Maria's Milky Memoirs

Weekend in Connecticut

2009-03-23T15:54:00.011-04:00

Just got back from spending some quality time with Papi & Grammy up in their neck of the woods in Connecticut. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by not one, but two rambunctious doggies!! I was immediately in heaven. Elvis the Rottie and Tonka the Bulldog (Uncle Johnny's dog) are quite the pair when they're together. It was already past midnight by the time we reached our destination, so I said a quick hello to the doggies and to Grammy & Papi, but then it was straight to bed for me. I woke up Saturday morning and decided Papi could use some help putting my new set of wheels together. (note-I am not the only one with a new set of wheels in the fam...check out Uncle Johnny's new ride in the pic below) I guess word got out that I was in town, because my Great Grandparents, Art & Pat PLUS my Great Aunt Candy showed up to see me! We all hung out at the house and everyone watched me as I played with my bubble maker, swung in my swing and drove my new car around everywhere. As an extra bonus, I woke up Sunday morning to find Uncle Johnny had come all the way back from Costa Rica just to see me (okay, he was scheduled to come back Sunday anyway, it just happened to coincide with our trip). I was feeling generous Sunday morning, so I offered up lots of hugs and kisses just for him. I think I made his day :) As always, I left Southington with a suitcase full of new clothes...thanks, Grammy!! See you in three weeks!

Take note of how long the rope on this swing is....do you think I was rattled by this? Yeah right!...I was up to the challenge...I wanted to higher!!

Johnny's new wheels...

My new wheels....hmmm, something doesn't quite add up. I bet he doesn't have to paddle his feet to make his car move and he probably has heat and power windows. But he doesn't have those big eyes on his dash. BMW must've been sold out when he ordered his car.

It's All About Me!

2009-03-22T21:37:00.015-04:00

This winter has been pretty much been all about me. Me and the Canton Car Wash that is. In fact, my favorite song even starts out with "Me, me, me, me, me, me, me..." My favorite word at the moment also happens to be "mine." Furthermore, I've become very territorial over my mommy, my toys, sometimes my daddy, but especially my fruit snacks. I love to play the game where I pretend that I'm going to give Jacob a fruit snack, and I bring it over to him and put it near his mouth, then I pull it back right as he opens his mouth and say, "Mine!"

Well, lets see...what I have been up to over the last couple of months? All my grandparents came to visit me at least once since Christmas (Gigi several times), I have been attending a music class with my buddies on Friday mornings, I have learned close to 200 words (if you ask Mommy, 1000 if you ask Daddy. Although within the last week, I think the count has doubled), I made a trip up to Michigan to see the gang up there (and started a GI Virus pandemic), and I just got back tonight from a weekend in Connecticut with Papi and Grammy.

I had my 18 month check up this week. Here are the stats:
Height: inches, 97th percentile
Weight: 25 lbs, 10 oz, 70th percentile
Head: cm, 50th percentile
Dr. Goldstein said I was "perfect,"...his words, not mine. I don't like to brag.

My favorite words right now include no, poop, water, doggie (this has been a favorite since I was 10 months old), and mine. I tend to find ways to fit these five words into almost every course of conversation I have, be it with myself or with others. When I'm riding in the car with Mommy & Daddy, and we drive by Butts & Betty's, I say "home" to let them know we're almost there! I think they appreciate the heads up.

So, I happened to catch a glimpse of a little pink potty today next to the big toilet in our bathroom. I've heard a lot of chatter about how fun and cool it's supposed to be to go pee pee or poo poo on the potty. Seems like a lot of work if you ask me...the method I've got going on right now is working just fine. I do a poop in my huggies, and then I just let someone else wipe my butt and put a clean diaper on. However, if there are fruit snacks involved in the process, I may consider it. Stay tuned for my progress on that front!

Enjoy these adorable pictures of my most recent activity. Like I said, folks...it's all about me!

Here I am with Papi & Grammy at the car wash. It looks as though they can't decide who should hold me for this picture. More than likely, they are both trying to.

Just a fun play date with Daddy in the Fells Point park.

You can see how long my hair has gotten (which Daddy calls my rat tail) in this picture. I'm well over due for my first hair cut actually. Mommy can't make up her mind as to whether she could cut it or let my curls become even more out of control.

Here I am snuggling up to Gigi.

I like to call this my reflective pose. More than likely I am contemplating who or what the next victim of my destruction will be. (destroying property, especially books, is still one of my favorite past times)Enjoying a compelling story about how the wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...

