A Photo Book

I've been turning books in at the library the day after they're due (before the library opens, trying to get one extra night to finish them), calling in for an extension on my traffic ticket (the speed limit on our street is 25, which it turns out is slower than you would think), and doing projects at the last minute. 
This is one of them. 
I just finished this little book that I got as a free offer a few months ago, but tonight was the last night.  I actually had an hour and a half to spare before the offer expired once I finished!  Here's the result - not as lovely or descriptive as it could have been, but still a wonderful chance to look back on Mavry's almost 8 months of life outside the womb.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create your own personalized photo books at Shutterfly.com.

"Man, I just cleared out this inbox yesterday!"

(That's Colin's caption for this picture.  What would your caption be?)

We've been putting Mavry on the potty in between the couch and the coffee table for a few months, putting a basket or a book within reach on the lower level of the coffee table for her to look at while she goes. The past few weeks, she's been working on pulling herself up from the potty by holding on to the table.  Just in the past few days she's become really confident in this and today took a step to the right. 

It's so cute when she does this and she really loves the achievement (especially if there is a lit up computer for her to touch!), but it's not a position that she would normally be able to get into herself since she can only stand when she begins on the potty, which is a position we have to put her in.  So, I've started to turn the potty to face the couch or pull it out to where she can't stand up since she's not really developmentally ready to stand. 

This post discusses the downsides of us putting babies in positions they can't get into on their own, and I agree with it, but I am guilty of violating the principles it discusses!

Mavry: 7 Months!

She does the army crawl.


She loves playing with straps and buckles. 

She has overcome her fear of crossing the line into the kitchen from carpet to linoleum.

She tries pulling up, but doesn't get her legs underneath herself yet.

She is experimenting with less naps.

She loves to be in the sitting position but doesn't sit herself up yet.

She loves to eat and experiment with new foods but is not so keen on being fed. 

She makes herself laugh.  (Another way in which she takes after her Daddy.)

(So I'm about 10 days late with this post, but the pictures were taken just two days after 7 months.)

See Mavry at:
6 months
5 months
4 months
3 months
2 months
5 weeks

Texas Trip

We got to visit Texas in August!  We flew in to Austin and drove to Lake Brownwood for a family reunion on my Dad's side of the family.  I hadn't been to that reunion since before I left for Asia, which was in 2003, so I was glad to be able to see a few people on that side of the family and bring Colin and Mavry with me. 

 

Since my parents crashed Colin's family reunion earlier in the summer, Colin's parents joined us in Brownwood.  

 We went back to Austin and got some more family time plus some friend visits. 

 Colin left Austin after the weekend to get back to work, but Mavry and I stayed and went to visit my sister Laura and her family in Burleson.  We went to visit a farm in Cleburne to see the animals and buy some raw milk.  For the rest of my visit, Wesley and Curtis kept asking for "farm milk" to drink since they knew where it came from. 

 

It rained a lot while I was in Burleson!  I love rain and had fun playing in the puddles with my nephews.  My parents came to visit for some more grandkid time since we didn't make it to Abilene.  We enjoyed being treated to some fun restaurants and Mavry really enjoyed all the attention she got from everyone.  She especially loved all the fun times with her cousins.  It's too bad we live so far away!