17 Months Old

Sorry I'm a total blog slacker. I meant to post Happy Thanksgiving and some videos, but got too busy so I'll post them here. This last month was lots of fun, but I was a little grumpy for most of it because I have two front teeth (bottom) and a molar coming in. Not cool!

This month I became a really good helper and always help mommy unload the dishwasher and put away groceries. I take every item out of the bag and hand it to mommy to put away. I love to feed my stuffed animals and baby. I'm starting to eat better myself and use a fork pretty well, but decided I'm too big for my highchair and like to sit (stand, climb) on the big chairs.

My favorite activities this month were shooting people, working out with daddy, playing dress-up, talking on the phone, and doing tickle monster (videos coming...). I also had lots of fun at cousin Nadallie's birthday party and play dates with Krystiana and Kaila.

I also switched to one nap this month. It was tough for about a week and I was really tired, but now I love it 'cause it gives me more time to play. I usually sleep 7:30pm-7:30am and take a nap from 12-2.

Ok enough rambling, here's the pics and videos...


To view full screen click here.

Here comes the tickle monster:


Four wheeling at Nadallie's party:


Shooting pappie (and other violent behavior):

16 Months Old

I learned so many new things this month. I can now drink from a straw, spin in circles, speak Chinese (okay maybe not, but that's what it sounds like), make animal sounds (cow, dog, cat, monkey, owl, and thanks to Pappie, elk), put myself to sleep (just need a quick hug and kiss, no more stories or songs for me), and sign more, hungry, and down. I'm almost running, but it's more of a speed walk right now.

My favorite things to do this month were read my books, go for walks (especially when the crunchy leaves fell), and sit on chairs, pillows, boxes, or anything I can find actually.

Here's pictures from this month:

To view full screen click here.

And here's a video of me spinning and showing my "where'd it go" pose (I usually do it better, but you get the idea):


I also learned how to take pictures this month. I can hold the camera and push the button all by myself, but I'm not very good at aiming yet. Here's some of my pictures where mommy and daddy helped me aim (I'll save you from the ones I aimed - the carpet isn't that interesting):

Happy Halloween

This Halloween was my first year of real trick-or-treating (otherwise known as collecting candy for mommy). We went with Krystiana and both of us did really good walking up to houses and grabbing candy from the bowl. There were a couple houses that scared me, the crazy witch and a skeleton girl, but overall it was fun. I was the cutest bumble bee ever!



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Mad Reading Skillz

Check out my fantastic reading skills...

My First Haircut

This month I got my hair cut for the first time. I still don't have a lot of hair, but it was getting crazy and in my eyes. It looks much prettier now. The haircut was pretty cool. I got to wear a super cute zebra thingy and eat a sucker while the nice lady cut my hair. I even got glitter and a bow!

One Word for the Beach...WOW!

We went to the beach this weekend and it was amazing. All I could say was WOW everywhere we went. We left on Saturday and went to the aquarium in Newport, then played at the beach in Lincoln City and stayed the night. On Sunday we drove to Pacific City (after a little outlet mall shopping) and played on the beach some more and hiked on the sand dune. We stayed in an awesome hotel that looked right out to the beach and a pretty rock. My favorite part was watching all the dogs.

The only thing I didn't like about the beach was the water. It was so cold it hurt my feet and I started crying as soon as the wave hit me. Why would anyone go in that freezing water on purpose?!

Here's a video of me WOWing at the aquarium:


And the pictures:


To view full screen click here.

Super Speed Walking

For those that haven't seen this, here's a video of my super speed walk. You should try it sometime, it's amazing how the arms improve your balance and aerodynamics.

15 Months Old

This past month was more of just the same...walking and acting like a goofball. I'm getting really good at walking and go so fast that I almost run. I love to smile and make funny faces, and crack mommy and daddy up on a daily basis. I also found my belly button, learned to give big hugs and blow kisses, and celebrated Caden's birthday at JJ Jump, took GG out for a birthday lunch (2 months late), and went to Billy's wedding.



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These Boots Are Made for Walking

Mommy found my cowboy boots last night and I had to try them out. They were a little tough to walk in, but they made cool noises on the kitchen floor.

