Check this out.

I have a very talented friend in Texas who is having a great giveaway. Check out www.burkettblessings.blogspot.com! You can find the link to her blog on my sidebar. Mandy has a giveaway for a sing-a-long DVD and CD. While you are there be sure to check out her Mandy Jane Bows site for some beautiful custom bows.

Eighteen Months Old

I just can't believe in six short months we will be celebrating Leah's 2nd birthday. I just does not seem possible. As much as I hate to admit it, she is turning into a little girl. It is so fun to watch her little personality developing. She is sweet and loving, very talkative, and never meets a stranger. She also has a bit of a temper and doesn't mind letting me know when she disagrees with my choices for her.

She is growing, but not by much. She weighs 19 pounds 13 ounces. She is 29.5 inches tall. We were really hoping that she would reach the 20 pound mark so we could turn her car seat around. Not only did she not make it, we also found out that the new recommendation is 18-24 months and 30 pounds. At that rate she is never going to get to face forward!! She is wearing clothes anywhere from size 9 months to 18 months depending on how well I like it to fit. She wears a size 3 or 4 shoe depending on brand. She got some new squeaker shoes which she thinks are great. I take the squeaker out for trips out of the house. It's quite annoying.

She loves being outside. She got to catch her first fish with Grump's help.
She is having so much fun at the playground. She has learned how to climb up onto the big kids equipment which means we have to go down the big slide together. I have to admit, I'm a little scared of it. It's fast! She loves chasing and trying to catch bubbles, but has yet to figure out that she will never be able to hold one. She and her daddy have planted some containers with strawberries, tomatoes and cucumbers. She thought it was so fun to help with the planting. We just finished planting some flowers today. What a big "help" she was!

When she is inside she enjoys playing with her babies. She takes them on rides in her shopping cart. "They" have to chase her around the room. They seem to cry (say "waa") a lot so she has to comfort them.

She enjoys "cooking" for us, and we love tasting everything she cooks. She absolutely adores balls. She can point out a ball anywhere we go, and she gets so excited when she sees a ball. Her favorite thing to do at home is to grab a ball and say "Mine Mine" which means "chase me" until she hands you the ball.

She is a big talker. I am still learning some of her words. She can say so many things, and if she can't make you understand her then she will just take you to whatever she is talking about. The other day she asked me for a "kah-kah" and I could not figure out what she meant. She took me to the cabinet that stores our washclothes! She wanted one so that she could "keen" = clean. She goes to the tub (she can reach the faucet because it is on the corner), turns on the water, wets the washcloth and begins to wipe down everything she can reach. We still have to work on proper wringing of the washcloth!! Am I teaching her what's important or what? She also loves to sing with "E - I- O" being her favorite song. That would be Old MacDonald.

I can see that things are going to be getting more challenging as she continues to try to voice her opinion and get her way, but what joy it is to watch her grow. I pray daily for wisdom for God to show me how to teach her. There are times I look at her and think, "What in the world am I doing?" Oh how I want to grow in her a love for God and the ability to choose what is right. Thank you, God, for this blessing. Guide our steps because we sure do need it!!

15 months old and Christmas

I am so far behind on this blog. I'm even further behind on Leah's scrapbook, but I will deal with that on another day. Leah turned 15 months old on December 18th. I had been saying that she probably wouldn't walk until she was 15 months old. I was almost right. Just a couple of weeks before she would turn 15 months she went from cruising to really walking. It was amazing to see how much more balance and confidence she gained day to day. Once again, it was a bitter sweet time. I long for that little baby that wants to be held, but I so enjoy the little toddler she has become.

We took her for her well baby check and learned that she once again was not on the growth chart (which starts with the 5th percentile). She weighed 18 pounds, 6 oz and was 28.5 inches tall. As the doc put it, "She is just going to be petite." Really? Have you seem me and Greg? The poor thing doesn't have a prayer of being anything but petite. I like her that way, too.

