14 months! (well almost)

I know it is still over a week away until she is officially 14 months old. However, I didn't do a 13 month post so I'll just hit this a little early!

At 14 months......

It has been so fun watching her master (almost) walking over the last two months!

She still isn't completely confident using her feet instead of her knees as her main mode of movement; but she gets better and better and more confident each and every day as she ventures more and more! Yesterday she tried walking down our front lawn (which has a pretty steep slope) and she turfed it on her nose and did kind of a slow motion tumble down the little hill! She was mildly stunned-

The two words that she uses appropriately are 'uh oh' and 'ball.' She will say mama and dada but it's definitely not in the appropriate context!

She is becoming quite the hugger! She was NOT a cuddly baby at all and she still doesn't cuddle much but she will give a great hug a few times a day! Her kisses are few and far between and they are on her terms, not ours!

This passed week we have been experiencing her first actual temper tantrums! She has always let us know when she doesn't feel good or is tired but these tantrums are definitely different and HILARIOUS!!! She flings herself around, won't let you hug her, and you can hear her screaming from the street! I'm sure our neighbors love it! We have always known that we have a very expressive one! I am wondering what raising this one has in store for us! Oh- but I wouldn't change having her for the whole entire world!

I love her beaming eyes and huge smile! She is so funny and laughs at herself, I love it! She loves to read (or try to read) her books! She points at the words and jabbers. Balls are her favorite toys. A dog can change her mood in an instant. She can be so cranky and the sight of a dog lights her up!

She is very determined- ie. she is certain she can get up on the big chairs that we have out on our patio and she tries and tries until she finally makes it. The picture below is her triumphant accomplishment- getting up on the chair.

cute feet....

I think it's absolutely adorable that amidst her playing outside she always takes a few seconds to come and sit on my lap!

Model shot....

Loving me a toothy gap...

Waiting, ever-so impatiently, for dinner. This kid is a BOTTOMLESS pit! She would constantly eat if I let her!

She loves to swing her little legs when I sit her in her chair! I love this chair because she is right up with us for dinner- being an active participant!

And Charlie is in the background scavenging for any small morsel that Hayden might drop down to her.

mmmm mmmmm mm!! Love corn on the cob!

We love our little squirt sooo much! She brings so much joy into our lives!

Silver Lining

This week I was so lucky to witness my cousin getting married!! At the luncheon, it was so sweet to hear her siblings talk so lovingly of her. One thing that rang true from all of them is how happy Dannielle always is! She finds the silver lining in all situations. It was such a good reminder for me to look for the best. Sometimes it is so hard to remember that REALLY we have it GOOD!!

For example- on our way home from Salt Lake- it was just me and Hayden for the last two hours and this poor kid had absolutely had it with traveling (Delta, Marbleton Wy, back to Delta, then Cedar, then back to Delta then Salt Lake then home- all in one week!) She really had done pretty good- but by the time we hit Parawan on our way home Wednesday night- she was DONE! Anybody who knows us knows that we have a very expressive little one! When she is happy- she is SSOOO happy; but when she is mad- WATCH OUT!!! My little Millie has the most piercing, shrill, scream I have ever heard. Well this was a time when she really let me know that she was NOT happy! I tried handing her teddy grahams- failed. I handed her books- failed- I handed her old fries from earlier- failed. Now, there are only so many things you can do for a kid while driving. Singing didn't work- pleading with her to just hang in there for a few more minutes didn't work. So- I cranked my right arm around to put my palm against her cheek. BINGO!!! The only problem with this scenario is that every time I would try to give my arm a break- she resumed her unhappy scream!! So- are ya ready for the silver lining?? How freaking awesome is it that this little human being loved me touching her cheek so much that nothing else would settle her! Over the next twenty minutes of the drive my arm went numb and I was sure that I was going to need my shoulder replaced but I could not have been happy. My baby loves me THAT much! I would have kept my arm there for DAYS if it would make her happy! In that moment I thought back about all the times that I have gotten so frustrated with her because it seems that everyone else's babies are content and happy when mine gets cranky so much. I had to tell myself- Megan, really, you do not have it THAT bad!! She is healthy, she is spunky and so full of life! How could I trade that for ANYTHING else in the whole entire world??!! I am so completely in love with my life- I love it when we have an extra $10- this spare tire around my waist drives me nuts- my front driver side fender is crunched in as a result of the last snow storm and an un-expecting reflector pole- we are so ready to be done with school- and life in general keeps us on our toes- however, we are so completely blessed to be where we are right now! We have a roof over our heads- a wonderful gospel to rely on- a bEaUtIfUl little girl and a love between husband and wife that can't be matched (at least in my eyes)- seriously- what can be better than that!???? The silver lining is beautiful- we just need to keeping looking for it!

