Beach Baby

We had a great Labor Day weekend at the beach. Semira LOVES the beach. She was fearless. (That's my girl!) She crawled through the surf. She sat in the sand and faced the waves coming toward her. She rolled around in the sand. She walked in the water with her best buddy Gilbert. She is truly a water-loving little girl.

State Fair

A very hot Semira with the famous Iowa State Fair butter cow

A stroll through the state fair sprinklers sure felt good!

Dancing with her great aunt Glennys

Semira and Mom at the wedding

Semira and I recently took a trip to Iowa to attend our cousin Gina's wedding and introduce Semira to the extended family. She was inundated with relatives, and she charmed every single one of them. She had lots of neat experiences while she was there. She attended the famous Iowa State Fair one day, where she had her first tastes of tenderloin and funnel cake and saw the butter cow. She had her first taste of fresh-picked corn on the cob. She got to dance with her great aunts at Gina's wedding reception. She entertained a whole row (maybe 2) of cousins during the wedding ceremony by playing peekaboo with them over the back of our pew. We had a nice time but it was really good to get back home.

Semira started day care last Thursday. Like most new moms, I was apprehensive about dropping her off that first day. I was sure we'd both be sobbing before I left. But she saw the other children and gladly went to her teacher so she could start playing. She loves "school," and starts squeaking every morning when she realizes that's where we're headed. School really takes it out of her. She slept 14 hrs that first night after coming home. She was back to her usual 12 hrs the next night. She's already looking tired this evening and it's only 5:30. I think it'll be an early dinner and bedtime for the baby girl.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl

Semira celebrated her first birthday over the weekend. She discovered that birthdays are fun. People sing and clap, Mom gives you a special new food called cake, and you get to rip paper without being told NO. She got beautiful clothes and new sippy cups from my friends.

I made Semira a Winnie the Pooh cake and discovered something for myself. Decorating cakes is nowhere near as easy as the people on TV make it look. I don't think it turned out too horrible for my first attempt at cake decorating, but he was kind of a neon orange Pooh. In any case, all but the red shirt part tasted good. I need to throw out my red food coloring and try the no-taste red when I do this cake again. I don't understand how such a small amount of food coloring can turn frosting, which is mostly sugar, into a bitter atrocity.

Semira's Aunt Merritt has told me multiple times that she needs a tiara (and baby nail polish and pierced ears...). I have a very different view of what she needs at this age. But her grandma and I gave in on the least intrusive of these "needs" and found her a Birthday Girl tiara by accident one day when we were out shopping. She left it on long enough (while distracted with a big strawberry) for a couple of photos.

Posing in her new Princess Pajamas, a birthday gift from her buddy Carol.

She's standing so well now. It takes her no time at all to pull herself up to standing. Here, she's watching her doggie sisters play in the back yard during her party. It's so neat to watch her learn new things every day. Who knew a little girl could be so fascinating? Her newfound mobility is making time in the kitchen much more challenging though. She either scoots around in her walker running over my feet or tripping me, or she pulls herself up by hanging onto the back of my pants so I can't move and I can't reach her to pick her up.

The birthday girl is working on her bigger teeth now so she's been a bit cranky and clingy. I can feel bumps on her gums all the way back to where her molars are, so it's likely to be a few weeks before those pesky gums stop hurting her. It appears that after waiting until she was 11 months old to start teething, she's going to continue non-stop until all of her teeth are in. Poor kid. I think I need to buy stock in Infant Tylenol and Baby Orajel.

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.