Viva la Puerto Rico

2009-03-22T20:14:00.014-04:00

Hola amigos! Well, I spent Christmas 2008 in the sunny Caribbean, getting in touch with my Puerto Rican roots. I met about 75 family members that I never even knew I had! Since our return back to the continental US, I've been wondering why my parents ever decided to settle down in Baltimore. Puerto Rico was sunny and warm every day, I could walk around nude on the beach and nobody cared, I was constantly opening presents, there was always a party to attend, and I practically stayed up until midnight every night. It doesn't get much better than that. Although, the lack of sleep definitely started to become an issue. If I don't get my beauty sleep, I can become a real grouch. I really put Mommy and Daddy through the ringer on a couple of occassions....especially Christmas Day at my Uncle Dennis' house. (you can see from the pictures below that I was not a happy camper) All in all, it was a great trip.

Here I am with my cousin, Adrianna, on Christmas Day. We are exactly 7 days apart. She seems happy as a clam. I on the other hand, not so much. I mean, can you blame me? I had just travelled over 1000 miles, adjusted to a different time zone, and everyone was speaking a language I couldn't understand. Once the karoake machine came out though, I was all smiles.

This is El Morro, aka the windiest place to stand ever....hence Mommy's bad hair in this picture.

You can see from our blinding white skin that this was our first beach day. Also my first smile of the trip.

Uncle Richie, Lynne, Mommy & Daddy and I went down to Old San Juan for a few Pina Coladas after the beach.

Daddy likes to call this my Kid Rock look...

How come I am the only nude one on the beach?

Holiday Season 2008

2009-01-07T12:20:00.010-05:00

Hi everyone! My apologies for totally slacking on the blogging recently. I've just been so busy with all of my holiday socializing, but now I'm getting back on track with everything. I spent Thanksgiving this year up in Michigan at Grandma Dar's house (aka Gigi). I enjoyed a lot of quality time with Gigi and the whole gang. There was a ton of snow up there, and from what I've heard it hasn't stopped snowing since we left! Basically, any time that I show up in Michigan, there is usually a big caravan led by my great-grandparents that follows me around wherever I go. You can see from the photo below that Grandpa Galko and I are good pals.

As soon as we got back into Baltimore, my mom dragged Daddy and I out into the pouring rain early on Sunday morning to cut down our Christmas tree. (Daddy calls Mommy the Christmas Nazi-among other names ending in "Nazi"...but we won't go there) We drove over an hour to get to the Christmas tree farm, then we picked out our tree, cut it down, had it shaken and wrapped and loaded it on the car in 15 minutes because it was freezing and raining outside. I don't really understand why we didn't just drive to Home Depot to get a pre-cut tree like everyone else. Oh well-it was one of our best trees ever (according to mommy).Here I am giving Daddy specific instructions on how to cut down the tree. "A little more angle, Daddy!"

Lucy had us all over for a Christmas party one Saturday morning. You can see how adorable we all looked in our holiday gear sitting on the sofa posing for the picture. (note-don't think I didn't notice Robbie rubbing my leg the whole time

. Why do you think I've been saying his name over and over again after that party?)

Lucy also got to spend a whole day with me at my house. Now, I love Lucy and everything, but she sort of started making me look bad after that day. She was so well-behaved that now my parents are expecting me to be on my best behavior at all times...hence this new thing they're using called "Time Out" I'm not a big fan of the "corner" or "time out" so far, so lets see what else they've got up their sleeves.

Oh yeah, we also went to see Santa together. You can see by the expression on our faces how much we liked him....

Stay tuned for more pictures and stories from Christmas with Gigi and my trip to Puerto Rico with the Riveras!!

Just Hangin Around...

2008-11-09T22:19:00.009-05:00

In case you were wondering what a typical day in the life of Maria is like, here is a little snippet: I usually get up anywhere between 6:45 and 7:30 a.m. I throw back a bottle of milk before I do anything else and then I usually floss and brush my teeth for about 1/2 hour every morning. Most days I spend taking things out of drawers, trying on every pair of my mom's shoes, taking every book off the shelf and ripping out the pages, and trying very hard to get a cookie. Here are just a few pictures of me just "hanging around"...

Grandma Dar was here a couple weeks ago...as you can see from the smile on my face, I LOVE Grandma Dar!

A large part of my day also consists of chasing after Jacob. Is it just me, or does he look slightly annoyed here in this photo? I think he was exasperated with all the kisses I had just given him...

Did you say "Cookie?"

2008-11-09T22:08:00.004-05:00

I am my father's daugher, there's no doubt about that...nope, none whatsoever. If it weren't obvious to you before with my big eyes and curly hair, then my newfound ability to exclaim my love for cookies has to prove it to you! I have discovered that if I actually say the word, "cookie," I am rewarded by, you guessed it, a cookie! I LOVE this game! Here I am with spaghetti all over my face practicing a few words.

