Funny Story...

Well, at least I find it funny. When Maya first starting eating solids, she loved avocados. When I would buy them though, she'd only eat a small portion of it, leaving the rest to get all brown and slimy in the fridge. Since Kev and I aren't big on avocados, I decided it was too wasteful and expensive, and I stopped buying them. Fast forward to last week, when I found frozen avocado halves at Trader Joe's. What a find! When I got home, I decided to chop up one of the halves and feed it to Maya for lunch. Well, apparently, Maya has forgotten her love of avocados, and refused to even touch the slimy green monsters. I was frustrated, especially since I've seen her try guacamole at Costco and Trader Joe's, so I know she likes it.

So... I figured, maybe if I spread it on a chip, she'll like it better. Um, yeah, I was right. Maya proceeded to eat an entire avocado half off a chip. Funny though - she never took a bite of the chip. She just wasn't interested. Even funnier, she now officially wants to eat everything off a chip. Just yesterday, she ate avocado, corn, chicken, broccoli, cheese, sweet potato, black beans, pasta, and peas off a chip. I realize that I've probably created a monster... or maybe just a new form of a utensil, right?

"These are the infamous chips! Mommy, we need more of these, okay?"

"Nashy showed me some of his tricks at the train store yesterday. Nash, you're tall!"

"I love playing with the trains, but I'm not quite tall enough for the big table yet!"

"I'm making faces and playing games with Mommy."

"Look what I found in the drawer!"

Just call me "Crabby"

So, this crawling thing is getting old. The problem is, it's hard to put her in shorts or dresses, because her bare knees are on the ground, and that must hurt. Also, in dresses, her knees get caught, and she ends up falling on her face. Although, she's already in the crawling position, it probably doesn't feel good to fall. Anyway, on Sunday, she became very resourceful, and began crawling on her feet instead of her knees. I'm not sure if it's because it hurts, or because it's nowhere near as efficient to crawl in a dress, but either way, her new "crab crawl" is pretty darn cute.

Burgers on the BBQ

On Sunday night, Brook and Ben decided to have a celebration at their house. The occasion? Dave (Alex's Daddy and Brie's hubby) has been named Chief Resident for next year. Congrats, Dave! We all went to Brook and Ben's for burgers and fun times. We had just come from flying a kite at Forest Park, so Maya was insanely exhausted, but she was a good girl. I think her sleepiness was the reason why she clung to me for most of the evening, but that was okay. I was proud of her for surviving on only 1 nap that day!

Oh, and by the way, Maya took 12 steps yesterday. Well, 2 sets of 6, I should say. She made it from the oven to the dishwasher, and then walked halfway down our driveway. Way to go, Maya B.!
"Is it time for the BBQ? I could use a burger."

"I'm hangin' with Mommy tonight. Too sleepy to play a lot."

"Brook threw all these balls in the yard, and we're helping pick them up. I'm not so good at this game, but I'll play along."

"Keira and James have this totally cool busy box. I love it, but I know that if Mommy and Daddy get me one, I won't play with it. I mostly like other kids' toys."

"Yes! I got one! James! Quick! Where's the basket, so I can put in my ball!"

D.C. Dad

Kevin is gone for a week. Well, 5 days, then he's on call the day after he comes back, so we won't get to spend any quality time with him until next Tuesday. He's in Washington D.C. for a conference, where he is going to present some of his research. Good luck, Daddy! We love you!

"Daddy, you belong here at home. I miss you already!"

Timberrrrr!

We were getting ready to go out yesterday, and Kev took Maya outside to put her in the car. I followed a minute later, and found Maya standing alone in the yard. It was very sweet, but it was also quite a windy day (hence, the kite flying).

More Kites

Okay, I know I said I'd wait and post more photos tomorrow, but it's been approximately 2 minutes since my last post, and I just couldn't help myself. Anyway, here are more photos from when we were at the park yesterday.

"Will someone please come over here and give me a snack?"
"Good kite flying, Mommy! Are you wearing sunscreen?"

"Wow! You got that kite up high!"

"Daddy was trying to let me hold the kite string, but I decided to eat it instead."

