Anna Grows

So where do you go for relief when you are 18 months old and your final eye teeth are coming in? Why to the freezer for a popsicle of course! Anna has almost all of her teeth, but there are a few still coming in. Last night she requested a "popickle" for a little relief. As you can see, she was rather blue.....

Coloring eggs, eating her first jellybean, and hunting easter eggs in the yard were just a few of the holiday activities Anna enjoyed over Easter. She enjoyed coloring the eggs the most, particularly when we tried to get fancy and sponge paint them. This looked easy on the box but resulted in both Anna and her Mom with multi-colored hands for several days afterwards (the eggs looked tye-dyed). On Easter morning, the family attempted to go to mass but made it too late to get a seat. Instead, Anna hunted for plastic easter eggs with foil-covered chocolates inside. This became a problem when she kept trying to eat the candy with the foil on it. She also enjoyed her first jellybean. With all of the candy and egg activities, Anna proved to be a big fan of Easter. We will work on the true meaning of the holiday next year.

Anna made her first trip to Florida the first weekend in March with a visit to Lido Beach in Sarasota. She had a great time running on the beach, digging in the sand, climbing on the beach chairs, and running through the streets of Sarasota. Mom and Dad were exhausted from trying to keep up with her. Of course Mom and Dad were also exhausted due to the fact that Anna preferred to sleep in the King bed rather than the small crib (really, who would want to sleep in a crib when there is a big bed anyway). After dinner each night, Anna felt the need to sprint down the sidewalks to the amusement of the retiree crowd. She made quite an impression. She was not ready to come home and is trying to talk her grandma and grandpa into getting a condo so she can visit more frequently. Look out Florida......Anna will be back.

Anna celebrated Valentine's Day with a big party at Ms. Be's where she won the prize for the best decorated valentine box. She also received flowers and a balloon from her Dad (she was particularly excited about the balloon).

January 10 brought about 4 inches of snow to the Washington area and Anna had the opportunity to play in the snow for the first time. This involved snowpants, a parka, a hat, waterproof gloves that were two sizes too big and pink princess snow boots. Although she could not walk fast, she enjoyed the snow (and was quite fashionable).

Thanks to her Uncle Rod and Uncle Tim, Anna was appropriately dressed for the National Championship game on January 7. After marching around the living room to the Ohio State Band and cheering "GO" during the pre-game show, Anna had to go to bed. That was fortunate for her as she missed Ohio State embarass itself again against an SEC team. She will still wear her Ohio State gear proudly and hope for better luck in basketball season.

Happy 2008! Anna joined Mom and Dad along with Gramma and Grandpa for a chilly walk at Great Falls National Park. As always, Anna enjoyed running along the path and admiring all the dogs. The running was somewhat challenging as Anna was breaking in a new pair of sneakers. Fortunately, Mom and Dad made a visit to the Stride Rite store and had Anna's foot measured. Unfortunately, Anna was apparently wearing shoes that were two sizes too small (rookie parent mistake). Who knew that a toddler's foot spreads out more when they walk? Great Falls park provided ample running opportunity for Anna to try out her new shoes.