Friends

AC really loves these two little friends.

She's so funny these days, trying to feed and take care of her animals. She is now asking each for a hug and a kiss and then pretending they are actually doing it. She's a funny little thing. I love it. She makes me laugh so many times each day!

New Cups

This afternoon we ventured out to Home Goods. I anticipated AC being very impatient and uncooperative, so I made a short list and had intentions of looking in only those sections. However, she got her hands on a few baby dolls when we got there and she was so good. I felt like I actually got to look around and actually 'shop' for the first time in a long time.

On our way to the checkout, we passed these plastic cups on the clearance rack. They were such a good deal that I couldn't pass them up. AC was so excited about them that she decided one would be Nina's cup and the other would be Papa's cup. She had to have them in her car seat on the way home and carried them around for a while after we got home.

She even tried to give the tree a drink of her water.

She quickly ditched the cups when she realized that it would be much more fun to chase the furry dog through the landscaping. I should have stopped them but it was kind of hysterical.

We love and miss you all!

Bowl Hat

She loves to wear bowls as hats.

Daddy had one on too, but I didn't get his picture. Darn.

Geez. Any tips on how to get your kid to quite picking her nose?

Post-Nap

AC takes a nap everyday. It is not negotiable. Another non-negotiable issue is the length of her nap. She must stay in bed for at least an hour. It is wonderful if she sleeps for the entirety of the time (which she has only failed to do 2-3 times in the last 18 months). If her nap is short, however, she must spend at least 60 minutes inside that lovely little white bed of hers. I made this decision when AC was about 7 months old. It was imperative that I have at least 1 hour to myself during the day. And besides, she needed to learn to sleep for longer periods of time. It didn't take long for her to realize that I wasn't coming to get her just because she woke up. It also didn't take long for her naps to get longer and longer. Today an average nap is about 1 hour and 45 minutes. She has been known to sleep for up to 3 hours about 2 a month. It's rare but it is wonderful.

I learned another important thing about naps when AC was about 7 months old. I do not have to run to her as soon as she wakes up. There is nothing wrong with letting her spend some time alone in her bed after she wakes. I mean, what adult likes to jump out of bed as soon as her eyes pop open? No one. So I decided that after every nap, I would wait at least 10 minutes before going to get her. This has been a fantastic decision. Here's why: Many times she isn't really awake. She is just moving or fussing and isn't ready to wake up completely. These 10 minutes give her enough time to go back to sleep. I can't tell you how many times she has woken up, I've waited 10 minutes, and she has gone back to sleep for another hour or more. These extra minutes also give her time to fully wake up. I just so happened to capture an example of "fully waking up" from today. Enjoy!

FYI: I'm finding these growing curls to be quite unmanageable. You will definitely notice. Oh, and the first 10 seconds or so are black. I was filming outside her bedroom door.

And just so you know...she will take a nap every day until she goes to kindergarten! Ha! A mama can dream...

Daddy's Pics

Sorry for the little break. Nothing exciting has been going on. Just life. Sometimes life leaves you tired and not wanting to blog. Anyway, Daddy and the munchkin spent the afternoon together. Here are a few of his pictures.

Playing the keyboard dressed like a cheerleader.

FYI: She has recently started to pull out any and all hair accessories.

Wishing Daddy would buy her some ice cream. Mommy forbade it. If you knew how many cookies and suckers she has consumed this week, you'd understand.

She had a love for these clear shoes.

She ditched the cheerleader outfit but kept the shoes.

Walking in heels and twirling her hair.

Random

This post has no coherence. Just go with it.

1) You have probably noticed that AC struggles with a rash around her mouth. I have tried EVERYTHING to keep it at bay but just haven't been successful. Sure, steroid cream works. I'm just not crazy about rubbing steroids around her mouth everyday. There had to be a safer and more natural way. It seems I may have found two things that work pretty well.

Now I'm going to go knock on wood. By the way, I have fallen in love with the yes to carrots products. Good stuff. Literally.

2) I still can't quite wrap my mind around this whole Casey Anthony thing. It's all so absurd.

3) AC has recently wanted to help cook. I took my eyes off her long enough to beat an egg and here is what happened. Egg shell everywhere.

4) She LOVES her babies. Today they had a quick snuggle before bed.

We are all so glad the weekend is near!

Happy 4th

These are the best pictures I could get of my girl. She was a wild child today.

After this dunk in the pool, we had to change out of our red,white, and blue garb.

Thanks for the outfit, Aunt Nicki. It was a huge hit! Happy 4th to you all.