Mini Vacation - Sunriver and the Zoo

Last weekend we went on little vacation with cousins Caden and Krystiana. It was so much fun. We went to Sunriver and rode bikes, went to the park, swam in the pool, and played at the house. The house we stayed at had small chairs in the living room that spun around in circles - they were the greatest! I also got to sleep with mommy and daddy 2 nights, a rare treat. I tried to sleep in my travel crib, but I woke up in the middle of the night and got scared. I snuggled with mommy the first night and daddy the second night.


To view full screen click here.


Daddy took Monday off also, so we got to go to the zoo. It was a perfect day and we got to see the baby elephant, Sam. My favorite parts of the zoo were the water animals because they would swim right up to me in their tanks.


To view full screen click here.

Big Girl Tricks

Mommy captured lots of videos lately of all the "big girl" things I can do. Enjoy...

Kicking a ball:


Eating with a fork:


Riding my bike:


And coloring:

14 Months Old

Let's see what did I do this month...oh ya, learned to walk!! I'm walking all over the place now and mommy and I walk to get the mail everyday. I can even walk in shoes (my cool Nikes). Mommy says I've also become a "total goofball". My favorite thing to do is walk around the house with things on my hands/arms...baskets, shoes, bibs, underwear, anything I can get my hands on. I've also figured out how to open the cupboards and drawers so I'm having fun playing with the tupperware.

We were busy doing lots of fun stuff this month so I didn't have time for individual blog entries, but we went to Nike and the Employee store with Vadim (daddy worked with him at Freightliner), went hiking at Silver Falls and to the Oregon State Fair with Tracy, Heidi, and Caden, played in the splash pad at the park with Kaila, visited Gammy each weekend at the farmers market, and went to daddy's softball games.



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I Walked Today!!!

We went to daddy's softball game today and I started walking! It was 100 degrees so I was wearing shorts and didn't want to crawl on my knees. There wasn't anything to hold onto though, so I just had to walk by myself. My friend E encouraged me and I walked right over to her!

Mommy captured a video, but of course she was a little late. Right before this I took 7 whole steps.

Pictures of Me

I love looking at pictures of me and I just found a new one on mommy's phone...



The first time I saw it, I started laughing. The video above was taken after about 10 times of opening the phone and finding my picture so I wasn't quite as ecstatic.

13 Months Old

I'm 13 months old now and becoming a big girl. I'm almost walking and I eat lots of normal food - eggs, blueberries, and jicama (with peanut butter) are my favorite new foods from this month. I can almost eat with a fork or spoon, but it's still a little tricky to get the food on the utensil. I concentrate so hard, but can't quite get it.

I've learned so many things this month and developed quite a personality. I like to...

• Get off the couch by myself
• Lounge back on anything soft (like pillows, mommy's leg, my ball pit)
• Curl up with my stuffed animals and snuggle with my baby
• Stop crawling and sprawl out in the middle of the floor
• Look at pictures of myself on the wall about 10 times a day
• Climb on and off my bike all by myself
• Dance (rock back and forth) and sing (humm) to music
• Give kisses (really sloppy, wet ones)

This month was really fun because we went to a park almost every week. We also played at the mall playground (it's just my size). That was my favorite until last time when I caught a bad cold.




To view pictures full screen click here.

Fairy Princess

I got to play in the woods as a beautiful fairy princess last weekend. Mommy bought these wings for me when I was first born and she made the tutu last week.

Here I am just being cute.


And here's me directing all the forest creatures with my magic wands.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Daddy's playing in the Freightliner softball league again this year and I get to go to his games every week. It's lots of fun. There are other kids to play with my same age and I love to eat all the grass, sticks, and acorns on the ground. Here's a few pictures of the fun. How cute am I in a baseball hat?!



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Sliding All By Myself

We went to Shute Park today in Hillsboro and they have a toddler play structure with a slide just my size. I got to go down it all by myself and it was so much fun.

I Hate the Doctor

I'm never going to the doctor again, my 12 month appointment was awful. It started off like any normal appointment with measurements and listening to my heart. The doctor came in and said the nurse must have measured my head wrong because it's too small. She remeasures and gets the same number (maybe someday she'll make a note in my record...I have a small head lady, jeez!). I got to crawl around on the crinkle paper and that was fun.

Then the horror started. Two mean ladies came into the room and held me down and poked me with really sharp objects. I cried and cried but they just kept doing it. I was so scared that I couldn't catch my breath and my head kept twitching back and forth. Daddy said I had a panic attack. I don't know what it was, but it sure was scary. I finally calmed down after lots of loves from mommy and daddy.

