Anna Grows

Anna and her parents enjoyed a fantastic week on the beach at the Outer Banks in Duck, NC. Anna decided to forgo eating sand this year (something she did nonstop during her first trip to the beach last year, causing panic between her parents) in favor of running in the waves and building sandcastles with Dad. Well, she really did not build the sand castles. Dad built the castles and Anna knocked them down. Her big discovery during vacation was not the sand, or the fish, or the birds, but the Wiggles. Thanks to the kids video collection at the condo, Anna became a big fan of the Wiggles. Anna also decided to start calling her father by his first name. The weather was beautiful every day but one and the rainy day provided an opportunity to visit the North Carolina state aquarium. Anna enjoyed all sorts of fish and turtles, including sharks. Anna is definitely a big fan of the beach and looks forward to going back (as do her parents)!

After a week with Gramma, Anna's cousins Andrew and Luke came down to visit from Massachusetts. Anna was treated to a soccer lesson, more ball, swinging at the park and several games of "ring around the rosey." Their visit was too short for Anna and she is looking forward to their return.

Unfortunately, Ms. Be needed to return to Vietnam to care for her sick father leaving Anna without a babysitter for the week. This was particularly problematic for Mom who was starting a new job and Dad who was booked for work. Fortunately, Gramma was able to fly out from Ohio on Monday to take care of Anna for a fun-filled week. Gramma and Anna colored pictures, sang songs, played with blocks, read books, played ball, and went to the park. Well, they went to the park until Gramma had to chase Anna down the sidewalk and decided she was no longer equipped to sprint for long distances. Both Anna and Gramma had a good time and were equally exhausted. Thanks Gramma for helping out!

What do you do when your hair is growing at different rates and in your eyes? First, DON'T let your parents cut your bangs unless they have haircutting experience. After a botched bang cut by the parents, Aunt Gayle took mercy on Anna and took her to a salon for a professional cut. After some bribery by the stylist with a sucker, Anna is now sporting the baby bob. Anna is pictured here with her new cut. Aunt Gayle's cat, Skibo, is pictured in the background.

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.