Annie's 9 month check up and waiting out a storm at the beach!

Annie with Dr. Brown in the hospital when she was born!

Annie had her 9 month check up with Dr. Brown today. He isn't our normal pediatrician but we have been having trouble getting Dr. Luxemburg all the time - I find the more kids you have the more flexible you have to be with appointments for doctors and dentists - and Dr. Brown was the pediatrician who stopped by to see us each day in the hospital after Annie was born so I have a soft spot for him. So when they bring you in they ask you all these questions about your perfect little baby - Does she have stranger anxiety? Absolutely Not! Does she cry alot? Never, not since the day she was born practically! Any issues with shots? She barely cried at her last appointment and she got 4 shots! The long and the short of it is that Annie clung to me for dear life and gave Dr. Brown one or two sweet Bananie smiles and then broke into a scream the second he laid her on the table and never stopped for the rest of the appointment. Seriously - never stopped - screamed, yelled, shrieked and has a very strong arm as Dr. Brown found out the hard way when she knocked his glasses off. I have always prided myself on my kids relationship with their medical providers - Peter and Molly have never cried - not for shots or sick visits - they loved doctors and are troopers. Molly had 6 ear infections as a toddler and breathing treatments and hositalizations galore and has maintained her tough attitude and grace. And now we have Annie - sweet. loving. laid back Annie. When Dr. Brown finally left Annie waved goodbye, stuck her binkie in her mouth and sighed while putting her head on my shoulder and drifting off. Screaming for 45 minutes is tough work.

Here are the vital stats on our little princess!

Height 29 inches 95th percentile

Weight 20 pounds 80th percentile

head circumference - can't remember but it is in the 50th percentile

Her ears were clear - Finally! She is the picture of health and doesn't have to go back for another 3 months! Yeah!

Guess what else we made - Peter's 8 year appointment, Annie's 1 year appointment, and Molly's 6 year appointment - all in one day! Anyone available for escort on September 3rd - we may need a few hands to hold Annie down for her lead test! UGGGG!

We went down to the beach on Sunday - it was gorgeous - sunny and hot - a perfect beach day and the kids could not wait to get Papa in the ocean. They all went over to the beach and came back 45 minutes later with a little bounce in their step - apparently someone spotted lightening and thought there might be a storm. My father and Bob threw the kids in the shower and got them dressed just as the sky opened and the heavens poured down on us with a huge thunder and lightening storm.
Papa gathered everyone on the porch for the beautiful view of the storm and just as it was downpouring we got an extra special surprise when Auntie Kake and Auntie Jane showed up! The great part about the beach house is that you never know who might be there at any moment. Auntie Kake and Auntie Jane watched the storm with us and the kids had a blast!
Annie wasn't quite sure about the storm and it cooled off alot - Papa and Auntie Kake were snuggling the girls and keeping them safe during the storm.

Papa and Annie in their beach hats!
A little picture of the storm taken by Peter - I may have a photographer in the making.
We still aren't sure how Peter managed to take the picture at the exact right time to get this shot of lightening but it came out great and he was SO excited about it!
Watching the storm on the front porch!
What a storm - the kids didn't get bored of it at all and it ended after a half hour. We sent Bob out in the aftermath to get everyone dinner!

In March KK stayed at our house so that BOb and I could stay in a hotel after a wedding. It was the first time we had left Annie with anyone and all of you who know me know that this is not my strong suit. I love being with Bob alone but I also love the idea of the whole family tucked into our beds under one roof at night - there is something comforting in that for me. So Sunday night we left Annie at the beach house with my parents and it was truly awful for me. I do it because, as my Mom points out to me it is good for the kids and they love it -the mom suffers in a bit for a while but it ultimately makes the kids better and stronger and gain experiences that they would never get with us boring parents. Well, Annie cam back to us today and I could not have been happier - it felt so good to have her in my arms and smell the back of her neck and feel her soft skin. I was enthralled as I hugged her and then she looked around the room and yelled "Papa". I guess my Mom was right but I love having my babies all home!

GNM - ILY!