We are having so much fun with Lailey lately. We always do, but lately her budding personality and enthusiasm for life have made things even more exciting. I'm continually amazed by the things she picks up daily. I started this blog for my grandmother, Grandma Cele, to keep up with my pregnancy journey since we live so far away from each other and I didn't want her to miss out. Now more than two years later, I continue blogging for her and now a few others who tell me they enjoy reading about Lailey. But I also blog to keep a record. Any parent knows it's hard to remember all the stuff your kid does, and I try really hard to write (or type) things down so I can look back and smile and laugh at all our blessings. I also want Lailey and her future sibling(s) to have a record of life before they remember it. Don't know where that all came from, but there you have it. Now on to Lailey... This post is long, but I don't want to forget what she's like at this age.
-She was 18 months on October 7th, 2010.
-She is talking in a few sentences now. She actually says a lot of sentences, but I can only understand a few.
-She is 23.5 lbs. and 31 inches tall. Tiny for her age and perfect. Besides an occasional runny nose, she has been very healthy. Thank you Lord!
-Her hair is growing so long and she has one curl in the middle in the back. I hope it gets more curls!
-She understands an immense amount of words now.
-She says NO a lot. To anything and everything if she's in the mood. I don't ask her things anymore, (are you hungry? do you want to take a bath? do you want milk?) we just do them. No sense in asking if there isn't an option. Before the NO phase it was the O-TAY phase ("yes" in Lailey language) so that's probably why we asked her about everything because it's so cute to hear her say "o-tay."
-She seems to be in the beginning stages of the Terrific Twos. I don't want want to say "terrible" and I don't want to say she's already there, because I may underestimate the power of the Twos (you know, the terrific ones) and then be unpleasantly surprised.
-She finally understands smiling at a camera; getting her to comply is a different story. But that is how I got these pictures.
-When she sees my camera, she says "Lailey?" because she knows she can see pictures of herself on it.
-She's going to have a first, first cousin next May! Congratulations "Nit" and "Lulie!"
-She only takes one nap a day, but sometimes it's as long as 3.5 hrs. I'm SO glad she takes after me in her love of sleep. She goes to bed around 8:00 pm and has been known to sleep as late as, are you ready for this?...past 10:30 am!!! The house must be quiet, but it happens. Blessed child. We're usually all up before that though.
-She can identify all her family members by name.
-She signs a lot, and she's still learning new ones. (recently, "thirsty," "light," "nice" and "cold")
-She LOVES. the. moon. Seriously. She'll babble about the moon on an entire car trip home if she can see it, or she'll ask "la moon?" as in, "where's the moon?" if she can't see it.
-She can run.
-She loves to give us hugs and will grab our legs and squeeze them and say sweetly, "hut."
-She can't say g's or c's. Hence, "hut."
-She loves milk.
-She loves chickens.
-She loves her "miney" (blanket). We have several, in fact, to avoid being without one. She doesn't care as long as it's a crocheted blanket.
-She loves Rudy.
-She loves any phone. If she doesn't have a toy phone, she will make any object into a phone. A toy elephant, a remote, a shoe, a box, and of course if she can get to them, our cell phones.
-Speaking of phones, while hanging with Grandpa, she locked him out of his phone preventing him from using it and they had to take a 30 minute drive to the AT&T store! But it did get her a trip to Monkey Joe's, so I think that was in her masterful plan.
-She might not like it, but she will try mostly any new food.
-She loves pizza. We mostly eat the homemade kind on wheat pitas with pureed spinach, sauce, cheese, and turkey pepperoni, but any pizza will do.
-She enjoys books, especially before bedtime. Her current request is "a-choo" which is the book "Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo." I can almost recite it verbatim. Ask me, if you dare. I'm kinda proud of it and you will be subject to a long recitation. Just ask Davey. "The Eye Book" is almost etched in my memory too. I heart Dr. Seuss. I think I enjoy our reading time just as much, if not more than Lailey.
-She can make a cute face (head to one side with a grin), a surprise face, a silly face (wrinkles her nose and sniffs repeatedly), and a sad/mad face where she actually fake cries. I did not teach her that, but when she first did it I cracked up laughing.
