JUNE 30, 2015

This was the day Mommy and Daddy first learned they were going to have a baby.

JULY 31, 2015

On this day Mom and Dad learned that I was on my way. This was my very first picture.

OCTOBER 23, 2015

On this day Mom and Dad have more pictures taken of me. They also have the technician seal in an envelope my gender. Mom and Dad will not know for a while that I am their little MeerCat.

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

The Reveal

On this day Mom and Dad went to Maw Maw and Paw Paw Genre's house to learn that I was a Princess. They were joined by Uncle Aaron, Aunt Anysia, Great Aunts Teresa and Aline. It was a very exciting day and everyone screamed with excitement.

JANUARY 9, 2016

First Glimpse Studio in Baton Rouge everyone got to see 3D/4D images and video of me. That's when my cute little chubby cheeks were revealed.

MARCH 5, 2016

Mommy, Daddy, and Maw Maw Genre brought me home for the first time tonight.

MARCH 15, 2016

On this night I met Grandma Machappa for the first time. She flew all the way from Bangalore, India. Grandma was in the air for more than 22 hours.

MARCH 19, 2016

My Belly Button has been set free today just before noon.

MARCH 25, 2016

Today I looked at Mommy when she spoke to me. Daddy is jealous.

ONE MONTH

I am now one month old and I enjoy my soft furry blankets and being held. I am starting to notice things I see and react to sounds that startle me sometimes. I am very fussy if I do not get what I want, when I want it. I am also starting to make faces.

APRIL 8, 2016

This week I have started to smile more and making new noises. I have discovered that I have a tongue. I can hold my head up but still wobble a lot. I am standing with help for 30 seconds or so as long as someone makes sure I don't fall over. I am very fussy if I don't get what I want right away. Also on this day in History - For the first time, SpaceX has successfully landed part of its Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship. That occurred in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday afternoon.

APRIL 15, 2016

This week I have been much more interactive. I am beginning to smile back and when Mommy sticks her tongue out at me I stick mine back at her. Not every time but sometimes. I am making more noises but the noise seems to startle me at times as if I did not expect it. For now I am only crying to make noise but soon I will be cooing more and intentionally. I also attended the Baton Rouge BluesFest this weekend and Daddy worried the whole time that it was too loud for me so now I have hearing protection he will make me wear :/

TWO MONTHS

I have become much more interactive now. I followed Grandma with my eyes as she walked back and forth through the room. I am smiling at noises and funny faces everyone makes at me. I weigh over 10 pounds now and I am sleeping better at night. I am making more sounds and new sounds. I also have the cutest cry... it is a full on cry for one breath and then I stop. I also have shed a real tear now. I find my carseat to be very relaxing and I sleep when placed in it most times.

MAY 1, 2016

I went to church for the first time today. After church Me, Mommy & Daddy went to a meeting for my baptism.

MAY 15, 2016

The giggles are coming soon... today in church I smiled big and made half giggle sounds like my laughter is trying to start 🙂 I have impressed Daddy with my balance and I am really loving to stand up more than sit down. I wake up in the mornings and smile big at Mommy and Daddy. More and more noises almost every day, I make clicking noise with my tongue and cooing. This is my 3rd Sunday in a row to attend church and I have been very good. Hush Little Baby is my favorite song right now. Other favorites Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Round and Round the Garden. My play mat is my favorite place to be while inside. Sometimes I cry until someone walks me outside, I will stop crying immediately upon stepping through the doorway.

MAY 21, 2016

First visit to my friend Blake's house.

MAY 23, 2016

Today I picked up my library card and the librarian said that I was the youngest person he has ever issued a card to. He said he has been around a long time so that was something special. 🙂

MAY 28, 2016

I went to the New Orleans airport and met Thatha for the first time and it was love at first site. 