"This is me talking on Mommy's phone. Just gossiping with friends. You know kids and phones."

Arms and Legs

Oh how I love summer, when I have constant access to Maya's chubby legs and sweet arms. This weekend it was hot. I mean, really, really hot. We were on our own on Saturday, as Kevin was on call, but then we had a great Sunday, and spent most of it outside. I have a lot of photos... The thing is, Kevin is going away tomorrow through Sunday, and he's taking the camera, so I'm going to try and make the photos from this weekend last all week. This will not be an easy feat, since I want to post them all right now. Anyway, yesterday, Maya and I went for a walk in the morning, so Kevin could nap (he had a rough night of call), and then, after nap time, we decided to go to a kite festival at Forest Park. Funny thing - we got to the park and followed the huge line of cars, and just parked where everyone else was parked. We didn't see any kites though! Instead, we found a giant Earth Day Festival. It was hippies galore. Seriously. Anyway, we parked the stroller in a field near the festivities, and flew a kite for a while, and just relaxed. We didn't feel like walking all the way to the Kite Festival, which was pretty far from where we parked. We had a great time, and I have a lovely sunburn, just to prove it.

We had a fun night, too. I'm not going to tell you what we did though, because I want to be able to post again tomorrow, and show you all the photos. I'm going to keep you guessing...

"Mommy, when will I get my turn to fly the kite?"

"Um, hello?! Is anyone going to come get me, or are you just going to leave me standing here?"

"See my belly?"

"Every day is more fun when Daddy is home."

"Did I ever tell you about my favorite kitchen drawer? It's got a huge array of cups, bowls, and bottles. I love me some plastic stuff."

We're Working on it!

We've been practicing walking for a while now, and I definitely think Maya is getting much better. She's now walking while holding onto one finger or hand, and she can take up to 3 or 4 steps on her own. She also stands independently, and seems very confident. So what's the hold up? Well, I guess she just isn't quite ready. Maybe it's her itty bitty feet, or her lack of confidence, or the fact that she simply loves holding hands... but any way you slice it, she's just not there yet. Here she is, practicing with Kevin. As you can see, she's quite the navigator.

If you're Looking for a Playground...

...come to St. Louis! We have some of the best parks and playgrounds around. We are going to be so sad to leave this area, since it's so kid friendly. This morning we paid a visit to Crestwood Park. It was our first time, and we had a lot of fun. Maya loves the swings, and could stay on them for hours. Kevin got on the swing next to her for about 2 minutes before he was too motion sick to continue. Ah, the pleasures of youth.
"Daddy might get motion sick, but I feel just fine."

"Daddy and I practiced walking at the park this morning."

"Push me again, Mommy!"

"Can I have my sunglasses, please?"

"Just kidding. I don't even have sunglasses!"

Here's a Quick Video

What?! Two posts in one day? I never do this anymore! Well, she has a new trick, so I thought I'd share. We read this book, called "The Going to Bed Book," and there's a page that says, "They take a bath in one big tub, with soap all over, scrub scrub scrub." So as we read it, we rub Maya's belly while we say "Scrub scrub scrub." She scrubs on command now!

10,000!

We finally hit 10,000 visitors to our site! You're probably thinking that's not so much - especially if you are Aunt Nora or Grammy, and you check 15 times a day - but it actually only counts you if you turn your computer off and on again... so, actually, 10,000 is pretty darn good! Especially since I only started the counter in December! Next stop, 20,000! Okay, so I'm the only one who cares about this.

On to more interesting things. Hmmm... Maya is getting closer and closer to walking every day. Today she took 3 steps on her own, and then a couple more individual steps when we practiced outside on the sidewalk. She's got teeny tiny feet, so it can't be easy for her to balance. I can't wait to see her walking. I know, I know - once they start walking, you have to chase them everywhere... blah blah blah. I don't care. I still can't wait!
"Whoa. Close talker, Mommy."

"I've been working on perfecting my fish face. I'll show you once I have it down. For now, you just get my slightly sucked in upper lip."

"I don't usually have fun on the changing table, but Mommy is cracking jokes today."

