My head is as big as a small child.

So after a fair amount of badgering about not posting anything since Dec 18, I took out the camera last Saturday while Sean was out doing a cooking competition with some friends of ours.

I brushed Josephine's hair and told her to stand by the couch so I could take her picture and put it on the blog. I told her the family matriarchs were threatening to combust fiercely (not that there is any other way to combust) if she did not stand still and smile so I could put it on the blog.

She would not stand still.

I got one moving shot somewhat in focus:


So I put her ON the couch, ran back a few paces, tried to take the picture... I tried this several times... but that didn't work well either. She has learned that the back of the camera has a screen on which to see great pictures of herself. So all she wants to do is be on the wrong side of the camera, not understanding that this will result in a lack of the very thing she likes.

We kept trying, but it was resulting in photos like this:

Not what grandma wants. And even if she was willing to let these lovely ladies combust, I was not. A mother NEEDS motherly help. So I was trying to think of what would work.
Then she started patting the couch next to her. So I asked if she wanted me to sit by her, which was a YES. Taadaa! I put the camera on the kitchen table (which is presently in the living room because of projects), and set the timer. That got her smiling and worked much better.

Then it dawned on me that, uh, maybe I should change out of my pajamas if I were going to be in the pictures.

So I did, and then to be more efficient, I set my camera to take 10 shots at a time. Putting my head in her lap tickled Josephine, so she kept asking for "more." We ended up with several dozen pictures after doing this a few times. She was precious in all of them, but after deleting the ones of me with triple chins, this is all that's left:












Of course, the matriarchs are demanding, so we kept going for a bit before I put away the camera. Here are a few more from Saturday morning...
She'd been playing with her velcro Flat Friends again!


I'll leave you contemplating her need to attack my feet while I go and start uploading pictures for the NEXT post!

early January randomness

To make way for the new Christmas toys, I was sorting through her current collection to see what she had mastered, loved, or no interest in. I was surprised to see how well she did with this box of shapes. Mainly because it's been a part of blanket time one day/week since last April, but I've never seen her actually do it before. Apparently she's known what to do for a while now! In order to watch a video, click the following underlined phrase: shapes in box. It will open a new site that should have the video ready to play. You get the point after watching the first minute of it-- I just don't know how to edit down video on my new camera yet. So she's mastered this one, but I'm keeping it around a little longer because she still seems to enjoy doing it.

Moving on, here's a picture of Josephine in the first mummy suit I sewed her. I'm working on the second. She had fun picking out the fabric with me-- it's lined with the really soft woolly fleece you see around the hems, and she LOVES soft things. She rode around in the cart at JoAnn patting the bolt of material in her lap, her fingers in her mouth.
It has snaps between the ankles to help keep it in place. We keep our thermostat fairly low at night in the winter (63), so this is just another layer to keep her warm, since she can't seem to stay under the blankets in her crib. The arms are rolled up this year and it goes right to the floor, so I'm hoping it will still fit her next year...


The nationally-confused photo below was taken specifically for Sean. She wanted him to see that she'd put on her hat and scarf, but he wasn't home. When I suggested that we take a picture and show him the picture later, she was quite pleased and stood nicely and smiled. When he got home, she showed him the picture and then proceeded to dress him in the same items, but he has sadly vetoed the uploading of that image. Since they look the same, you could try mentally aging Josephine 28 years, add an unshaven face and blue striped pajama pants and you'd pretty much have it. Funny, huh? It was. They usually are when they get to playing together.


And lastly, a little fireside shot. Let me reiterate... these are from EARLY January. I believe I managed to take down Christmas decorations sometime shortly after Epiphany...

the rearing of a barbeque junkie

These are from a father-daughter date to Lockhart at the end of December. Sean swears all her expressions that seem mildly disgusted are actually true delight. Either way, they're cute. And I hear she ate a serious amount of food. She does come by it honestly...

Picture Perfect

You saw all the outtakes on December 18, but here's the winner!

If you didn't get this on a newsletter in your in-box it's because I don't have a current e-mail address for you, and you should send it to me!

Torrential Uploading: Part Two

Our Bedford leg of the Christmas vacation included brunch at my aunt and uncle's house. They have three little dogs, all of which were delighted to see a human small enough to tackle. (They are actually very good dogs. Their excitement made for a skittish Josephine, but she warmed up eventually.) We found it all pretty amusing.
My aunt and uncle gave Josephine butterfly wings for Christmas! She took to them quite well and still enjoys wearing them.
My dad rough-housing with an elderly poodle:



Haigler holidays include portraits. It's simply a fact. This Christmas was no different. We went to mass on Christmas Eve and came home for pictures...

My miserably obliging place holder as I set up for the full family portrait... He just LOVES this stuff. He's really giving Jason a run for his money when it comes to grumping about family pictures.

The plaintive expression of an overly photographed child who just wants some food to land on her tray:
Christmas morning!!


Darla and Janell having a little Christmas carol dance...


I don't normally make a fuss over any one gift (unless it involves hedgehogs) because we're truly grateful for all of them-- but really, folks. My mom MADE this book. It's like a velcro version of paper dolls. We all know Josephine LOVES velcro. She's also fascinated with the dolls, and she likes to name the clothing pieces. She calls this toy "girls" because she thinks all three dolls are girls. (Hard to explain to a young lady with very little hair that, according to all toddler-age visuals, "girls have long hair and boys have short hair". In fact, on her placemat there's a picture of Jack and Jill. One recent morning she pointed to Jill and said "girl" and Jack and said "Eeen", which is how she says Josephine. I wasn't sure I'd heard her right, but I clarified, she repeated herself, and well... it's just a little sad.)

The boy doll has his pajamas and a full change of clothes (notice that she even stitched shoelaces onto the shoes and waves into the hair!), and the girls have the whole back page of shoes and dresses and skirts and pajama options. I'm blown away by the amount of detail and time that went into this. It's adorable, and I love watching Josephine cross-dress them to no end (recently the boy was wearing BOTH a skirt and a dress). She plays with it REALLY well and attentively-- a mother's dream.

So, I give major props to my mom for this gift, and a huge THANK YOU to all our family members for their generosity. We had a great time visiting and Josephine is missing y'all a LOT. We're at the point of her saying "car" when I mention y'all.