THREE MONTHS

I now enjoy watching sports, movies and sensory videos on TV and I sit at attention for 15 minutes or more at times. I have learned to blow raspberries and I drool more. Sometimes I like to chew on a cool teething ring but no teeth are coming through yet. I really enjoy being in the car but only when it is moving and if we are at a red light I might cry just to get Daddy to take off fast... I really like that. I enjoy bath time and when Daddy changes my diaper. I became upset when Daddy and Papaji were not home for the weekend but I went to church and that made me happy as usual.

JUNE 15, 2016

Today I rolled from my back to my belly all by myself. Look out world I am soon to be mobile.

FOUR MONTHS

I am now 25 inches (77 percentile) and 14 pounds 12 ounces (58 percentile). I am beginning to eat rice and oatmeal now and have already tasted chocolate from a doughnut and the juice from watermelon and enjoyed both. I am getting much better at blowing raspberries and I throw a little fit when I am hungry. I still wake up with a big smile every morning and Daddy talks to me while Mommy gets ready for work in the mornings. I have not been able to rip the pink and yellow toys off of my step n play but I have yelled at it a lot to let it know how angry I am that it wont let go. My giggles are nearly a full blown laugh now. I am rolling around more and discovering new sounds to make nearly every day. Daddy says I am growing to fast.

JULY 10, 2016

I was baptized this morning during the 9:30 Mass at St. Patricks Catholic Church in Baton Rouge by Father Matthew Dupre. Mommy, Daddy, Avya, Thatha, Grand-mère, Grand-père, Aunt Anysia, Aunt Julie, Uncle Ben, Aunt Jess, Cousin Bailey, Aunt Audrey, and Godparents Uncle Aaron and Cousin Emily were all with me on this special day. I was a very good baby but the water was pretty cold and gave me a good shock so I cried a little but I did stop respectfully as everyone clapped for me 😉 After we left church Mommy, Daddy and the Grands went to have lunch at India's on Essen Lane.

JULY 19, 2016

Today I have learned to pick something up and then switch it from one hand to the other. 

AUGUST 1, 2016

Today was my first day at The Color Wheel. Daddy was sad and Mommy was crying but I didn't notice because I was too busy having fun playing with the new toys at my disposal.

FIVE MONTHS

I have now become a professional raspberry blower. I can sit up and stay up without falling over... most of the time 😉 I started daycare on the 1st of this month and today when Daddy picked me up I had my first runny nose. I can now recognize some words and follow sounds. I am drooling everywhere so I am expecting to show some teeth any day now. I have starting eating oatmeal and some fruits and vegetables.

AUGUST 10, 2016

Today at daycare while playing on the floor I was able to sit up on my own. It will be another week before I am ready for Mommy and Daddy to see me sit up. On Sunday August 22, 2016 I will sit up for Daddy and on Monday I will sit up for Mommy.

AUGUST 14, 2016

Beginning Friday the 12th of August 2016 the Baton Rouge area began to flood. The flooding being completely unexpected gave no reason for evacuation of the area so many people were stranded and required rescuing. Many of the homes and businesses were not in areas recommended or requiring flood insurance but flooded anyway. Baton Rouge went through lots of changes nearly 11 years ago following Hurricane Katrina and I am sure lots of changes are coming to the city in the next year. My friend Charlotte was born July 27, 2016 and at 2 1/2 weeks old her home was flooded and all of her clothes and toys were destroyed.

SIX MONTHS

I am now able to sit up and kneel on my own and I have started to crawl. I am not a very fast crawler yet but I can also pull myself up and walk around as long as I have something to hold onto. I like pineapple and pear mixed into my oatmeal. I have had a runny nose a lot since starting daycare. I have also tasted chocolate milkshake, pizza, watermelon, tika masala potato chip flavor, coffee, and lime juice. I have not actually eaten any of that but I have tasted those things on fingers that touched them. I can drink 8 ounces of formula with no problem. I always find Daddy when I am asleep and love to bounce and fly around. Mommy makes me laugh when she says mamamamamamamamamama. I have uttered things that sound like Tha-tha, avya, baba, mama, and dada but nothing convincing of intended name calling yet. I really like animals, Biscuit, Lola, and especially Skye all make me happy and sometimes they make me laugh. Six month measurements 15 pounds 13 ounces 28th percentile, 27 inches 87th percentile, head circumference 42 30th percentile.

