Just another Saturday...

... with my homies.

Playtime with Daddy

Mommy wasn't feeling all that hot this morning, so Daddy took the mid-morning shift with me. We built a fort. Can we say AWESOME?

Glad to be home

Ah back in Blacksburg... back in my element. I've got my Hokie tutu, my toboggan, and my polka dotted chair... THE LIFE!

Self feeding

Mommy has been letting me try to use my spoon the last couple of weeks now. We may need a miracle on this one people. She gives me the spoon and then takes it away from me. APPARENTLY I'm not 'holding it correctly.' I've got a few choice words for her, but of course I can't say them yet. Doesn't she realize a toddler needs to 'explore'? I don't like to actually put the spoon up to my mouth. My style is more 'let me stir the applesauce around until it's all over my tray.'

She thinks I'm playing. She'll keep asking me "Are you all done?" Woman I'll tell you when I'm all done. Just let me be! I take one little break, and she snatches the whole thing from me!

I didn't say I was done!

Our home away from home

So as many of my peeps know we're currently residing in both Blacksburg and Abingdon. Daddy audits a coal company out there for 2 months solid. He goes out sporadically throughout the year as well, but this is the time it's the hardest for me and Mommy. We get to see him for an hour at lunch and an hour at dinner. Other than that... well, he gets home around midnight each night... so that's pretty much it. Thankfully his company is supportive enough to allow Mommy and I to stay out there with Daddy. While the points would be great for us if we stayed in hotels (he earns lots of free nights through Marriott that way for our vacations), but I'm just too 'all over the place' as Mommy likes to say... a hotel room can't contain me for 2 months. Last year we looked into furnished rental properties and had an adorable little apartment. Now that I'm bigger though there were a few cons: super icy stairs to get to and from the car, no bathtub (only a shower), and the big steps on the inside. Last year I was immobile, so it wasn't a big deal... this year BIG DEAL. This year we have a nice furnished home that's actually been on the market now for 5 months. Being an HGTV addict, Mommy feels she should make a list of all the things the seller needs to do to sell her home, but she doesn't think the seller would think that was too entertaining. It's a really sweet home, and we're very lucky to be staying there. Lemme show you around!
This is the view as soon as you walk into the front door.
Living room.

Dining room.

Kitchen.

Eat in kitchen area.

Family room area. This is where we spend ALL of our time... Mommy says there isn't much in here I can break.

There are 2 bedrooms like this.

Master bedroom.

Master bath. There is also an addition 1 1/2 bath, but they weren't worth photographing.

And there you have it!

It's Potty Time!

Well we've done it! Mommy took me out today to buy a potty. We got the Safety 1st Comfy Cushy. Mommy did not do her research before making this purchase, so we're not going to practice using it yet. She says if anyone out there knows of a FABULOUS potty that I just can't live without to please let her know... thank you. :)

Personally I think this potty will work just dandy... I've already checked it out.

Rachel here. Now this last picture is hysterical and reminded me of something I've been meaning to blog about. When I was pregnant with Reese I had morning sickness the ENTIRE time I was pregnant. Two massive weeks of it and then milder but just as annoying the remainder... all the way up to delivery. I mostly just feel really gaggy, so It's kind of a pain. It's been the exact same this go round... oh bliss. Anyway... Reese has happened to wiggle her way into the bathroom MANY times while I've been sick. Sometimes she'll put her hand on my back and pat me, and sometimes she'll MOCK ME and make her own little barfy sounds... needless to say... it's pretty funny. So I pull out the potty, and she gets super excited. She's wanting to sit on it, stand on it, put her toys in it... you name it. I lifted her up and put her on it, so she could recognize it was a potty. She jumped right off... took out the "splash cushy seat", put her head inside and immediately started making barfy sounds! Isn't she just precious? ;)

Illinois

(Disclaimer: We're not a very openly political family, but this could not be helped.)

