1st Christmas in the books!

Annie's cute Christmas portrait :)

I just love this picture...

Well, I feel like Annie is just taking off into BIG Girl Land! She is growing like crazy. She is crawling at what seems to be 90 mph, waving 24/7, eating lots of table foods and almost refusing to eat her baby food, knowing who people are (if you ask her, "Where's so and so?" She'll look at their picture or them if they're in the room), saying more consonants, etc. Annie is such a happy little girl- she is always full of smiles! She's full of kisses, too. She loves to lay big, wet ones on you! It's cute...
Her first Christmas was tiring but fun. She, of course, didn't understand the whole Santa or present concept but she ate a lot of wrapping paper :) She was such a good girl. It was a special few days for us.
We're just so in love with her- I can't get enough. She is just the best baby- always in a great mood and with a smile to give. I'm a borderline obsessed mother.... ha ha.
Happy New Year!

Top tooth emerges...

This morning, we discovered Annie's 1st top tooth! Very exciting....
She was actually grinding her little teeth together in her sleep (how we realized it had popped through) which was very strange.

She is getting to be such a big girl. Last night, she pretty much hauled and crawled herself out of the bathtub. She's a little rascal.....and DETERMINED! They do teach them how to crawl out of the pool at swimming so I'm guessing that besides being a normal thing for an 8.5 month old to do, this might have had something to do with it!

Happy Birthday to Uncle Dan! I love you.

Nosy, nosy, nosy...and Merry Christmas!

Well, pretty much right after I posted the last entry, our little muffin started crawling- the REAL way! She is on the move and loves knowing what everyone else is up to! She'll peak around doorways and crawl into other rooms to see what we're doing if we put her down elsewhere. She doesn't want to miss a trick!
She doesn't seem to be very into the Christmas tree which is a good thing given that she is also starting to pull herself up onto things.
She is just so happy and enjoyable- we wish we could freeze time every day. Annie is also quite the singer- always singing at the top of her lungs :) She especially loves it when Daddy sings "Patience" by Guns 'n Roses to her (not kidding but wish I was)! We might have a hair-bander on our hands....
As you can see from the photo, Annie had her first visit with creepy, mall Santa last night and loved every minute of it!

Catching up...

Sorry I haven't blogged lately! (Not sure who I'm even apologizing to!) We have been so busy so it has been hard to find the time.
Annie is doing wonderfully! She had her 6 month appt. on October 30th (even though she was just about 7 months old) and everything looked good! As usual, she was in the 100th percentile for weight and 99th for height. She weighed 23 pounds, 3 ounces and was 28 3/4 inches long. She is so big! We have noticed that she has really started to even out though- you can tell she is getting longer/taller.
Annie is eating well. She definitely has her favorite foods, including applesauce, mashed potatoes (a girl after Mommy's own heart) and squash! She also loves her puffs- those are a real treat for Annie.
She isn't crawling, per se, but she is on the move. She gets where she wants to go, that is for sure. We have started babyproofing! She inches around more than anything but is starting to move her arms with her legs. I think she is realizing that it's much quicker to crawl! She can tend to be a little lazy so it's funny to see her work for what she wants! One thing she will do whatever she can to get at is the TV remote. She just loves it! It's funny.
We love listening to her talk- and she is a chatty one! She always has so much to say and loves to see how "high" she can get her voice to go. We might have a singer on our hands....Memere would be very happy :)
She has been sleeping well and loves just hanging out in her crib, or anywhere for that matter!
It's amazing how big she is getting, so fast. It's fun to watch but I hate it at the same time. Not to mention, she's heavy! Mommy better have some serious guns soon.

I'm anxious to see how she does with Christmas stuff- she'll probably lose her junk with all of the lights :)

Annie's 1st Halloween!

The family's 1st Halloween

Our little bee!

Annie joined her uncles, Jack and Patrick, for some trick-or-treat fun this past weekend! She didn't seem to care (or didn't realize) that she was in her costume which was great. Hopefully things will go as smoothly this coming weekend when she dresses up again for her first Halloween party with her friends!
Her costume was very cute- there was even a giant stinger in the back. So funny.

Annie has been really working on those top teeth. She seems to be uncomfortable at times but never really shows it. We hope they show up soon, for her sake.

She's just the greatest little girl and we have so much fun with her!

Busy Girl

Annie has been a very busy girl these days! Last weekend, she hit the road with Mommy and headed to Quincy to visit one of her potential husbands, Padraig. We had a fun time! On Sunday, she did the "fall" thing with Mommy and Daddy, picking pumpkins at Wilson's Farm. After that, she went over to Londonderry to meet up with her friend, Mairin, who was also picking pumpkins with her Mommy and Daddy. They enjoyed looking at each other :) In keeping with the theme, both Mommy and Daddy's decided it would be a good idea to stop off for some pumpkin beers, as well, before heading home. The Mom's are clearly addicted. Annie and Mairin were very jealous (refer to photo)!

