Bergstrom Beach Bums

We are headed up to Cape Cod for our annual beach trip so postings might be limited over the next week. I’m going to try to post from the beach but we’ll see how the time goes (and if we can get a wireless signal). The cottage we rent has no telephone or —GASP!!!!—TV. We’re lucky it has a bathroom…but, it’s right on the beach so there are absolutely no complaints.

This is always a special time of year for us because we get to spend time with the Bergstroms and our Boston friends. Jason has been going to this cottage and beach in Wellfleet, Mass., since he was a wee lad, and this is my 10th trip.

I love that we get to pass this tradition onto Anna – I know it will be special for Jason to show her the ins-and-outs of the jetty, finding oysters, digging up clams and watching the sunset.

One member of the family is not so happy about this year’s trip. Miss Tope usually frolics on the beach but this year Jason isn’t flying from Atlanta. That leaves Poor Miss Tope to hold down the Mableton fort because the thought of shuttling both her and Anna through airport security by myself makes me physically ill. We will miss her but we know she’ll be in good hands.

Have a happy and safe Labor Day! I hope to be lounging on the beach as you read this.

Here are some pictures from previous years…

The real reason Tope loves the beach...

Enjoying the sunset

Our nephews Ty & Lars, & niece Olivia

One more ode to Tope

Happy Birthday, Mom!

The August birthdays continue in the Bergstrom-Turner clan -- today is my mom's birthday.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

And, I know she really just wants to see Anna, so, here are special wishes from the little gal.

Happy Birthday, Gramma!

Shhhh! The Baby’s Sleeping!

So, I am definitely one of those mothers who checks on her baby at least once an hour while she is sleeping. (Well, not after I go to bed – I’m not that crazy!) When she was a newborn I checked to make sure she was still breathing, still swaddled, still on her back, not touching the forbidden bumpers, and all the other neuroses new moms possess. Now, I just love to watch her sleep.

Anna is a good sleeper (please don’t let that jinx anything!) and when she is down for the night, she sleeps hard. The positions she chooses to sleep in crack me up. Lately her choice position is knees pulled under her with her bottom straight up in the air. Jason and I have had some good chuckles standing over her crib.

On my nightly checks I tip toe soooo quietly into her room and peer over the crib rail. I usually just peek and then tiptoe out. Sometimes I place her pacifiers near her or put her favorite bunny back by her side. And, ok, I admit it, sometimes I lay my hand lightly on her back/stomach to make sure she’s breathing (hey, old habits…).

A few nights ago, though, I did something incredibly stupid. Remember that Friends episode where Rachel picks up Emma while she’s sleeping because she just wanted to hold her? Yeah, I did that. Anna looked so sweet and peaceful that I just had to hug and cuddle her. That peace shattered the second I picked her up. She let out a scared, confused cry (wouldn’t you if someone lifted you out of your bed while you were deep in sleep?) and then woke up and didn’t go back to sleep for two hours. I felt so bad and she made me pay for it.

Lesson learned. Don’t disturb a sleeping baby!

Playdate

Anna continued her social activities with a playdate this week. Her pals Cruz and Ava from Play 2 Grow came over and and they had a smashing time playing the piano, crawling around, and gabbing with each other. Us moms get the chance to chit chat and gossip (it’s the real reason we get together, but we say it’s for the kiddos)...

It's great to have friends experiencing the same life events - you feel like they understand and commiserate with everything you are living and it helps you feel a little less crazy!!

Hay, Let's Eat Paper!

We've had some fun in our class the last few weeks.

Two weeks ago the kids slapped on cowboy hats and played in hay. Anna was NOT a fan of the hay. As you can see in the pictures, she was much more interested in her hat.

Last week we played with paper, which is pretty much Anna's favorite thing in the world. The corners of her books are chewed to shreds and magazines quiver in fear as she approaches.

The teacher kept saying, "Anna, this is not spaghetti," while I spent a lot of time raking paper bits out of her mouth. She loved it!

Can't wait to see what we dive into this Friday!

David Passes the Quarter Century Mark!

August is birthday month in our house...

Today is my little brother David's Birthday!

He's 26!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID NICK!

Amy Makes Anna Play Dress Up

At our neighborhood playgroup last week all of the big girls were having fun dressing up as the Disney Princesses. Anna decided to participate (well, I kind of had a role in it...) and donned a Snow White dress complete with headband. I told her she shouldn't let any Dopey guys follow her around (ha ha ha)...