I woke up this morning with this heinous hairdo:

Mommy has decided not to fix it for me today... in honor of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's impeachment hearing beginning today. Isn't the resemblance uncanny? Granted the hair has calmed down TREMENDOUSLY since waking up this morning... but you get the idea. We pretty much figure that UNBELIEVABLE DOOFUS needs all the mojo he can get. :)

Bubbles

Today while we were running errands, Mommy bought me this AWESOME bubble blower! Now she doesn't have to sit there my entire bath time blowing them with that annoying little wand. :)

We also had an accident in the tub tonight! Mommy has been debating whether or not to buy me a potty to start practicing on. While I keep my diaper dry most days during nap time, she doesn't feel like I'm seriously ready for training yet, but doesn't see the harm in practicing. She talked herself out of buying one today, but will definitely be purchasing one this week. A while ago while I was in the bathtub (we're talking MONTHS ago), I had to go potty, so Mommy and Daddy lifted me up on the big potty and low and behold... I went... no troubles at all. Tonight Mommy was staring at me awfully hard... I'm not gonna lie... I was gonna poop... she knows me too well. :) Daddy grabbed me up out of the tub super fast and put me on the big potty, but I got a little scared (I was sliding all over the place), so he took me off and back into the tub I went. This happened one more time before I let go while I was playing with my rubber duckies. Don't worry though... Daddy snatched me up, Mommy cleaned the tub for me and reran my water so I wouldn't miss the most glorious time of the day. Long story short... I need a potty to fit me in case we are to have such a tragedy again. :)

The mall

Sorry there has been a lack of posting the past couple of weeks. We've been back and forth from Abingdon (Daddy audits a big coal company out there)... the dreaded 2 winter months have arrived. While we're in a very nice home out there, it's just not Blacksburg. We came home this past Friday, so Mommy could get herself ready for her friend Heather's baby shower in Richmond. She was gone all day Saturday, but made sure we had fun today while Daddy was working in Roanoke (YES ON A SUNDAY!).

She took me to the mall, which I usually dread. I do nothing but ride in my stroller twiddling my thumbs. This time was different... she let me play on the little playroom statues! It was soooooo cool! There was a zebra, hippo, fish, crab, and a trippy looking dinosaur. While all those were super dandy, I only wanted to play with the log... a hollow tube painted to look like a log. I spent 20 minutes going in the log, and then coming out of the log... going in the log, and then coming back out. There were quite a few kids there, but luckily none of them could really talk, so there was no one to tell me to move. :) (Speaking of talking... I can now say "frog" and "nose", and get this... I ACTUALLY point to my NOSE when I say it!)

What can I say... I LOVE TUNNELS! (I have 2 at my house!)

My little baby

Daddy and I took Mommy to the doc today to check on my little baby. All is well! We'll be finding out whether or not I'm having a baby brother or sister on February 12th! Mark your calendars all you grand-parentals out there. Until then, here is a picture of the bump for all you bump lovers out there. Mommy says she didn't stick out this much until she was like 5/6 months pregnant with me, which is intriguing because she is still down a pound from the first appointment back in November... OH MYLANTA she'll be ginormous! She continues to feel the baby moving all around... I can't wait until I can feel it too!!!

Bathtime for bonzos

Guess what? Mommy dyed my bath red! She also let me draw all over the bathtub with these hot new bath crayons and markers... SO FUN!

That's me creating my masterpiece.

Splashing like it's going out of style... look how red my water was!

I hate to leave my precious bath, so I like to stay in the tub until all the water is gone. I'm also into drinking my bath water... nasty, but quite entertaining. :) Awe man... wait... that's my hiney... geez Ma... a little privacy!

15 months

Today I'm officially 15 months old! Yay me! Now normally this week I would be going to the pediatrician to get some shots and a physical, however, I'll have to wait until I'm 16 months old. (Mommy and Daddy are not slacking off for the record.) Back about a month before I turned one Daddy tried to make my one year appointment. Apparently my doc was out of town around that time and booked solid for a month... whatevs, so I go in at 13 months. Now one of the shots I'm supposed to get at 15 months HAS to be taken EXACTLY three months after one that I got when I turned 13 months... so there you have it... I'll be a month late. Not a whole lot that can be done. Mommy's guessing I'm about 23-24 lbs though... and doesn't dare pull out the measuring tape without Daddy here to measure my height, so we'll have to get back to you in a month with the actual measurements.

Sooooo anyway... I've become quite the character Mommy says. I love to spin around in circles until I fall down for starters. What a hoot! It makes me giggle like crazy. I'm getting really good at running... I'm actually thinking of taking up track and field. Mommy taught me how to blow kisses, which I love give to just about anyone. Dancing has become one of my specialties as well. Classic rock just compels me to rock out... I can't help it... it's in my bones... ACDC I salute you! Elmo's World also makes me dance like a rock star. Oh I just love that little red guy. Mommy had an adorable video to show off all my new dance skills, but apparently it's a file that has no desire to upload, so alas we are videoless. :( She decided to upload a photo of me in full temper tantrum mode, which I've become quite good at as well. Can you believe Mommy had the nerve to take my toothbrush away from me?! The audacity!

