11 months!

Unfortunately, half of this month I was sick. I had high fevers and a bad cold. The doctor's were worried I was developing Croup, but thankfully that never happened. I did have several trip to the doctor's office and some long nights awake because I was coughing too much to sleep. Finally though, I am feeling better and on the mend. Besides being sick, this month has been a blast. I am still crawling like crazy and getting better at standing. At times I can let go of whatever I am holding onto and stand by myself for several seconds, it's very cool! I have almost mastered waving, although I only like to wave "hi," not "bye." Lately my Mom has been working on teaching my how to clap. I'm getting the hang of it. I have definitely grown this past month. As of two weeks ago I was 17 lbs and 7oz. My leggies are a little chubbier and my Mom says I  now have a cute "baby" belly. I like to play with my belly, especially my belly button, while I am in the bathtub. Speaking of bathtubs, I love my baths! I think they are my favorite thing. I crawl, splash and laugh the whole time. I have been feeding myself most of my meals, so I usually need a bath, or at least a wipe down, after I eat. I love feeding myself, it's so much fun. My favorite foods are yogurts, cheese, bread (with almond butter), cheerios, oatmeal, peas, and ravioli. There are more, but those are the foods that my Mom says "are always a given." I am excited for the next several weeks with Christmas coming and then my first birthday!!

Annabelle's First Thanksgiving!

Playing the piano at Grandmom's.

Thanksgiving Family Picture

The Waechter family traveled to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving. Annabelle and I got to for a whole week, James joined us for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Needless to say, we had a great time. For Thanksgiving we traveled to my Aunt and Uncle on my Mom's side and had a big Helms' Thanksgiving. Annabelle even had a real Thanksgiving dinner with some turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberries, and mash potatoes. She loved it! We also got to see the Wenck family since they all came up for the Notre Dame game on Saturday. It was wonderful seeing my high school friends, catching up with the family, and celebrating Annabelle's first Thanksgiving.

Aunt Kate comes to Denver!

Taking advantage of the day off on Veteran's Day, Aunt Kate came to Denver for a long weekend. James, Annabelle, and I were so happy to see her and she was so happy to see Annabelle. I am sure she enjoyed seeing James and I, but I know she most enjoyed being with her niece (and who can blame her?). Kate loved watching Annabelle play with her toys and crawl around the house and Annabelle loved having Aunt Kate to play with and show off her smiles to. We went to Gymboree so Aunt Kate could see Annabelle in her glory, took some walks around the park, ate lots of food, drank some wine, watched some football......it was a great weekend. And only about six weeks until we get to see Aunt Kate again at Christmas, and it's not just Aunt Kate, but the whole Waechter family!

10 Months!

Hello, everyone! I am now 10 months old and loving every minute of it. Last month I thought I was mobile, but it's nothing compared to this month. I think I can now call myself an expert at crawling, I go so fast. Sometimes when I am headed to the dog water bowl or the toilet paper roll, my parents have to RUN to catch up with me. Most of the time they win, but sometimes I win and get to the dog bowl and play in the water or pull at the toilet paper until it's all over me-it's a blast! I may not be an expert at it, but I definitely have gotten very good at standing. I can pull myself up very easily and stand (while holding on) for a while. I even started to figure out that if I move my feet I start to move while standing! I can only take a few steps while holding on to the furniture, but it's still pretty cool. My parents keep saying that I will be walking in no time, I am not sure what that means, but if it has anything to do with being MORE mobile, I am all for it. I still love playing with my toys, rolling around on the cat and dog, taking walks with Mom, going to Gymboree (I moved to level 3 last week!), and playing at the gym daycare while Mom works out. I am still drinking my bottle, but I am also eating lots of solid food. Some days I like eating better than others and lately I haven't really been liking my vegetables so my Mom has been mixing it with yogurt or cottage cheese and that makes it yummy.

My Dad has been pretty busy this past month with school and work so I haven't seen him as much as I would like, but when he is around I love playing with him, especially the airplane game. My Mom has been working on these things called resumes and cover letters because she is looking to "go back to work." She says that when she goes back to work I get to play with other babies and new toys, so that sounds like fun. My parents are telling me the "holidays" are approaching and are excited to celebrate them with me for the first time. It sounds like fun since I get to see lots of family, eat food, and get some presents! 

Annabelle's First Halloween!