"This is me, just waking up from a nap. I love it when Mommy comes to get me."

"Lunch was pretty good today - a chicken nugget, black bean pancakes, and green beans. Yum."

Home Again.

Sorry to leave you in suspense. We are back in St. Louis again, and Maya is thrilled to be back with her daddy. We had a great time in Connecticut, and we can't wait to move back there, but there's nothing like sleeping in your own crib... or bed... whichever. Anyway, we are getting ourselves readjusted, little by little, while at the same time, we are also getting ready to move out...

"I spent my last day in Connecticut, at the park with Aryella, Jaden, and Juju. Aryella and I are almost the same age. I can't wait until we can play together more often."

"Good hugs, Aryella. I love cuddles."

"Sleepy guy is back! I like to play with his eyebrows, while he sleeps. He doesn't mind. He has the Snuggie - that's all he cares about after a night of being on call."

"Mommy, how do I wake this guy up?"

"There's nothing like my tubby at home. Grammy and Grampy's tubby is a close second though."

Winding Down...

Well, our trip to Connecticut is almost over, but it's been wonderful. Maya has seen a lot of friends and family, and I know she's going to miss everyone when we go back to St. Louis on Saturday. That being said, Maya definitely misses her daddy, and will be so happy to see him. Want to know some fun current events? Well, first of all, we sold our house, which is the best news of all. Then, we found a great rental for next year in New Hampshire, so we're also excited about that, too. We'll be moving from St. Louis in the middle of June, so we really only have 2 months when we get back. I'll have to give Maya lots of playtime with her friends when we get back!

"Tyson has some great toys. Thanks for sharing, Cuz!"

"Now this is cool. This car has sides, so I can't even fall out!"

"Tyson is one week younger than me. I'm much older and wiser."

"This is my choo-choo train. I'm getting big enough to ride on it."

"Believe it or not, I can actually get off this thing on my own."

Super Pony

Why can't we get enough of this pony?

Clippety-Clop

Grampy bought Maya this little pony. It sings a song that sounds like an old scratchy record, and the mouth actually moves. We have a similar one at home, that's bigger, but doesn't sing. So, the thing is, Maya likes it, and actually holds on and rocks back and forth - but I honestly don't think she likes it as much as Grampy and me. We simply cannot stop singing the "Clippety-Clop" song. It's addictive. You'd sing it too. Really.
"Can I get on my pony after dinner?"

"All you have to do is pinch the ears, and it sings!"

"Now this is good times."

A Non-Rhyming Poem

Ode to an Old Canon...

Oh camera, you have been so good to me
But alas, your time has come
Your battery no longer holds a charge
And I hate the words "Change Battery Pack"

So I will soon have to send you on your way
For your vacation photos have been oh so pathetic
The blog will miss your photos
But we will survive

A new camera will soon follow
And will take your place
You will become a thing of the past
I will always remember you, old friend
When I change the battery pack

"Grammy and Grampy's house is fun!"

"This is high chair is way better than my high chair at home. Food remains the same though..."

"I've been trying to climb the stairs all week. I get halfway, and then I regret my decision to start, because suddenly I get stuck in the middle."

"This is my new friend, Cal. He's a cutie, huh?"

"Grammy made a birthday cake for me. It's even Kosher for Passover! Can you believe the talent??!"

Been Busy.

We are leaving tomorrow for our big trip to Connecticut, to visit Grammy and Grampy. Kevin isn't coming with us, because he has to work, but we'll be staying a whopping 9 days! I'm really excited for Maya to see her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. This will be the first time they will see her, since she turned 1! Anyway, we've been getting ready, packing, doing laundry, cleaning, and showing the house a lot this week. We're exhausted! Anyway, I'm sorry I've been slacking on my blogging these past few days. I have to admit, my blogging laziness may continue while I'm in Connecticut, since I won't have my own computer. Is that a good excuse? You think?

"You can tell this photo is taken after dinner, because my hair is out of control!"

"Hi."

"Alex, you are tall!"

"Is it tubby time yet, or am I naked for no reason?"

"This is my mommy. She's the best."