Roll out!

We had a fun playdate yesterday w/ a couple of our new neighbors and fellow Stroller Strides moms, and I was floored that Mia figured out how to operate this little 4-wheeler. She didn't really get the whole steering thing, though, so I had to turn the handlebars all the way to one direction so that she kept going around in a big circle. :o)

Mia's Helmet

Ever wonder what happens when a toddler finds a plastic container the exact same size as her head...?

Walking the Dog

Mia received this toy dog for Christmas, and at first she had a pretty hard time figuring out how to walk the dog properly. She would charge forward holding the leash high above her head so that the poor dog either dangled behind her or just dragged sadly on his side. In the last couple of days she's figured out that he has a "right side up" and that it's easier to keep him that way if she walks slowly and keeps an eye on him. This video was also the first time I've seen her set him back on his feet when he's tipped over. Now if she could stay up on her feet!! ;o)

Suddenly Sipping

If you ignore the punks in the background...this is a pretty cute clip of Mia displaying her sudden ability to drink from an actual cup. :o)

C-L-I-P

A couple of days ago, I spelled a word in front of Mia for the first time to speak in "code" to Jeff. That was a big moment. Mia is slightly compulsive about yanking out any barrettes or clips I try to put in her hair. The other day, I noticed that Jeff was about to comment on a clip I'd managed to sneak into her hair, and I quickly said, "Don't tell her about the c-l-i-p or she'll pull it out." And she does, too! Whenever someone comments on how pretty her barrette or clip is, three seconds later she's got it in her hand along with a fist full of hair. Now that Jeff and I officially speak in "code", I guess I'll finally have to learn how to spell... ;o)

Santa Was Here!

Sketeris Family Christmas Photos

Here is a link to some of the portraits we had taken this year. This was a fun evening because we met with the same photographer who took our wedding photos (Kassel Studio, Santa Ana, CA). The files here should be big enough to download, but if you'd like me to email any of the full-size images to you, please let me know. Enjoy!

Sketeris Family Christmas 2007

Merry Christmas!

We can't believe this is already Mia's 2nd Christmas. Time sure flies. I think I can safely say that Mia added a considerable dose of joy and laughter to our family's festivities this year. Grandma and Grandpa (I mean Santa...) brought her the most adorable rocking horse, and she had us all laughing last night as she hugged, rode, and cooed at the horse. Here are some pictures that Auntie Heather took on Christmas Eve. Video of her horse (and it's adorable sound & movements) coming shortly!

Washington, D.C.

Jeff, Mia, & I took our first vacation together last week. Jeff and I bravely boarded a plane to Washington, D.C. with our 14 month old to visit our friend Robin and to take in some of the sights of the city. Here are some pictures from our trip.

Mia "Ham"

Here's a fun clip of Mia hamming it up for the camera. After a couple thousand pictures since birth, she's definitely figured out what the camera is and that it's a time to put on a little show. ;o)

Pre-dawn Nap

We had a week or so in which Mia was consistently waking up for the day in the pre-dawn hours. Jeff and I took turns entertaining her each morning while the other slept in until a more-or-less normal hour. One morning I got up and found that they both had fallen back asleep on the sofa. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Coffe Playdate

Here's a shot of Mia enjoying one of our recent coffee playdates. She's found a chair at the corner of the shop that she really enjoys relaxing in.

(Still) No More Tears

I'd like to think that the reason that Mia never sheds any tears is because I'm such a great mom....but we figured that we should look into a physiological reason. (Just in case!) Most babies start shedding tears in the first few weeks of life, but our little Mia has shed four tears in her 13.5 months, and none of them made it all the way to her cheeks. So our pediatrician recommended that we visit an ophthalmologist. We did that today and learned some interesting things. First, the human body produces two kinds of tears. One kind is what your eyes produce all day long just to keep your eyes moist. The other are produced by some glands on either side of your forehead that flood your eyes when you cry. Apparently some people just don't produce the second kind. There are no real problems associated w/ not producing these tears, and furthermore there isn't anything to be done about it anyhow. So...since she's made it this far in life with no tears, the doctor says that she probably won't produce many more moving forward. Who knew??

Mia Cam

I thought I'd try to capture some video to show you all how well Mia is walking now, but she has become rather infatuated w/ all electronic devices and especially with the camera. So instead this video of her walking turned into a Mia cam. Enjoy!

1st Molar!

Holy moly, we have a molar! I was going to be kind of disappointed if there was no new tooth, and I kind of hoped it might be a molar b/c the three of us all had a really, really, really long night on Friday night to welcome it to the world... Jeff and I put Mia to bed around 8pm on Friday night, and she woke back up around 10pm. And then we were pretty much up while Mia wailed off and on the rest of the night. Jeff and I are still pretty messed up sleepwise & Mia seems to think she's nocturnal now, but she's got her first top-right molar poking through.

Bananas

Jeff and I think it's pretty funny to watch such a little person hold & eat an entire banana, so we thought we'd share. Mia *loves* bananas and points to the them in the fruit bowl every morning. :o)

Sand Toys at the Park

These were taken yesterday during a playdate at the park after our Stroller Strides class. I can't believe Mia's already big enough to play w/ other kids at the park!

Halloween

I can't believe Mia's second Halloween has already come and gone! This year we dressed her as a little chicken. It was pretty funny to watch her walk around in her costume b/c her walk tends to be a little jerky still, so it worked pretty well as a chicken walk! ;o)

Mia's 1st Waffle

Mia finally tasted the waffle for which she was nicknamed last week. Unfortunately, the occasion was the closing of the restaurant where Jeff and I enjoyed our weekly waffles while I was pregnant. :o( Not sure how I could ever survive another pregnancy without a weekly waffle from Spires to looks forward to...

Bottoms up!

Mia fell asleep on the sofa a couple of weeks ago, and Jeff & I got this adorable shot. :o)