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-09T21:29:00.007-05:00

Halloween 2008 was a huge success in my book. Why you ask? Well, for starters I was allowed to skip my afternoon nap (which actually ended up being a problem later on that night). I was also allowed to stay up way later than my usual 7:00 bedtime, eat way more candy/sugar in one evening than I've consumed so far in my entire 14 month existence, and I got to hang out with Lucy the Piglet and Jacob the Dragon!! I kicked-off the night by strolling down to Fells Point to meet up with about 1000 other kids and their parents, all dressed up in their costumes. It didn't take me long to fall in the dirt, rip my tights, and figure out how to rip my bear hat off! Then we came back home, and I made the rounds of the neighborhood.

Here I am with JJ on his Grandma's lap. This was the only way Mommy and Josh could contain both of us long enough to get a picture.

I recently started passing out hugs and kisses, and Lucy is my favorite target! Lucy also likes to pass out hugs and kisses, so she doesn't mind! Here we are hugging in the park in our costumes, although a balloon got in the way right as the camera flashed, so the picture isn't perfect.

More Pumpkin Patches???

2008-11-09T20:55:00.008-05:00

Well, my speculations that I was going to visit two more Pumpkin Patches proved to be dead on! I think it's safe to say that I am 'pumpkin-patched out!' Grammy and Grampa Rivera came down to visit me a few weeks back, and I took 'em to the Cadillac of Pumpkin Patches out in Westminster, MD. This joint had apple-picking, a petting zoo, live music (to which I enjoyed displaying my dance moves for a very large crowd), and of course TONS of pumpkins! There was one small hiccup though...there was a huge McCain-Palin sign at the front entrance. My daddy almost turned the car around when we saw that, but since we had driven an hour to get there, we decided to stay. As it turned out, their marketing efforts were fruitless anyway!

Here I am at Weber Farms again, but this time with my gal pals, Lily and Lucy. My mom and dad put me in this Bumble-bee get-up that was obviously way too small for me...hence the "hunched-over" look I am sporting in all of the pictures here. Thank goodness I'm still in diapers, otherwise that wedgie could've caused some serious damage!

Pumpkin Patch Season

2008-10-08T14:58:00.010-04:00

So far this year, I've already been to 2 pumpkin patches and I've heard talk of going to 2 more. Now this is fine and dandy with me, just as long as those pumpkin patches have apples. I have discovered that there is nothing I love more than to crunch on a good, juicy, messy apple. It feels so good on my teeth (which, by the way, I now have 8 with 2 more on their way) and the juice is unlike anything I've ever tasted! Ok, enough on apples... On to the pumpkin patches. Lucy and I hit up the Harvest Fest down at the Inner Harbor this past weekend. Good times. We ate a few peas, made our way through the hay maze, and listened to a crazy old guy play a guitar (and I of course was dancing even though it wasn't my preferred rap music).
I also had my first carousel ride with Daddy. Wow!! I didn't want that horse to stop...I kept bouncing and kicking the horse hoping he would keep going, but I guess he was too pooped after all that running with both Daddy and I on his back.

Here I am at the second pumpkin patch. And here I am pushing the wagon instead of riding in the wagon...

This exact picture was also taken a year ago...wow, what a difference one year makes! I couldn't even keep my eyes open last year!
All those flowers looked so tasty! I couldn't resist tasting one or two of them before Mommy and Daddy caught me with the petals in my mouth. I still prefer the apples though...

So the word on the street is that I'm going back to this pumpkin patch dressed in my Halloween Costume, which to my knowledge is still undecided at this point. Guess my mommy better get busy!

Action-Packed Trip to Michigan

2008-10-08T14:00:00.014-04:00

I took another trip to the north to visit my family in Michigan, and man oh man, it was one entire week jam-packed with visiting family! We no sooner arrived in Grandma Dar's driveway than the Ice Cream Truck pulled up. I tell you--Grandma sure pulls out all the stops for me! So I kicked-off my visit in Michigan with an Ice Cream Sandwich and a mischief-free night full of fun with my Aunt Sandy while my parents, Grandma, and Uncle Elliot hit up Katie Jonker's wedding in Frankenmuth. (Apparently Aunt Sandy used to get into a lot of trouble while baby-sitting my mom--we're talking broken lamp shades, broken faucets...you name it)

By the way-my parents decided to abandon me for most of the trip and left me with Grandma Dar. Let me just say that I am A-okay with this arrangement because Grandma Dar spoils the h-e-double hockey sticks out of me. In fact, we got so cozy together that somehow I was mistakenly calling her "Mama" by the time my mommy returned from her galvanting around the state of Michigan. During my time in Michigan, I was able to visit with my all Great Grandparents, Grandpa Crabtree, Uncle Elliot, and lots of mommy's friends. I spent the night with my Great Aunt Claudia, Uncle Don, and cousins Eric, Ben, and Alex.

Here I am with Aunt Claudia as the center of attention...as usual!

Me and Alivia. I had major "Big Girl" syndrome around her. She is so cool!

