Mom has been busy sewing tutu's to get ready for a party, so Grandma and I have had lots of time to play around the house together and catch up on the last 6 months. I showed her how well I can pump on the swings and made sure that she watched all my seat-to-doggie-to-tummy drops on the trampoline. One afternoon Mom actually took us on a trip across town to Target for some tutu material and I got to sit on the big read Target ball for a picture (it is sort of a tradition to sit on the ball every time we go- I have been fascinated by them since I was a baby.)
I was really excited that Grandma Joanie got to watch me at gymnastics. Not only did she get to sit in for my weekly class, but she got to go to Open Gym to watch me perform my gymnast skills all over the studio.
While Grandma and I were keeping each other occupied Macie and Dad spent some quality time together.
After watching in Dad's arms she got antsy and he let her sit down and join in the fun!
Since we were sort of confined to the house this week (aside from our trips to gymnastics) Macie, Grandma, and I had to find ways to be creative. We took some boxes left over from our last trip to Costco and made forts out of them. The fort was nothing compared to the one Mom made me back in Huntington Beach, but it was still a lot more fun than it looks.
Macie is becoming more and more involved in our daily tasks, and even helps out with our household chores. In the garage one afternoon after she tired of watching Mom clean, she entertained herself by playing her own version of Peek-a-boo. She can't quite figure out how to cover her eyes, yet the allure of the game is not lost in her version (she covers her ears).
Grandma is amazed by how far Macie and I have come over the last 6 months. Macie is doing new things everyday, and I am becoming more and more self sufficient. One morning Grandma Joanie and I played beauty shop and I made her hair look really pretty. I am getting really good with curlers and Mom is wondering if it could be my calling (I think that she is secretly hoping I will become a hair stylist so that she saves the money on coloring...)
When the weather was nice, and Mom's tutu party was over, we took Grandma Joanie on a trip to the Zoo. Macie was awake the whole time and really enjoyed seeing the animals in the aquarium.
The Columbus Zoo recently added a polar bear exhibit and it is really neat. After seeing the animals and playing in the new play place we posed for a photo op next to the new polar bear statues.
Macie has been really working hard on moving across the room. At the beginning of this week she could only roll, pivot, flip, and turn her way to her destination, but now she has developed a new determination to move towards crawling. Listen to her grunt as she struggles to pull her body across the floor.
Mom and Grandma are really trying to help encourage Macie to move (Mom wants Macie to crawl before Grandma goes back to Wisconsin), but I keep trying to tell them that Macie will move once the "carrot" they use to entice her is good enough. For now, I am happy having her rather sedentary since it allows for me to have more control.
Speaking of control- I loved having Grandma Joanie around to play with me since she is very patient and willing to play ANYTHING I want- she lets me be the boss and I LOVE it!!!
Macie has begun to get interested in playing with toys, especially the ones with buttons and sound. She loves pounding on the piano keys and making LOTS of noise.
Outside in the sun Grandma and I made use of our big back yard. We played on the swings, jumped on the trampoline, and road my school bus to and from the sandbox. Every now and again the crazy driver (me) took a turn a little too sharply and we would crash...
Towards the end of Grandma Joanie's trip the temperature outdoors was SO warm that Mom thought it was time to break out the swimsuits for some backyard fun. Macie had a problem with her bikini top as her chest hasn't quite filled out, so Mom helped her take care of the problem. As you can imagine Dad was a little mortified when he came around the corner...
One of the best things about hot, humid weather is eating all the yummy summer time fruit. Mom and I shared some watermelon together,
while Grandma Joanie helped Macie try some for the first time.
As you can tell by the look on Macie's face she sure enjoyed it, although that isn't saying much considering we haven't found much aside from bananas that Macie doesn't enjoy eating.
Grandma and I sure enjoyed spending time together; swinging on the swings, playing games, being neighbors, etc. I am sure lucky to have such an amazing family!!
The night before she left we sat out on the back porch with Grant and Reed and relaxed in the new chairs Mom and Dad had brought home for us.
