bee a jeanyus two

Every now and then, a website comes along that is truly inspiring.
Case in point:
            baby bush
Ha!

hi tech

Sadie inherited my old Sanyo and has figured out how to navigate the basic menu and even play music and ringtones that I'd downloaded.
Seriously.

best friends

Experts say that babies don't really play with each other, that they just engage in what's known as "parallel play"---next to each other, with no true interaction.
When I watch Sadie and Sophie play, I know that's not the case. They share toys, follow each other around, and make conscious decisions to do things together. Like, "hey, let's push this chair around the kitchen" or, "how about you climb into that carseat while I rock it back and forth?". It's pretty amazing to watch. They're just so darn cute together!

(Notice who's got the toy now)

it's official

She's walking.

Reid and I have debated endlessly---mostly with others---what constitutes "walking". Three steps? Five? Halfway across the living room? Out the door and off to kindergarten?

Finally we agreed that Sadie would indeed be walking once she chose it as her primary mode of transportation. Well, friends and family, that time has come. We spent a three-day weekend at the coast with our buddies the Lantzys, in a rented beach house perched above the ocean. No better time to make memories, Sadie thought. So five steps turned to ten, then to twenty, then throw a few 180s in there for good measure and you've got yourself a real live toddler.

Now she's unstoppable---except when she falls, at which point she crawls over to the nearest piece of furniture (or adult) and pulls herself back up. And keeps on walking...through the kitchen...down the hall...to her bedroom...wherever she pleases. It must be so exciting to have an entirely new perspective on life. Tiring too, apparently. She hasn't slept this much since she was a newborn.

So, we'll say that Sadie officially started walking on Martin Luther King Day, 2008.

She had a dream.

pure genius or pure evil?

You decide. I just wish I were the one who invented it:
http://www.baconsalt.com

happy (belated) birthday sadie

Day to day, it's difficult to meter how much you've grown. The outfit we brought you home from the hospital in looks tiny, but given enough effort (and cooperation on your behalf) it seems possible to squeeze you into that pink-and-white size 0 sweater. I mean, on a bad laundry day we can even make those snug 9-month clothes work. So how big can you really be?

I suppose this picture says it all. We thought you had so much hair when you were born---and you did---but now you have three times as much. Inch for inch, your hair is longer than mine. Is that normal for an 11 month old? But then, "normal" is not a word we would use to describe you, your personality, your abilities. "Extraordinary" or "incredible" seem far more befitting. Now, I know it's not uncommon for parents to brag about, or even exaggerate, the accomplishments of their offspring. So take this with a grain of salt if you like, but you're truly the most extraordinary, incredible, and unusual (in the best possible sense) baby we've been lucky enough to know.

You are strong-willed, and like to do what you want to do when you want to do it.
You are physically strong too, and can push objects more than half your body weight around the room.
You are a daredevil, and will climb on furniture without regard for height or the softness of your landing.
You are expressive, and communicate wildly with your hands, true to your Italian heritage.
You are outgoing, and approach other babies and adults without reservations or fear.
You are animated and silly, and easily make people laugh with your antics.
You are quick to learn new things, and when shown once will act as if you've been doing it your whole (short) life.
You are independent, and would feed/dress/walk/read yourself if you could.
You are sensitive sometimes, and like to cuddle and suck your thumb when the moment is right, you've bumped your head, or your feelings have been hurt. We always cherish these 5-second hugs, because a few seconds later you're back at it, ready to try again.
You are beautiful, and have the most amazing blue eyes, chubby cheeks, and long dark hair.
You are sweet beyond belief, so much so that long after you've gone to bed, your Daddy & I consider waking you up just because we miss you.

Above all, you are our baby girl, and always will be, even after we are no longer celebrating monthly birthdays or counting the number of steps you take on your own.
Happy Eleven-Month Birthday, Sadie Rain. We can't believe how lucky we are.

and I thought I invented it

Well, technically Franzia invented it...but I definitely thought I had the slang market cornered:

define chillable