Labor Day Weekend

Gramma Jane, Grampa, and Uncle Brian came to visit over Labor Day Weekend to celebrate Annabelle's first birthday with us. Daddy was on call all weekend and was very busy at work.


Annabelle rolling a ball with Grampa (and Gabi)

At Annabelle's one-year check-up, she weighed 17 pounds 12 ounces (8.0 kg) and measured 27 and 1/4 inches long. She is 10th percentile for both height and weight, but she is 75th percentile for head circumference (18 inches around). She is still having reflux issues, so we increased her Prevacid dose. We also took her for a follow-up ophthalmology appointment, which went well. She does not need another eye probing at this point, which makes all of us very happy. We just need to put lubricant drops in her eyes daily and return in four months.


Eating cupcakes at Evelyn's first birthday party


Gabi watched Ellie finish her cupcake and then asked for a fork


Grampa supervised Bella's forkless cupcake endeavor


Gabi with her grandmothers


Annabelle loves to bounce balls

Climbing, physical exploration, and games like rolling a ball are among Annabelle's favorite activities. Bella points at things she is interested in. She loves to be carried around the house to look at all our portraits on the walls. She has started walking some and can take almost a dozen steps at a time, although walking is still an adventure in itself and not yet a mode of transportation for her. If she really wants to get somewhere, she'll crawl. Big sister Gabi is one of her greatest sources of entertainment, which Gabi thinks is wonderful (and considers the attention obligatory).


Bella interested in Big Sister's sticker collection


Bella crawling across her Tinkerbell blanket


Happy baby Bella


I have since cut Annabelle's hair. As you can see, she needed it.


Who is this strange guy holding me?


Uncle Brian reading books to the girls first thing in the morning


Annabelle's candle on her birthday muffin


Bella likes Gramma Jane's blueberry muffins!


Cousin Steven and Annabelle waving bye

Annabelle is communicating more and more. Her favorite word is "nana," which might have originally meant "banana" but now more generally refers to "food" or "eat." Her next most common word is "Dada," which means "Daddy" (and occasionally "Mommy"). She can also say "Mama," "Bella," and "Gaba" (for Gabi). She has also said "hi" and "yay," although she still prefers the signs for those. Besides "bye" (or "hi") and "yay" (clapping), Annabelle's signs include "more," "eat," "milk," "finished," and "up" (for "pick me up"). Does her vocabulary tell you what her favorite activity is? Of course, her receptive language is much larger than her expressive language. For instance, the other day she heard Daddy say "headband" and immediately reached to her hair and tried to pull a headband off her head. (She wasn't wearing one at the time. She doesn't like them.)


Lolo pulling Gabi on a blanket ride


Annabelle checking out Mickey Mouse
(Bella used him to test the gravity here, which was working appropriately
until Gramma Jane started holding onto Mickey.)


Gabi playing with baby Asha


Uncle Brian and his nieces outside IHOP


Gabi picked a flower


Gabi wearing her little flower in her hair


Annabelle is always happy after eating


Grampa helped Annabelle eat her first popsicle