home to see the grands

in november, marianne and i joined jer for his trip home to deer hunt. while jer was off hunting and camping we carried on our merry way, visiting marianne's grands: two great-grandmas and four grandparents. it was quite a weekend and marianne had a blast. she took her first ride sitting in a shopping buggy at walmart while daddy and uncle john shopped for a camping gear and supplies. marianne had just started saying "ba" shortly before the trip and over the weekend she uttered her first "da" - I guess she missed her daddy while he was out on the hunt. a couple of days after we got back home, she started saying "dada"...most mornings we wake up to her yelling it. since then she's also been working on saying "cat" but is yet to clearly say "mama". i suspect i've heard it a few times amidst tired/frustrated cries but otherwise, nothing! she is now starting to wave hello and goodbye - on her own terms though, she refuses to be prompted. she's also clapping like a fool...when she takes a bite, when she knocks down blocks, when she takes a drink, when she crawls into the room...it's addictive and stinkin adorable. she still doesn't like fruit, AT ALL, but i've managed to sneak it into a few meals by mixing it with other foods. she's been cutting teeth like crazy and now has four that have erupted (two front bottom, one front top and the one next to it on the top). she's working on two more (the two corresponding top teeth). that front tooth on the top sure did give her a heck of a time. she started cutting her teeth on 10|9 and pretty much hasn't stopped. maybe she'll get em all out of the way and just be done with it.

here's the photo log from our trip to mo:

with great grandma mary, who remembered marianne's name and was in great spirits when we visited. we actually caught her in the workout room doing her exercises. she was hounding the nurse who was monitoring her workout...she kept calling him a the "meanie man"!

smiles and laughs with grandpa and grandma at the white grill - one of the yummiest dive burgers i've ever had, thanks john.

in the buggy seat at walmart - what fun!

hammin' it up with great grandma minnie. it made grandma's day to hold and hug on a smiley baby.

playing with her cousins at papa and nana's house. cadence is directing the baby play.

on papa's lap with cousin jack and pretty darn happy about it.

laptime with nana. worn out and very content and relieved for the downtime after a busy day playing with the cousins.