Limitless

After almost a month of stumbling around and making desperate attempts to coordinate the things we call, "legs," Annistyn has managed to fully accomplish the spectacle of walking! Quite cliche' if you ask me, but it truly is amazing how a child will fall, get back up, fall, cry, get back up, fall, hit her head on the coffee table, get back up, and so on. The persistence, perseverance, and determination is astonishing. Perhaps it is an eagerness to be like all of the highly mobile people around her, perhaps it is her willingness to accomplish a feat that appears effortless to those she sees, or, maybe, it is the simplicity of nature. (Ok, so honestly, I think it is because she can now reach the trashcan. Ick!) Anyway, whatever her motives may be, she never ceases to amaze and inspire me. I can't give up because she tries harder every single time, and I have to be brave because she is limitless.

Furry Friends and Fall Festivals

Annistyn happens to be obsessed with any four-legged, furry, fuzzy, or fluffy critter. (With the sole exception of black cats.) Thankfully, I have finally gotten through to her that not all four-legged creatures are dogs. Instead, they now fall into three categories: dogs, cats, or.... sheep? Yes, that's right, if you aren't a dog or cat, you must be a sheep.

This weekend, my mom, Annistyn, and I braved the odds and visited the Dawsonville Mountain Moonshine Festival. (If you are thinking Redneck Convention 2009, *Ding, ding, ding* You are correct! I must give you this as a prime example: We paid $5.00 to park at the "Tabernackle of Truth." Now, what do you see wrong with what I just said? (Other than the fact that a church is charging for parking... don't even get me started on that.) Not only was this written in Sharpie on the back of what appeared to be a "Vote for mayor" sign of some sort nailed to another pre-existing sign, but couldn't they have at least looked up how to spell "tabernacle" prior to doing so?) I do not mean to poke fun at someone's place of worship, but "Tabernackle," really? Come on.

Anyway, back to Annistyn. As we navigated our way through the bustling streets, we came across a petting zoo. Since she is enthused by the mere sight of an animal, what could be better than to take her to a petting zoo?!?! This was a quaint little arena that played host to a donkey, mule, miniature horse, pot bellied pigs, a goat, rabbits, chickens, a turkey, and of all things, a sheep. So, we paid the $2.00 admission price and ventured into the land of animals that had only existed on the pages of books at this point for Anni. I had a difficult time reading Annistyn. She seemed mind boggled that animals larger than our Boxer, Levi, actually exist. She ran her fingers through the mane of a donkey which evoked giggles and smiles, glared intently at a mule who got a little too close for her liking, developed a fear of chickens after one pecked towards her, had a full fledged conversation with a potbellied piglet, and finally came face to face with a sheep which she readily referred to as a dog. Figures.

(Annistyn and Mimi petting the donkey)

On Sunday, we attended our annual church fall festival. It was Annistyn's first official fall festival, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. It was also her first trial run in her Halloween costume. Seeing the most of the activities were geared towards older children, Annistyn spent a lot of time people watching and food tasting. She experienced the phenomenon of cotton candy, and boy was that a mistake. The fluffy pink sticky goodness on a stick might just be her downfall. To give her another shot of sugar, we gave her a few bites of cake too. (I had to let her sample the goods especially after her Daddy and I stuffed her into a monkey suit... which she wasn't too thrilled about might I add.)
(Annistyn as "Curious Georgette" with her Mimi)

(Rick participating in the sack race)

Overall, I believe we had a great weekend. It was a weekend full of new things and new scenes for Annistyn, and as always, she interjected our lives with new perspectives and her uncanny ability to make us appreciate the little things once again.

Not such a good day...

Well, let's just leave it at the fact that Annistyn and I did not have such a great day today. Tomorrow will be brighter.

Sugar and Spice

Even though I have been mentally planning and brainstorming over the course of the past month, the countdown to Annistyn's 1st Sugar and Spice themed Birthday Party is officially in motion. The invitations have been ordered, and all the other details are in the works.

Speaking of invitations, I have struggled with Annistyn for over 3 days making desperate attempts to get a good picture of her to go on her invitation. I had it in my mind... the perfect photo of her in her birthday outfit wearing her hat and smiling that big goofy smile. (Quick slap back into reality) That DID NOT happen, wasn't going to happen, and was never meant to happen. I did manage to get her in the outfit, but she hated the hat, refused to wear, screamed when I made the move to put it on her head, etc. So, I thought, well maybe a hairbow would be just as cute. (Refer to "Skullet" post made earlier this year. It still applies.) No hat, no bow, fine.

