I Think She Loves Me...

As you can see, Roxie has not warmed to Erin. And, now that Erin is mobile, it's only going to get worse!

And, P.S. I still won't push the button!

Not Now Mom

Erin is absolutely enthralled with anything with buttons. She will immediately find the button on any toy she has. Granny and Grandpa got her this little pink horse for Christmas. Erin may not be much of a cowgirl. She isn't much on riding the horse, but buddy, we've worn the button on the side out!

Of course, while I was shooting this video she was showing her Mize side and being very stubborn! :)



One more time...

Outta My Way...

I bought Erin this little push toy about 2 months ago.  (Okay, I was more optimistic about her walking skills then she was!)  It's been played with but until today, it had never been walked behind.  We were in the toy room playing and I decided to give it a go again.  Well.... there's no looking back now.  We're on the move dude!

Notice that even when we stumble, we never give up. We just walk on our knees!

Move Over Roxie...

Move over Roxie! Erin has a new BFF!  Julia Ann Ramsey!!!

Julia is the daughter of our friends Bridgette and Wade.  She's 4 1/2 and loves, loves, loves Erin.  We don't get to see them very often because they live in Austin.  (This might be why Julia loves Erin so much now!  She doesn't see her all the time!)  Erin loves Julia too.  She just lights up and smiles the whole time they play.  (Erin also pulls Julia's hair, but Julia is very forgiving!)

Julia wants Erin to be her little sister, but since that isn't happening, she decided it was okay to be best friends and big sister in spirit!  As long as they got to dress alike...

For her birthday, Julia gave Erin some matching outfits.  On the night of our party, we dressed up in matching pammies and the next day we had on our matching outfits as well.  They are just so super cute.  In the pics below, Julia has her favorite Pillow Pet and they got Erin a miniature version as part of her presents.  They are all ready for bed.

Could these two be any cuter????

You Say It's My Birthday...

Erin had a great party last weekend.  It was super, duper hot, but we survived.  What started out as a "small" family party grew!  But, in our defense, we have a pretty big family when you count all the cousins and aunts/uncles!

Pawpaw's hard work was front and center and was met with tremendous approval from all the kids at the party.  I noticed that during the whole two hours, every single kid played on the swing set at least once.  Some played on it almost the whole time.  We also rented a bounce house, always a crowd pleaser.  Erin even got in there to give it a try.

When it was time for the cake and presents Erin was fired up.  I tied balloons to her chair and I think she was more fascinated with them then with anything else.  She was too cute when we sang Happy Birthday too.  She just sat there looking back at everyone and then clapped when we were done. 

She got great presents and have played with every toy since last weekend.  Erin got lots of clothes too.  We've been wearing something new everyday, and we still have a ton more to wear.    Here are some good shots of the party.

My Strawberry Shortcake Bounce House!  (Love it!)

Yes, it tasted as good as it looked!  Yum!

My Mommy is soooo picky, she even painted the butterflies

for the cake because she couldn't find any to match!

My very own Erin cake!

Erin in the bounce house

I dig this tutu but I think it's trying to eat me!

Wow, balloons.  What are balloons?

I go right for the flaming candle.

Okay, I'm a little intimidated by the singing.

Somebody blew out my candle!

 

Daddy helps me out.

I'm not so sure about this...

Okay, I'll try it...

Somebody hold these balloons, I'm going in...

Yep, I like cake!

This is pretty good.

Do I have something on my face?

What?  The party is almost over??

Excuse me, somebody took my cake

and left this stinking water!

I Have a Lot to Say!

Okay, I promise I'll blog about the birthday party this weekend with lots of pictures and video.  Momma and Daddy are still trying to recover.
Erin is ALWAYs making noise and sounds.  This morning Tommy brought her downstairs for our normal routine.  I changed her diaper and he was laying on the bed talking to us.  I picked her up to carry her to the kitchen for breakfast and she saw herself in the mirror.  She immediately started laughing and waving to herself.  I said do you see the baby, and she said "baby".  Tommy and I looked at each other and of course we kept saying it to get her to say it.  It was just too cute.  We've heard her say other little things, but she never repeats them over and over like she did today.

We practiced baby some more when I got home and she's still doing it.  She was having her snack this afternoon when she dropped her cup.  I said uh-oh and she immediately said "uh-oh".  I was laughing and she kept saying that one too.  (Followed by her throwing the cups down over and over and saying uh-oh.)  Then we were in the toy room before dinner and she picked up one of the little people dogs.  I said, dog, and she looked me right in the eye and said "dog". 

THEN we were going up to bed after our bath and I said go night-night?  And she said, "night-night".  I've heard that one before but only like twice.  I was able to get her to say it several times.

It's just the craziest thing to me.  She babbles all the time, but in one day to hear her use 4 different words repeatedly is just too cute.  It was a very pleasant surprise. 

Tommy better look out.  It looks like we have a mini-Angela on our hands. She's not the least bit interested in walking, but she's just busting to talk.  Trust me, we have a lot to say!!

