10 Months Old

Today Morgan turned 10 months old!

This month has been a lot of fun. Whatever you want to call it (imitation as she copies Mommy and Daddy, cause & effect as she gets a Cheerio or applause, or simply learning new tricks), she has become so interactive...you could probably tell from the increase in video-clip postings. :) These "new tricks" have included waving, high five, sign language for "more," and doing "so big" by raising her arms high above her head.

She has also developed in other ways, including perfecting pull-to-stand by grabbing on to everything and actually sitting down slowly/intentionally instead of just falling, and also starting to crawl everywhere on her knees. Morgan is getting a huge appetite and a pro at chewing solid foods...her favorite of course being Cheerios. At school, Morgan started eating at the table with the big kids and trying small bites from the big kid menu. She also absolutely loves music and enjoys jamming to any type of beat, especially from her ball-tree toy.

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a really nice Thanksgiving in Carlisle, PA at Grandma and Grandpa Brown's house. Great Grandma Donna drove all the way from Indiana to celebrate with us. Aunts Hillary and Stephanie, Uncles Owen and Matt, and Cousin Sophia were all there too!

The turkey dinner was delicious with a ton of sides to go along. Morgan was really looking forward to her first feast; she enjoyed a few bites of mashed potatoes washed down with a little Pedialyte (due to a few tummy troubles...poor thing!).

Morgan also spent some quality time with her cousin Sophia, who is also getting so big! In no time, they will be running around together as partners in crime. :)

Some New Moves

So I finally took the nudge from the other kids at school, and this past weekend started doing a new move...picking my tummy off the ground and crawling on my knees. Not that it was too hard, I just preferred my unique style and will definitely still revert back to the army crawl when no one is looking. But boy, I can sure move fast with this traditional method...watch out!

And I showed off some more new moves this weekend too...dance moves. I was bopping along to the tunes at TGIFriday's at dinner but nothing beats the music from my new toy. Check it out...this move is called "rockin' horse rumba."

Art Class

Today was art class at school and it was too cute! The project today was rolling a car with paint across the paper. There are some brave souls initiating activities like this with all the little ones...check out Morgan's before and after picture (Mommy just happened to be visiting and with her camera nearby).

---------- Before --------- --------- After ----------

Morgan had a great time exploring the car, the paint and the marks they made together. She was laughing and shrieking through the entire experience. Looks like we will have to make room on the refrigerator.

The Wave

Hello blog fans! :)

Morgan just started waving hello! Sunday morning at breakfast a boy at the next table over just kept waving and waving and finally she imitated back. It was so cute. Since then she waves to everyone and loves the reaction. Of course it is very elusive when the camera comes out but check out the rare video clip to get a quick preview. She will surely show it off for you when you see her. Grandma even got a wave over the phone.

Give Me Five

Morgan is learning all sorts of new tricks. Here she is giving Cousin Christian a high five at the baby shower...Cousin Sara caught it on her cell phone.

Shower Time

The real motivation for going to Washington, D.C. was actually to attend a Baby shower for Daddy's cousin. And to give Morgan a chance to meet some more family members for the first time, Uncle Brian, Aunt Cathy, and cousins Sara and Christian, plus his wife Felicia (the mother-to-be).

It was Morgan's first "grown-up" party and she fully enjoyed herself, getting into anything/everything available. Mommy was exhausted and next time will definitely pack a few more toys. But the mother-to-be was glowing and all smiles, even with Morgan's little preview to motherhood.

Despite her energy level, Morgan was a trooper through the long event and even into a late dinner. It was nice to spend some time with the extended family and we look forward to our next visit, which hopefully will be soon.

Washington D.C.

We had a great time in Washington D.C. this past weekend. The weather was gorgeous (especially for early Nov) so we really enjoyed walking around the city, starting out at the Washington Monument and then heading across the National Mall to arrive at Capital Hill, and of course along the way taking some pictures (Flat Stanley style). We also stopped at a couple Smithsonian museums and the International Spy Museum, filled with all sorts of stories and items throughout the history of spying.

We also spent some time walking around Old Town Alenxandria, a neat area with interesting shops and great seafood restaurants, located just outside D.C.

Morgan was such a tropper through the entire trip and was definitely a baby on the go. She did great, even during our late-night dinners, Fri with our friends Judy and Jason and Sat with family.

"More"

Morgan just started communicating her first word!

Ok, perhaps not in the traditional sense using speech, but using her hands. Morgan definitely caught on quickly to her first sign, moving your hands together to represent "more." We started showing her at home that doing this movement resulted in getting more Cheerios and it didn't take long before she was doing it herself. Sign language is becoming a common tool to help infants communicate before they are able to speak. Morgan's school also uses basic signs throughout their day.

My New Shoes

Check out my new shoes...aren't they cool? Mommy and Daddy picked them out last week (just in time to wear with my Monster costume, if you think you may have noticed them before). And I love them! Apparently, pink leather sneakers are just my style.