Equestrian

Semira had quite a week. She's pulling up to things all over the place and dances in place while she's holding on to the table, couch, chair, etc. She sprouted another couple of teeth as well, so now she has 4 teeth that have broken through. That last one was rough on her, but it appears that the worst (for that tooth anyway) is over.

She's enjoying her new horsey, as you can see. Grandma had to help her stay on, but I don't think it'll take her long to figure out how to ride him all by herself.

It's now one week and one day until Semira's first birthday. I'm planning what I intended to be a small party of close friends and family. But as I started making the invitation list I realized we have lots of close friends who love Semira and are looking forward to celebrating with her. So we'll have a big houseful of company next weekend. Semira loves a crowd, so we'll just plan on having a huge cake and lots of fun.

Horsey!

I received a fantastic treat today... my good friend Mr. Tom Rice came by for a visit. I hadn't seen him in a couple of years, so it was great to catch up with him. He brought this gorgeous rocking horse he made for Semira. I can just see her playing racehorse jockey! Mr. Rice is a wonderful, wonderful man. I'm so honored that he thought enough of us to make this beautiful horse for Semira and drive all the way here to give it to us.

He also brought her a beautiful homemade stepstool. So when Semira starts walking, she'll be able to reach the sink to wash her hands and brush her teeth, and she'll also be able to see the counter and help me in the kitchen. Thank you, Mr. Rice!!! I hope you know how much these gifts mean to me.

Two new firsts!

Semira had two big firsts today. I noticed when she got up this morning that her first tooth has cut through her gums. She now has a brand spanking new sparkly white left upper front tooth. The right one is a few days behind. Yay teeth! Once again, I feel like the luckiest mom in the world. She didn't show any signs of teething agony over the last few days. She's sleeping through the night like a champ, "dancing" anytime music is on, and enjoying eating as much as ever. This is just the first one... hopefully the others will be this easy on her.

She also figured out this afternoon how to crawl on her hands and knees. Not the commando crawl on her elbows and belly that she's been doing for a few weeks, but a real crawl. It was so cute-- she was lifting her hands and knees a few inches off the floor, like she was march-crawling. This is the only shot I got of Miss Droopy Diaper while she was on the move. I'll be sure to save this photo for an appropriately embarrassing moment when she's a teenager. :-)

Pretty

Semira recently received a gift of a beautiful little pearl and gold bracelet from Marta in Puerto Rico. Semira's buddy Peter holds her as she models it. Thank you, Marta! It's beautiful!

Semira's first Independence Day was celebrated at home. But Friday night we had a dinner to attend with some friends, and she got dressed up in honor of the holiday. I love her in this dress.

Ashley

Ashley seems to be the dog that enjoys hanging out with Semira most. She's so easy-going--almost maternal. Semira can "read" to her, show off her toys, or pet her and climb on her and Ashley's happy. What a sweet pup.

My little engineer

Semira and I spent much of last week helping with Engineering Camp for high school girls taught by my friend Denise. Semira had a good time interacting with the high school girls, and Denise's daughter Sierrah kept her company much of the rest of the time. Semira's favorite part was the freedom I gave her to empty the complete contents of her diaper bag.

A friend I've known since junior high came to visit for the weekend. We had a really nice visit, and Semira loved her. We went out to dinner Saturday evening, and Semira got dressed up in her cute little pink sparkly tennis shoes her Auntie CP gave her for Christmas, months before she even arrived. They finally fit! It was Semira's first outing wearing shoes.