Brightwood Lights

and one giant leap for Mama.  Yes, it’s true.  Our little Simona has taken her first steps.  The very first one was in Iowa on May 20th, and this past Monday she took her first consecutive steps (about 5-6 in a row!).  She is slowly working up the nerve to take more and more.

 As for photos:  On Mother’s Day, our good friend Sam took some beautiful pictures of Simona.  He is quite skilled, as you’ll see.  I’ve updated the “photos” page with just a few of them.  I figure I’ll do a bigger picture update sometime soon, at which time I’ll post pictures from our most recent trip to Iowa and our upcoming trip to South Carolina.  Plus, I’ll put up a few of the major project that has dominated much of our time in the month of May: working on our house.  (I’m sure everyone’s simply dying to see those!)  I’m trying to capture some of Simona walking, so I’ll post those when I can.  Until then, enjoy!

Well, Simona has been quite busy in the past month. . . highlights have included another trip to Germany (surprise!) for her Uromi’s 80th birthday party and a recent visit from Uncle Mickey and Jackie from New York.  A relatively “slow” month?  You bet, compared to what’s ahead: trips to Iowa and South Carolina for Uncle Seth & Aunt Linda’s college graduations, a trip to New York for Lauren Killeen’s wedding, and then a couple of summer vacations. . . whew!

In between all this, though, Simona has been practicing many new skills.  These include climbing anything she possibly can, going down stairs, standing without holding on to anything, and doing headstands.  All these might lead you to believe that she will, in fact, take after Tante KK.  That is, until you see in the photos that she also has been squeezing a little horseback riding. . .

Simona has had quite a bit of family interaction over the past month. She had a quick, one-day visit from Oma and Opa, a weekend at Grandma Lo’s and Grandpa Bob’s (pictures of that to come. . .), and visits from (Caleb’s) Uncle Ron & Aunt Nancy and then from Grandma & Granpa on back-to-back weekends. In between all that, she celebrated Martha’s, Caleb’s, and Kangaruth’s birthdays. Plus, her Uroma turns 80 on April 5th. Oma and Opa will be there to celebrate with Omi.

Simona is now “cruising” (walking while holding onto furniture, for you non-parents) and has four teeth. And as you’ll see in the updated photos, she is now fully literate- what an early bloomer. At her nine month doctor’s check up, we learned that she is STILL off-the-charts tall. Sorry, Tante KK– sounds like she might not end up following in your footsteps as a gymnast. Maybe she’ll take up crew. . . ?

WAAAAY back in 2006, I promised to tell you about my trips and people I met.  Here goes. . .

In November, I took a roadtrip to Iowa for Thanksgiving.  You may have already seen pictures of me with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncles Seth and Wyatt, and my Great-grandparents Neil and Great-grandpa Brenneman (plus plenty of extended relatives).  Great-grandpa Brenneman gave me my own little chair, and now that I can sit up on my own, I’ll have Mama and Papa take a picture of me sitting in it.  Iowa wasn’t nearly as cold as I’d been warned!

 December highlights included another roadtrip; this time, Mama, the cats, and I drove to Oma and Opa’s house in Georgia.  (Papa flew down later.)  Other family in Georgia included my “Tanten” (aunts) and my Great-grandparents Gregory.  My Tante Janice’s friend Gus was also there.  I’ll have Mama post some pictures of them, too.

Finally, I ended 2006 by taking my first international trip.  I figured six months old was old enough to head to Europe, so I took Mama, Papa, and Tante Linda to Glueckstadt, Germany to meet my Ur-Oma and other relatives.  I was a huge hit, as everyone enjoyed playing with and cooing over me.  Ur-omi and I had some alone time while Mama and Papa took day trips to Berlin and Hamburg with cousins.  Since I got my first tooth on December 30th, I was too tired to stay awake for the New Year. . .

. . . I’ll have to tell you more about that later, though!

Simona’s adventures, which she told you about last month, have taken her to many new states and have also included several fun holidays.  I’ll let her tell you about those and about the special people she met in her next post.  We documented the trip (more pictures on the photo page):

What the pictures don’t tell you, and what she failed to mention, is how much she is growing and changing.  When I told my sister Linda about something Simona “liked,” Linda responded by asking, “Can you really already tell personality things like that about her?”

I wouldn’t have thought so, either, but it is amazing to see that Simona does already have and express her personality.  She laughs at specific faces I make, seems to be a morning person, and is friendly rather than shy when strangers smile at her.  Though I’m sure her temperament will change frenquently over the next few years, it’s fun to watch.

Physically, her new tricks also include being able to put her pacifier in her mouth by herself (though she’s really more of a thumb sucker, anyway); reaching for and inching towards toys that are out of reach, eating some solid foods, and being able to sit up.  (Unfortunately, that usually ends in a fall with a bump on the head, but she is easily comforted from that.)  Simona is also teething- the bottom front teeth are “bulging” and are on the verge of coming in.

Mama and Papa, for our part, are busy with school and work.  My semester is almost over, so I will be driving to Georgia with Simona soon.  Caleb will follow by plane shortly before Christmas, and we will be spending the week after Christmas with family in Germany.  We will try to post again before that trip, but if not, we wish all our friends and family who read this a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!