A Very Merry Christmas!

Mya's first Christmas was fabulous!  On Christmas Eve she and I headed up to Greg's mom and dad's house to celebrate with the Telisak side of the family.  

Mya couldn't have been less interested in what presents she got.  She was way more interested in the wrapping paper, shredding up the pieces, and putting them in her mouth.  What fun!

Mya got some fun presents including new books and a pretty purple outfit!

Mya even got to hang out with her Uncle George!

After our time up at the Telisak's, we went back to my mom and dad's house and waited for Greg to get back from work.  Mya found some fun places to hide, like under the table!

The grown-ups had our traditional homemade pizza...Mya was in bed by that point!  Maybe next year!

On Christmas morning Mya woke up to all of the goodies that Santa had brought her.  Again, she wasn't initially interested in the gifts.  This time she was excited about her stocking and the loads of Puffs that he brought her!  She knew instantly which stocking was hers!

Mya got a lot of super fun toys like a new doll, a Mickey Mouse airplane walker, a farm, pajamas, books, a ladybug bean bag, and Curious George.  Uncle Noah even got her a very fun talking Elmo.  Mya likes it, even though it is incredibly annoying!

We got in a picture documenting our first Christmas as a family of three!

The snow made it bright outside, hence the squinting!

On Christmas morning we headed up to my Auntie Beck and Uncle Doug's house for more celebrations.  Mya feasted on meatballs and weinies and cheese for lunch!  She got some more awesome presents including touch and feel books, clothes, an art easel, games, and a cow clock.  She loves them all!

Since it was Christmas, we got took advantage of the photo ops!  Here Mya is with Grama Shell and Grampa Bruce.

The Manning/Telisak Family!

With cousins Lisa and Cassie...

...and with Auntie Beck and Uncle Doug.  She was smitten with Uncle Doug on Christmas!  They played peek-a-boo and Mya thought he was a hoot!

Later in the afternoon we headed back to Greg's mom and dad's house for one last Christmas celebration.  Mya and Grandma Pat checked out the ornaments on the tree.  One of Mya's new things is putting her lips together in an O shape and saying "oooooohhhhh!"  (Think monkey sounds!)  Another new thing is pointing at things...it seems like she is picking up on new things every day!

Mya was very interested in her cousin Yasmin.  Yasmin wasn't so interested in Mya.

Aunt Mary and Uncle Steven came home from Texas too!  Mya the Bee misses them!  (At least she misses Mary...Steven picks on her too much!)

Another photo op with Tanya and Grandpa Steve.

By the end of the weekend Mya was just tuckered out.  There's nothing more precious than watching a baby sleep!

Thank you to everyone who made Mya's first Christmas so special!

Ten Months Old!

Mya turned 10 months old on Christmas Eve.  She sure is one fun little lady to be around!  

She has been converted into almost all "table food" now.  Her favorite foods include bananas, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, applesauce, buns, waffles, and french toast sticks.  Dinner time has become a lot messier since the table food conversion.  And we know when she is done because she shoves everything off her tray and onto the floor.  Last week I was picking up some Puffs off the floor and suddenly felt french toast sticks falling onto my head.  Yep, that's fun!

Mya usually goes down for bed around 7/7:30.  When she doesn't have to be waken up for daycare she'll sleep until 6 or 7.  Her napping seems to change with whoever is watching her.  If it is me or Greg, she'll typically take an hour nap in the morning and an hour + nap in the afternoon.  However, when she is at daycare she'll take one long nap after lunchtime.

She continues to work on her walking skills and will take a few steps at a time.  She is a power walker, though, when walking behind her Dora car or Mickey Mouse airplane.  She'll be wearing out a path down our hallway soon enough!

Mya loves her baby dolls.  She also loves touch and feel books.  Her favorite book is called In Bluebird's Nest.  She will actually sit quite still when someone is reading that to her!  She also loves bathtime and would probably stay in there all day if she could!

Up until a couple of weeks ago, Mya has never had an attachment to anything (i.e. blankets or toys).  Lately, when she is tired, she'll snuggle a soft blanket around her face.  That's our cue that it's time for a nap!

Mya loves being around other little kids, and we are so thankful for that!  She is still learning how to be gentle with them, as she thinks that patting faces is fun!  She is a nurturing baby too, or at least we think so.  At Christmas at my aunt and uncle's house there was another little baby there.  He was laying on the floor and fussing so Mya rubbed a small, soft blanket on his face, as if to say, "This is what soothes me, so give it a try!"  She continued to do this several times! Very intuitive little girl!

It is unreal to think that in only two short months our little snuggle bug will be a year old! We love her so much!

What is she NOT into?

As every parent knows, their children keeps them on their toes.  Mya is no exception.  She's a fast little squirt and, as the title of this blog post states, she's basically into everything.  She enjoys going to her toy bucket and flinging (literally flinging) toys across the room.

