Anna Crawls! And waves!

So Big!!!

Anna is getting so big! For a few weeks, she could scoot herself around on the floor, but only in reverse. While quite comical, she would often get frustrated after backing herself under some table or chair. Within the past week, she's learned how to go forward! Just yesterday when Mama picked her up from her "schooly", Anna crawled across the room to greet her!

Her laugh has also developed beautifully -- there are a few video clips here of her cracking up. She also enjoys bouncing wildly and riding on the swing -- especially when she's getting pushed by her brother.

11.11.07 -- Anna Smiles & Laughes

Halloween Fun!

My brother was a firefighter this year, so my parents decided it would be cute to dress me up as a cute little dalmatian puppy. Firefighting is cool and all, but really all I like to do is grab things and then chew on them. So I guess in that way I kind of am like a puppy, though not quite as mobile (yet). Even though it was a little embarrassing, I decided to play along and look cute to get everyone smiling. I'm pretty good at that!

11.10.31 -- Halloween!

Anna eats! Anna looks cute!

Anna has started in on solid foods! Well, they're called solid foods only because they're not milk, but a pasty mix of creamed sweet potato, rice cereal, and breast milk could hardly be considered "solid". But she's doing well with these and really showing off her big-girl stuff. Not only that, but Anna can sit unassisted for long periods of time and is quicker at reaching and grabbing things (say, for example, your full glass of ice water while you're at a restaurant) than you can imagine. Some evidence of her eating and cuteness is here:

11.10.08 -- Antoinette Eating and Being Cute

Anna Learns to Kiss (a fish)

It's been too long since we've updated Anna's blog. She's now sitting up by herself, eating solid food (well, baby food), and just generally even cuter and lovelier than she was before (as if that's possible). Here is a video from today of Anna learning to kiss...a fish!

October 2, 2011

Portraits of Anna & James!

Before we left Denver, our friend Kayln took some portraits of the kids on a beautiful sunny day in the park! While it was hard to get them to sit still, she did a great job capturing their energy. You can see more of Kayln's work here:
http://www.facebook.com/kbee.photography?sk=wall

The photos of Anna & James are here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111990247430062029113/PortraitsByKayln?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOKa2tuKtv7tXQ&feat=directlink

(Please notice in the only photo of James and Anna that James is actually letting his sister topple over. He thought this was hilarious. We tried to discourage him while stifling our own laughter.)

Anna Rolls Over

Anna has developed a trend - each time we go for a check-up at the doctor and I mention some developmental concern she almost immediately does that thing. Last time, at her 4 month check-up, the doctor asked about her rolling over. I said, "No. She just doesn't seem that interested." Well today - really her first opportunity to do so with all the travel we've been doing - she rolled over (back to front) for the first time. She did it 3-4 times so I'm pretty sure it's not a fluke. Here is some video proof.

Antoinette Laughs in Iowa

For weeks now, we've been trying to coax Antoinette into her first real laughter. She loves to talk and will go back and forth with her sweet coos an wookie-like chirps for twenty minutes, but we had yet to get a true laugh out of her. This past week, while we were in Iowa buying a house, we were successful! This bodes well for the state of Iowa.

Anna Laughs in Iowa

Anna Does Stuff!

Anna chews on toys!

From 11.05.28 -- Antoinette Does Stuff

Anna talks!

From 11.05.28 -- Antoinette Does Stuff

Anna plays with a balloon!

From 11.05.28 -- Antoinette Does Stuff

Anna gets a balloon shoved in her face by her older brother!

From 11.05.28 -- Antoinette Does Stuff

Anna's Recent Adventures

It's been a second month of life for little Anna -- she's nearly doubled her birthweight, met a good deal of her immediate family, and enjoyed lots of attention from her older brother.

Her Grandpa came to visit a few weeks ago -- and watching the two of them together, I'm not sure who was cuter!

This past week-end, her Uncle Mark visited and, probably for the first time in his life, he held a baby this little. Clearly they loved each other a great deal.

