These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

 

 

Utah

Last weekend Annika and I went to Utah to see some of my family while Scott went to London and Brussels on a business trip. It was fun to reintroduce Annika now that she can do so many things and has a much more developed personality than when we visited in August.

I was thrilled that she was able to spend time with both of her great grandmas.

Own Grandma's pill bottle was the perfect toy.

She loved hanging out at both grandmas' houses, crawling around and taking baths.

 I was excited for her to see her grandparents, too. Unfortunately, she decided to be afraid of people for the first time in her life and cried any time I wasn't holding her or at least in eyesight. Luckily, she warmed up to everyone after the first day.

 

 

She got to see lots of other relatives, too. Here she is with her cousin Emma, who was great at making her laugh. I even paid Emma to babysit while I took a shower -- she's like the baby whisperer.

Second-cousin Harrison and cousin Alex

My cousins Sean and Allison.

Second-cousin Caitlyn, who is four months younger

Despite the size difference, she warmed up to her great-uncle Adam right away.

Annika loved the bowling alley -- she sat and watched contently for an hour or so.

We also went a restaurant I'd been to as a kid called the Idle Isle in a small town not far from where my grandma grew up. She went there for dinner after her high school graduation. Annika loved it there, too.

Behind Annika you can see the old-fashioned soda fountain.

Annika has started making funny faces. If she looks chubby in this picture, it's because she is! In the past few months she's gained six pounds and went from being in the 3rd to the 50th percentile for weight.

I was nervous about flying alone with her, but she did great on the two flights to Utah. On the way there, she got the hiccups really loudly and two rows of people began cracking up.

As for the red-eye flight home... let's just say the woman next to us who woke Annika up mid-flight got what she asked for; however, Annika was all smiles by the time we returned to JFK. 

Our Little Valentine

Happy Valentines Day, from our house to yours!

 

 

 Opening her present from Gramps and Granny J. 

 8 months = old enough to give Valentines to daycare friends.