Grandma left early on Sunday morning, and I spent the day missing my neighbor. Mom tried to entice me with the promise of a parade and a barbecue at my friends the next day, but it didn't seem to make me any happier. When we woke up the morning of Memorial Day it was raining so bad that going to a parade did not seem likely to happen. When arrived at the Grzelaks at 930 the rain was still coming down so only the big boys went to the parade. Ashyln, Macie, and I spent the time playing indoors until, to our surprise, the sun came out!!! By then the boys had come back from the parade and all of us were ready for some outdoor fun in the sun!!!
Dave threw some meat on the barbecue and we all loaded our plates for an outdoor picnic.
Macie ate bits of "big people food" and then watched
as the big kids tore off running threw the sprinklers in the backyard.
I had so much fun getting wet that before long I was soaked and had to downsize my wardrobe.
We had a TON of fun on Memorial Day with our friends, and the whole family crashed out early that evening tuckered out from the LONG day full of eating and relaxing.
By the middle of the week Dad had left for Indianapolis to work and Aunt Hayley was working at an out-of-town Vet Hospital so Mom, Macie, and I were alone at home. After I had gone to bed one night Macie decided it was time to move like a big girl...
Mom couldn't believe her eyes as Macie pulled herself across the room military style right to a plate of food Mom had sitting on the floor. I guess I was right about finding the right "carrot"- apparently, and quite fitting, for Macie it turned out to be food. After the "big move" mom used other items to entice Macie...
Mom was so excited that she called everyone she knew and bragged about Macie's big accomplishment.
The following night she was even more surprised when Macie crawled on her hands and knees across the deck...
Macie may have been slow to get moving, but once she started it was full speed ahead. In only two days she managed to go from sitting to crawling quickly and efficiently throughout the house.
By the weekend she was working on pulling herself up on her knees- Mom can't believe how quickly she has progressed, and is now wondering why she wanted Macie to start moving. Now we have to watch everything she does!!!
To celebrate Macie's new accomplishments we went to the pool at the Country Club with the Grzelaks the following day. Macie looked SO cute in her bathing suit, but DID NOT like to sit in the cold water.
I didn't have that problem-Riley Thomas (formerly known as "boy Riley") and I ran in and out of the water as we couldn't get enough!
I even used a BIG GIRL inner tube for the first time,
and swam across the pool without hesitation! Mom was so inspired that she promised to buy me my very own if it helped me get over my fear of the cold water.
The pool left both Macie and I exhausted, but after a very long nap we had energy for more fun and went to the Big Red Barn.
I showed off by going on all the climbers and slides without any help at all.
Mom wasn't awed by my independence on the climbers as much as she was by the bravery I exhibited on the roller coaster. Watch as I blast off all by myself...
After our outing at the Big Red Barn we stopped to say Hi to Bugs, but Macie had fallen asleep in the car, so Mom let me stay a little longer and play with the barn cats whom are in dire need of some attention (most cats run from me, so this was AWESOME).
When the weekend rolled around again it was time for swim lessons, so Mom dressed me in my tutu bathing suit and let me bring Ariel for moral support.
Thanks to Ariel I swam 10 minutes longer than the previous week and even went under the water without too much shrieking. To celebrate my under water accomplishment we had a princess party that night, and I was the guest of honor.
Macie enjoyed the party, but enjoyed the food much more.
The family jokes that Macie eats like a line backer, but she really, really, really, does enjoy eating food. At her 9 month doctor appt. her affinity for food showed on her growth chart as she is now 27.5 inches long, and weighs 17 lbs 7 oz. The doctor is thrilled by her development, and can't wait to hear about all the new things she will begin to do.
Right now Macie is working through some tooth pain as her top right tooth is threatening to break through the gum, so sleep is hard to come by. I am lucky that I have the ability to sleep through an atomic bomb cause Mom and Dad are up all hours of the night trying to comfort her- it doesn't help that Mom and Dad have stopped swaddling her and she is still getting used to sleeping on her tummy.
Mom says that we are taking it easy for the next couple of weeks to get ready for our big trip to California. She promises that we will be ready ON TIME (and on the right day) for our scheduled departure. We will see...
Mom says that we are taking it easy for the next couple of weeks to get ready for our big trip to California. She promises that we will be ready ON TIME (and on the right day) for our scheduled departure. We will see...
