SiSi's First Snow of 2011

Our first snowfall has come and gone but the image of Sienna in her new snowsuit will never melt away!  She loved it from the first time she laid eyes on it and she maneuvered herself around and grunted until we put her in it.  She couldn't move around very well in her hand-me-down boots, but she sure stayed warm as Finley showed her how to eat snow ("Not the yellow stuff") and throw snowballs.  We can't wait to take SiSi snowshoeing this winter now that we know she's game!

Happy Halloween, Si Si!

Sienna Takes Duluth

Sienna took her first Autumnal excursion to Duluth last weekend.  The weather was glorious, the sky was bright, the leaves were turning...it couldn't have been better.  SiSi was able to visit Gooseberry Falls, Grandma Julie's favorite place, and took everything in while looking fierce!  And when we came home, she found a little frog in our backyard waiting for her.  Of course, she wasn't scared of it in the least.

Apple Jack Si Si

Sienna went on her first Autumnal excursion with the family last Saturday.  We went to Apple Jack's Orchard in Delano and had a great time.  The weather was schizophrenic - hot until the sun went under the clouds - but it was a lovely day all around.  Sienna was an absolute doll all day, even when she was ravenous toward the end.  When we finally ate dinner, SiSi ate half of Grandma's hot dog, potato chips, and a whole serving of ice cream, all while dancing to the Irish music playing.  When the day was done, Sienna fell asleep around 7 and slept until 9:30 the next morning!

Sienna's First Birthday!

SiSi turned one on August 30th and celebrated her special day with family the weekend before.  Her party was attended by her mom, dad, sister, cousin Sadie, Auntie Megan, Auntie Annie, Grandma Brenda and Grandpa Kevin, Grandma Belva and Grandpa Tim, Grandma Julie, Great Grandma and Grandpa Laven, Great Uncle Tom Laven, Great Uncle Steve, and Great Auntie Sondra.  Sienna was, of course, perfectly lovely.  When we gathered around her to sing, she looked at us like we were all crazy!  Right as we finished singing, she broke into a nice smile for us and we all laughed.  She ate every last bit of her cupcake, as well as some ice cream.  She wore the special dress Finley wore to Auntie Annie and Uncle Luke's wedding.

Sienna's actual birthday was spent at the doctor's, where she weighed in at 19.4 lbs and was 2 ft 5 1/2 inches.  She's a little peanut, but right on schedule for her history.  The nurses love her because she smiles and flirts with them all and Dr. Noll said she was the easiest 1 year old she'd had in a long time. 

At one, Sienna usually falls asleep at 6:30/7 and sleeps until about 3:30, when she wants to nurse.  She always wakes up with a smile on her face around 6:30 am.  She is a funny little stinker and loves to play teasing games.  She HATES shoes and will not walk when she has them on.  She loves to take walks in the stroller.  She eats absolutely everything you give her.  Sienna dances and claps when she hears any kind of music.  She "talks" non-stop, repeating her favorite phrase, "Duck-a-duck-a-duck-a."  She points at pictures of Cam and says, "Da!"  She points at everything and makes the inflection of "What's that?"  And above all, she ADORES her big sister, Finley, and the feelings are mutual.  The two girls play and laugh and are absolutely the sweetest things you've ever seen together. 

Sienna Takes Her First Steps!

Tonight, Finley, and I were all lucky enough to see Sienna take her first steps!  We were in her bedroom after bath time and Finley was working on a lego tower.  SiSi was crawling around, trying to avoid getting her diaper put on.  She stood up all by herself and I almost put her shirt on before I realized she had stood up right by herself.  I let her stand there for awhile and she started clapping.  She didn't fall down, so I kept watching and I got Finley's attention (she is a very proud big sister).  Finley and I had our eyes glued to her when she took two good steps and just kept standing!  We called Cam in, who was recovering from his first day back at work after his surgery.  Our little, naked Sienna took a few more steps before she got too excited trying to get to her Daddy and back to her sister.  All of a sudden, Sienna has grown up! 

Little Stinker

Sienna is almost 11 months and was able to spend last weekend in Trimont for Grandma B.'s 92nd birthday party.  She played outside in the grass and rolled around on Grandma B.'s living room carpet for a good while.  Cousin Maddy simply LOVES Sienna, and if she could hold her 24/7, she would (ask Kelly and she will agree).  Sienna's personality is coming out more and more.  She can be very goofy and is very physical.  She's always grabbing and throwing things and even when Mom nurses her to sleep, she bats at her snuggly blankie until she passes out.  She walks when you hold her hand, but sits down as soon as you let go.  She loves taking baths, but she eats the bubbles and laughs so we have to get her in and out quickly.  She's also getting another huge tooth in the front and teething is not a peaceful occasion for this one.  We can't wait to see what else she learns as she approaches her 1 year birthday!