Since nothing was strapped to her head, you would think she would be a happy camper. Wrong.... again. My neighbors probably thought I was a nut. I was out in our front yard making all of these incredibly ridiculous faces, noises, gestures. ANYTHING to make her smile. (i.e. Jumping around like a monkey, barking like a dog, clapping, waving, standing on my head, etc. I was desperate, ok?)

To make matters a tad bit worse, we had a mishap with her oatmeal this morning. My daughter happens to be a messy eater, and just to get things straight, it has absolutely nothing to do with my inability to feed a constantly moving target. Anyway, for some crazy reason, whenever her oatmeal touched her face, her skin turned bright red. Now, she has been eating this oatmeal almost daily for a couple months, and this adverse skin reaction just decided to pop up on the last day to get a good picture of her. Please do not be concerned, it is a VERY mild reaction, but it was enough to keep the skin around her mouth and on her nose (not my fault) a nice shade of pink for her invitation photo.

To say the least, I didn't quite get what I was looking for; however, I can't be too picky. Any and every picture tells a story. Any and every picture evokes memories of how she was on a particular day. Because of this picture, I will always remember barking like a dog in my front yard, trying to reverse the oatmeal induced redness on her face, her incessant fear of the birthday hat, and the daunting task of getting her to smile.

Was it worth it in the end? Absolutely! Look for her adorable picture in your mailbox over the course of the next week.

"Tuh!"

WOW.... talk about slacker! I am about 7 months behind with maintaining this blog. I promise, I will make a better effort somewhere among chasing Annistyn around the house, cleaning up after my husband, wrangling two insane dogs, doing my school work, etc. etc. etc. I've been busy, but that is no excuse for keeping everyone in the dark about Annistyn's adventures. So, since this blog is about her, let me tell you what she has been up to.

Insanely, Annistyn is quickly approaching 11 months. To say the least, she is a mess with a personality unlike any other. Walking is her newest endeavor, and with each daring step she takes, I see my baby girl slowly growing up. It's absolutely fascinating to watch her adapt to the ways of life; however, it is hard. Soon enough, she will not want me to hold her or carry her anymore, and though it may seem like a minute loss, it is enormous to a mother. Now, if that doesn't pull on your heart strings, I don't know what will. Anyway, let's move onto something else before I have to put this blog on pause again so I can go blow my nose and wipe the tears off my face.

She has decided that books are her thing! (Ok, so I mainly think she enjoys the concept of turning pages, but that's a start!) In particular, she is fascinated by animal books, and I have become accustomed reading the same ones over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over ... and over again. Sadly enough, I have memorized Baby Einstein's epic tale entitled "What Floats?" Even worse, I have attempted to explain to her that a donkey is not a cat and a rabbit is not a dog. (She refers to cats simply as "Tuh" and Dogs as "Duh" not to be confused with what she calls Rick, "Da"). To say the least, I lost that battle. I caught myself arguing with her. Here I am with these detailed explanations as to why a donkey is not a cat. (You know, hooves, big ears, much larger, stubborn, etc.) She just sits there with an incredibly blank stare on her face watching my mouth move (imagine Charlie Brown teacher mode), and when I finally finish my sermon on the animal kingdom, she looks at me and says, "Tuh." Enough said.

Happy (4 Month) Birthday!

Well... today little Miss Annistyn is 4 Months old. I just do not understand where the time has gone. 

3.5 Months.... rolling and drooling

Been a while since I updated, but Annistyn has been keeping me busy! 

Here's the low-down on the munchkin. She is now a VERY active little girl who has mastered the art of rolling over and drooling. Now...  I have tried this whole rolling over ordeal just so I can get a first hand look at why seeing the world from your back is so boring compared to seeing it on your stomach. Let me tell you something: If you haven't tried it, do it! I'm sure I looked like an absolute idiot rolling around on the carpet, but I was curious and I managed to keep the drool thing to a minimum.  (I do recommend moving the furniture out of the way prior to this... so heed caution, and watch before you roll.)