-She likes to sing, by herself and with me. She asked for "Bider" (aka the "Itsy Bitsy Spider") about 8 times in a row in the car the other day. Yes, I obliged.
-She very rarely has any separation anxiety. I can probably count the times on one hand. Usually if I drop her off at Madison's house (her sitter) or church nursery, she hits the ground running and I have to tackle her for a kiss before leaving. I wouldn't have it any other way.
-She loves her time with Daddy but she definitely shows a lot of mommy favoritism right now. I just keep reminding him that it won't last forever and she'll probably go through a phase where she wants him more than me.
-She does not play with many toys, but loves household objects, buckles, doors to open and close, and other things you wouldn't think are entertaining but really are. She has her own cabinet in the living room with items such as a Quaker oatmeal container, a small card file box, a wooden spoon, a stuffed animal or two (they don't get out much), a ball maybe, and probably some hidden mail.
-I live for her sweet giggles and her spontaneous hugs. They brighten my day every time.
I will probably think of more things, but that's it for now. I love my Lailey!
The Monday before Thanksgiving, Davey and I were outside putting up Christmas lights on the house. Lailey was with Grammy and Granddaddy for the day, riding the pink pig and getting spoiled...I mean, having a ton of fun. (That's what grandparents are for, right?) Rudy was outside hanging in the yard while we worked. I saw a dog wander near our yard, and of course Rudy went quickly out to greet him, despite me hollering like a crazy person for him to stay in the yard. I worry about Rudy and stray dogs since he's quite bold and they may be quite unfriendly. Anyway, they engaged in the usual dog-sniffing behavior, and the dog didn't seem bothered whatsoever about Rudy's crazy, ahem, "friendly" behavior.
Eventually he wandered over to us as we were working and we engaged in the usual dog-petting behavior. Rudy was a little perplexed and kept trying to rough house with him. I suppose he was trying to establish that it was his yard and his humans. He came back to the house on and off that day and then spent part of the night on our porch. 
Davey decided one day he needed a name. While considering it, his face suddenly lit up and he said "Hey! What about "HANK!?" I quickly agreed. You see, Davey loves the name "Hank" for a boy and tried to make a good case for it before we had Lailey. I, however, vetoed it. (It's okay. He vetoed lots of my suggestions too :) I knew if the dog was named Hank then none of our future children would ever have it!!! Don't worry, I was completely honest about my sly plan. The name stuck.
With the help of our brother-in-law, Tim, Davey started building a large dog pen in our backyard last weekend and is trying to finish it up as I write this. The rain has set him back, but he's been at it as much as possible. Hopefully Rudy and Hank will have a nice dog pen by the end of the week. Thanks to a Humane Society volunteer, we're getting one dog house for free and another very cheap off of Craig's List. The boys should be comfy in no time. 
She was fine with touching the pumpkin guts, but reaching inside? I don't think so. She gave me several emphatic "no's." She was willing to take the seeds out of my hand and put them in the bowl though.
The finished products did not get finished until well after Lailey went to bed. Here they are! I carved Elmo, and Davey did an INCREDIBLE job on E.T.
Somehow I didn't get any pictures of the back of my costume with the Nutrition Facts, but I think my dad did, so maybe I can get those later. 
I should explain that this is Lailey's costume. Well, the front half. I'm hoping my toddler will actually tolerate wearing two foam cookies on her front and back. It's a gamble I'm willing to take for the sake of Halloween fun. I haven't started my costume, but I'm not going to say what it is yet. Any guesses? Remember, we go together. It's a theme, people.
Since Lailey is now big enough to enjoy a few kiddie rides, it was a whole new experience for us. We really had a great time watching her do stuff.
She is pointing at a "bider," which was a 3-foot hairy spider used as decoration on the carousel. These spiders are on various things throughout the park as part of the Halloween decor, and Lailey was fascinated with them, of all things. In fact, she kept asking emphatically, or demanding really, to "touch it!"
-She was 18 months on October 7th, 2010.
-She can run.
I will probably think of more things, but that's it for now. I love my Lailey!
