Abi Walking

As always, Abigail is ahead of the game. She started walking at 8 months and is getting better every day. Can't wait till she can run away when her parents call her! :P

It's A Girl, Again!

We found out last week that Bybee Baby II is a girl. While we were initially a little disappointed, we've gotten over that and are now thrilled to add another beautiful baby girl to our family.

We're tossing around "A" names to stick with the theme of Annette, Abigail...so if anyone has any suggestions feel free to let us know!

Abigail Can Clap!

A few days ago at dinner, Abigail demonstrated that she can now clap! She is so cute. We managed to record her on video, so take a gander.

Abigail's Silly Look

For some reason, Abigail likes to make this totally funny face where she squishes up her face and makes funny breathing sounds, especially when being fed. It's hilarious.

It took several attempts to catch her with the camera...

but we finally did.

Abigail's First Visit to Santa

Dad decided that Abigail needed to visit Santa, so we made a trip to the North Pole.

There was snow, snowmen, and chocolate.












While we waited, we had our pictures taken in our Santa hats.

As the time drew near to meet the Jolly One, Abigail was so excited, she chewed on her finger.

First, she met the lovely Mrs. Clause. Abigail was fascinated by her bracelet, even trying to take it with her. Mrs. Clause was very gracious and said several times how adorable Abigail was.

The time finally came. She was taken to Santa and placed on his lap. She looked him over and immediately grabbed his button and then his watch. She wasn't fazed at all by the beard, hat, or red get up. She just loved the jewelry. But I'm pretty sure I saw her whisper in Santa's ear that she wants a baby brother or sister. I think she'll get her wish. :)

First Professional Photos

We decided it was time to bite the bullet and get some professional pics done. We went to JCPenney, and were surprised that they actually did a decent job. We like these pics as much as we like any pics of ourselves!

It was nearly impossible to get Abigail to smile. She was too focused on checking out the camera and the backdrop, and when the pillar came out, she walked all around it and pushed it around. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so frustrating.

I had to get this pic because it reminded me of my own baby pic. Probably just because it's black and white. :)

Abigail helps mom with the dishes

We took this picture to prove to Abigail when she's much older that there was a time when she wanted to do the dishes. Actually, for some reason she's fascinated with the dishwasher and everytime it's opened she comes crawling at top speed to get to it. Must be because she's not supposed to get into it!

Carousel

Abigail's first trip to the carousel at the Irvine Spectrum was a big hit. I don't know who got more of a kick out of it, Abi or Dad.

Dad kept Abigail safe. He was disappointed they didn't have any "adult-sized" horsies. :P

Then it was mommy's turn. It was a nice day for all 3 1/2 of the Bybees.

Tigger

When Abigail first got this Tigger from her Aunt Becky, Uncle Paul, and cousin Carter, she was terrified of it. But she's since made her peace with Tigger and likes to go for rides on him regularly. She also enjoys trying to eat his head.

Abi loves her Aunt Karen

This is the outfit Bronco fan Aunt Karen got for Abi and other nieces and nephews to wear. I know, I know, she looks like a boy. This pic's for you, Karen. :P

Eight Months Old!

Abigail turned eight months old yesterday and she's wasting no time in getting ready to walk.

She's been walking with the help of furniture for a while, but is now practicing her balance by standing on her own.

She even gets brave sometimes and moves her hands around.

"Yea!" She says, "I'll soon be running around this place and can REALLY get into things!

Who wants a hug?

We also finally got a bin for all of Abi's toys. Of course we couldn't resist putting her in it. She seemed to enjoy it for a few minutes. Then, of course, she tried to get out of it, head first.

Houston Visit

Abigail and Annette visited the Greaves house in Houston for a week so they could see Abi's new cousin Owen.













Abigail likes to "play with" Owen.

Owen looking around. Where did she go?

Is it my imagination, or does Abigail look about three times as big as Owen?

Hehe. This pic is not flattering to either baby!

Abigail always had to be restrained around Owen as she wanted to show him her love so frequently.

She really enjoyed the many toys at Owen's. Wonder if he'll be mad she played with them first?

Everything still goes in the mouth.

Cute little guy, eh?

Such beautiful blonde hair and red eyes. :)

Abigail and Annette visited baby Owen, Jane, Dave, and Grandma Nancy in Houston

Grandma Nancy was very helpful with Owen.

She also got to spend time with Abigail.

Classic Owen pose. Hopefully he's not really scared, like he appears to be!

Grandma can't get enough of baby Owen.