I've almost forgotten about it now and I feel fine, but I don't think I'll be returning to the doctor anytime soon. Here's my measurements on the growth charts:



I dropped percentiles in weight again, but the doctor wasn't worried about it. She said I look perfectly healthy and I'm probably just finding my genetic groove.

PARTY TIME

Mommy and daddy seemed really excited about my birthday party coming up and now I know why, it was so much fun! Last weekend I had my first birthday party and almost 50 people came to wish me a happy birthday. I got to play with my friends, eat yummy cake, and open presents. It was the best day ever!!

The cake was a little strange. It had some weird gooey stuff on top that I didn't really like. It tasted okay, but it was more fun to throw. I loved the cake, but every time I started eating it, people cheered and it kind of freaked me out. Adults are so weird sometimes. You should have seen all of them taking pictures too, I felt like a rock star.

I finally got to open presents and I got lots of nice clothes and toys. My favorite was a little white tiger that I snuggled with while mommy opened my presents (she loves presents so I thought I'd be nice and let her open them). Thank you to everyone for making my birthday so special!!





To view pictures full screen click here.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

I'm 1 year old! Can you believe it?! I'm such a big girl. I've learned lots of big girl things this month too. I can say hi, baby, ball, mama, and papa. I can use a spoon and eat big girl food; no gross baby food for me anymore. I learned to cry when toys are taken away from me and make a really sad face in hopes of getting them back. Unfortunately it hasn't been very effective yet. I love flipping pages in my books, throwing a ball, and I'm able to play with a lot more of my toys - stacking rings, dropping balls in the Dragon thing, and sorting shapes (although I'm not very good at this one yet).

I'm considering walking, but not quite ready yet. I like to walk when mommy or daddy holds me up with at least one hand. Maybe next month I'll let go, but it's still too scary for now. My favorite foods are mac-n-cheese, string cheese, and green beans.

I'm really loving the summer, we get to do so many fun things. I play with my cousin Krystiana at least once a week. So far we've gone to Omsi, the park, and played at each others houses. Rumor has it that next month we get to go to the zoo. I'm not sure what that is, but it sounds cool.

We also had a lot of fun celebrations this month - Grandpa Grant's birthday, Laura's college graduation, Kendall's bridal shower, Hawe's going away party (our neighbors that just moved to Hawaii!), Ben's 30th birthday, Kristi's 30th birthday, Kraig's 21st birthday, and 4th of July. And on top of all that I spent time cheering GG up after she broke her arm. I try not to wiggle around too much so she can still hold me. What a month!



To view pictures in full screen click here.

Road Trip 2008

We just got back from a 2-week road trip. It was a LOT of driving, but also a lot of fun. I was really good the whole trip and just started getting a bit home sick the last couple days. I won't bore you with all the details, but here's some of the highlights and pictures...

Day 1 - drove to Boise and stayed with the Piatts (daddy's friend from Pacific). I got to practice driving while we were parked at a rest stop. At the Piatt's, I played on their swing, it was so much fun. Oh and mommy got a speeding ticket and we had only made it to Hood River! Thankfully it was the only one of the trip.



Day 2 - drove to Idaho Falls to visit the Budges (daddy's sister). I entertained myself on the drive by playing peek-a-boo and reading my who loves baby book. It's a picture book that mommy made up for me. I loved flipping the pages and staring at all the pictures of family (and me!), it was my favorite toy of the trip.

Day 3 - no driving today, yippee! I got to hang out with my cousins all day. We went for a walk by the Snake River and saw Idaho Falls and fed the ducks and geese. Then we went for a pizza lunch and then back to the house to play some Guitar Hero. I also stood for the first time today all by myself. I was standing next to the couch and next thing I knew, I looked down and I was just standing there. I got so excited that I started cheering, but then I fell.

Day 4 - drove to Salt Lake and stayed with Ellingers (mommy and daddy's friend from forever). It was Tyler's birthday so Celeste had planned a surprise party and we tricked him into taking us to Charlynne's house at the right time. He was so surprised! I got my first owie of the trip when my finger got smashed in a drawer. I cried really hard, but then daddy gave me some ice and I cheered up pretty fast - I'm a tough girl. I loved playing with Noah, but he didn't seem to like me. He would always run away when I came near - I guess he didn't like me borrowing his toys.

