Create a Monster

No, I'm not talking about Anna, silly. She is as far away from a monster as anyone I know.

But I AM talking about a super fun new app created by none other than my own cousin! (Gushing with pride.) The Create A Monster HD app recently launched and is already generating buzz. This oh-so-fun app allows kids of all ages (meaning kids my age too) to create silly monsters all their own, promoting creativity, trial-and-error problem-solving, and ingenuity.

The Create A Monster app is now nominated as one of the 2011 best apps for kids. And they need votes to boost them to the top spot. You can read Babble.com's review and vote for the Create A Monster HD app here.

My cousin and her husband started a new company called "justfun." In a nutshell, they are passionate about championing creativity--in kids and adults alike. Their website, justfun.com says, "Our goal is to provide high quality educational and entertainment apps that kids and adults will enjoy engaging with again and again." Check out the website; it has more info, tutorials, and even a monster idea gallery.

So visit. Vote. And cheer "yay" for my fam!

Hodge Podge

(I love her toes in this pic!)

June had nearly come and gone. My how time flies when . . . .

Anna celebrated her fourth month of life on the planet just last week. We are proud to report her doctor's visit went well. She's still top-of-the-class when it comes to weight and height. Our girl is now 25.75 inches tall and 16 pounds even. She's just changing every day, discovering so many new things like the television remote, Daddy's glasses, wet wash cloths, her toes, giggles, how fun it is to pee when mom takes off the diaper, the smiley face of her flower toy, the chew-ability of Sophie, and the wonder of watching clothes swish in the washing machine.

The following pics sum up what we've been doing the last few weeks.

Practicing sitting up AND helping mom with a photo shoot.

I call this her "Gap" picture.

She's so intrigued by the camera, I can hardly ever catch a smile. Finally--the Anna grin!

Getting dressed . . . .

Daddy Pa and Mimi came to visit!

We visited with Papa Youree.

Anna was interested in his watch.

Aunt Lori stealing Anna kisses--the best kisses around.

Aunt Lori flew all the way from Nashville to take this picture. :-)

'Grace in the Empty Spaces' video

First of all, please allow me to express my displeasure that I could not italicize the Bible study's title in the blog title. Ah, the annoyances of an editor. Teehee . . . .

I'd be dee-lighted if you watched this video created especially for our Bible study, Grace in the Empty Spaces. I'd be even happier if you posted it to your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or email it to everyone you know (okay, "everyone" may be asking too much). Please help me spread the word!

Water Baby

Bath time is usually a relaxing moment in the day for Anna Zane; so we thought it's time for the swimming pool experience. Uncle Lanny volunteered his pool for the experiment. While we only splashed about for 15 minutes, it was a hit. She was curious about the whole ordeal, but kicked those legs. Oh, and her bathing suit was to-die-for.

Cousin Colton was a big help.

Anna wishes she could move around like Colton.

Um, putting on the bathing suit was touch-and-go.

Colton showed Uncle Bryan all his pool tricks!

Not only did we enjoy the pool at Uncle Lan's, more important we also celebrated the Pfahl's exciting news with a baby shower! It was a fun time to visit with family. Cousin Alyssa toted Anna around.

In other news, we finally got furniture for Anna's nursery. (The nursery decor is almost complete.) Anna wasn't fond of the changing table at first, but she loves it now. (I'm realizing there's a lot of pics of her crying in this post. Really--she's a happy baby.)

Sleep Struggles

It happened again. Little Anna Zane woke up at 4:00 a.m. crying. This is the second time this week, and the second week in a row that she does this. The sleep irregularities started three weeks ago when she started waking 30-45 minutes into her nap. That is not everyday, but at least three times a week. When she wakes up at night now, we give her a "half" bottle, thinking maybe she's hungry. And then, she does seem to be cutting two teeth on the bottom. So, we wondered is this teething???

If only Anna could talk . . . . .

We, of course, worry we are doing something wrong, especially since these sleep problems come from a little gal who slept like clockwork, and a lot! Next week is Anna's doctor visit, so hopefully, we'll get some troubleshooting options.

If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Hope Cottage

Three months ago today, we walked into Hope Cottage Pregnancy and Adoption Center at 2:00 p.m. We walked out over an hour later with a sweet little girl in our arms.

This past Sunday we visited Hope Cottage again for its annual summer picnic. It was really fun to see Anna's case workers again and to meet new adoptive families. We treasure events like this. (Notice Anna Zane is completely zonked out in the Hope Babies picture.)

Anna's pic has also graced the Hope Cottage blog. Click here to see her place in the Mother's Day tribute.

Of course, Hope Cottage means the world to us. I'm really excited too that Kroger, Albertsons, and other Randalls stores have chosen Hope Cottage as a charity to sponsor. You can link your shopping cards at these grocers; when you make a purchase, the store will make a donation to Hope Cottage. And this option is available nationally, not just in Texas. If you'd like to link your grocery shopping cards to Hope Cottage, just email mosborne@hopecottage.org.

Passionate About Playtime

Click here to watch someone who is very passionate about her daily chore--playtime. If everyone only had this kind of enthusiasm. :-)

May Recap

Let's see in May, Anna hit the three month mark and I celebrated my first Mother's Day. Here is Anna in her pretty dress for Mother's Day:

She is now a kicker and arm-mover when she's on her back. She's loves to move! I tried to catch this in action (notice how "healthy" she looks).

Daddy and Anna like to cuddle when he gets home from work.

Anna Zane's favorite past time these days is the the play yard Aunt Tina gave her.