Kira Vivienne Lee, and Brett Rainer Lee

Nana, Grandpa and Auntie Karin came over to celebrate my first birthday. We had a nice lunch, opened some gifts, and sang songs. We also had an exciting time playing the “YAAAAAAAY!” game. Everyone had lots of fun.

I’m one year old today — can you believe it? Many people called to wish me a Happy Birthday — Grandpa & Nana, Nanny Liz, Aunt Kerren, Auntie Karin, and Alina from Germany. Cousin Andrea sent me a funny ecard (my first one!), and Cousin Barbara came to visit.

For today’s outing, Mommy and I went to Barnes & Noble to look at books. While we were there, I got hungry for lunch, so I ate a whole banana plus some creamy formula. After we left, I sacked out in the stroller for 1/2 hour snooze. Daddy came home from work just before my beddy time. We looked at Birthday cards together. The cards were so pretty and fun to read. After a while, I rubbed my eyes, and off to bed I went. Mommy read me The Going To Bed Book, which she reads to me every night, and when she’s finished, we always sing “The End.”

Mommy thought it would be a good idea to get us a couple of bean bag chairs — a big one for Mommy and a little one for me. They arrived yesterday. Here I am lounging out on my new bean bag chair while watching the tube. I get to watch TV when I have teething pain because it helps take my mind off it. Mommy thinks I’m getting a molar soon.

Since I can sit up very well now, and I like to kick my feet in the baby tub, Mommy thought it was time for me to take my baths in the big bathtub.  It was a lot of fun.  Lots of room for me to splash, play and swim around.

Today is a special day. No more nursing for me. I’m ready to stop, and so is Mommy. We feel good about it. Mommy thought I was going to want to take it slow, but I showed her that I was all right to cut down faster. Six weeks is enough time for me to adjust. Mommy really got the hint when I started doing the downward dog pose on her right booby every time she put me there for the past week. I would be bent over while standing on her lap, with my butt sticking up in the air. That was no fun for Mommy! (Although she thought it was kinda funny 🙂 )

Mommy took a picture of the river, because it looked cool with the ice on it. It has been very cold outside for the past few weeks, so we mostly stayed inside.

It was cold outside, so Max and Annalise came by to play. We have a playgroup about once a week. Max just had his one year birthday, and he has lots of nice hair! Annalise is five months older than me. She can walk and drink from a straw.

I started to like my books a few weeks ago. Mommy now reads to me every day. Daddy sometimes reads to me, too.

Lands’ End sent me a catalog. I’m not even one year old — what am I going to order from Lands’ End?? My first piece of junk mail :-p

Bertie lounged out on the mat next to me while I was playing.

Daddy took a picture of the river — it was calm this morning.

I showed Daddy how to play with the Learning Table. I can play and eat Cheerios at the same time.

While I was watching TV, my cats kept me company. Mommy’s new favorite shows are: Jakers The Adventures of Piggley Winks, It’s a Big Big World, The Upside Down Show, and The Backyardigans (in that order). I like them, too. I also like Blues Clues and Maisy. Mommy and I now watch watch one or two shows a day.

Now I can stand up to pet Bertie on the heater, where he likes to hang out and nap during the day. He doesn’t seem to mind when I tug his tail and giggle.

Mommy and I went to visit Kim and Cady in their new home. I enjoyed playing with Cady, who is 4 months younger than me. We both had a bite of chocolate babka, as you can see from Cady’s bib.

Musical maracas!

Playing with toys, crawling around, hanging out with cats, having fun with Jonah, eating Cheerios…life is great. Can you believe Jonah is 3 months younger than me? We are about the same size.

I like to follow the cats around. Sometimes they let me pet them, but they are a little afraid of me because I tend to squeal in delight. I also enjoy my new Learning Table. It is more like a dancing table — I can’t resist bopping to the music. (Pictures.)

For my first Christmas, Mommy dressed me up in the red velour outfit that Nana gave me.  We then went out to Massapequa to spend the day with Nana, Grandpa and Auntie Karin. Of course, Mommy took lots of pictures. My outfit is a little big, so sometimes my pants come down a little and you can see my plumber’s crack in some of the pictures. Also, Mommy gave me my first Chanukah/Christmas present — a soft, little angel bear that plays Silent Night when you press its tummy.

