New Daycare!

Anna playing at a park... lovely in pink!

On Tuesday, September 3^rd, Anna started in a new in-home daycare environment with Morning Glory Daycare.  Ms. Glory runs the show and Anna has quickly fallen in love with her.  Glory understood immediately that the way to Anna’s heart was through her tummy so the two were fast friends!  We decided to change Anna’s environment at the same time we moved Alex into the YMCA preschool program because of vacation time.  The kids previous daycare provider took off 4 weeks of vacation which is way too much to accommodate for the next 3 years.  Ms. Glory has the same no-nonsense approach as Kristi did, but she is still fun which is important.  She takes 2 weeks off, and parents can earn 5 days back throughout the year if we want to keep Anna out of daycare for no cost.  We plan on keeping Anna with Ms. Glory until she is old enough for preschool at the YMCA. 

I didn't know this was a recliner...

Anna transitioned over very easily.  She never cried like we all expected at the tender age of 14 months.  She was happy to see kids, happy to dance, and happy to eat!  Anna doesn’t throw food at Ms. Glory’s house like she does at home.  There have been no reports of her biting like she does at home.  Glory says that Anna is a delight and she’s so happy we came there.  Anna is the youngest of the bunch and I am sure she is brightening up the place with her smile.

The only change we noticed at home was that Anna wanted her Nuk more during the waking hours.  Glory thinks it’s because she needed to be comforted, and that makes sense to us.  We have been giving her a little bit of slack, but we certainly don’t want her getting overly dependent at over a year old! 

A new little girl is starting next week named Olivia.  She is 18 months old and Glory took her so Anna could have a friend.  Isn’t that adorable?  It’s such a good situation for us. 

Anna has been communicating more and more.  She is starting to nod her head in agreement, point to things she wants, and make noises that mimic yes.   Just the other day she starting saying, “Uh-oh!”  She has such a crisp little voice.  She is saying Marty, Alex, Da-da, and ma.  I love it!  I can’t wait to hear her sing one day.  She is changing so rapidly.  Her hair is growing long and she’s thinning out although there has been no decrease in her incredible appetite.

I already dream about taking Anna off to go shopping or out for a walk just the two of us girls.  Having a daughter is so special.  I don’t want her to grow up in a way.  She is my last baby and is so special, and yet, I can’t want to talk with her and have the relationship that I have with my own mother.

My messy angel...

Pool!!

Anna STILL in her element....

Brent left Anna alone for 2 minutes in her room and this is the result!  She will often sit quietly and look at her books if she's in her room... but not today!  She made a royal mess.  It's one of her very favorite things to do.

My Little Annie

I just had 10 lovely days off with my children.  It was very hard to leave them this morning.  Here are some of the things that are changing with Anna.  Anna is starting to grunt or squeak in the direction of what she wants.  She is verbally cuing her needs, or starting to communicate.  She has been very snuggly and wanting to sit with me.  She has also been very quick to smile.  She really likes snacking.  She will walk over to the shelf, get a fruit pouch, and walk over to me with it in her hands for me to open.  She only gets one a day, but she attempts it more frequently.  She didn’t sit on the floor and cry to be fed at all, she is starting to explore on her own and come up with a solution.  She’s also walking quite well.  She started walking a few weeks ago and already looked seasoned, although Brent says she has a Zombie walk.  She loves to cradle her doll in her arm as she walks.  If her little doll is not around, she will grab a teddy bear, rabbit, anything soft and cuddly will do.  When I lay her down for a nap, she is always grateful to be there.  I give her a Nuk, and she pumps her chest up several times while laying on her back to find the perfect spot, and then her eyes immediately are very heavy.  At bedtime we read stories and she happily sits between my legs as I read.  She often climbs over my legs when our first book is done to grab another, then she climbs back to lean against me again.  Who could resist that?  She gets another story of course!  Anna is a very messy eater.  A lot of meals require an immediate bath, so there is some additional planning required with food choices.  She loves to smear food in her hair which can be a real problem.  She also loves to feed others.  Our dog Marty enjoys it.  But if she is eating and you are near, she will hold it out for you to sample and grunt sweetly, like, “Here, take it!”  Now, there are some bad little habits our dear Annie has.  She is a biter.  She hits too.  She bruised both Alex and I while we were home together with biting.  Last night she smacked me in the face because she wanted to keep brushing her teeth (she loves to brush her teeth!)  The kid doesn’t understand yet that she is hurting people, and I think once she does it will no longer be an issue.  Anna is a sweet baby at heart, and I think it would sadden her to hurt others once she understands.  She eats everything.  Sand, dirt, crayons, toys, whatever she can get her hands on.  She also has no fear.                She loves to swing high, run fast, and fall off of surfaces into your arms.  She is my roller coaster baby.  She loves a good thrill.  My little Anna has stolen my heart with her curls, baby blues, and warmth.  Stolen it forever.

Anna in her element...