Sienna Stands!

Finley and Mommy built a really awesome fort in the living room yesterday and Sienna was having a blast navigating all of the nooks and crannies.  While Finley was reading a book to Mommy in the fort, SiSi crawled under the chair and just stood up!  She stood there for a good 30 seconds before she plopped down.  Sienna did it again tonight in her bedroom.  We were playing with the toy that shoots balls up into the air that Grandma Joyce gave Finley and she just decided to stand again.  She's not quite aware that she's doing it, but just like everything - when it happens once, the rest comes very quickly.  We are already terrified of what will happen when she starts walking!

10-Months Old!

With all the chaos of June/July, we overlooked Sienna's 10-month birthday!  Mommy got a job offer on SiSi's actual day and was distracted by the excitement of that, but Sienna has grown lots in the last month.  She started pulling herself up shortly before Mommy and Daddy left for Paige and Nanny's wedding in Mexico and continued to get into EVERYTHING while we were away.  She's not too interested in walking yet, probably because all of the teachers at daycare are madly in love with her and carry her all over the place!  She recently cut a tooth on top, so she now has three nice big toofers in that (still nursing!) mouth of hers.  She is a huge stinker at home and so different from how her big sister was at this age.  She gets into absolutely every drawer, shelf, box, basket, corner, you-name-it!  While Finley would take cups out gently and line them up in the kitchen, Sienna's favorite game is to grab whatever cup she can get her hands on and chuck it across the room.  She loves to find every cord and socket in the house, she has pulled all of the vents off the wall, and she has gotten stuck in every nook and cranny in the house.  Despite her shenanigans, you cannot help but giggle because she looks at you, crinkles her little nose, and smiles when you pull her out of the trouble she's gotten in.  We are certainly in for it when she does start to walk!

Sienna, Mover and Shaker

At 9 1/2 months, Sienna is pulling herself up by herself and can climb stairs.  She says "ma ma" and "da da" and mimics sounds and actions.  She loves to play pat-a-cake and hates to get her diaper changed.  She points at your nose, ears, and mouth when you ask where they are.  She loves to read books, and then throw them on the floor.  And, of course, she is still as sweet as pie.

The Most Perfect Start to the Summer!

Little SiSi spent the most beautiful weekend ever outdoors as much as possible, even though she had a very snotty nose and maybe a little earache.  Sadie and Finley were playing in the front yard, so we came out to play, but Sienna wouldn't put her leg on the grass.  She literally sat there with one leg in the air until I went inside and came back with a blanket.  It was hilarious!  We didn't spend much time outside, though, because after about 10 minutes, tears were streaming down her face.  She wasn't actually crying, though, so we wonder if she has some allergies.  The next day, we went to the pool, but she fell asleep the second we got there and slept until right before we left!  She did get to splash for a few minutes before we went home and crashed.  If this is a foretaste of the summer to come, we like it!

9 Months Old!!

Sienna Layne is now 9 months old and we can't believe how much she's grown.  At her doctor's appointment today, she weighed in at more than 17 pounds.  She is a crawling machine and gets into EVERYTHING!  She is proving to be very different from her big sister who rarely got into anything she wasn't supposed to and never put anything in her mouth.  She's still as sweet as ever, though, and loves to snuggle her cheek against our faces and give sloppy kisses.  Some of Sienna's favorite things to do are to listen to music and play pat-a-cake.  She giggles when you kiss her tummy, but she hates getting her diaper and clothes changed.  As you can see, she loves lounging in her high chair, even when she's not eating.  If I put it in front of the patio doors, she will watch the trees, birds, and flowers for a long time - so long that she will fall asleep!  She had a little set-back last week when she got her first ear infection and proved to have difficulties taking amoxicillin and azithromycin, but now that she's on her third antibiotic, she is raring to go! 

8 Months Old!

Sienna at 8 months old is adorable as ever, although she is pretty ornery.  Not only does she have a huge tooth on the bottom, but she is also sooooo close to crawling that she gets very frustrated when she can't get to where she wants.  For awhile, she kept spinning in circles and it was hilarious; of course, when I tried to videotape it, she stopped but I couldn't resist posting her bare butt here.  The weather is finally starting to get (sort of) warm, though, and I'm sure she will be crawling off the deck shortly.  All the more reason for Grandpa Tim to come help us finish that deck off!