Annette and Grandma Nancy with the babies at the Houston temple. Both babies enjoyed their time with Grandma Nancy very much.

Abigail aka Minnie Mouse

I was able to get Abigail into a really cute Minnie Mouse costume this year...

For approximately...

as long as it took to take this picture. I guess there won't be any trick or treating!

Oh well, maybe next year!

Bybee Baby II !

Yes, for those who don't know, we are expecting Bybee Baby #2. He/She will make his/her appearance around the beginning of May. Probably May 1st, if mom gets to schedule it. We had the first ultrasound today and BB#2 was just moving, waving his/her hands, etc. All looks good, doc said. So, we're thrilled! And Abigail can't wait to have someone to play with (boss around).

My Favorite Things

I'm so grateful for the beautiful, sweet little spirit which has entered our home. I know that she is literally a gift from our Heavenly Father. There's no way we mere mortals could have created such a wonderful person. Every day, I find myself looking at her in awe. But time is flying. Abigail recently had her six-month doctor's appointment. I've discovered that parent time goes about 100 times as fast as nonparent time. It seemed like in the space of about a week, she started crawling, got her first two teeth, and began holding her bottle. When I first saw her holding her bottle, I said, "Sheesh! Slow down kid, before long you'll be heading off to college!" And that's the way it feels. I'm afraid her entire childhood will go by at warp speed and I will spend my later years struggling to remember all of the special moments. So, to that end, I have decided to write down my favorite things about Abigail so I can look back and remember the dear, cute things about my Abi.

1. I used to hate mornings. Now I look forward to them. When I go into Abigail's room at about 6:30, she's usually sitting up in her crib quietly, playing with her doll. When she sees me come into her room, she lights up like a firefly with a big grin and bounces up and down. We then share hugs before getting her changed and ready for the day.

2. Abigail's big grin. Especially now, with those two bottom little teeth. Sometimes she sticks her tongue out while she's smiling and that brings a giggle from me every time. What a cutie.

3. I spend about half of the day putting Abigail back on her quilt next to her toys in the livingroom. But if mommy leaves the room, she follows. And even if she does stay put, she periodically looks around to see if I'm still in the room and if we make eye contact, she smiles.

4. "Blah, blah, blah. Da da da!" These are Abigail's favorite "words". She loves nothing better than to bounce on her tush and talk loudly to herself. I've often found her doing this and having a ball. (I still can't convince her to say ma ma.)

5. I'll be sitting on the couch and she'll come over to me, pull herself up, and put her arms up to be picked up. Of course, I'm more than happy to!

6. She often puts her arms up toward the sky for no apparent reason. When she does this in public people thinks she's asking them to pick her up and get a real kick out of it. I keep quiet. :)

7. Raspberry blowing contests. She usually wins.

8. She often tries to put my entire face in her mouth. I know it's because she's teething, but I choose to think of it as a big, wet kiss. When I then gum her cheeks, she giggles.

9. She is fascinated with toes. (But we don't let her put them in her mouth!)

10. She likes to sit on my lap as we "read" a baby book together.

11. She's incredibly curious and tenacious. When she discovers something of interest, she stays with it and goes back to it, no matter how many times mom takes her away from it.

12. She makes friends with strangers at the grocery store, the library, restaurants, Target, Costco, etc.

13. She's very independent, but if I catch her when she's tired or has just finished a bottle, I can get her to cuddle with me.

14. Mostly, I just love her sweet, even-tempered, precious personality. Yes sir, that's my baby!

Six months and crawling

Here she comes . . .

Abigail is six months old now and is celebrating by exploring every nook and cranny of the house. That's right. She's crawling! A whole new world has just opened up for her.









She's discovered the office, the hallway, the kitchen (including the trash can), the glass entertainment center, mom and dad's shoes, AND all of the electrical outlets.





Now mom, who was previously spoiled by an easy baby, must continually watch Abi to make sure she's not climbing on something or putting something yucky in her mouth.




But's she still the cutest thing in a onesie!

Blonde or Brunette?

Annette went brunette! Tell us which you prefer in our poll.

Happy Birthday, Annette

Click to enlarge

Father-Daughter football

Dad and Abigail watched their first USC game together a week ago against Virginia. Chris really got into the game and Abi learned to motion with every touchdown, with both of her arms high in the air. After SC shellacking the Cavaliers with a victorious score of 52 to 7, her arms were pretty tired. Abi and Daddy are looking forward to the 13th when the Trojans host the Buckeyes of Ohio State. Good luck to Kurt Bailey a diehard OSU alumni. Fight On!