Party Girl

Paige attened a 1-year birthday party for Max yesterday. She was the youngest of the "mobile set" - which is to say, there were babies there younger than she, but they were not yet sitting up, let alone crawling. However, she held her own with the 2 and 3 year olds. All the kids wanted a piece of the action when it came time to open gifts, including Paige. Her favorite: the wrapping paper with red & yellow balloons on it! She got along really well during the whole party (social butterfly that she is), and only cried when I would not let her eat said wrapping paper.

This mom forgot the camera, but several other moms were taking photos, so I will track them down & get a photo to accompany this post, post haste.

In other news, Paige is "cruising" much more proficiently these days. She walks around the living room from the couch to the ottoman to the easy chair and back (holding on to each, of course). She is also doing really well feeding herself. We're trying to include more finger foods in her diet so she has plenty of chance to practice: cottage cheese, veggie puffs, tofu cubes, cut-up fruit, and (new this week) scrambled egg. All this self-feeding frequently results in bigger messes, which does not seem to bother her in the least. "Oh, that cottage cheese in my hair? Those veggie puffs on the floor? I was saving those for later..."

August Family Visits

We've been busy since our trek up to Milwaukee for the Wisconsin State Fair! We took a road trip to Ohio to visit family. We spent a day with Grandma Sara & Grandpa D, drove over to meet Great-grandma Kay, spent a day with Granpda Joe & Grandma Karen, and had an adventure at the Ohio State Fair with Mike, Molly, Payton, and Blake. Below are some photo high-lights.

When we returned from Ohio, Grandma Joy & grandpa Joe were in town for a visit, but we forgot the camera. They brought Paige her first pair of patent-leather shoes - a sure sign of good luck! We look forward to seeing them again in Sept & we will take lots of photos.

Paige with Grandma Sara & Grandpa D

Paige meets Great-Grandma Kay

Paige (alseep in mom's backpack), with mom & dad, Uncle Mike, Aunt Molly, cousins Payton & Blake, and Smokey the Bear at the Ohio State Fair

Paige with mom & dad, Grandpa Joe & Grandma Karen

Wisconsin State Fair

We took Paige to her first-ever Wisconsin State Fair on Saturday. Granted, she went last year in utero, but she doesn't remember much :) We took her through some cow and horse barns, where she stared wide-eyed at the animals. They were a lot bigger than the dogs she usually sees in the park around home! Steve and I ate the obligatory corn on the cob, bratwurst, and cream puff. We offered Paige a sample of the cream puff, but she refused, causing me to doubt that she actually IS my daughter! We'll write it off as being too tired to care about food.

Note we also recently purchased a new baby carrier, called an Ergo, and so far, we're big fans. We like the extra padding and the easy clip-n-go buckles. You can see the new contraption in the photo below with the cattle.


Paige gains a new appreciation for "Old MacDonald Had a Farm"


Paige and Dad at the Fair

Wiggleworms in Millenium Park

Paige and I went to Millenium Park in downtown Chicago on Friday for a free Wiggleworms concert! Wiggleworms is a high-energy singing/dancing/full-participation music program for kids. The Old Town School of Folk Music offers dozens of classes for kids, and Wiggleworms is a perpetual favorite. So, before we signed Paige up for 16 weeks of this, I thought it wise to check out a free version first. She had fun, I had fun, and clearly all the other kids were having a blast! We went with friends Kerry & Theo, who also thoroughly enjoyed the concert.

Friday also marked Paige's first ride on the El train. She was fascinated and made several new friends!


Paige checking out the hula hoops after the concert

Kerry, Theo, and Paige at Millenium Park

Paige and mom posing in front of the Millenium Park Amphitheater