First Family Vacation :D

For our three year annivery Matt took us camping for a few days up in the Adirondacks this weekend. We left Friday morning, stopped in Albany and met up with Jon (a friend of both Matt and me) and then headed up towards the Lake George region. Oh and we stopped at SUNY Albany where I took a few pics of Leah at her daddy's old stomping grounds. Definitely gotta go back and visit Bombers with her, Mahars and Washington Park :D

The camping grounds we went to are run by SUNY Albany's Alumni Association. I have been visiting there for years. We had gone about 2 years ago and camped out in a tent for the weekend. But this time we got a cabin because of Leah.

Got there at about 5 in the evening. The cabin is a little less than 1/2 mile from the parking lot. We three everything in a cart, and I carried Leah while pulling my duffel bag. Not a bad walk. And immediately Leah was up watching everything, looking every where.

The cabin we got is called Twin Brooks. And as its namesake states it is by Twin Brooks. It has pump well water, no electricity and wood stove for heat and cooking. A table with chairs and two sets of bunkbeds. The cabins are set up with everything you'll need except for linens and food.

We spent the weekend there. Saturday and Sunday we spent some time in Lake George because the weather was a little too crappy for the hiking we had planned.

Here are some pics of our stay.

This is Leah at the Selden Rest Stop eating a french fry.

And here she is out side the Biology building at SUNY Albany.

Leah had her cute duckie dress on but when we got to the cabin we put her jeans on her. And what an adorable outfit that made. Love it! Gotta love how trendy she is :D

Matt just couldn't wait to get his hands on some firemaking so one of the first things he did when we got to the campsite is build a nice campfire.

Like at home Leah follows everyone into the kitchen, the cabin was no exception.

Matt took a few walks with Leah, this is a pic of him standing outside the kitchen window with her.

Here he is with Leah outside the cabin.

When we went into Lake George Village we sat in Shepard Park for a bit.

Matt pulling the cart back to the main parking site.

Some scenery pics.

Have to chop a lot of wood to stay warm at night and to cook. I can't chop wood to save my life. I think it would take me an hour just to get the damn maul over my head. Matt on the otherhand, well you can see for yourself.

Leah hanging out in the cabin the last day.

Daddy and Leah

On the way back we stopped at the Pallisades and then my dad's house.

Then home. We stopped by Ruth and George's, Leah hung out there while Matt and me went and unpacked.

When Matt came back from getting Leah he brought a nice apple pie and actually wrote Happy Anniversary on it :D

Teething Crackers

are pure hell!

My mom used to take care of infants when I was younger and I remember all too well what a mess they made. You would think that over the last few decades someone would have come up with a teething cookie that doesn't stain everything and end up everywhere but no, hasn't happened. Babies will be babies. So instead I will take it in stride and enjoy how much Leah loves them (and stays out of my hair while I get some chores done :D)

Laundry day

Went over to do our laundry at Ruth and George's while they were away for a bit.

Leah loves playing there. She always looks a bit confused when we get there and her grandparents aren't around.

And as you can see Leah is all too comfortable at their house.

The Stoop

Just sitting on the stoop. It is not the Bronx but its going to have to do for now.

Dr. Dad?

Leah and Matt at the doctor

Mother's Day

A synopsis of my first Mother's Day. I will write more extensively and add some pictures later.

So we got up, and went out to breakfast with Ruth and George at the Spartan Diner. Exchanged gifts. After pondering all week, all night about what Matt could have possibly have gotten me, well it turns out it was something I hadn't even thought of. A TRUMPET! Yeah so I guess I will start playing again...sometime.

Got a cute book titled "The Incredible Truth about Mothers" and it has some great pictures of animals paired up that I just love.

We then went and surprised Matt's grandmother Bernice, hung out there for a bit. Have some pics of Leah playing with Lindsay that I will have to post.

Then we left there and Matt drove us to the Bronx. Some crappy traffic, Queens traffic sucks butt but no traffic is like Cross Bronx Expressway traffic at the Bronx River Parkway exit. Leah was crying her head off for about 15 minutes. When she doesn't want to be in the car, she lets you know.

My dad was on his way to do compra (food shopping), went upstairs and fed Leah, Bert got ready and then we all headed over to my mom's. Lani was there with Kain. Actually spent some time together. She left and then our uncle Eric came by to surprise us. But as usual, he and Lani missed each other. Thats okay they will meet up at Leah's 1st Birthday Party.

Side note: Her party has been tentatively scheduled for August 7th out here at the house on Long Island :D

Hmm, then we left and went back to my dad's. Had dinner, watching Animation Domination. Then home.

All in all a nice day.

Chilling at Nana's

Leah at Grandma Bernice's playing with this bunny her dad used to play with when he was a baby.

Early Mother's Day Gift :D

Today Laurie gave me my first ever Mother's Day gift :D



I love it!