This weekend, Annie has a date with Daddy tonight and is off to the UNH Football Game tomorrow complete with a tailgate! No doubt, she and Mairin will try to drink the beer again!
Sunday, Annie dresses up for the first time ever in her Halloween costume! Not sure if she is going to like it, but we'll find out!

No new teeth but closer everyday to crawling.....

So smart, it's scary...

I thought I was imagining it but the other night when Memere was over, she said "BYE" and waved to Annie a few times to teach her how to do it, and Annie raised her arm ever so slightly and moved her fingers. OK, so maybe not a total wave but she was definitely trying! We all saw it, I swear. HA. I know- I'm a crazy mother :) She never ceases to amaze me. We'll keep practicing!!!
Annie is also all about giving kisses these days. Of course, they're slobbery and open mouth but hey.....you take what you can get :) She laid a few on her cousins, Jonathan and Kiera, this past weekend and her friend, Olivia, too. The girl gets around....

She will be 6.5 months tomorrow- funny how I don't remember a day of it, it seems. I can't believe how fast time flies. She hasn't yet had her 6 month check-up but it is coming up in a few weeks. I am anxious to see how much she has grown. She seems lighter, if that's possible? I know she's getting taller so maybe she is evening out? She is so long in the torso. Most of her shirts are half-shirts- she looks like she belongs at Hampton Beach!

Like Mommy, Annie is hoping the Red Sox will fight hard and come back to win the ALCS!
Go SOX!

Tooth #1 Gets a Neighbor!- 6 months old

Well, lo and behold, Annie's first tooth now has a new neighbor, Tooth #2! Mommy noticed it by chance but it explained a lot about how Annie had been acting (a little fussy and not as happy as usual). Of course, she has still been amazing throughout it all. Could we be any luckier??

Annie, Mommy and Memere just came back from a 4-day visit in Indiana with Aunt Terri! We had such a great time and Annie loved Aunt Terri. I'm pretty sure the feeling was mutual :) Annie also did a great job flying. It was her first time but she took it like a pro. This is good news since I'm pretty sure I see a myriad of additional trips in her future! Thanks again, Aunt Terri, for everything. We can't wait to visit again and miss you already! Hope you enjoyed the jar of Annie's Sweet Potatoes we left behind in the fridge! MMMM.

Annie is slowly reaching other milestones, as well. She does not quite sit up on her own but she's almost there. She falls forward a bit but she otherwise gets the concept. She's in the early stages of crawling, as well. She gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth but no real movement yet. She has moved her legs a few times in the right direction but not enough to get anywhere yet! Often times, when rocking back and forth, she'll lunge towards whatever it is she wants- very funny!

She is also quite the chatterbox (again, not sure where she gets that from...). Babbling all of the time and screaming and screeching to get attention. Sometimes she screeches so loud that she scares herself. It's hilarious. Annie is also very good at mimicking sounds that others make. It's so amazing to see all of the things that she can do at just 6 months old!

Memere also introduced her to Sesame Street while we were in IN and she LOVED it! We'll lay off the TV for a bit but I think Big Bird has a fan in Manch Vegas!

Happy Birthday to Daddy, who turned 30 on Monday, as well. I love you!

Until next time...

And....we have a tooth!

After what feels like (well, it was) months of excessive drool and thousands of bibs, Annie finally has something to show for it! Pete discovered Annie's first tooth yesterday morning as she was gnawing on his fingers. It's ever so slight but it's there! We were not able to get a really good look at it because she tries to eat our fingers as soon as they're near her mouth. However, over the course of the day, we saw it in all its glory! Her gums look a little white around the tooth, as well, so more might soon follow...
Annie is very excited that the Red Sox made the playoffs again this year but is p*ssed that the games are mostly on past her bedtime. She stares at the games every night on TV (not going to win Mother of the Year for that, I know) so I don't know what we'll do going forward- get her ready for the B's and C's, I guess!

Annie Eats Like a Champ and is Baptised- almost 6 weeks old

It has been a busy few weeks for Miss Annie! She has been enjoying the last few weeks of summer in Maine with Mommy and Daddy on the weekends! It's always sad to see our Maine time come to an end when fall rolls around- maybe next year we'll be able to be there in the winter! Annie loves being at the beach and going for walks. Unlike Mommy and Daddy, she's an outdoors girl.
Annie has been eating baby food for some time now but just in the past week or two, she finally realized how much she liked it! She opens her mouth for everything now and will take down whatever you give her (she tried to muscle a french fry last week!). She is not picky! She loves pears (ate a whole jar at the babysitter's yesterday) and sweet potatoes the most. However, she also shares Mommy's affinity for mashed potatoes, taking down most of Mommy's serving at dinner the other night! Gotta love those Irish girls and their potatoes!

Annie was also recently baptised. She was fantastic throughout it all- no one ever heard a peep! Our baptism was small with just our family in attendance. Inviting everyone was turning it into a small wedding! Thanks to Grammy and Papa for hosting the afterparty- Annie never met an afterparty she didn't like!
She will be 6 months old next week and continues to amaze Pete and me everyday. Time flies! She is just so much fun and such a great baby. She is also very smart- sometimes it's scary how quick an almost 6 month old can be! She knows what she wants and how to get it........wonder where she gets that from? :)
Annie wants to give a birthday shout-out to Aunt Terri in Indiana. Happy Birthday! See you next week. I love you!