OCTOBER 1, 2016

First LSU football game.

I went to my first LSU football game tonight and it was also the first game with interim head coach Ed Orgeron.

LSU beat Missouri 42-7 and I was awake and cheering for the first, second and fourth quarters.

I took a power nap during the third quarter.

SEVEN MONTHS

In the last month I have had lots of firsts. First big LSU football game, Geaux Tigers!!! I also tried cotton candy, beignets, sugar cane, and donuts. Me and Mommy joined in on my first second line dance. I got to pet a goat and take a toy train ride. I have been tailgating twice and had lots of fun visiting with lots of people. I also visited Uncles Gary, Greg and Spice and Aunt Madeline at Mahony's late Saturday night after the game. I crawl over to my carseat when its time to go and I am always happy to go to daycare and see Ms. Josephine, Ms. Donna, Ms. Maria, Roy, Ellis and all the other teachers and kids. I can now take rides in one of my wagons and I enjoy taking evening walks where I get to ride. I now respond to my name, when someone says "Mary" it gets my attention. Mommy and Daddy are not sure how long I have been doing this because they always call me MeerCat or Beautiful or Princess. 🙂

OCTOBER 9, 2016

Today I had my first tooth come through. Mommy spotted it after my morning bath. After that we went to spend the day with family for Uncle Aaron's birthday. It was a fun and happy day.

OCTOBER 16, 2016

Today my second tooth came through.

OCTOBER 17, 2016

Today is Mommy and Daddy's Wedding Anniversary. They have been married for 7 years. We had a nice dinner at India's on Essen Lane.

OCTOBER 31, 2016

My first Halloween and Trick or Treating. Collected lots of candy riding around the neighborhood in my fancy wagon. I wanted to dress in my MeerCat costume but it was way too hot to wear it.

EIGHT MONTHS

Today I am eight months old. I now have 2 teeth. I am able to walk around using my walker. I really like to swing at the park and at the camp. I enjoy big crowds, especially around LSU on gameday. My favorite Tiger, Mike, died October 11, 2016. Just the day before he died he sent me my membership ID for his Kids Club. I was on the cover of Louisana's Market Bulletin Magazine because of an interview they had with Thatha. I visited a Pumpkin Patch for the fist time. I hold my own bottle now with confidence and I am fascinated by everything around me. Gumbo is really yummy and probably my favorite of the foods I have tried so far. Peek-a-Boo is my favorite game to play. Every day I become a little more aggressive in trying to stand without holding on to something and I am also standing straight up from sitting without using my hands. I still cannot stand for more than a few seconds without grabbing something though.

NOVEMBER 6, 2016

Daddy and I had our first Daddy / Daughter date. We had breakfast at the McDonalds in Albany and Daddy shared his yummy pancakes with me. I couldn't get enough 🙂 After breakfast we visited with Mawmaw and Pawpaw and ate some satsumas that were grown at the camp. Daddy helped Pawpaw with the wet insulation under the camp from the big flood a few weeks ago. Everyone thought it had dried but it didn't 🙁

NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Election day in USA and the results are in. Donald Trump wins the Electorial vote but not the popular vote and is named the 45th President-Elect Of The United States Of America. It was a crushing defeat for the very confident Hillary Clinton and her supporters who protested and rioted for days after the election. For my entire life, I have heard that Trump had no chance of winning and Hillary was ahead in every poll predicting a big win for her which would have made her the first Woman President Of The United States. Trump says he plans to "Make America Great Again" so now we wait and see how he does.

NOVEMBER 12, 2016

I went to my first LSU Basketball game. LSU VS. Wofford. After being down at the half LSU came back strong to win the game big 91- 69. GEAUX TIGERS!

NOVEMBER 14, 2016

Mommy, Daddy and I went to the Highland Road Park Observatory to see the Super Moon and it was really bright and beautiful. I will be 18 years old the next time the moon is this close to the earth.

