This is for you, Jennifer

I got a crazy text message today, saying I should enable my "comments" on the blog so that people can tell me what they think. Okay, the text wasn't crazy...just surprising...mostly that people actually read the blog, and think it's funny! So now you should be able to comment...and I'll become obsessive about checking to see if people are commenting.

Bob Visits!

A few weeks ago, we got a call from our friend Bob, saying that he was in town for a few days. Yay! So, we met up at Daisy Mae's for some yummy steak, and Isabelle was so happy to meet Bob, that she couldn't even sleep for her nap time. So, we held her while we scarfed some food. Oh well. But anyways, Bob came bearing gifts, which we desperately needed. Izzy now wears her new socks with pride, and the other day, she was beating the crap out of her dog (who we've named Rico).

Here is Bob, holding Izzy. She didn't cry when he held her, which is kind of a big thing these days, since she's started fussing every time I leave the room.



Bob also brought gifts for Chris and Jin. Chris got a Disney Princess blanket, which he loves, since he and Bob were in Alaska together, and probably got similar frostbite.



Here's Jin in her Elephant towel. It does wonders for helping to dry her hair without frizz.



And here's a picture with Bob, Becca, and Izzy together. While she couldn't be there for real, Becca was there in spirit.

Happy Family

Now that Izzy knows how to roll over, it's fun to put her on the floor and lay there with her. It's also kind of needed, since she forgets how to roll from her tummy to her back, and gets frustrated when she is stuck. Unfortunately, Raisin and Eden have always considered a person on the floor as their own personal chair to lay on. So, we've had to do some retraining with them, so that when we are on the floor, they don't sit on us as we play with Izzy.

Here are some recent pictures of Chris and Izzy on the floor, and Raisin joining in.

No matter what we do, for some reason, Rai thinks that the blanket is on the floor for his own personal use. Plus, he likes to stay with in sniffing distance of Izzy.



Rai is also a big fan of Izzy's bows. He loves to nose them, which works out fine for Izzy, because she loves to touch Raisin anywhere she can. Her personal favorites are his paws (which is crazy, because he doesn't really let anyone touch them, but her!), and his ears and his lips. She also loves to kick him whenever he's within foot distance.



And here's one with Eden. She doesn't really like to be super close to Izzy. Just close enough to keep an eye on her.

Flipbook - revisited

Please take note of Izzy's crazy hair (it's her bedhead), and her crazy tongue.

Peek-a-boo

Now, I know that most parents say this about their child at least once in their lives, but Izzy is really smart! I was playing peek-a-boo with her around the coffee table, and she kept looking right where I was, before I even said anything! I would pop out from behind the corner of the table, and she was already looking right at me, so I said to myself, Izzy must be psychic! I mean, I've always had a little bit of intuition (in fact, when Chris and I first started talking, I told him he was NOT allowed to fall in love with me, and we were NOT going to get married...so I must have known that he was going to do those things...right?). Anyways, clearly, Izzy doesn't get her psychic-issitude from me. So, I went to plan B. I looked under the coffee table, and lo-and-behold, she was looking right at me. The little smarty pants was watching me move around the table, from under the table. That's pretty smart, right? Or...I'm easily impressed.

Anyways, here she is, caught cheating at peek-a-boo. She doesn't care, because she knows that the amount of time it took me to figure it out was enough to prove that she is already smarter than me. Oh, and don't mind the revealing neckline. It's not usually like that...she just scooted forward a little and it got pulled down. Now, that excuse won't work when she's 16, but at 6 months, it's okay.



Looking from the prior picture to this one, notice that Izzy has lowered herself down. She recently realized that her hands and arms have the ability to move her up and down. Ahhh, progress.



This is from the left side of the coffee table. She thought it was funny that I was moving around the table and taking pictures from underneath it.



And this is from the right side of the table, up close. She was having a ball with picture peek-a-boo.

Brett Favre - An homage...

Izzy has long been a Packer fan, from her early days when she wore the onesies even though they were too big, to the later days, when she rocked the Packer wrist rattle. Her earliest memories are of football games, and her fondness of the sport has never waivered.

So, the greatest sadness of her life (thus far) was the news that Offensive Machine Brett Favre had decided to retire. She had seen him play her whole life. Who would be the QB of the Packers now? The thought of someone else leading Green Bay to victory had never entered her mind. But after seeing the tearful retirement press conference, and hearing his strong, valid reasons for retiring, Izzy decided that she could support Brett's decision with a smile, though tremulous it may be.

Here is Isabelle supporting No. 4. Her smile is her brave face.



And in this one, she is leaning to the side, as if questioning all she knows, for today, the "rock" of her football knowledge has shifted, and she is left to rebuild the dream, reminisce about old times, and restart her journey in the game that is called "football."



And here, notice that Izzy's eyes are rimmed with redness. Though she may try, she cannot hide her sadness about Favre's retirement. She constantly watches "There's Something About Mary" over and over, for a glimpse of the one who is now lost to her.



Recovering, she leaves us with another smile. Her arms are reaching up, as though showing that she will carry on, the trooper that she is.

Izzy, the Lorax tree

Izzy's hair is FINALLY laying down on her head, like a normal person. Well, it's down for the most part. The back still is stubbornly sticking up, but half-heartedly. It makes her look like the trees from the Dr. Seuss books.