Baby sea creatures

Even though it was a $20 costume, seeing Annabelle dressed up in her mermaid costume was priceless. On October 30th, good friends had a Birthday/Halloween party for their two boys. So not only did Annabelle get to show off her costume, she also went to her first birthday party (Mommy had her piece of cake)! She had a great time playing with the boys' toys and seeing her friend, Lucy (who was dressed up as an octopus, so cute!). On Halloween day Annabelle wore her mermaid suit to Gymboree, of course she got lots of compliments. We were going to take her to a couple of houses for trick-or-treating (Mommy wanted more candy), but our neighborhood didn't start until it was almost dark, so that was a little late for the mermaid. It was a great first Halloween We are excited about next year and can't wait to see what Annabelle picks as her costume.

Grandmom Wenck visits Colorado

Grandmom is sure enjoying her retirement! In mid-October she was able to come out to visit us for a whole week. Of course she loved seeing Annabelle and watching first hand all her new developments. We had lots of fun. We went to Gymboree classes, went shopping at a local mall one day (or two ;) ), took lots of walks, went to a exercise class (while Annabelle was in the gym daycare, which she loves!), went out to lunch, and made some good dinners accompanied by some nice glasses of wine. And Grandmom even babysat on Friday night so James and I could go out downtown with some great friends. When we were not out and about doing something, Mom and I would just sit around and watch Annabelle crawl around the house, practice her standing, play with her toys, and just be her adorable self. It was a great visit and as always, it was sad to Grandmom go. But we will be able to see her in just several weeks when the Waechter family flies to PA for Thanksgiving. I am pretty sure Grandmom is already counting down the days!

Annabelle goes to the Denver Zoo!

This past weekend the Waechter family took a trip to the Denver Zoo. It was a gorgeous day outside and a very fun day with the animals. Annabelle's favorites' were the monkeys and penguins. She probably liked them the best because she could actually see them since we could get real close, unlike the hidden lions. She also liked watching the monkeys and penguins swing and swim around their cage. Annabelle even let out an excited scream several times.

She wasn't so sure about the big elephants.

Looking at the flamingos with Mommy.

Loving the tiny monkeys.

By the time we left she was exhausted from her day of excitement.

9 Months

I was nine months several days ago. It was a great day, I did lots of exploring by crawling all over the house, went to Gymboree with Mom, and got to have lots of sweet potatoes for dinner. I had my 9 month doctor's appointment today. I only had to get one shot, a flu shot, so it wasn't too bad. I weigh 16 lbs 4 oz and am 27.25 inches tall. I am still on the smaller size, the 9th percentile for weight, but since I keep gaining weight and developing fine, the doctor said there is nothing to worry about.

This past month has been crazy busy, I mean there are so many new things I have been exploring since I started to crawl, and boy can I crawl! I don't like to brag, but I can get going pretty fast. And just a couple days ago I figured out how to pull myself up and stand. I can't do it every time because it takes a lot of energy, but when I do it's lots of fun! During this month I also got some new teeth, I have six now! So when my Mom gives me grown up food I don't just have to gum them, I can use my new teeth. I eat three meals a day and one or two snacks. Plus, I have my bottle throughout the day. I don't always drink as much formula as I should and when I had an ear infection several weeks ago I got into the habit of waking up in the middle of the night to eat some bottle, but Mom says we have to break that habit. I am not sure why, I don't mind eating at 2am.

Mom, Dad, and I have been keeping busy by going to ND game watches (the Irish are doing better!), taking walks, watching me crawl around the house, and going out and about in Denver. I sure am busy for being only 9 months. I can't wait to see what this next month brings. I know that in several days Grandmom Wenck is coming for a visit, I can't wait! I want to show her how I can crawl from the living room, to the kitchen, then to bathroom, and back to the living room. My parents are telling me I am going to be walking in no time, I am not really sure what that is, but if it's anything like crawling I know I am going to love it!

Trip to PA.

Annabelle and I just got back from visiting Stroudsburg, PA for a week. James was suppose to be traveling for work so we thought it would be a good week to visit, but it ended up James wasn't traveling. That's ok, he definitely took advantage of being child and wife free for a week with climbing, hiking, and sleeping. He was missed, though.

Annabelle loved being with Grandmom and Pappy Wenck for a whole week, and I am pretty sure (and by pretty sure I mean %100 sure) that Grandmom and Pappy loved having Annabelle at their house for seven whole days. Unfortunately Annabelle got another ear ache so we had to take her to an immediate care center to get some antibiotics. I knew something wasn't right because she was not acting her self, but Grandmom was sure she was just being grumpy and had us let her cry her self to sleep, later to find out her poor little ears were bothering her. I made sure to tell Annabelle that it was all Grandmom's fault that she was upstairs crying in her crib, not Mommy's. Grandmom definitely had some guilt around that, but a lesson was learned: always go with Mommy's instinct.

