Piper took TWO steps tonight all on her own. She's been cruising quickly along the couch and any furniture she gets herself up to. And she's been cross-stepping beautifully (which Sean joyously pointed out that will help her with her surfing skills in the future). She's been brave to go from the couch to the coffee table by taking one hand off of one to place it on the other. And just yesterday she started to stand for about 2-3 seconds and then lunge forward at me.

But tonight was altogether different and exciting. It happened and Sean and Dillen's new karate studio. They have a play room which is completely covered in rubber, soft, large mats. It was here that Piper found the confidence and balance to start standing all on her own. She went from 5 seconds, to 10 seconds and then 15+ seconds. Just standing there! Her little toes were gripping the floor and she was looking around, feeling the freedom of standing without any assistance.

Then it happened. An early birthday gift to me.

I turned her to face Dillen (since all she would do towards me was lunge and fall) and she took a step and lunged at Dillen. Of course, Dillen was super excited and said, "Let's do it again!!" Roxy came running over for encouragement and, luckily, Sean came peeking through the door since his class hadn't started yet. I faced her towards Dillen, let go and, after about 5 seconds of standing, she took two steps to Dillen (who caught her quickly like a good big sister would). We all whooped and hollered for her.

Sean's class lasted an hour and a half and, for a good portion of that, Piper worked on mastering her new standing and two step skill. Her beams of enjoyment were proof she was thrilled with her accomplishment. It was a hoot to watch.

Everyone who sees her is amazed that she is only 10 months (just!) old. She has 8 teeth now, enough hair for two little sprout ponytails and she's big! She also has several words and is very alert/awake when engaged. Her sense of humor and fun is awesome as she still likes to play peek a boo (has been for quite some time) by holding something over her head and pulling it down quickly with a huge smile and she makes funny faces because she knows we will give her a reaction.

She's truly an amazing baby who is almost a baby no more.

Posted by Rebecca at 11:15 PM | Permalink

Sean and I have passed the 10 year mark of wedded bliss - celebrating our anniversary yesterday. Perhaps that sounds a little too corny or cliche. But, seriously, I think Sean and I have one of those marriages that little girls dream about. He IS like a knight in shining armor ... just without the armor, weaponry or horse. Instead, he has an awesome family-bond tattoo, a surf board and flip flops. ;)

Not surprisingly, there were no fireworks that went off in our honor yesterday, no tropical island drink in hand while being given a foot massage and no partying until the break of dawn or... like it's 1999. With three kids who are 6, 3 and almost 10 months... well, our 10 year anniversary celebration just wasn't what it could (should?) have been. No one would sign up to watch all three kids on a Friday night. Sooo... we took them all to The Melting Pot with us for dinner - which quickly became The Meltdown Pot. Not sure what I was thinking. Piper was sitting next to, and thus got to play with, the controls for the burners and Roxy was her overly spirited, out of control self who gave me visions of a visit to the hospital burn unit more then once. The dinner took 2 hours to get through and our girls were ready to leave after just 45 minutes of arriving. Piper screamed the entire time - happy screams, but screams nonetheless. I bought the Celebration Package of balloons and a picture frame on arrival and the waitress was supposed to take our picture at some point during the meal. Really? The picture would have shown me with my hair similar to that of my 80s rocker chick picture (but not so "hot" looking - see picture below), Dillen silent but ready to cry, Roxy absent (hiding under the table?), Sean looking like a deer in headlights and Piper with her mouth WIDE open. No picture was ever taken. We quickly left with an empty frame and annoying balloons - and less $18 because of it. Roxy was put into a time out as soon as we got home and Piper started to cry because she was overly tired. Dillen, meanwhile, was on the verge of tears because she is so sensitive and ALL she wanted was for Sean and I to have a romantic, special night. She was sooo sad because we were completely stressed out by the end.

Looking back, though, it's the 10 years that counts, not the night we celebrate it. I mean, Sean and I have truly had an amazing 10 years of marriage. I feel so lucky... especially when I look around and see so many people our age either miserable, divorcing or already divorced. The past 10 years has flown by. We can celebrate in 2019 like it's 1999. ;) And I am going to demand that I be sipping some sort of tropical drink on an island somewhere!! :D

*Side note: As an anniversary gift to Sean, I made him a cake. (See below.) It was my first time working with fondant. We enjoyed it today and, surprisingly, it tasted delicious.

Posted by Rebecca at 9:16 PM | Permalink