Our 15 Month Old Rascal part 2

With Lily turning 16 months tomorrow, I thought it was time to finish her 15 mo. post! Whoops. Lots of changes have come in the past month. Really, just two. I graduated!!! YEA ME (it's about stinkin' time!!!)  Jordan and I celebrated by going out to Olive Garden and also when I had come home from taking my last final I found that Jordan had gone to Costco and bought me several treats in excessive quantity. We then engorged ourselves and watched a red box.  He has been wonderful these past two years of school ~ never complaining about moving for school, giving up better jobs out of state for my school, or all the extra work he's had to do around the house, and penny pinching, because of school. He is just wonderful.

and.... Jordan got a new job! He applied for this job about a year ago, and Thanksgiving week they finally gave him a call back to set up an interview. Of course they were impressed with his dashing good looks, high level of intellect, and mild temperament. So, being the smart company that IM Flash is, they offered him a job. He starts January and is excited for the new challenge. His job title is a procurement agent (please tell me if I'm wrong honey).


With age Lily is becoming so much more fun!! And mobile (shopping is a nightmare)! I love it when she runs, her right arm chugs along side her, while her left hangs limp. Here are some pictures I've taken over the last month showing her spunky personality.



I love this picture just because she's standing like a dancer



I've got Lily well trained. As soon as the opening song for the Nutcracker comes on, she comes running from whatever part of the house to come dance in the living room. You can't really tell, but here she is twirling.

She's learned how to give kisses, along with the smacking noise. If you get one, be prepared for a very wet cheek!

Look at what I got into!

How do I get out of here?!!!!!

For the past two months the only way we can get her to hold still to get dressed or get her diaper changed is to hand her a book. Otherwise she wiggles, cries and gets poop EVERYWHERE. I guess she's just like adults - she likes to read while taking care of business :)

Don't pay attention to her outfit. I think this was 10 am and we were on our 3rd outfit for the day, so I was grabbing whatever warm clothes I could find. But here she is signing "banana". It was hard getting a good picture because she only signs it when I'm offering it to her, so she quickly signs the banana, and then runs to get her prize. She's been picking up signs like crazy!


She only says a few words: mommy, daddy, no and hi.

However, her signs include: baby, please, banana, more, all done, wash hands, hat, book and brush teeth.

Where's Lily?

Peek-a-boo!

She played in the laundry hamper for about 30 minutes. We didn't complain as we were able to get some cleaning done!

Little Helper!

Laundry is her favorite game! Lucky for her, there is usually a mountain of clothes that need to be folded.



Sweeping is becoming more difficult as she refuses to let me hold the broom. She's getting a little broom just her size for Christmas, so hopefully she will use that while I use the real broom. We can hope.



Yes, this is her trying to feed herself, and yes it is with a Tablespoon measure. She loves to hide her real spoons, so this was all I could find at the moment. She is still working on actually getting food onto the spoon, so usually she gets frustrated and lets me put a few spoonfuls into her mouth before she steals the spoon away again. Major messes, here we come!

It doesn't look like her hair has grown much in the past half year.

That is until you straighten out the curls. They are a little wild, but still darling!

Food Fight!

For Christmas this year, we are headed up to Canada! With baggage prices up sky high (we're hopping Lily pulls some strings for us again this trip to save us some money!) we decided not to haul all our presents up to Canada - not that Lily will notice. So we've been giving her the presents as they're bought. These are some plastic food toys that I found in the Target $1 section - and these were by far the favorite of the season.

At first she had fun putting them on plates and pretending to eat them...

That is, until she learned how fun they are to throw.

Our 15 month Old Rascal

I decided to do her 15 month check up at home this time. I didn't want to fork out a copay when there wasn't any vaccinations and I can figure out what he would've told me. I know she's hitting her milestones, and I can listen to her heart and lung sounds myself. I weighed and measured her and looked up the percentile ratings in my pediatric textbooks. Here were the results:

Weight: 20.4 lbs. = 12th percentile

Height: 11th percentile

Head circumference: 90th percentile

Conclusion: She's a GENUIS (and an Elliss). At the moment she is wearing 18 mo. tops, 12 mo. bottoms and size 3 shoes.

