15 Months!

Baby had her 15 month well child check-up.  15 months already!  

And here I am still chubby with baby weight. 

Nevermind that.  

Upon arrival to the clinic, Baby immediately discovered the toys in the waiting room and puttered around babbling and touching everything.  It was adorable but I also cringed at the thought of how many other gremlins have been drooling all over those toys.  It's good for the immune system, right?

She didn't really want the Dr. to touch her or look at her or talk to her, and she screamed and screamed during the immunizations, but we managed to get er done. I hate those dadgum shots.

Baby is growing perfectly and everyone cooed over her cuteness.  I expect nothing less.

Here's how she measured up this visit:

Weight: 23.3 pounds - 75th percentile

Height: 32 inches - 87th percentile

Head circumference: 45.7 cm - 48th percentile 

She was exhausted by the time we arrived home.

At 15 months, Baby loves to read and her favorite book is "Miss Spider's Tea Party." We can all quote it verbatim. She also loves dancing to music, being outside, making messes, and exploring.  She continues to be a joyful spot in my life and I'm incredibly grateful to have her wearing me out everyday.

 

Fall

Our Fall weather has been perfect.  I don't remember a time that I've enjoyed being outside as much as I have over the past few weeks.  I just want to be outside!

So we've been eating dinner on the porch.  We pull out our camp chairs every night and eat.  I love it.  I don't even care that we don't have actual patio furniture.  

We bought Baby her own outdoor dinner chair and she thinks it's a royal throne.

Sometimes Sissy regales us with her trombone and I sit and feel content about life.

And we've been getting out for walks as often as we can.

Such simple pleasures but oh, so impactful.

Mawage

Mawage. Mawage is what bwings us together, today. Mawage, that blessed arrangement.  That dweam wifin a dweam. 

Skip to the end.

Ok. Here goes.

I flew to Idaho with Baby, by myself, again.

Ain't doin that no more.  It be rough.

We spent 2 days with my parents. I did the most important things while there: saw my nieces, had fish tacos, bought a truckload of corn, BBQ in the backyard. 

Then when my Sissy arrived from Northern Idaho, we all drove to Utah to be at my nephew's temple sealing. As soon as we slid into Logan, we did the other most important thing - hot and sour soup and tiny spicy chicken.  Baby approved. 

Baby also met her cousin and they were both instantly smitten.  My nieces doted over Baby and basically took care of her all day at the sealing and luncheon.  It was so sweet.   

Do you know what else was so sweet?

Being with my family.  Going to Costco and Sam's Club to gather all the food.  Hauling all the food into our hotel rooms and getting it ready in the morning for the luncheon.  Laughing.  Gabbing about everything and anything.  Running into the grocery store at the last minute with my other Sissy for mayo and mustard and watching my nephew eat a tomato like an apple. Eating cake. Laughing some more.

It was all lovely and wonderful and far too short.

The highlight was the temple. I love being in the temple with my family.  I love the reminder that these are my people for eternity.

You see how blessed I am? So very blessed.

Fair Enough

I don't know how this happened but we landed ourselves at the fair again.

Wait.  

I know exactly how it happened.

The nerd brigade made me do it.

Okay, okay. This is where I admit that I actually saw the billboard for the fair and asked the brigade if they wanted to go. I did it.  I instigated the fair.

Why do I have to love them so much?!

So there we were at the fair.  It was Baby's first time, of course.  She didn't seem to be to into it.  

Until she had a taste of Sissy's $15 Icee.  Then she was all in.

It was blazing hot outside and Michael was way overdressed - his shirt had sleeves - but it wasn't all bad.

Sissy rode some rides, including the requisite giant slide.

She tamed a bull.

And she and Michael had a glorious turn on the ferris wheel.  I stayed on the ground with Baby and people watched.  That's where the real fun is.

We went early in the evening so we could leave before Baby's bedtime, and it was perfect.  Just as we were ready to head out, the crowds began to swell.  I could barely maneuver the stroller and without sidewalks on our journey back to the car, I feared for my life.

And that's how you know you're at the fair.

I Can...

Read

Open my own chips

Be helpful

Go down the slide

And melt your heart

I'm especially good at that last one.

Yucky School

Our school district insists on starting school when it's still summer.

It's egregious.

I hate it.

Can you believe that not one person in power asked for my opinion about it? Not one!

Preposterous.

The calendar turned the page to August and there we were - roaming the crowded halls of Sissy's new school for Back to School Night.  

Back to School Night.  Psssh.

We wandered around in a daze. Sissy met her teachers and was filled to the brim with excitement and fear.  

I was filled to the brim with sweat.  It was hot and I had Baby on my chest in her carrier.  

And then...a mere 4 days later...

The first day of 6th grade!

I wanted to cry.  I wanted to vomit.  I wanted to run into the woods screaming, "No...you can't take my baby!"

Instead I snapped photos. She was set with her fancy new supplies loaded into her Loki backpack. I dropped Sissy off for her first day of middle school and then ran 6.2 miles with Baby so I wouldn't cry.  It didn't work.  I cried alright.  But for a different reason.  Who runs 6.2 miles on purpose? Morons.  That's who. (My sister made me do it.)

After school I greeted Sissy with balloons and candy.  She was tired and overwhelmed by her first day.

So we ate steak and mashed potatoes to soothe our souls.

Starting middle school is a big transition.  Her school is ginormous and there's a lot to learn about routines and expectations.  It feels huge. But it's life.

Sissy will do great.  I just know it.

Happy first day of middle school!

Just Cuz

Sissy had 2 adventures this summer.

First, a clogged tear duct. Her eye was so swollen one morning that she looked like she'd been in the ring with Rocky Balboa.  I left it for a day but then took her to the doctor just in case since I don't know nothing about nothing. He told us to massage it with a warm compress for a couple of days.  It worked like a charm.

Then, Sissy a lost tooth. It wasn't just any tooth though...it was her final baby tooth.  This is where you can send a tear down your cheek in honor of me.  My baby ain't no baby anymore. I made her write a note to the Tooth Fairy.  She obliged.

Man! She must think the Tooth Fairy has a significant amount of sway over me. I ain't no puppet for the Tooth Fairy...nope. Michael most certainly does not have a workbench full of expensive printers and a closet full of filament and cords and circuit boards and resin and tools and a mass of general tinkering junk in his possession.

Nope.  I ain't easily swayed.

There's no way Sissy is getting that Great Deku Tree Lego set.  

No way indeed.