NOVEMBER 28, 2016

Today I have started pointing to things to let Mommy and Daddy know just what I am talking about.

NINE MONTHS

I am becoming more interactive and am better able to communicate with Mommy and Daddy when I want something. I climbed all the way up the staircase with Daddy behind me the whole way of course. I am trying many different types of foods and chicken and sausage gumbo is my favorite by far. Satsumas, grapefruit and pork skins are yummy. This month was filled with visits to the Doctor because of an ear infection but it was cleared up really quickly. The antibiotics caused some problems for me but another visit to the Doctor and some additional medicines have me all better now and ready for Christmas.

DECEMBER 9, 2016

I learned to clap my hands today.

DECEMBER 30, 2016

I took my first steps today. I took three steps and then sat down but Mommy and Daddy reacted like I just won an Olympic gold medal in Track and Field.

TEN MONTHS

I am trying new foods almost daily now but I still like my Gumbo the most. I am standing more and more now and I have even stood straight up from the floor unassisted. I am becoming more confident in trying to walk now but still not officially walking yet. I have become more vocal and I try to mimic sounds. I am getting better with my sippy cup. I clearly exhibit my disagreement now and have learned how to get my way. I really enjoyed my first Christmas and New Years Eve. I wave and clap and I say ma ma, da da, ta ta, and ba ba. I am still loving the crowds at the LSU sporting events and I have been featured on the big screen at the basketball games many times now. I have my two bottom teeth and I wished for my two front teeth for Christmas and December 24th they started coming through plus one more on the top.

ELEVEN MONTHS

I am now growing way too fast. Too many firsts and events to keep track of. But at 11 months I am a very happy baby with lots of energy. I recognize things I like and I love love love Baby 1st TV.

FIRST MARDI GRAS PARADE

Krewe of Orion

Saturday, February 11 at 6:30 PM  

 The Krewe of Orion’s 18th annual Mardi Gras parade Rollin’ with the theme of “It’s Good to be the King”!  

This was my first Mardi Gras parade and I had a blast. I learned very quickly to yell and wave my arms in the air to get throws. I went on to a few more parades this season and I did very well and came away with lots of beads, some lighted swords and other flashing toys as well as plenty of stuffed toys. It only took me one parade to earn my status as a veteran parade goer.

MY 1ST BIRTHDAY

What a wonderful birthday I had at the camp. I got lots of toys and had so many friends join me.

FIRST BOILED CRAWFISH

March 25, 2017, Aunt Megan gave me my first taste of boiled crawfish and I loved it but only wanted to eat the ones coming from Aunt Megan. I am definitely a big fan of the mudbugs.

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB

April 16, 2017

Easter Sunday was lots of fun with lots of good food and family. It was also my first time to try lamb.

DADDY'S HOME

May 13, 2017

For the first time in my life, I had to be away from Daddy for two weeks. The first few days I was really sick and then I became really upset that Daddy wasn't picking my up from school. The second week I still was missing Daddy but I had found myself in a better mood. On the 13th of May, I heard a knock on the door and it startled me but then I heard Daddy's voice on the other side say "Mary" and I started to scream with happiness. Daddy was finally home. The bonus was that he brought me gifts from his time in Orlando and his IACIS training. 

DECEMBER 6, 2017

My first haircut was on my first day of the first time I went to Walt Disney World and everything was Magical. On December 5, 2017 I took my first flight. I flew from New Orleans to Orlando and Mommy and Papa say I am a natural traveler.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2018

4 AM on this Saturday morning I sat up in bed and called out every month by name and in proper order. "January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December!". Mommy and Papa were trying to sleep but they were so proud of me that I got big hugs and kisses. They had no idea I knew this plus the days of the week.First time seeing Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World.

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A FAIRY DOOR IN MY ROOM?

September 11, 2020

Somehow I never noticed or questioned the Fairy Door in my room but today I had lots of questions about this secret in plain sight.

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