15 Months Old

That sounds so big, doesn't it??  Our sweet girl is turning into the most fun little kid, and we couldn't love her any more.  I haven't done a great job in the past of explaining what she's up to each month, but I'm gonna give it a shot.  Please indulge me... there will be pictures!

I've come to the realization that her monthly photo shoots in the glider are a thing of the past.  Getting the kid to sit still for a picture is virtually impossible.  We even tried her little PB chair, but that was even worse because she can get in and out of it easily.  So... her monthly pictures are going to have to be action shots from now on.

Not interested.

 

So, we tried singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider...

(blurry, but she's making her spider)

I think I was snorting like a pig at this point.

So, we tried something different...

 You want me to what??

There, are we done??

Mom... I'm not on my bottom!!

 Dare me to take my bow off?? 

 I WIN.

As for her official stats, Leighton weighs 21 lbs, 4 oz. (25%), she is 30.25 in. tall (43%), and her head circumference is almost 18 in. (38%).  She wears mostly size 18 months clothes, and she is in a size 4 diaper.

 After a little bit of tough love in the past couple of months, I am happy to report that Leighton is once again sleeping well at night.  She typically goes to bed around 8 pm and sleeps until around 7 am (without waking up... Yay!!).  We are trying to transition from two naps a day to one.  She still gets tired around 10 am... but I have been putting her down around noon and she is starting to sleep for at least two hours.

For the most part I would say she is a pretty good eater.  However, like any kid, she is hesitant to eat anything green on her plate without a little coercing from Mom.  We do think she is allergic to eggs, so we did a blood test last week at the doctor to determine if she is allergic to any of the basic foods, pets, etc., so I'm anxious to get the results.  She has four teeth on the bottom, and she just cut her fourth and fifth tooth on the top last week.

As you can tell, Leighton loves to play outside!  We go outside several times a day and she is not afraid of getting dirty.  Right now her favorite thing to do is scoop up the mulch in the yard with her shovel and put it in her bucket (or sprinkle it nicely all over the driveway).  Whatever keeps her happy!  She also likes to stop at the little playground in our neighborhood and play.  This video was from about a month ago, but this was Leighton's first time to go down the big-girl slide by herself.  (You'll need to tilt your head to the left to view the video... I had no idea how to flip it)

So, congratulations if you've made it this far and thanks for sticking with us!!  And congratulations to me for finally finishing and posting this novel.  Have a great rest of the week!!

Summer Lovin'

Check out all the fun things we've been doing outside...

 We took Leighton to the duck pond for the first time...

 But we scared away the ducks.

 So she decided that she would eat the bread.
Riding the cooler scooter with Dad!

 Classy, huh??

 Forget walking...we run!!

 Playing with Riley!!

 This is what happens when Mom goes inside...

Ridin' the lawnmower with Pops!

Look Mom, no hands!!

Having a ball!!

Stealing a few of Cousin Charlie's puffs...

You don't get in trouble as long as you feed him some too!!

Learning how to use her new fishing pole!

Sliding in the garage!

Playing with some new Easter goodies!

Actually swimming in our new pool!

A makeover and one-year-old photos!

So, I'm sure you noticed that our little bloggy blog got a much-needed makeover.  I have been wanting to share pictures from Leighton's one-year-old photo shoot and update our design, so I thought I would do it in one fell swoop!  It's a little more modern than our old do and quite refreshing if I do say so myself.  Of course, it helps that the main attraction is none other than the beautiful Miss Leighton looking so sweet with her baby blues and big pouty lips.  I melt.

As I said in my last post, we went back to Tiffany at Mulberry Dreams for Leighton's one-year-old pictures and she did not disappoint.  Tiffany warned us off the bat that one-year-olds are difficult to photograph (especially if they are walking) because they do not sit still.  Leighton was very cooperative for the most part, but she did not understand why we were asking to sit in these cute little baskets and on stools, so the expression in most of her photos is one of confusion rather than the bright smile we usually see.  I must admit, I was a little disappointed with the photos at first... but the more I look at them all, the more I love them!  So, without further adieu... here are some of my favorites of my big girl!!

Is this thing on??

For the two people that may still be checking our little blog... where do I begin?  It has been a while since our last post and a LOT has changed.  Miss Leighton is now 14 months old, and I am now officially a stay-at-home-mom!!  I quit my job in November and went back for a brief stint in mid-January to help out during busy season.  I know what you're thinking... since you stay at home now, why haven't you updated your blog??  As I've learned, this isn't the easiest gig and I'm still trying to master our routine (naps, housework, activities, etc.).  However, being the blog-stalker lover that I am... this is something that I am going to make an effort to be better about.

So... some highlights of the past several months: My sister came home for the holidays and we took a road trip to Ruidoso, Leighton included.  Lyn and I were a little worried about the 12 hour car ride with the little one... but we couldn't have asked for a better trip.  She did awesome and we had a wonderful time!

Our family had a wonderful first Christmas with Leighton!  Needless to say, her grandparents and aunts showered her with gifts, but it was so much fun!!

And, I don't know how it happened, but Leighton turned a year-old in February.  My how the time flies!!

She took her first steps in early January started walking full-time shortly before her 1st birthday.  Big girl!!  We celebrated her birthday with a party at our house and it was near-perfect (we missed our Aunt Natalie).

We went back to see Miss Tiffany at Mulberry Dreams for our one-year-old pictures and I still can't believe how she's grown. (I will add those pictures later and probably change our blog design)!!

So, here we are!  I know it goes without saying, but I am loving being at home every day with Leighton.  Don't get me wrong... we have our bad days and some challenges here and there... but this is the best job I could ever ask for!!  Thanks for sticking with us and I promise I will become a better blogger!