10 Months

10 Month Stats

Weight: 17lb 4 oz  (10th-25th percentile range)

Height: 28.5 in. (75th percentile)

Favorite things to do:  Wave "hi" and "bye" to everyone, feed herself, walk with assistance, sign "more", dance to music, pick up tiny fuzzies on the carpet, choose which book she wants read to her

Favorite foods: puffs, peas, corn, cauliflower, carrots, pears, banana, rice, yogurt mixed with fruit

Favorite toys: stuffed black cat, Ronald McDonald figure, Lambie Ba Ba, old-fashioned wood clothes pins, a shape-sorter bucket with shapes, magnets, toys that play music, kitchen items (i.e. spatula, measuring cups, lids)

Favorite books: Pat the Bunny, Ten in the Bed, The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Big events: Visits to family in friends in ND and MT, saying her first word of "kitty" or "kitty cat," has 4 teeth, more hair, and sleeping through the night!

Hugging her favorite kitty

Showing off her waving and new teeth

August Travels Finale

We concluded our travels with a weekend wedding celebration.  One of my good friends from childhood got married at Seeley Lake, MT.  In a similar fashion to our wedding, Mike and his fiance reserved a youth camp for a whole weekend.  Guests were invited to stay in cabins onsite and enjoy the surroundings. Kyle and I decided to go there on Friday evening in order to enjoy more time with friends and have a chance to spend time by the lake and hiking.  This turned out to be a great choice!  We arrived early in the evening on a Friday and met up with the Sulpizio family, Julie, Dawson and his family, and Mike (the groom) and his parents.  After getting our cabin and unloading the car, we went to dinner at a local bar and grill.  I was nervous about how Annika would do in the cabin and if she would wake up screaming and then keep everyone awake.  With the help of her favorite pacifier (me), we made it through two nights and no major disruptions.

The day of the wedding was gorgeous!  We went for a short hike and then enjoyed swimming in the lake.  Annika especially loved splashing around in the water and may just have a swimming career in her future :)  The wedding ceremony was set up in a spot with a view of the lake and the reception was set up outside, as well.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect!

 The cabins were basic but had electricity and stayed pretty warm. The mornings were a bit chilly but we stayed warm and had breakfast together at the picnic table.

 Had to keep those tiny hands warm!

 Luckily there was plenty of coffee to be had in the lodge.  Someone in the bride's family works for Starbucks and brought lots of coffee for everyone staying on-site.

 Morgan leading the way through the tall grass on our hike.

 Annika took a nap for most of the hike and did well in the ergo.

 Group hiking picture

 Hanging out by the lake with Julie.

 Julie, Ryan, and Scott took a canoe out on the lake.

 Our good friend Dawson and his daughter Campbell.

 Mike and his lovely bride Noel during the ceremony.

 Love these ladies!

 A cousin of the bride made this kransekake, a Norwegian groom's cake.  At our wedding, Kyle's mom made one and it is a labor of love.

 Mike, the groom

 First dance

The crew!  We've been friends since we were 12 years old.  What a great weekend and a blessing to be able to spend time with wonderful friends!

August Travels Part 2

The second part of our August road-tripping was a visit to my dad and step-mom in Billings and then the wedding of a good friend at a lake north of Missoula, MT.  My brother and his wife were also in town, the timing of which worked out perfectly. At my dad's house, Annika loved finding and petting the cats and dogs.  She's definitely starting out as a cat person and she still wakes up after each nap looking for a "kitty."  There have been a few times when she's said the word very clearly.  She now has a little black cat that she sleeps with in her crib.  Along with the animals, Annika also enjoyed visiting a wading pool at a local park.  We really enjoyed spending time with my brother Jeffrey and Quinn, going for a run and hanging out at the house.  They live in Denver, CO and we don't get to see them nearly as often as we'd like to.

 Annika loves having books read to her and her Aunt Quinn did a great job.

 Playing in the wading pool in Billings with her Grandpa Bartsch.

 In the wading pool with her daddy.

 Learning how to swing.

 Playing in a kiddie pool with the help of her uncle Jeffrey.

 Wearing the super cute outfit she got from Jeffrey and Quinn.

Hugs before saying good-bye!