It's My Birthday!

I really cannot believe it's been a year already!  It really did fly by just like everyone told me it would.  Tommy and I were talking tonight and we've learned so much in this last year.  We have had so much fun with Erin.  She really is the best thing we've ever done!

I wanted to get her ready for the party so we had our one year visit to the doctor today.  I knew she had to get shots, and we wanted to get them over with so we would be good and well for the party.  Wow.  Tommy laid down the law and said never again do we do shots on her actual birthday.  She was great in the exam and took the shots well, but the aftermath has been dreadful.  Her appointment was at 8:30.  This is right at the beginning of our morning nap time but I did that so she would sleep when we left.  Every other time we've gotten shots she been sleepy afterwards and crashed and then woke up great.  Not today. 

We got home about 9:45 and we got our snack and then fought me tooth and nail to go to sleep.  I was supposed to go to work after the appointment but I ended up calling in sick.  Erin was screaming and crying and refusing to sleep.  She was clinging to me like velcro but wouldn't settle down to sleep.  It was noon before she finally passed out.  She woke up at 1:00 (not nearly long enough nap) and had lunch only to repeat the whole episode and fall back to sleep around 4:00.  Mommy is hoping for a peaceful night because my head is killing me now!!

Here were today's stats:

Weight:  26 lbs  (97% percentile)
Height: 30.5 inches (89% percentile)
Head: 18.25 inches (77% percentile)

Dr. E told us she's very proportionate for her age and that we're developing great.  We go back in 3 months for another check-up and round of shots.  (I may need a shot of another kind if we have a repeat experience!)

We're having the big party and cake this weekend, but we couldn't let tonight go by without some sort of celebration.  So, we had cupcakes! 

Yes, this was right before my child, who never puts stuff in her mouth, put the candle in her mouth!

Slide On Over to My House

Here is Erin on her first evening on the slide. Pawpaw and I held her hands the first time and she loved it. I got my Flip and Gram and Pawpaw did it again. I think E may be a little to young for the slide. She liked it, but I think she really likes the swing more right now.

Swinging With My Daddy

Tommy got in on the act and he and Erin swung while he cooked dinner.

A Partial Debut

The swingset was about 90% complete this afternoon and  I just couldn't wait another day.  I took Erin outside and we got pictures and videos. 

I'm not posting the pictures just yet because we need to clean up the extra wood and I ran out of daylight, but I'm going to put the video up.

Notice how Pawpaw got a little excited and pushed Erin a little too high.  She loves it but I think Gram and Momma had a heartattack!

Daddy and Tommy were working in the backyard this afternoon when the twins next door decided they had waited long enough and needed to check the progress.  They came over and Tommy said they immediately ran to the slide.  Hudson was more brave and "disappeared" around the side to the ladder in back.  They found him when he hit the platform and slide.  Luke waited to make sure Hudson was okay then he tried it.  Both give a resounding thumbs up.

Thanks Pawpaw the swingset is totally kid approved.

Some Minor "Mom-ifications"

Daddy was dilligently working on the swingset by himself when I came home for lunch today.  He had gotten the crossbeam up and hung the swings....
I hated to say it, but the crossbeam was just too short.  The swings were only about 6 inches apart and the kids would hit each other or the slide platform if they were swinging.  Back to the drawing board.  We decided the 8 foot beam wasn't long enough so we got on line and searched.  We found a local place that specializes in cedar and redwood.  They had a 12 foot been in stock so I paid for it over the phone and Pawpaw picked it up this afternoon.

Gram and Pawpaw are at their house tonight, so the beam will be back in the morning.  I suspect that Tommy and Pawpaw will be hard at work tomorrow night finishing it up.

I've taken pictures along the way and will post them once Project Swingset is complete.

My Review of Playtex BPA Free Lil' Gripper Straw Trainer - 7oz - Pink/Purple

As I have blogged before, I hardly ever read reviews let alone enter one.  But... on my quest for this particular cup I had to sing praises.  I had to go to two different Targets and three Walmarts to find more of these.  I bought them for Erin on a whim a while back and they work great for her now.  She learned the straw part but has to have the handles to hold it.

We now have 4 of them and love, love, love them!

So, here's my Review.  Never done one of these before and it let me post it straight from the Toysrus website.  Just got a kick out of that because I am truly a dork.

*********************************************************************************

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

Teach your child to drink from a straw with the new Playtex R First Lil Gripper TM Straw Trainer Cup. Sturdy cup that can be squeezed by an adult to help push the liquid up allowing child to learn to suck the liquid more easily. Squeezing feature is such that a parent can squeeze, but a child could...

Playtex BPA Free Lil' Gripper Straw Trainer - 7oz - Pink/Purple

It works like it should

By Erin's mom from Spring, TX on 7/12/2011

4out of 5

Pros: Durable, Easy To Clean, Easy To Use, Good Value
Best Uses: Everyday Use
Describe Yourself: First Time Parent
Was this a gift?: No

My daughter learned to drink from a straw very early, but wasn't able to hold on to the cups with no handles. This was perfect for her little hands.

