Cruisin' Through Old Town

Peyton really has this walking thing down. An unexpected taste of spring visited the Washington DC area this weekend, and we took full advantage taking Peyton to Old Town Alexandria to walk around, look at dogs, and feed some ducks. Peyton's newfound independence and mobility took over - and she refused to cruise down the streets in either her Bjorn or stroller. Big girls walk on their own two feet.

I'm pretty sure nothing gets cuter than this picture.

Looking at the ducks.

Miss Independent doesn't need to hold Mommy's hand.

Mixing Business with Pleasure

I took advantage of a business trip to Dallas and flew Martin and Peyton out to the Big D for the weekend so we could spend some time with my best friend Rebecca, her husband Scott, and their adorable 17-month old daughter Emma. Emma and Peyton -- who hereby will be referred to by their new nicknames, Swizzle (Emma) and P Sizzle (Peyton) became fast friends. P Sizzle's side of the friendship may have been based solely on her desire to reap the benefits of Swizzle's in-car DVD player.

P Sizzle and Swizzle rollin' on 24s on the way home, pumpin' new stuff by Elmo.

Baby MMA.

"What's in the sippie cup, Swizzle? Back off P Sizzle. It's mine."

The video below illustrates what happens when Daddy is left in charge. I was at work when Martin let Swizzle and P Sizzle play with knives during lunch. Disclaimer: no children were hurt during filming.

The boys and their girls at lunch. The Swiz and P Siz opted for Uncle Julio's, despite it being free taco day at the Dallas Aquarium.

P Sizzle and Swizzle hosted a tea party for their dads. GNG?

The weather was absolutely perfect so we took the girls to the park. With the exception of Swizzle's wipe out, the girls had a great time on the slide and looking for dogs.

Ain't no thang but a chicken wang.

Best buds, just like our mommies.

My one hope for this trip was to come away with a great picture of Rebecca, Swizzle, P Sizzle, and myself. This was the best we could do. Looks like we'll have to plan another trip soon.

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the District. Thanks Reebs and Scoots for being such great hosts -- we mooched diapers, food, wipes, beer, soda, and a million other things from you. And, although I didn't walk away with my desired picture, Rebecca introduced me to several life-changing products, including the snack trap, overnight diapers (who knew?) and Cinnamon Chex (yummy). I knew there was a reason you have been my best friend all of these years.

P Sizzle cruising through the airport in style.

P Sizzle says goodbye to Dallas and her buddy Swizzle.

Keeping up with the older, very rambunctious Swizzle wore P Sizzle out - she slept the whole flight home.

Several Small Steps for Peyton, One Giant Leap for Bearkind

Well, she's been working on it one baby step at a time. But tonight, Peyton took several steps together all at once -- and from the look on her face when she reached Martin, I'd say she was pretty proud of her accomplishment. I think it is safe to say Peyton can walk.

In the second video, she gets a little over excited about her new found mode of transportation.

Health Nut

Martin and I have been making an effort to take our little ball of sunshine out to dinner more often. I also make a very conscious effort to feed Peyton healthy foods. A few weeks ago, we ventured to Mike's, a nearby American grill. Peyton was sort of melting down, and because I'm in the running for mother of the year, I ordered Peyton a plate of macaroni and cheese with a side of french fries, hoping the delicious treat would shut her up and allow us to eat dinner. That was not acceptable to the young Princess. She turned her nose up at the pasta, and scoffed at the fries. Instead, she reached for my green beans. I obliged, figuring she just wanted what was on my plate. Then she insisted on some of my salad. And, finally, for her main course, she demanded my steamed salmon. So while I tried to feed her a processed gob of cheese and deep fried oil sticks, she was as happy as a clam eating veggies, salad and salmon. Either she is a lover of healthy foods (there could be worse things!), or she is vying for Giselle's job afterall





Once again, Peyton left her mark on the restaurant. Poor waiter.

Seven Years...And It Keeps Getting Better

January 31, 2004

Martin and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary on January 31. It was a Monday, so we did nothing.

Our typical celebration includes drinks at the Willard's Round Robin bar with a picture in front of the Abe Lincoln portrait, dinner at the Occidental Grill, and an overnight stay at the Willard, where we watch the Three Amigos, read the yearly journal, and look at photo albums. The Willard/Occidental grill/Three Amigos pays homage to the night we got engaged.

January 19, 2003 - At the Round Robin bar, moments before he popped the question.

Last year, on our sixth anniversary, Peyton was a mere 18 days old, so we didn't get to carry out the majority of the tradition. We read the journal, but were holed up in our house praying Peyton wouldn't wake up. She did.