We got to visit with lots of friends and family. One day Annabelle, Grandmom, and I drove up to visit with my cousins and their little ones. Annabelle loved playing with her cousins.

Annabelle also got to meet her two great-grandmothers on my side of the family. I loved showing off my daughter to my Grandmother's, and of course they both loved meeting Annabelle.

In addition to family, we also got to see some family friends. As usual, Annabelle was the center of attention.  I even had the chance to get together with my high school girl friends. It was wonderful seeing everyone and catching up. 

Besides seeing lots of people, we mostly just hung out and relaxed with Grandmom and Pappy and hung out with Uncle Ryan several times. And of course Annabelle visited her Uncle Ryan at the bar.

It was a great week and sad to say good-bye, but both Annabelle and I are also glad to be back home with James (Daddy) and in sunny Colorado.

Eight Months!

On 9/10/11 I turned eight months! No doctor's appointment this month (whoo hoo, no shots!). My parents were curious on how much I weighed so they put me on their scale and unofficially I weigh 15 lbs and 9 oz. Skinny but long. I am still fitting into most of my six month clothes, but have just started to move towards 6-9 month clothes.

Moving is the word for this month. In the beginning of the month I was rolling from one side of the room to the other in no time flat. I loved when my parents would leave me on the living room floor and go into the kitchen for 30 seconds and then come out with a look of surprise because I would be in a completely different place. I am beginning to learn that there are some things in the living room that I am not allowed touch. The fireplace screen is one of my favorites. It makes such a cool sound when I rub my hands across it and when I pull it the screen moves! But for some reason whenever I make my way over to the screen I am quickly picked up and placed in a different spot. That is ok, I don't give up and keep trying to play with it! After I became an expert at rolling, I was determined to learn how to crawl. For a couple of weeks I would get up on all fours and rock back and forth hoping something would happen so I would move forward, but usually I ended up just falling flat. However, just yesterday I was able to figure out that I can pull myself forward with my arms and by pushing my legs, so I am an official crawler! My parents are calling it a bittersweet moment, I don't understand what is bitter about it, I can move everywhere!!! (Check out the video)

I got my third tooth recently, too. I was a little cranky because it hurt, but nothing too bad. I am still eating lots of solid food and even started to eat some meat. It's not my favorite, but I eat it. I also started gumming on cheerios. Right now they are more fun to play with than eat-I like when they stick to my hand and I have to shake them off. My doggy, Brady, loves them too when they fall to the floor.

My days are filled with taking walks/runs with Mom and Brady, playing with all my cool toys, going to Gymboree classes, and going out and about in Denver with Mom. I loved the evenings because that is when my Daddy comes home and I can have some Daddy/Daughter time. I have a feeling my days in the upcoming month are going to be a lot more interesting since I have lots of new things to explore now that I am mobile!

Annabelle's first ND game and Baptism

So I have to start off with saying that the awesome time that was had this past weekend is obviously excluding the outcome of the game. Even with all of us sticking it out through two rain delays and a six hour game, the Irish still couldn't pull it off..........at least we had a lot of other things to celebrate.

First, family and friends were celebrated the whole weekend. Both James' and I's immediate family were present except for Annabelle's Uncle Chriff who had to work and was missed dearly. In addition to our family, lots of our wonderful friends joined us for ND/Baptism weekend. For most of our friends it was the first time they got to meet Annabelle, so it was very special.  Our family rented a house two blocks from ND campus and our friends rented another house not far from us. Saturday was a day of tailgaiting that included lots of food and drinks. It was very hot outside so Annabelle only came for several hours. She was dressed to kill though (of course!). Grandmom Wenck volunteered to stay back with Annabelle at the house while the rest of us went into the stadium for the game. It was a very good decision considering the heat and then the severe thunderstorms that hit and caused the rain delays and a very, very long game. Nana Waechter joined Grandmom after the first rain delay, so Annabelle was able to watch the game in great company.



On Sunday, the next occasion was celebrated, Annabelle's Baptism. She wore James' dress that he wore during his Christening and the mass was celebrated in the Log Chapel on Notre Dame campus. Our friends and family were the only one's in attendance, it was a very intimate and special celebration. For most of the mass Annabelle loved being the center of attention and was in a great mood. She got a little itchy when she realized she had to stay seated for a little while and not be allowed to roll around on the floor (her new favorite thing), but over all was content most of the time. Uncle Ryan and Aunt Kate are the Godparents and did an awesome job at the ceremony. It was obvious both were very proud and loving Godparents. Looking at my daughter, my husband, and my wonderful family and friends that I love so much, all in one special place like the Log Chapel and surrounded by the Notre Dame tradition, definitely made me feel very blessed.

