Easter Egg "Hunt"

Okay, so "hunt" might be a bit of an overstatement. Last weekend, Linnea and her little friend Elle wandered around Elle's backyard for a bit and managed to pick up an Easter egg or two here and there. There was a whole lot of coaching/coaxing involved, and they were equally as intrigued by the grass blades as they were by the eggs, but it was an attempt, nonetheless.She looks excited here not because of the candy inside (actually, Elle's mommy Tatiana, below, had filled them with various organic cereals and animal crackers) but because the egg makes a neat sound when she shakes it.

Here she is enjoying a dry Cheerio... a 13-month-old's version of a Peep???

Soon to follow - actual Easter and the **cutest** little dress-up outfit ever...

Big Girl Chair

Gramma and Grampa gave Linnea this fabulous "big girl chair" for her birthday last month and as you can see, she takes her new role as "resident big girl" very seriously.
Here's another shot of her enjoying it. And yes, that is a tear in her eye. That's because moments before, as her father tried valiantly to get a picture of her sitting, she decided to do the opposite and ended up taking a spill.
This may seem sadistic, but I had to post it because I thought it was just so precious and honestly, how often do you think to snap a photo of these moments?

A Weekend with Nana & Papa

Linnea was in 7th Heaven this past weekend during a visit from her Nana and Papa from New York. Above and below, note the mutual adoration.

Everything just seemed more **fun** with them around... even mundane tasks like getting ready for bathtime.

Another nice perk of having Nana around is that we actually get some photos with all three of us in them - well, four, if you count Maya-in-mid-escape.

The Big O-1

Linnea celebrated her first birthday on February 27th with Gramma and Grampa Daniels, Aunt Aimee and Uncle B.

We were all shocked she actually left the festive "I'm One" hat (courtesy of Gramma) on???

Here she is with her puppy dog cake, lovingly made from scratch by Mommy. As you can see below, it was largely a wasted effort - she was NOT a fan.

She WAS a fan, however, of her new toys and gifts... and the attention of a whole room full of adoring family, of course.

Busy Few Months

Apologies for the long lag in posts... actually not sure if anyone even checks our blog anymore??? But in case you do, here's a recap of what Linnea's been up to since our last post.  Above, note she has been busy growing her hair out.  Below, discovering her very own little "corner fort" for stuffed animals in her room.
Here you will see she has learned to read... okay, just kidding:
But here (for real) you'll see she HAS learned how to walk!
Stay tuned for first birthday pictures!

Linnea's First Christmas

Linnea's first Christmas Eve was spent with the Branca clan at the traditional pasta feast at Great-Gramma Branca's in Rockford.  Closest to Linnea in age is Hunter, barely a year old and another adorable blondie.
Christmas morning found us at Gramma and Grampa Daniels with gifts galore.  Above she's pictured in her Li'l Swede bib from Uncle B and below, opening her blocks from Gramma & Grampa (a huge hit with both Linnea AND, unfortunately, Maya).
Below she's showing Gramma the cool calendar she gave her - of herself, of course.  Have we mentioned how embarrassingly excited Linnea gets to see photos of herself?  It's awkward.
As predicted, the bows and wrapping paper probably ranked as Linnea's favorite things under the tree this year.  If only her tastes would stay so simple...

Mele Kalikimaka

Linnea had a memorable first Christmas in Rockford, followed the very next day by a trip with the Daniels clan to beautiful Kauai. Although it took us nearly two days to get there (long story), it was well worth the trip. Above she's pictured with Mommy on the deck of our condo - that's Hanalei Bay and Bali Hai (yes, from South Pacific) in the background.
Above, she's at the lagoon, trying out her first ukelele with Aunt Aimee. Below, she's admiring the handiwork of Uncle B on a larger (albeit still very Hawaiian) stringed instrument.
Despite the sleep traumas of the four-hour time change, Linnea still managed to soak up some sun (well covered in SPF 45, of course) and enjoy her very first departure from the continental U.S. Aloha!