16 Months Old

My 16 month old...

- Has only 5 oz. of milk in a bottle now, first thing in the morning. Really I am just too lazy to get her to give it up-- it's convinient when she's so hungry when she wakes up. The dr. said as long as she isn't carrying it around all day, it's fine to wait. I know it won't be a big problem to get rid of it. She loves to have milk or juice in her cup now.

- Still does really well sleeping through the night, until about 6:30am (but usually that's not predictable). She wakes up in the morning talking to herself, full of energy. She's done really well with naps, lately, too. I can tell when she's getting really tired, take her to her room & hold her for a minute or two & then just put her down and she almost never cries.

- Says words for "eat (and this one we hear a lot!)," "more," "baby," "milk" (sounds a lot like "more," though), "fruff (dog)," "daddy" (although this sometimes refers to her paci), "mama," "hi," "outside" (sounds sort of like "socks"), "keys," "teeth," "shoes," and seems to be learning more every day!

- Can find even the tiniest picture of a "fruff" or a "baby" and will be sure she tells me, or whoever is around, repeatedly that she sees one.
- Can point to most of her major body parts, including hair, toes, and fingers.

- Loves to kiss things. Especially Elmo & any dog or cat. When Brett leaves for work, she goes to the door & starts making kissing noises.




















- Also loves to feed things-- and people. Even if they can't actually eat, like her Elmo doll.
















- Likes to "help" do chores around the house. She unloads the silverware from the dishwasher one by one. (Of course it takes forever that way but she always looks so proud to be able to help!) She brings your shoes or coat if you ask. She pretends to vacuum with her new rolling push toy (even though she is scared of the real vacuum).




















- Shakes her head yes in response to questions you ask her. I'm not sure if she actually knows she is agreeing to what I'm saying or not (because she never says no), but many times I think she really does understand.

- Is definately getting some more teeth in, as evidenced by the gnawing of her paci on her back gums. She almost has a mouth full now! She is also obsessed with brushing her teeth. Anytime she sees us brushing our teeth, or even just sees her toothbrush, she says "teeth" and wants to chew on the brush. Of course, I help her out after she tries herself.

- Has her own way of making sure you know what she wants. And will let you know if you get it wrong. She is a typical girl-- everything has to be exactly the way she wants it, or else someone's going to pay!

Christmas Day

Christmas Day with a toddler was so much fun! We had most of the presents under the tree for a week or two before Christmas Day, and Leah never really touched them. Even that morning, she wasn't quite sure what to do with the decorative box. But it didn't take much demonstrating for her to figure it out and by the end of the day she was ready to rip into whatever she could find! Her favorite presents seem to be: a stuffed Elmo, a stuffed dog that talks & sings (from Uncle BJ & Aunt Chela), an erasable drawing pad, a doll with a stroller (from Grandma & Grandpa), and any & all books. Between the gifts, she would want to be held or read to, and really seemed like she just wanted to play with what she had. By the end of the day, she had so many new things to do, she didn't know what to do and just wandered around aimlessly!

Leah got a really good amount of gifts from Grandma & Grandpa, and several church people & other family members sent things. Brett & I also got some great things, and I can't think of a single thing I now need or even want. We were so blessed. We got to spend some great time enjoying dinner & games with my family Christmas day and the day after. It was kind of sad when they left & it was all over. So much time spent leading up to the "big day" and then it's over in a flash.

... And Baby Makes 4!

That's right, on or around July 26, Leah will be a big sister!

I think I've already told most of the people that read this blog, so I hope it's not a surprise to anyone! (We have not yet told people at our church, so if you happen to go with us, keep it on the down-low-- that's mine & Brett's job, and they don't need to know yet.) We are so excited about our growing family! This baby is much anticipated and well-planned-for. We found out November 23rd, the Monday before Thanksgiving. I took a test without Brett's knowledge, completely not expecting it to be positive. I even put it away in the cupboard for awhile before I went back & decided to look at it. I was completely shocked, just like the 1st time around!

I know, though, that everything will be different this time. Already, the pregnancy seems much less important than the actual baby himself. (I don't know that it's a boy, it's just better than saying "it.") I don't have as much time to focus on myself as the 1st time, because now there's a toddler in the picture. I won't have as much time to rest. I know I won't have time to document every step of the journey-- that's why I'm grateful to at least have this blog. I know much more what to expect this time around, too.