Also-as a bonus, we met up with the "Boys" for breakfast in Ann Arbor right before I hopped on the plane to come back home. The boys include Uncle Johnny, Uncle Richie, and "Uncle" Kevin. (note-Kevin is not really my uncle, but he sends me birthday stuff...so in my book, he counts as an uncle!). I don't have any pictures from this event, but I sure did enjoy my French Toast and Uncle Richie's omelettes at the Big Boy!

Here are some pictures of Tricia's wedding. Wow--she sure was a beautiful bride! She looked like a princess in that dress. I wish I could have seen her!

Here is my mommy with Katie Jonker at her wedding in Frankenmuth. Another beautiful bride!

Oh-I guess my parents thought they needed a little R&R, so they drove up to northern Michigan where they stayed in a gorgeous hotel overlooking Lake Michigan, enjoyed nice dinners, and staked out their dream house. (Well, this would be mommy's dream house) When will I be included in these trips? I like wine tasting...

Trouble has Wheels

2008-10-08T12:36:00.006-04:00

That's right, folks. Look out cuz here I come! No more crawling, scooting, or rolling...that stuff is for the birds. Perhaps my biggest piece of news is that I have now officially entered into the vertical world because I can stand, walk, and even run sometimes if I think someone is chasing me (or when I feel like really scaring my mommy and pretending to go in the street). I took my first steps a week before my birthday, but I really took off about a week after my birthday. Every day it seems that I get faster and faster and faster and faster (and faster...).

Now that I can walk, I enjoy pushing things to exemplify my strength. My buddy, Lucy, came over one night and I pushed her around in this car for almost a half an hour. She prefers to drive anyway. I also had to come to the rescue of my mom at Costco by helping her push the cart, which was stock full of stuff with no room for me. Together-we made it to the cash register safe and soundly. (I needed a little assistance in steering because I couldn't quite see over the cart) I also enjoy pushing my new Radio Flyer Wagon that Grammy and Grampa Rivera gave me for my birthday. I much prefer pushing over riding.

I have some videos of all this activity that I will post later this evening...

I Turned One!

2008-10-08T12:06:00.005-04:00

Well, lets start with the oldest news first: I am officially one year old as of September 7, 2008. I don't like to brag, but I must admit that I have mastered quite a few survival skills during this first year here on earth. I am proficient in ripping apart almost anything given to me, I can climb on furniture and out of my crib if the need arises, and I can cut a rug like nobody's business....just to name a few. (For those of you who don't know what "cut a rug" means, it's code for dancing. I prefer rap music to really get my groove on)

My mom and dad threw a party to celebrate my first year, and all my Grandparents decided to show up for the event. It seemed like a lot of fuss and muss for a few hours, but at least I got to hang out with all my buddies at a bar and throw back a few (bottles of milk, that is). Yes, that is correct: my first birthday party was at a bar in downtown Baltimore. Apparently, Hurricane Hannah also decided to show up and celebrate my first birthday, so we couldn't have a back-yard BBQ. Guess I'm just a popular gal!

This is the cake that my mom and Lucy's mom, Kim, baked for me. My mom was very proud (and shocked) at how nicely this cake turned out. I won't spill the beans that Kim did most of the decorating...oops, did I just say that out loud?

Here is everyone singing Happy Birthday to me. I wasn't prepared for such a large amount of attention...but I think I can get used to it. I was not in the best of moods the day of my birthday. The hurricane really rained on my parade--pun intended. I was all set to enjoy a nice afternoon full of sunshine and popping balloons, and instead I got stuck in this 6' x 6' contraption that my parents thought was the greatest idea since sliced bread! Well, I didn't spend much time in that thing (as you can see I am not in this picture). I insisted on being held and was subsequently passed around from one Grandparent to the next...just the way I like it! After all, it was my party and I can cry if I want to!

Tearing up the Beach!

2008-08-19T15:49:00.010-04:00

I had my first official beach vacation last week in Charlestown, Rhode Island. My Dad and I drove up to Grammy and Grandpa Rivera's house together while my mom was off partying in Michigan. (Don't forget to ask my daddy about his experience going to the restroom with me at a rest area on the way up to Connecticut!) We finally made it into Charlestown on Saturday night just in time for me to check out the swing-set in the backyard of our rental house with Uncle Johnny before I had to go to bed.

In preparation for this trip, I wanted to make sure my swimming goggles were fitting nice and snug. I hate it when the salt water gets inside!

As you can see, I had loads of fun frolicking on the beach (swimsuit or no swimsuit), getting all dressed up for dinner, and snuggling with Grammy Rivera. Grandpa Rivera is one crazy guy. He's always making these scary animal sounds, but they never fail to crack me up! Even when I just look at him I start laughing! Grandma Pat and Grandpa Art were also in tow, and I had fun crawling all around them at our house. I especially prefer to go through Grandma Pat's legs making her very nervous. I think they were tired out by just watching me!

