11 Months

Happy Valentine's Day! We celebrated with a French meal (I made quenelles with a velouté sauce) on Saturday evening with family. Sarah Margaret had a wonderful time helping Glamma open up her birthday presents. There are a couple videos from the evening in her 11 month album. She loved the big stock pot Glamma received and got lots of practice in opening gifts for her birthday. Tonight, it made Sarah so mad that Chloe (the yellow lab) wouldn't take the stuffed ladybug she was handing to her. She looked so cute in the corduroy jumper G.G. Ma made for her.
On Friday evening, Sarah Margaret tried fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy at Hollyhock Hill. She loved it and is hoping to be 20 lbs. by her first birthday so we can turn her car seat to face forward.

Very Busy

There are some new photos and videos posted at her 10 month album.
She loves saying the word "yah"and even sings along to the chorus of the Shania Twain song "Up." (the chorus is "yea yea yea, yea yea yea")
She has learned how to put the lid on our pots and loves putting objects inside her blocks and shaking them. Her all-time favorite is going through the fridge. She loves taking the yogurts from the door and putting them on the shelf. We now keep an empty gallon of milk, egg carton, etc. for her to play with. It is a special occasion those few minutes spent playing in the fridge.

Happy Birthday Daddy + New Photos!!

Happy Birthday Daddy! Wow, am I a lucky girl to have such a wonderful Dad. God has blessed me so much. You make me smile and you make me laugh. Thanks for loving me so much and for being the world's best Daddy to me.
love,
your little peanut, Sarah Margaret

Aunt Susie posted some very fun and great photos from Christmas with the family. Enjoy!!
Click here for more Christmas photos.

10 Months Old!

Sarah Margaret is now just two months shy of being one years old! She had an excellent doctor visit on Monday and is an healthy & active 10 month old. She is still long and lean (18 lbs. 3 oz in the 25th percentile and 29 inches tall in the 75th percentile).

There are a few 10 month photos posted in her new album. We'll take some more with all the family birthdays coming up and Uncle Cliff's visit next weekend.
10 month photos

She still loves to clap and wave and is very interested in all people whether it is at the grocery or out to eat she insists on smiling and waving to everyone. She has a new game that she plays where she goes to hand you her spoon and then she'll pull it back and smile. She'll also doing it with toys while riding in her wagon. She'll hold a toy out for you to take and then pulls it back. She has started to also lift her arms way up high over her head to indicate that she would like to be picked up from her highchair. Her eyes look at you so big and she'll wave her hands while they are over her head to be picked up. We're amazed at how much she eats. On pasta nights, she'll sit for an hour and a half eating her dinner in her highchair. We think she takes after Uncle Cliff. She also now will cry in objection if you take something away that she would really like (for safety reasons!) or don't let her look into the refrigerator. She loves exploring all around the house and is very busy playing. Her favorite pasttime is her "travel box" in our room that is full of laminated travel maps, postcards, and other travel memorabilia. She'll pull everything out of the box and look at it. That's about all for now. Hopefully more photos coming soon.

More Photos

New developement: Yesterday while we were over at our neighbor's house, Sarah Margaret clapped her hands. She nows like to clap her hands after a lot; including while eating after every bit. We usually clap for her when she finishes the food in the bowl but now she likes to clap after each bit for herself. Her claps are getting louder but she loves to clap. Video coming soon.

More photos from the holidays have been posted at these two links.

Sarah's 9 month album, click here.

Aunt Anna's Fabulous Photos, click here. (You can also see the foot and a half of snow that fell in D.C.)

Joyeux Noel!

What a wonderful first Christmas for Sarah Margaret! We are overwhelmed with the generosity and love of our family. Thank you all for making it such a memorable first Christmas for Sarah. GG and GG Pop Cislak were such gracious host having 24 over for Christmas dinner. We are very grateful this Christmas for all of our family--being with those who are here in Indianapolis and sending our love to Gramma Sue and Nana and all the aunts, uncles, and cousins in Toledo!!

Enjoy the Christmas photos and I'm sure there will be more to come with other family's cameras.

The day before Christmas Eve, the Boyd side of the family gathered for our ritual pasta night at MHCC. It was so much fun seeing Cliff, Anna, and Aaron after getting in on Tuesday afternoon.

Christmas Eve was spent doing some last minute Christmas shopping for Sarah Margaret at Mass Ave. Toys and then to GG & GG pops for a casual dinner. Since Sarah took a later afternoon nap, we didn't make it to 4pm Christmas Eve church service. Sarah Margaret got to open one present Christmas eve. She got the cutest pink bunny slippers from GG & GG Pop that she wore Christmas morning with her pjs.

Christmas day, Sarah was up at 7am. We opened presents here then headed over the river and through the woods to Glamma's & Bon Papa's to have breakfast but first open presents with Glamma & Bon Papa and Uncle Cliff & Aunt Anna & Cousin Aaron. Sarah received her first American Girl Bitty Baby doll. The highlight was the red wagon that Cliff & Anna got for Glamma & Bon Papa. Aaron & Uncle Andy had fun kicking the ball together. Sarah loved Daddy pulling her in the little red wagon. Glamma made a delicious sausage & egg bake and sweetheart coffeecake. After a short morning nap, SM was ready to see Great Grandmother Boyd and then over to GG & GG Pops. The theme of the day was lots of play. She was a very busy girl. It was a delicious Christmas dinner with ham and lots and lots of sides and Christmas cookies. The evening concluded by a performance of Christmas Carols by Bon Papa (piano), Adrian (trombone), and Mommy (Harp). It was certainly a memorable Christmas and so special since it was Sarah's first.

9 Months Old

It is amazing to notice the developments from week to week. Sarah Margaret is still a very busy girl as you can see from her 9 month photo album. She has mastered waving hello and goodbye and has been waving for the past two months. She loves standing at the changing table (on the ground) and going through her baskets on the changing table taking her diapers out and anything else she can pull out of the bins. Also, the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets are another favorite pastime. She knows how to open the cabinets (and doors too!) so we keep Tupperware and other kitchen items that she can play with as toys. She'll crawl over to you and lift her arms up like little wings to be picked up or tug on your pants leg. She loves peek-a-boo with Daddy and loves her peek-a-book book where she turns the pages (on her own!) and opens the flaps to find who is hiding behind each flap (thank you Brady, Casey, & Buckeye Baby Girl!). We think that walking is around the corner soon since she'll shuffle along the coffee table--mainly towards the remote or cell phone.

Enjoy the holidays! We are truly blessed by our wonderful family and friends.