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Pics at the Hospital--Anna's first couple days

Anna's First Birthday

Today started off with a bang. For breakfast Anna enjoyed a sweet serenade from her Mommy and Daddy (Daddy over speakerphone). The song of choice was Happy Birthday. Anna enjoyed a nice "healthy" breakfast of pancakes with white chocolate chips.( Yes, we put the candle in the pancakes for the serenade.


At daycare Anna enjoyed another mini birthday with her friend Brookhanna.
Mommy was able to get off work a little early and had planned to take Anna to the lake to see the geese but it was pouring down rain. So instead we spent a little quality time together. For dinner we went over to Alex's house. There we sang happy birthday, had cake and opened presents. I would say Anna had a good first birthday.

This year has flown by as I am sure the following will. Anna has taught me a lot but I think one of the most important things she has taught me is "you never get this moment back, reflect on yesterday, prepare for tomorrow, but live IN today".

I can remember a year ago...anxiously awaiting the arrival of my baby girl. I was so nervous. I remember being so scared as they rushed me in for an emergency c-section, praying that God wouldnt take my baby. I kept myself calm by singing "you are my sunshine"

I remember worrying about what would she be like, what would I be like as a mother. Would I be good enough. From the moment I held her I didnt want to let her go. She was (still is and will always be) so precious.

I remember the days when she slept all the time and I would just sit in my chair and hold her as she slept curled up on my chest. I remember thinking how much I loved her and not imagining how much more I would love her the next day. I remember as she got older and didnt want to sleep in my arms, as much I needed to, how I wouldnt/couldnt put her down when she did fall asleep sitting with me. I remember sitting in my chair at night knowing it was getting late and that I needed to get chores done or get ready for work or bed. Yet, I still sat there and held her because it hurt my heart to lay her down.

Anna has been an angel. Yea, she has started to throw little tantrums but she is still an angel. I cant ever recall her throwing a tantrum out in public. She is my angel because she is a major inspiration for me to be a better person, to be her role model.

I love how friendly and outgoing she is. I love how she says "hi" or "hey" to 90% percent of the people she see's.

She amazes me on a daily basis as it seems she is always learning something new.
So far her vocab consists of:

act---cat
dog---dog
hat---hat
hi---hi
hey---hey
ball--ball
there---there
dat---dat
baph--bath
bell---belly
book---book
alec---alex
mama---mommy
dada---daddy
book---brookhanna
ap---apple
look---look
baw---balloon
duck---duck
ear---ear
da do---thank you
boooo-shoe
ba ba---bottle
up---cup
boo---blue
buh bye---bye bye


I am sure there are a few more that I will think after this is published. But that vocab list amazes me. It also amazes me that she knows what the word more is in sign language. She will sign more whenever she sees food that she wants. She hasnt gotten any other signs down but that still amazes me.

I am so proud of her. I love the fact that she is active (although, I am sure it will be challenging). I love the fact that she loves books and will sit with me as I read or as Daddy reads via a video (we did that so she could see Daddy reading to her while he was deployed).

I love how she cries a little when I drop her off at day care (only cause it makes you feel good to know they want you) but I also love how by the time I hit the front door she is happy with her provider.

I love when I pick her up from day care she gives me the best hug and makes a grunting sound like she is trying so hard to squeeze me more than she already is. I love the smile on her face when she sees me first thing in the morning or even when I open the car door to get her out.

I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH ANNA! Daddy and I both love you for so many more precious reasons. Thank you Anna for being the person you are! You are amazing, unique, precious, beautiful....I could go on and on.

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY ANNA!!!! We cant wait to see what the next years bring us (ok...
we can wait...but only because we want to make sure we enjoy every moment possible!)

Anna's First Friends

Just wanted to show off who Anna's first friends were.
This is Brookhanna.

Anna attends daycare at Brookhanna's house. We have been told they get along great. They play, laugh, whack each other but all in good fun. I love the fact that they are so close in age and get along so well. I believe Anna tries to say Brookhanna's name but it comes out sounding like "book". '

This is Alex. He lives in our neighborhood. Anna and Alex get to spend quite a bit of time together. They go on stroller rides, shopping, out to eat, play dates at each others house. Anna loves to say Alex's name.

Whats in store for Mommy...

Anna got her first boo boo from falling today (Sunday 31 May). She was playing in the living room and fell over my leg as she was trying to get to her coveted corn puffs. (I know I should have moved my leg-but she was quicker than me). Well...she fell and got rug burn and a cut on her chin. She cried for a bit but less than 5 minutes later she was ok.
Ok...today was an adventure. (Sunday 31 MAY) Anna showed Mommy what she has in store for me. In less than 1 hour she dove out of her play house (the one outside)...twice. The first time I thought she used my chair (we have to put it next to the door so she doesnt push the door open) to pull herself out because she ended up sitting in the chair. (Yea, that was a surprise. I had put her in the house and put the chair there so I could clean up the lawn table from lunch...imagine my surprise when I turned around and saw her sitting in my lawn chair.) However, the second time as I was sitting there watching her she leaned over the door (like she was looking at the grass) and BAM!...out she tumbled! Luckily she didnt get hurt.(below is a pic of the house)

Next she climbed on her music table and sat on it...three different times (ok...the second and third time I didnt let her sit on it but she was trying to climb back up on it). THEN she tried to sit on her red rider turtle, turtles head and finally she sat on its back...ON HER KNEES! AND SHE ISNT FULLY WALKING YET!!!!
She did really good at walking this weekend. In the house she would let go of things and take 3-4 steps to get to something else. We also spent alot of time walking around the yard and to the mailbox. I would hold her hands and stand behind her and let her lead me. SHE LOVED IT!!!!


