More Mardi Gras

I have so many pictures from Mardi Gras that I would like to share--in fact I might have one more post in the works! We had the best time and Mae really loved all the sights, music and people!

Friday night we went to see Chris and Norm preparing to ride in Krewe D'Etat. Mae was obssessed with the High Priest and I believe if we we would have let her go home with him, she would have been the happiest baby in New Orleans. She squealed and smiled and pointed at him the whole time. Unfortunately, I only got one grainy picture of her and her favorite guy:

Not so sure about daddy in a mask...
On Sunday we went out to Magazine Street to watch Toth. Mae started getting the hang of putting her hands up when the floats came by to throw things...



And on Tuesday we went out to watch Rex and stayed for a few truck floats. Mae had fun in her little tutu and loved sharing a pack n play with her friend Avery!

Mae was very happy with all the loot she came home with, she's been playing with beads and stuffed animals ever since!

11 Months Old

Dear Mae,

You turned 11 months old today and the fact that we only have one month until you're 1 year old is just blowing my mind. This year has literally flown by and I remember going into the hospital to deliver you like it was yesterday.

Your 10th month has been no exception in regards to new tricks and blooming personality. You point and wave at anything and anyone. I love it because when you point you will say, "Oooooh" and wait for me to respond. When you point at food, you go, "mmmmmmm!" You definitely have dad ("da") and mom ("mamamamama") down and you most recently started saying, "Ni-ni-ni-ni" when you want to go to bed...it's pretty much adorable.

Resting in your stroller

Your 10th month has been devoted to trying to walk independently and at the end of this month you did just that--you took 5-6 consecutive steps before tumbling to your bottom (Feb. 14th!). At this point, you are still most comfortable walking hand in hand with an adult. It's funny because you actually don't like crawling anymore...it's either cruise, or if there's nothing to cruise along, cry until someone comes to help you walk. And speaking of crying, you have started throwing mini temper tantrums when we don't do what you want us to--it's giving me a little glimpse of what's to come and I'm a little nervous that you were created by two very strong-willed parents...

You aren't much for being carried anymore either. I guess you are becoming a little more independent and sometimes I just crave for you to sit peacefully in my arms or rest your head on my shoulder--and every once in a while you will do just that...so I stop, I breath in your sweet smell and listen to your deep breaths or your little hums and I just can't but help to feel like the luckiest mama in all the land.

Trying on your tutu I made you for Mardi Gras.

Not so sure, haha.

Watching the rain poor from the sky

Gobbling up yet another banana, your absolute favorite food right now.

Cracking up with daddy

My girl, you got your first tooth this month and it looks so stinkin' cute. I think you might have a few more on the way and I like that they are coming slowly because I know I'm going to miss your cute gummy smile.

You make my heart go all-a-flutter. You giggle, you dance (and sing and sweetly hum!), you laugh hard, you oooooh and ahhhhhh, and you like to share what you find and you talk with me about everything. Being your mama is truly a delight!

I love you my baby, just as you are, always and forever.

Love,

Your Mama

Mardi Gras Parades!

Mae experienced her first Mardi Gras parade on Sunday, February 12th. She loved hearing the bands and watching the dancers. She was mesmerized by the huge floats and the men in costume. Overall, I think we have a serious parader on our hands!

Fueling up on bananas
Rolling to St. Charles Street

The best place to watch the parades

Parading with a friend who was showing Mae how to get the best throws--thanks Anne Cameren!

Here come the floats!

What a catch!!! (thanks Aunt Shelley!)

Bopping to the music!

Oh what a day!

Tid Bits

Mae is getting closer to her 1 year birthday and I couldn't be in more disbelief. I swear it's like she was born yesterday, but at the same time, she has never not been part of our lives. I can't begin to describe how much I love her, how intensely I love her, how my life has been impacted by her, and just how much I freaking love her.

Those lips! Our naps together! Her warmth! Her sweet sleep sounds!

Her looooooooove for shoes! Her "guilty" looks! Her curiosity!

Her button nose! Her chub! Her arms wrapped tightly around my neck!

I seriously love her like crazy.

Mae is 10 Months Old!

Dear Mae,

You turned 10 months old on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Unfortunately, you were in the midst of battling your first sickness so it wasn’t as much of a celebration as we had hoped for. However, when we sang you happy birthday we managed to get a good smile and a little squeal from you! Even when you were sick, you tried to smile and giggle, only to realize that everything still hurt.

