Goodbye Gymboree...

Well, technically it's called Baby Bugs.  Simone has spent the last seven months in a class at Aspire Gymnastics where she's been learning to socialize with other kids, bounce on trampolines, and climb everything!

The class is for kids 0-15 months, and we've reached the end of our time there.  Sad that it's over, but she's had an amazing time.  I highly recommend Aspire, and truly if we could do both swim & gymnastics right now, we would be moving on to the next class.  The best part about Baby Bugs is it is FREE.  They offer paid classes for all ages, as well as open gym.  Simone's teacher, Coach Kat was patient, and helpful with the kids.  The Moms (& Dads) also had a great time chatting and getting to socialize while the kids tear around.

Aspire is the training facility of the ASU Men's Gymnastics team, and there are regularly guys & girls there doing amazing things!  So, if you are in the area, check it out!

Going back through my photos I realized just how much Simone has grown up since starting there. 

Our first time at Baby Bugs...

Other fun moments from our time there...

Our last day, yesterday morning... Doing her favorite thing, the trampoline!

 A little note, there were so many activities that we did there that I could not capture pictures of while wrangling Simone.  They have a great foam pit the kids can get it, super bouncy trampolines, a tumbling track, uneven bars, beams, etc.  I can't say enough about how great of a place it is... but, I will say we will be back someday!



Simone's Nine Month Favorites

Tomorrow Simone will be TEN months old.  How are we already in the double digit months?!  That seems all out crazy to me.  And, everyone was right.  The first year is FLYING by.  Since she's hitting the big 1-0 tomorrow I figured I better post her nine month favorites.  Of course, it's all about the toys right now, or the things she WANTS to be toys.  Here are her top dogs.

 

Leap Frog Music Table - Chatter Telephone - Mega Blocks Wagon

 

I will say the blocks top everything.  While we were on vacation in late July Grandma in Michigan had this set & Simone would carry a block everywhere she went.  That meant when I got home, I was on the hunt for the same wagon & blocks.  Luckily, I found it quickly and now we have our very own set up here.

 

Simone's crawling has turned from cute little army crawls around a small area, into a little speed demon tearing ass across our house.  She is wicked fast (said in a Boston accent) & I can usually be found just trying to keep up.  She's also in full on "pull up and walk around the couches, end tables, coffee tables, cabinets, whatever she can grab" phase, too.  I'm not sure exactly what this is called... but I call it "give Mom a heart attack every five minutes or so". 

 

I've had to remove all of my cute decorations from end & coffee tables.  She will literally throw anything she gets her sweet little mittens onto across the house.  It was turning into a shit show of me picking it all up and trying to teach her "no".  Clearly, she doesn't get it yet... or doesn't want to.  Either way we've packed away most of the decorative items for a later date.

 

We recently started Simone in gym classes & swim lessons.  I'm going to dedicate posts to both and where we've decided to join soon.  She is absolutely LOVING being around other kids and I'm LOVING her getting out some of her endless energy. 

 

More soon.  I'm off to get a facial at a spa right now.  Wait, WHAT?!  No, seriously... this Mom needs some "ME" time in the worst way today.  Make sure you're taking some for yourself, too!

 

xo

Simone's First Word...

On Tuesday, May 28th Simone Michelle Hart said Da-da!

Oh, and she LOVES standing up... scary!

Ekkkk!  I've heard her babble Mama & Dada so many times that I've come to expect hearing it.  She would never repeat it after I said it back to her, so I just figured she's experimenting with her voice.  I always call Todd "Daddy" to her, and when I say Daddy she looks right at him.  She got who he was, but didn't associate the babbling noise to his name.

Tuesday this little sweet monkey was going on and on in the morning.  Focusing solely on "Dada".  After a few minutes of this I said it back to her.  She looked at me and said it again... and again.  I waited a bit, and grabbed a picture of Todd, pointed to him, and she looked me square in the eyes and said it.

I was so excited!  All day long we worked at it and it kept getting clearer and clearer.  I used the picture to help her associate the sound with Todd.  

