Weekly Natalie - Week 69

Here are some pictures I took from our trip to the zoo last week. Like I said last week, Natalie had more fun riding in the wagon than actually looking at the animals, but I paid a grand total of $0 for her admission. So it's all good.

Natalie's view of the sheep and their lamb

The lamb's view. I seriously had to restrain myself from
reaching in his pen and taking him home with me.
He was beyond cute.

Doing a little softshoe for the sheep

Forgot to rotate this one. But really, guinea pigs at a zoo?
Really?

My favorite!!

Me and My Not-Impressed-With-The-Gorillas little love

Antisocial gorilla (waaaay at the top of the tree)

Dude. This guy was HUGE.

Albino peacock

There he is again!

Lamb on the lam ... ha!

Blowing raspberries

What's that monkey doing? Oh, just hanging around.
Ba dum BUM!

Turtles working on their tan

My sweaty baby

Question: How do you hang a tree swing when you have a
6' ladder, a 6'3" husband, and a branch that's 15' off the ground?
Answer: you kick it redneck style

Testing out his handiwork

I had to give it a shot, too

I love her smile

Wheeeee!

Singing at the park

Zoo Trip

We had our second zoo trip this morning! I took Natalie when she was 7ish months old, which almost doesn't count as a zoo trip for her. But now that she's curious about EVERYthing, I thought a trip to the zoo would be fun for her.

The weather was perfect - hot, but not too hot and not too humid. Even though I love cold weather, I really liked today's kind of heat. Side note: my kid is tanner than I am. Me = lame.

Natalie was only semi-interested in the animals. I mean, she giggled at the goats while I fed them and she squealed when she saw the monkey swing from branch to branch, but the highlight of the trip (in her eyes) was eating a turkey sandwich. I guess that's why kids two and under are free, because that's where my child's joy lies - in two pieces of turkey, a few slices of cheddar cheese, and whole wheat bread. She also liked picking leaves off the ground. Turkey sandwiches and leaves ... she's a simple child with simple needs. Oh, and she also liked being wheeled around in a wagon (but found the speed at which I was pulling her a little sluggish). Turkey sandwiches, leaves, riding in a wagon ... ahhhh, to be a 15-month-old ...

Weekly Natalie - Week 68

This past weekend, my parents, Natalie, and I met my sister Karen in Destin for lunch. I hate that my sister lives in another city, but thankfully it only takes 1.5 hours to meet her halfway. She hadn't seen Natalie since Christmas, so it was high time for a rendezvous so Natalie could show Aunt Karen her newest tricks.

There's a cute water fountain-feature in Destin Commons, and while I was 99.99% convinced Natalie would hate it, that .01% got the best of me. And shock of all shocks ... she loved it! I can add this to the list of water-related things that my bath-hating child likes. For the record, the list includes rain, water from the hose, splashing in water on her highchair, and now, the water fountain thing in Destin commons. But water contained in a white porcelain container? Oh no. She'll have none of that, thanks.

"Aaah! There's water spraying from the ground!"

Keeping a safe distance

Brave enough to get sprinkled

So excited by the water!

She's braver when Aunt Karen's there to hold her hand

Water - 1; Natalie - 0

Having a b-l-a-s-t

Gramma Lu teams up with the water ...

My three most favorite ladies in the world

"Hey kid. That sippy cup looks good. Give it here."

Natalie is a sweaty, sweaty baby. She comes by it honestly,
but still. When I get her up from her crib, she has the craziest
moptop known to man.
Exhibit A.

Exhibit B

She coordinated her outfit very well by choosing to
pose with her yellow duck

Hanging out in Daddy's shoes

This girl loves to accessorize. But I don't have the heart
to tell her that a too-small sun hat and Mommy's
hairbrush aren't the most fashionable accessories.

Marching around our room

Snuggling with the blanket

Hello, my pretty baby

Wavin' her hands in the aye-er,
like she just don't cay-er

Moptop Exhibit C

Modeling the fashionable Easter Egg necklace I made

Weekly Natalie - Week 66 and Week 67

Holy cow ... what a whirlwind of a two weeks. Lee and I had our four-year anniversary, we had a great Easter weekend, and one of my best friends got married. These pictures are totally out of order (get it together, Blogger.com!), but hopefully you'll get the gist.

Roaming around Bartram Park while Lee and I ate our anniversary dinner

Team Smith!

At Pensacola Beach for the Easter Sunrise Service

View of Pensacola Beach for the sunrise (or fogrise) service

Hamming it up during the beach baptism

Phil Whickam performed a free concert at Destin Commons on Easter night. It was aMAZing!

Giggles at Easter lunch.

Team Smith at the Easter sunrise service at Pensacola Beach

Natalie McAllergicToLookingAtTheCamera strikes again

The mature parental units of Team Smith at our dear friends' wedding

Me and my amazingly wonderful love