Oh, to be a kid again...

The only time picking your nose is funny: when you are 1 years old and it's your first time doing it! Hopefully we didn't encourage her to much to start a habit!! Love you babes...booger and all!

Jaelyn's 17 month update

Here is a snapshot of what Jaelyn has been up to:

• Vocabulary: momma, dada or daddy, pa (for Opa), "what's that?", ba (for ball), dog-dog, peese (please), yes, nah-nah (for no), bee, buh-bye, uh-oh, and she repeats more words back to us if we ask her to say them
• Likes to make animal noises (monkey & cow are her favorites at this point)
  
• I still am amazed at how she can recognize words. If you ask her to point to different things (i.e. grapes, chicken, doll, frog, etc, etc) she can do it! Her mind is just a going all the time. Soon she'll be saying those words too.
  
• Chompers: she has 13 teeth so far. The first eye tooth is coming through as we speak.
• Loves, Loves, Loves to have her teeth brushed. She wants to get them brushed all throughout the day. She'll even go so far as getting on her tippie-toes to reach for a toothbrush that's within reach (she's not picky...mommy or daddy's suit her just fine) as well as open up the drawer that has the toothpaste in and act like she's brushing her teeth. We've actually started using a teeny-weeny amount of regular Crest toothpaste because she sees us using it and wants to have it-she won't brush her teeth with her "training toothpaste" anymore. She wants to be just like Mommy & Daddy.
• Has been weaned for her nighttime bottle. Honestly, this has more to do with ME not wanting to mess up her bedtime routine than anything (it's been working so well...and she has always been such an easy one to put to sleep). I was hoping to end the bottle thing at 15 months like her pediatrian told me to do...but with the summer filled with vacations, I didn't want to try it then. So when we got back from our last excursion (Florida trip), I started giving her less & less milk in her bottle. She didn't seem to mind at all. Now, we brush her teeth right after we get her pj's on...she doesn't like the taste of milk in her mouth after her teeth have been brushed...so she just curls up and falls asleep. No big deal! Phew!
  
• Still doesn't like to drink milk from a sippy cup. Not sure why. She'll drink water like it's going out of style. Hmm...gonna try a fun straw out of a cup and see if she likes the milk that way.
  
• Has begun to "ask" for her own fork/spoon to feed herself. She wants to do everything we do-kinda cute! So, we are starting off slow for now...basically with food that's easier...I don't want to have a mess with her morning cereal, yet!
• If it's storytime, she has to be sitting in your lap to read the book...preferably with her blankie too. She's been enjoying books more & more. Sometimes you can "read" a whole book before she's on to the next one! Usually it's only a couple pages.
  
• She'll bring me her shoes (and sometimes her hat) if she wants to go outside and play!
• Takes 1 nap a day (usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours long). If we are home, she'll pretty much ask to go down for a nap ~11am or so. Hopefully we can start stretching that out...12:30/1:00 would be better because then it's not as long of an afternoon!
• Still sleeps a good 12 hours at night (7pm-7am)....sometimes even longer.
• Thinks it's hilarious to smell her stinky feet (after wearing her keens all day)

Strawberries, Blackberries, & Tomatoes

Probably one of Jaelyn's most favorite part of the day is when she gets to go outside and eat the strawberries, blackberries, and tomatoes straight from the plant themselves! This is definitely a daily routine for her, too. Boy...this girl can eat, let me tell you! Today she probably pounded 5-6 tomatoes, a couple strawberries and a few blackberries (not to mention the peas & beans she grabbed from the garden!) I love that she eats all this fresh produce daily...and that she would eat more if I would let her! I think she has eaten almost everyone of the strawberries that the plant has produced...that's what happens when you've got your finger wrapped around Oma & Opa's!!

Jaelyn searching hard for a strawberry that's ready to eat.....

"Mommy, I found one!"

"Hmmm....so many tomatoes to choose from...

"Is this one ok, mommy? I'm not real picky!"

Here's Jaelyn trying to use every inch she has to grab a blackberry!

Labor Day Weekend

Over Labor Day weekend we got to spend time with Adam & Katie Hunter and their boys Matthew (almost 3 yrs) & Nathan (10 months) at Adam's parent's cabin on the Hood Canal. It was a fun & relaxing weekend! It's been awhile since we've seen the Hunters because of our busy summers...so it was fun to finally get to hang out.

We went for a boat ride on Sunday...Jaelyn wasn't too sure of it in the beginning (as you can tell from this picture) but she definitely was enjoying it by the end. Lots of memories..."the endless game of blongo balls, mikes hard pomegranate lemonade, yummy food...except next time we need to remember to bring "adult" snacks (teddy grahams & gold fishies don't cut it!), dairy queen, great conversation, & of course snotty noses!

Thanks for a fun weekend, Hunters!

Our Crazy Little Girl

Here's a fun video of Jaelyn. She enjoys spinning in circles to the point of feeling dizzy! She's such a nut! Also in this video is another "new" thing, thanks to Oma! Oma will shake her head and say "no"...and then Jaelyn will try and mimic her. At this point she can't say no yet...it's more like "nah, nah"! :) Not sure I want to egg her on to do this because it soon won't be so cute anymore when she's really saying no!!

Crazy Girl - Part 2

Just thought I would share another fun little video we took of Jaelyn laughing. Marcus took this video from upstairs...and so at the beginning of it you can only hear her....but soon he zooms in & you can see her. Oh, the joys of playing with a "new toy"...the straw of a water bottle!! Love it!! I think it's a fun little video...her belly laugh is so contagious! She gives Marcus & I so much joy in our lives!!