Mimi + Auntie P = Great Fun for Bianca

We were very lucky to have both Mimi and Aunt Parissa come to visit us recently. Bianca had so much fun playing with both of them and I was so grateful for the extra help with the baby. Parissa took Bianca in the pool, which she loves, and Mimi made Bianca laugh just by looking at her in a way only grandmothers can.
As far as updates on Bianca go, she is now talking A LOT. Mostly da-da-da or ba-ba-ba, ya-ya-ya, ma-ma (you get the point). She is also getting pretty good at balancing herself. I stood her up at My Gym the other day and let go just to see what would happen. To my surprise, she just continued to stand there. So, she seems to be growing and developing well in our eyes but, we will get the official stamp of approval at her 9 month check-up in September.

These little giggles are the best!

8-Month-Old Cutie Pie!

Our little cutie pie turned 8 months old last week! I keep telling Mark that before we know it, we are going to be celebrating her first birthday. Time sure does fly when there is a baby in the house! Bianca is pretty much up to the usual - crawling, pulling herself up on everything, screaming, babbling, trying to eat the dog's food...
Parissa came to visit us last week for a couple of days. Bianca was sooo excited to see her again! We took Auntie P with us to My Gym and then out for some yummy Mexican food. We took lots of pictures at My Gym but, most turned out blurry because Bianca was on the move. Fortunately, Parissa is coming back to see us this week before heading back to Charleston.
Enjoy the pictures!

Bianca and "Auntie P".

Bianca concentrating during the hanging exercise.

This is Bianca's favorite toy at My Gym - the blue fitness ball. She finds it no matter where it is and bee-lines for it. I need to get her one for home!

Getting tickled by Daddy!

Showing off her bloomers...

Happy baby!

Cheerios

Bianca has been working on her pincer grasp recently with these tiny cheerios. Some of her favorite foods right now are papaya, bananas, and YoBaby yogurt (she really goes crazy for that!).

Splish Splash

One of Bianca's favorite new pastimes is taking a bath. It may not sound all that exciting to you but, she really loves it. Most of the time, when we walk into her room just to change her outfit or her diaper, she bee-lines it for the tub and tries to climb on into it. Who knows, maybe she just really likes to be clean...

Here Comes Trouble...

We went to visit friends last weekend in LA and forgot the camera. It is such a shame too because Bianca had soo much fun playing with her little girlfriends, Kimia and Layla, and all of their toys. Anyway, here are a few pictures to keep everyone going for a little while. I seem to be having a problem downloading pictures onto the computer. Well, maybe it has something to do with the fact that Bianca has been sneaking in here and chewing on the cord connecting the camera to the USB port. She is into everything these days. Not only is she a fast crawler but, she is pulling herself up on everything! I have a feeling that we are going to be getting a lot more bumps and bruises in the near future. She is also pointing at things and babbling up a storm. She is a bit fiesty and high-maintenance but, we wouldn't have her any other way!

Until I can figure out what is going on with the camera, here you go!

Fun at My Gym

We took Bianca to My Gym again on Friday. Last time she was there she wasn't feeling very well but, this time she had a great time! She was able to do summersauts on the high bars, play in the bin of balls, ride on the swing and the zip-line and lot of other fun activities. I kept thinking she was going to cry when I handed her off to one of the My Gym workers or when she was doing new things, like the summersaults and the zip-line but, she proved me wrong. I need to give her more credit! Tina and CJ were there as well and the kids had fun playing together. Take a look...

Bianca on the zip-line... still very observant and serious in classic Bianca form...

Fun on the swing!

Maui

We had a fantastic trip to Maui! The weather was great, only a few small showers in the morning. Bianca did really well on the plane, only one minor meltdown on the flight from Honolulu to Maui because she was so tired and could not fall asleep. We were really thankful for that! We were up with Bianca pretty early each morning so we took advantage of the cool temperatures and went on long walks. She LOVED being in the Baby Bjorn and we definitely got our money's worth out of it on this trip. The resort was amazingly beautiful and there were lots of great trails for hiking. After her morning naps, we either went to the pool or the beach. She enjoyed the kiddie pool so much at the Ritz Carlton that I think she would have stayed in there all day if we let her. The water at the beach, she wasn't so sure about... I think it was a little cool for her and she was skeptical of the waves. We also drove into Napili one day for Maui Tacos and went the next day to Lahaina for some more yummy Mexican food at Cilantro's. We both agreed that we had some of the best Mexican food that we had in a long time. We then spent some time on Front Street shopping for Bianca (of course!). All in all, we had a lot of fun getting to spend time together in paradise. Mark is already planning for us to go back next year!

Bianca's first flight!

Mark and Bianca on our balcony.

Bianca loved the kiddie pool so much!

The view from our living room area.