OH!!! Something else...I have been meaning to mention. For the past couple of weeks Anna will get excited and say "ALEC" whenever she sees her little friend Alex. Its amazing, she even knows when we go to his house, if she doesnt see him she will ask "Alec?" and when she sees his mom she will say "Alec?". How cute is that? Oh...and she knows the word hat. Today when I took of my beret (army hat) she grabbed it and sad "hat". She also says thank you. She doesnt quite have it down but I can tell that is what she saying it sounds more like "day do". I know she is saying thank you because she repeats it when I say it. Whenever she sees her bath cup she will say "up" and point to the cup!

Busy Bee

The past couple of weeks were very very busy. Daddy came to visit before his deployment. The first week I had to work so Anna and Daddy got to spend a lot of quality time together. I think it was great. She took right to him, like he never missed a beat.
Grandma and Grandpa Shoemate also came at the end of the week and spent some quality time with Daddy and Anna. Then Nana and Poppop Durrette came!
On Saturday 23 May. We celebrated Anna's birthday with a cookout. Although it was a

little early we couldnt pass up the chance with everyone there! It was great. Anna at first wasnt too happy about the hat! But quickly took to opening presents. It was adorable. She is already hitting that stage of excitement when she see's her gift. She would open something (with Daddy's help) and look at it, then point and say "look!" If you didnt acknowledge her she would say it again or if she really liked the gift she would say it again! After presents it was cake time. Anna really enjoyed her cake and let us know by saying "mmmm!", "mmmm!" However, she did have some kind of reaction to the cake. We think it was the blue coloring in the frosting because her cheeks (which had frosting all over them) were bright red for a couple hours after. I am really glad that everyone got to be there. Oh...and me and Anna will do something small on her real bday!

On Sunday 24 May we all went to church where Daddy and Anna were baptized. I was so proud standing there beside my husband and baby. All the grandparents were there to witness this occasion which made it even more special.


Then on Monday we went to the zoo! Anna loved the zoo. She kept pointing and saying "look"! Anna even got to ride a merry-go-round! I wont lie in the beginning it was tricky. Anna almost slid off the side of the elephant when the elephant went up (I was almost too short to hold her on). I am soooooooo happy that we went while Daddy (and Nana and Poppop) were here.


Anna has started walking more...ok...trying to walk more. She will be playing across the room and hold something out to me. I usually say "bring it to mommy", she will smile, step away from what she holding onto and attempt to walk to me. The most steps she has taken at one time is 7 steps. She is really trying. If she is standing up facing away from me and sees something she wants, I will let go of her hands and she will try to walk to it. I can tell she is still nervous...or maybe she just gets so excited because when she gets close to whatever she was walking to, be it a toy or me, she will just fall forward and laugh.
Anna has started a new thing in the bathtub. She will take the cup and put a little ball in, still holding the ball (and only the ball) she will turn the cup over. I will then pull the cup off and she will giggle her little head off. Tonight she tried cramming the rubber ducky in the cup. However, she wasnt so happy when it got stuck.
I dont know where she gets it from but she has the most outgoing personality. She waves and says hi to almost 90% of the people she sees. Its so cute, walking thru the store holding her, all I hear over and over is "hi! or hey!".
We have gotten rid of the bottles...ok...not completely rid but she doesnt get them unless she is going down for a nap or bedtime. Now she only gets water in the bottle. Somedays she does really good with the sippy cup...somedays, well, she throws the cup at me...yea...we are working on that one.
Oh...and I have figured out that she thinks that anything bad is my fault. If she gets mad at something she will come over to me and hit me! YEA, we are working on that one too!

Daddy's coming

(first yes that is food on Anna's face...she is practicing feeding herself).

Two more days and Daddy will be here. Anna and I are so excited! I love how Anna will now say bye bye almost on cue. Last night we left Daddy a phone message and she said "buh bye da da". It was adorable. She is so smart. She also knows when i come to day care in the evening that she is leaving. Its so cute because as soon as I pick her up she waves bye bye to the caregiver and smiles. That and the hug I get are priceless. I would want to start my evenings any other way. Last night Anna got adventourus and was standing up on her own a lot. She still used something to pull her up but she would let go and stand there. She would stand so long (about 30 seconds) that she would talk to me. Her stance makes me laugh. She kinda got a suedo half squat and her toes are point out at a forty five degree angle....hey maybe she is working on her leg strength so she can be a catcher like mommy :+). I want to get a picture of it but she would always try to grab the camera if I took a picture.
Ya know it makes you feel so good as a Mom knowing your child is happy (and of course safe) when you leave them with someone. Anna loves her daycare provider. She smiles and waves at her. The best is the caregiver has a little girl about one month older than Anna. Anna will get so excited when I take her there in the morning and she sees or hear Brookhanna. I am going to try to get some pics of them together.