After the Baptism a picnic was held back at our house. The rest of the weekend continued like the beginning: friends and family having an awesome time enjoying each others' company and sharing in lots of memories, and of course enjoying more food and drinks. Did I mention how lucky James and I feel with such an awesome family and wonderful friends?! Annabelle will be hearing about this weekend forever, as it was one that will never be forgotten.

Some family pics

I have been meaning to post this family photo. We took it several weeks ago and it's the first one where I actually like everyone's face in the picture. Obviously Annabelle looks adorable! Does she ever not?? Also, there is a three generation picture that I love. I am sure there will be a lot more family pictures after this weekend: Annabelle's Baptism and ND's first football game.  Can't believe summer is coming to an end and football season is about to start.

Happy 30th Birthday to Daddy!

James' 30th birthday was on August 5th. For a birthday celebration I surprised him with a Colorado wilderness weekend: a hike he always wanted to do called Conundrum Hot Springs. It was a 9 mile backpacking hike that lead you to the most gorgeous natural hot springs in the country.  Another surprise for James was that his brother and sister flew in to participate in the backpacking trip! He was very surprised and excited to share this experience with his siblings. The hike was much more strenuous then any one of us thought, but with lots of self motivation and determination we all made the 18 mile, two day hike (although our bodies felt it for a lot longer than two days!).

Even though I would have loved Annabelle to join us, of course this was not a baby friendly hike, so Grandmom and Pappy Wenck came to babysit while the parents had a weekend away. It was a lot harder to leave Annabelle then I thought, it took a lot of self control not to cry when I was saying goodbye to her. And throughout the hike James and I kept on guessing what Annabelle was doing at that moment, maybe playing on her mat, jumping in her Jumperoo, or even eating some sweet potatoes! Those thoughts made us smile.

Grandmom and Pappy had a great time with their Annabelle. They took walks in the park each day, went out to brunch a couple of times, enjoyed grilling out once little Annabelle was in bed, and overall soaked up every minute they could with their granddaughter. You can tell Annabelle knows Grandmom and Pappy are special people in her life because she lights up whenever Pappy smiles at her and loves to cuddle with Grandmom. It's a great feeling to watch your parents light up with happiness when watching them with your own daughter; Annabelle is one lucky girl!  Grandmom came a few days before Pappy and stayed several days after Pappy left, so she is definitely getting her Annabelle time! It has been a great couple of weeks with lots of adventure, family time, and many smiles and blessed feelings.

Seven Months!!

Turning seven months didn't seem like a big deal to me, of course my family made it a big deal and kept saying how fast I was growing and how time is flying by. I guess I agree, but I am too busy playing with my toys and discovering new things.

My new favorite thing is playing in my Jumperoo. I love to jump around and make all the noises and toys dance around. I jump so hard sometimes my Daddy thinks I might jump right out of the seat! Rolling around on the floor is also fun. I just from my stomach to my back and back again, I love it! I can sit up a little, but only when I use my hands as support. I think my Mom really wants me to sit up because she keeps putting me in that position and letting go.

I also love to eat my solid food. My Mom is still making me homemade baby food and I love it! I get oatmeal with fruit in the morning and then a vegetable in the evening. I have tried lots of different foods, but my favorite is still sweet potatos, my least favorite is green beans, yuck! I will only eat those when they are mixed with sweet potatos.

Mom and Dad also tells me that I am learning sign language. I haven't quite figured out what they are doing with their hands or what I am suppose to do with the hand motions, but it definitely intrigues me. They seem to be doing the hand motions when they give me a bottle, eat solid food, drink from my sippy cup (which I can't do very well yet), or when the dog and cat come into the room.

I got my first ear infection this past month, it was not fun. The first dose of medicine didn't work so I had to try something stronger and that seemed to do the trick. But it was three straight weeks of not feeling well. I hope that doesn't happen very often.

I was happy to learn that seven months didn't involve a doctor visit and/or shots. Being seven months has been fun, I just can't wait to learn what next month has in store for me.  

Virginia Beach 2011

Annabelle got to experience her first Helms' beach vacation! It was a wonderful week where memories were made and family time was never-ending. Describing each memorable moment would take forever, so I will just talk about some of the highlights.