I'm still sleeping like a champ. I'm in bed around 7 still (gosh Mom don't you think I'm old enough now to have a later bedtime?!), but now I'm sleeping in until 8 sometimes 830, which Mommy is quite thankful for. My vocabulary has really picked up as well. I'm starting to repeat a lot of things after Mommy and Daddy say them which is very exciting. On my own though I can say: mama, dada, duck (duh), dog (doh), shoes, socks, hot, bath, uh oh, yeah, all done (ah duh), diaper (dohdoh), milk (for some reason I call it nahnah?), eye (however, when you ask me where my eyes are... I point to my ears... I'm cool like that), hat, tree, hi, and I say dada for bye. Eating... there's nothing I won't try. I eat all my veggies, fruits, grains, and meats. Now that I'm a little older Mommy and Daddy are starting to let me try crazier things... like SUGAR! The other day Mommy gave me a marshmallow! Daddy sometimes let's me share his milkshake with him at the Hokie basketball games too. Whoo hoo! Actually... I guess the marshmallow was as crazy as we've gotten... my parentals are such duds. Mommy and Daddy have been letting me try to eat with a fork though... oh the excitement!

Until next time... peace out.

You may want to sit down for this...

It turns out I've been keeping a secret from you all...

Who's gonna be a big sister? It's me... It's me! Mommy, Daddy, and I are super excited to announce we'll be adding a little baby to the clan... CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! My new baby friend is due July 1, 2009, and I can't wait to meet him or her!! Mommy says we're going to have our hands full, but I'm super excited and know I'll be a great diaper fetcher. :) I'm thinking I may just be okay with sharing my toys too... however, I still have a few months to change my mind. ;)

Little People

I have some sad news to report. I lost my first toys... the first ones of my ENTIRE life... all 14 1/2 months of it. Mommy prides her anal retentive tendencies in taking inventory of all my toys after I go to sleep to make sure all are accounted for. A few weeks ago her and Daddy noticed that two of the female Little People from my school bus were missing. They searched everywhere. Every inch of the house... every centimeter of the car... every purse and pocket... no luck. One afternoon upon returning from work, Daddy went to throw some trash away and noticed a Christmas ornament on the top of the trash in the garbage can... had Mommy thrown them away? Now that would be silly! After putting 2 and 2 together... the sleuths that they are... Mommy and Daddy have determined that I probably threw my Little People into the can and they are on a never ending vacation to the county dump. Female Little People... may you rest in peace.

757 HOLLERRRRRR

We finished up our Christmasing in Norfolk/Suffolk with my Nana and Pop and my Gpa and Pearl. The first stop was Norfolk where I indulged in Nana's homemade spaghetti sauce... it was a winner.

The next day was spent opening presents. By now I had become quite the paper ripping professional. I didn't even need prompting. I opened my gift from Nana and Pop... it was a cute little umbrella stroller for a real life moving baby doll they got me. I literally squealed when I opened the gift. Mommy undid all the wrappings for me and opened it up (please ignore her heinous facial expressions in the following sequence of photos).... I didn't even give her time to hand me my baby doll before I decided the stroller was for me... TO RIDE IN. I tried my hardest to get into that little thing... no one tried to stop me... they all just laughed. Once I got settled inside I heard the strangest noise... RIIIIIIIIIIP! No one told me it was for my baby doll... geez people!


All is well though... little baby doll can still ride safely inside... however, when I'm steering no one's ankles are safe.
I also ate my first candy cane... glorious.

Our second stop was Suffolk to my Gpa and Pearl's house. Sadly Mommy didn't take many pictures, but I assure you it was a blast. I was quite the entertainer and wasn't still for a second. They got me one of the coolest gifts... my very own picnic table! It's a little big for me now, but come spring time, it'll be my best friend! It was just really nice to be able to relax and spend some time with family.

Christmas Blacksburg style

When we returned from our trip to Iowa, I was shocked to see that SANTA CLAUS came to my house!!!!

He brought me a Cabbage Patch Doll with her very own stroller... three words... I love her.

Good thing I had been practicing my opening presents skills because there were quite a few to keep me busy. Mommy would hand me a present to open, I would be so amazed by it and want to play, then Daddy would take it right away only to have Mommy give me another one. They really need to work on their technique because by the end of this constant 'indian giving' I became quite peeved and made Mommy open the rest of my gifts.

My favorite present... my new rocking recliner Santa gave me. Santa I'd like to take this time to apologize for my temper tantrum I threw while sitting on your lap. I have now seen the light and hope for a smoother conversation next year. :)