Day 5 - Tyler showed us around Temple Square and then we drove to Arches National Park.

Day 6 - Today was our first park - Arches. It was cool because all of the major arches were close to the road, so we drove and then did short hikes. It was my first time in the hiking backpack and I loved it. I smiled at everyone who walked by and brightened their day.

Day 7 - We drove to the Grand Canyon today and I was really not excited to be back in the car. The only good part of today was we stopped at Burger King for lunch and I got my first BK crown.

Day 8 - Today was a day of accidents. First I fell off the bed and then we watched a lady back into a Harley and take off. Daddy caught a picture with the lady's license plate so we reported her to the ranger and had to hang out for a long time while mommy and daddy filled out witness statements. I chilled in my stroller in a nice shady spot. Finally we got to actually see the Grand Canyon and it was amazing. We hiked along the rim and down a little ways. Daddy and I also played a new game in the backpack - way too much fun!



Day 9 - one word for today - BORING! Mommy wanted pictures of the pretty caves with light shining through so we went on a photography tour of Antelope Canyons. Two hours standing around taking pictures, um BORING. Then daddy wanted to hike to the horseshoe bend of the Colorado River to take some more pictures, so boring I fell asleep in the backpack. Finally we drove to Zion National Park and met the Ellingers again. Now that was fun - more time to borrow toys from Noah.

I thought you'd enjoy this video too. I get a little goofy when I'm really tired.


Day 10 - Today we rode the shuttle through Zion and went hiking on the Riverside Walk and to Weeping Rock. It was really hot though, so we decided 2 hikes were enough and went back to the hotel to swim in the pool. I'm so glad the Ellingers met us in Zion, we had lots of fun hiking and playing with them.

Day 11 - Today was one of my favorite days. We met Grandma and Grandpa Richardson for lunch (Grandma was on her way to Salt Lake and Grandpa drove up just to see me). I love playing with Grandpa, he makes the coolest noises. Then we drove back to Zion and hiked the "Narrows". It was crazy, we actually hiked in the river and the cliffs were towering up around us. I was in the backpack and just barely got wet. Finally we drove to Bryce Canyon and I fell asleep.

Day 12 - We didn't do much today because it was freezing (55 after being 95 yesterday at Zion) and mommy and daddy's feet had blisters from the Narrows hike. We drove through Bryce and looked at the viewpoints, then did a short hike along the rim.

Day 13 - Today was a little warmer so we hiked down into Bryce Canyon. The rock is amazing there and we went through some cool rock tunnels. Then we drove to St. George. We brought all of our stuff into the hotel so we could repack before heading home - they must have thought we were crazy with all that stuff for just one night.

Day 14 - We had a long drive today to Tahoe. We stopped by Vegas in the morning to visit Kristi (mommy's friend from forever) and Mike and their dogs, Bernie and Sid. I love the dogs, but they were a little crazy and tried to eat me. I slept most of the drive to Tahoe, but mommy and daddy said I didn't miss much, just a bunch of ghost towns.

Day 15 - We stayed with Scott and Charice (mommy's friend from Santa Clara) in Tahoe and Scott played a fun "chase the light" game with me. We went to one of the ski resorts for lunch and rode the gondola, but we didn't get to stay long because I made a mess of my pants and we didn't bring extra. We drove into Reno for dinner with the Cards and Melanie brought me some really cool books.



Day 16 - Our last day and lots more driving. We pretty much drove all day long, except for a nice break to visit Derek and family (daddy's brother). I played with the girls in their princess playhouse. We got home at 9:00, but I was way too excited to go to bed. I crawled around and said hello to every one of my toys, it's so nice to be home!

Sorry that was so long, a lot happens in 16 days! Now on to the pictures...



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11 Months

Sorry I'm so slow to post this, we were busy on vacation (more on that later). This month was all about exploring, anything and everything in the house. My favorite things to do are empty out the diaper bag, tear apart magazines, and read my books. I love my books, I could "read" them over and over again.

I've also become more of a social butterfly this month. I learned to wave and practice for everyone. I also have what mom calls my "cheesy" smile that I show off for any stranger who will look. Then there are the crazy people who don't look and say how cute I am - I like to stare them down and yell at them.

At night I've started to sleep with bear-bear and lamby. They keep me company and snuggle with me when I wake up in the middle of the night. They even got to go on vacation with us!