Cleans up very easily. It does leak a little bit, but what do you expect from a child's cup??? They all leak!

Tricks Are For Kids

Bestest Friends Forever!

Almost a year has gone by and Roxie hasn't warmed to Erin much... until now.  Erin is kind enough to share her puffs and Cheetos's with Rox.  I shot this little video and took these pictures today to capture the sweet love Rox has for Little E.  Right.

It should also be noted that Tommy and I are just over the moon that Erin is now feeding and drinking on her own. 

Yummy, these Cheeto's are sooooo good!

Here Roxie, I'll share my water with you.

Notice Roxie slowly moving in...

A little closer...

Closer still...

I won't tell mom Erin, just leave it there.

No Rox, I'll just pick it up and eat it anyway.

Roxie, that's just water, not Cheeto's!

Okay, you can lick my fingers.

I think you missed a spot Roxie.

Roxie is working clean up in the background.

Buenos Noches and Don't Come Back!

Although Mark, Steph and the boys live here in the same subdivision, we don't see them all the time.  We try to get together every couple of weeks for the kids to play.  Since Jake and Luke are going to be the only "brothers" Only Child Erin has, it's important they know each other! 

Yesterday we invited ourselves to their house for a little visit.  We were stopping there on our way to eat dinner.  Since we crashed their Saturday, it seemed like the right thing to do in inviting them to join us.  Nothing fancy.  We just went to Mario's.  (Local Mexican restaurant)

Before I get to the meat of the story, it should be pointed out that Erin has reached another milestone.  After months and months of trying to get her to eat puffs on her own, we found out she loves Natural White Cheddar Cheetos Puffs.  We gave her some yesterday afternoon with lunch and she held them by herself and actually did some crunching with the two bottom teeth and the little top 1/4 buds we call teeth.  You would have thought she found the cure of cancer with the way Tommy and I were cheering her on.  Needless to say, we've had Cheetos with every meal since.

So, last night at Mario's we had Erin in a highchair at one end of the table and Luke in a highchair on the other.  We ordered chile con queso and all snacked on it (except Erin, of course!).  I look over at one point and as fast as Steph can fill his little bowl, Luke is shoveling it in.  To say he was very enthusiastic about his queso is putting it mildly.  Anyway, the queso was almost gone when someone gave him a chip to go with it.  Since he wasn't chewing the cheese, I guess he thought he could do that with the chips too.  Anyway, Luke got a little bit choked.  He's fine, but he ended up puking all over his chest and lap before it was all said and done. 

Tommy and I just sort of looked the other way and suddenly became super attentive to Erin.  They got Luke cleaned up and dinner was served.  When we were done, Steph ordered the boys some vanilla ice cream.  I had fed Erin some Gerber stuff so I had one of the little empty containers sitting there.  Jake was kind enough to share some ice cream with Erin and he suddenly became her favorite cousin.  About 5 bites in, she decided it would taste good with the mushy Cheetos still in her hand.  Apparently she wanted to see if she could reach her tonsils, and shoved it in her mouth.  She gagged, then puked all over her own chest and lap.  Nice! Karma, karma, karma!

We cleaned her up and asked for the check.  Mario's is owned by a very nice Mexican family that knows us all on sight.  I'm pretty sure after the Puking Mize tour we might not be as welcomed as we were before!  I don't speak much Spanish, but the dude that cleans the floor was cussing us in Spanish when we left, I know I would have! :)

Por Favor and Gracias amigos!

Erin Cam

As you can see, Erin really, really likes the Flip camera. She turned the tables on me so I let her have it while it was still running. Steven Speilberg and Francis Ford Coppola can learn from my baby!

Getting Close to Walking

Erin is pulling up on everything now.  I tired to get the video of her pulling up on the couch and moving down it sideways.  Erin had other ideas.  Ignore the mess in the living room!

Erin's New Trick

This trick isn't so new now.  Erin has been drinking thru a straw for a while.  She ALMOST always makes this weird growl when she's finished sipping.  It's too funny.
I thought I would catch it on video for you.  In typical kid fashion, Erin decided that wasn't going to happen.  So, this is just me talking and her sipping.  But she looks cute anyway!

A Lot of Videos

Okay, my video camera was on the blink but we've revived it.  Long story short, I had to get on a live chat with some 10 year old working for Flip Video in Bangladesh to have him diagnose the problem.  I have a bad battery.  Funny since I just bought it today and replaced the battery that was in there!!!  He said that battery was bad too. He fixed the problem of getting my videos to upload, so I have a bunch to post.  The best part was he asked me if there was anything else and twice I asked him why the battery did that and how to make sure I get a good battery next time.  The sucker disconnected me!!!  It seems that he really wasn't all that interested in answering my questions!

Said all this to prepare you for the video barrage about to take place!