Backyard Explorer

We've had the most amazing winter this year!  Especially compared to last year, when we had to brave a new snowstorm just about every week - with a newborn.  This year has been so mild, and we're taking full advantage.  The first time I brought Gwen out to explore the backyard, she cracked me up.  She had no idea why the ground underneath her was so unsteady.  She stood stationary for at least a few minutes before she slowly ventured around the yard, checking out all of the new and exciting things around her.  Here are some shots of our little explorer :)

looking for Jackson under there

Signing

My intentions always were to begin signing with Gwen at 6 months.  After my pathetic attempt with the handful of (2) signs I actually know, I gave up.  Now, post 1st bday I have this little girl who is starting to actually understand things that I say to her!  I ask her "where's your baby?" and she gets this concerned/excited look on her face as she scans the room to find her baby doll, then picks her up to hug her and suck on her face (kisses).  I ask her if she wants to eat and she walks over and points at her high chair.  I ask her where her nose is, and she points to her nose.
It seems like she wants to communicate so badly, but since she doesn't have the vocabulary yet, it can be frustrating for her.  For this reason, I decided to re-visit the signing.  So far I have only taught her a couple, I don't want to confuse her by introducing too many at a time, but she's picking them up so quickly!  So far she can sign milk, more, and all done.
Another adorable side note: as soon as you start singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" she moves her hands around to mimic whoever is singing to her.
People aren't kidding when they call babies "little sponges".  She's learning things so quickly now, it really is amazing to see.

Baby

Yesterday, as I do from time to time, I asked Gwen "where's your baby?" because she was cuddling on her chair with some other toys and I  know that she loves cuddling with her baby.  I went to grab it from her little toy corner and it wasn't there.  By the time I realized I didn't know where baby was, Gwen was already on her way over to find her - only to look up at me with big sad eyes when she couldn't find her.  I instantly had a flashback to the day that Kristen lost her Blueberry Bunny.  I've never been a sentimental person, and surely Gwen wouldn't really remember the baby after a day or two, but I kept thinking to myself that every time I say the word "baby" she would be looking for her lost toy and it broke my heart.  Then I thought about how I haven't realized it until now, but that baby doll is "THE" toy.  The first toy that she actually remembered and cared about and showed a connection to.
I was laying in bed last night, trying to figure out where baby could be, the only thing that made sense was that maybe Gwen threw her in the office trash (I find toys in there from time to time because she loves putting objects inside other things now).  I became anxiety stricken when I realized that tomorrow is trash day and baby could be out in the trash can at the edge of the driveway!  It was 12:30am and with Justin asleep next to me, I was ready to put on my sneakers and run outside.  I finally calmed myself down and thought where else could she be?! Something told me to go downstairs and look behind the toy bin where we usually keep baby (duh, so obvious, why hadn't I just moved the bin to look before?).  So that's what I did, and what do you know, there she was.  RELIEF came over me and I brought baby upstairs so I could give her to Gwen as soon as she woke up the next morning.