I didn't want to spoil the surprise for Todd, so I waited until he got home and let him know she had been talking about him all day.  When she said it for him, he lit up.  We practiced pointing at Todd and saying it over and over.  

We had to run to Sprouts for a few things, and ALL the way through Sprouts she said it to Todd.  Now, if she didn't already have him so tightly wrapped around her finger I might say that this sealed the deal.  She's a full blown Daddy's Girl.  

I'm so proud of this step in her development.  The past month her development has snowballed.  Every day there is literally something new she does, a new sound she makes, and she is getting quite strong.

You're growing up my sweet wheat, and we are so proud!!

Butterfly Wonderland

For our two year anniversary Todd got me the BEST gift.  I really love butterflies, I mean, I got them tattooed on my ribs.  And, anyone who knows about getting a rib tat... you MUST love what you are getting tattooed there.  It stings.  So, for my gift he got our family a membership to the brand new Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale, AZ.  It's the largest butterfly pavilion in America.

Butterflies on my side.  Oh, pre-baby body...why was I ever hard on you!?
Honeymoon in Provo, TCI

This is especially special to me because while we were in Key West to get married we ran out of time and missed the butterfly conservatory there.  One of the coolest parts about this new Butterfly Wonderland in Arizona is yesterday was it's grand opening!  

The place is pretty amazing.  They have facts about butterflies everywhere, and I read them all to Simone as we walked through.  You start off going to the 3D theater to watch a short movie (in the most bad ass 3D I've ever seen) about the generations of the monarch butterfly and how they migrate.  It's beautiful, and I was so proud of Simone, she watched the movie like a pro without a single peep!

After you leave the movie you get to see the stages of the cocoon or chrysalis for different butterflies   It's pretty amazing, and there were several that opened up right in front of us.  

Checking out the cocoons 

The best part, in my opinion, is what comes next.  You go into a 10,000 square foot atrium where there are butterflies flying everywhere!  It's basically a rain forest (and feels just like it... so don't blow dry your hair!).  I was in butterfly heaven in there.  Beautiful blue winged butterflies are the dominate species, but there are tons of different butterflies   Best part, THEY FRICKEN LAND ON YOU!!!  

One landed on Todd's shoulder and Simone grabbed for the little thing, and thankfully missed!  As she gets older this place will be a blast to take her to.  Right now, she's just kind of looking around like what the heck?  It's hard to tell in the pictures, but butterflies are swooping all over the place.  

Right when we walked in one landed on my purse!

This butterfly took a ride on my purse for a while

Daddy explaining about butterflies!

Simone was getting extra sleepy at this point...Those eyes.

I was pretty determined to get a butterfly on her!

Me, overly excited....Simone could really care less

Way past nap time...

But this little guy loved us!

And after awhile, she took notice!

Mine...

He started walking up my arm...

And, they really tickle!

I was telling Simone hey, check this out, he's going to fly away...

And he decided he would hang out on my lips.

Todd started snapping pics, so a few photographers came over...

You have a little something on your face...

Simone was hardly entertained!

       We caught the attention of the right guy.  One of the pho-togs was taking pictures of the opening day for the advertising.  And, guess who is signing a waiver for my image to be used for marketing materials?!  Whattttttttt!?  Too cool!  Right place, right time!

Photo credit to Richard Henne - Really nice guy!

   After all of that excitement, Simone was spent.  She fell asleep like this...

Feel asleep with her arm out waiting for a butterfly!

 I was dying for one to land on Simone all on it's own.  I was bummed that she passed out, but five minutes later this happened...

Have you ever seen anything so cute!?

After you leave the atrium there is a room where you can pet stingrays, live ant colony exhibits, honey bees in their combs, and tons of fish.  We cruised through that part pretty quickly since we already had a sleeping baby.  We lucked out, she opened her eyes just as we were leaving the gift shop, so we were able to grab one family pic before leaving. 

We had such a good time.  I want to go back right away!  Kudos to my hubby for another awesome, thoughtful, and perfectly suited to ME gift.  Here's to two years, baby, and MANY MANY more!

xo