Alena Babbles

Here she is, talking in her own language. She has been great at imitation and loves to "chat it up" as we call it! I just missed capturing her "yelling" where she babbles with such ferocity! It makes me laugh every time. Hopefully I'll catch that soon!

Hunting Season/Thanksgiving

Checking out cousin Josh's kill!

Alena seemed to like her mama and grandma's special friend, Larry.

Posing in front of our Thanksgiving feast at the Cerkas cabin.

Our fam :)

Daddy and his little girl sharing a special moment and licorice!

It seems like we just had Thanksgiving, but it has been a couple of weeks, anyway! We all went up to Tomahawk for opening hunting season as is our tradition. Alena and I stayed at Grandpa Cance's house, while Daddy slept at the DeNamur hunting cabin. It was a very warm season, overall, and we only saw a few deer. My cousin, Josh, shot the lone deer of opening weekend on that Sunday night.

Daddy went home on Sunday evening, and Alena and I stayed in Tomahawk until Wednesday. Then, we went to the Cerkas Cabin over in Fence for a couple of days. Alena seems to like it quite a bit at the cabin, despite the fact that she doesn't really have room to roll around. We improvised with her naps (especially since mama was tired, too), and she napped with me. She even slept well once she got over her angry tirade over being put to bed! We had a sweet Thanksgiving feast thanks mainly to Grandma Cerkas :) and her innate ability to decipher the workings of the crazy oven! Grandpa injected the turkey with what we called 'roids, and then cooked it in the Weber grill. Yum!

We have a lot to be thankful for this year, namely our mostly sweet daughter, Alena. We are thankful for our loving family and friends. But most of all, we're thankful for all of the blessings and grace poured down on us from our Father in heaven!

Dancing in a Diaper

It has already been established that she loves playing on her Dora "racecar." Today, she started dancing to the music, especially when we started dancing with her! The camera is shaking because Eric was doing a covert operation (and laughing) since Alena gets distracted by it. She was getting really warm near the pellet stove with her Packer outfit on, so we took it off, thus that naked baby. She likes it better that way anyhow! She is such a cutie :)

More Pics From Last Weekend

So serious in some silly leaves!

Play time

Sharing a toy with her friend Clara

Getting some lovin' from Great Grandma Cance :)

Playing in Leaves

Of course this is Alena's first fall. She sat outside in her stroller last week as I blew the leaves out of our yard, but didn't get to explore. Last weekend, we were in Minneapolis to visit Jeremy, Cristina, and Clara Hermann and to see their new house. It was a gorgeous weekend, and we did some yard work and Lena loved the leaves outside! So, we gave her a whole pile to play in! The video speaks for itself.

Splash Splash Time

Alena has taken splashing in her bath to a whole new level. She emphatically and joyfully slams her feet down so hard that she splashes water all over the batheroom. She thoroughly enjoys her little "playtime" in the bath!

Yummy Puffs

A few weeks ago, I bought some organic baby puffs for Alena. They're like Cheerios, but are lighter and easier for her to mush down with her gums. She can't get enough of them so much that she very quickly learned the sign language for "more." Gotta love the little sneaky, "watch what I'm gonna do" eyebrow lift at the beginning of the video! Such a stinker!

Burnout in the Basement

Alena sure loves her Dora the Explorer scooter that Grandma Hawkins bought for her last spring. Lately, she's been trying to turn the ferris wheel on the hood into powder by crushing it with her kung foo grip. In this video, Daddy is actually trying to stop her from driving too fast. It may not look like it, but she is actually pulling him around. The blank expression on her face is the dead giveaway!

For Auntie Ashley and Auntie Avery (and other family members, too)

I totally didn't even stage this photo! She picked this toy out at a garage sale a few weeks back and since it was a quarter, I bought it. Looks like we might have another musician in the family! She loves to try to "sing" at church when she hears music, and especially when Mommy and Daddy are singing! She has to make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

She's wearing the outfit that her aunties bought for her (and she's in Wyoming)!

