Lovin' the sand.

Yum.

Lovin' the ocean.

From the Mouth of Babe

Roxi's vocabulary is increasing exponentially. I'm talking new words every day, people. It's wild stuff.

Granted, you have to listen somewhat creatively and be paying attention, since "ba ba" could mean bottle, baby, belly button or sheep (as in what a sheep says). "Wa" means either water or watch. "Ba" generally means ball or bath, but could also mean any number of things (it's the new guk). Her repertory now includes the aforementioned as well as cracker (still a favorite), Daddy, Mama, quack (for ducks), roar (for lions), hiss (for snakes), meow (for kitties), woof (for dogs), kitty, hippo, dinosaur, cookie, pasta, hot, brrrrr (for cold), Teton (our big black cat), more, moon, car, hat, window, teeth, nose, whiskers, eye and probably a lot of other things I'm forgetting.

Plus she'll attempt to mimic just about anything you say.

My favorite pronunciation right now is banana, which comes out "ber-BLEH-ler" with a generous tongue flick. A close second are fan and fish, both pronounced "fuh-fuh-fuh" because I was trying to teach her how to make an F sound and she's not interested in bothering with the rest of the word after that. Sharing third place are "toh-toh", which means tortilla, and "doh-doh", which means dirty.

North Carolina Is Fun Because ...

An essay by Roxi

• I can get just about anyone on an airplane to stick their tongue out if I flirt enough.
• Aunt Christa and Uncle Ray have bubbles and kitties at their house.
• My parents are suckers for Tarheel merchandise.
• Eating out all the time means I get a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches.
• Popsickles are yummy.
• Granddaddy, Mimi, Uncle Lee and Uncle Tyler know how to have a good time.
• The ocean is just like my swimming pool ... except a million billion times better.
• Sand tastes really good and adds a satisfying crunch to any appetizer or entree.
• My diaper can hold a remarkable amount of sand. Really. Even more than you'd think.
• Nanna and Great Aunt Pat make very convincing animal noises.
• The halls in Gigi and Poppop's building were clearly built for my running pleasure.
• Sometimes you bump into a grown man dressed like a gorilla when you least expect it.
• I have lots of family, and they're all deliciously crazy just like me.

Inside the ball castle at her pal Hailey's first birthday bash.

Supersonic

Last weekend we went to Seattle for my cousin Meg's wedding. Meg helped me get a handle on family tree nomenclature (at least a better handle than I had before), and so I can say with some certainty that she is Roxi's first cousin once removed.

After a sleepless but happy flight (Roxi flirted with everyone on the plane) and an uneventful cab ride, we were greeted by a mass of relatives at the hotel. Wackiness ensued for the rest of the weekend. Roxi got to see her Nanna, Uncle Lee, Gigi, Poppop, Great Aunt Pat, Great Uncle Bill, Great Aunt Suzanne, cousins Meg, Nathan, Bill, Angi, Billy and Joe, and many more ... in fact, more relatives than anyone could shake a stick at (even a whompin big stick). Our sweet girl took to everyone, smiling and laughing and giving leg bear hugs to whomever would stand still long enough.

Roxi had a big time. Not much napping. Lots of being chased around and held by giggling family members. Ample hotel bed jumping. A healthy dose of crackers. It was her kind of weekend.

Uncle Lee helps Roxi accessorize.

On Saturday, we took a tour of Seattle's newest library, which can only be described as amazing. Here Roxi is enjoying one of the many puzzles in the gigantic children's section.

All dressed up at the wedding and having fun with her Great Great Aunt Betty.

This was the part of the evening when we were giving Roxi anything and everything on the dinner table to keep her occupied (Note that the cute little bow in her hair is LONG gone.). After quickly chucking spoons, napkins and wedding favors out of her field of vision, she settled happily on this lemon.

Hey, wait a minute ... this actually tastes a lot like yuck.

Happy family.

Daddy head bongo playing NEVER gets old.

Here's Roxi sporting her shiny new bike helmet. Stylish!

Chart Buster

Roxi had her one-year checkup this afternoon. She got another glowing report from Dr. P, with gold stars in the areas of growth, development and cuteness. She's doing magnificently ... even if she won't eat any vegetables. Rob and I knew this already, but it was pretty swell to hear it from the doc himself.

