Great Balls of Fun

You know those Ball Pits found on playgrounds or playzones? The ones that are always said to have nasty things lurking in them or germs the size of a cat in them? The ones I swore I'd never let any child of mine play in? Well, just one day shy of our 13-month mark of Life with Ally, I found myself face to face with the infamous Ball Pit.

We tried another church in Canton on Sunday and let's just say that our time in the sanctuary was brief. Lucky for us (and really for Ally!) there was a quaint little nursery just around the corner. With only one other child present, the smiles and a quick "Hi" took little time. Enter, the Ball Pit. Mind you it was a small, and said to be rarely used Ball Pit, but it was the very kind of place I'd hoped to avoid for a long time!

Not Ally, she was drawn to it like a moth to a flame! We first just leaned in and grabbed a ball and threw it for Daddy to fetch. The fun in that lasted a short amount of time and with a huge smile across her face and a loud, "Mama!" - how could I say no. So into the Ball Pit my beloved girl went. She enjoyed every minute of it, laughing and smiling with squeels of delight. And I sat close by ready to wash hands as soon as we vacated the premises! And isn't that just the way it goes? Those who fear and can truly miss out on the most fun, and those who are seemingly fearless can show others the most wonderful possibilities!

Smiles, Slobbers and Sandals

The saga continues with the anticipation of Ally Girl's first teeth. While two have broken the surface on the bottom, four bumps on top seem to just be teasing us. Teasing us, and tormenting The Baby! I have to say though, for all the slobbering and no doubt the pain, Ally has been nothing short of all smiles.

 Add a new pair of sandals to the mix and how much better can life be? Pink, plastic sandals. Something I remember fondly from the early 80s! Thank goodness Ally won't have to worry about the blisters that have been encountered by all the other girls who parked their posies in a pair of jelly sandals! Regardless, she is enjoying them in small spurts and has even cruised around in them a bit!

And while these cute little fashion statements will soon be outgrown, no doubt the slobbering from the impending arrival of baby teeth will also subside. But if ever the sweet smiles that grace my days and nights of life with Ally ever fade, well, that would be nothing short of a pain far greater than anything I could imagine...

Moving to the Beat

I've always liked music. Always considered myself to have good taste in music. And always had good rhythm (something I can honestly say without it being criticism that my dear husband does not have!). So you can imagine my delight when at a very young age -- seriously she was probably three months old -- Ally showed signs of enjoying music.

We have music playing via an iPod all night in her room (the scoffers need not respond to this, I know it might not be the best habit, but hey, you do what you have to!); we have Disney Jr. and Nick Jr. on as background noise at home; and we have CDs in the car that are filled with sweet voices singing melodic tunes for all our traveling needs. She waves her hands in the air or jumps about when she hears any of her favorites. We even get some "singing along" from her when she's really jazzed about the song (or the characters singing it). And of course there is her "sleepy song" that she mumbles/groans when she's just about ready to fall asleep!

A few months ago when my dad (aka - Pawpaw) was watching her, Ally was introduced to snow globes. A couple from my Gram's collection find their resting spot in my parents' bedroom and on one of their many treks around the house Pawpaw wound them up to let her have a little show. She loved them and started waving her little hand -- resembling a conductor in a funny way!

Two nights ago I was doing my best to help Ally get to sleep in the midst of teething woes. Her eyes were slits so I stood to put her back to bed. She opened her eyes slightly and raised her left hand to wave her index finger to the music! She was barely awake, but her beloved night night music had her attention. I worked hard hide a series of giggles to keep from waking her completely, but my body jiggled from the stifled laughter. Just one more thing to add to the "So Stinkin' Cute" list.

Our great friend Jen got Ally a drum/band set for her birthday. This pic is her the day after her party, just drumming away! All the joy of moving to the beat and rhythm of life...

Two in One

The reality of having a 12-month old captivating your attention is this...while life goes on in every direction, sometimes (most of the time!) my wheels are just spinning! As is the case with this post, I've attempted to write and post it three times! I guess the third time is a charm!

