New Favorite Cup from Grandma Caveney

Sienna got this pewter cup from Grandma Caveney. Here she demonstrates how to use it.

Sienna opens gift from Grandma Jeanne and Grandpa Mike

I could not get more than 1 video to load per blog post - so here is 1 of them - 1 more to come!

Sienna's 1st Bday!!

We made it a whole year!!! Sienna went to daycare for most of the day. We took ice cream cups and all the kids sang happy birthday to her (caught on video). She ate ice cream for the first time and LOVED it! Forest and I both left work early and we got to spend several hours together as a family (a rare thing these days) playing, opening gifts and eating cake (see pics). Sienna got lots of great stuff for her birthday. Great-grandma Seiler, Grandpa Ned and the Leodler's sent $$ (which we will save for her and use to start a savings account for her when she is old enough to understand what that is all about). Grandma Jean and Grandpa Mike sent a package with new shoes, a really cool pillow guitar that actually plays the radio and an ipod, a white turtle neck and a really cute white outfit. Grandma Terry sent a neat pewter set (bowl, cup and spoon) in the mail. Aunt Cheryl sent Sienna a Jayden look alike stuffed animal that is really adorable!!! Aunt Heather's gift is "in the mail". The Logans are coming over on Saturday to deliver their well wishes in person. We bought Sienna a shoe rack, toy organizer shelves and some clothes. After gifts, we had cake. I made a ladybug cake. Very domesticated, eh? After Sienna went to bed, Forest and I stayed up driking wine and watching the hours of video that we had taken over the past year. It's really amazing how much she has changed in such a short time!

Favorite pictures from DC trip with Forest's side

Sienna with Aunt Robin Look! No hands!

Aunties Robin and Heather (above). Sienna cruises in style through the mall (left). Si's fav mode of transportation (below) (all photos compliments of Aunt Heather)

2nd Cousins Jessie and Katie (don't ask me which is which)

I love aunt Heather!!

(from left) Terry, Forest, Fawn, Ned

Jan 18-30th

We've had a pretty busy couple of weeks! On the 18th we had a holiday dinner party with the Horowitz's and Langeneckers at our house.

On the 19th I went to a Serbian holiday party (complete with roast lamb and a pig head!) with some of my UM work people.

On the 20th, Sienna and I went over to the Langeneckers (photo) to watch the Packers (lose) in the playoffs.

The morning of the 25th, I went to get Sienna up for daycare and found out she had been sick overnight - so I had to stay home that day. She actually did pretty well over the next few days.....didn't eat well...but was pretty happy and only vomited once more on Saturday night.

On the 26th, we had another dinner party at our house with our friends Brandi and Scott and their 2.5 month old baby, Charlie. I was in Atlanta for a NETT investigator meeting on the 27th and 28th.

The most excitment of all came on Wed the 30th when we lost power at 2am. It's 2pm now and we still do not have power and are not expected to have power again until almost midnight tonight. :( I had to diaper, dress and feed Sienna by candlelight this morning. It was actually kind of fun....but very very cold. When I left the house this morning it was 51 degrees and sinking fast (it's 12 degrees out right now)!

First Flight

I always swore that I would never take a baby on an airplane - but when Grandma McCreery had her stroke, there simply was no choice. Her first flight was on Saturday, January 5, 2008.

On the way there, we gave Sienna Motrin hoping that it would put her to sleep (bad parents, I know). She didn't even come CLOSE to sleeping, but, rather, was very happy the whole time (even standing up and "talking" to other people around the airplane) ----as long as we "kept the cheese coming" (Side note - Sienna LOVES cheese - a new food for her a couple of weeks before this trip).

On the way home we did not give her any "drugs" because it hadn't helped on the way to D.C. So...of course....she slept literally from before take-off THROUGH landing. She woke up when the pilot (loudly) announced our arrival back in Detroit.

This picture shows how I "carried" her through much of the airport (yes, she used her 5 teeth to hang on - and thank God for suitcases with 4 swivel wheels!!!). We got lots of laughs from people watching us...but hey...it worked (she is getting too heavy to carry - glad she will be walking well soon)!!!!!

Aqua Babies Here we Come!

Sienna is officially a student for the first time! She and I went to her first Aqua Babies class on Monday, Jan 14th. Sienna was wild eyed and very cautious when we first got in the pool (her first time in a body of water larger than a bathtub)....but she warmed up pretty quickly. By mid class, she was laughing and splashing along with all the other babies.

The class runs 8 weeks and is focused on getting babies comfortable with being in the water. In our first class, we did fun things like sang and acted out songs (like the hokey pokey and pop goes the weasle) and played with balls.....but (somewhat to my surprise) we also "worked" on water skills like floating on your back (Sienna is NOT a fan).

Dad proudly sat on the sidelines with the video camera (plus he is afraid of water!). In this picture - Sienna shows off her latest favorite gesture. She LOVES to point at everything and everyone!