girl has loved bubbles since she was itty bitty and I would sit in the apartment (yes, in it) and blow bubbles out of new-mommy desperation. There has been a lot of frustration in the last couple of years (and a lot of spit) when she tried to blow bubbles. This weekend, Anni's Papa very patiently taught her how to blow bubbles. We've spent a lot of time in the backyard (!) in the last few days. Despite the sprinkling rain and damp grass, Lettie and I hung out and watched as Anni had the time of her life with those bubbles. It's the little things.
We spent the past weekend at Nonna and Papa's, which alllllso meant, we finally got to get together with these sweeties (and Mama is an awesome blogger, check her out!) AvaMarie is a few months older than Lettie, so as my girls phased in and out with naps, one loved blowing bubbles for her and the other watched her intently and tried to grab whichever leg or arm was nearest her little grabby hand (and I got to hang out with a mommy-friend... love that!)
Later that evening, I was supposed to have a shoot, and then... this happened:
It came so fast and hard that we were terrified the windows were going to shatter, so Daniel and I rushed down to the basement with the girls, where I learned Finding Nemo is so not an okay movie for a three-year-old to watch.
"Mommy, where's Cora? Did he find her?"
We made it about 10 minutes in and ditched it for Raffi as soon as the hail stopped.
It was great to relax for a couple days, before coming back to the mountain of unpacking and editing.
And this little girl? Shot up to 4T, which meant discovering that Kohl's has slim pants (and yes, skinny jeans... it was the only way that they even have a chance staying up around her little waist while being long enough). Looks like it's time to go shopping for the next size up, I thought for sure I'd have a few more months!
Oh, and this wee one? Right as we were getting ready to leave, she had a blowout so big we had to give her an emergency bath in Nonna's sink. Lucky us, she's adorable no matter what mess she's made.
