Azaria learns about being a big sister!

This past week Azaria has been reading up on becoming a big sister. Dennis and I purchased this book (as seen on the right) "I'm a Big Sister", so that she can learn about her "not too distant" role.

On Sunday, she nestled into her big comfy blue chair and decided to read the book on her own!! As you can see from the pictures, she really liked the book!!

She's too cute!

I absolutely adore this pic of her! This was her first time wearing her snowsuit. With the hat tied around her head like this, she looks like a little doll! Actually, the pic reminds me of my sister when she was younger.

Azaria Gets Caught up in the Holidays!

Ok... so I apologize yet again for taking so long to put up a posting. Anyhow, today Azaria and I (ok,ok... it was all my idea) decided to do a mini photo shoot with Azaria... you know, put on a cute little Christmas outfit with a Santa Claus hat, etc...

It took a lot of effort to keep this hat on Azaria's head. I had to give her a million other things to take her mind off of the fact that the hat was on her head. Anyhow, Azaria didn't want to have anything to do with the whole shoot... but I did manage to get a few good ones... including this adorable one!! :)

Changing up the Hairstyles!!

As many of you may know, I've been doing my best to encourage the growth of Azaria's curly hair. Today, I decided to switch it up a bit and so I combed out her hair (as best I could). Yes, it's still somewhat wavy, but it really gives her a different look. Below are a couple of her "headshots".

Above: A girl of many faces. I don't know where she looks like she's from!!

Below: As she watched "Yo Gabba Gabba" I caught her in this cool 'hand under chin' smart pose.

Above: What a smile! Look at the pearly whites!

Azaria Visits the Dental Office!!

Ok... so I apologize for the extremely long delay in adding a new posting. I guess things have gotten pretty hectic around here. For those of you whom don't know yet, Dennis and I are expecting our second child, due April 20, 2009. Yes, I know, that will make the kids 14 months apart!!



Anyhow, this blog is All About Azaria, and therefore let me get you quickly updated... aftearll, that's what you tuned in to hear! Since the lasting posting in August, she has grown a great deal.



Today, Azaria visited her daddy at work. Just to inform you, this will also be her future workplace. She has taken a great deal of interest in trying to stick her fingers in my mouth to check my teeth... thus, she must want to get into dentistry!! hehe... here are a few pics from her sitting in the infamous 'dental chair'!!



Above: She practices using her father's instruments on herself.
Below: Azaria shows off her pearly whites (have I mentioned she now has 4... 2 on top... 2 on the bottom?!?!?)

MILESTONE ALERT!!! AZARIA TASTES SOLID FOOD FOR THE FIRST TIME !!!

Yes, folks, it's true. Azaria has officially taken her first bites into the world of solids. Well, realistically, it's not very solid food... quite watery, actually, but you know what I mean! Although she loves her breastmilk, we've been noticing her really staring at us eat... She's used to tasting things briefly, as I've been letting her sample certain fruits and vegetables.. however, you could tell she was just itching to get her gums into a spoonful of cereal! At last, a 'solid' meal that would enter the very depths of her belly and intestinal walls!!

I must say, she was very enthusiastic about the whole process. She patiently sat in her high chair while I boiled the water and took out a teaspoon of the rice cereal. I used a pink bowl with a cute purple spoon for her first bites. As you can see in the first pic, I put down the prepared cereal in front of her and she was already reaching for it with her left hand, before I could even finish snapping the picture!



Ahh, yes, her first bite! I think she was savouring the moment here. I wonder what she was thinking? Perhaps she's thinking, 'today cereal, tomorrow fruits/veggies!!'... my girl (sigh) is growing up!









Content as can be... she gives a beautiful, cereal-ridden, smile. Her bib reads, "got milk?"... but it should actually say "got cereal?"... stay tuned, folks, the best is yet to come!

Azaria soars to new heights!!

This week I decided to put together Azaria's high chair. She usually sits with us to eat in her "Link a doo" but I realized that she really enjoys being part of our conversations and the Link A Doo sits very low to the floor. Now she is at eye level with Dennis and I and enjoys the view she gets from her high chair. I snapped these photos the moment she went in for the first time. What a happy girl!!

Above: The very first pic of her sitting high

Below: she really likes the chair!

Above: I had to show you her newest smile. It's her 'new obsession with her gums' smile!

Below: Sitting pretty. Her Graco high chair is both stylish and comfy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CASSANDRA!!

It's July 17th, 2008... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CASSANDRA!!

Cassandra and Haydn rode by the other day (yes, that wasn't a typo, they came from home on their bikes!!). I took the liberty of snapping a couple of pics of them with Azaria.

Above: Azaria couldn't help but to stare at Haydn.
Below: Full shot of them and their award winning smiles

Below: On their way back home. What a sporty couple!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHAMAR!

On July 15th, Shamar turned 9!! We had a little celebration at my house. Michelle supplied a deliciously rich chocolate cake!!! Here are a few pics....

Above: The birthday boy sporting his 'birthday boy' badge. He's also holding his brand new Nintendo DS that he got for his birthday.

Below: Michelle posing with his cake.

Below: The cake taste delicious!!

Today Azaria looked stunning in this little Roca Wear number. I, obviously, had to whip out my camera to commemorate this moment. She definitely looks good in hats!!

















I also had to share this particular picture with everyone. Azaria's favourite discovery (besides her hands) has become her toes. She absolutely loves her toes!! She can be found at any time holding onto her toes... ahh, the life of a baby!














She knows all her best angles, too!!

Uncle Dwyane comes by!!