Salt Lake Temple grounds

Playing with Grandma and Grandpa

This is for Cic- here are the curtains I made last weekend- picture via ipod so its not great quality!

May-

Here is a little catch up over the last month!! I have been slacking the blogging for a few weeks!!! Lots of pics!!

Hugs from her pup!

This is how we roll at our dinner table!! Check out her bib- they are the best!!!! They cover EVERYTHING!!! I got two of them from Ikea for like $3!!!

We finally got her little wading pool set up and she thought she needed to crawl in with her clothes on and her dad let her!!

So we get her swim suit on her and put her in it and she wanted OUT!!!!

Love our summer sundresses!!

I went in to check on her before bed the other night and this is what I found- the full moon!!! Ha ha

No worries- got one bink for the mouth and one for the hand! Can't get much better than that riding in the car!

Happy Mother's Day!!!! This is a little late but we stopped through Delta on our way back from Wyoming on Mother's Day so that we could say hi to the moms that mean so much to us!

I feel so incredibly lucky to be a mom to this little rugrat!! I love her so much!

Now the Wyoming getaway!!!

A few weeks ago, we decided to finally take a weekend and go visit Chelise and Ronnie! Despite having a cranky, whiny, teething kid- we had a great time! Chelise is a marvelous hostess and Ronnie makes a great tour guide! Here are some pics of our time there...

This was about the only time she smiled the whole weekend.... see how close that top left tooth is to popping through!

Pull Brod pull!!!!

These are the delicious strawberry drinks that Chelise made for us! YUM!!

Cute lil turd!!!

Sunshine!!!

Again- I really can't believe she is a year old!!!

To celebrate- again- I took her out to a pretty little clearing with some spring wild flowers and snapped some pics! I should have probably waited until Colby could have gone with me because she wasn't too happy about the whole situation. We stayed for a total of ten minutes because she had had ENOUGH!!! But I think we got some kinda cute ones!!!

(Despite the fact that she wouldn't smile!)

"Mom- seriously!! I don't like this!!"

I have to say- I know I'm biased but- her lips are so gorgeous!!

The only time she was happy was when she picked the flower- ha ha!!

I love all the different baby shoes!!! Even though she can't really maneuver in these- I still love them!!

Things she is doing at ONE!!!

She has walked a total of 10 steps by herself but she's definitely not WALKING yet!

She is eating EVERYTHING!

She just cut her third tooth yesterday- the top right one-

She gives Charlie hugs-

Instead of giving high fives- she likes to touch pointer fingers.

Her hair is constantly in her eyes when I don't have it pulled back.

She pulls everything out of her cupboard- the one with all of her dishes, bottles, and food.

She loves books.

We have been struggling with a sore bum for weeks now- it comes on fast when we have fed her green food like her beloved green beans.

She'll drink from a sippy cup if it's chocolate milk-

She still scrunches her nose and breathes really fast- I need to video it! It's so funny!

She is definitely a Daddy's girl.

There is so much more that I think about- then I can't remember them when I sit down to blog- I need to start writing them down RIGHT when I think of them!

Happy Easter!

It was a little weird having Easter so late this year- so she didn't even have an Easter within her first year! It's so fun having a little one to celebrate with!

Colby made smoothies yesterday and she LOVED them!!!

Here's the evidence....

Sportin her new shades!

Love her cute lil Easter dress!

Her dad put the floppy hat on wrong so she kinda resembles Gilligan in this pic!

Now Charlie gets to sport the floppy hat!

It's so hard not to go overboard for every holiday!! Especially when there are so many cute things out there!

Happy Easter to all!

oNe.

Wait what???

Will you please repeat that?? ONE??!!

YES it's true! This year FLEW by! We decided to celebrate..

.....with cupcakes....

....and cake....

{the crazy fool didn't want to eat it}

{so dad helped her}

...and presents....

{can you see her feet going so fast?}

....and family....

{more family}

{and more family}

[get out of my face mom]

and there is Kys- cute frostinged face!

yes frostinged is in MY dictionary

Then we ventured out into the back yard to visit the other birthday girl!

story- read here.

Whew- I need a drink Dad!

and it was a day. quite a day. oh the things i would do for this lil girl!