Im a big kid now :)

Admiring my masterpiece...

The fammily visits Matakana Vineyards - a fun day, not yet summer but still warm outside and a great afternoon together having lunch and relaxing in the gardens
Erika gets used to using her feet - trying to get her balance heading for the door and her Daddy who was holding the camera.
Check out Erikas beautiful long curly hair. She loves to sit and have her hair done and lets you play around with different styles...
Having a blast before bed. Food all over her face, bouncing on her couch.

Family time is fun time !

Erika feeds her baby doll raisins. Very generous as long as the baby doesnt actually eat any!

I'm being a piggy!

Erika received a letter - and took great delight in taking it out and putting it back again. Then putting leaves and flowers in the envelope over and over again...

My beautiful girl concentrating on her task of opening her mail.

Its been a while since I last updated Erikas site and she has accomplished so much in this time!
Erika can walk now and says a lot of words. She attempts to sing and is working on running.
Shes doing a valiant effort on Twinkle twinkle little star. Its almost recognisable to people outside the family! When we sing Old McDonald had a farm she sings E-I-E-I-O, very clearly. She also says Hi Daddy, Mummy, Poppa, Nana, banana, hello, taaa, please, here-you-go, car, dinner, hair, pants, shoes, socks, toes, head, finger (but she doesnt say that very well) bikkie, dog, bird, chair, teddy, yeah, more-more-more-more but it sounds like muh muh muh and cheese. She attempts to say most of what you tell her and does quite well in repeating and says a few random words in the right places. She likes to paint, build towers with blocks, climb on chairs eat anything with cheese, cottage cheese, mayonaise, yoghurt (for every meal if she could) and milk. Big dairy food fan! She also likes doughnuts - lets face it, who doesnt? She enjoys daycare now and happily waves goodbye to Mum in the mornings when I leave saying ta-ta ta-ta ta-ta and sometimes bye. She notices everything.

Erika just had Tonsillitis and has recently had two bouts of strep throat, so it seems that her biggest weakness is her throat, as is her mummys. But she only takes a couple of days of misery to get over it.

Weekend Fun in the Sun

We had a rare moment of sunshine over the weekend (it didnt last long - back to rain with thunder storms now) but the sun had us out in skimpy clothing enjoying the warmth playing in a bucket of water with stacking toys. FUN! We hit the lounge to escape the harsh rays for a bit and played with Erikas favorite teddy bear...

Especially for Renata... pics to make you happy :)

Pale face has been very sick with a Strep throat infection and had very few moments of playing without crying.

Looking very serious - she is still sick in this picture and could not swallow without crying, but studiously managed to ring her doorbell - making it look like a very important job.

See Mum, this is how you make the doorbell ring.

( She is so white in this photo!)

I cant swallow and Im NOT HAPPY and you CANT MAKE ME HAPPY!!!

And reflecting on happier times... Heres Erika learning to ride her bike.

Eating by herself...

And even managing a laugh while giving Teddy a ride on her bike.

Here Erika was admiring her cake and her new jacket. She liked her candles on her cake so much she wanted to eat them too!

More birthday pics of Erikas great big FIRST Birthday

Erika had a really nice day. She spent the morning playing with her mummy and her new baby doll and her teddy in the rocking chair. She wore a special hair tie bought specially for her big-girl day and looked so pretty!

She was very happy and laughed and smiled until I took her to daycare. She had fun at daycare with her lovely carers and all her friends.

I picked her up early and we went home to play.

She got a flash tent from her Grandad and Brenda which she loves and plays with ALL the time. She can do all the stuff on it which makes her feel very big. She got a spunky cord jacket from her Nana and a cool blue outfit with some shoes. As you can see she looks older than she is with her grown up jacket on. She got given a beautiful chocolate teddy cake which Luca made specially for her and Renata bought round to have a little party with us. Renata also bought her some balloons which she took massive delight in - especially when one popped. Erika thought that was hilarious and she tried to pop the rest after that. She had a very cool number 1 birthday candle which she tried really hard to blow out.

Her favorite thing was watching her mummy get banged on the head with a balloon... yay.

She also got a really cool pink jacket, blue pants and a funky sport jacket from our lovely neighbour Mary and an awesome pair of pink pants and a blue cord hat from her cousins Dylan and Ryan and Aunty Andrie and Uncle Michael which matches her jacket from Nana!

Erika was lucky enough to get a cute doll from them as well and a cuddly doll with really long hair from Poppa.

After having some cake and dinner we jumped in the car and raced off to play with Daddy then took the very very tired big girl home to her bed.

WHAT a big day!

Erika has done ONE whole trip around the sun!!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday beautiful baby girl!
Heres some pictures of her big day:

Posing with Teddy

Who's more cute? Me or teddy??

Erika started back at daycare on Wednesday last week. Her Nana got a job working at an old folks nursing home so Erika went back to Bright Minds daycare where she was going before, and has the same

She did really well, but has now become really clingy. She is not dealing with separation very well, and when she is with me she sticks like glue. I think she will get over this quite quickly, she has proved to be fairly adaptable so far and Im sure this will be no exception.

We're all going on a ...summer holiday...

Erika loves teddies!

Not just soft toys, she also loves them printed on towels, in pictures and books.

Contents of basket - free to a good home...

Beautiful, Entertaining and Heaps of work!

(We wouldnt give her away really.... she costs lots :)

Our big girl is turning 1 year old... what a year!

Happiness, sadness, laughter, tears, exhaustion and elation.... definately the best experience ever.

Me 'n' My Dad

4/6/2006

More of Meeeee...

Some more pretty pics of me taken today during play time.

I said play time is ooooooooover!!!

Insistant Erika - ready for another sleep :)

Busy Busy Bee.... PLAYTIME!!

I got these balloons at Valentines when I went to see Grandad. I love playing with them, they are so much fun!
Tina doesnt really like to play with me - but one day she might :)
Erika Louise is a star... S.... T... A and R

Ive got my remote and Im trying to swap it for a camera, but so far its not happening.

Pleeeease can I have the camera??? Im using my cute duck lips!

Erika is getting to be so much fun to play with. She plays pretend and tries bigger and bigger obstacles to climb over. We got a small foam kiddies couch off the side of the road, which she just loves - and she climbs over the back of it and back again laughing all the way. She thinks its hilarious. It folds down into a bed and she dives on it giggling with her skippy toy. Funny baby.

Whenever she says hello she puts her hand to her ear like a phone and says Aaah dooow. Or sometimes misses the 'd' Aaah ooow. Very cute. She is trying to say more words - like she makes noises quite similar to 'how are you' and tries to copy the movements your lips make when you are talking.

She also likes to taste whatever anyone is eating, puts her hand out and makes a high pitch squeal. If the food is specifically for her she will only allow a tiny bit into her mouth to taste it, then if she likes it - its all good, but if she doesnt like the food - she wont open her mouth again! Fussy tart.

:( Chunder chucker

Erika has been a bit sick today. She threw up in the car and has been whingy all day!
She has been hard work but seems to be feeling better tonight. The pics above are her play time early afternoon. She had a sleep in the car and seemed to be feeling a lot better after her sleep.