Bunches of new photos are here:

Anna Photos April-May 2011

Antoinette Speaks; Antoinette Smiles

This morning, before the rest of the family awoke, Antoinette and I had some quality time together -- watching hockey highlights from the night before (go Canucks!), playing with her stuffed animals, tummy time on the floor, and cooing at each other. I was able to catch a little bit of her joy on camera.

First, Antoinette smiles:

From 11.04.29 -- Antoinette Speaks

And then, Antoinette speaks!
(I swear she tries to say, "I love you"!)

From 11.04.29 -- Antoinette Speaks

The Joys of Being a Second Child

Becky & I were joking that much has happened in Antoinette's first six weeks that never happened with James, or that we never would have allowed to have happened. With this spirit in mind, we thought it would be worth starting a list of such firsts.

#1: Toy hovercraft driven (gently) on head (age 41 days)

More to come...

#2: Flown around like she was a jet plane (age 4 weeks)
#3: Pretended she was a highway so trucks could be drive on her (5 weeks)

St Patty's Day and New Clothes

Baby Anna has had a great first few days at home. She's been eating like a champ and has already gained 4 ounces from her birth weight! She's very calm and peaceful, falling asleep quickly and, when alert, very in tune to what's happening around her (especially if it's coming from her big brother). She also has a variety of impressive facial expressions, including but not limited to: The Drunken Pirate, The Incredulous Sports Fan, and The Disbelieving Lawyer.

She got to wear her best green for St Patty's Day this week and also some very cute clothes from her Great Grandmother Nina while laying on a lovely blanket made by our friend Jessica.

11.03.18 -- St Patty's Day and New Clothes!

More Anna Photos!

This evening, Anna got to meet her friend Genevieve (who is 11 months older) and her parents -- her auntie Amy and (as James calls him) Marbach (also known as Doctor Uncle Jonny Daddy Marbach). She also got to meet her Uncle Christian, who held her for a while and was very sweet. Marbach took some great, great photos:

Jonny Marbach's Photos of Anna

Anna's First Videos!

Here are a few of Anna's first videos...

Visit from Big Brother Jamie:

From Anna's First Videos

Just being a beautiful girl:

From Anna's First Videos

From Anna's First Videos

And in her bed for the first time:

From Anna's First Videos

What a day!

Antoinette Slater Gangloff woke up this morning still nameless, thinking the day would be like any other: she would swish around in the amniotic fluid, sleep on and off, get nutrients and oxygen effortlessly through her umbilical cord, and maybe kick around a bit after dinner. This was not to be the case.

At 7:30am, mom and dad arrived at the hospital. After the paperwork and check-ins, the doctor came in to check things out at about 9am. Mom was dilated, things looked good, but the water had not yet "broken". Thinking it best in this situation to help out a bit, the doctor ruptured the membranes and left. Over the next couple hours, it was back-and-forth between in bed with the monitors and walking the halls of the Presbyterian/St. Luke's Hospital 3rd floor. The contractions gradually climaxed and around noon were getting quite intense. Antoinette's mommy was remarkably composed and brave throughout. At about 12:20pm, daddy thought to call the nurse and tell her that things seemed to be moving along. And was that ever true!

The nurse and doctor came in right away to check things out...it was time! Fully effaced and nearly fully dilated, it was about time to push. The various implements and accouterments were quickly assembled, and by pushing through just two contractions, Antoinette emerged at 12:52pm -- beautiful and slimy and quite purple. Weighing in at 7.5 lbs, she was healthy as could be and quickly figured out the fine art of nursing.

Later that evening her grandmother and big brother got to visit. Mommy had helped her pick out a present to give her big brother -- an awesome tow truck. Her brother was gentle and almost as interested in his new sister as his new toy, which is saying something given his recent obsession with tow trucks.

Now, mommy and baby are sleeping soundly, if only for short while.

Some photos from the adventures of this first day are here:

Antoinette's Birth