Sunday Best

(First two lines to be read in Cheri Oteri/Will Ferrell Spartan cheerleader fashion.)

Who's that smiling in the church nursery?

It's me, it's me!

Mommy and Daddy are beyond thrilled that I have not shed one nursery-related tear in the past 3 weeks. Honestly, I don't know why it took me 14+ months to decide that it really isn't so bad. Where else can you go to play with a handful of friends, explore cool toys, eat goldfish to your heart's delight, and sing songs to worship God all at once?

Here's something (or someone) else that thrilled Mommy and Daddy this weekend.  It's our friend, Staci!

Staci is Auntie's bestest ever friend, like a little sister to Mommy, Karsyn's for real aunt, and a constant source of happiness.  Unfortunately, this ray of sunshine currently live 5.5 hours away from my family.  She came into town to go camping with our church's young adult group this weekend, though, so I got to spend a little bit of QT with her.  We sure will miss her when she leaves tomorrow morning!

What a Difference a Year Makes (sort of)

For reasons unbeknownst to Mommy, I have decided that my tummy time mat is a great toddler toy. 

Last Wednesday, I spied the mat peeking out of the back of my closet.  My pointer finger instantly shot towards that brightly colored contraption while my mouth uttered "baby, baby, baby".  It took Mommy a while to figure out what I was asking for (since she didn't see any babies crawling around my closet), but eventually she figured it out.  When she put the mat on the floor, I shot towards it for some serious play time.

And this pattern has continued every day since. 

Mommy is not sure why I am so fascinated with this old toy.  Nor can she figure out how I knew it was for a baby.  But she does think it's cute to watch me find new ways to play with my old friend...and she certainly can't complain about not getting her money's worth out of this piece of baby gear!

One year ago today, this was little 'ol me...

and one year later I'm still chillin' with the play mat.

Splish, splash I was takin' a bath*

Lest you think my fun quota is filled entirely by Daddy, here are a few pics of some fun Mommy and I had last weekend.

That's right.  Mommy threw on her bathing suit and jumped in the bath with me on Friday night.  She hasn't done that since the very first time I took a bath in the big girl tub.

Squirting Mr. Turtle is a bath time tradition in our house.

And when it comes to teeth brushing, this is how we do it.

*Do any 80's babies out there remember this song from Sesame Street?

Rain, rain on my face

You've probably figured out that Daddy is a bit more laid back than Mommy. So it should not take you by suprise to hear that he let me play outside yesterday during a rainstorm.

Well, truthfully, he took me out on the patio thinking I would just want to watch the rain come down. When I became brave and ventured out beyond the protective covering of our awning, though, he sure didn't stop me!

He even let me play on my swing for a while!

Isn't he great?

Daddy isn't just laid back, though.  He's also thoughtful.  He switched out my wet clothes for a dry hooded towel as soon as we came inside.

Fashionista

Over the last week or so, I have developed an appetite for apparel. Every time one of my grownups folds the laundry, I find pieces of clothing I just have to try on. Once the clothes are on, I typically want to wear them around the house for a while. You know, just long enough to necessitate a direct return to the dirty laundry pile.

Mommy's "Sometimes Y" t-shirt may not be beautiful, but it is quite humorous. 

Auntie's brown ribbed tank makes a stunning low cut dress.  I think this one would be perfect for a beach vacation.

On the more formal side, her black skirt doubles as a fabulous opera cape.

Accessories must not be forgotten!

I paired this pajama shirt with my purple and white striped dress for an ecclectic look.  Works well, don't you think?

Mommy wasn't suprised when she came home from subbing last week to find me in the outfit above.  She was, however, suprised to find out that Daddy let me wear it to Home Depot! 

It's obvious where my creative genes come from.

Latest Stats

My 15 Month Well Baby visit with the pediatrician was yesterday, and guess what? 

I'm a well baby!

I had a great time exploring the toys and murals in the waiting room.  Mommy and Daddy are glad, though, that we've never had to sit out there for more than 5 mintues.

 

My doctor was especially proud of the gains I've made in the weight department. I'm still a teeny tot, but I sure did move up 4 percentile points!

Here are my stats:

Weight- 19 lbs 15.5 oz (10th percentile)

Height- 31.5 in (80th percentile)

Head- 18.25 in (60th percentile)

Mommy asked Dr. Hull what she thought about the possibility of it not being a good idea to delay introducing high allergen foods to toddlers. Dr. Hull said she has been hearing a lot about this idea, and that in countries with a peanut-heavy diet (Thailand, for instance) there is a very low incidence of peanut allergies. With this information in mind (and knowing that our family does not have a history of peanut allergies), Dr. Hull gave me the green light for peanut butter! Mommy is super stoked about this development...that woman just loves her PB.

Dr. Hull also talked to Mommy and Daddy about how I was doing with discipline. They told her that I respond pretty well to "no", "uh uh", and redirection...but that I do throw little fits when I am extra frustrated.

"The fits only last for a few seconds, though, " Mommy proudly declared.

Dr. Hull's response was, "Really? Huh. Well, they'll get longer."

If my reaction to Mommy making me come inside for a bath tonight is any indication...that pediatrician is one smart cookie.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things: Board Book Edition

In Mommy and my shared opinion, asking us to choose a favorite book is kind of like asking a mother to choose her favorite child. Impossible.

But, since this week's Show Us Your Life topic on Kelly's Korner is "Favorite Books", we thought we'd give it a try.

Mommy and I are big fans of classic childrens' books, such as "Goodnight Moon" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear".  But since you probably already know about those books, we thought we'd show off some of our not-so-classic favorites here.

Mommy and I read "Baby Giggles" on a daily basis for most of my first year. Neither of us tired of it, though, because the photographs and text are super fun.

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Mommy was given these two books at one of her baby showers. Her first impression of them was that they were cheesy and cheap...boy was she wrong! These books are very enjoyable to read, and the pictures have lots of familiar objects for me to point at.

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Four few years ago at a baby book shower, a city librarian introduced Mommy to the work of childrens' book author Leslie Patricelli. Mommy was instantly attracted to her cutie illustrations and juxtaposed text of opposite concepts.  "BIG Little" was actually the first book Mommy ever read to me, but I didn't really start to enjoy these books until the last few months.

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"Tiny Bear's Bible" is the best Bible Mommy and I have seen for babies and young toddlers.  It has short, rhythmic accounts of several Old and New Testament narratives, the Lord's Prayer, and Jesus' declaration to never leave or forsake us.  It holds my attention better than any other toddler Bible we've read.  In fact, I ask to read my "Biba" several times each day.

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I first read "Little One, God Loves You" in our church nursery.  Mommy and I were excited to see it at our local library this week, so we checked it out and brought it home.  It's a really short book, so it does a good job of holding my attention.  Since this book is inspired by Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life concept, it has a page on worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and mission (baby style, of course).

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I hope you can find a book or two to curl up with in the above list! 

Do you know a board book that should be one of my favorite things?