Jacob Turns One!

2008-08-19T15:41:00.004-04:00

So my buddy "JJ" turned one this month. I got all dressed up in my party dress for his big bash, but I don't think he even noticed! I guess he was busy checking out all the other ladies at the party since we see each other every day. His mommy had lots of good food for us to eat, so I completely pigged out and made a big mess of their table cloth (sorry Stacy!). Jacob got a lot of cool toys for his birthday, so I hope he will share them with me when I'm at his house. (I especially liked that big ball machine, Jacob!) I thought it was only appropriate to give him a kiss for his birthday, but he seemed more interested in his cake. Oh well! I had fun swimming in his Grandma's pool with Daddy.

Grandma Dar and Aunt Sandy's Summer Visit

2008-08-19T15:32:00.003-04:00

My Grandma Dar and Aunt Sandy were in town for a whole week, and boy did they ever spoil me rotten! I got loaded up with lots of fancy things to wear on my vacation, they took me to Fells Point a few times, we went shopping at Nordstroms, and we even went swimming at the Patterson Park pool! I think my mom and dad enjoyed having them here for the whole week because the house was spotless, the laundry was always done, and for some reason the kitchen always smelled like freshly baked pie...no one shared any of the pies with me. I can't wait for Grandma Dar to come back for my birthday party in a couple weeks!

Pigtails!

2008-08-19T15:25:00.003-04:00

My mom recently decided to try a new hairdo on me, and quite frankly, I'm still undecided on how I feel about these things called pigtails. I like to grab them and pull them out and put the clips in my mouth, but other than that...I could take them or leave them. Although I have now discovered that I have quite a bit of hair on my head, and I have been having fun pulling it and getting sticky things caught in my hair. One good thing about these pigtails is that people have stopped mistaking me for a boy. You'd think the pink and purple outfits would be enough of a clue, but obviously some people are color blind...

Dog Days of Summer

2008-08-07T12:15:00.013-04:00

Boy, this summer has been jam-packed full of activities that I haven't even had time to post any new blog entries! I've been busy making new friends, traveling to Connecticut to visit with the Rivera side of my family, having fun with Grandma Dar and Aunt Sandy while they are in Baltimore visiting me, going to concerts in the park with my buddies, attending birthday parties, and getting ready for my big summer vacation! As you can tell, I'm quite the socialiate for an 11 month old. I take after my Uncle Elliot in that department :)

Here I am with my Uncle Richie and Lynne and Uncle Johnny and Desirae at Grammy and Grandpa Rivera's house in Connecticut. I love my uncles, but honestly, that crazy dog Elvis is my personal favorite! We like to take turns licking each other's faces! Elvis also likes to sit right next to my high chair when I eat...for some reason he's extra friendly during those feeding times.

Even with all this activity, I have still managed to perfect my crawling and mobility skills. I can get around pretty darn quickly these days...sometimes my mommy can't even keep up with me! I have found that I can get into mischief pretty easily, so my mommy and daddy started putting up these darn gates. I'm not a happy camper when those things come out--they get in the way of my "Search and Destroy" mode that my Daddy affectionately calls my mischievious activity. Jacob and I like to check out small places together, and occassionally we get stuck!

Here I am with my friends, Lily and Lucy at the concert in Patterson Park. I enjoyed eating all of Lucy's watermelon and pita bread for dinner, and I didn't care for any of the crap my mommy packed for me. Lucy's was much better!

Stay tuned for more pictures and stories from my vacation in Rhode Island!!! (By the way-my mommy finally got on the bandwagon and learned how to do this blog thing, so she's helping me out now) Later moons...

Made in the USA

2008-07-20T00:01:00.006-04:00

Grandpa Crabtree was in town for the 4th and I was a super patriotic baby! We went to Washington DC to visit the various memorials. My favorite was the WWII memorial. Not only do they have cool fountains to look at, but several of my Great Grandfathers served in the War including one who was in D-Day.

It was so hot out that I just hung out in my Birthday suit and a flag...I'm auditioning for MTV's Rock the Vote campaign.

Why do my parents insist on putting these dumb hats on me? You'll only get one shot off in time Dad and it will only be of me ripping the hat off!

No fireworks yet, but still a great view from up here.

Did my dad make you put that on? Here let me take it off for you.

Lazy Days of Summer

2008-07-03T13:10:00.003-04:00

When it gets real hot out I like to invite the neighbors over (Jacob, Lucy, etc.) and jump in the kiddie pool. I especially like to try and crawl out and put grass in my mouth.

Hey, where are you going with that ring Lucy?

Off to the races!

2008-07-03T12:31:00.003-04:00

Well, I knew how to go every which way except forward...that is until now. I'm crawling like "nobodies business!" This means a whole new menu is being served these days. Tonight I'll be tasting shoes, a personal fav.