Annabelle spent everyday at the beach and sometimes went to the beach and the pool. Besides the first day (it was way to hot for the babies), she enjoyed herself. Her favorite beach activity was sitting on the edge of the water with her Uncle Ryan and playing in the waves. Only once did Uncle Ryan miss a wave and Annabelle got splashed all over (a hot girl was walking by and he lost track of the waves, go figure!).

She also loved hanging with her cousin Brady, although she got a stern warning from her Uncle Tony because she kept kicking and pulling Brady's hair.

Chillin' in her beach chair was also fun. She would watch the water, watch the boys play washers, or even take a little afternoon nap. 

Corona's on the beach were an everyday occurrence, she wanted to join the fun!

When not on the beach or at the pool, Annabelle was hanging in the huge house that all 30 of us occupied. It was chaotic at times with four little ones, two of which were running around, plus all the Uncles whose maturity level is not much higher than the babies. Annabelle wasn't running around, but she liked observing from her play mate or the jumperoo. She got to spend ample time with her Pappy and Grandmom. Grandmom even volunteered to get up in the morning several days so Mommy and Daddy could sleep. By the end of the week whenever she saw her Pappy she would get the biggest smile on her face, she knows the people who love her the most!

Because we were in Virginia and only four hours away, my best friend Pammy took a drive down for two nights. It was a lot of fun and wonderful to see Annabelle finally meet her Aunt Pammy!

Everyone was sad to see the week end. We all felt so lucky to be part of such a wonderful and loving family. Already the countdown has started for next summer's Helms' beach vacation!

Stats from Six Month Visit

I had my six month visit on July 17th. I was told that I weighed 14 lbs 1 oz. I was 26 inches long.  I am still in the 12th percentile for my weight, but in the 50th percentile for my length, so the doctor believes I am growing very nicely. I got all positive marks and the doctor said I was perfect, duh I could have told her that!!

Six Months!

A whole half of a year, that sounds so old! I didn't have my six month check up yet, so I don't have any of those statistics, but my parents are very anxious to see how much I weigh and how tall I am. They think I have grown a lot since my four month appointment. We'll see, the appointment is next Monday the 18th.

I think my parents are right that I am growing because I feel like I am doing so much more. I still love to talk but since it isn't a novelty anymore I don't do it as much, however I did learn to scream and I love hearing myself screech like an owl. I have rolled over several times, but still don't do it on a regular basis. But put me on my back and I will scootch across the room in no time flat, my favorite is moving in circles in my crib when I wake up in the morning. My parents think it's hilarious when they look on the monitor and they can no longer see me or they only see my legs kicking. I also love to stand on my legs (with my parents holding me of course) and bounce up and down. Some other cool things that have happened this month are that my hair is starting to grow in (I think I definitely have more than Daddy now) and I started eating solid food. My Mommy is making my food at home so it is extra delicious. So far I have had sweet potatoes, avocado, and banana. Sweet potato is my favorite! I caught on to the whole eating with a spoon thing very fast. I see my spoon and open my mouth and wait for the yummy food, sometimes if Mom or Dad take to long getting the food in my mouth I let out a little screech to let them know to hurry up.

We didn't do much traveling this past month, which was nice, I was able to stay on my schedule (as much of a schedule that I am on...Mom tells me we are still working on that). My Mom and I started to take Gymboree classes. I really like them, we go about three times a week. I get to meet other babies and Mom gets to talk with other Mom's. My favorite part is when they blow bubbles, I love to try to catch them!

These next couple of months I have a lot to look forward to. I get to go the beach, see lots of family, and even get baptized! I sure am a busy girl for only being six months.

Happy 4th of July!

Annabelle has become much more aware of the animals in the house, especially Lily the cat, probably because Lily is more her size. And no funny comments about Lily's size, please! Annabelle and I were on our own this past work week because James had to travel for work. We kept ourselves busy with Gymboree classes, runs around the park, skpying with family, and doing errands for our 4th of July party. Come Friday night though, I was definitely looking forward for Daddy to return home, it's hard not having any relief for a whole week. And we have to do it again in two weeks when he travels to Seattle for five days. Oh well, like my Mom said, I need to cherish this time I have with Annabelle because it won't always be there.

Happy 4th of July! Yesterday we threw a 4th of July cookout. It was lots of fun and of course Annabelle was dressed all festive. I can't believe it's July 4th already. The summer is sure flying by.

Well more to come soon with the six month update from Annabelle....I can't believe she is about to be six months!!