Howdy folks- hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather that is starting to appear- this is my FAVORITE time of year!
We are doing pretty darn good here- Ashlyn is learning all sorts of new things- she has learned how to sit from her belly- and is just almost crawling! She tends to get up on all fours and rock back and forth, and takes a knee forward.. then sits. She gets around by "commando" crawling everywhere.. she moves forward on her forearms and propels herself with her feet- she gets going pretty fast, but I have a feeling that once the "real" crawling starts.... I am in for some TROUBLE!!! She has also started to pull herself up on things, and is reaching for anything she sees.. I feel like I gave birth to a little monkey most days!!! :P
As a result of my little curious monkeys activities, I have begun to childproof the house.. locks on doors, sliding outlet covers, locks on the cabinets, a table pad on the coffee table- all the goods.. but I have waited on the toilet locks.. I think my husband will protest that one... I keep thinking about a scene in the movie "Baby Mama" where Tina Fey's character has the house baby proofed (including the toilet locks), and she walks by the bathroom where Amy Poehler's character is peeing in the sink saying "There's something wrong with your toilet"... let's hope we don't reenact that one at the Smedstad house.....
This past weekend, we took a family trip to Virginia Beach with my Mother to visit Grandma and Grandpa Allen, and Uncle Drew. It was really wonderful to see family, and to introduce Ashlyn to her Great Grandma, Grandpa and Great Uncle Drew.
Here we are in the airport during our AWESOME 2 hour flight delay- all things considering, baby girl did pretty well...
"I'm ready to FLY!!!!"
Enjoying a cookie while mom and Nana ate dinner- "so tasty"... yet so messy...all the good things in life are.
"The first picture with my Great Grandma Allen, and my Nana- this must be where I get my looks from, I certainly don't get them from mommy!!"
Daddy and Great Grandpa Allen
Four Generations!!!!!
Uncle Drew, and his boy Geoffrey
Geoffrey is thinking "what do you mean I can't nibble on Ashlyn's toes???- they are snack size and everything!!!"
"Me and my Great Grandma Allen- Not too Shabby!!!"
Grandpa helping baby girl learn to walk
"Me and my Nana!"
"Great Grandpa Allen is my buddy!!!"
"Ready to go back home, Mom!!!"
We had a really, really good time. Uncle Drew was so hospitable in letting us crash at his house. It can't be easy to drive a screaming crazy baby around everywhere, plus waking up to baby tantrums at 3am, if you aren't used to it!!! We tried to make things a little easier by offering ear plugs, but no one took us up on our offer!!! :P Mom stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Allen. They had a wonderful time catching up, and I think they really enjoyed meeting Miss Ashlyn. The only thing that would have made our trip more enjoyable would have been more time! (oh!! and no flight delays, AND no lost luggage!!!- we are still waiting on ours!!)
On another completely unrelated note.. I finally decided on an umbrella stroller for the girl. Soon she will grow out of her travel system, so I had to buy a new carseat, and needed a stroller that I could just throw in the back and take with us when we go out.. and (drum roll please) here it is folks.. the Zooper Twist.
Chris thinks I should be a spokesperson for this company the way I pimp this stroller out. Everyone who comes over HAS to see it and "oooohhhh".. and "ahhhh" over it the way I do.... and if you don't, you will by the time I finish selling it to you! I seriously took like 10 pictures of this thing.. you'd think it was our second child- but I figured there was bound to be a few of you who could care less, so in honor of you (and you know who you are), I spared you the detailed summary and related pictures... no need to thank me.