Roxi had a good time - waving and smiling at everyone, playing with the spiffy bead table, discovering the air conditioning vent, untying Dr. P's shoes, exploring every nook and cranny of the examining room - until her 2 shots were administered. Even then she was a trooper; she was grinning at nurse Rhonda mere moments after the second needle left her skin.

So, without further ado, here are Roxi's latest stats:

• 21 pounds, 5 ounces - in the 60th percentile
• 30.75 inches tall - in the 90th percentile
• 18.75 inches head circumference - in the 99th percentile

We had a small party to celebrate Roxi's birthday last night. Jen, Mike, Tori and Chris (some of her Colorado "aunts" and "uncles") were on hand to witness the obligatory cake demolition that should accompany every first birthday. As you can see from her expression, Roxi wasn't quite sure what to make of her cupcake.

But she figured it out pretty quickly.

And soon realized that it was not only edible, but downright tasty.

I am Roxi, Queen of All Cupcakes!

Feeling a little sheepish about making such a big mess?

No way!

Since today was officially Roxi's big day, we celebrated by going out to lunch, visiting two parks, eating dinner outside and opening presents. Not to mention the usual cat tackling, cracker requesting and dirt smearing.

Being one rules!

Sporting fancy ribbons after opening her birthday presents.

One

Our baby isn't a baby anymore. She's a full-fledged toddler, and she's one whole year old. Holy smokes, did that ever go FAST. Here are a few of Roxi's latest cute new skills:

• Recognizing Rob's voice on the phone and answering machine, and saying "Da Da!" when she hears him.
• Activating her toy that plays "Oh Susanna", waiting for us to start singing and clapping, and then performing a magnificent arm flapping, body swaying dance.
• Patty cake marathons.
• Wanting to go on the slide at the playground over and over.
• Asking to take a bath every time she's naked. "Baaa?"
• Waving at everyone who will give her the time of day (and many who won't). We get all kinds of special treatment at the grocery store.
• Chasing us around the house and laughing big belly guffaws when she's being chased.
• Visual memory: She'll point out balloons, kitties, bees, butterflies and ducks in her books, among other things.
• Picking out a book, bringing it to one of us and sitting in our lap so we'll read it to her.
• Following basic commands: bring me your shoes, put your bear in your toy box, have a seat, etc.
• Kicking and throwing balls - by herself and on command.
• Sporting more teeth. Roxi's fifth tooth, another right lower incisor, made its debut on Memorial Day.

Less cute has been her waking time for the past week - between 4 and 5 a.m. But hey, I can almost forget it's still dark outside when I walk into her room and see that smiling face waiting for me. We're a bit on the sleep-deprived side, but we couldn't be happier with our big one-year-old girl. Happy birthday Roxi!!!

Faces and Rainy Spaces

I've been remiss about sharing the faces in Roxi's life lately. In March, she was treated to a visit from her Aunt Christa, Aunt Bean (who is technically her second cousin Joy, aka Joybean) and Aunt Bean's beau Shawn. We had a big ol' time, including lots of watching Roxi be Roxi and a party to celebrate her momentously cool relatives.

Then Gamma Rose visited over Memorial Day weekend. It rained mercilessly and we couldn't have cared less. We explored the playroom at the local mall (mayhem, total mayhem). We stomped and played and screamed and laughed and cavorted around the house. We ate out a lot. That part of the weekend led us to this discovery: Roxi will eat much more at a restaurant than she will at home, particularly if there are aquariums full of fish and/or small children sitting nearby. The girl who will often turn her nose up at everything non-cracker was suddenly eating shrimp scampi (Red Lobster, dinner) and Vietnamese chicken (Young's, lunch). Maybe she was trying to impress her Gamma. Methinks it worked.

Another new face in Roxi's life is her regular babysitter. Melissa is a student at Colorado State University, full of energy (which Roxi loves) and very responsible (which Rob and I love). Plus, she's a lot of fun. She's been coming once a week - 3 to 10 p.m. - for the past couple of months. I generally catch up on freelance projects or run errands for the first few hours and then Rob and I have date night. Everybody's happy :)

The Thing About Saying Cracker Is

You better darn well have an actual cracker to back it up.