Tonight she thought it would be fun to take everything out of her diaper bag.  In her defense, it was left wide open...almost begging her to get into it.  She also picked up a diaper and put it back into the bag.  I'd say we're making some progress in the "pick up after yourself" department!

Mya continues to test out her walking skills.  She'll take up to three steps at a time, of course, it needs to be on her terms!  She is a determined little thing!

A funny little quirk she has is that when the phone rings, she makes this kind of face.  Ah, the little things that excite a child!

Mya also enjoys getting her temperature taken.  We purchased a temperal thermometer and it makes a beeping sound as it moves across the forehead.  She sits so incredibly still, it's amazing!

This little bugger turns 10 months old on Christmas Eve!  Hard to believe!

Hugs and Kisses

Just recently Mya has picked up on the whole hugging thing.  I took one of her dolls and gave it a big hug.  Then I gave it to her and she hugged it too!  And sometimes she gets so excited about hugging a doll that she squeezes it super duper tight and screams!  So fun!

Mya's kisses are the best.  A little (or a lot) slobbery, but still the best!  

A Movin' and a Shakin'!

On Saturday, Mya took her first step!  It was kind of like a quick step/lunge for mom, but whatever!  Then today Tina said she took three steps from a chair to a coffee table!  (She also has a black and blue mark on her forehead from falling over, but that's all part of the game!)  

It's only a matter of time that she'll be tooling all over the place!

When Mya was teeny tiny, one surefire way to calm her down was the vacuum cleaner.  Now, for whatever reason, it freaks her out.  If she sees the vacuum cleaner coming toward her, she'll turn around and go the opposite way.  Today Greg tried to get her over her fear!

She wanted to make sure he was close by!  How sweet!

Mya also loves the phone.  I'm not sure if it is because it lights up or the sounds it makes, but she is fixated on it.  Whenever we get a call, she gets giddy.  Last night we let her explore it a little bit.

She wasn't so happy when I took it away, though!

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful!

 Goodness gracious, it's snowing!  I took a quick picture of Greg outside to document the Blizzard of 2010.  While I was taking this picture...

 Mya was busy doing this...

  

I should have realized that when I stopped hearing noise that she was up to no good.  Oh well, at least it's just diapers strewn all over and not that she has unwrapped the presents under the tree!

We've stayed pretty bundled up today!  Not a whole lot has been going on...it's nice to have quiet weekends once in awhile.

Daddy Daycare

We are now accepting applications for potential "clients" into Daddy Daycare!  No, not really, but Greg got a whiff of what it's like to spend allllllll day with Mya!

Our regular daycare provider was sick again today, so Greg was gracious enough to take a day off of work so that I didn't have to take three in a row off.

I think he realized when Mya woke up and needed not only a new diaper and change of clothes, but a bath that he was going to have an interesting day!

Not exactly sure what this look is, but pucker up!

Mya got a hearty breakfast of waffles!  Yummy!  She loves those carbs!

Both Mya and Greg got a nice nap in and then it was time to build a fort!  What fun they had today!

It's Been a "Green Beans in the Ear" Kind of a Week

This picture kind of sums up how our week has been.

Greg had to work Monday, he didn't feel good and so after only a couple hours at work he came home.  At around 3 p.m. on Monday I started feeling miserable.  I ended up staying home Tuesday and Wednesday from work.  The flu bug hit us hard.  I have to say it's very tough taking care of a little lady when you're not feeling good at all.  Mya wanted me to hold her, but I didn't want to get her sick.  Thank goodness for Greg, as I was in no shape to take care of Mya.  He's such a great daddy!

Needless to say, this week, taking pictures hasn't been a priority.  However, there are some new ones for the blog!  Mya loves books.  She used to just chew on them.  Now she'll open up the cover, look at the pictures, and "talk."  Books occupy her for a good chunk of time!  It's great!  The teacher-mommy in me is super excited about that!

 Here's a little blast from the past.  This picture was taken in September when Mya was about 6 months old.  It just cracks me up!

It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Falls Face First in the Snow!

In preparation of the anticipated snowfall, Mya broke out her thematic snow days shirt on Friday!  She and I layed pretty low today.  We stayed in comfy jammies all day long!  After her nap, I wanted to see what she would do in the snow.  She liked it at first...

...after a minute or so, she wasn't so fond of it... 

 ...and when she decided she'd had enough and would try to escape, she tipped over!

I had a hunch she wouldn't like it at this age, but heck, I had to get a few cute pictures of her in her snowsuit!

I gave Mya mac and cheese for lunch today and it was a success!  I tried to give it to her on a spoon first and of course, she spit it out.  Once I put it on her tray, she gobbled it right up.  Apparently she had to be the one to feed herself.  At her 9 month check-up, her doctor said she would start "asserting her independence."  Check!

We've been giving her a sippy cup with either juice or water.  She's still working on the concept of sucking hard.  But I found a sippy cup with a different lid, so she's actually able to bite/chew on it and water comes out.  I'm sure she'll be a sippy cup pro in no time!