The fifth month

More pictures of Anna.  This month the main event was a July Fourth week-long trip to visit my and Brian's grandmothers.  Anna did well in the car and was all around a trooper.

Here's Anna in her carseat with Froggy.

To break up the trip, we stopped at a few spots along the way.  Here's a train outside an old coal mine in Pennsylvania.  Brian and Anna are driving the train.

 Anna got to visit with Brian's grandmother.

 And we went for a hike up Mt. Greylock with Brian's cousins.  Anna liked the fern.

Napping on the grass in the shade on a hot day.

We visited the old Burden Ironworks in Albany - during the Civil War most of the Union's horse shoes were made here!  They also made some giant bells (like the liberty bell) and a ton of railway spikes.

And finally, a picture of a girl and her cat.

Four Months!

Just keeps getting bigger! Anna can now roll stomach to back, and can almost roll back to stomach - she gets up on her side and stays there.  She wants to stuff everything she can get her hands on into her mouth, and is a very happy, smiley baby.

Pictures from Anna's Fourth Month

This month was a busy one.  The biggest event was a memorial service for my grandfather, Anna's great-grandfather Thurston, which was a sad, yet wonderful family gathering.  Also, with the start of warmer 

weather, there was camping, swimming, and lots of gardening.

Sleeping in the yard on a sunny but cool spring day.

 A camping trip!  Of course, we started out late, so it was getting dark by the time we got to the top of Rice's Field.

Our tent the next morning. Anna is a good camper.

The Appalachian Trail shelter at Rice's Fields

On the hike back down we found several mountain laurel trees.  Anna Laurel's name plant!

Anna's first river swim.  She didn't like it, so this is as wet as she got.  In her defense, the water was pretty cold.

Taking a nap while her parents pick raspberries and rhubarb.

Here's Anna's birthday message to Grandma Beth. 

Anna is getting good with her hands, and loves her "taggy" blanket.

In honor of my grandfather, we visited the local horticultural garden.

Here's Anna and Grandma Cal!

Grandpa Thurston's service.

 Four generations of women.

And here's the whole group outside in the garden.

Three Months!

Three months!  Anna's getting stronger and much more interested in the world.  She's rolled over twice now, though I'm pretty sure it was accidental both times.  

Here she is showing off her bubble blowing skills.

And trying to look around.

Hanging out on Grandma Nina's blanket.

Pictures from Anna's third month

From April 15 to May 14, Anna grew a bunch and has gotten much better at holding up her head.  She also just found her hands and is starting to grab blankets and toys. 

Sitting in her chair (thanks cousin Amy!) looking like an escaped convict.

My mom and grandmother came to visit.  Here's a picture of four generations of women!

And a family picture.

We went to visit my parents in North Carolina for Merlefest weekend.  All three of my brothers and families were there, plus my grandmother and great aunt and uncle!  Here we all are for a family picture on the backhoe.

Anna has 5 cousins on my side, one on Brian's. Two of them are within a year of her age.  Here's the three babies: Anna (2 1/2 months) Eric (9 1/2 months) and Milo (7 months).

Eric got squirrelly and decided to leave.  I like this picture because of their faces.  Eric says "I'm out of here!", Milo says "Woah!  You can move!  I need to learn to do that!" and Anna says "I'm not sure this is a good idea.  Better suck on my shirt."

The next weekend, we took Anna to Asheville for our friends' wedding!  We stayed on the appropriately named Chicken Alley.  The groom is Indian, and so Brian got to wear a kurta as a groomsman, and I used the occasion to break out a sari that I have from a wedding in India that I went to back in 2008.

And here she is, happy and looking like a big girl in her car seat!

Two Months Old!

Anna turned 2 months old on April 14th! She's smiling and paying much more attention to people.  And the hair continues to grow.

Pictures from Anna's second month

There are fewer pictures for this month, so I"ll put them all in one post.  First, Anna in her car seat, looking cute.  The hair is getting longer!

Next, wearing a tie-dye shirt made by Great Aunt Joy. 

Grandma Beth came to visit!  Anna is wearing a sweater that was mine as a baby.  It instantly makes any outfit feminine, even gray pants and gray shirt.  

We went to the lake with Lyle.  It was dark and cold, so Anna is hiding under a blanket.

And here she is riding Lyle!

In a basket outside while we weed the strawberry patch.  The General is investigating.

And napping.