Sorry people...I have logos to taste!

2008-04-27T09:30:00.005-04:00

Hi there folks. Sorry for the long pause in blogs. I've been distracted by all the new things in life (which is almost everything at this stage), but I do have a lot to share. The big news is that I have been sitting up for several months now. Adios ceiling and hello blackberry, remotes, paper, logos on shirts (man those are stuck on there good), earrings...you get the point. If it exists I grab for it and try to taste it. The shinier, brighter or more buttons the tastier it looks. Sometimes my Daddy stands me up and I can even hold myself up with a lot of help from the ottoman as you can see from the photo here.

Swim lessons...they remind me of the womb

2008-04-26T10:11:00.002-04:00

My pushy parents enrolled me in my second swim class....I think it is just as much fun for them as it is for me. There were new toys to taste and I have become proficient in splashing. Dad and Mom found out that swim diapers don't work as well as regular ones after I got them both wet before they even went in the pool. Woops:-)

Dude...Elephants are huge!

2008-04-12T09:45:00.002-04:00

Holy $hit, this old man was crazier than any beast I saw at the Philly zoo!

Elephants were fun to watch, but I liked to watch the bats and get hugs from Grammy instead.

Maria already a little thief

2008-03-16T19:05:00.003-04:00

I was on my belly playing with my pal Jake and my parents caught me in the act of some old school thievery!

What the - stuff can taste different?

2008-02-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I still can't kick the bottle, but I am getting a hang of eating cereal and other mushed up goodies. First I started off with cereal and now the parents are giving me some veggies. I did my own taste test which you can check out below.

Rock'n Roll

2008-02-10T09:38:00.000-05:00

I did it! My first official roll occured when my parents weren't looking and I rolled off my blanket and onto the kitchen floor. Since then I like to roll all the time. Sometimes I like to do it when I wake up and sometimes I just do it because I feel like it. The hardest part is getting that arm back out...it gets stuck under my belly.

Shout outs

2008-02-10T09:19:00.000-05:00

I had to give my buddy Jake a shout out here. We spend a lot of time together since we share a Nanny Tues-Thrs. We like to hang out because it just give us another pair of hands to throw in our mouths.

I like Birthdays!

2008-02-10T09:09:00.000-05:00

We celebrated my Mom's 28th birthday on Jan 29th! Dad put a funny hat on me that somehow looks small for my head eventhough I'm just a baby. We had a cake with candles, noise makers and fun hats. I can't wait for my birthday!

Giddy Up!

2008-01-15T16:37:00.000-05:00

Looks like someone got a rocking horse for Christmas!

Grandpa Rivera makes Maria laugh hysterically!!

2008-01-15T13:15:00.000-05:00

If this doesn't put a smile on your face you can't be human...so says my Dad ever so modestly:-)

My first laugh caught on tape

2008-01-14T13:34:00.000-05:00

Jingle Bell Rocks!

2008-01-07T21:58:00.000-05:00

They really know how to roll out the red carpet for babies in Michigan! Grandma greeted me with a huge sign on the garage....similar to what my mom's Grandfather did for her when she came to visit for the first time.

The trip started with what looked like the traveling circus. Mom and Dad lugged around a ton of my stuff and checked in a record five bags on the way there only to be broken by a new record of 7 bags on the way back. Dad was confused for a second and thought he was going on a honeymoon with Mom again (ask him to see the picture of a Mexican hauling bags stacked higher than his head).

I made sure Santa knew to count me in for the Holiday extravaganza by getting baptized a few days before Christmas. I certainly made out like a bandit in my first Christmas debut, especially with the PJs which my parents requested. They like to have extras since I often have what Mom and Dad call "blow outs" in them.....woops.

November's Grandma Bonus Video

2007-12-09T14:00:00.000-05:00

Concentration Danielson

2007-12-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

I found my voice!

2007-12-09T13:26:00.000-05:00

November Fame

2007-12-09T10:37:00.000-05:00

Football and Family...is that what November is always like? If so I'm ready to do another one only Michigan better win this time.

I kicked the month off with a visit from Grandma Crabtree who came with her sister Claud and my great grandparents. We did a lot of hanging out and I can't wait to see them in a few weeks at Christmas. Sassiness runs 4 generations deep with these family females!

Although it was a great month, it was also the first time I had my heartbroken. Michigan got schooled by Ohio state. At the bar I drowned my sorrows in 8oz of domestic...formula. Dad is still drinking from that game. On my car seat I sported some trash talk which you can see here.

I went up to good old New England for Thanksgiving. The last time I was in Connecticut was for Mom's baby shower...looks a lot different than mom's uterus. Here is my Uncle Rich, Uncle John, my dad, and of course me...aka 3 men and a baby!

While in Connecticut I made my debut on the local news. You can see it here by selecting the story about the lights in Hubbard Park. Even though there was a light the size of the sun on the camera, I was able to keep sleeping.

