Shopping Somnolance

We had some nice sun last weekend, and some nice napping, too. Here is Aurora snoozing in her carseat after some tiring grocery shopping.

All that looking around and reaching for delightful things at Fred Meyer really wears a baby out.

Grub, Grub! I Want Grub!

My mom came over today and single-handedly cleaned my kitchen while Smacky and I snoozed the morning away. What an awesome task! Thank you, Mom!

After that, we all went to Kettleman's, a somewhat new bagel shop, and loaded up on carbs. To quell Smacky's car-crying (crying in the car, of course, which is much more agitating than house-crying or crying anywhere else where the sound doesn't reverberate and bore through your head like a dentist's drill), I broke off a piece of multigrain bagel and handed it back to her.

That baby sucked and chewed on that bagel for the next HOUR, turning and examining it like she was eating a chicken bone clean. We stopped at an estate sale and she sat on the couch, smiling at delighted shoppers and chewing on her treasure, not making a peep. A bagel could be more than just a delicious sandwich option, people. It could be the secret to keeping babies from crying in the car!

Pass it on.

Easy as Pie

Smacky's hat looks like a little duncecap when the bottom isn't turned up, doesn't it? But she's smart as a whip, people. I just can't think of any examples right now that don't involve hair-pulling. . . (Ask me later.)

Gary and Arlo and Smacky walked to Freddy's after dinner last night, giving me some precious alone time in which to nurse my recently aching belly and update my facebook status.

Smacky giggled at Arlo's antics the whole way there, but fell asleep on the way home. So all I had to do for bedtime last night was roll over and pop a bottle into her mouth.

I like it! Thanks, Gary!

Davenport Delight

Here is a fuzzy photo of Smacky hanging out at home. She's such a happy little baby!

Pork Buns and Sesame Balls

I stopped at Gary's Bakery on Wednesday and got some delicious pastries- a red bean bun (for Gary), a giant sesame ball (also for Gary, although Aurora posed with it), a couple of humbow, and a pork pie (for me).

After I ate the pork out of my humbow, I gave the remaining bun to Smacky. I think she liked it but she frowned the whole time she was eating it.

Eat Me

Arlo and Gary made cupcakes today in anticipation of Valentine's day. We're going to frost them and decorate them with appropriate red love-themed candy and then hog them down.

Someone started hogging early, though. (Guess who!)

I gave Smacky her first cupcake (sans frosting) in the Godiva store at the mall so she wouldn't feel left out while others were eating without her.

The photo above is the before shot, the one on the right is the after. She did manage to contain most of the crumbs on her bib so the mall wasn't much affected.

I think she only got a couple of bites in her mouth; the rest went down her front. She had a good time tearing it apart, though.

Play It Again, Smacky

Smacky hammed it up on Friday at the piano, playing favorites such as Piano Man, The Entertainer, and a little Beethoven thrown in for classical flair.

She still needs to be held on the bench by Granny, lest she fall backwards like she did twice on Monday. (Not off the piano bench.)

In other news, Smacky's gross motor skills are coming along by leaps and bounds! Where a month ago she could barely pick up anything on her own, now she's picking up food, toys, and especially grabbing handfuls of my hair and pulling.

She can sit by herself for short minutes (then she falls backwards) and she can stand by herself when propped (ditto on the falling backwards- we learned the hard way on both of these on Monday).

Most miraculously, she can roll over! Right from her back to her front, and then her face is stuck in the pillow. I think it's partly because the bed slopes into the center, but maybe it's because of Smacky's strong, strong quads.