I'm starting to stand by myself, although I don't do it often. It's a little scary. And I love to bob my head. I'm not doing it as much now, but this past month I bobbed my head whenever I heard music, while I was eating, and sometimes while I was crawling but then I would usually fall. My best head bob is when daddy raps in the car and I stick my neck out, pout my lip, and bob. I'll try to get a video for you because mommy and daddy think it's hilarious.



To view pictures full screen click here.

Seattle Road Trip

We went to Seattle last weekend to meet Scott and Charice (mommy's friend from school). It was a lot of fun. We went to the aquarium, watched a Mariners game, walked by a Nike kids race and saw Matt Hasselbeck (daddy's highlight of the trip), and visited the Bogner family (mommy and daddy's friends from grade/high school).

I did really good on the long drive and slept most of the way. I hated staying in the hotel though. We got back from the Mariners game at 11, but I couldn't fall asleep until 12:30. I did get to sleep in the big bed with mommy and daddy, so that was kind of nice.

Here's some pictures from the trip:


To view full screen click here.

Helping Around the House

I thought I would be nice and help mommy and daddy with some chores...

Fixing the kitchen sink:


Unloading the dishwasher:


Folding the laundry:


Vacuuming the floor:

1, 2, 3....JUMP!

Check out what I learned at swim class (and copied from Kai):




And daddy's crazy version of the game:

10 Months Old

Wow this has been a busy month. I've learned to crawl, stand up, cruise, and eat finger foods. I got my first teeth and decided that I want mommy to hold me all the time. I found a secret passage-way to the kitchen. It's my favorite place to play because it's just big enough for me and the magazine stash is there. I got my very own remote control this month since daddy won't share his. I also helped on my first project outside. I played like a good girl in my portable crib while mommy and daddy put paper stuff on the shed.

Fun events for this month were lunch with GG and Judy, Dean's 80th birthday party, swim class with Kai, and playing with cousins Krystiana and Caden.

Almost forgot about food...I've finally started eating finger foods. I love Cheerios and will try other things. I've eaten pieces of cheese, bread, and puffs. I also started eating yogurt, it's not so bad after all.



To view pictures full screen click here.

Furniture Fun

I've been having so much fun climbing on all the furniture lately. The couches, coffee table, TV stand, toy chest, and dining chairs all make great things to pull up and practice walking. I'm getting pretty good standing next to things while just barely holding on and walking next to them.

Here's a video of me walking along the coffee table to get my favorite remote (and by favorite I mean the only one daddy will let me touch).

Yowsa!

Sorry I haven't posted much lately. I haven't been feeling well because I have 3 teeth coming in. There's one on the bottom that's been just barely poking through for almost a month now and two on top. Here's my pearly whites (I don't have a good photo of the bottom one):



And here's what I've been spending a lot of time doing lately:

Merbabes & Me Swim Class

We started a swim class last week with Kai and Sarah. It's really fun and I'm getting more comfortable in the water. We sing songs, jump in the water, and splash around. I'm suppose to put my ears in the water too, but I'm not sure I like that yet.

Gammy came to take pictures of class for your viewing pleasure. Thanks Gammy!



To view full screen click here.

Here I Go...

I've been getting a bit better each day and I'm finally ready for my crawling debut.

I'm Crawling!

At least I think I am. I'm not sure when you're officially "crawling", but I can crawl about 10 steps if there's something I want. Most of the time I still just sit and play with the things around me, but it's nice being able to get to something if I want it. My best motivators so far are the Wii remotes, mommy's slippers, and my stuffed animals.

I refuse to crawl for the camera so I don't have any video to share. Maybe after I improve my skills a little bit, we'll see...

9 Month Doctor Appt

My doctor visit wasn't too bad this month - no shots!! I got to play with the doctor's stethescope. She leaned in too close so I licked it and then grabbed it. She said everything looks fine, but she thought my head was still too small. Aren't we past that yet?! Here's my stats on the growth charts:



I dropped a bit in weight, but the doctor wasn't really concerned. She did say I should be eating more solids though and that I need to start eating thicker textures. I don't like the thick stuff though, it makes me gag. I think I got mommy's taste buds and texture aversion.

9 Months Old

Can you believe I'm 9 months old today?! Time goes so fast. I've been really busy this month exploring everything around me. I've learned how to situp, get up on all fours, crawl a few "steps" (usually backwards), and drink from a sippy cup.