Already Walking the Walk. Starting to Talk the Talk.

Roxi's latest and greatest walking skill is being able to get on her feet solo. Previously, she would need a hand, table, toy, cat or something to pull up on. Then she'd get her balance. Then off she'd toddle. A few days ago, she learned how to stand up all by herself - no props necessary. She goes from sitting to hands and feet to standing in a matter of seconds. Bada boom. And yowza, that girl can move FAST.

And guess what else? She's starting to talk.

To be fair, Roxi has been holding lengthy conversations in her own language for quite some time. Her vocabulary now includes a few understandable English words. She mostly mimics them but will occasionally pop out with them on her own: Daddy, bottle, cracker, breakfast, kitty. It is unspeakably cute.

Taking lovely walks in the park.

Strolling ...

Concentrating ...

Using Daddy as homebase. Roxi usually takes a sharp turn as soon as she gets to one of us, prefering to either continue her walk or plop down of her own volition.

Walking is the coolest!

Chomping Action

Roxi's right front tooth broke through her gums yesterday (or at least we first noticed it yesterday). That's a grand total of four chompers now. Look out prime rib!

As far as her eating goes, I was starting to believe that she was French. The girl would eat only fruit, bread and cheese. It was surprising that she didn't ask for a nice chardonnay to accompany her meals. But we've had a breakthrough. Now Roxi wants to be eating whatever is on our plate. She gobbled down refried black beans on tortilla bits last night. Earlier this week, she enjoyed some naan and chicken tikka masala (minus the sauce) from our favorite Indian restaurant. Still no luck with vegetables, but hey ... one thing at a time.

Flying with Dad.

Balloon is one of the words that Roxi now understands. She points to them everywhere: grocery stores, restaurants, playgrounds, books and magazines.

We're always trying to get pictures of Roxi's teeth. This photo shoot was as unsuccessful as the last ... but she sure is cute, huh?

Roxi's buddy Josie celebrated her first birthday in fine style - at the local Gymboree, an indoor play center for wee ones. Roxi and I go to Gymboree on a somewhat regular basis. She loves exploring and watching the other (typically older) kids whirl around her. The whole place was rented out for this birthday party, though, so it was a special treat for the sweet girl to only have to share it with her bestest pals from playgroup.

One of the games involved a giant parachute. All the kids got on top, while the parents pulled it in a circle. Roxi is on her hands and knees - the furthest to the right.

This was followed by a giant whooshing and scooping everyone under the parachute.

It's amazing they kept their party hats on as long as they did.

Licking the sliding glass door?

Still the funniest thing EVER.

All I Want for Memorial Day

... are my two front teeth.

About two weeks ago, it became apparent that something was happening in Roxi's mouth. Our magnificent sleeper started waking up every night - sometimes twice a night - needing to be comforted with snuggles, a bottle and occasionally some Tylenol. No big deal, but not typical Roxster behavior.

Last weekend, we had our proof. Her left front tooth had broken through the gum ever so slightly, and it looked like the right wouldn't be far behind.

As of today, lefty is making fine progress. Righty still hasn't made an appearance, but you can see it lurking just below the gum. It won't be long! Roxi has been a champ throughout (as always) - only a few doses of Tylenol needed so far.

Some Things That Make Roxi Laugh

• Tickle kisses, belly busters and raspberries
• Gentle somersaults with Daddy
• Licking condensation off the sliding glass door
• Unexpectedly running into a cat
• Full body peek-a-boo
• Getting away with chewing on something she shouldn't be (like sticks)
• Loud quacking from her stuffed duck
• Dribbling water out of her mouth
• Other people laughing

Strawberry Shortcake

Roxi has learned how to keep from eating food she doesn't like . . . It's so simple! Just spit it out! And if that doesn't get their attention, spit it out and then throw it as far as you can.

Mealtimes have become a bit of an adventure.

Rob and I have many ways of getting her to eat, and sometimes these methods are even successful. Begging doesn't usually work, nor does trying to convince her that X food is actually the most delicious morsel on the planet. Distraction has much better odds, and can include singing, dancing, flailing, whirling washcloths, cat herding, toy hijinks and trading bites of X food for puff treats.