This was shot right after I had some music on and was singing to it. Again, she had to sing along. It sure got her talking, though! She had the carrot to keep her busy while I was chopping up some carrots for supper. Her 2 little teeth took some good chunks out of it :)

Wyoming, Take 2

Alena poses at Uncle Don & Auntie Janet's house with Auntie Janet, of course!
It sure is fun playing with Daddy, especially when Alena grabs his nose!

This was the first time that Alena was in a pool. We knew that she would love it considering how much she enjoys baths!Having pool fun with Mommy Here we are at a scenic lookout in the Badlands.

Prairie Dog Hunting

Here we are, getting ready to take a few shots at those pesky prairie dogs!

Eric is posing by his kill.

We had some time while on Uncle Don's ranch in Wyoming to go prairie dog hunting. For all those who think that they're cute, they're not so cute for ranchers. Not only to they harbor disease, but they dig holes that cattle can break their legs in! Out there, it is a necessity to help control the population. We were happy to help!

Where the Deer and the Antelope Play

Eric's Uncle Don & Auntie Janet come to Wisconsin at least once a year. Every time they come out, Eric and I have always talked about going out there to visit them. Well, this year, we made it! We planned way ahead of time and pinched pennies to make it all happen. My mom and stepdad, Mitch, came along. Mitch bought an antelope tag so he could hunt, too. We had a great time just being out on the ranch and sightseeing, but wished we could have stayed out there a bit longer! Here are a few highlights (I'll be posting more later as I need to get more photos from my mom):

Not long after arriving at Uncle Don & Auntie Janet's house in Wyoming, Grandma helped Alena to have some fun on the rocking horse (Uncle Don made it).
kAlena is super excited to see Grandpa Hawkins' antelope! Grandma helped Grandpa with the hunt.Scene from Uncle Don's North ranch. You can see the Missouri Buttes to the left and Devil's Tower is just to the right of my head. Gorgeous views!Here we are at Devil's Tower! Alena squealed with delight almost the entire way around the base (1.3 miles). She sure loves being outside :)

We left Wyoming a day earlier than expected because we knew some nasty weather was on its way. We stayed the night in Rapid City, SD, then drove into the Black Hills the next day. They got nearly a foot of snow in places! Here some mule deer are playing around. It was also super foggy in the "Hills," so, instead of going to see Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore, or going on the 1880's train (what I really wanted to go on, but it wasn't running because of the weather), we went to a winery as seen above. It was nice an cozy by the fireplace, even when the power went out! We also went to Reptile Gardens. Grandma stayed in the gift shop and probaby wouldn't like to see this photo at all! Alena was fascinated by the albino Burmese Python. Thankfully, Alena slept a lot in the car. We left Wisconsin at 8pm... right around her bedtime. She slept nearly the entire way out there. She was just getting over a cold and was coughing every now and then. Of course, this sometimes woke her up. I just had to put the nuk back in her mouth at times so she would conk out again. Grandma also helped to entertain Alena on the way home by blowing bubbles with her gum. Overall, we were pretty impressed with how well Alena behaved in the car!

Crinkly Things

Alena has a fascination for all things that make a crinkly sound! She is always looking for where the sounds come from and HAS to touch and put whatever it is in her mouth!

Check out how frantic she is with the bag of chips! Her little wrists flex and she has mega drool going on! She just can't get enough of the bag!

This is what happens when we take something crinkly away from her!

Apple Picking

Alena has chosen her special baby apple

Yum yum!

Family pic on the wagon (tractor in background)

A couple weekends ago, on a gorgeous September Saturday, we made the trip up to Hillside Apples near Casco. Eric and I go apple picking every fall, but usually at the Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago. This year we started a new tradition with Alena :) She loved being outside and looking around. She got to pick her own baby apple and get a taste of Mommy's tasty apple, too! Yum yum! Daddy thought that her favorite part was going on the wagon behind a tractor (I'm sure that was Daddy's favorite part).

