The Verdict Is In!!!

For quite some time now (probably since the day she was born) I have been told by many......friends, family, strangers....that Alida looks just like her daddy. I didn't want to believe it....I still don't. Of course I love that she resembles him...but couldn't she look a little like me too?? Unfortunately, it has been confirmed this evening that Alida resembles her father 100%!!! I hate to admit it but it's true. Here is the proof.....you be the judge!

Matt around 1 year old.

Alida at 10 1/2 months.

Erin at 13 months.

Alida's Play Room

Alida’s 1st birthday is fast approaching and like any first time mom I am soooo excited!!! We are going to celebrate her birthday with a themed party at her grandparent’s house. The theme will be “the very hungry caterpillar”!! I am really excited about it!! HEEHEE!! I have yet to find any decorations that go along with the theme….I guess Eric Carle’s book hasn’t been all that popular for creating a birthday party. Alida absolutely loves the book though and I think the whole analogy is very fitting….she is emerging from a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly more and more every day (I know I am very korny!! I can’t help it!)!!

Matt and I are going to turn the office into a playroom as her gift. I don’t have a completely baby-proofed room yet so I plan to make the play room just that. The poor girl is always finding something that she can’t have and I am tired of hindering her curiosity!! So….I plan to paint the room a vibrant 'granny smith apple green' and I found a “recipe” for chalk board paint that I am going to use on the bottom half of one of the walls. We are thinking of covering the top half of the same wall with cork. All in all I think Alida will LOVE it!

Alida has been a bundle of FUN lately! She always seems to be smiling, giggling, babbling....such a happy girl! She is a pro at saying "DaDa" but has yet to attempt the more important "MaMa". I work on it each and every day!! She toddles around the house with precision usually carrying her "shoes" chanting "da-da-DA-Da-da-Da-da". She can now get to a standing position right from the floor! She almost has three teeth....two on the bottom and one is popping in up top. I have to say that her eating and sleeping habits leave much to be desired. Predictability is not Alida's middle name. One day she could take 2 long naps and eat all her meals with vigor. The next day she could sleep 10 minutes and pick at her food like it was foreign to her. I still don't get it! She really is a lot of fun these days and if all we have to deal with is a picky eater and a non-sleeper then I'll take it! Even without sleep she's a pleasant little angel...well, most of the time. I can't complain much about her nighttime sleep habits though. She is a stupendous sleeper at night!! At 6:30 (without fail) she is ready for her bed...she sometimes "jumps" into bed and even occassionally lets out a happy giggle! She rarely wakes up before 6 am anymore. I still have this idea that it would be nice if she slept until 7 am but I will certainly take what I can get.

Party Time

A few weeks ago we attended a B-Day Party for Alida's best friend....Olivia aka Livvy! Livvy turned 1 on March 12th! How quickly that flew!!! Alida got a little practice in by trying on a birthday hat and taste testing the cake. The hat didn't last but she loved the cake!!! She was a good little girl the entire time...not much of a peep from her! Party goers commented on Alida's ability to walk....whispering things like 'she's too little to walk. look at her legs, they are only a few inches long!' Matt was proud to hear someone comments on her cute little features....calling her a perfect little doll. Geez, I hope Alida's head doesn't get any bigger!! It's already in the 95th percentile!! HA! Here is a picture of Olivia one year ago....the day she was born (Alida is in my belly!!).