Other than walking, she is talking and singing all the time. She has so many words in her vocabulary that I really can't remember them all. Now, you would have to be around often to understand them all. Her favorite word right now is "mama." She has learned that she can use that one to get my attention and for anything else that she doesn't know the word for. While we drive around she just likes to say it over and over and over and over....... It is quite funny and sweet. She loves her babies. If she is walking she wants to be carrying something. She is a great eater, and I haven't found anything that she won't eat. Where it once was so easy to describe what she was doing month by month, now it seems that she changes so quickly I can't even recall all that she is doing. She is a little bundle of energy and brings us so much joy!

Christmas

I had been looking forward to Christmas this year so much. I just could not wait for our entire family to get to spend time together. I just wish that Greg's parents lived closer so that we could spend more time during the holidays with them. We tried not to go overboard with gifts for Leah, but between us, my parents and my brother and sis-in-law, Leah was quite overwhelmed with gifts. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Grump and Leah on the carousel - Christmas Eve.

Before Leah arrives.

Ready for presents.

Her first look at her gifts.

Time to play!

Posing in her Christmas dress.
Supporting the team even on Christmas.

Our little family.

Kelly, Greg, Leah, Justin and Cassie (with Kane on the way).

We have been so blessed. I am thankful to God for all He has given to us. What a special time it is to celebrate His greatest gift....His Son. Since having Leah I realize even more the sacrifice that He made for me. I am so unworthy, but that is grace. Thank you, God, for loving us so much.

It's Official

Well, as much as I hate to admit it, Leah is growing up. She is officially a toddler. About a month ago she took her first steps and over the past week she has gone from taking a couple of steps to walking everywhere. She still isn't very steady, but she's getting better at it every day. She can even stand up without pulling up on anything. She is so proud of herself. We are proud of her, too.

Pushing her babydoll. Beginning to walk longer distances (one week ago). She thinks she has this walking thing perfected (today). This one is a freebie just because I think it is cute.

Thanksgiving

Okay, so I'm quite a bit late getting this post on here, but at least I made it before Christmas! For a little over a week before Thanksgiving day, Leah had a cold. We decided to go to our family Thanksgiving anyway. Leah did well although you could tell she didn't feel well. You'll see that in the pics later. When we were about 45 minutes from home she began to get very upset to the point there was nothing I could do to keep her calm. She was just screaming at times. By the time we got home, she had a temp of 102.5 and was miserable. We had a long night and headed to the doc the next morning. I am so thankful for a peds group that is open around the holidays and on Saturdays! Thankfully, she did not have an ear infection or strep. The doc diagnosed her with a sinus infection, gave us an antibiotic and the next day she was a different little girl.

Here are a few photos from the day.

Grump is always up to something!

All of the grandchildren.

Can you tell Leah doesn't feel very well?

Great-grandchildren... including one on the way.

We also surprised my brother and sister-in-law with a baby shower.

Boy, does he have a lot to learn!

Leah and her Grump

Just to clarify, my dad chose the name Grump for his grandfather name. It's not that we chose it because he is a grump. He really isn't, but he likes the name. So we will see if Leah really calls him Grump.

So onto the reason for this post. Grump is retired (my mom still works) so he keeps Leah for me when I need someone. He loves it and so does Leah. He kept Leah while I got my hair cut. He told me all about the fun they had while I was gone. Later that day I received photos which more accurately described the fun. Just so you know, my dad enjoys whittling a stick to have in his mouth while on his daily walk (it's a very southern thing or maybe an older man thing).

The caption of the e-mail containing the following photos was "Grump and Leah on the patio relaxing and discussing philosophy, politics and other current world events." Enjoy!

Leah is Learning to Walk

Leah has been trying to learn to walk recently. She's been cruising around furniture for a little while, but has really been using her walker toys much more often and with increased balance. A couple of weeks ago she spent most of her time tripping over her feet or pushing the walker out too far in front. I think they are a little tall for her, but you can't really adjust them. She seems to be getting the hang of it despite the height challenge. Then she made a turning point today. She and her grump discovered a new kind of "walker" that is much more suited for her height. Now she can cruise all around the living room at a much faster speed. She loved it!

Yes, it's a chair! It glides amazingly well over the carpet.

Cruising through the living room.

She had to take a break to show me her new bracelet. Thanks, Aunt Dana!