Happy Feet

This week I took Alma to see her Doctor at Shriners Hospital in Spokane. We were hoping that he would approve her to start wearing her braces only at night and during naps. For those of you who don't know, this was supposed to have happened in December - but she had to go back into casts instead. Well, the good news was he didn't put her back in casts, but the bad news was he said she needs full time braces for another two months. This was very dissapointing, as Alma hasn't learned to sit up yet and we were hoping that more time out of her braces would help her learn. We are also doing therapy again, twice a day. But, the doctor did say she could have a few hours out of her braces each day instead of only one. I have been taking advantage of this time to put Alma in her Jenny Jump Up, do some exercises with her to help stretch her feet, and of course, to let her play! She loves to roll around with no braces on, she flips her little feet all over the place. I have also taken this opportunity to put these adorable slippers on Alma. They were a gift from my friend MaryLou, and since I think they are the cutest baby slippers I have ever seen, Alma has been wearing them constantly during her shoeless moments.

What beautiful little feet!

8 Months Old

I know that Alma is 8 months old, but I just can't seem to wrap my head around it. 8 months! I was attempting to take a picture of Alma to commemorate the day, but found it was almost impossible to get her to sit still for one. That pretty much sums Alma up right now - she is constantly on the go! Her personality is starting to emerge and she seems to be taking after me in that she loves to talk and always wants to do something. She loves to play and switches between her activities all the time. She is taking after Dan in that she's generally pretty chill. She only cries when she is hungry, and even then she doesn't usually cry much. She doesn't sleep through the night yet, but when she wakes up she just eats and goes back to sleep. Sometimes she doesn't even open her eyes. Alma is in day care part time now and she loves it. Last week they did pudding painting and we have her first "masterpiece" hanging up in the living room. The day care ladies say that sometimes she plays with the other babies, but when she wants to be left alone she either growls at them or throws her toys at them. She might be little, but she sure is fiesty! Alma is starting to love her solid foods! She will plow through an entire jar of applesauce in one sitting.

When she's tired, she is tired, and she conks right out. Too bad she never naps for more than 25 minutes. I have learned to be VERY productive in less than a half an hour.

She loves her new walker she got for Christmas.

Alma's two favorite activities are sitting in her swing, and going on long walks. It's too cold lately for the Moby, so she has to sit in her stroller, but she loves it anyway. She stares at everything around her and never makes a peep.

We are very much looking forward to the next few months to see how she changes!

A Babbling Baby

Alma not only looks like me, she talks like me too. For the past few weeks she has started talking more and more, sometimes she even babbles for an hour or more at a time. Every day when I pick her up at day care she talks all the way home - which is a half hour drive. It is so cute, I always ask her if she is telling me about her day. I'm pretty sure she is. I can't wait until she has words and can actually tell me stories. But in the meantime this is pretty stinking cute too.

Alma the Events Committee Chairwoman

For those of you who don't already know, Alma and I are very active members of the Latah County Historical Society. Every month we spend two afternoons at the McConnell Mansion as docents, and we are very active on the Events Committee. In fact, I am fairly certain that if I showed up to a meeting without her I would be run right out the door! All of the other members just adore Alma, and as a token of their love, they had this onesie made especially for her. Alma wore it today for the Valentines open house at the mansion. She was the hit of the party!

Alma was very excited about the party, and even more excited about the mini cupcakes!

Alma is getting some love from Connie - another member of the committee.

Alma got to make valentines for her grannies at the party.

Tax Season

When Dan sat down to do the taxes Alma really wanted to help him out, so we put her in charge of the calculator. We thought it would be appropriate since Dan has been practicing her times tables with her every night. She's a natural with numbers just like her Daddy!

*On a side note. I started loading Christmas pictures and never finished. Someday I will finish. Just not today.