Pump up the volume

This afternoon when I went to pick up Piper, I got a quick glimpse into daycare life for her. Oftentimes she's waiting by the door, bundled up and ready to go by the time I arrive. But today she wasn't ready to go yet. She was still upstairs, playing while the other kids were at the table having snack time. I walked into Connie's house and was surprised to hear her very loud and expressive jibber jabber! With a snack table full of boisterous preschoolers, Piper's voice was the one that carried that farthest!

We love love love our daycare, and our daycare provider. We're so lucky to have found her. In some ways it's hard to see Piper's face light up around Connie, but of course it's wonderful to see her becoming independent and recognizing Connie's house as a safe, fun, welcoming place. And becoming 'one of the kids'. When I heard her vying for top volume and attention, I realized she's holding her own! Our little girl is holding her own in the great big world of daycare :)

Come on all you PAAAAARTY people!

Someone had a little too much fun last night. Can you guess who? Alright, alright, I'll tell you: It was Piper.

She did a great job at Patrick and Alex's wedding! She was the belle of the ball (well, the bride was the belle of the ball, but Piper certainly got her fair share of attention, oooooo's, and ahhhhh's).

But even though for most of the night she was charming the crowd with her adorable smiles and coy giggles, toward the end of the reception - as expected - she crashed and burned.

Thankfully, Daddy was there to pick up the pieces.

Match, set, point

Piper .5, Rice Cereal .5

There was no clear winner or loser, just a lot of uncertainty.

Give me some sugah!

"MWAH!"

Besties

For the first few weeks of Piper's life, Hero was understandably a little unsure of our newest addition. She cried, got A LOT of attention that had once been designated as his, and he was gated out of most areas of his house. But, on the bright side, everyone was home from work and thus more available to play ball.

Piper, for many months, seemed largely unaware of Hero's presence.

Now that she's a little older, Hero makes Piper smile. And laugh. She loves to watch him as he trots by, and to reach out and grab his fur. I wouldn't say they're the best of friends yet, but I'd say there's a future for them :)

A very special day

Piper's baptism went very well! She survived the full dunk with nary a tear. It was a lovely ceremony, well attended by friends and family. Afterward we hosted a gathering at our house and Piper lasted about an hour before passing out for the rest of the day, tucked up in her crib clutching the skirt of her wrinkled baptism dress in her tiny fist. We were thoughtful enough to take the bonnet off :)

Anointing with oil

In preparation for the three dips into the baptismal font

It's like taking a bath

The recovery period

Tea for two

Today we're watching my coworker Katie's baby Lauren for the day/evening. She's a week younger than Piper and it's funny how different they are. Lauren is chubbier than Piper but much smaller in length, and has a head full of chestnut curls which presents a stark contrast to Piper's gleaming, mostly-bald head. She's very quiet, and observes with her pacifier in her mouth. But she tends to get talking more when she's around Piper, who maintains a steady stream of chatter.

So far I'm not sure what they make of each other. Oddly enough, they're both napping and the house is, dare I say it?, peaceful! We'll see how long that lasts...

Lovin' the Mac Pack

Smile like you mean it

As has been the case for about two weeks, Piper smiled at Connie when I dropped her off at daycare this morning. She used to look wide-eyed and uncertain when I dropped her off, with that trademark furrowed brow that she inherited from me (and that I long to treat with a shot of Botox right between the eyes, were it not for Dan's disgust with all things related to cosmetic dermatology). But her future without Botox is looking brighter, because now apparently daycare is old hat, maybe even a bit boring for a seasoned 4+ month old baby. Then again, none of the other kiddos had arrived yet, and they're sure to shake things up and keep Piper on her little tippy toes.

Her posse includes:

• Emilia, a spunky pre-schooler with white blonde hair, pink bifocals and a lot to say.
• Hayden, a more reserved pre-schooler with transitions lenses and, this week, an eye patch?
• Matthew, a sweet pre-schooler who likes to share his toys with Piper and kiss her on the face (both of which are against the rules at Connie's daycare, but Matthew has trouble remembering this).
• Claire, an adorable toddler who often stands near Piper's carseat with her mit resting proprietorially on the handle. She knows how to say 'baby'.

All in all we feel very lucky to have found Connie. She's wonderful, and a dedicated childcare provider and mom to her own pre-teen daughter. She also has two dogs, Harley and Layla. They're well behaved and, I must say, put Hero to shame with their ability to sit and wait to be petted when you come to the door.

On that note, Hero is doing great too. :)

Happy Wednesday!

Lock and load, we're ready for some ACTION!

It is with much pride that I announce that baby Piper rolled over today!!!

It was at daycare, which saddens us just the littlest bit. But mostly we feel joy for her, because she's hit yet another milestone with surprising spunk and, we believe, just the right amount of grace :)