Countdown to Baby Harrison!: Eleven months old!

Ok. I'm late with this again. But who wants to be stuck inside at a computer when it's summer outside? We've all been enjoying the beautiful, sunny weather we've been experiencing of late. Mairi and I have been in the city as little as possible, and just got back from a luxurious six-day stretch at the lake. We had a few hot beach days. Mairi is very content to sit under our little tent shade and play, then to cool down in the water. She is a major beach/water baby - so she fits in with Jeff and me!

The big news is that Mairi has taken her first couple of steps by herself! It just happened this morning (July 30th) at Auntie Kathy and Uncle Brad's cabin. She assessed the situation and walked from the table to the couch. Pretty exiting! We have lots of practicing to do! She has been cruising all around the furniture since she was eight months old and is just starting to have enough confidence to let go. She has been standing on her own for just over a week now. So proud!!!

She is getting so fast at her crawling and continues to get into everything. It is unfortunately not helping as much with her stiff neck so we are having to continue her physio. She has also started massage therapy. Hopefully everything will be normal soon.

Mairi had a great time at Waskesiu hanging out with her bestie, Violet. She was close to walking then and did lots of super fast at cruising around the furniture and walking behind her Dino. She pulls herself up on anything with ease now. If she needs to get anywhere that doesn't have furniture she often just drops down to her butt and crawls over. She crawls up flights of stairs easily, and is learning how to go down them.

She's saying lots of words and waves and says "hi" and "bye bye" to everyone she meets. Mairi is also blowing kisses and pointing at everything asking "wzaat?" She will now recognize herself and others in pictures - giving herself kisses and pointing at Jeff and saying "dada". If I say, "where's mama?" she will point to me.

She surprised us the other day by putting her ball into the appropriate hole of her ladybug toy. She has also figured out how to use one of these things:

Fisher Price shape sorter

If I offer the right hole, she'll maneuver the piece and put it in.

She's up to eight teeth now (six on top and two on the bottom) and eating lots of different foods now. She discovered Grampa Ward's stash of Ritz crackers in the cabin and remembered every day where they were to help herself!

She won everyone over with her smile, clapping and her mix of old and new school dance moves: a combo of the sprinkler and twerking.

Sleeping has been awesome this week - she sleeps from about 7:30 to 7:30 or 8 without waking up. Things were not so good in Waskesiu as she woke up once (or more) most nights. She is a very light sleeper and it is not great to have us all sleeping in the same room.

She is just over 19 lbs as of last week.

We are getting ready for two big trips in the next few weeks. Mairi and I will be camping with friends in Clear Lake next week, staying in a tent trailer with Auntie Heather and Uncle Chris. Hoping she sleeps better there. Then we are off to St. John's, Newfoundland on August 12. We can't wait! Mairi will turn one on the ferry to North Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Hope you enjoy the rest of this beautiful summer!

Witrh Grandma and Grandpa in one of the new outfits they bought her

Playing with her buddy Molly

Hamming it up at Gramma's

Modeling for Gramma

Playing some tunes with Grandpa

Our outdoors girl

First Canada Day

Happy Canada Day!

Playing on the deck with Grandma

Two beach babies at Diefenbaker

What good grandparents - blowing up her lobster floaty!

Uncle Dan and Auntie Devon came to visit and we celebrated Dan's big 3-0

Wartman crew

We had a great time at Auntie Jocelyn and Uncle Michael's wedding! They were so beautiful. Mairi enjoyed visiting with everyone - especially Auntie Heather!