exploring the zoo

I'm off on an adventure!

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Wow -- look at the otter!

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Shh! He's sleeping!

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He's really tired.

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I love the giraffe!

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We had a great time!

Mommy's Birthday

I helped Mommy open her presents!

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She got a lot of nice gifts!

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Here is the pretty table. Daddy made crepes for everyone!

I loved them!

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On Friday night Daddy also set up the gazebo and made Mommy a special dinner.

I wasn't invited to that one ... I was at Grammie's house having fun!

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Here is a view of the gazebo Daddy set up.

It was a gift from Grammie and Gramps alone with some deck furniture!

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Mommy has a really wonderful birthday!

Thanks everyone!

Happy Birthday to Mommy

Mommy's birthday is this weekend, and we have already started celebrating!

Monday night is date night, and my parents usually go out for coffee or to a bookstore.

This week Daddy took Mommy out to dinner!

And then he took her shopping to spend her birthday money.

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Mommy's Note: Thanks so much to Grandma and Grandpa O'Donnell for the very sweet card and birthday money! It was fun to spend it!

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There were a few things for the kitchen that Mommy had been wanting since we moved.

She got some cookie sheets and a casserole dish.

She also had fun picking out a new wallet which is handy because she can keep all of her important stuff in it and easily move it from laptop bag to my Cinderella backpack etc.

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Tonight Mommy put the cookie sheets to good use

and made cheese bread with spicy dipping sauce.

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She also made beef and green chili enchilladas in her new casserole dish.

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Here we are enjoying our dinner!

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I got a hold of Mommy's wallet and used her unlock button as a cell phone!

These days I pretty much pick up anything and pretend it's a cell phone.

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Daddy caught me ... I am trying to sneak away

before Mommy notices that I have her new wallet!

fun with shoes

Playing with Daddy

my first hair cut

Today Mommy decided that she couldn't put it off any longer and she needed to trim my hair.

She has been avoiding this for several reasons:

1) It means she must recognize the fact that I am not a baby anymore! She has definitely been in denial about this despite the fact that I walk, talk, and use the potty like a pro! :(

2) It means that she has to find a way to get me to be still.

3) She has a fear of turning me into one of those awkward kids with really short bangs because their mom cuts their hair and can't get it straight! :)

But, the truth is that my hair was always in my face. No amount of cute little hair bows, clips, rubber bands, etc. could stand up to the enthusiasm with which I enjoy life. They always end up tossed aside, and I was in danger of being unable to see through my hair-in-the-face. So, Mommy decided that the afore mentioned awkwardness was preferable to hair-in-the-face induced blindness!

So, today while I was watching Sesame Street and munching on apple wedges, Mommy quickly and stealthily trimmed my hair. I did not even notice!

Here are a few funny pictures of my new do! Notice how funny I find myself!

I love this duck from Aunt Joy!

I have taken to sleeping with it at night!

I call it my "quack-quack!"

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This next one is Mommy's favorite!

What a funny face!

thanks for visiting my blog!

Swim Class Videos

Just so you know the swim class videos don't have much sound b/c Daddy was filming me from the observation room!

Pool Slide

One of my favorite things at swim class is the water slide!

I love to go down it and kick my feet across the pool!

There is a big slide for the older kids in the big pool.

I really want to go down that one sometime too!

Mommy says she will let me when I can swim better by myself.

Kick Kick!

Here I am practicing my kicks!

If you watch my face you can see me saying, "Kick, kick, kick!" as I swim to the edge of the pool!

swim class -- the ducky game

at the beach

I LOVE the waves!

But, y'all know what? It is hard to walk with an undercurrent!

Trust me! :)

A couple more pictures of my two new buddies!

Aren't they both just as cute as can be?

They are great friends to have!

My only requests is that we add some more girls to the group!

What do you think?

Life According to Bennett and Thomas

Bennett: Hey lets go play some catch in the water!

Thomas: Okay, but Ada Marie is still sleeping...

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Bennett: I'll just chew on this for a minute while we wait for her to wake up.

Isn't that what footballs are for?

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Thomas: Oh, don't be silly! Football is serious business at my house!

Just ask my Mommy!

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Bennett: Oh, Look! I saw her eyelids flutter!

She's waking up!

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Hurray! Now we can all go play in the water!

A few highlights from the weekend

This weekend we went to Virginia Beach to visit with Mommy's college friends.

I got to meet Baby Thomas and Baby Bennett!

On Saturday we went to the beach.

When we got there, I was still sleeeping!

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Thomas is trying to wake me up and show me the ocean!

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When I woke up it took me a few minutes to get used to the ocean, but then I loved it!

Here we are enjoying the awesome weather!

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I especially loved jumping in the waves!

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Woo-Hoo! This is fun!

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This is a funny picture from the airport.

I'm kinda tired in this picture.

I'm a really good little traveler.

I slept through most of the flying.

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"Aunt Rachel" read me my bedtime story.

She also gave me a new Cinderella backpack (to make up for the long-forgotten lunchbox which caused so much consternation!).

My other "Aunt Rachel" gave me a new baby doll too!

I am such a blessed little girl!

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Daddy passed his exam ... Part II

Daddy passed his second exam today!

That means he is a certified IT technician.

It also means all the hours and hours of studying he has done for the last three months really paid off! He is finished! Whoo-Hoo!

So, now he will have more time to hang out with Mommy and push me in my swing and fun stuff like that! :)

Mommy & Me Swim Class

Daddy gave me a hug as I headed out the door for my Water Babies Mommy & Me Swim Class! I loved the class! My teacher is nice and she showed us all kinds of creative games and activities. Today I learned so many new things like how to to kick my feet across the pool, hold on to the side of the pool, lay on my back in the water, and go down the water slide! That last one was my favorite! In fact, I had so much fun that I cried when Mommy told me it was time to go home. Actually, I cried a good portion of the ride home. I was very, very sad! But, Mommy says we will go back next week! So, I'll have to learn to wait until then. Patience does not come naturally to babies!

Here is a commercial for my Swim School!