Life at 18 months

Our little angel is 18 months old today!!! We can't believe it, my how the time has flown! Watching her grow only gets more and more fun. Let's see...I know it's been a while since I've posted on here so I'm sure I'll leave a lot out, but lately she waves at everyone (and I mean everyone - people across parking lots), she gives us lots of kisses and hugs, and she is talking up a storm! She gibber jabbers all the time and can say more words. This week she really started saying "frog" and "rain". And she understands most of what we say and can follow simple direction. She is also starting to feed herself!! Oh how that will be nice at dinner time:-) We just got back from the beach and she loved it! She only tried to eat the sand once (a vast improvement from last year). Disciplining is getting challenging because she is testing us more and more. We are staying strong though, lol! I battle her every night to brush her teeth. She will brush them, but I need to get in there to finish the job. But it is getting easier. She loves her Elmo so much! If Sesame street is on she plays while it is on in the background, but as soon as Elmo comes on she bolts to the TV! And I recently bought her some boy Elmo pj's...I felt a little bad putting my little girl in boy pj's, but she loves them!! And they look cute on her:-) What about mom and dad? Well I have been staying home with Kaitlyn for 2 months now. I know; it has flown by! I am even busier than I was when I was working! That probably doesn't make sense, but I have less "me" time. And being at the house more has inspired me to decorate some of those blank walls and organize those messy cabinets. So my "To Do" list has quadrupled;-) I am physically exhausted by the end of the day, but I truly love spending so much time with her and being there for all the cute little things she does. I know she misses her Granny and Grand-daddy though so we try to see them often. Mark travels a lot so it's tough during the week. He was home for two weeks recently so that was nice:-) Here are some of my favorite pics that my Dad, the amazing photographer, took at the beach!

15 Months

We just got back from the Dr. and Kaitlyn did great! She checked out well. She's 31" tall and weighs 22.7lbs. She's in the 70% for her height and right on target with her weight. So I guess she is eating well even though sometimes she can be picky!! She got her shots and screamed of course, but was fine shortly after. In fact, she was in a GREAT mood on the way home surprisingly and is now down for a nap.

Some cute new things she's been doing lately are that she's talking more; she'll say daddy (dah-dee), bath (high pitched noise that resembles the word), she's starting to say mom and mommy a little bit more. It's seems like she says it when she's mad or ready to be done with something (like get out of the highchair) and she says bird! Her Granny and Grand-daddy tought her that. She also uses the same sound and beginning when pointing at the butterflies on her wall. Too cute! She started walking on her tippy-toes in the last couple of days and pushing with her feet when she's on her princess car. She'll be driving it around in no time! She also covers her ears and makes cute baby sounds (we think she likes the way it sounds). Everything she does is freaking adorable. She's so much fun! Oh she is also our little collector. She loves to pile things up and they are usually in the same category like shoes, toys, receipts out of mommy's purse, etc. Something interesting she does at her Grandparent's house is she has a blow-up tent house thing and it has plastic balls in it. She picks out all the yellow ones and takes them to her princess chair - so smart!! She's does it all time and they are always yellow:-) She put on mommy's shoes the other night and walked a few steps in them! She likes to flip through books on her own and look at them. Sometimes she'll let us fininsh reading a book to her, but usually wants to stop half way through. We do it everynight so hopefully she'll enjoy it more in the future. She still loves bath time and will tollerate getting her teeth brushed. She loves to hide and when we hide or play peek-a-boo. She was also cracking up a noise I was making the other night and then she would do it and then I would do it and you get the picture:-) Well, I'm sure there's lots more to tell, but that's off the top of my head. Oh she loves to go outside so we are looking forward to the summer and being outside more! Ok, one last thing I can't believe I forgot! By far the cutest things shoes does right now is the happy dance!! When she's standing and is excited those little feet go ninety to nothing and we say "happy dance!!!" But of course she won't do it when we record her, so we are still trying to get it on video;-)

Our little one year old:-)

Well this past year certainly has flown by!! Our little Kaitlyn turned one on Christmas Eve. So much has happened and she does something new everyday it is hard to keep up. I'll try to fill you in though. She is such a joy! I would describe her personality as cute, sweet, sassy, wild, and funny! She keeps us entertained and on our toes for sure! She's so funny and has been shy lately...she'll put her chin down to her chest and look up at you and sometimes tilt her head and put her shoulder on her cheek. She grunts when she wants something and is very persistent! She can bark like a doggy and make a sound like an elephant and do her arm like the trunk (Granny & Grandaddy taught her). She understands so much of what we say...she'll bring us stuff, she can high-five, and she points to the bathroom when we say "let's go brush your teeth!". And she'll even make this funny sound for the word Elmo (because that's who's on her toothbrush). It is absolutely presh. She plays more and more on her own. She loves her kitchen she got for Christmas and her other Christmas and Birthday toys (but we have stashed some away for later). She weighed 19lbs. at her 12 month. I think it's time to turn the car seat around soon!! Her poor little legs are way too long and have no room, lol! She says "Dada" all the time!! We have thought she's said a couple other words, but aren't sure. She'll repeat us when we say things too - the other day Mark was saying "yum, yum, yum" and she said it too:-) But we're not quit sure how to figure out what her first word is (I guess we'll go with Daddy - Darn it!;-)). She's so smart; a couple weeks ago I was looking for her hat and was trying to get out the door. I had given up hoping it was in the car and I said "Let's go Kaitlyn" and she darted off to the living room and I was getting anxious ready to go and went to get her when she was about to bend down and get her hat!! I didn't even know she knew what that meant. Too cute!! I can't wait until she can talk to us!! But some people say be careful what you wish for! Then I'm sure she'll tell us no, because she hears that all the time from us. She definitely tests us all the time. She knows not to touch the plant or the trash and she'll go for it and look back and wait for us to say something. Oh she is also sitting down!! It is seriously the cutest thing...her Granny showed me how she sits in her Princess chair and sometimes she misses, lol and then she will sit on the first step at home. It just blows my mind how much difference a year can make! Oh she is a pretty picky eater - I'm hoping it's a phase. But she loves fruits, cereal bars, puffs - mainly the sweet stuff. Sometimes I even hide some veggies and meat in her yogurt if she won't eat it otherwise. But she was really loving the chicken pot pie her Daddy made us this week!! We are having a ball! It's challenging at times, but we are living and learning and wouldn't change a thing. Happy Birthday too my sweet baby girl!! And many more...Love, Mommy.