The pictures are grainy because they are from my cell phone.

Party Girl

Anna is quite the social butterfly. She attended her first birthday party last weekend, and has another one this coming Saturday.

Last weekend we went to Hayla’s 5th birthday party. Hayla is our nanny’s daughter and Anna is enthralled by her.

The fete was a “dress up” party and Anna got into the spirit with a crown we would sneak on her head. After 1-3 minutes she would figure out it was on and immediately pull it off…

Anna enjoyed watching all the big kids run around and the present opening. It all made me a little dizzy, thinking about the chaos of managing a birthday party. And then I realized that her 1st birthday is just around the corner and I got a little sad.

I can’t believe my baby will be one in just a few quick months – how fast this year has gone! I guess that happens when you are happy!

And She’s Off!

Our period of rest is officially over. Anna is crawling! She advanced towards this milestone over the last few weeks and she is a little go-getter now. It’s fun to see her set her sights on an object and move determinedly towards it. Of course she usually goes after something that’s off limits, like Jason’s gross, smelly flip flops, or Tope’s toys.

Now that she is mobile, she is able to choose the toys she wants to play with. She’ll play with one item for a few minutes, crawl over to another, grab a book to chew, pick up another toy, etc. It’s neat to see what her choices are going to be – and it makes me wonder if she was getting bored with us giving her the same toys over and over again.

Naturally she has already moved onto the next feat – pulling up and cruising along furniture. And she loves to “walk” with our help.

No rest for us weary parents…

Happy Birthday, Maddie!

It's Maddie's birthday!!!

Hooray!!!

I can't believe my little sister is 20!

Have a happy day Maddog!

Jason is 35!

We rang in Jason’s 35th birthday today. When we Bergstroms celebrate, we go big…Jason got a new pair of PJ pants and a paper shredder – WOW! We don’t call him Mr. Practical for nothing...

All Jason wants to do today is eat pizza for lunch, play with Anna and watch a movie on the couch at home. He is so easy to please on his birthday.

It’s hard to believe that he was 23 when we met – it’s been a fabulous 11.5 years so far – here’s to at least 100 more!

Happy Birthday, Jason!

Spin Me a Yarn

Anna got to dive into a pile of yarn at Play 2 Grow last week. She had mixed feelings about the yarn. Unlike the Cheerios, she hesitated and at first only picked at it. I piled it on top of her head and as you can see, she wasn’t enthusiastic. She eventually got more adventurous and explored the yarn, but she was probably thinking, “Where are the Cheerios?”.

I’m sure she’ll love yarn when her Grammy teaches her to knit!

Here Comes Trouble

Anna is growing like a weed, not only in pounds and inches, but also in her capabilities. While she’s not crawling, she is definitely adept at getting places by sliding forward on her belly, rolling, and scooting. You can sense her desire to be able to move by the determined look she gets in her eyes when she sees a toy she wants.

She also is very eager to stand – anywhere and everywhere. We had never seen her pull herself up, she’s always needed our assistance. So you can imagine my surprise this past weekend when I went to get her from a nap and this is the scene I walked in on:

She was so proud of herself – of course I had to document it on video.

And then we immediately lowered the crib mattress...

In no time at all I know she’ll be running around. I’ve put some thought into baby proofing, but now I guess we need to move ahead and batten down the hatches.

Runaway Nose

I know I haven’t posted in awhile – it’s not from lack of topics to talk about. Unfortunately, all of the Bergstroms (except Tope) are suffering from a summer cold. Boo!

Anna’s nose is running away from her. All of a sudden it’s like someone turned on the faucet and her nose is competing to out-drool her mouth.

She is still a happy, happy baby; her drippy nose isn't phasing her. Since she can’t blow her nose I have employed the blue nose bulb. It is not her favorite activity; in fact, she has become a master at rolling her head side-to-side to ensure I can’t get it in her nose without holding down her hands and covering her eyes. It’s hard to do both of those at the same time and still have a free hand to suction. She does love to chew on the nose bulb…GROSS.

This cold combined with her front teeth coming in (they’ve broken through!) have thrown a wrench in her sleeping. I know it is only a phase though.

More interesting items soon, I promise!