Chatterbox

Dear Evelyn,

Your vocabulary is rapidly expanding and it has been amazing to watch.

At 12 months, you had about 8 words you used regularly, in addition to your signs.
At 18 months, you had about 20 words and would try to repeat many Mommy and Daddy said.

Some of your favorite words and phrases from the last 6 months include:

Uh Elp (Uh Oh Help)
No Way
Yesh, Yes or Yep
Okay and N'okay
Owies (Kitties)
Uppies (Puppies)
AniMoos (Animals)
Toot toot (Bird)
Tsoo (Zoo)
Booyah (usually accompanied by a hip thrust)
Bites
Eyes (and recently eyebah or eyebrow)
Toes
Shoes
Poop (any bodily function)
Poo (Shampoo)
Tat Too Mommy (Thank you Mommy)

You will frequently jabber away in your own made up language but you do try to tell stories about your favorite things (at the moment this includes kitties, babies and puppies) by repeating the words you know.

You introduce Mommy (and sometimes Daddy) to everyone you meet. We practice pointing to Mommy, Daddy and Evelyn and saying names. You haven't said your own name yet. You refer to yourself as 'Me'.

Next I'm going to teach you to type so you can help Mommy keep up on your blog :)

Love you with all that I am,
Mommy

'Cheese'

Months 13 and 14!

Dear Evelyn,

You have been keeping Momma so busy that she never got around to writing your letter at 13 months. You are an active and imaginative toddler who constantly wants to go outside and you want Momma and Daddy to come with you. You're a charmer and a flirt, but shy sometimes as well, who loves making new friends and reconnecting with old ones.

• You've got walking figured out. Now we're working on running. And walking backward. Sometimes you forget to watch where you're going and you trip over things in your haste to be where you want to go, fast.

• Hugs and kisses have become your latest way to show some love. You don't give them to just anyone and you don't always honor requests but that makes it all the sweeter when you do decide to give some smooches. Sometimes you decide to smooch inanimate objects (which makes Momma laugh) like the vacuum or your toys.
• You've received your first kiss from a boy (Jacob). But Daddy is okay because we'll live on the other side of the country soon. This first kiss was followed, within days, by kisses with another boy (Jackson). Again, Daddy is glad we're moving.

• The baby in the mirror is one of your very best friends. You chat all the time, give kisses, and even, occasionally, get into little fights.
• You still love to talk on the phone. You still use all sorts of random objects as phones, like teething rings, book lights and business cards.

• You go on a walk with Momma every day. We walk by an elementary school and you love to see the kids running, playing, and yelling. After we pass the school, the sun shade on your stroller gets pulled down and you settle in, usually falling asleep momentarily. On days that we didn't manage to make it out for a walk, you always ask for one in the evening. It has become part of your routine.
• Speaking of routine, you love your shower time in the evenings with Daddy. We start by singing our Shower Time song and we climb the stairs. Daddy is usually a little busy and you call him from the top of the stairs to remind him to come up: 'Dah-dah-Dadd-eee'. You have a set order that you accomplish things in the shower, like soapy-soapy time (rubbing your soapy hands together and washing your face); putting your faces under the water; banging on the shower walls, with hands then with heads; and washy-washy time (washing your arms and chest or Daddy's chest).
• You are really starting to communicate. You know several signs: milk, more, all done, please. You have your own versions of the 'real' sign but you are consistent and Momma and Daddy understand what you mean. You've made up some of your own as well. 'Help' is holding your arms straight up over your head. 'Pick me up' is hands in front of you, palms up, and tapping the sides of your hands together. You tap the side of your mouth when you want to wipe your face. You tap your chin to ask for water. You point to your mouth to ask to eat.

• You can say hi, Daddy, help, eyes, this and that. You are seem to prefer sign language but we think it's just a matter of time before you start using your words.
• You are an affectionate stuffed animal owner. You give them cuddles and kisses. You wipe noses and cloth diaper. And sometimes you try to use your baby laptop as a panini press. But you definitely care for your friends.