The year before we were vacationing in England and France. We spotted a statue of Abe Lincoln in London, and we tried to get a good shot of us in front of it, but the self portrait didn't come out that great.

Fifth anniversary - you can barely make Abe out in front of the white building.

So it's been two years since we had taken our picture with Abe or dined at the OG. While we couldn't swing the overnight stay because of our darling daughter, we did resurrect most of the tradition this past weekend. A special shout out to Korenna and Kent for babysitting - and letting us toast another year of a great marriage.

2011 - seventh anniversary

On a sappy note, Martin and I met when I was 20. He's been my best friend for more than 12 years now, and he is a pretty incredible husband. It's the little things I love - he warms up my car for me during the winter, always carries my bag, and knows just the right things to say when things are tough. But this past year I fell in love with him all over again as I watched him become an amazing father. Peyton and I are two lucky girls.

2005 - first anniversary

2006 - second anniversary

2007 - third anniversary

2008 - fourth anniversary

13 Months Old!

After Peyton turned one, I debated if I would continue the exhausting monthly task of dressing her up in a seasonally appropriate outfit, positioning her perfectly on her rocking chair, repositioning her multiple times after she inevitably moved, snapping about a zillion pictures while Martin makes silly faces behind me in hopes of enticing our model to smile, catching her as she lunges off the chair trying to grab Gizmo, then sorting through said zillion pictures for the perfect shot. I was 99% sure I was going to forgo this arduous ritual, but then I found this adorable red and pink tulle heart shirt and precious heart tights that are just too perfect for her 13 month birthday - which falls on February 13, one day before Valentine's Day.

One year and one month old - despite our desperate attempts to stop time and freeze Peyton as a baby forever, she continues to grow every day. She took her first step on January 23. And promptly fell down. She has taken several more baby steps since then, and today, she took a good five steps in a row. Peyton also continues to learn more sign language - adding book, Mommy, more, and shoes to her vocabulary. She gives kisses like they're going out of style - to Martin, me, and even Gizmo - open mouth, and if you're really lucky, full of slobber and a little bit of tongue. And she's a goof ball. Her personality is coming out more and more each day - she loves to hide from us, giggles at everything, and even started putting her hands on her hips when she doesn't get her way. Hmmm. This could be trouble. Just as she has done every other month, Peyton melts our hearts on a regular basis, and makes us count our blessings every day for having such an adorable, sweet, and amazing daughter.

Here is the 13 month winning shot:

And the outtakes:

"The fart noise was funny, like, last year, Daddy. What else you got in your bag of tricks, clown?"

"I am much older and wiser now. Because of my new level of maturity, I will cooperate, give you beautiful shots, and try to have a little fun. So let's get a move on, lady."

"I can't resist. I tried. But I just HAVE TO GET GIZMO!!!"

"Ok, back to business. Let's make this fun. SMILE!"

"I am so freakin' funny. I crack myself up."

"TOUCHDOWN!"

"I'm sorry, I just can't take this picture taking seriously. I have a giant tulle heart on my shirt and hearts on my legs."

"Ooooh, fancy shoes. The tulle matches my shirt. Mom, you're a loser."

"And I'm spent."

Mommy's Mini-Me or Daddy's Girl?

I must start off this post by giving credit for the idea to my sister, who blogged about who her handsome son looked more like - mom or dad. Her post was so cute - comparing Scott's baby pictures to hers and her husband's, that I decided I would do my sisterly duty and steal the idea.

Peyton clearly has my chubby cheeks, mouth, and perhaps my nose. And she definitely inherited her dad's big brown eyes, long eyelashes and forehead. Her thin, wispy, unruly mane (which currently is styled with a sweet mullet) is just like mine (mullet and all). She'd probably look more like her dad if I bought her some sweet New Mexican moccasins. What do you think?

Martin at what I am guessing is around 12 months old. Cool shoes, dude.

Peyton at 11 1/2 months.

Kristy at 9 months old. Nice mullet.

Personality wise, Peyton takes after me. She is a social butterfly, extremely impatient, and overly dramatic. I only hope she will learn patience and level-headedness from her father.

Peek-a-basket

Someone just discovered the thrill of hiding in her laundry basket.

Fashion Faux Pas or Trend Setter?

This is what Peyton was wearing when I picked her up from daycare today. I assure you this was not what she was wearing when I dropped her off. It seems an unfortunate butt explosion ruined her darling red and white stripped dress, white leggings, silver shoes, and jeans jacket. Instead, she spent the majority of the day in leopard pants, brown polka dot socks, and white and pink ballerina t-shirt. Who knows, maybe she will start a new fashion sensation.