On the way home, went by Uncle Ken's farm, saw Ken and Ann outside, and decided to stop for a visit. They had been picking pears from the tree in their yard angd gave some to us (lots were made into baby food)! We also got to tour their new milking parlor and meet Cheyenne, a sweet mannered cow. Alena really didn't know what to think of all he noises, smells (E & I really likethe smell of manure!), and new animals!

We had such a great family day! Woo Hoo!

Day at the Beach

Looking at the waves with the SS Badger and downtown Manitowoc in the background
Chillin on the breakwater

Last week, I took Alena down to downtown Manitowoc's harbor where the SS Badger car ferry docks. I had never seen the huge ship come in to port and always wondered how it maneuvered in such a small space. Alena wasn't so interested in the ferry, even though it blew its horn a couple of times. She was more concerned about the waves crashing up on the rocks next to us. She was a little nervous about it at first, but got used to it after a while! We ended up walking out on the breakwater out to the point :)

Exploring on the beach. Gotta love that huge baby gut hanging out! At least she's happy!

Daddy and baby

Last Friday, Eric had the great idea to go for a walk at Silver Creek Park. He was jealous about the walks that Alena and I go on during the day and he wanted in on the fun. I had never been to this park, and, frankly, didn't even know it was there! It had lots of trails going through the woods, and the whole park is next to Lake Michigan. Of course we went by the water. Alena just loves being outside and really enjoyed the time with Mommy and Daddy!

Hungry hungry hippo... I mean baby!

Got carrots all over the place and is was so much fun!Check out my hands, Mom! And, yes, she is just in her diaper, thank God! She got a bath soon after :)

I've been making lots and lots of baby food for my ever-growing and hungry baby! So far, in addition to rice cereal, she's had carrots (as is evident in these photos), sweet potatoes, peaches, bananas, and avocado. I've been blending up and freezing summer squash, apples (that I canned last year), and pears in the last few days. We're trying new foods one at a time as recommended, so that we'll know if she's allergic to any of them. I really don't think she will be, but ya never know!

Needless to say, she loves to eat! She gives us the "mmm" sound if we don't give her one spoonful immediately after another! Many times, she still has food in her mouth as she's requesting more... such a goof! Another fav of mine is when she gets whiney while eating and then spews little bits of food all over me, everything around me, and herself.

I'm still nursing her which I think is sometimes easier than going through the trouble to feed her! It's kind of a wake up call for me to see her getting nourishment from another source. She's growing up before my very eyes! On the flip side, when she eats "real" food, Eric can feed her. The only time he could before this was if I pumped and he gave her a bottle. We both know, though, that it has always been easier for me to nurse her than have to pump, so I nursed her myself pretty much whenever I was around. Ah, the life of a mommy :)

Packers Regular Season

Grandma Hawkins was nice enough to buy a DD jersey for Alena :) We made sure that she donned it for the season opener on Sunday night! Mommy thought that Alena should have been wearing a Greg Jennings #85 jersey, her favorite player! And yes, Alena has a onesie on under the jersey, she's just going pantsless since she was so warm earlier in the day. Gotta love the Michelin man chunky legs!

Labor Day Weekend at the Cabin

Alena's special treat, since it was her 6 month birthday, was to go for a 4 wheeler ride with Daddy and Mommy. She really enjoyed it and made lots of "comments" along the way!Here we are chillin' outside by the fire, looking cute!What a lucky girl to cuddle on Grandma's lap and watch the fire! Checking out Daddy & Mommy's bed in style.
Alena's thinking, "What is this? I wonder if it tastes good?" She found out that pinecones are slighly prickly on the tongue!

