Happy Birthday Mead!

Mead turns one today!! A year ago today President Obama was being sworn in while I was waiting at home for the call to go to the hospital. I was already a week overdue, and my 5:00 a.m. phone call didn't come until 3:15 in the afternoon. It seemed like Mead was never going to join us!

She finally made her appearance that evening, and she has been such a joy since then. Her sweet and calm personality has made her a very easy-going baby. She is much more attached to me than Laine was, but that manifests itself in lots of snuggles, which I absolutely adore.

She is now standing on her own, after we carefully place her on her feet. She has yet to take a step from that position, but she can hold herself up for a while (note the outstretched hands for balance!). I know one day she'll be running around chasing after her big sister and the days of snuggling will be gone. In the meantime I'm enjoying every moment of quietness and closeness while I can.

We love you, Mead, and look forward to seeing the wonderful woman you grow up to be!

Twirling

Laine loves dancing in the kitchen, especially when Daddy helps her twirl around on the slippery floor.

Personality

Mead turns one in just a few days. As her birthday approaches, it's been fun to see her personality come out more and more. She's babbling quite a bit, especially when we're nearby to listen, though she talks to herself a lot too. And she gives great shouts of joy or frustration.

Her curiosity is growing, and we've found her inside our kitchen cabinets, our dishwasher, our closets, and our bathrooms! She often takes everything out and leaves a trail of debris behind her. Our quiet little one is making her mark in this family!

Sledding!

We got some snow - about 4 inches, which is enough for some good sledding. Despite really cold temperatures (highs in the teens for several days straight) we made it outdoors to play.

Laine obviously was less than excited about all her layers initially, but once we made it outside she was thrilled to be sledding.

We went down the big hill at the front of the church. Laine kept saying, "I want to do it all by myself." So after giving her a good push, I ran down the 40 foot path and then helped pull the sled back up to the top again. Good times!

Stuck

The exersaucer can be used in many ways - now it's fun to crawl through. Unfortunately Mead often gets stuck before she can make it back out again!

Snowfall

We've had a few small snowfalls over the past week or so. Each time only about an inch or less has accumulated. I've been hoping for a good snow so Laine and I can go sledding. In the meantime we're enjoying the beauty even a little bit of snow brings to the outdoors.

Progress

Here's the latest outcome of my attempts to French braid Laine's hair. Believe it or not, I am making progress. About half way down her head I figured out a good way to hold her hair tighter. It's still not public-worthy, but I'm slowly getting better!