fifteen months

Introducing our sad 15-month-old:

Here's her happier self (still on her monthday):

Somewhere in the middle of this photo shoot I made a video, too, of her walking. I don't know exactly what happens in a child's mind and body, but it suddenly happened. It was like she decided (this was five days earlier) that she wanted get around by walking on her own. One night she took 24 steps down the hallway, and the next night she did 37! She can turn a corner and keep going. She still does her funny crawl a little, but she responds to our encouragement as we tell her to stand up or walk to us. Now when she stops walking it's usually because she has reached something or someone, not because she falls. Toddling is so fun to see, I think.

She enjoys taking things out of a container and putting them back in. Like when I fold clothing and start putting it back in her drawers (from which she has pulled the clothing out) she picks one up off the floor and sets it in the same drawer. She also helps put crayons or toys away.

She always likes bath time. Outside of the tub she likes to play with liquid, too. In her seat at the table, she'll tip her (mostly-spill-proof) cup upside down and shake or tap it. Then she rubs the water or whole milk or whatever it is around the tray with her hands. I guess she's different from her big sister, who doesn't like having any kind of food on her hands.

If I'm sitting on the floor, or if she's next to me on the couch, she comes over and sits on my lap. She enjoys books (often looks at them upside down). Sometimes she can get annoying, like when she is clingy because she's tired. Mostly I would say she's a curious little sweetheart. I'm looking forward to hearing her say real words besides Mama and Dada, although one time she did answer my question with what sounded like "yeah" . . .

Labor Day and labor day {2010}

So, I bought a USB cord to transfer the 80+ pictures I have taken with my new phone. I waited about ten days for it to arrive. I tried to put it in the phone. However, I hadn't realized my phone is a different model of Pantech, meaning that the cord I bought for an Ease doesn't fit. I don't know what I was thinking. I was sad. Instead of waiting longer to blog (or texting or emailing them one-by-one), I'm blogging without those photos.



1: Labor Day. We had slept over at my father-in-law's house. After they made us breakfast we (well, everyone 17 and up) started watching our LOST Season 6 DVDs. That was the reason we got together with them. They didn't start watching the show until earlier this year, getting through the first five seasons really quickly. We watched six episodes, with a break for lunch. It was not as easy to watch when L woke up from her nap, but at times she was happy in their play room.

Then we went home for the 14th annual Labor Day block party in our neighborhood. The K family organizes it and got a really good band to play for us. There was a good turnout and lots of yummy pasta dishes, salads, desserts, and homemade root beer. I found out that the mom next door to us does her running early in the morning, with her mom. She (with her mom?) has run at least one marathon. We met some new people. One woman liked talking to D because she served in Desert Storm; she was in the military for 15 years. Shboogoo ran around with her best friend and a lot of the other kids. L got dirty once her daddy decided to let her out of the stroller and she crawled on the street.


2: My little sister's labor day! Her doctor stripped her membranes ten days before the estimated due date, and labor started seven days early. She was in labor for 11 hours total, pushing for about an hour and a half. (Yes, I am jealous.) I think they are going to be wonderful parents!

 With one of his three grandmas.

His first day at home and first time my kids met him (in this life).

Next time we see him we may try to get L to hold still enough that we can see how much taller she is than him.

I thought it would be fun to pretend for a minute that he was our baby.

 
 Eli is darling and he is going to get cuter and cuter; I just know it.

recent celebrations

We had fun celebrating with people we love in the last two months: two weddings (plus at least one other we were invited to but couldn't attend), several birthdays, and a baby shower.

The first wedding was my step-sister Angie's. We love her and Todd! Everything was incredibly beautiful, and the food was fantastic. Shboogoo was the flower girl. She knew what her job was supposed to be, but she must not have realized the actual wedding was beginning, because she came over to me without dropping any of her flower petals! It was fun to meet Todd's people who came from out of state for the wedding. I love the gifts that Angie gave to us bridesmaids: necklaces made from antique spoons (to wear for the ceremony) and watermelon-scented foot scrub and lotion.

(I took the photos you see above and below, in the bride's room a few minutes before we went outside for the ceremony.)

A professional shot, nor ours. The four bridesmaids stood on the left.

My oldest niece.

(The one picture I have with me in it isn't very good.)

The second wedding reception we went to was Dave and Sarah's (no photos; it was getting dark outside). We've known Dave since we were teenagers and we're really happy for them!

 My brother M's birthday.

Next was my mom's birthday, celebrated at Olive Garden, and then my grandpa's (age 93):

This shows the four of his children who could attend the party; he has another son. (My mom is his step-daughter.)

I think Lillian (in the foreground) is so adorable!

 Before the water ruined my hair style.

Doing "a trick."

Pretending to be asleep.

 My husband had to work, by the way.

Angie's birthday (the same Angie who got married a few weeks before) and our brother C's birthday are pretty close together. My dad ordained C a deacon and then we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. I think I can believe C is 12, but it's hard to imagine him driving four years from now.

Whew . . . I thought this post was done, but it isn't. The baby shower was for my sister. Here she is holding the gift from me (before opening it, obviously). 

Our mom did a lot for the shower, including reserving her clubhouse. Our stepmom brought some food and treats, and I -- with some help from my husband -- designed and mailed the invitations, put up signs outside, and brought cracker stuff.