We had fun playing doctor's office at home, and of course Lily had a turn.

What?! The plastic strawberry has no pulse!!!
Start CPR STAT!

This was by far the most important test:
the nasal pulse with platic hot dog diagnosis

Lily the Toddler

My baby is officially a toddler. Many would say that transformation happened on her 1 year birthday, or the day she started walking (waddling) efficiently across the room. No. She became a toddler today.


Jordan and I were sitting on the sofa playing with Lily who was frequently on and off the sofa. When the play time started to wind down, she tried to extend it by doing something she knows is naughty. She bit me! This is not what makes her a toddler as she has been doing this since she was 7 months old. Recently we have been more consistent at breaking her of the habit and she now knows it is a "no-no-no".


 However, after 3 times of biting me in succession tonight and 3 different gentle, "no" - Jordan finally, a little more firmly, said "No Lily" as she was going in for another taste of my flesh. At this injustice she started to cry-looking at ME for sympathy (I'm the true victim! The one who had just been bitten 3 times!). When we ignored her alligator tears, she dramatically stumbled out of the room, still crying, waving !good bye!.


Flabbergasted Parents -  meet Lily the Toddler.


I am picking up my first parenting book tomorrow at the library. Recommendations are appreciated.

Rock the Vote

Jordan and Lily tag teamed it while voting today. Jordan worked the buttons while Lily, using the policital science smarts that she inherited from me, told him for whom to vote - meanwhile I was in the booth next to them. Family voting - ultimate togetherness.

 

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Observation Peak

The Book-ends of October. I'm just now getting around to posting about the general conference weekend that we spent down in New Harmony. Halloween pictures to follow. 

 We decided on a whim one night that we missed family and thus the decision to drive to New Harmony to see my dad and Jordan's parents.

Jordan and I took advantage of the situation (free baby sitters) and the Friday Jordan took off from work- and had a long guilt-free date at Zions national Park. We've wanted to hike Observation Point since we were first married. We've been lucky enough to make it to Zions every year of our marriage - last year we hike Angels Landing (while I was 5 months pregnant mind you!). Observation Point is 723feet higher and 3 miles longer than Angels landing. It's a 8 mile round trip excursion with the peak boasting 6508 feet in elevation! My buns were burning!



On the bus to the trail head





CAUGHT! Washing his hands.... (This looks like a sign that would be placed in the hospital over the waterless alcohol sanitizers.)







No, it was not all paved.





Magic




One of the many friends we made along the way



I wish I had flirted less and paid attention more in my 7th grade science class when we learned what all of these different levels meant.



View from the top




What happens when we attempt to take a picture ourselves





And when we ask someone else to do it.



As much as we adore our Lily Pad and enjoy being with friends & family, we both agreed that it was nice to just be together for a couple of hours. Although life is a little more stressful than either of us have ever experienced before, we both agreed that we are happier than we've ever been. Yea for the Gospel! (and nature for bringing these reflections about)

The Lord shall reveal his secrets unto his servants, the prophets....

General Conference!!!!! I love this time of year- family, good food,

mo-tab, and church in pajamas :) (and essential counsel from the Lord's mouthpieces of course)




Did you know that once I made it onto the church news in between conferences? Yep- that's my claim to fame. I've never seen it myself but my family all swear they see me as a missionary in the background at the Madrid temple square.




I think a soothing voice is an apostolic requirement



But even Lily was tuned in when President Monson came on!



Sweetie- I don't think President Monson is going to answer his cell phone in the middle of his conference talk- even if it is YOU calling.



Lily the Ham

The next winning contestant on The Apprentice

Baby Steps

Although Lily had already taken her "first steps" She was still mastering the art.






Thank goodness for the extra diaper padding!

 

Family Time

Even having the cutest cheerleader didn't help the Cougars against the USU Aggies. That one was embarrassing!