I haven't really been sick much-- just a constant underlying feeling like I'm hungry, yet nothing sounds good to eat. I get nauseous every once in awhile, but its not really bad at all. And, just like with Leah, I'm craving fried and starchy foods. I want peanut butter toast every night. Or a biscuit. Since we're still keeping it a secret in most circles, sometimes its a little hard to feel that this is all real. Of course, that blinking dot on the ultrasound last Friday helped a lot!

My biggest concerns now are mostly adjusting to a new newborn in the house. I'm not at all sure how Leah will handle it. We've been practicing holding her baby dolls and being sweet to them and feeding them bottles. I haven't really been talking to her about it much yet, because 9 months is a long time for her to wait, and she'll understand better in a few months. She's grown so acccustomed to having all our attention; now she will have to get used to someone else in the picture. We'll have to create a schedule where I can get some sort of sleeping into my day. Then there's the whole breastfeeding issue to deal with again. I fully intend to give it a try all over again, hopefully even longer this time. Even if it means I don't leave the house for the first 4 weeks after he/she comes home. I'm dedicated to succeeding this time. Leaving the house with 2 kids is a little intimidating to think about, anyway. There will be 2 car seats, 2 sizes of diapers, 2 times the stuff. I intend to make the baby sling or backpack carrier my best friend for the new baby. I know I have plenty more time to prepare for these things, and I'm looking forward to the adventure!

Christmas Fun

Introducing Leah to the Christmas tree. So far she's not destroyed anything, although she does love to touch the "balls!"

Leah on Tree Decorating Day @ our house

Annual Christmas family photo 12-5-09

Daddy & Leah waiting for the Holiday Express train at Pullen Park-- they drove us through a lights display. Leah really seemed interested in the lights. But it was really cold!

Leah wasn't sure what to think of Santa. As long as she could see Mommy & Daddy, she was okay, but she wasn't about to smile.

Saturday we went to the Christmas parade in Wake Forest. It was really a good parade, lasted about an hour & a half. Leah especially loved the bands & the dancers, but mainly she was interested in the dogs ("fruff") & babies that were around us. She got a little antsy at times-- there were a lot of gaps between the parade participants-- but as long as she was held, she was really good & seemed to be enoying herself.

Christmas Traditions, New & Old

I have really been getting into ideas that we can do as a family to celebrate the Christmas season. I want to implement things now, while Leah is young so that she can say when she gets older, "We've done this since I was a baby." I know she won't really remember much we do this year, but I still want to make this a special holiday and start traditions that we can continue throughout our children's lives. Christmas has never really been my favorite holiday, because I think it is so over-commercialized. But I still think it is a special time of year, and want to use that as an opportunity to make good memories with my family.

Some Christmas traditions we've already done, this year & the past years:
- Pick out our Christmas tree from the tree farm the 1st weekend in December-ish.
- Bring the tree home & decorate (with ornaments from my childhood, which will probably over time be replaced with ornaments, homemade & otherwise, from our children's childhoods) while watching Charlie Brown Christmas or listening to Christmas music, and munching on my infamous hot Pizza Dip.
- Take a family photo in front of the Christmas tree to use in the Christmas cards.
- Go to a Christmas parade. (Well, we haven't gone yet, but we're going to one in a neighboring small town this weekend!) Or one of those drive-through lights displays. (We did that last year.)
- Watch several of the popular Christmas cartoons & movies at some point in December-- Rudolph, Frosty, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, National Lampoon's Christmas...
- On Christmas Eve, after a Christmas Eve service at church, go home & read the Christmas account from the Bible and open one gift before bed. (This gift may end up being pajamas for the kids, but I'm not sure yet.)


Some traditions I would like to implement this year or in years to come:
- Some sort of Advent Calendar or Christmas Countdown. This year I bought a nativity set called "What God Wants for Christmas." There is a different box to open each day for 7 days before Christmas, and each box contains a piece of the nativity scene and has a short kid-friendly story to go with it to tell the Biblical account of Christmas. The last day has a mirror, to show that what God wants for Christmas is you & me. Perhaps when the kids are older, we'll do something a little more involved.
- Another "countdown" idea I'd love to do is to create one of those paper chains where you tear one off each day before Christmas. Each chain will have an activity on it that we can do as a family, whether it be small like "have hot chocolate in front of the fire together" or larger, like "drive around to look at Christmas lights in the neighborhood." I have a lot of ideas for this that could be a lot of fun.
- Hopefully volunteer somewhere as a family, maybe at the homeless shelter or soup kitchen or something.
- See a Christmas-y play, like the Nutcracker or even just Disney on Ice.
- Make Christmas cookies together-- some to eat, some to give as gifts to teachers & neighbors.
- Make some Christmas ornaments or other decorations together that we can save & take out each year to remember Christmases past.
- Shop together for our "shoebox gifts" for the Shoebox project that is sent overseas. (I have done one in the past, but missed the deadline this year. Plus, it would be more fun if Leah could pick out the gifts herself for a child her age.)