A Week of New Things!

Annie continues her streak of being a fantastic baby!
This week, she begin many new things: a new babysitter, sucking her thumb, turning away when she doesn't want to go to someone and sitting a little more on her own.

Annie's new day care is at a woman named, Kate's, house. She is so wonderful and Annie is doing well there. It was a smooth, easy transition from day care. It has really been working out well and I'm so happy with the change. Annie goes outside a lot at Kate's house, something she didn't get to do at day care, and so she really loves that! She loves the outdoors!

Last night, I caught Annie sucking her thumb which made me laugh. She had always went for her fist but since she is getting so big, I think she has resorted to the thumb since it is MUCH easier to fit in her mouth. She still keeps the thumb close to her fist which makes me laugh. It's very cute.

Annie will reach out for someone she wants to go to. The other night, however, she also turned away and pulled her arms back when she didn't want to go to someone (I won't say who but it wasn't Mommy! HA). She has a little mind of her own, that is for sure. We just love her! She is so funny.

She has been eating food here and there lately, as well. We have been trying things for the past month or so. She doesn't really like cereal so we've been sticking to fruits. We try one a week. She doesn't necessarily love those either but we're going to keep at it so she can get used to what it's like to "eat". My guess is that once she really figures it out, she will love it :)

I saw just how fast time flies and how quickly your kids grow up this week as my little brother, Jack, started 1st grade! I can't believe it. He was my 1st "baby" and I can't help but get a little sad at the thought of the boys getting so big.
Patrick started Kindergarten and was a little sad that he and Jack would be at different schools for the first time. Of course, it made me cry when he cried :) They are just the best, cutest boys- and so smart! They are going to do great in school.....although Jack told his teacher on Day 2 that he "wouldn't be here tomorrow". As we later figured out, his teacher had told them that there would be a fire drill the next day and Jack took that to mean an actual fire so he figured he would tell his teacher that he was opting out of school :) So funny....

Mommy and Annie Weekend

This past weekend, Daddy was away in NYC tearing it up with his college buddies so Mommy and Annie had lots of quality time together! On Friday, we had photos of Annie done for the first time. She turned into quite the ham as soon as she saw the camera....we might worry about this later in life :) All of the photos came out so well. Thank goodness Auntie Susan came with us and helped in deciding which ones to keep (thank you, Auntie Sus, I love you!)! It was a tough decision. I've posted the "finalists" here!
We also headed down the Cape on Saturday to meet some of our extended family members at a Kirwan family party. This is my Grandma Sullivan's family. We were sure to take lots of photos since gatherings like that do not happen very often! It was a nice time and great to meet everyone.
Pete returned alive with a liver that doesn't work like it used to :) Glad you're home! We missed you, Daddy!
This is Annie's last week as a Powder Puff (so funny) at day care. She moves into home care officially next week. I'm sure she'll miss Miss MaryBeth, Miss Linda, Miss Marge and her buddy, Mairin, very much! We will too...
See you after school and on the weekends, Mairin! xoxo

4.5 months/20 weeks

So, a friend of mine just recently started a blog about her adorable 6.5 month old daughter and, since I thought it was a great way for friends and family to keep up with the rapid rate at which Annie is growing, I copied her (and a few others) and now have a blog about Annie! I hope you enjoy it!

ps- I also can never seem to find the time to upload photos and figured this was an even better way to stay in touch.

Let me start by saying how happy and fun Annie is! I hate to sound cliche but she truly is the best baby. She is so easy-going and rarely cries. I wish her on every new parent.

Annie is really developing her little personality, too. We can tell she's going to be a chatterbox (where could she possibly get that from?) and a character (Daddy?). She doesn't stop with the sounds, screeches and, sometimes, yells that even scare her! She also has the best giggle and a deep laugh. It's too cute. We all love to be silly with one another.

She is also a BIG girl- she weighed 19 pounds, 10 ounces at her doctor's appt. last week and measured 27 inches. She is in the 100th (plus) percentile for both. I love this about her- she is so cuddly :) And, she loves to cuddle and be held.....

Annie does a great job with everything "developmental". She is scooching herself all over the place when on the floor, rolling all over the place, holding her bottle and putting it into her mouth, deciding what she does and doesn't want to do (this can't be good at such a young age), etc. Lately, she is also very interested in her feet- grabbing at them and trying to eat them whenever possible!

At night, Annie likes to take baths, sneak peeks of the Red Sox games on TV (don't tell her doctor this!) and try to turn the pages in her books. (That just sounded like a personal ad.....I like long walks on the beach, am an Aries.....). She also LOVES being outside and taking walks. They always make her sleepy! She has also turned into a very good shopping partner of Mommy's :) The two of them have fun planning her "outfits"- ha ha.

Everyone loves her and she has brought so much joy into all of our lives.

Until next time....