Where's the Baby???

...can you find the baby?

Someone's found the curtains...

"Hey, Mom! Here I am!!!"

Silly girl...#lovemyAR!

My Picasso...

...this past Saturday, I decided to try a project with AR that I'd seen on Pinterest. It was simple and I wanted to do it at AR's birthday party. You simply mix flour, water and food coloring and voila-paint that's okay to eat because we all know 1 year olds put everything in their mouth. Apparently, so do dogs. We barely made one stroke on the paper when Shadow started licking the "paint" off the paper.

And off the paintbrush...

So then AR decided to taste it...

And accidentally got some on her foot, too.

Emma watched on from a distance thinking how cray-cray they were...

Ta-da! A masterpiece...until Shad licked it off.

AR decided why not finger paint!

And mix colors!

Or better yet, let me just feed it to my doggie...

Here, Shad, you don't have enough on your head like me...

There, much better...

Not sure how this project turned from painting paper to her body but it did!

Definitely fun and easy project to do although it didn't really stick to the paper much. I would recommend not doing it around a hungry dog, too. Although it was fun, I think we'll pass on this for the birthday party so we'll keep looking for a different activity.

Photo Dump...

...Life has been crazy so I didn't get a chance to post all the pics I wanted in her 11 month post. So this is just a massive photo dump of pics that could have been included...

 

*AR's favorite pasttime: licking the windows!

*Nana and AR a the head table at her conference; AR in charge of the gavel. 

Chubby baby legs-LOVE!

1. How freakin' cute is my girl in her bikini? 2. Her new thing is climbing in chairs now like her carseat and the kiddie chair at the sitter's. 

 

#lovemyAR

"Daddy, Buy Me a Deere!!!"

...Flood waters are heading towards us...again. Our friends' house flood back in '08 so they tore down their house and raised it. Now the waters are coming back and estimated to get at least 3 feet into their basement but luckily, not their main level. Matt has spent most of the weekend helping them move out their basement into a storage unit. We've ended up with a couple bags of 2T baby clothes (twins so double outfits!) and a few baby lifejackets.

 

Matt and I were supposed to go ziplining this weekend. Somehow instead of printing off directions to Grafton, the directions sent us to Mount Olive. Needless to say, it was a bust...4 hours in the car with nothing to show for it. When we got home, Matt headed down to help them move the last few items and help sandbag. AR and I headed down to visit for a bit this afternoon. This John Deere tractor hadn't been moved yet and AR loved it!

She sat on it turning the wheel back and forth and cackling the whole time.

But once Daddy started pushing her around, she REALLY loved it! She thought her Daddy was a good motor. 

Then Daddy let go and it was all AR!

Once she can reach the pedals, we'll have to borrow this. As for our friends, the latest news is that the water might miss them but that doesn't factor in the rain tomorrow night. Say a prayer for them!

Miss AR is 11 Months!!!

...my sweet little girl is 11 months old already. No words for how truly fast time flies!

*The babysitter has a sugar glider (kind of like a flying squirrel). She is nocturnal and stays in her cage all day. AR is cruising all over the place these days and apparently, AR likes to hold on to the bottom of the cage and shake the legs (this sounds totally unsafe but it's not, I've seen her do it) so that Meesha (the sugar glider) will "talk" to her! I guess AR is going to be a Suger Glider Whisperer when she grows up. :-)

*I hid Daddy's Easter present in a cabinet in the living room. It's a camo Under Armour shirt. AR can open the door and likes to get it out and pull it back and forth across her legs. I told her, that we need to teach her what a surprise is because Daddy won't be surprised any more! I think she likes the feel of it on her legs. She also likes to pull her dirty clothes out of her basket and "sort" them all over the floor.

*You started "throwing" toys for the dogs. You stand on one side of the gate holding a ball and shaking it. The doggies stick their snouts through the bars and you giggle and then hand it to them. Then Mommy has to wrestle it away from them and we do it all over again. You LOVE this game!

*You met your first cow. At first you weren't too impressed because they were just standing there. As Mommy pointed at them saying, "cow" and "moo" they started to move towards us and your eyes light up and you started smiling. Daddy came out and carried you up to them. You just stared at them and then you eventually reached down and petted him! I'm sure we'll be seeing these cows a lot more as it warms up.

*This picture was from last month at conference but I couldn't NOT share this adorable pic!

 

*You really started clapping your hands this month. I mean, you've been doing it for awhile but I always had to prompt it, but this month when music comes on or we say "patty cake" then you clap your hands. Along those lines, you've started blowing kisses which totally melts my heart! I usually have to put your hand to your mouth but then you'll kiss/lick your hand and move it. You also "roll" your hands, sometimes during the entire song but hey, you're still rolling.