I will post a pic of it in its rightful place as soon as I find one :D

9 Months Old

What can she do? Lots. She has managed to master many skills in such a short span of time. Unbelievable.

Today I learned that Leah can climb up the stairs pretty well. (I was right behind her.) She cruises around the living room. LIke she will move around upright while holding onto furniture. She takes a couple of steps too. After many bumps and falls, she has gotten pretty good at bending her knees and sitting down from standing. I am thinking of getting her one of those toddler truck things, like the stand up toys you push around.

We need to childproof this apartment. Big time.

Playing and learning. Leah has made great advances when it comes to playing and figuring out what to do with her toys. She has her bucket with colorful blocks and she likes emptying it out, putting the blocks in her mouth, then putting them back in and out again. For simple entertainment I stick a bunch of stuff in the diaper bag and let her go to town.

I have also noticed she is becoming increasingly aggressive. If I block her way when she is crawling she becomes upset. If I take something away from her, she is starting to make her feelings known.

She can sit herself up, roll over from both sides, stand with support and sit.

We spend a lot of time passing her balls back and forth. Or I will roll it to her and she will try to roll it back. She hasn't quite gotten the idea of stacking her rings but she will pass them to you to put them on the holder.

I have been told that the next few months are tough when it comes to seperation anxiety. So far so good with Leah. I think its harder on me, than her.

What else...oh yes her talking. Holy cow she talks a lot now. Before, just a month ago, not as much. But now sometimes she won't be quiet at night when it is time to go to sleep.

Her babbling is starting to sound like real words, like "ma" and "da" but I don't get too excited about it because simply its not really the actual word yet. But its still cool.

I talk to Leah a lot. I spend all day talking to her. I cook, I tell her what I am doing. I am on the computer and I tell her what I am doing. I think she gets more form my tone than my words. But it can't hurt to talk to her. And besides it keeps me sane!

Leah has begun to respond to her name, Either she will look at you when called or just stop what she is doing to see who called her. I try to say her name often so she gets it. Hmm..oh yeah and she is beginning to understand the word "no." Doesn't obey it yet but there is definitely recognition there. She also loves to imitate sounds. Just the other day Ruth was telling me how she and Leah just went back and forth in the car.

Leah is a very social baby. Her personality is beginning to shine through. She smiles at people and doesn't quite get it when someone doesn't want to play with her. She loves attention and completely eats up having pictures taken of her. She tries to wave hi and bye. Getting pretty good at that as well.

I can't tell if she is a righty or a lefty. I am thinking righty. She can pick small objects up with no problem, which means being more diligent in watching her at home, in case I missed something on the floor. She throws everything. Hurling toys entertains her.

Hmm...she is eating more foods now. Pretty much weaned off breast milk, not completely but mostly. So she has her formula, iron-fortified cereals, mashed fruits and veggies, along with pureed veggies and fruits.

She hasn't really started any finger foods. After I speak to her pediatrician and he gives the go ahead I will do that. But for now I think she is good. She has her two first teeth so it should be easier for her now that she is actually trying to bite down on stuff. Oh and juice. Some occasional apple and pear juice. And I think she got a teething cracker the other day. Overall when it comes to food Leah enjoys them all.

Overall I would say she is developing well and as Ruth pointed out to me. All I have to do is look at her and see how happy she is and I know we are all doing a great job.

We, as in Matt, myself and with our family's support. Couldn't do any of it without them.

The lil crawling machine

In spanish we have this saying when lil kids follow a person around, we call them a rabo. Which means tail.

Leah es mi rabo.

Leah is my tail.

I get up and go to the bathroom, within less than a minute there she is pushing the door open attempting to crawl in. I put her back in the living room, and go to the bedroom and there she goes, off crawling into her room then ours. Can't keep her in one place. Too cute.

Leah now has two teeth coming in. Her two bottom center incisors. And it seems like her bottom cuspid is pushing in.

The past two months or so have taught me a valuable lesson. Don't listen to anyone. Especially people who feel the need to constantly compare their kids with yours. At the Gymborree classes some of the mothers are notorious for making you feel like your kid may be slow.

Not Leah. She may have gotten her teeth later on, and started crawling later on but according to the people who matter, she is right on track :D Just gotta remember that and not worry so much.

Big TV Night

Spent some time downstairs with the girls, Laurie and Louie. After that it was all animated tv, all night long.

350th Episode of the Simpsons, followed by another new episode of the Simpsons. Then an all new episode of Family Guy after it was canceled three years ago by Fox. It was very funny and nice to see Matt enjoy it. After that was American Dad but by then I was pretty tired of the tv shows.

Here is Leah watching tv with Matt. She likes to climb up and use him to stand up. I think she got tired playing on him because as soon as I picked her up she went right to sleep.