Since the world as she once knew it from her back is "below" her now, the even more daunting venture of exploration has begun...oh and drooling.  So far, she has managed to knock an entire glass of Diet Coke onto my lap at the local pizza place (Nothing like soggy blue jeans and parmesean cheese), pull hair out of our helpless Chihuahua's back, jerk the earrings out of her helpless mother's ear, etc. Even better than the reach and grab tactics are the reach, grab, put in mouth sequence that she also finds quite amusing.  Forget the teething rings and the myriad of toys made specifically for teething, chewing,  and sucking. Who needs those when you can have things like a remote control!?!?!? I swear that thing only works about 1/3 of the time I want it to. The buttons are all sticky and.... ick. (If you come over, just ask one of us to change the channel.)

Did I mention that she drools? You know, I believe I mentioned in another post that my child has the jowls of a St. Bernard puppy, but I am retracting that statement now due to the proven fact that no dog could possibly match Annistyn's "Drool Pool." I didn't know that a child who weighs less than 1/10 of what I do could produce enough sticky slimy goo to cover anything and everything within an arm's reach. Ridiculous. 

In other news, she still looks absolutely nothing like me. :)

Snowy Day...

It snowed the day Annistyn was born and again on her 3 Month Birthday. I guess this little girl is a real "snow angel." Since the snow in Suwanee was pretty much non-existent, Annistyn and I decided to spend the day with my family where there was no shortage of the powdery white stuff. Crazy how a 30 minute drive North can produce such a dramatic change in scenery! 

Here is Annistyn and her Snowman. She loved him! 

My "Blingin" baby Girl...

Little Anni ventured into the fabulous world of getting her ears pierced! I have to admit that she is indeed an absolute doll! (Perhaps I am biased, but she is by far the most beautiful baby I have ever seen.) 

I have been waiting to get her ears pierced for a little over a month. She managed to survive the brutal requirement of having her first shots (See the "Purple Band-Aid" post for details on that occasion), so now she was all ready! 

Surprisingly, it was much easier than I had anticipated. My Mom (Mimi), Annistyn, and I picked out these itty bitty little 14K gold diamond stud earrings.  (Ok, so Anni couldn't have cared less which ones we picked out. She was asleep, but I asked her if she liked them and she didn't disagree, and that was good enough for me.) I filled out the paperwork, read the disclaimers, and started getting Anni ready. 

They marked her ears with little purple dots to insure the earrings would be even with each other. This, to me, was the most difficult part. Her little ears tend to stick out at the top; therefore, her ear lobes are really close to her head making it nearly impossible to see if these purple dots were in line with one another.  After getting a second and third opinion on whether they were level, I was fully satisfied and off we went to the next step: Ear #1!

The lady who pierced her ears was very friendly. We watched as she prepared the gun with Anni's new "Bling." She positioned the gun and counted 1.....2.....3....

Ear #1 was over and done. Anni barely even cried. (She's such a trooper!)

We turned her around, and the process was repeated for ear #2. 

As soon as she had started, it was over. Anni cried for all of 5 seconds, whimpered a little bit, and forgot about the entire thing! 

A Skullet!?!?!?!?

Annistyn is now 2.5 months old, and she is changing everyday! Rick and I were thumbing through the pictures taken only mere moments after she entered this world, and it was almost as if we were looking at a completely different child. 

She has somehow managed to lose all the hair on the back of her head with the exception of the long strands at the nape of her neck. My little brother, Caleb, has decided that his niece is sporting a "Skullet." Now, I'm not sure exactly what comprises a "skullet," so I Googled it. (Ah... the All-Knowing Google!) To my surprise, and devastation, he was correct. My beautiful Anni indeed has a "Skullet."

Google's Definition of a Skullet: 

My Still Beautiful, Annistyn: 

A Stroll in the Park

Rick and I decided that it would be the perfect afternoon to take Anni on her first official walk in the park. The weather was perfect, and we couldn't have asked for anything better. I do have to give props to the city of Suwanee for opening a very beautiful and extremely convenient park less than 1/2 a mile from our house. Kudos to them! (It's about time we put some of that tax money to good use!)

