blog.BrianandMegan.com - Family

Anabel at age 13 months

brian — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 14:05:50 -0400

So Anabel is now blowing our minds.Â Each time we turn around, she has something new to show us.Â Two days after her first birthday, she started walking.Â Across the room, through the dining room and into the kitchen.Â Just like that.Â Last week, she jumped on her rocking-tricycle-thing and started rocking so hard she was moving aross the room.Â Just like that.

Wagon climbing.

mmiller — Mon, 22 May 2006 16:52:06 -0400

We have been fortunate to use a very sturdy wagon to help Anabel learn to walk from friends of ours (if you have viewed our gallery in the past few months, you know what we are talking about). Today, Anabel successfully climbed into the wagon by herself (this entails stepping over the wooden railing).

What I've learned camping...

mmiller — Mon, 22 May 2006 16:29:53 -0400

The Good:

Babytalk. Madelyn and Anabel communicate and seem to understand each other very well considering they are respectively 15 months and 11 months old.

The .08 mile hike. It only took us 6+ years at this campground to actually hike this trail to Lake Michigan from our campsite.
A camping sink. It's near the bathrooms. Erik and Julie and Dave had to point this out. Again, we've been camping here for 6+ years.
Rain. It doesn't damper the plans. It turns 6 grown men into the problem-solvers-of-the-universe (see shelters in gallery pictures).
Coyote yipping. In the middle of the night, this is haunting and cool.
Platte River Campground. With 4 walk-in campsites on the C path, it's perfect for 10 peeps + 2 babes.

The Bad:

High 30s at night. A 4-season tent doesn't mean it comes with a heater.
High 30s at night. Sleeping on the ground in one position with a 20 pounder on your stomach is comfortable for about 10 minutes...not an entire night.
High 30s at night. For goodness sake, zip your stinkin bags together when it's this cold.

It's good when the good outweighs the bad. Check out these pics (and more in our gallery):

Mama

mmiller — Fri, 12 May 2006 11:25:49 -0400

It's finally here!Â It's finally here!Â Now, just because she says it when she is concentrating on climbing the stairs...or standing up by the couch with a remote control in one hand and her

Dada

mmiller — Fri, 05 May 2006 23:35:24 -0400

There once was a naked baby reading her favorite story to herself,Â dancing to her own rhythmic beat on the floor in her room.Â Â The mom calls the dad, "come see this cuteness."Â The dad replies, "I'll be there there in a sec."Â The baby looks up, right toward the door where this deep, manly voice had just magically appeared.Â She says to herself in a quiet voice, "Dada."Â

one+one+one (this should be easy)

mmiller — Wed, 03 May 2006 16:12:35 -0400

...unless you mean one 6 week old that needed to eat + one 10 1/2 month old that had woken up from her nap and needed to eat + one 18 month old that needed to eat his lunch...THEN, it could have been a challenge. Imagine, smushed banana-n-cheerios carpet art + one terrified silver tabby who was "trapped" by the toddler gates + a mass of plastic toys all playing different songs at once.Â ALL SAID, it went pretty smoothly. The 6 week old cousin Dean was just getting used to his swing and doing so successfully. He could have cried the entire time. The 10 1/2 month old Anabel just got up from her nap and had a full bottle. She could have refused to eat and had been really cranky. The 18 month old Quinn...well, he could have just acted more like an 18 month old and it would have been crazy. But, he didn't. He was well-mannered (he ran across the yard to give Anabel a cracker, which she took and stuffed in her mouth without saying thank you--and he didn't even get mad). He shared the wagon (Anabel pushed--with help from mom--while he sat in the wagon, he pushed while Anabel sat). He even stroked the on-edge Leo extremely gently, looking at his long white whiskers with great curiosity, but not even trying to pull on them (for that, Leo is eternally grateful). It could have been WAY worse. But it wasn't. I wasn't alone. My sister-in-law, Laurie, was there to help. Thank goodness :). Jodie and Tim are doing a great job raising a pretty cute AND good kid, Quinn. Thank goodness :).

I think we'll wait on having another until Anabel is about 20.

...and she's off!

mmiller — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:18:17 -0400

Anabel discovered the stairs today. Not only did she discover the stairs, she proceeded to CLIMB the stairs. Right knee, left knee, right foot, left foot. Not only did she climb the stairs, she stopped every 3 stairs or so to inspect the small grains of dirt (apparently, I haven't vaccumed the stairs in a while), smile, look around and LAUGH.

Port Sanilac Journey

brian — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 22:20:45 -0400

We traveled across the state to Port Sanilac on Lake Huron for a Miller Family weekend (note the cool fog in the background).

Anabel in the sand for the first time (as a coherant curious child).

Ode to the ten month old

mmiller — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 10:11:45 -0400

a winkling of the nose and
five pearly whites appear then
the grin turns into a laugh

action makes the music sound
*if your happy and you know it*
the little tushy begins to wiggle