Anna Discovers Puddles

Wow...what a perfect moment in a child's life. A rainstorm, then some sun, a naked baby and a Grandpa that LOVES to be out on a golf course. It literally was a "perfect storm" of cuteness. I've posted some of the most adorable pictures of Anna discovering the infinite amount of fun some rain puddles can create...for the first time!

Summer School and More

Anna and I started our Mom and Toddler classes at Cardinal Bernadine Early Childhood Center (Anna's future pre-school). It's a brand new experience for both of us. Anna's had to learn to clean up and play quietly, while I've had to really learn about the Montessori educational philosophy...autonomy, responsibility, respect and all of the other great qualities Anna is learning about.

Since she started school, her language development has been improving everyday. We're up to close to 50 words. My favorites are Anemone, Octopus, "W" and Apple. Just today she called her pacifire (yes, I know she shouldn't have them) a Boppy...too cute!

This summer has also included a LOT of outside playtime (in the backyard and at the park), lunch dates, bbq's, days at the zoo, afternoons with Grandma, weekends up at Lake Geneva and lots and lots of water.

It's been more than I could have ever imagined...so much fun. Her little best summer friends include Ben (the bestie next door), Addy, Luca, Piper and more.

Some More Very Important Firsts

Anna's vocabulary is exploding. She's trying to say everything and getting better at it each day. But, the pinnacle thus far was when Anna repeated the entire alphabet after I had said each letter to her first. The best letters are F (she says it like she's blowing bubbles), B, O and I. Witnessing that light bulb go on in her head for the first time gave me chills. I don't think I've ever been so excited. I know I say that a lot in this blog, but seeing her face light up with such a sense of accomplishment was from something out of this world. It was incredible and I was so proud. It made me realize even more that I'll be and feel this way for every one of my kid's accomplishments...true, unconditional and deep pride, excitement and love.

So, the alphabet was awesome, but there was another first that is certainly not as important, but for some reason struck a cord with me and made me realize how fast she's growing. I put pigtails in Anna's hair for the first time. She is so freakin adorable, and then I put this two balls of curls on each side of her head and I seriously thought I was going to loose it. She looked so cute...but, there was no sign of baby Anna. My beautiful daughter standing before me was a little girl - talking with pigtails in her hair. My first baby is no longer a baby. Where has the time gone?

A Girl's First Barbie is SPECIAL!

Thanks to Uncle Ricky, Anna experienced her very first Barbie Doll (that just happened to sing Cinderella songs). It was incredible to see her light up...she's such a girl! I posted a couple of pictures

Anna's First Haircut

I finally did it. I waited as long as I possibly could, but Anna just couldn't see anymore. So, we went to go get Anna's first haircut. It was priceless! After a few minutes of FREAKING out, she actually enjoyed the pampering.

I'm glad I did it...she looks so damn adorable - I just want to eat her up! I've posted some pictures and a quick video.

A Trip to The Barn

As I have probably mentioned in prior posts, we've had the most beautiful Spring weather this year (the best and warmest weather I can remember). It's like we skipped March and April and just went right to May.

Because the weather has been so nice, Anna and I have been so active outside...so much fun! Our latest "field trip" was to one of our favorite spots, The Barn at the Lincoln Park Zoo. It's tailored towards the little kids and it includes all the animals you'd find at a farm (and lucky for Anna, all the animal sounds she knows). The attached pictures show our non-stop ball of energy as she does her hot laps around The Barn.

Maggie and AJ's New Puppy, Loddie!

We LOVE Loddie! Maggie and AJ just got their first dog and she's a beauty. It's a mut from a local shelter and she's the sweetest pup in the world. Anna met her for the first time a few weeks ago and I've included some pictures. Some day both Loddie and Anna will be much, much bigger and we'll love to look at old photos of when they both were babes.

Happy Easter 2010!

Another Easter down for Anna. It was really nice...we spent the day with the Whelan family. Anna also received her Easter basket from Grandma Mary and went on a very "high-tech" Easter egg hunt (talking eggs and all).

Amazingly, the weather has been heavenly in Chicago, so we were able to spend Easter outside enjoying the sun and warm temps. I also forgot to mention that Anna made it through the entire Easter mass without crying. She loves the music so much.

I've posted some pictures of our holiday.

Visiting Great Grandma Dorn

We made our second trip down to Houston with Anna to visit Aunt Ann, Uncle Jim and Great Grandma Dorn. It was a wonderful weekend. The weather was great, the food even better (with Jim cooking) and it is such a blessing to see GG Dorn playing with our little Anna. No many people are lucky enough to experience four generations in the same room. I know Anna will be a richer person for having met and spent time with her Great Grandmas.

I've posted some picutures and videos of the weekend. My favorite video is of Anna "interacting" with Jim and Ann's two rather large labs. She loved them and wasn't intimidated in the least. She followed them around all weekend barking (of course with the two-arm movement). Jim mentioned to me after we left that the dogs were quite upset and a little depressed when we left...they're not used to the stimulation and all-out fun of a toddler.

We love you Ann, Jim and GG Dorn!

America's Funniest Home Videos...Here we come!

The video speaks for itself:

Anna's Little Accident

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!

We're Walking!!!!!

When all the baby books say kids do things at their own pace, on their own time and when you least expect it, they're right.

After weeks (more like months) of waiting for Anna to take the big plunge into walking, even calling the pediatrician and booking a physical therapy appointment, our baby girl took off today! At almost 16 months old, this was a little late, but all good things are certainly worth the wait.

Right after lunch we were playing in the kitchen and she let go of my finger and walked the entire length of the kitchen, turned the corner and walked the entire length of the living room. It's like she'd been doing it for months. It was an amazing thing to be here to see a little human make that big of a milestone right before my eyes.

She's still a little wobbly, but she's only been walking for less than a day. She's got a lot of time to perfect the skill. And, I have a feeling, she'll perfect it fast and I won't be able to keep up.

Here's my theory: Anna has been so intense and observant since the day she was born. She always has to understand her environment before making any "moves." She has to be comfortable and confident before taking on a task. It's not so much shyness or being timid, but rather being intellegent enough to make good decisions (a mother speaking). I think her late walking was more a product of her personality than anything having to do with her physical development. For whatever reason, she felt comfortable enough today to give it a try and she certainly did succeed.

We love you and are so proud of you, our little walker!

Thank GOD I'm able to be home with Anna to witness these "firsts." Therefore, I was able to capture part of the moment on tape...enjoy!