Cheese Face!

Maria now loves cream cheese... but she doesn't like to get it on her fingers! However, she has no problem with it being all over her face!

My Early Bird is not getting the worm...

...she's getting a crabby mama! Sweet Maria has been waking up between 5:00 and 5:30 sporadically for the last month or so. But today it was 4:45 A.M. We let her fuss for a while but she has a hard time going back to sleep because she can hear Charles getting ready for work at 5:15 and after... She's awake and ready to go! WHAT?!?! Last night she went to bed at about 8:00, so this is just short of 9 hours of sleep, for a kid who usually prefers 10-11+ hours... I'm at my wits end on this one. It's 7:30 in the morning and she's already down for a nap- been down since 7:00. I know this is a 'continuation of night sleep' nap, but I have NO IDEA WHAT TO DO. And with daylight savings time coming up, she will be waking REALLY early... what should I do? I'm begging for advice from any mom out there who can spare a moment. Comment or email me. HELP!
~Sleepy Mama

Help for a dear friend

I don't usually ask for your help on this site, but a dear friend of mine has a daughter who is stricken with a horrible skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa (known as EB). In short, her beautiful daughter, Ella, has skin that blisters at almost any contact. She was unable to wear clothing for the first 2-3 months of life. She must have 60-80 blisters lanced daily, and infection is a constant worry. It is also a very painful disease, especially for a child. I recently learned that Maria (20 months old) weighs only 4 pounds less than Ella, who is now 4 years old. This was so telling about what this disease has done to her body, not just her skin. Her overall development, and quality of life are hindered by this horrible disease. As a friend of her mother's, I often feel helpless at how I can help her family. But now is my chance. On October 27, the National organization for research and support for those suffering with EB called DebRa, will be holding a rally and relay across the United States, to raise awareness and funding for this very important cause. Please check out the website for this disease www.debra.org and for the relay www.ebrelay.com. I'm sure you will agree that there is a way we can all help. I appreciate you taking the time to check this out. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for any and all support you can give, even simply in the form of prayers.
Jody

More recent happenings...

A few weeks back, Mommy and Maria visited Grandma and Grandpa Schelich. Daddy was working, so we made the quick trek to Washington, went out to Cowan's, and played, played, played! Grandma and Grandpa just can't get enough of the child!

Grandma tells great stories....

She uses silly voices, just like mommy! (Wonder where Mommy learned that trick?)

Hey, Grandpa? Can you read this one to me?

Sitting on the floor is the best way to read, Grandpa.

Grandpa loooooooves me! I melt his heart every time.

Grandpa loves to steal a snuggle!

Weekend fun and more

I've been slacking lately on keeping up with this page. Seems I can never find the 'right' time to do this! If Maria is sleeping, then I've got things to do, and if she's awake - well, mommy on the computer isn't an option! She loves one-on-one attention....

Anyway, last Sunday, (Sept.30?) we went to the zoo with our friends, the O'Briens. Jack and Maria had a great time riding the train, exploring the Children's Zoo, and checking out the animals. Going to the zoo gets more fun each time we go - she notices so much more, and interacts with us so differently now. Here are some of the highlights:

Mommy and Maria on the train (immediately before she peed on me!)

Digging for bugs in the Children's Zoo.

Showing Daddy the big bears (can you hear the Maria roars in the background?)

Daddy and Maria on the tunnel slide.

"Wow, I like this fake penguin better than the real ones!"

Dancin' fool!

Sweet baby girl has turned into a dancin' fool lately! She LOVES music, especially an oldies CD sent by our friends Carla and Sam. (Thanks, guys!) Her favorite thing to do is to spin until she gets dizzy! Charles and I crack up every time - she looks like a little drunkard stumbling around the living room! Check it out -

Busch Wildlife Area - Nature Walk

Today we visited the Busch Wildlife Conservation Area in New Melle, MO, with the Parents As Teachers program. It was really cool! We started off my investigating some 'feely' boxes - Maria really liked this! She stuck her little hands right in there and grabbed for pine cones, snake skins, and feathers. Then we saw a short animal presentation - they showed us a turtle, millipede, praying mantis, and a milk snake. Maria thought the snake was really neat! She made the squiggling motion we make when we read her the animal book, so she actually made the connection from her book! (Teacher-Mommy is so proud!) And when the conservationist came by with the snake to pet, she stuck out her finger and touched it! Wow... better than mommy!

The most interesting animal to me was a turtle that had been found stuck in a plastic soda ring (the kind that used to hold a 6-pack together). The turtle continued to grow, put the ring constricted it's shell, and it's now in the shape of a peanut, or a number '8' depending on your perspective. I had seen this picture on posters before, but I didn't know the real turtle was still alive. It is now 23 years old!

Then we went on a stroller-friendly nature hike. We saw a huge spider web, frog pond, made bird noises to attract birds (ha ha), and learned what poison ivy looks like! Thank goodness Maria was strapped in the stroller! At the end, our guide pointed out persimmons that had fallen on the ground and suggested we try a bite. Mommy was a little wary, but Maria wasn't! I peeled one and she took a HUGE bite, and gave the sign for 'more'! It was hilarious... she's such a trip these days!