My favorite games are playing my piano, talking to myself in the mirror, banging any and all toys together, seeing how many things I can pick up with one hand (usually 2 blocks), pulling my socks off my feet and banging them together or chewing on them, and stretching/rolling/lunging to get anything that mommy and daddy don't want me to have.

I'm also getting my first tooth. It's just barely poking through the gums. I'm eating pretty much the same stuff as last month. Mommy's tried giving me yogurt and finger foods, but I don't like either of them. Yogurt still tastes gross even with sweet potatoes mixed in, so you know it's bad! I hate the texture of finger foods. As soon as they touch my tongue, I crinkle up my face and start gagging. I'm sticking with the purees for now (especially my veggies, I love them!) and trying to steal the spoon as often as possible to feed myself.

This month was also busy with fun events - Easter, Vic & Margaret's 50th anniversary, Aunt Rhonda visiting, mommy's friend Kristi visiting, a playdate and a party with Kai and her friends, and meeting baby Evan.



To view full screen click here.

Crib Escapades (Updated)

Each day I figure out a new way to try and escape or play in my crib. Here's a few pictures mommy captured of my fun.

Here I am peeking through the side. I watch mommy and daddy leave the room (so I know when to start crying) and peek out when I wake up from my nap. It worked really well until last week when I learned to situp. Now I can just look over the rail instead.


Last night I tried getting to the camera eyeball again, but it's still too high after daddy moved it. Luckily I found the cord though so I yanked on it and made the camera move up and down. It was really cool and got mommy and daddy's attention fast.


UPDATE: I had to add this picture from today. It was so awesome. I pulled myself up to standing and was able to reach over the crib and pull out the basket on my changing table. I didn't find anything very interesting in there, but I had fun looking.

Babalamapa

I've been practicing talking a lot lately and I'm getting pretty good at making different noises. I haven't combined them into any words yet (at least ones that mommy and daddy can understand), but they sound really cool.

Here's a video of me telling daddy that I love him. Ok so maybe not, but it makes mommy and daddy happy so let's humor them.

Going Mobile....Almost

Well I haven't figured out this crawling thing yet, but I think I'm getting really close. I started out by rolling around to my toys or turning in circles while seated. That worked okay, but I couldn't get to anything directly in front of me and I couldn't sit up once I found the toy I wanted.

Now I learned how to sit up by myself, so I can grab a toy and then sit up and play. It makes playtime so much more fun. Although naptimes are a little rough because I like to sit up in my crib too, but then I play for too long and get overtired and grumpy. Here's a video of me sitting up:



I've also figured out how to get up on my knees (that one leg kept getting stuck underneath me, but I finally figured it out). I can't quite move forward yet, but I'm getting stronger and it won't be long. Here's a video of my first forward movement (watch closely!):



Mommy and daddy better start baby-proofing. I just need the right toy for motivation and I'm off...

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone. We went to GG's for Easter and I played with my cousins Emily and Nadallie. I got to wear a really pretty dress and I smiled and showed off for everyone. After Easter we stopped by Aunt Stacie's because Aunt Rhonda is visiting this week. This was the first time I got to meet her, she's really nice.

Here's a few pictures of my Easter photo shoot with mommy and Easter day with my cousins.



To view pictures full screen click here.

(Sorry about the Do Not Copy thing across some of the pics. Mommy shares those with her photography board and she was too lazy to make another version)

Try It You'll Like It...

...as GG likes to say. I'm not sure I buy it though. I think I got mommy's taste buds. Here's a photo collection mommy put together of all my "tries":

8 Months Old

This month I really started to explore my surroundings. I try to grab anything within arms reach (which is pretty far, you should see how flexible I am) and try to roll, scoot, or arch my way around the room. I haven't figured out that crawling thing yet, but I've been spending a lot more time on my tummy and building up my arm muscles so it won't be long. Mommy and daddy need to start baby proofing soon, just yesterday I found a fun electrical cord plugged into the wall to play with. My favorite game is banging things together - anything I can get my hands on and most recently just my hands (who knew you didn't need any toys to make loud noises!).

On the down side, I got sick for the first time this month (but recovered quickly). My mouth also hurts a lot. Mommy thinks its teeth, but they never show up - they just make me drool a lot and bite on everything.

