One Year Stats...

This morning we had Elizabeth's one year check up. Here we are before we left!

It was just us since Madilynn had preschool this morning.
Elizabeth at one year you weigh 18lbs. 14oz. and you're 29.25in. long!
She was 15% in weight and 50% in length and head circumference. The doctor wasn't worried at all about her weight since she eats really well. She is just sooo active (sound familiar?). She was all over the place while we were in the doctor's office! But, we do have to wait a little longer to turn her car seat facing forward since she'll have to be 20lbs.

Some things to note at one year:

• Teeth #5 & #6 just broke through on Friday (Aug. 27th) bottom right lateral incisor and top left lateral incisor
• She's still eating really well some things we've just tried lately are blueberries and she loves them and scrambled eggs and she's just not too sure. She doesn't eat them up as good as I thought she would. I think if we could've introduced them earlier she may have done better with them.
• Drinks from sippy cup or out of a straw - no more bottles (they are all put away!) She's doing great, she thinks she's so big already!
• Our new bedtime routine (without a bottle) is a bath, then we read a book or two and put her down. She's done great! Just as good as before.
• She has really enjoyed reading books more lately and likes to turn the pages, and say "wow" or "baa"
• She's LOUD...makes lots of sounds. She will definitely let you know when she needs attention or wants something she just hollars really loud. We're working on this...
• Only time she says, "mama, mama" is when she's whinning/crying and wants me to pick her up. She say's "Dada" really good. Just in the last week she's started saying "Baa" and I think it's from her books and learning what a sheep says. She'll also say, "Ba" and point to a ball! Then Saturday (her birthday) instead of just shaking her head no she started actually saying, "no, no, no" it's kind of funny now, but I'm sure it won't be very soon!
• She stood alone for the first time! Yesterday evening we were playing outside and she stood up by herself in the middle of the yard several times for more than 5 seconds at a time. She would just be playing with a leaf and not realize what she was doing and slowly stand up from her squat position. Stand for 5-6 seconds then slowly squat back down! So exciting to see!!

So it's definitely a new season around here now! USU started back today (Daddy is officially back to work!), Madilynn has started preschool, Elizabeth has transitioned from bottle to cup, formula to milk, and I think fall is here in Utah!

It's been a little cooler for the last week and we've had more rain here and there. I think it has rained more today than it did all summer long! Time to turn off the sprinklers, I guess. It even hailed a little today. Here's Elizabeth watching the rain out the window before nap time. "Wow" trying to touch it Yesterday before church, a quick picture of the girls... Isn't this the way it goes!! Madilynn's just trying to help us get a picture without Elizabeth getting away and Elizabeth is like, "let go of me!" hahaha!

Elizabeth is ONE!!!

So, we started out the day at "the bread place"! Here are the girls!

After breakfast we started getting ready for her party! We invited lots of people from Michael's work to come over tonight and celebrate with us! I started on the cupcakes and Michael worked outside some. Here I am icing the cupcakes!
While I made the icing Michael put together all these vegetable kabobs - so pretty!
After we had some lunch, Elizabeth opened her presents...

We got her a bible story book, a baby, and a dora ball!

Here she is looking at a card from Nana, Papa, & Ashlee

we had to help her with opening the presents she wasn't really sure about it.

Here she is with an Elephant Daddy Gene & Ladonna sent - so cute we love it!

playing with her baby

She played with her new toys for a little while and got to talk to Nana, Mama, & Ashlee on the computer before naptime.

During naptime Michael and I finished up getting the food ready...

I thought the table turned out great! This was our first big get together in Utah, so I was so excited to get to use all of my crystal thats been packed away for the last few years!

snacktime having her crackers and juice

She loved the balloons!

I had two tables set up out on the deck. The weather was perfect just the right temperature.

eating blueberries, she loved them!

Mommy & Daddy with the birthday girl!

almost time for cupcakes!

It looks like she doesn't know what to think...

yummy cupcake

and ice cream too!

What a special day it was!!!

And...here's a video of singing Happy Birthday and her reaction to it all. I think all of a sudden she was a little overwhelmed and realized everyone was singing to her...

Preschool has begun...

The new building was just completed this summer on campus for the preschool Madilynn is attending. Here is the new building...the preschool is actually on the left side with just one level. It is just beautiful inside with lots of bright colors, we just loved it!

Monday evening was open house. We took Madilynn into her classroom to get aquainted and get to know her teachers while we were sent off to fill out paperwork. Anyway when we returned to her classroom to check it all out, here's what we found...
All dressed for a tea party with friends...

She had a great time, and of course didn't want to leave!

Here are just some pictures I was able to get of the different areas of the classroom

hands-on stuff in this trough

Elizabeth checking out the rocking chair, just her size!

the reading area... I thought it was such a great area with the small couches and rocking chairs!

Well, Madilynn had her first day on Wednesday. She goes Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8-12. She has had a wonderful time this week, and in fact isn't ready to leave when we pick her up (even though it's naptime there too).

I think it will be great to have a little one-on-one time with Elizabeth during this time too! So far she hasn't known what to do without Madilynn around. They play together a lot, so it will be a transition for Elizabeth. After I drop Madilynn off, then put Elizabeth into her seat she just looks over at Madilynn's seat in the car like, where is she? or are we forgetting something? So funny!!

Last Week...

Last week we were around the house quite a bit, and Daddy had long days at work (preparing for school to start). In the afternoons after nap time Madilynn did "crafts" as she called them. They were really exercises for practicing using scizzors and glue. She did great! Here she is with one of her worksheets.

Some changes in the last couple of weeks for Elizabeth. Last Tuesday night was her last bedtime bottle (and really last bottle in general). Then she would just have formula in her sippy cup at mealtimes...until the formula was all gone, which was Friday night. So, as of Saturday the 21st she's been on whole milk and has done great! She really seems to like it, and drinks all that I give her!!

So, since there have been no more bottles, she's been participating in afternoon snack time with Madilynn the past couple of weeks.

Elizabeth with her juice and animal crackers at the little table - this is where they like to have snack time together!

Then one day we received a birthday package from Daddy Gene & Ladonna for mine and Michael's birthday...Elizabeth helped me open it (in preparation for tomorrow, of course!)

Thank you Daddy Gene & Ladonna for our gifts! Michael showing off his new Razorback magna-coolie (its magnetic!), and I got a silicone Razorback cake pan - pretty cool!! We can't wait for football season to start! I'm going to have to make a Razorback cake soon!! I'm thinking red velvet with cream cheese icing!!

Last week I also made some zuccini bread for the first time, with some zuccini from our garden! It turned out so good, we all loved it!

Here's Elizabeth showing me how she can eat it like a big girl taking just one bite at a time (instead of me giving her little pieces to pick up)!

Madilynn enjoying her yogurt and zuccini bread

big smiles

another day...another snack time together

they have a great time together, and I just realized they are matching!!

Okay I've tried to add this video below of something Elizabeth has been doing lately. When she sees me with the camera pointed at her she stops and blinks like the flash is going off, its so funny. She's got it all figured out! Anyway we'll see if it works...

Pictures

These pictures were taken awhile back (July 30-31st), but they were on a different camera, so I've just gotten them uploaded. Anyways...they were too good not to share, especially with the grandparents!!

a new face

posing

lovin' the swing

beautiful

big girl...what happened?!?!

so sweet