Belly Full of Laughs

Most people come away from the typical Thanksgiving feast with a belly full of turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole...any and every conceivable version of casserole, really. At least, that's what the 21 of us who gathered at my grandmother's house came away from the table with. Anna, on the other hand, apparently ingested a belly full of laughs when we weren't looking. It all spilled out when we went out back after dinner to burn off our newly accumulated calories by playing tag with the Johnston and Gray kids. We've noticed for a while how much Anna cracks up watching and interacting with other kids...this time we caught it on tape. What you can't see very well in this clip is how fast her little legs were churning as she watched her cousins dart around the yard. I'm no talent scout, but any of you track, soccer, or swimming coaches out there might want to pay attention. I, of course, will be acting as her agent...

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

So I'm walking home from class about a week and a half ago and check my voicemail to find a high-pitched, ecstatic message from Gina breathlessly telling me that Anna rolled over for the first time. And not only one time, but five or six times in succession. You can hear how proud her mama is in this clip, and her daddy is, too, of course. I'm still trying to teach Anna that tummy-time would be much more enjoyable if she propped herself up on her elbows and hands, but she's only slowly grasping the wisdom of her elders, still preferring more often than not to thrust her arms out like an airplane and churn her legs like she's swimming the 400m IM. When she finally figures out how to coordinate and channel her vast ambulatory energies, we're not going to be able to keep up with her. Good thing our apartment is small!

NC Trip

The second weekend in November we packed up the car for another road trip and headed to Cary, NC to visit Greg's grandmother and Anna's great-grandmother Kelley. The name should sound familiar...it's where Anna gets her middle moniker. Not surprisingly, they hit it off great. How couldn't they? Not only do they share a name but a significant dose of spirit and attitude to boot. Greg's Aunt Jacque and Uncle Boe provided the housing and the hospitality, and Greg's sister and bro-in-law made the trek to round out the family gathering. Anna demonstrated her enthusiasm for our time together by promptly peeing all over her clothes and changing pad right after we arrived on Friday night. Cool. It wasn't the only event of the weekend involving errant liquid. At Grandmother Kelley's birthday dinner on Saturday night, our waitress spilled an entire glass of red wine all over my sister. Truly spectacular in its soakage. Needless to say, we received very attentive service the rest of the night (though they failed to comp her meal - boo!). All in all a great weekend.

Back Online

I swear, good help is so hard to find these days. First, our housekeeper goes MIA (for several years now). Then, the blogmaster responsible for keeping our family and friends up to speed on Anna's adventures drops the ball for almost a month. Don't worry, he'll be getting a thorough tongue-lashing. So much has happened in the last few weeks, it's hard to know where to begin. I suppose turning 3 months old (September 30) is a good place to start...


Then learning how to sit up in her Bumbo chair...


Finding innumerable ways to look cute...


Visiting with her Nana and Papa in the ATL...


Reading with daddy...


Making an Amaretto birthday cake for mommy's 30th birthday...


Discovering that spitting is a great way to pass the time...


Turning 4 months old...


Dressing up as a scary black cat for her 1st Halloween...


Trick-or-treating with a friendly ghost and a lovely ladybug...


And scoring big candy for mommy and daddy to get fat on.


As you can see, Anna has been very busy. So have mommy and daddy. Gina went back to work the first week of October. It was a bumpy start, but she's getting back in the swing of things, working 30 hours/week. Greg is halfway through his second to last semester at CTS and adjusting to the jarring reality that graduation will be here sooner than he thinks. Mia Sharon is in town this weekend to get her Anna fix, and the three of us will be headed to North Carolina next weekend to introduce Anna to her great-grandmother Kelley and aunt Jacque. Should be great. We'll try to do better at keeping you all updated. Until next time, be well!

Jibberish: The Universal Language

This is hysterical!!

Is it Chili in Here?

It's official. Anna has now been to her first chili cook-off to experience firsthand this great American culinary and cultural tradition. The names speak for themselves: "The Punisher", "Chuck, Chicks & Chili", "White Trash Chili", and "'Roid Rage Chili". My personal vote went to "Team Rolades" if no other reason than the fact that they had a precocious 10-year old boy hawking their product like a seasoned auction caller. The chili was pretty good, too, though I was slightly disappointed with the overall creativity and diversity of the entries. Granted, after downing about 30 mini-cups of chili, you reach a point where they do all tend to taste alike. Anna had a good time people-watching and groovin' to the sweet sounds of southern rock cover bands (lots of them!). She also found time to pose for a few photo opps.


Feel the burn!


Her workout regimen is finally paying off.


I feel the need...the need for speed!


Checking out the sights and sounds with Mia and Grandaddy.

Look Who's Talking

Three months old and you can already see that Anna is taking after her extroverted mother! She's shaping up to be a very opinionated little girl with lots to say on politics, religion, music, and art (some translation required). In this clip, however, she's telling Mia Sharon how excited she is that she and Grandaddy came to visit.

