Poppop Visits and Hiking!

Adalyn has had quite an adventurous couple of weeks! Let's recount some of the highlights:

1. Visiting with Poppop! We had so much fun playing, going back to the Aquarium and Botanical Gardens, eating Thai food (and Adalyn loved it!)...
2. Exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations, and boldly going where no baby has gone before! Or just crawling around the apartment...
3. Sharing meals with kitties...
4. And finally, going on our first hiking adventure in the mountains!

WHEW! That's a lot of fun for one baby! Let's start off by checking in with Adalyn on her apartment safari...

Adalyn camouflages herself in the tall grasses to surprise attack her victims!

"Oh, heh heh, you found me!"

Adalyn realizes that the tall grasses need a good cleaning...and there's only one tool for the job...

Ah! A minion appears to offer sacrificial hugs and kisses to Adalyn, Ruler of Cute...it's Poppop! Poppop traveled from the land of Houston, battling many large, mechanical beasts and fatigue in his quest to see the adorable Adalyn!

Poppop gets knighted by Her Royal Cuteness. And that's now Sir Poppop to you!

One proud grandfather.

Is it two smiling faces or one stylish vase? Hmmmm...

Getting ready for our second Aquarium adventure.

"Mommy, there's something in the water..."

Apparently, smiling at the camera is lost on the current generation.

Adalyn is captivated by sharks, fishes, and turtles, oh my!

Sometimes you've got to take a break and enjoy the finer things in life, like avocado. Because avocado must be good if even the kitties like it!

"One bite for me, one bite for you and you. Two bites for me, two bites for you and you..."

Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Back up. What is that? We almost missed the rare, elusive...CAT TONGUE! Like all good crime TV shows, let's hit a button and magically ENHANCE!

BLEHH!

Not quite enhanced enough...EMBIGGEN!

This looks fake. I can tell from the pixels and seeing quite a few cat tongues in my time.

The controversy continues...do cats really eat avocados? Maybe...but we know that babies do!

"If I smear some more avocado in this corner...VOILA! A masterpiece."

"Pardon me, but do I have something on my face?"

A-HA! Cats DO eat avocado!

Now that our tummies are full, we can go on our first hiking adventure! We'll need some water, a baby-carrying device, a person to hold the baby-carrying device...all we need now is a baby.

I wonder if Adalyn can see anything except the back of Daddy's head.

Baby SPLAT!

Adalyn is absolutely thrilled to be hiking and dressed appropriately.

Who is that? Did someone shrink Great Grandma Ada into a baby-sized person! OH NOES! (I like her baby smirk.)

Being at the top of the mountain amidst all of the wildlife and fresh air can be exhausting! Let's take a break with Daddy.

A baby tongue begins to make a grand entrance...

"Oh hai there. I'm just having fun with Daddy, pay no attention..."

What a Daddy snorgle might look like.

If these are the types of adventures Adalyn has as a baby, I can't wait for the Toddler Adventures!

Bonus kitteh pics:

"I'm hidden in this cat cave. No one can find me!"

Cheeky Kitteh

Adalyn turned 6 months on Tuesday! Where has the time gone??

Here are her stats from the pediatrician: 26.5 inches long, 17 pounds very heavy.
Kitty stats from the vet: Ninja, 8lbs 3oz; Peeper, 9lbs, 3oz.

Adalyn weighs almost 2 cats by now!

Speaking of cats, Adalyn has been exhibiting kitteh-like behavior for awhile now...and it's getting worse! We knew that Peeper and Ninja were training their protege, we just didn't realize how effective it was! Don't believe me? Well, let's just examine the evidence, shall we?

In Exhibit A, we caught the baby sharpening her kitten claws on the scratching post.

"Mom's not looking, the coast is clear!"

Adalyn wonders how this scratching post thing is supposed to work.

What's this? A scratching post revisit? Oh, this doesn't look good for the defendant.

"Okay, I saw Peeper do this a few minutes ago..."

Adalyn analyzes the damage she's done. Which is not much compared to actual kittehs.

Adalyn has also been known to play with cat toys, such as feather toys. We now present Exhibit B: the treat dispenser toy.

Adalyn likes to chase the ball around...just like a kitteh. Except the kittehs do it because treats come out; Adalyn chases it because it's fun.

And how can we forget Exhibit C: playing with boxes, especially with other household kittehs.

Adalyn plays with the box more than she plays with the toys inside. I figure the first couple of Christmases will be cheap.

And now presenting Exhibit D: chin scratching.

Adalyn likes to hang upside down. This is the perfect opportunity to tickle her chin!

Your honor, in this next exhibit, Exhibit E, we see the defendant checking her kitteh transformation process.

Adalyn likes her alligator mirror. She especially likes to chew the purple ties...just like a kitteh would. Sigh.

"Where are my whiskers? My pointy ears?"

I don't think Narcissus ever licked his own image.

This next piece of evidence is just...too much. We can't look at it. Oh the shame!! Presenting Exhibit F: begging for food.