Finally, I just wanted to brag a bit. I can hold my

head up like no body's business as you can see from this picture below. I'm trying to reach for things too, but figuring out how a hand works takes some getting used to. Feel free to email me with any tips, but no one seems to remember how they figured this part out.

That's it for now. Can't wait to see what the big deal is with the fat guy in the red and white outfit.

Grandma Bonus Video II

2007-11-13T23:25:00.000-05:00

Tickling is Crazy!

2007-11-13T23:09:00.000-05:00

So yesterday my Dad did something to me called tickling. I don't know why, but he rubbed behind my neck and I just couldn't stop laughing. Whoever invented this must be a genius because it sure feels good to smile and laugh so much over something so simple. What will they think of next? Maybe they will create some type of funny sensation that makes babies laugh when they get tossed up in the air.

I got stripes for Halloween!

2007-11-06T14:33:00.000-05:00

As if life weren't already difficult enough as an 8
week old, my parents decided to dress me up in this ridiculous zebra costume for Halloween. Guess who got to keep the chocolate candy and who still has to stick to the strict diet of milk and more milk. I was going to go as a pumpkin like most new babies, but well....... I was just way too big for the darn thing already. Funny how my parents were surprised to see I didn't fit into "infant size" stuff anymore (please see my prior references to my parents rookie mistakes in the Maria Bobble Head blog). The good part about the costume is that I could still spit up on it just fine. Come to think of it, I don't think there is anything I won't spit up on if I feel like it.

Let's see what I'll be next year! Ciao -Maria

Snoozing in the Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-28T16:46:00.000-04:00

I went to go get my very first pumpkin today, but I'll tell you what, the whole thing tired me out so I just decided to take a nap and let Mom and Dad worry about the whole pumpkin ordeal. I don't get the big fuss anyway. They only had cider and I didn't spot milk anywhere!

Maria's Top 10 List -October 2007

2007-10-27T20:20:00.000-04:00

1) Mommy's breasts or anything else that that I think I might be able to get milk out of such as necks, arms, pacifiers, fingers....you name it, I've tried. (Last month: 1, Months on the chart: 1)
2) Chugging anything out of a bottle...including prune juice (Last month: NR, Months on the chart: 0)
3) Mom, boy she really loves me! (Last month: 3, Months on the chart: 1)
4) The baby swing (Last month: NR, Months on the chart: 0)
5) Being out and about (Last month: 8, Months on the chart: 1)
6) Baths. (Last month: 9, Months on the chart: 1)
7) Tooting louder than any grown man. I'll challenge anyone out there! (Last Month: 6, Months on the chart 1)
8) Grabbing things with my talons (Last Month: NR, Months on the chart 0)
9) Sleeping during the day (Last Month: 7, Months on the chart: 1)
10) Leg aerobics (Last Month: NR, Months on the chart 0)

Things that dropped out of the top 10 list:
Pooping in clean diapers right after I get changed, Gouging my eyes out, Life (got it all figured out now :))

My first flight and farewell

2007-10-27T14:39:00.000-04:00

I decided to celebrate my 6 week birthday by heading down to Florida for warmer weather and to see my Great Grandmother Gloria Rivera, who was in the hospital. I liked flying on the plane as you can see and I got so much attention from the Rivera clan. The place was crawling with family! Only Wilt Chamberlain has more family than I do.

Babies weren't really allowed in the hospital room, but I snuck in with my old man to meet my Great Grandmother. I also wanted to show her that I was wearing a dress she bought me shortly before she was hospitalized. I'm happy that I got to meet my Mama Gloria, but sad that it will be our last meeting since she passed a week later. My Dad tells me she was so loving, affectionate and a wonderful grandmother and person. In some ways she will aways be with me because she instilled that same love in our family. We will all miss her. Te quiero Mami!

The apple never falls far from the Crabtree

2007-10-14T10:27:00.000-04:00

Well it was a short visit, but it was long enough to get some more clothes out of the whole deal:-) Again. I got to meet my Uncle Elliot and Aunt Sandy for the first time which was great. I'll be seeing both of them again soon as well as the rest of the Crabtree crew over Christmas in Michigan! Grandma Crabtree brought pictures of my Mom when she was my age and you wouldn't believe how similar we look. I'll try and post those pictures up as soon as I can. I guess it is true what they say about the apple falling not too far from the Crabtree!

A Picture is worth a thousand words

2007-10-10T10:19:00.001-04:00

Ok, not much to say here. I just wanted to show you how cute I can sometimes look...

The Maria Bobble Head Doll

2007-10-06T20:00:00.000-04:00

Jake, my buddy across the street, and I decided to hang out at the Fells Point Festival. We had a great time, but man these parents of mine are such rookies. Glad Dad decided to go with the stroller on cobble stoned streets...nice thinking numb skull.