• You adore being outside. You would be outside all the time, if we let you. Naked, preferably. You are a little irritated that we make you wear clothes outside.
• You are showing signs that you'd be interested in potty training. We'll be starting that adventure very soon.
• A little boy moved into our apartment complex and the two of you have become fast friends. He's a year older than you but it's fine because it means you can push him around. You want to climb the stairs to his house every time we go outside.
• You've discovered that keys unlock things. Like doors and mailboxes. You often play with a set of keys and pretend to be unlocking things. Like the vacuum and your Push'n'Go. And, earlier today, a broom. You've got quite the imagination.

• You are starting to play more independently. You want to know where Momma and Daddy are but with us safely positioned, you've started keeping yourself busy for up to an hour at a time. 

• A third bottom tooth appeared this past weekend.
• You've had your first cold, first ear infection, first stomach bug and second cold and second ear infection since turning one. You're getting better but we really need to stop hanging out with other kids with stuffy noses...
• You have started picking out your own clothes. And you love wearing shoes- yours and other peoples. You like to wear Momma and Daddy's clothes sometimes too.

• You are wearing size 18 month clothes and size 5 shoes. You have been weighing in between between 24 and 25 pounds but you're so active you are really getting tall and lean. You are 31" tall and very leggy.
• Your favorite foods are Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, lima beans, cheese, and bites from Daddy's dinner plate.
• We've done some tourist-y things: you visited the beach for the first time. You weren't impressed.

 We saw the Hollywood sign. You weren't impressed with that either.

Okay, maybe you a little...

You are an ever-changing little person. You pick up new quirks all the time and slowly drop old habits. It's impossible to truly capture who you are in a single blog post. Momma and Daddy are so blessed that they get to be there for each moment of your growth, in stature and in experience.

Love you more than chocolate chips! Which, as you have discovered, is a very big deal,

XOXO,
Momma

One year ago today...

I was due to have a baby. I was 44 pounds heavier and had more sleep on board than I've ever had since. What an amazing year it has been!

Since arriving in Alaska...

We've:

• Felt 12° below zero.
• Felt 23° above zero.
• Bundled up and sledded down the driveway.
• Watched a moose forage and nap in the backyard.
• Learned that dogs are our friends and not scary monsters.
• Discovered a love of Rice Krispies.
• Taken 2.5 steps without help.

Remember how I mentioned that Evelyn has her two top teeth coming in?

Well, that was an understatement. She has the two center top, two canine and an unconfirmed siting of an additional bottom tooth. All at once.

She wakes up in the night crying and it hurts my heart. :(

Tops!

On Thanksgiving we noticed E's first top tooth starting to poke through. And the second one started making an appearance yesterday. Our little girl's smile is about to change forever.

One year!

One year ago today marked the start of this blog journey. I was 25 weeks pregnant and eagerly awaiting the birth of Mini. Today I'm the (tired) mom of an adorably chubby baby girl.

And another one...

 Yesterday we were discussing E's teeth. One lonely tooth had arrived and we were wondering when her next one would pop out.

Apparently we just needed to talk about it (similar to stretch marks) for the appearance of tooth number two. We discovered the little nub during bathtime.

And we finally realized why E has been cranky the past few days. And that we have were being rather dense parents.

Tooth!

This morning we discovered the beginnings of E's very first tooth. Daddy was distracting her from his computer by letting her gnaw on is fingers. A little rub along her bottom gums revealed a sharp spot poking through!

It's impossible to see though. If we try to open her mouth to look, she thinks its a clever opportunity to stick her tongue all the way out.

Wow. Our lil'un is growing up so big!

6 Month Checkup

Weight: 19 pounds
Height: 26.5 inches
Head: 17.75 inches

That's my little roly-poly!

Guess what E just did!

Daddy placed E on her back, on a blanket, on the floor. He handed her the Frog Ball toy, which she promptly kicked away in her excitement to get it. Well that didn't work for her... so she rolled onto her tummy. Propped herself up on her elbows. Grabbed the frog. And rolled back onto her back to chew his face.

Folks- we have a roller!