This week, however, all our extraordinary efforts have been for naught. The girl will only eat grapes and strawberries. We fear she will start ballooning into a giant grape, a la Willy Wonka's blueberry girl. Or perhaps start asking for a big berry house like Strawberry Shortcake.

We're sure it's just a phase. Roxi will surely transition into a cheese-only phase soon just to keep us on our toes. And for now, we're enjoying her permanent strawberry scent.

A Nose by Any Other Name

We've been working on plenty of words with Roxi, through constant commentary as well as reading. She's not saying anything recognizable yet, but the glimmerings of understanding are becoming apparent. When we ask "Are you hungry?" she knows that food is coming and starts looking for a bottle on the coffee table (even though she ends up in her high chair half the time). And she knows the nose. Roxi will point to the noses of her stuffed animals when asked.

She also knows what "No" means - or at least the negative tone that accompanies it. Whether or not she chooses to follow the instruction is a separate matter.

Roxi's other new skill is unfastening her diaper. Impressive on its own, but even more so when she does it through her clothes.

And did I mention she's walking!? We still can't believe it, and she gets more confident every day. Our baby is ON THE MOVE. It's definitely time to babyproof the cabinets!

Making her way around the coffee table. This was just a few minutes before her first solo steps.

Playing in the courtyard at Rob's work ... after meeting him for lunch. Roxi is showing off her lovely tongue.

Roxi's tripod scootch in action.

Put One Foot in Front of the Other ...

She's walking! She's walking! Roxi took her first steps this very afternoon at about 4:30 p.m. She's been getting more and more adventurous with her furniture cruising, and today she took it to the next level.

Roxi's first wee walk spanned the distance between the exersaucer (which she had pulled up on) and me in our family room - about five steps. She repeated her outstanding new skill 45 minutes later ... and then repeatedly once Rob got home from work. We're beside ourselves. Roxi is, undoubtedly, wondering what the big honking deal is.

So far, walking has been limited to when Roxi is holding two toys. When she has a hand free, she reaches for something - us, the coffee table, a kitchen chair, Teton, etc. - to stabilize herself. But when the hands are occupied ... well, I guess she finally got tired of waiting for people, pets and inanimate objects to present themselves. Go girl, go.

Interactive Monkeypants

A few of Roxi's newer skills:

• Pointing at things she likes, particularly the cats and her Dad, and shouting "Deeeesh!"
• Playing peek-a-boo (but never on command).
• Scooting across the floor. We call this move the tripod scootch. It's almost standard crawling, but Roxi only uses one knee and drags her other leg behind. The best way I can think to describe it visually is a moving runner's stretch.
• Intentionally trying to make us laugh. Roxi's favorite way to do this is to take a drink from her sippy cup and then dribble the water down her shirt. She's right, too. We're suckers for that trick every time.
• Cruising the furniture - standing up, holding onto the sofa, walking down to the end of it, moving to the coffee table, walking around it, etc.

Rob and Roxi take in the scenery, 360-style.

Tearing across the playground bridge (with some help from Daddy).

Diggin' the swings.

Wheeee!

C'mon, just one bite ...

Wow, is the park ever fun.

Teton and Roxi both love to play with sticks in the yard.

Roxi helps with the recycling.

They look like modern dancers, huh? That's Josie and Hailey against the wall, with Roxi providing crouching counterpoint on the floor. It was a very artistic playgroup.

Happy times on a lovely day.

Just try to make me eat more breakfast!

Creepy Crawlies

This winter has been a full-on germfest around here. Poor Roxi got nailed with another cold last weekend. Rob promptly caught it. I escaped with just a stuffy nose.

The good news is that every virus she conquers now is, theoretically, one less that she'll have to deal with in preschool. Or that's what we keep telling ourselves anyway. If you know this to be false, please keep that information to yourself, as we really NEED it to be true right now :)

Anyway, the cold was not as bad as the RSV experience. Just lots and lots of snot for the sweet girl - leading us to wonder how a body so small can produce so much by-product - and coughing. She's still a little drippy and sounds like a chain-smoker, but we're over the hump and looking forward to the healthy weeks (dare we hope for months?) ahead.

Roxi must have a bajillion toys. And yet there is nothing more fun to her than shredding a paper napkin. Other favorites: empty plastic containers, sticks, magazines, boxes and just about anything found in the bathroom.