We've had a couple of new revelations on our home front over the past few days. First, Ally really likes to drink ice water out of a grown up glass! Keep in mind I use the word "drinking" in a very loose sense. It's more like she sticks her tongue in the water and laps it up, much like a cat. We've played with this "Big Girl Drinking" a couple times before, but Grammy sealed the deal with ice and an actual glass. Ah the joy of finding new things to amuse The Baby! The "ahs" she gives after each slurp is pretty cute, too...

And the second of our new revelations...teething biscuits! Who knew a hard cookie-like-treat could not only captivate the attention of a child, but also make the most enormous mess possible!We kept the first treat in play for at least 15 minutes - perhaps a record in our attention span. Since the first encounter, we now refer to them as "The Big Cookie". Today, Ally not only wanted to enjoy a Big Cookie, but wanted to share with dear Murphy. (At least the sharing continues! Well, in between the leg, ear and whisker pulling!)

After countless trips to and from the sink to rinse the cookie-laden washcloth, we finished the first treat with what we'll call great success! Such fun, trying new things and learning all the way! Life goes on, wheels keep spinning. And in my case, my head keeps spinning!

Have Your Cake & Eat it, TOO!

When Ally was about two months old, a friend asked how I was doing. I simply said, "I'm tired." She smiled - a mother of four, she could relate instantly. She told me of how before children if someone had asked her if she had a choice would she rather have a piece of chocolate cake or a nap, she would always say the cake. But after the birth of her first child, cake took second place to a nap any day. I remember saying to her, "Heck no, I want a nap and when I wake up, the cake better be waiting for me!"

Life is rarely full of "having our cake and eating it, too". I realize though with my dear Ally Girl, that every day I have with her, I've been give the gift of having cake and eating it, too (some days the cake really does show up  -- if you know me at all, you know I LOVE cake!). Today has been no exception to this.

After a long night of tossing and turning (thank you, teeth that have yet to come in!), we were both tired. But she woke in her normal cheery state and was excited to play with her kitty brothers. Sharing isn't something a 12-month old is very good at, whether it be toys, space, food or people. Ally has been learning the concept of sharing with her great buddies Cora Jane and Pauly, but certainly isn't a great fan of it. But this morning, with her newest buddy, Murphy the Cat, she was sharing toys! First a ball and then a block. And then even her beloved "softy" - blanket and closest pal.

What a sweet potato, watching her not feeling her best, but playing and learning, and...Having her Cake and Eating it, too!

Stairs & Big Girl Jammies

This marks day two of a couple seemingly insignificant events...

First, Ally has discovered the stairs that lead to our upper level. Initially it seemed like an automatic "No No", but after two seconds of consideration I figured what was the point of another "No No" when this was inevitable. Two trips up and I think we are in business. Much like her brothers would conquer a tree, she wants to go up quickly and on her own, but coming back down requires an intervention...like a cat not wanting to come out of a tree, my Ally Cat squawked at our departure from the upper rooms of her now expanding house!

Tonight we donned Big Girl Jammies for the second time. Funny how placing two-piece pajamas on my little bundle made me keenly aware of the fact that she's really outgrowing the phase of Babyhood. Is it crazy that something as simple as jammies can make me a little sad?

In the midst of stair-climbing and jammie wearing, bellows of "Mamaaaa" and "MOMMY" graced my day and I find that while when I'm hearing either or both (as most of the time my titles are back to back) for the 100th time, I can't imagine hearing anything else could make my heart smile quite as much. Well, maybe the words "Love you" attached to it! I'll keep you posted on that!

Maiden Voyage

After a year of being a mother to my sweet Ally Girl, I decided it might be time to get some thoughts down. Or out or whatever! My name is Amy and I spend my days (and nights!) as a full-time juggler. My juggling isn't in the sense of throwing balls in the air...I'm definitely not that coordinated ...but rather in handling all my life has to offer. A husband, a child, two kitties - one a 5-year old tabby (Lucky) and one 13 weeks old (Murphy), a career as a school counselor, a part-time job (though full-time commitment) as a program director for the camp my parents have run for 24 years, and all the joyful extras life throws into the mix! My Ally Girl is now a year old and I find my 38th birthday approaching rapidly. With this, my mind is sure to start slipping and memories in the making could no doubt go unnoted. So humor me and jump on board to share in all the blessings that find their way into my mess of a nest!