Anna loves to make a mess, we have lots and lots of proof!  Here is a picture of Anna surrounded by toys.  When I arrived at home last night, the house looked very similar to this.  Oye.

Spring?

April and May have been goofy this year. I actually wrote “freak snow storm in late April” in Anna’s baby book, then had to cross it out. We had snow in May! The weather is becoming an issue for Anna because she won’t keep her shoes on. She has figured out a way to needle herself out of them! She has also taken to pulling her socks off as well. Apparently she prefers bare feet! Anna walked with Simba last night. Simba is a lion walker that plays music. She was almost angry as she stomped through the living room last night. Alex was trying to help, but he would often throw off her balance. I sure hope she keeps at it. She looks pretty close to walking on her own. I have seen her walk in the kitchen along the cabinets. She is very good at standing, and will lower herself down… change her mind… and come back up. She is strong. She will do it soon I think… Anna is eating more and more real food. She ate a fried egg last night! What a cutie. She tends to groan when she doesn’t have food and everyone else is eating. And to contain Anna in a bouncer or stroller unless walking… she requires a snack or she isn’t happy. Our little Princess is demanding! Anna has the sweetest temperament I have ever seen in a baby. She bounces and giggles often. She is constantly watching for Marty and laughs whenever he is within arm’s reach. She loves her big brother. She loves it when I get home from work and she gets her snuggles. She loves to eat dirt, something I just recently learned! She loves to make a mess. The other night we ate hot dogs for supper. I tried to take a chunk out of her hair and it just smeared in. Gross! Needless to say, I hosed her off in the shower. She refuses to wear a bib, so she is staining her clothes fairly frequently. Messy Annie. Here are some pictures of Anna, one with her big brother Alex and the rest taken at the March for Babies in Como Park on April 28th.

The Reason

Sometimes I look at Anna and dream… and admire.  She is an angel.  Anna is the sweetest baby I have ever encountered.  Quick to smile, and quick to hold out her arms for a quick snuggle!  She doesn’t like to be held much anymore, she is far too busy!  But she loves to be held on a hip if she can still see what is going on.  I love that about her.  So busy.

Last night I went to check on her and she was laying flat out on her back with her arms thrown open wide.  I wanted to scoop her up, but instead I just watched.  My eyes filled with tears as I watched my beautiful baby breath in and out.

These miracles and moments are why I support the March of Dimes.  Every mom deserves to feel this for their children.

The Months at a Glance so Far

Newborn

 

One Month

 

Two Months

 

Three Months

 

Four Months

 

Five Months

Six Months

Seven Months

Eight Months

Nine Months

 

 

 

 

 

Miss Anna Banana Boo

HI!

Bath time!




Anna is 9 months old now and boy does the time fly!  She is sitting up, crawling, eating with her fingers, pulling herself upright to stand, and has 6 teeth!  Well, all of the teeth on the top are still dropping down, but she has 6 teeth!  Anna is an angel.  She has been sleeping through the night for months.  She only cries when she is hungry.  She loves her brother.  She loves her parents.  She can light up any room at any given time!

Not to exaggerate, but Anna is truly a sweet baby.  She is the light of the Johnson home.  If anyone needs cheering up, just go talk to Anna for a little while.  There is a little girl in daycare that just adores her named Hannah, she is under 2 years old.  Hannah will wait at the bottom of the stairs for me to bring Anna down and then the moment I set her down, she is hugging her and saying, “Annie!  Annie!  Annie!”  I love to see this.  Anna’s face just beams as she pats Hannah’s back.  I would say that Hannah is her first friend. 

Anna loves to munch on things.  She is finally into baby food and is getting less and less interested in her bottles.  We are warming them now to keep her interested, but she would much rather have some banana, bread, Mum-Mums, or anything else we want to share with her.  We traveled to see Grandma and Grandpa in Kentucky recently and she tried LOTS of foods down there!  She was treated to banana pudding, waffles with blueberries, chicken pot pie, and lots of other fun things.  She loved all the time she got with her grandparents.  Grandma Penny loved spending time with her and feeding her.  Grandpa Walter really enjoyed holding Anna and rubbing her back.  She would lie on her tummy while Grandpa rubbed her back.  She just loved it.

Anna traveled very well.  She had some snacks and didn’t sleep a wink on any of the flights!  She was a great baby though and the biggest compliment I received was a woman in front of us stated, “Oh!  I didn’t know there was a baby behind me!” when we were getting off the plane.  That was awesome. 

Lately Anna is exploring.  She is more mobile now and is into everything!  She loves to follow behind her brother and destroy whatever he is working on.  We call this behavior “Anna Smash!”  She doesn’t mean to pull apart his carefully constructed railway, but that is the result!  Alex has patience with her for the most part, which speaks milestones for his character. 

My favorite thing about Anna is her spirit.  As time goes on, she is proving to be sweet and fun.  Can’t ask for more.



Halloween 2012



Valentine's Day




Checking out the snow


Anna sledding for the first time with Dad!



Family Pic in the snow