Playing Catch Up

July 2011, picking weeds with daddy

So over the course of the year, I have been getting pictures and blog titles ready and then not actually posting the blog entry.  Not good since this is going to be Anika's baby book... Her birthday is right around the corner - literally - and it looks like I need to clean house.  I will try to do these in order.


Anika and I went for a walk with LouEzza in June to check out a fairy house a few blocks away.  Ani was MUCH more interested in chatting Sophie the giraffe up than doing anything else.  She also has a mermaid with her, but Sophie seems to be holding court.

June 2011, making friends with Sophie

Over the winter, Mary, Ella and I met at Northern Grounds to knit and have coffee - sometimes I brought Ani and sometimes my mother watched her so I could have uninterrupted adult time for an hour or so.  Anyway, Ella sewed this fantastic reversible bonnet for Anika - she also gave me the pattern.  It protected Anika's face many, many times and because it was so great, I used the pattern to make her a fall version with a broadcloth outside and a blue fleece inside.  It was not as easy to make as Ella implied.

June 2011, swinging in Ella's hat

June 2011, swinging in Ella's hat

June 2011, still swinging in Ella's hat

Every year, I make Caid a pinata for his birthday... well, how could I make one for Caid and not Grant (his younger brother)?  This might be my last pinata for a while.  The shape is no big deal to make, as long as I don't have an Anika hanging on my legs.  It is the fluff.  The fluff is individual squares of tissue paper glued on one at a time.  Oh yes.  It is quite the time consuming feat.  Maybe when Anika is 5...


June 2011, checking out Grant's birthday pinata

June 2011, staring down Grant's monster birthday pinata

Our friend, Mary, knit this fantastic shrug for Anika - it is the only piece of clothing that she wore this spring and she can still wear this fall.  In fact, Anika wore it today as an extra layer to keep her cuddly warm, but not too warm, after her afternoon bath.  We LOVE it!

May 2011, in Mary's shrug

 

By 8 months old, Anika had 8 teeth.  Her molars have been threatening to come in since then, but nothing yet.

July 2011, new teeth!

July 2011, chasing the cat, without crawling



July 2011, family picnic at Olcot park, Virginia

Before Anika (which is how time is measured now), we had almost always worked on a project on the weekend.  Going for a drive without purpose is a foreign concept for us.  So we decided to get out of our comfort zone and have an adventure. We took off in the morning for the North Shore and ended up in Grand Marais for dinner.  I guess we did have a purpose for the trip... we wanted to get sauna rocks.  We came home with six rocks and a very crabby baby.  We have not taken off for a drive since then.

August 2011, eating in the car on the North Shore

Our independent child.  In August the only way we could get a spoon of food in her mouth was to give her a spoon of her own.  That of course evolved - she needed food on her spoon also.  She was not coordinated enough to get it in her mouth... I am sure she could do it now, but we learned our lesson - once bitten twice shy - maybe I will try a full spoon again tomorrow, maybe not. 

August 2011, mastering spoon feeding

We are building a garage.  Or should I say we are using our life savings to have a garage built?  Regardless of how you say it, our mini one stall garage was demoed, a huge hole was dug in our yard and filled back in again - multiple times.  Heavy equipment rested in our yard for most of the summer and we could not resist sitting in the cab of the mini hoe and pretend to dig.
 
Since then, the shell of the garage has been built, power lines buried, sidewalk and apron poured and a beautiful retaining wall built.  Soon the inside of the garage will be complete and we can finally park inside.

September 2011, with daddy in mini hoe

For mother's day, we finger painted flowers on freezer paper, put them in magnet frames and sent them off to the grandmas.  So we decided to send some new art for the frames for grandparent's day.  We need a new craft for the next holiday.  Anika is now 24 pounds of wiggling opinionated baby - I could barely hold her in September.  Perhaps a nice play dough craft for Christmas...

September 2011, "finger painting"a masterpiece for grandparent's day