15 Month Update

- At her 15-month check-up, Leah weighed 21 lbs., 6 oz. (which is only about 2 1/2 lbs. more than her appt. 3 months ago-- and I promise, the kid eats all the time!)-- in the 25th% and is 31 inches tall (the 70th%).

- Her vocabulary has really started to explode this past week. Yesterday, she finished drinking her juice, announced "Mo!" and proceeded to walk to the refrigerator & try to open the door to get herself more juice. She also mimicks the word "eat" if I tell her that is what we are going to do. She says "baby" very well, and can pick out a picture of a baby when she says it. She knows "ball." She says "Mommy" but still doesn't seem to recognize that as my name. She also has a few of her own words that would be hard to recognize if you didn't know what she was talking about, like one for her Pooh, and words for Elmo, milk, and shoes. She also seems to have a word for a friend in her class, Miles.

- If you tell her it is time to go bye-bye, she will start to wave (at herself), go to find her shoes & jacket and plop down where I can help her put them on.

- So far she's doing well with the Christmas tree. There are only non-breakable ornaments within her reach so we don't have to continually tell her "no." The first day she really didn't do anything with the tree, didn't even seem to notice it was there, but then she slowly began to notice it, and pointed at the ornaments, saying "ball!" and touching them, but not really playing with them or trying to get them off. We'll see if it can last all season!

Texas Thanksgiving Trip

We just got back from a great long weekend in Texas, to visit Brett's family for Thanksgiving. It was really a good time, and everything went so smoothly. The flights were quick & easy, and Leah did well-- she slept about 45 min. each way, and though she got a little restless toward the end of each flight, we were able to keep her from too much screaming or crying! We had a 3 hour drive from the airport to Mom & Dad's house, which also went well. By the end, I could tell Leah did NOT want to get back in the car! We let her play outside as soon as we got there and she loved running around in the big backyard. The weather was really nice.

Brett's sister Karen, Johnny & their 2 boys arrived later in the day Wed. and we all went out to dinner. Leah loved watching her older cousins, and they kept her entertained all through dinner. She didn't care that she couldn't really do everything they can, she just wanted to watch them. They were great with her, including her in their playing and taking good care of her. Brett's other sister Brenda, Jeff & their 2 boys, arrived late Wed. Leah was not shy around anyone and held her hands up to whoever looked like they might hold her, much to everyone's delight. I barely had to keep up with her most of the weekend. Karen & Brenda were willing to take her outside to play the million times she walked to the door & tried to open it.

Thanksgiving Day Brett's Aunt Virginia, her "male friend" Denny, and her son Royce came for lunch, which was way too much food! We ate all day, it seems like. We watched the Macy's parade in the morning, played at the park some, and watched football & relaxed in the afternoon. Friday morning we took lots of family photos before Brenda's family left, and then went out to lunch. Then Karen's family left, and the rest of the weekend was spent just hanging out around the house, eating lots, and Leah getting spoiled by her Nana & Pawpaw. Leah slept in till between 7:30-8:30 every morning (of course she would, when Mom had volunteered to get up with her anyway!).

Friday Brett's mom gave Leah her first (much-needed) haircut. She sat very still for most of the time, very curious. She got a little fidgety, but was easily distracted by a comb. She didn't want to keep the apron on long, either. We were able to save all her thin little curls in a small bag for her baby book.

Saturday Brett & I took a 5-hour drive up to see his brother Brian. Leah stayed with her Nana, who of course loved it! She did really well, but of course she was spoiled all day! Sunday we went to church and then took a short trip to Point Comfort, where Brett grew up. We got to see his old house, church, elementary school, playground, etc. He loved the trip down memory lane. And of course we got lots of pictures.

You can see tons more pictures on the Shutterfly site! AND-- Brett's mom got us a mini video camcorder for Christmas, so soon there will be VIDEO on the Shutterfly site!