Your 9th month has been full of development, smiles, laughter, tumbles and bouncing (ha!). You are pretty confident in your ability to pull up to standing and cruise along just about anything. You love walking along the wall (only to stop at every outlet and try to eat them) and you really enjoy cruising along the kitchen cabinets (only to stop at every knob and try to eat them). You wave at everyone and everything. You clap when you want to make us smile. You throw your hands up in the air when we yell “touchdown!” You point to pictures you want us to take you to and you giggle in delight looking at everyone’s smiles in the photographs. Quite possibly one of my favorite things on this planet is watching you outstretch your chubby little pointer finger waving your arm in all directions. I think it’s reflective of your fascination with LIFE! It’s like you’re saying, “Look at EVERYTHING MAMA! Look at the sky and the trees. Look at your beautiful family and their smiles. Look it’s DAAAAAADDY! Aren’t we just the luckiest!” And, my sweet girl, because of you, I can honestly say I do feel like the luckiest. The world is full of wonder and I love watching you explore and develop a interest with all that is around you.

At the end of your 9th month you go sick for the first time. You were sick for 8 days and it was awful. You were so sad and just didn’t understand what had happened. You coughed and snotted everywhere. You only wanted to snuggle with us and sometimes you would just cry which is so unlike you. It was so hard not being able to just “fix it”, but the good news is you’re on the mend and have somehow come out of this with more energy than ever before!

Just into your 10th month you have become a brave little girl and are starting to let go of whatever you’re using as a crutch to walk. You will stop and ponder if you should let go and then suddenly, up fly your hands, arms straight in the air, a freaked out look on your face, and 2 seconds later you’re plopped on the floor. You’re not so sure about the standing solo thing, but you’re determined to figure it out so that you can get more places faster. Keep being brave Mae.

I love you my sweet baby, just as you are, always and forever.

Love,
Your Mama

Play Time!

Mae is really starting to enjoy all of her toys and tries her hardest to figure them out. It's amazing to see what she remembers from the previous day (for example, how the boat opens and how we growl when we see the lion). Here is Mae enjoying playtime in her bedroom...

Playing with Noah's Ark--being super silly!

Finding the "right" animal!

Such a determined look--ha ha!

Sweet chubby fingers...

And adorable little toes!

I love that she is such a happy little girl--she is growing up so fast and I don't want to miss a beat.

Santa Picture 2011!

I really wanted to get a picture of Mae with Santa for her 1st Christmas. Unfortunately, I procrastinated and procrastinated and then I talked myself out of it on 2-3 different occassions (it's too expensive!, she doesn't know any better!, one day we won't have a choice!) but come Christmas Eve my heart felt heavy that we hadn't gotten a Santa picture and my dear hubby set out with me at 7:30am to Lakeside Mall...yes, 7:30AM on Christmas Eve.

We arrived at the bustling mall only to discver the red and green sign that read, "Santa will return at..." and the giant Santa clock set with the big hand pointed at the 12 and the little hand pointed at 10...yup, 10am on Christmas Eve.

I huffed and I puffed, livid that this information was not clearly stated on the mall's website. I told Chris it just wasn't meant to be and that we should leave, enjoy Christmas Eve morning at home, and forget about the darn picture.

Thank goodness I married a patient man, who looked at me, shook his head and told me that we were going to wait for Santa (gasp!). So, wait we did. We walked around the mall, we enjoyed the Christmas music, lights and bustle. We shopped. We ate breakfast...we saw Santa walk in in his street clothes so I proceeded to slam my egg-biscuit-McMuffin (barf). We went to stand in line at 9:30am, Santa was dressed and smiling and already accepting his first kiddos.

We waited for perhaps 10 minutes. Mae sat on Santa's lap in his gigantic sleigh. She couldn't keep her eyes off him. We tried to get her to smile at the camera, but she only wanted to stare at him, then back at me, then back at him. The camera lady took 3 pictures. Santa started to talk to Mae and she started to cry. I wisked her off his lap, we paid $30 for 1 5x7 and 2 3.5x5 pictures. And off we went, I carried her through the mall, we buckled her into her carseat, she fell asleep on the way home and was in her crib just in time for a morning nap.

I love this picture and I will forever cherish this memory.

Pre Christmas and Christmas Eve 2011

In photos--I think all of them are self explanatory.
[I am so very lucky.]