Technical Difficulties

Apologies for the lack of video - the place where I post video is a free service, and it hasn't been letting me post video for a few weeks now, I keep trying, to no avail. Next month I'll work on trying to find a new host for all the fun Annie WALKING videos I've been shooting. For now, this pooping face will have to tide you over.

Pie eating contest

Anna is pulling a little bit of a Stand By Me face here...

FIRST STEPS today

As Annie's been learning to walk, we've had to define what we'd consider her first steps. We decided that we'd call it when she was standing there, and then took one step, landed it, and then took another. It would be OK if she fell on that 2nd one, just as long as we had one "completed" one. And today she did it. Three of them. She fell on the third step, but yay! Here's her trying to recreate the experience (and not quite succeeding) for her Daddy & Sash when they got home.

Wobbly fall

Weebles wobble, and sometimes they fall down. (Again - didn't we have a similar video a long time ago?)

Fun with noises

Today Annie discovered a new thing her voice can do - this high inhale thing that she now does all the time. She was doing it as I worked this morning, so I thought she needed to be recorded = I love that she gets such a kick out of herself.

High chair mess

One of those wicked boring videos, but just needed to prove what Mum and I were focused on when Anna was sneaking over to the cat's water bowl (see other video from today).

Cat's bowl = Annie magnet

When Mum and I were focused on how messy Annie's high chair was post-meal, she hightailed it over to the cat's water bowl and did what she always wants to do. We caught a bit on film.

Anna's new laugh

This one really speaks for itself. I LOVE this new laugh.

The end of the jumper era

It's been quite a ride (literally), and although Anna hasn't put up with spending time in the jumper in months (because she wants to be crawling around) we thought it was important to commemmorate the offical ending of the jumper era. This is her last jumper jump (on her 9 month birthday, no less).

Blocks are awesome

I can't possibly talk to you, Mum - I'm working on my blocks.

Waving at the watermelon

Now she's a waving fiend - can barely keep her from waving at anything and everything.

Learning to wave

Pretty fantastic that our girl can wave now. At this point it's really already old hat.

What a weekend!

three McDaniels met up with three Hansens in Cary, NC ... See my Tabblo>

A moment of calm

An hour before the flight home, Anna's new tooth started really bothering her, so we were that family with the screaming baby. We really felt like lepers - and the dread as we boarded the plane with Annie already going ballistic was just terrible. There was one moment of calm, though - and in my dizzy delight at having her pacified for a moment, eating grapes in Daddy's lap, I had to snap a video of her chubby hand shoving grapes into her mouth.

Our toy stealer

Poor Hanne was an absolute trooper about having this little crazy baby at her house playing with all her stuff all weekend. In this clip you get a moment of Hanne taking control at the very beginning - where she marches over and gets her toy back from the stealer that is our daughter - but then Hanne sees the camera and comes over to visit. Spending time with the Hansens is always a neat glimpse into the future for us, and I realized my days as a videographer of Annie's milestones might be numbered - see how Hanne reacts to the camera for a glimpse of Annie next year.

Annie and her new friend Hanne

We spent a long weekend down in NC visiting Mary, Christian and Hanne, and had a fantastic time. Hanne is a year older than Anna, and we learned a few things down south. 1) Hanne sounds too much like Anna, so Annie was her name this weekend. 2) Age difference of a year makes for hilarious toy snatching and squealing from the one girl who is more aware of her toys and her house. We can't wait to turn the tables next year when it's Anna's turn to squeal and not be able to believe Hanne is such a toy stealer. 3) Our girls are really just too much fun and too gorgeous for words.

Who says babies aren't helpful?

Annie helped me pack for our trip today.

Mmm grapes

What's better than grapes on a hot day?

Ha!

Something is tickling her funny bone here. I love that it's such a fake laugh.

This book is hi-larious

I left her alone in her exersaucer today, while I went into the other room to grab something. I heard a funny noise coming from my office where she was playing, and I peeked around the corner. She was turning the page of this book back and forth, and every time she saw the dog (or maybe the cow?) on one of the pages, she would laugh uproariously. Must have been a really good book. The video shows me sneaking up behind her to catch the laugh. Stick it out and watch the whole video, it's about a minute, and towards the end I've edited a 2nd clip in there where you see her expression change - it's really TOO fantastic.