How the heck am I suppose to get my beauty sleep so I can terrorize you late at night when my head is bobbing up and down like a bobble head doll? Jake got the easy ride in the Baby Bjorn (after Dad and Jake's Dad, Josh, figured the darn thing out) while I got treated like a pinata for the whole day. I'll just take it all out on my diapers!

Grandpa Wolverine

2007-10-05T23:35:00.000-04:00

Well, not only was it nice to meet my Grandpa Crabrtree, but it was also a huge relief to find out he is such a big Michigan fan. Not to say that my Dad, Uncle Rich, Uncle El, Mom, Grandpa (Oh heck the whole fam for crying out loud) are bandwagon jumpers, but I've been a Michigan fan since the day I was born (if you don't believe me click here to check out the UofM gear I was sporting on my first day). Anyway, I'm looking forward to hanging out with Grandpa next time around Christmas. Hopefully Michigan will be in a bowl game. I'll bring my 6oz flask of milk and you bring the chips and salsa Grandpa!

Maria's Top 10 List -September

2007-10-02T23:38:00.000-04:00

1) Mommy's breasts or anything else that that I think I might be able to get milk out of such as necks, arms, pacifiers, fingers....you name it, I've tried.
2) Chugging breast milk from the bottle....does a body good!
3) Mom, boy she really loves me!
4) Pooping in a nice clean diaper right as Dad finishes changing me.
5) Trying to gouge my eye out and scratching my face up as much as possible (check out my boxing mitts in my photos).
6) Tooting louder than any grown man. I'll challenge anyone out there!
7) Sleeping.
8) Car rides and walks in the stroller....lovely time to knock out.
9) Baths. I'm still trying to figure out what this water stuff is, but I think I like it.
10) Life. It sure beats the cramped quarters I had to deal with for 9 months! Now I'm living large with a nice crib, drinks every 3 hours and limo service everywhere I go. Heck this place even does my laundry and that isn't even to mention what it is like when the grandmas are in town.

Life is a piece of cake (or in my case... a drop of milk)

2007-10-02T16:44:00.000-04:00

Well, I think I'm finally getting a hang of this thing they call life. People constantly kiss and breathe in your face with their bad breath (Dad is the main offender here). Pretty simple if you ask me. I just eat, dirty my diapers and sleep....not much to it really.

Meeting my namesakes (the last name that is)

2007-09-22T16:30:00.000-04:00

Grammy Rivera stayed for the entire week. Of course she brought lots of food for Mom and Dad. Too bad they don't sell breast milk at Costco because God knows Grammy would have hooked that up! Papi joined us later in the week and he brought some beautiful outfits from my great grandmother in Florida. Thanks Mama Gloria! Here is your silly son John (my grandfather) talking Spanish to me. Doesn't he know I can understand him just fine without the baby acento? It must run in the family because Dad does the same stuff.

Holla at Me!

2007-09-15T11:09:00.000-04:00

Wow, I just got into this world and already I've met my Grandma Crabtree, Grammy Rivera, Papi Rivera, Uncle Rich and lots of Mom and Dad's friends and neighbors. Doesn't anyone know all I care about right now is breast milk. Daddy who? It's all about mom and the 3:00AM feedings...now that's what I'm talking about!

I decided to come a little early since it was getting a bit too snug in there for me. I usually sleep with my arms up by my head...little did I know this would be such a problem come delivery time. Guess a head and two arms don't make for an easy delivery...sorry for the scar Mom:) But some habits die hard and I still like to stick my hands up by my head when I sleep.

Grandma Crabtree and Brooke where the first visitors to be at the Hospital. I was still nice and slimy so I'm sure I scared Brooke, but she managed to look happy holding me in this picture. Grammy and Papi arrived the next day.

For the rest of the week I got to hang out in my new crib, literally, while Mom recovered and Grandma Crabtree spoiled me rotten!

Later in the week I also got to meet my uncle Richie. He was so worried about breaking me....glad he seems to have forgiven Dad for the multiple stitches and fractures he suffered as the result of being a younger brother:) I also got to meet Kevin, Erik and Lynn who all had flown in for my Dad's surprise 30th (which mom had to cancel since I busted my why out of that stupid embryonic sac 2 weeks early).

I was sad to see my Grandma Crabtree go, but I'll see her again in a few weeks! Love you Grandma.

My first blog

2007-09-11T00:21:00.000-04:00

Hola! Thanks for checking out my blog! After joining my Mom and Dad on Sept 7, 2007, I thought it would be a great idea to share all of my new experiences with all of you. Actually, my buddy Lucinda next door has a blog too so I'm ripping the idea off her...hey I'm only 3 weeks old so you can't expect me to be too original yet! You can check out Lucinda's blog at http://lucindasheinin.blogspot.com/