What Cabin Fever?

I dreaded this winter. After such an active summer and fall, I just knew the winter months would be a shock to our systems - especially for our little walker.

Surprisingly, it was exactly the opposite. Thanks to an unusually mild Chicago winter, we were able to actually be outside and enjoy all the things winter has to offer. Sure, there were some days that were too cold or too snowy to go out, but we certainly took advantage of every nice day.

I haven't blogged in awhile (between Anna and my growing business there's just not a lot of extra time), so below are a list of Anna updates:

1. The chilled-out, quiet and docile little Anna is SO last year. She is still the sweetest, funniest and most loving thing around, but man-o-man, she's got some lungs, intellegence and attitude (a particularly nasty combination for a toddler). We have about three major temper tantrums a day, but I've been REALLY surprised at how patient I am with her...I guess it's different when it's your own kid and you know the confusing and chaotic world a 17-month-old lives in. All I can say is DIVERT!!

2. I think I may have blogged about our concerns about Anna's late walking a few months ago. Everyone told me that "three months from now when she's walking you will laugh about how much you worried." Well, everyone, you were right. She's running, walking backwards, walking up stairs, going down slides, kicking balls and the list goes on. She's a pro...and, she's got some serious speed. A toddler is the best weight loss/management plan you could ever ask for.

3. Words, words and more words. To be honest, I've never been worried about Anna's intellegence. Even as an infant, I could tell she had a lot going on upstairs. Knowing her now, and understanding that Anna Whelan does things on her own time (when she is good and ready), the fact that the words are coming slowly but surely expected. She's making incredible progress. It's almost everyday she's saying something new. Just the other day when Bill was blowing his nose, she asked "Dad why dat?" Or, when Bill went to go pick her up and she ran to me, she said "I want Mom." (I just loved that one). My favorite is when she says "no, no, no, no." The way she says it is just precious.

4. What a Girl! I would have never realized how soon and how evident the whole gender thing takes shape. Anna has become this little girlie girl and I LOVE it! She's into purses and dolls, clothes and shoes and even hair! If her bows are out of place, she lets me know immediately. I posted a picture of Anna and the purse she found in my hand-bag drawer. She loves it and even carries it like me. She put an old cell phone, a rosary and a picture of "Mom and Da" inside.

I've posted some new pictures of this winter, including a day we spent up and Dan's house and we "skated" on his man-made skating rink. Lots of fun!