The newest little Guggenheim...

Abby has a 1st cousin, and Matt and I are first time Aunt & Uncle!

Sydney Anne was born today, October 23, weighing in at 7lbs 2oz!  Her parents are Matt's brother Victor and his wife, Francine.  She's beautiful and has an awesome head of strawberry blonde hair.    I'm so happy that Abby gets to have a cousin (and a girl!) so close in age.

What's in here?

Abby found our cabinets...

And the pantry....what you can't see in this picture is that she also took every single one of the 54 bags of chips out of the box for us.  She's so sweet like that. :)

11 Months Old!

Abby is 11 months old today.  Can you believe it?  And not only is she just a month out from being the big O-N-E, she's WALKING.  She's not "perfect" on her steps just yet...but she loves to practice all day long.  Literally.  All day long.  I think it won't be much longer before we are chasing her. :)  Abby is so interested in her world around her.  Trees, dogs, airplanes in the sky, birds...everything is so amazing to her.  And she loves to point at each new thing she sees.  I love watching this pure innocence...sometimes I wish she'd stay this little forever!!  

Happy 11 months, sweet girl!

Walk, walk, fall. Walk, walk, fall.

I haaaaaatttee pumpkins!

I have been really wanting to take Abby to this great little (actually BIG) pumpkin patch farm out in Marble Falls, TX called Sweet Berry Farms.  We finally got the chance this past weekend and we were so excited. We drive the full 50 minutes all the way out there only to realize the following:

1. We need tennis shoes (or boots...anything closed toe).
2. We need sunscreen - it was HOT and sunny.
3. We need to bring water to drink (though they had some awesome strawberry lemonade there).
4. Make sure to charge your camera battery prior to making the big trip for your daughter's first time at a pumpkin patch.  Dead camera batteries do you no good.
5. We need to bring our Bob Stroller.  Our little Combi was no match for the 18lb pumpkin that we made it carry.  Or the dirt/grass area where we had to walk.

6. Abby hates pumpkins.  And grass.  And hay.  And really anything touching her.

Maybe this Spring when we go back out to pick our own strawberries, she will have a better time.

Molar...Molar....

(In the voice of Ferris Bueller's teacher.)

We have a molar.  Finally.  One has popped through and the other is so swollen it can't be to much longer. Come on teeth!!!

And she's off!

Abby has been taking little baby steps for a couple weeks now, and I was finally able to catch it on video!  Each day she is getting stronger and more comfortable with being on two feet instead of on all four's. It won't be much longer before we won't even be able to keep up with her. :)

Just a couple photos from our Indiana trip...

Abby and Great-Grandma Heign

Pure fun.

Stacking!

Abby has always loved her stacking toy, but here lately she's really working on putting it back together...not just pulling it apart.  And she claps and gets so proud of herself when she's done.  It's so cute!!

Here is her doing it all by herself.  We don't tell her that she doesn't quite have the order figured out yet. :)

And here is her Daddy helping her get them in the right place.

The Essenhaus

While we are bummed we only got breakfast and didn't have time for dinner at the Essenhaus in Middlebury, we were still excited to capture this picture.

Yes - this really is an Amish buggy.  When we were growing up and visiting Grandma and Grandpa Heign, my sister and I ALWAYS wanted to sit in the buggy booth.  People wait for hours to sit in it.  I hope Abby wants to some day too!