We're seeing the first signs of spring in Oregon and it's been nice to get outside. We go for walks around the neighborhood with mama kitty and yesterday I played in the yard while mommy and daddy washed the car. Oh speaking of cars, we got a new one and I moved into my big girl car seat so I'm riding in style now.

I also helped Pappie and Judy celebrate their birthdays this month and gave lots of loves on my first Valentine's Day.



To view pictures full screen click here.

If You're Happy and You Know It...

...clap your hands.

Go Blazers

I went to my first Blazer game last Sunday. At first I wasn't sure what to think, there were millions of crazy people yelling all around me. They would get quiet and then all of a sudden they would start yelling again and scare me. I got used to it though and watched the pretty screen with bright flashing colors. We borrowed Cousin Caden's earmuffs to protect my ears (he got to wear them to Monster trucks). I wore them the whole time and never complained.

Busted!

A few weeks ago (I'm a little behind on my blogging), I got caught playing with the "eyeball" in my room. In the corner of my crib, there's an eyeball looking thing with a bright green light that watches me when I sleep. I finally figured out how to roll over to it and reach up and grab it. Unfortunately, mommy and daddy caught me and moved it to the back corner of the crib that's higher and I can't reach (believe me, I've tried!).

Hello Sweet Potatoes

Wow, have you ever tasted sweet potatoes? Best food ever! I don't know why mommy and daddy gave me all that yucky stuff first, these are sooooo good.



Here's all the foods I've tried so far:

Cereal (rice and oatmeal) - love it, but my tummy doesn't
Applesauce - pretty good; hated it at first, but just cause it was the first thing with actual flavor that I tried
Bananas - yummy
Pears - tastes okay, but gave me a rash
Peas - tolerable
Carrots - makes me gag (literally)

Mommy says I get to try peaches next and then green beans.

7 Months Old

I'm 7 months old now and getting so big all of a sudden. I sit up all by myself, take baths in the big tub, eat (kind of) solid food, and roll around to grab my toys. I'm also starting to learn how to "crawl", but I don't like my tummy so instead I arch my back so that only my head and legs are touching the ground and then kick so I move forward.

Here's pictures from this month:



To view pictures full screen click here.

Splish Splash I Was Takin a Bath

I got upgraded to the big bathtub yesterday. I wasn't sure about it at first because it was hard to balance with my legs floating. By the end I really enjoyed it and there were fun toys to play with. My favorite (and mommy's) was the cute little turtle that floated on his back.

Peek-A-Boo

This is my favorite new game. I play it everytime I'm in my crib. I even keep playing after mommy and daddy leave the room, but there's no one left to say "where's Shaylee" so I just lay there with the blanket over my head waving my arms in the air.

A Day in the Park

We finally had a nice (well sunny) day and mommy wanted to try out her fancy new camera so we went to the park on Sunday. We had to finish watching the Blazer game before we could go and it went into double overtime so I got tired pretty quickly. I did have a chance to play on the swing though...



And here's the pictures that mommy tortured me with. She's trying to take pictures in manual mode so it takes her like 5 years to setup each picture. She'll get it someday.

6 Month Doctor Appointment

I had my 6 month doctor appointment last week and it was pretty much the same as usual - measurements, pee on the bed, doctor exam, shots. Here's my measurements on the growth charts:



The doctor's only concern was that my head is kind of small (25th percentile) compared to the rest of me so she wanted me to come back in a month for another measurement. Mommy and daddy are sure it's fine, the doctor just doesn't believe that Richie's have small heads. Who wants a normal melon-sized baby noggin anyway, mine's way cuter.

Doc also said that I could have 2 meals a day of solid foods, and 3 meals a day in another week or so. I'll be eating like a big girl in no time.

0.5 Years Old

This was a busy month. We had 3 Christmas parties, 2 birthday parties, an anniversary party, and 2 play dates. I was good for almost all of them and let lots of strangers hold me. Mommy says we know them, but I've never seen them before.

My new "tricks" for this month are blowing bubbles and pulling my feet up to my mouth. I'm continuing to practice rolling over and sitting up. I also still love to stand and enjoy playing with my gym mat from all angles - laying down, sitting up, and standing over the top.



To view the pictures full screen click here.

Yummy Yummy In My Tummy

I started out the new year with some new food, trying rice cereal for the first time. It was scrumdiddlyumptious (to borrow mommy's word). Daddy couldn't get it to my mouth fast enough. I tried to steal the spoon, but he apparently didn't think I was ready to feed myself.