A video

Sorry for the lack of updates here lately. I've tried several times to upload some videos, without any luck. This last week we were all three relatively healthy (although the sniffles seem to have become a constant fixture for all of us). Arwen and I have made the most of our evening time when Roan goes to bed, by getting some fix-up projects done around the house. We're going to throw Roan a birthday party at the end of March (a little early) and we need to get the downstairs in shape to have guests.

It amazes me that Roan is just weeks shy of her first birthday. This year has really blown by. The first few months seemed to get off to a slow and overwhelming start, but I feel like we have gradually picked up steam as a family and for the longest time it seems like things get more and more fun around here all the time.

Roan shows so much character all the time; it's wonderful watching the clues to her personality gradually unfold. She is an amazing walker now. She can walk down the sidewalk with us, walk over grass or mulch or sand. She struts around as if she's in charge, sometimes making what I call "baby godzilla" sounds, sort of a harmless exhuberant roar. She seems full of confidence and joy all the time. The other morning she woke us up at 2 am with a dirty diaper. I am not usually in the best mood at these wee hours, but the same can't be said for her, at least on that night. She giggled all through the diaper change, any time I touched her tummy or if my hair fell in her face. It was infectious. She surprises me with her ability to help me see the sunny side.

Speaking of joy and laughter, here's a video of her and her daddy goofing around.

I have three more videos I was hoping to upload, showcasing some of Roan's new skills: putting blocks into a container instead of taking them out, playing ball with Sasha, and steering her walking toy rather than just mindlessly ramming things. I've been having trouble with the video uploader though, but hopefully I'll be able to post them eventually.