In addition to people, Anna has two favorite non-animate conversation partners: 1) her brown stuffed dog aptly named "Doggie", and 2) a black and white patterned IKEA pillow on our sofa. She usually chats Doggie up while laying on her changing table. When he tires of matching her verbal wizadry, she sucks on his ear or hand instead. Watching her interact with the pillow is hysterical. Gina discovered its magic by accident one day when the crazy patterns caught Anna's eye. Anna talks to it, laughs at it, and angrily rebukes it depending on her mood. She even frowns and cries when it disappoints her. Hysterical. We're off we're Mia and Grandaddy to the Great Chili Cookoff at Stone Mountain Park. Talk at ya soon.

A Walk in the Park

Last Saturday, we took Anna for a walk in the park...a very big park...Stone Mountain Park to be exact. For those unschooled in local ATL geography, the park boasts the largest exposed piece of granite in the world. It also boasts one of the more ostentatious monuments to Confederate nostalgia around (though our Nashville peeps might nominate the tacky, fiberglass statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest on horseback that guards the shoulder of I-65 at Harding Place as more deserving of this designation. At least the chiseled Confederate generals at Stone Mountain actually reflect real artistic talent. But I digress...) There are miles of great walking trails at Stone Mountain, and the day was too pretty to stay indoors, so we packed up the stroller for a 4-mile walk around the base of the mountain. To our surprise, Anna slept for about 3.5 of the 4 miles.
I say surprise because she loves to be outside these days. She especially likes to look at trees...she'll throw her head back and stare up at the branches with big, round eyes. On this day, she demonstrated her affection with a hug. I can honestly say I've never seen a cuter tree-hugger! While Anna is still perfecting the art of hugging, she got's smiling down pat! I won't lie to you...she'll totally melt your heart when she unleashes one on you.
But don't be too charmed...she can also be a cool character.

Visual Prayer

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." -- Isaiah 52:7

Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" -- John 13:5-9

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! -- Romans 10:15

National Lampoon's Oklahoma Vacation

Well, we're finally back in the ATL after our first familial odyssey. Three weeks on the road was fun but it sure is nice to sink into our own beds again. Anna didn't miss hers...it's portable, you see. We're weren't too sure how portable she'd be, but were continually surprised (pleasantly) at how easygoing she was with all the commotion of travel and meeting new people (i.e., getting passed around like a hot potato). By the end, we had logged a total of 38 hours in the car...we figure she cried for less than an hour all told! Way to go, squirt!

The first and last part of our trip in Nashville was spent with the Rice clan. Gina's sister, Kristen, and her beautiful kids - Hunter, Paige, and Noah - were waiting to greet us there when we arrived. The kids were very sweet with Anna, always wanting to hold her or stroke her skin. At one point, Aunt Kristen attempted to capture their collective cuteness on film by staging a cousin photo shoot. Even Kristen's vast skills as a distracter-of-children were severely tested by 4 adorable but impatient kids. Imagine herding cats and you get the idea. Kristen got better shots than I did, so I'll post hers when I get the CD. Anna also made her big-screen debut as a supporting actress in "Brent: The Movie", an epic home movie commemorating Gina's brother, Brent's, 40th birthday. Coming to a poorly produced DVD near you soon.

After 2 weeks in Nashville, 10 of us bravely piled into the 15 passenger van and drove to Oklahoma for some R&R (Rices & Reunion). First stop: the Fin and Feather family resort at beautiful Lake Tenkiller in Gore, OK. Anna tried her tiny hand at bowling in one of our outings. Unfortunately, her effort wasn't enough to help the girls defeat the boys. Boys ruled in Nertz, too. Greg and Johnny are a team not to be trifled with.

Then on to Yukon to hang out with even more cousins, aunts and uncles. On the way, we stopped to visit the gravesite of Papa and Mama Great Darden whom she never had the chance to meet. It was a poignant moment. You can see in the picture Anna's namesake - Anna Ruth Darden.

We had a blast with the rest of the Rice family at the reunion. Dance, Dance Revolution ruled the nightlife...who knew a bunch of Nazarenes could shake their groove-thangs? Admittedly, the in-laws performed better than blood relatives, but we don't need to bring that up. We were so happy that Uncle Brent and Aunt Hal flew in from LA and got to see their newest niece. Brent was especially impressed with Anna's cinematic talent. "What an incredible screen presence!", he was quoted as saying. How blessed we were to introduce Anna to her Greatgrandmother Rice, who celebrated her 95th birthday this year. Anna's got some good genes!!

Guess it's time to bring this novel to an end. You may be interested to know that our little Pooh now weighs 11lb. 3oz. and measures 23.5". The doctor says she's in the 50% for weight, the 90% for height...and the 10% for head circumference. Our modesty training is working: you certainly can't accuse her of having a big head!

Mi Tia y Tio

When they heard we were coming to town, Greg's sister and bro-out-law, Laura & David, raced down from Indianapolis (in their tricked out Formula 1 car) to savor a weekend with their new niece. With 3 male nephews on David's side and another in the oven, Tia Laura was thrilled to bond with Anna over their shared estrogen. Dave taught Anna a few hand-to-hand combat moves in between cuddling sessions, and we all generally had a swell time, capped off by the requisite meal at Cracker Barrel on Sunday. The time was too short, but very sweet. Thanks for making the trip, Laura and David!