*You went to your first funeral. Mommy's great aunt passed away. Luckily, you got to meet her at Christmas which you won't remember but I'm glad Aunt Doris got to see what a sweetheart you were. During the visitation, Haley, you and I sat in the lobby where you walked from couch to couch to chair to chair and you squealed in delight. Your Aunt Sha ran out with the Cheerios because she thought you were upset but you were so happy and just squeaking at everyone. You were talking the whole time and blowing kisses. When the funeral started, H, you and I sat in the back row but you started fussing right as it started so the three of us went and sat in the lobby which had speakers so I could hear everything. You and H sat on the floor and shared Cheerios and you didn't make a peep. Afterwards, the funeral directors and all of Aunt Doris' friends commented on how well behaved you and H were. I was SO proud of you! I hope I keep doing something right so you grow up with manners and respect like your cousin, H.

*You had your first Easter! I feel bad because we didn't make it to church since we were traveling back from the funeral and I didn't even get you an Easter dress. Luckily, Beau from the babysitter's got your this precious shirt with your name on it. I have to say, I think you looked ADORABLE!!! I could've just eaten you up because you looked so cute!

*You now wear shoes are a regular basis. These are your denim tennis shoes that you wear almost every day. You seem to tolerate them well. We lost them last weekend so this week you've been going barefoot...

*You had s'ghetti for dinner one night and you loved it! Not sure if you actually loved the taste or just loved playing with the noodles. Slurp!

You were licking your fingers it was so good!

It was definitely a fun night at dinner!

*You've started saying more words! You've been saying ma ma and da da for awhile now, we'll even get the occasional nana. The first week of April though, you said dog when petting a dog, duck when playing with a rubber duck in the bathtub and book when looking through your big yellow book in the living room. I think you associate the word with the object too because if you aren't holding it or around it, I can say, "Where's your book?" and you'll turn around and look at it, same with duck and dog. It's so exciting to hear you say these things and know that you've going to be a motor mouth before too long.

 

*When we went swimming this month, I'd set you on the edge of the pool and you'd lean in, grin and then "jump" in to me. You'd float on your back a little but then want to flip over. I was so proud of you! A bunch of moms and grandmas came up to me at the pool and asked how old you were because you obviously weren't afraid of the water. I love this but it scares me at the same time.

*You entered a Diaper Derby aka crawling race and you got first place! As you can see here, it was the Cheerios that tempted you to get to the finish line. You won a $100 Visa gift card-go, baby girl, go!

*This past weekend, we went to Tan-Tar-A for Nana's conference. You looked like a little princes and when Nana introduced you to all 500 attendees, you grinned and clapped for yourself.

*I was given 4 of the cutest pairs of sandals; 2 pairs even go between your toes and you don't even mind. Your Pebbles sprout is also SO long these days!

*You have FOUR teeth on top! The two middle are almost all the way in and the two beside those look like fangs. However, you are already getting good use out of them. This is now how you eat an apple, just like a big girl! I have to take the first bite but then you go to town on it.

So there you have it, sweet girl, you're 11 months old and as always, lots of changes going on. We have PAT the end of this month so I'm very interested to see how it goes and I know we have lots more exciting things ahead of us. I love you, sweet AR, more than you'll ever know. OXXO (not the store)

Diaper Derby!!!

...this past Saturday, AR and I met up with Jenni, Emma and her parents at the Home Show. They were having a Diaper Derby aka crawling contest at noon. We got there about 10:30, Jenni and her family earlier, because they were only taking the first 20 babies that registered. Emma and AR were spots 1 and 2.

 

Emma was in the first heat against Minnie Mouse. Her mom was her "launcher" and Jenni was the "caller." Emma and Minnie just wanted to play though! After they got going, Emma won her heat.

AR was in the third heat. Papa Brink was her "launcher" and I was her "caller." You could use one item to coax them to you. I used her Cheerios and as soon as he let her go, she took off! One Cheerio flew out and AR picked it up and ate it when she got to me.

Then we had the final heat (there ended up being only 6 kids that registered). It was AR, Emma and another baby. AR took off fast but instead of going for the Cheerios, she was going for Jenni's phone! Emma wasn't too far behind her and I think the 3rd baby barely moved. Her mom said she got scared and froze up. Here are all the winners which this picture will be in the Post sometime this week so we're winners AND celebrities!

Maybe our girls should get on a Diaper Derby circuit, what do you think? Oh and did I mention that AR won a $100 Visa gift card for first place and Emma got a $50 one! 

Matt Turns 31!!!

...this past Tuesday was Matt's 31st birthday. I started the day by leaving a dozen donuts at his work from AR and me. All of his co-workers for very appreciative. Then I always pack him a special lunch with all his favorites that we don't normally buy. Apparently the sandwich I bought was huge so he had 2 days worth of yummy lunch. When he got home, AR and I put a gift basket full of his favorites, 2 Wii games, an Under Armour shirt and a Bass Pro gift card. I also put a 6-pack of Moose Drool in there which he loved. Glad I have beer drinking Twitter friends. :-)

 

Then we went to Joe's Crab Shack as a family. Matt ordered the steam pot which he said was very delicious. AR and I shared carrots and my steak plus she had dill pickles and some purees we brought (which she sucked out of the tub in about a minute flat!).

Then because everyone commented on AR's outfit, which said Daddy's Girl, and we explained it was his birthday. They made him put on a coconut bra and dance while they sang him Happy Birthday. 

Daddy and AR after dinner with full bellies

 

Happy birthday, Mattie!