Ann Maxwell is now four months old! We just can't believe it! At times it seems like the days have flown by so fast, and at times it feels like there was nothing before her. It has certainly been a wonderful four months, and we couldn't be happier with our rapidly growing baby girl. She now laughs at us, but only when she thinks we are extremely funny, and it is the most beautiful sound in the world. Ann Maxwell also can almost roll over. She tries so hard and gets extremely frustrated with herself when it doesn't happen, as you can see...
She's also teething like crazy, which irritates her severely. Everything goes in her mouth, and when the pain remains she doesn't like it at all. I do what I can to help her, but in the end the trusty hands in the mouth are the only things that calm her even for a moment. Of course with the teething comes the drooling, which is massive. I keep bibs on her, but she has already figured out how to take them off. She thinks this is hilarious as it clearly bothers me! Check out these two photos taken within one second of each other...
Our biggest milestone lately has been the transfer from riding in the infant seat attached to the stroller to riding "big girl style." Most evenings Chris and I take her for a walk. It's become part of our bedtime routine. Since she hates her seat we mainly have been carrying her on our walks, but with this latest development she's happy to ride for most of the trip. This is a huge deal to us, as it makes the walks more enjoyable for everyone!
I keep mentioning that Ann Maxwell is growing so fast. It seems she changes every day. She is long and tall like Chris and is definitely not a puny baby. She has the cutest chubby legs and cheeks (I may be a little biased), and has managed to keep her dimples. The biggest change lately besides just size is the addition of more hair. The poor child was lacking in that department at birth, but has changed a lot in the past few weeks. Yes, that's dark blonde hair up there...
Ann Maxwell has also started "singing" quite a bit. We've always sung a lot to her. She's always seemed to like it and now she's joining in! It's hilarious to hear her ooh and ahh along with us. Ba Ba Black Sheep is a favorite tune.
I've started heading back to New Albany for band again. I'm mainly coaching drum majors now. Thank goodness I have two awesome ones again this year! Having Ann Maxwell and living an hour away is not at all conducive to band directing, so my time there is very limited. I miss my work and students tremendously, but I wouldn't change my situation for the world. I love being able to take care of Ann Maxwell at home. I focus on the drum majors when I'm at work, but plan to help out wherever I'm needed as much as possible. Thanks to my parents and Elise for the free babysitting, and thanks to Jason, Andy, and the new director Jennifer for putting up with my crazy schedule and letting me back on the team!
My first day back at the band hall I took Ann Maxwell in to see everyone and wait for my mom to get home from work and pick her up. This was her first trip to the band hall. When we walked in we received a standing ovation from the students! It was one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me. Her first standing ovation! Haha! It was so nice to be welcomed back! Of course everyone wanted to see her and hold her. She handled all the craziness like a champ and was very mellow with the whole situation. She likes to watch people more than anything - thank goodness! Maybe she'll like marching band music, too?
Ready for practice....
Practicing her Thriller moves!
Overall we couldn't have asked for a better summer. It's been crazy at times, and challenging too, but we wouldn't change a thing. We have a happy, healthy, beautiful baby who is full of personality, a sweet cat, and great family and friends around us. What more could anyone want? Our best to everyone out there. We hope your summer has been as wonderful as ours....
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