Fun with Ani

Just hanging out with An-Bon these last few days has been so much fun. She's just her own little person now and she literally seems to be changing on a daily basis. I pick her up from daycare and they always have something new for me -- like how she really likes the other babies (as in the 3-month-old babies) and actually handed a rattle to one of them. She's crawling now and climbing on anything and everything within reach. I used to be able to set her on the floor with a toy and then leave her at daycare, but now she just takes off and is totally mobile! She's also quite a jabberjaw (she must take after her dad!) -- she just babbles while playing and says "dada" and "blah blah". I'm trying to get the word "mama" out of her next! 

I just feel so blessed to have Ani and am so happy to be able to spend so much time with her. She is entirely too much fun right now!  :)

Destination Wedding

Last Saturday, we attended a wedding reception in Maple Grove for our friends Tony & Jess - smart people, they decided a destination wedding was the way to go and got hitched in FLA two weeks prior with about 35 family members and close friends in tow. We hadn't seen them in long time and only knew one other couple, John & Kate, at the reception (the couple who are actually responsible for getting Monte & me together). It was such a fun time catching up though and then, of course, dancing later. Ani was safe and happy at home with Steph-- thanks again for watching her!

Crib Time...

Apparently it's not just for sleeping anymore......

Winter Pub Crawl on Bikes

This past Sunday was the 1st annual Hiawatha Cyclery/Artisanal Imports pub crawl/bike ride/social event. Eleven of us met at Hiawatha Cyclery to make the cold trek to the Northeast Minneapolis Bulldog. We were joined at the Bulldog by approximately 20 other cycling and beer enthusiasts. We were offered a deal on one of the beers that Lanny reps. The food as usual was good and filling - a perfect match to a few cold pints. A couple of my St. Cloud friends, Newman and Justin, joined the festivities as well.

From the Bulldog, we rode south to Mackenzie's, then to the Bulldog Uptown, where we met Chad, another St. Cloud transplant. We ended up spending a lot of time at the 2nd Bulldog (we had to wait an extra hour before The Blue Nile, pub stop #4, opened) and this may have been the turning point for some (time+strong beer=turning point). Despite the sub-zero temperatures, most of us had a warm feeling in our bellies as we rode east to The Blue Nile. Essentially this is where the pub crawl ended - Lanny gave away the rest of the door prizes, both VelociPete, Bill, and myself walked away with free schwag.

From there, we headed north to the final stop of the evening (sans Pete's camera), which was Town Hall Brewery, where we enjoyed our 2nd round of food and final pints before making the cold trek home. All in all, a good day of riding with good friends and good beer. Thanks to Hiawatha Cyclery and Artisanal Imports for putting it on.

Play Date

Ani had some friends over last week for a play date. Aside from Tate trying to attack her, we all had a really fun time. It's cute seeing the little ones interact with each other. 

The other three kids were crawling around and pulling themselves up on the jungle toy - Ani is desperately trying to crawl every time we put her on the floor. She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth but so far that is the extent of it. If we set her in her crib though, she can pull herself up on the railing to her knees. In no time at all, we will have a mobile little girl who we'll have to watch even closer than we already do! 

Special Delivery

7 Months

Happy 2009! Our little An-Bon is now 7 months old... and becoming not so little. Here's the standard bear picture that I use to capture these month-milestones. Check out her earliest ones for comparison! 

Some recent happenings in Ani's world:

• Imitating sounds we make
• Sitting alone, with no support
• Standing, with support, and holding onto coffee table
• A lot more chattering and trying to communicate with us
• Reaching for toys and trying to scoot forward on tummy to get at them
• Menu has extended to include sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, peaches, bananas, avocadoes, and squash