"I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. Spielberg."

It's getting harder and harder to get a good picture of Elizabeth. . .She *loves* the camera, and as soon as she hears it turn on she'll make a beeline for it!

Poultry in motion is a beautiful thing!

I first came across this book while working at Barnes & Noble in college. Since then I've fallen in love with Sandra Boynton's charming board books. I ended up buying "Philadelphia Chickens" when I joined a book club for Elizabeth. When the package arrived, I immediately opened the CD accompanying this book and popped it in the CD player.

The CD features celebrities such as Kevin Kline, Meryl Streep, and the Bacon Brothers. . .and it is hilarious! The music is fantastic--from the swinging title track to the bluesy torch song "Nobody Understands Me" to the simple but charming "silly Lullabye" at the end. The lyrics are witty, whimsical, and well-written, just like all of Sandra Boynton's other books.

Shoot--I'll have to cut my critique short, as naptime is fast approaching. But seriously, check out this book/CD--you will love it!

It's all about the accessories.

Elizabeth has finally reached the crucial milestone in any baby girl's life: She now has enough hair to warrant "clippies"!

As a bonus, we're now picking up a couple of extra TV channels thanks to the new antenna.

New Nicknames

For those of you who don't know, we've begun to refer to our married friends with a nickname made from their two names. For example, Cory + Angela = Corgela.

Problem is, we've got babies now. . .so we need new nickames!

Cory + Angela + Jovin = Corjovela. ("Yeah, I like how the Corjovela handles, but I'm really looking for a model that will get better gas mileage.")

Mike + Elizabeth + Lydia = Miklizydia. ("The lab results are in. I'm afraid you've got Miklizydia.")

Any other suggestions?
How about one for Jared + Holly + Elizabeth?

I am so smart! S - M - R - T. . .

We went to the pediatrician's for Elizabeth's 9 month checkup on Thursday. She's growing well--28.5 inches long, and 16 lb. 7 oz. That puts her in the 85th percentile for height and the 15th percentile for weight (translation: she's a stringbean baby!) As the doctor was asking about developmental milestones, I started to realize how much she's started doing in the past few months. . .So please excuse the following shameless Mommy brag.

Elizabeth can:
--get into a sitting position by herself
--crawl
--pull herself up (and doesn't she look proud?)
--wave "goodbye"
--clap her hands
--make all sorts of vowel-consonant combinations
--whisper and shriek
--point to things
--feed herself rice puffs, peas, diced carrots, etc.
--sign for "more" of something (like the above foods)
--write a coherent five-paragraph essay in which she analyzes how the tension between the characters' outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the underlying themes of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter (or another literary work of comparable merit)

P.S. Caleb, Elizabeth now has FOUR teeth. Numbers 3 and 4 broke through just yesterday. :)

Blackmail material

Elizabeth loves bathtime!

Bookworm

Here is Elizabeth relaxing with one of her favorite books--the scintillating "Opposites" by Sandra Boynton. It's a bit lacking in plot, to be honest. ;)