She actually isn't begging for food in this picture, but it's a close representation. She likes to be given tasty morsels from our plate, and sometimes even paws at the plate to get our attention if we're not feeding her fast enough. It's silly.

"Heh heh, I'll just sneak under the plate and surprise Mommy that way! She'll never see me coming!"

After polling all kittehs in the household, it's official. Adalyn is now a certified kitteh!

But where does the cheeky part come in? I think you'll understand after watching this video clip of our now official "kitteh."

Do your cheeks hang low?

Do they cast their own shadow?

Do they wobble when you talk?

Do they jiggle like Jello?

Can you stretch them with a pinch?

Can you tie them like a cinch?

Do your cheeks hang low? 

Full Disclosure: Mommy had a gigglefest one morning coming up with those lyrics. Oh, and the pinching train routine is "Chubba Chubba Chubba Chubba Chubba Chubba CHEEK CHEEK! CHEEK CHEEK!" You know, for her chubby cheeks. :)

If they had an award for cheekitude, I think the award for best cheeks ever would go to....

And there you have it, folks! Our cheeky kitteh, Adalyn!

Happy Mother's Day...To Me!

It's my first Mother's Day! And to celebrate the occasion, I've contemplated what it means to be a Mom.

What does it mean to be a mother?
It's a wonderful feeling like no other.
A feeling of love that swells within
And threatens to devour my Adalyn.

I love her laughs.
I love her blue eyes.
I love to pinch
Her chubbular thighs.

I love to hold her hand 
When she eats.
I love to om nom nom
Her little toes and feets.

I love the look of excitement
When she started to crawl.
And when she starts walking
I'll be there if she falls.

I love that she grunts
When she has to poo.
And I love the look on her face
When she sees something new.

I love all the kisses
That are sloppy and wet.
And the way she reaches for the cat
Whom she's trying to pet.

I love the way she talks
When she's in a good mood.
And how her face is a mess
When she eats big girl food.

But mostly I'd love if one day
She, too, became a mother.
And on that day she'd finally know
How much I really love her.

I love you, Mom! And a Happy Mother's Day to me and every other Mom that helped me get here today!

So, the burning question on everyone's mind is "How did I celebrate my first Mother's Day?" Well, today, I'm making kolaches...YUM! They are really good! And fantastic just out of the oven - full of burnination, too! We'll wait til they cool down a bit to eat some more.

And yesterday, we went to the zoo for the first time as a family. Adalyn had such a blast that she's still sleeping from her adventure yesterday! And as Michael and I say, if you didn't wear out the kid having fun, then you're not doing it right.

Let's look at how much fun we've been having in preparation for Mother's Day...

Adalyn practices for the Cirque Dad Soleil.

Adalyn prepares for another ride on the Daddymobile.

Adalyn checks for teefers.

Adalyn smiles because she knows how super cute she is!

Adalyn hitches a ride on the Cute Express.

"Oh hai!"

"Oh bye!"

Adalyn keeps it classy by spitting all over the place. PBTHBTHTHTHBBB!

And more spitting...

Let's look at the many faces of Adalyn...

The why-yes-I'm-really-sitting-up-all-by-myself face

This face is so silly, I don't even know where to begin.

Tiny mouth face

The Essence of Zoolander face. Do you see how her cheeks cast their own shadow?

Bored smirk face

Here's Adalyn having fun with Daddy...

Adalyn helps Daddy win a video game...or lose, I'm not really sure.

And here's Adalyn sleeping...

Her favorite sleeping position is smooshed up against the side of the crib. Here she adds some flair by throwing an arm over the bumper.

Finally, some zoo pictures!

"It's a rough life when you're this cute..."

Adalyn is blinded by the flamingo's beauty and grace.

"So if I weigh the same as a duck..." (A Monty Python reference for the normal people out there.)

Recipe for an outrageously adorable baby: 1 part hat, 1 part sunglasses, 2 parts cheek, 1 part tiny mouth. Sprinkle in a serious expression and shake well.

Adalyn looks like someone took a Royal Wedding attendee and skooshed them down to baby size.

In order to get through the horde of Adalyn's adoring fans and actually enjoy the zoo, Mom turns the outrageousness down from 11 and removes Adalyn's sunglasses.

Adalyn sees what New Mexico has never seen before...a polar bear!

"Mom, there's more animals over there! Let's go!"

"I see my adoring fans could make it today."

The seals and sea lions came to the zoo to see all of the cute babies!

Family portrait. Daddy doesn't quite fit inside the frame.

Adalyn knows what a baby giraffe might look like...she's got lots of them in her room!

Mama Giraffe

The Albuquerque Zoo believes all peacocks should be free range.

Adalyn wonders if she'll ever grow beautiful feathers some day.

Adalyn finally sees what a real life elephant looks like! Much larger than any of the elephant decorations in her room.

Is it Tocktober? No, it's just koala bear tocks.

A Tasmanian Wombat. Almost as super cute as Adalyn.

In, out, in, out, in, out. Life's hard for a prairie dog.

"Oh mon cher, let me show you my beautiful plumage, mwa mwa mwa!"

Bonus kitteh pics:

Bobcat

Leopard

Tigers