We fought the traffic and made it back up to the Cerkas cabin :) Grandma and Grandpa Cerkas came up, too. We had days filled with relaxing, eating, and generally being lazy. It was pretty nice - very few mosquitoes, but the hornets were pesky. The weather was gorgeous; we couldn't ask for anything more! Alena slept great the first night, but was fussy for the second two. We think it was a combo of teething, constipation (She didn't poop the whole time we were up there if you don't count the blowout on the way up. What a change from last time!), and not being at home. She was kinda crabby as the weekend went on. Hopefully her screaming and crying didn't irritate the new neighbors too much!

First Tooth

And we thought at first she was crabby from just getting over sickness and the weekend away from home! Last Monday, I noticed a spot on her gums. On Tuesday, she had a sharp little tooth sticking up! This shot is from a few days later. We love how it's coming in nice and crooked already! Oh well!

The Cutest Packer Fan!

Yep, I just ate and am now giving what is dubbed the "Grandma Face"

Go Packers!

Turns out, our baby is a huge Packers fan, go figure, right? She watched the first preseason game upside down from the sweet spot in her baby gym! I think that she was inspired by all of the action since she was rolling around all over the place! She really does like Donald Driver, not just because he made a touchdown, but because of his sparkly earrings and shiny smile! I have a feeling that she's going to like being a Packer fan this season, that is, until she starts teething in earnest. She didn't even poop completely through an outfit during the game! She came close, but not quite. Maybe, someday, Alena will be one of the kids who brings her bike to Lambeau during Training Camp so that the Packers can ride to the practice field! Ah, the dreams we have for her.

Everyday Stuff

This is what Mommy and Daddy to with Alena when she poops so much that it seeps up her back! We get the clothes off of her before it spreads! Thankfully Alena doesn't seem to mind.

She has been working on standing. She's not so interested in being on her tummy, nor does she really try to crawl. Standing is good for her!

We've been living day to day. We are thankful that Eric has as much work as he wants to put in. He has been putting in 10 hour nights. Alena gets to spend time with Daddy in the AM and for a couple of hours in the evening :) Weekends are the best, though! We've used our spare time to search for a new car seat for Alena. She's going to outgrow her infant seat within about a month or two if she continues to grow at her current rate. We're also planning on going to Wyoming at the beginning of October and hope that she's all set by then!

Alena will also be able to spend more time with Mommy starting in a few weeks. I quit my job as a collector at the Credit Union and am planning on supplementing our income through subsitute teaching and online tutoring to start. I'm still looking for a job for at home, but I have been unsucessful. I'm hoping that the tutoring gig will work out at least for now! As one wise woman reminded me, "The Lord with provide for His children." He has no let me down and I know that he won't anytime soon!

The 4th of July

Getting lovings from Auntie Ashey at Grandpa Cance's house.

Cheering on Grandma Hawkins at the Pow Wow Days 5k!

Alena was so proud that Grandma beat Cousin Andy even though she is twice his age!

We decided that Alena could try out Seven Island Lake, but is was super cold and she only got her toes wet! She sure did look cute, though!

Our little family watching the fireworks at Uncle Steve's cabin.

We went up to Tomahawk for Alena's first 4th of July celebration! She had lots of people giving her kisses hugs, and just plain giving her attention. We started off the day by cheering on Grandma Hawkins in th 5k run. Later, we went to the parade. She was doing great, even with all of the sirens, until one of the firetrucks blared on the horn right in front of us. That, combined with the heat, was just enough to put her over the edge. Mommy and baby spent the rest of the parade standing in the shade. Alena slept through almost all of the rest of the parade!

Then we went out to Uncle Steve's cabin on Seven Island Lake for some food, boating, and fireworks. The water was much too cold for swimming, but Mommy got to go boating for a while! Alena enjoyed being around all of her exended family and really enjoyed all of the attention! She watched the fireworks intently. The noise didn't bother her at all!

It was such a fun time for our little family, but, as every weekend goes, was much too short!