Ok... so I apologize for not keeping up with the blog... but as many of you may know, I've had a busy week or two getting ready for and going to Washington, DC. I'll be posting some pics for that shortly, but I wanted to share this picture with everyone. It's Azaria posing with her uncle Dwyane (also known as her Godfather) the day before we left for DC. I thought it was a great pic of the two. He came by to drop of various sauces for me, as well as spend some time with his Goddaughter. She absolutely loved his visit and spent the whole time happily in his arms just chillin' out.

Leona and Co. come for a Visit!!

Today Leona, Chian and Savonn visited with Azaria and I. Azaria loves children and right off the bat she was talking away with them! No joke, my little girl couldn't stop talking!!

One thing we also noted was how fixated she was on Savonn. If her daddy saw this, I don't think he'd be too happy! hehe... Seriously though, Azaria has to keep in mind that Savonn is her God-brother.

What a great pic of Leona and Chian.

Chian has long, thick, beautiful virgin hair. Virgin, meaning it has never been permed. As a special gift for her graduation from grade 5, Leona brought Chian to the hairdresser to get her hair blow-dried out and flat ironed. Her hair is so super-duper healthy! Look at the shine!!Doesn't she look like she should be on the front of Dark 'n' Lovely hair perm box? (and she doesn't even have permed hair!!!!)

Savonn was too cute sitting, leaned up on the wall. He was a bit upset when I took this pic.

According to Leona (or should I say a Jamaican old wives tale), babies cry when being held by a child because they think they are not secure in their arms.... is there some truth to that here?

Hmm... perhaps there is some truth to it... Leona took over and she's happy again! We enjoyed having Leona, Chian and Savonn over!!

Stylin' and Profilin'

So, what can I say? My daughter is stylin' and profilin'!! These past couple of days she has been looking absolutely adorable... of course, I'm not saying she isn't always absolutely adorable, but she's been over the top absolutely adorable...
Here are some pics of her. I think she should be doing catalogues (hey, I'm seriously considering it)!!


Above: Her Laura Ashley slippers... aren't her toes the absolute cutest!?!?!
Below: Various pics of her modeling. Take note of the serious "look away" face; that's a true model right there! she knows her best angles!!!
Last pic: We visited her nana and Aunty Ruth today. This pic was taken when Ruth and I took her for a stroll around the neighbourhood.

Azaria's visits the Post Office!!

Today Azaria visited her mommy's workplace: The Post Office. She had been there once before and like the first time, she was on her best behaviour. Mommy's co-workers are an outgoing and friendly bunch!

While there we, Azaria managed to take a couple of pics. Above, a shot of her in the parking lot just before we entered the building.




Below: Sheila with Azaria at her desk; Larry and Azaria in front of a sorting case; Kathy tried to take Azaria away, but you can't mess with AJ when it's her naptime!; Aunty Leona made it back to the station in time to take a quick pic with Azaria in front of the Admail area.

Janine's Wedding... Babysitting 101 Continued....

Today Dennis and I attended Janine and Kirk's wedding. It was held at Fantasy Farm in Toronto on one of the hottest days of spring (about 34 degrees). It was supposed to have rained, but it was sunny and extremely hot!! The ceremony was held outside on the Fantasy Farm lawn. It was a nice ceremony and the bride looked absolutey beautiful (and the groom looked good, too!)!! Even through the heat they smiled as if the heat wasn't that intense! Afterwards at the reception, the smart couple told their audience in order to see a kiss, the person would have to kiss someone in front of everybody. Only one person (or shoud I say couple) was up to the challenge. Tomorrow they are off to Dubai and the Maldives. How wonderful is that!! They make an adorable couple and I wish them all of God's richest blessings.

Not a bad pic if I do say so myself!! :) This pic was taken courtesy of Dwyane, and I must admit, he did a good job!

Well, I'm happy to announce that my "break" from Azaria to attend the wedding went well. When Dennis and I dropped her off she was sleeping and since we were running late we had to just literally drop her and leave. Driving away made me a little bit teary, but once we got to the wedding and I started taking pics, I eased up a bit. There was a little baby (about Azaria's age) at the wedding and everytime this baby went by our table I thought of my little girl. I wondered if she was thinking about me. Was she having too much fun without me? Well, turns out she did quite well without me. (Probably better than I did without her). Her nana rocked her in her rocking chair as they listened to "Jesus loves me", while her grandpa played with her hair. I took this pic when we got back from the wedding. Azaria looks absolutely adorable in her white dress. She loves the camera, as does her grandpa! Ahh, the life of a child!!

Babysitting 101

Ok, so it's been a quiet couple of days for us. Today our trio battled the scorching, Toronto heat to head to Vaughn Mills. Our mission was to attempt to get some new summer clothes for me, as I appear to have none! We also wanted to see if I could pick up a dress for a wedding that we are attending tomorrow.... which brings me to the subject of today's blog...

Tomorrow we're going to be attending a wedding sans Azaria (sans is french for "without" for those of you whom don't speak it). In the 16+ weeks that she has been on the face of the earth, I have never left her for more than a half hour (an hour tops!). And if I have, I've always been close by. Nonetheless, tomorrow she'll be staying by her grandparent's house in North York, while her daddy and I attend this wedding somewhere else in the city. Now, make no mistake, trust is not the issue. I have no problem with and have the utmost faith in knowing that her grandparents will nurture her like she was their very own daughter... what it comes down to is this... I feel sooooo mean for leaving her, period!! I guess at some point, we'll have to part (like when I go back to work), but I feel like I'm abandoning her!! There is an emptiness in me that feels like the first day that you went to school and had to leave your parents side. I know everything will be alright, but I can't lie, I'm nervous about leaving the one human being that I have been virtually attached to at the hip for 4 months!! You mothers know what I'm talking about. I'm sure you can relate. I'm going to miss her. Will she miss me, too? Will she even know that I'm gone? Stay tuned...