Mercy and Friend

Mercy is just getting over some sort of virus and ear infection. During the time she was sick she developed a special affinity for her stuffed bear (the one in the pic above and that we talked about in the last blog). Today was a pretty clear indicator that she is feeling well because after a long post-church nap she went on a rampage where she had to get into everything she could possibly think of. I commented to Sara that somehow without my noticing in the last month she has become quite a handful (mostly in a good way). I took her set of little blocks and stacked them as tall as I could, taller than her. She walked over to them with a sly grin and carefully pushed them with just one finger until they fell over and crashed all over the living room. Did I mention that she kisses everything and everyone. I better start preparing for her teenage years soon (by which, of course, I mean saving for that shotgun I've been talking about).

Breakfast with Mercy

This morning Mercy brought her bear with her to the breakfast table and sat him in the highchair beside her.  He's been wearing one of her pajama tops that Daddy put on him a couple days ago.  While I was busy eating my cereal, Mercy was up to some entertaining antics.  She grabbed the thermometer that I had left in arm's reach, and started pretending to take her own temperature (under the arm).  Then I started hearing her corn puffs dropping on the floor and when I looked over and she signed "where" and "cracker" (we say cracker for anything small and crunchy).  I said, "I don't know, Mercy, where's the cracker?"  And she looked inside the bear's sleeve where she thought she was storing them, but they had all been falling out the bottom of the shirt onto the ground!  She is quite the silly girl.  

More, Please!

Here's Mercy signing "more" (which apparently looks like hand clapping to her when I model it, so that's what she does), and "please."  Yes, she was combining them for a two-word sentence for awhile.  Nowadays she dropped the sign and says "mah?" (more) when she's hungry, even if she hasn't had anything yet, and just signs "please" for another bite.  So "more" means "I'm hungry" and "please" means "more".  Make sense?  She also sometimes signs "thank you," which looks the same as the way she blows kisses--smacking herself on the lips with her hand, then pulling it away.  Let's see, what else... Oh, everyone is dada right now.  Including mama and strange men at the store.   Can't wait till she decides to call me mama again.   (SS)

First Easter

Mercy enjoyed playing with cousin Ben at Uncle Frank and Aunt Sylvia's house on Easter.  It was her first Sunday attending the toddler class at church instead of being in the nursery, and she loved it.  She definitely enjoys being around other kids.  On a side note, I was remembering Maundy Thursday a year ago, when I was about 8 and a half months pregnant.  A friend came over to help me paint some side tables and then she was going to ride with me to church for the evening service.  Well, my car ran out of gas about a block from our house and we had to walk the rest of the way (or waddle in my case).  Good thing our church is super close!  Ahhhh, memories.

Birthday Extravaganza #2

Thank you to everyone who helped us through Mercy's first year!  Special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, who are also superheroes for working hard to make the party happen!  We had a fun day and missed those of you who couldn't be with us.   Our girl is one year old.  Where did the time go?

Birthday Extravaganza #1

Here's our first installment of footage from Mercy's big birthday bash. More to come.

Looking good there Mercy!

I Think I'll Walk Now

As you may know Mercy has been taking 3-5 steps at a time but no more than this.  Yesterday she decided that she could walk across the room with or without our help.  I guess she wants to beat the one year mark.

Chris