Personality Galore

Why do I feel like Mary Ellen has become exponentially more interesting this past week? And why does it seem like my job has also grown exponentially? She's suddenly started to notice everything, and everything she notices, she needs to touch, explore, and, of course, taste. And with that comes a seemingly constant string of redirection...

I think the best part of this change is how much her personality is starting to shine through. We've always had a hunch that she'd be easy-to-please and somewhat silly. When I watch her play with her toys now, she doesn't just passively pull and prod, she has a purpose and she gets so much enjoyment from her playthings. She giggles and dances, which in turn makes me giggle (and dance a little too, if she's watching).

One of her favorite toys right now is her peek-a-boo animal box. Although she can only get one of the animals to appear, she's really good at putting the animals away. And she is surprised and delighted every time they come back. Have a look:

Practice, practice!

Mary Ellen has finally figured out the mystery of the push toy. Check her out!

Mary Ellen is 11 Months Old!

Oh, sweet girl. Where do I begin?

Mary Ellen has blossomed. This past month has brought more changes that I could have imagined. It seems that once she picked up on crawling, she started understanding and interacting with the world around her like never before. She amazes me everyday, but more than anything, she makes me laugh by how sweet she is. A few times I've caught her "kissing" her animals and as well as some of the photos of family that we have for her to play with. She loves to share the love. Thanks, Mom, for teaching her that little trick!

Stats:
19+ lbs
10 teeth (+ 2 more that are on their way in)
12-months size clothes
Size 3 shoes

Likes:
• Reading books - She's finally moved past the point of eating any book that she gets her hands on, so she's regained full-time access to her books. Lately she's also started bringing a book to Brian or me. She always chooses the Sesame Street one for Brian because he does the best voices. Seriously, he does a fantastic Cookie Monster.
• Crawling - She has become a speedy crawler and uses what Brian and I call the "sea turtle" method. She slaps those arms down on the tile like a baby sea turtle on its way to the ocean. You can hear her coming a mile away.
• Dropping things and proclaiming them "All gone." or "Where go?" We're not sure which one she's saying, as it sounds like it could be either, but she shrugs her shoulders, throws her little hands up in the air, and wonders aloud about the whereabouts of the disappeared treasure.
• Playing with her toys - I installed some open shelves in the living room to house Mary Ellen's ever-expanding collection of goodies. She loves to stand below it and point up at the toys. Then, of course, Brian and I obediently take the toys down for her, and she's thrilled by each one. Her favorites are Lady Gumball, the awesome singing gumball machine, and a musical cube that plays all kinds of songs and breaks down the musical parts by instruments. This leads to one more "like" worth mentioning:
• Dancing - She's a dancing machine. She bounces and shakes her hands when she hears any music, which is often since she has so many toys that play songs.

Dislikes:
• The hot car - For the first time, Mary Ellen has started complaining when we go out. She loves going places, but I think the heat aggravates her. Join the club, Toots.

Thanks again, Mom, for helping her to perfect her Pat-a-Cake. She's a quick study, and the "rolling" is secure now, too. Still working on "throwing it in the pan," though.

Ah. Shoes.

Someone asked me the other day if she was "close to walking." I didn't really know how to answer that, so I guess it means no. She is getting so much better at standing and will even let go of things for a few seconds if she's not thinking about it.

Loving the outdoors.

Funny Girl

There was some debate a few years ago about whether or not I am funny. It started with a not-so-innocent comment by Brian that "funny" would not be one of my top 5 traits. Honestly, I took more than a little offense to this, having come from the household that raised my brothers (two of the absolute funniest people I know). I had always thought myself to be somewhat of a funny person.

Brian, on the other hand, is unequivocally funny. He's got a sense of humor that is quite silly and at times sophisticated. That said, a good portion of his funny material has something to do with bodily functions. Either way, he's a genuine funny guy.

So this begs the question: Will Mary Ellen be funny?

Things are looking good, kid, since as I write this, you are not quite 11 months old, and you are tickling my feet and laughing your head off. I have a feeling that you take after your father. And me.

Long Overdue Video Fun

So I think this video is nearly 4 weeks old now, but better late than never, right? Here's great example of Mary Ellen's crawling skills. More to come soon. Promise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqRctWnSPa0

**For some reason I can't get the embedded video to post, so just copy and paste the link above into your browser to view the Mary Ellen fun.

Travelin' Baby

In the past two weeks, Mary Ellen has been to Chicago, Barry, and St. Louis. During this time, she attending her first wedding, visited countless friends of Grandma and Grandpa's, and cheered at her first "official" Cardinal game. Oh, and her mom and dad went to Vegas. Everyone, and I mean everyone, had a great time!

My beautiful friend Julie had an absolutely gorgeous wedding. I was so happy that we were able to share the day with her. Mary Ellen was quite taken with the pretty lady!

Pardon my super cheesy smile. I guess that's what lipstick does to me...

While Brian and I went off to Vegas to celebrate our upcoming 10th anniversary (gulp!), Mary Ellen treated her Grandma and Grandpa to a four-night stay. Grandma's house is great fun, huh Mary Ellen?

Barry is always a sight to see on Memorial Day, and I think Mary Ellen love all the flags.