We strapped Annistyn into her stroller, put Skyler on his leash, and off we went. (I never realized how close sidewalks are to the road! Whose idea was that?) Anyway, Anni seemed to thoroughly enjoy her little expedition. It was so precious to see such a genuine curiosity for the world. It makes me wish I could remember what it was like to see everything for the first time.

Taking time out of my day just to stroll in the park with my family really brought on a new appreciation for the little things in life. Rick and I both had this indescribable feeling of leadership and guidance. It was truly an amazing experience being able to give Annistyn a small glimpse of the beautiful world around her. 

2 Months and Purple Bandaids (02.05.09)

On Sunday, Annistyn turned 2 months old. (Which is a nice accomplishment for her, Rick, and me.) Everyday brings something new and leads to something else. On this particular day, Anni began the  long bumpy road of immunizations. Prior to Anni, I never imagined it would be so difficult to see a child in pain; however, I sucked it up, took a big girl pill, and prepared for the worst.

TIP: A little word of caution for those of you who are considering having children in the future or are expecting, please leave the queasy hubby's at home. This is not a visit for the faint at heart. 

Today, Annistyn ventured back to the doctor's office for her 2 month check-up. Unlike the past several times, she was finally able to wait in the "Well" side of the waiting room. (Not sure how much of a difference that little divider wall really makes when trying to corral all the germs, but oh well.) When they called her back, it started as a normal doctor's visit for poor unsuspecting Anni. She weighed in at a whopping 10 pounds 14 ounces and stretched out to an impressive 22 1/2 inches long. She began her usual bout of melting hearts with her contagious smile and drooling all over everyone who so much as looked at her. (I know, I know... I have a 2 month old child, not a St. Bernard puppy, but really... she drooled all over everyone.)

The doctor came in and gave her the full once over. Everything was perfect! Ears, nose, tummy, lungs, etc. all passed with flying colors. All in all, Annistyn was as healthy and happy as she could be.... for now. I'm pretty sure she sensed something was amiss. 

Since she missed her 1 month check-up due to her battle with a nasty case of RSV, she was due for five injections and one oral vaccine. Now, it would only make sense to me that they combine them all into one or maybe two BIG injections. Boy was I wrong! (I'm hoping they do this for some medical/scientific reason and not for billing purposes.) The nurses (Yes... Nurses... as in plural) walked in with a tray full of shots! (All of which looked huge in comparison to the tiny fat rolls on little Anni.) I had to sign all sorts of paperwork and listen to the lengthy list of beyond scary side effects that they have to tell you. If you weren't nervous enough before, then you were definitely ready to pee in your pants now. At this point, Annistyn had quietly drifted off to sleep in my arms and was snoozing peacefully. But that was all about to be short-lived. 

I was instructed to lay her down on the table and hold her arms so she couldn't move. They forced the oral vaccine into her mouth, and she reluctantly swallowed. "Not so bad," I thought to myself. 

Now, I swear I felt that goofy Scooby-Doo look overcome me when one of the nurses looked at me and said, "Ok, start blowing in her face." I have to admit that I was very baffled by these instructions, but before I had time to really process the reason why she was telling me to breathe all over her, the intense moments of screaming began. She had been double-teamed! The waterworks were on and coming at full force. One nurse was shoving a shot in her left thigh while the other was sticking her right. But as quickly as they started it was over. All five shots had been expertly and promptly administered. 

Both of her little thighs were hidden under five huge purple band-aids.  I swooped her up expecting at least several minutes of inconsolable crying, but miraculously, she was already over the entire ordeal and drifting back off to Dreamland. (Now, if it were only that easy to get Rick to get a shot, then we would be set. I think I will call them back tomorrow and see if they can give him a flu shot.)

Today, I realized that Annistyn is going to get hurt, but she's going to be ok.  I also learned how much I truly love this little girl. Even though it is difficult to make children do things that aren't necessarily fun for either them or yourself, it is important that we, as parents, prepare them for the future. Whether it be physically or emotionally, children need guidance. We were blessed with the opportunity to be their parents, and it is our job to insure that they are shaped, molded, and trained in the eyes of the Lord.  So, purple Band-Aids may not be able to fix everything, but on this particular day, they seemed to do the trick.

Oh... I almost forgot. I did manage to ask after it was all over with why they told me to blow in her face. And.... it is to prevent them from holding their breath and tensing up while getting their shots. Interesting.