I am still getting over my cold and flu, but I feel much better today. I had a cold, and Mommy had the flu, and then we switched germs so that I got her flu and she got my cold! My first flu. Anyway, Mommy took me to the Did-It holiday party at Daddy’s office. They had Chinese food for lunch, but I haven’t been eating cause I lost my appetite from the flu (been only having Mommy’s milk for the past few days). It was also Alina’s last day for her internship, and she is going back to Germany very soon. I had a lot of fun with Alina as my babysitter. Bye, Alina, we will miss you!!

Mommy felt like taking some pictures of me crawling around on her bed, playing the piano, and practicing my standing. I like her blue blanket. It goes well with my hot pink onesie.

Despite the yucky, rainy weather, I had lots of fun going to Massapequa to see Nana and Grandpa on Thanksgiving. Daddy put some of Nana’s turkey in a food processor, and Mommy fed the turkey to me. I loved it. Then I got to try stuffing (not really liking that yet) and candied yams (yummy!). Alina came with us and she had a good time – it was her first Thanksgiving, too (they don’t have Thanksgiving in Germany). Of course, there are pictures, including some of whole family together, taken by Alina. Mommy’s favorite is #5772.

Mommy has been looking forward to tonight for a while. Whenever she can, she goes out to see The Fixx (her favorite band), and tonight they were in town. I got to stay home with Alina, who is a great babysitter (she can even help me go beddy!). When Mommy and Daddy came home at 3am, it was just in time for my night feeding. Mommy thinks I get a psychic vibe when she comes home, because I usually wake up if the babysitter has me sleeping in my beddy.

This afternoon, I went with Mommy and Daddy to Patsy’s Pizza, and while we were there, I got a little hungry.  Mommy scooped up some yummy tomato sauce on her finger and fed it to me.  I really loved it, so she kept giving me scoop after scoop. I can’t wait till I have more teeth and am bigger so I can have a whole slice. I am working on 4 top teeth coming in, so shouldn’t be long!

When Daddy went to the WebMasterWorld Pubcon conference, he brought me back a glowing Google ball. I play with it because it glows in pretty colors when you turn the light inside on. As you can see, I also played with my other toys today.

Now that I can crawl (well, on hardwood floors, it’s more like slithering or swimming), I like to get mobile. It’s lots of fun to crawl around the living room.

I met some of Nana’s relatives for the first time today. Daddy’s Cousin Andrea and her daughter Katrin were at Nana and Grandpa’s. So was Daddy’s Uncle Helmuth and Aunt Lillian. We were so excited that we took lots of pictures. Auntie Karin and Aunt Kerren were there, too! I loved playing with Cousin Katrin; she was so gentle and nice to me. Cousin Andrea and Katrin went home to Germany after the visit, and we hope to see them again soon.

Mommy & Daddy said that this is our last weekend out in Fire Island this year. It was really stormy on Saturday, but once the rain stopped, it was beautiful and windy. Mommy took pictures of the beach from the front deck. I was having fun on my play mat, so Mommy also took pictures of me. I sit up very well now, and I’m even starting to crawl!

The tile floor in the living room is cold, and we are going to change it to wood. But in the meantime, I can wiggle around on the comfy rubber mat that has pop-out pieces. I thought that a yellow piece looked yummy, so I munched on it and made teeth marks. Mommy and Daddy thought it was funny. I always amuse them by crinkling my nose when I get into munching mode.

We heard that Saltaire was having a Halloween event, so we bundled up and went for a walk. There were lots of kids and teeny-weeny cupcakes. Mommy ate my mini-cupcake because she was hungry all of a sudden. I preferred to watch the other kids. They fascinate me!

Daddy likes it when I smile, and it makes him smile, so when we were hanging out in the loveseat, we smiled while Mommy took pictures. Since we are almost at the end of the season, and Mommy wanted to have photos of the beach to look at over the winter, she took pictures from the front deck of our house.