Road Trips & Pool Parties

I can't believe how long it has been since we've posted new pics and stories!! To all our faithful readers, please forgive the delinquency. Travel is our only good excuse. We embarked on a 3-week roadtrip last Monday to visit family in Nashville and Oklahoma City. Anna was a rockstar on the way up - she didn't make a peep until we pulled into Justin and Phyllis' driveway! We only had to make one stop on the way...I don't know if Cracker Barrel intends their rocking chairs to be used by nomadic nursing mothers, but they do the trick.


One of the first things we did after arriving at Nana and Papa's house was hit the pool to fend off the triple-digit temperatures plaguing the Southeast! We hadn't found any swimsuits or swim diapers small enough to fit Anna, so we just stripped her down to her Pampers and waded right in. She generally enjoyed herself until her little frame could no longer tolerate the 5 lb. water-logged sack wrapped around her waist. After that, she soaked up a few (very shady) rays and flirted with the poolboy (her daddy).


Gotta shield those baby blues

Taking a dip with mommy

Making eyes at the poolboy

Poolside reading

New pics of Anna with her cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents will be forthcoming shortly. Stay tuned!

A day in the life

Anna is growing fonder every day of her activity mat. I'm pretty sure she discovered her reflection in the hanging mirror toy this week, and I don't think it's a coincidence that she's bopped it with her fist a couple of times in an arguably coordinated fashion. Watch out boys - she's got a wicked right cross. She's also been doing her daily strength training, i.e. laying on her stomach to pump up those neck muscles. A head-turner since birth, now she's able to turn her own.
Anna isn't a big fan of her stroller, so we've been trying to take her out for her afternoon walks more in a sling or Baby Bjorn. She looks so comfy snuggled up next to mommy (Editor's Note: despite appearances to the contrary, her leg is actually not as thick as a tree trunk).
Her days wind down with bathtime. Ducky can testify that she's a kindred water-spirit, sitting in her little bath tub like she's lounging at the pool. As you can see, mommy strategically placed a washcloth over Anna in this picture to avoid any further embarassment as a result of her father's lack of photographic discretion.
Hello!
After 5 weeks of home cooking, the urge to splurge on Mexican got the best of us on Saturday. Our first solo outing as a party of 3 to Sabroso was a modest success. It certainly was the quickest meal we've eaten at a restaurant in some time. Very little savoring going on. Patrons around us did report hearing Anna distinctly tell the waiter, "Quiero mas chips y salsa, por favor!"

New threads

Designed and produced by my lovely wife. Anna is the talk of the town in her new summer threads.

One month young!

Weekend Wit Da Fam: Part II

Anna continues to get her fill of grandparent lovin'. Grandaddy and Mia Sims came to visit this weekend to marvel at the intelligence and beauty of their only granddaughter to date. They were not disappointed. We didn't have a whole lot planned, which turned out to be OK because the party came to us! Greg's cousins Jeff and Jenn brought their two boys, Connor and Carson, to visit on Saturday morning, and great-grandmother Sims spent Saturday afternoon at Casa Sims. It was the first time Connor and Carson had met Anna. They were both so sweet with her, but Carson scored highest on the "aww-mometer" with his swoop-in kisses on Anna's forehead. He also scored pretty high on the "Don't Touch!!" scale when he repeatedly tried to tickle Anna by gently raking her across the face. It's the thought that counts! Mia and Grandaddy got to try their hand at pretty much everything - holding, soothing, changing, and bathing. They'll get to do it again when we come to Nashville in a couple of weeks. They looked like two seasoned pros. Otherwise, we ate lots of good food, took a stroller ride in the neighborhood, picked veggies from the garden, and went to church together this morning. All in all a great weekend...let the slideshow tell the rest...

You're getting very sleepy

One of the fun (sometimes exasperating, but mostly fun) aspects of parenting is finding ways to soothe Anna when she's fussy. Her preferences change frequently so we're always experimenting with new tricks. This week we discovered that she loves music! I'm not talking about your typical Baby Einstein variety, but the stuff on our iPod. When she starts to cry, we crank up the speakers and stand right in front of them so that she can wind down to the melodic sounds of everyone from Dave Matthews, to Chris Thile, Van Morrison and John Mayer. Sometimes daddy even sings along (our low-tech version of surround sound). She totally digs it and is soon dreaming about being a rock star.

We put Anna down for a nap in her real crib for the first time this week to get her used to it (she generally sleeps in the co-sleeper in our room). The thing practically swallows her whole!! She looks like a little peanut swimming in a sea of bedsheets, doesn't she? Hard to believe she's actually going to outgrow this thing someday!

Though we like it when she sleeps, it's hard to decide which is better: a little peace and quiet or staring at that gorgeous, bright-eyed face!