Grandparents are Great!!

Grandma & Pawpaw, Grandma & Pop....these are Alli's wonderful grandparents! We've got some creative Grandma's don't we? Just teasing. I guess they will have to be Grandma Peggy and Grandma Elsie which I'm thinking might lead to some nicknames due to Alli mispronouncing them. And then, we will have some adorable "grandma" names. Time will tell!!

We recently had visits from both sets of Grandparents! Here are some pics from the visits. Unfortunately, Pawpaw was on the wrong side of the camera so I don't have any pics of him to include. We'll get you next time Pawpaw.

Grandma Peggy loving on Alli!

Pop and Grandma Elsie keeping a close watch on Alli

Pop and Alli on the hammock

Father's Daughter

Toilet handles, plastic coat hangers, magazines, dog toys, vertical blinds, tags, dried leaves...
Have you guessed it? These are a few of Alli's favorite things. Forget all the colorful, musical, light-up toys- she'll take the coat hanger any day over those. I hear that's not uncommon. I just find it amusing and I guess it's justification for not spending a fortune on all that stuff! Don't worry, she has plenty of it and I'm sure she'll get lots more. And maybe she'll even start to appreciate it a little more in the future! None of that has anything to do with today's pictures. I just thought it was worth discussing.

About the pictures: Alli absolutely loves to be outdoors. She is definitely her father's daughter! She practically begs to go outside sometimes. She definitely fits in around here. And hopefully that means she'll enjoy camping, hiking, fishing, etc. 'cause that's all in the near future for her!
And thankfully, she's learning to not put every single leaf and blade of grass in her mouth, which is smart because that means she gets to spend more time crawling through the grass!

Who? Me?

Can I please go outside?

I'm gonna get it!

Just hangin' out in the hammock (that's Pop hangin on to me)

I got it!

Our Little Stinker

I know in a couple of short years, Alli will have a preference about what costume she wears for Halloween. So while I am in total control, I can dress her in whatever I want. And, call me crazy (or cruel), but I wanted her to be a skunk. Maybe I have a strange sense of humor, but I think it is funny 'cause it has lots of meaning. As most of you know, babies often stink (dirty diapers, spit up, etc.) Also, as Alli is beginning to develop her personality, we are finding out that she can be quite a "little stinker" at times. I like to say that she is strong-willed and determined (it sounds nicer that way)! Anyway, Happy Halloween!!!

Is that a skunk stripe or a mohawk?

Cutest skunk in the world!

Why do I have to sit on this pumpkin?

Oh... it's for the camera again.

Pip Squeak

We had a doctor's appointment yesterday for Alli's 9 mo check up and she weighs a WHOPPING 16lbs 15.5oz. Yes, that's sarcasm 'cause for those of you that don't have the infant growth chart memorized, just under 17lbs is a little on the small side for a 9 mo old. The doctor referred to her as a pip squeak :-) Not to worry though, she eats anything you put in front of her, and quite enthusiastically I might add. I was always a small child, so the doc just says it's a genetic growth pattern. Sounds good to us. We'd like to keep her small as long as possible!

These are some pics we took of our pip squeak just the other day. The rocking chair has been passed down Dwaine's side of the family from the time he and his brothers were babies. She seems to enjoy it!

Hello... I need some help here!

Look closely- there's a tooth in there!! Finally!

Just chillin'

Bye-bye now!(Okay, in all honesty, that wasn't an intentional wave. I just snapped

the pic at the right time, but we're working on the real thing!)

Baths are fun!

Okay, here goes... I'm trying this blog thing out. Now that I've got it all set up, hopefully it will be fun and easy and I'll be a successful blogger?!:-) I don't even know if I'm using the right terminology but I've got to sound official.

Now for the first post...

Alli has really started to enjoy her baths lately. She even protests a little when we take her out. Thankfully the protest doesn't last long, until of course we try to put her pj's on her. She hates that for some reason so Dwaine and I team up on her (yes, it takes two grown adults to put pajamas on an 8 mo old). Anyway, here are some recent pics of Alli in the bath. Isn't she adorable?




Goofy girl!!


This cup makes a great toy!

Do you have the camera out again mom?

Beautiful happy baby!

Oh no... not the pajamas!