Most of the time, when Analiese sees the video camera, she clams up. But, the other day, I caught a rare performance:

This has been a full month for us. Between people coming and going to work on the basement, Daddy being away for a week for work and traveling to Cincinnati for Christmas, we’ve been a bit all over the place. I wish I could bottle up your energy because I am tired! That could be because I’m growing your little brother or sister inside of me, too. Which, by the way, we think you’re excited about. When we ask you where the baby is, you try to lift Mama’s shirt up to see my belly and often offer a kiss. You are going to be a very sweet big sister.

While Daddy was away, I whisked you away to do something very fun and exciting…

your first haircut! { Please, contain the joy. }

Really, though, you did great, babe.

You probably enjoyed our trip to the mall play area with your friend, A, the day before more. You had so much fun running around, climbing, sliding, hiding…it was a fun day for you.

You love your puppy dog! Parker makes you giggle out of no where. You love retrieving his toys when they get stuck somewhere and he usually has a very willing little person to throw his toys for him to fetch. He’s very appreciative that you now know his name, too!

You stay on guard when there’s food involved, though. Smart girl.

Christmas in Cincinnati was a treat for you. You woke up ready for whatever the day held and greeted everyone by name each morning.

We ate a lot of good food all week long and decorated Nana and Poppa’s Christmas tree.

You went to the grocery store with Nana where you put a smile on everyone’s face when you greeted them up and down the aisles.

You went to the bookstore with Poppa where you “organized” the shelves.

We slowly unwrapped gifts throughout the day so you could enjoy what you had been gifted.

Thank you, Uncle Erik, for the colored bubble launcher. It’s bound to be a favorite. However, it’s hiding until summer.

On our last full day, we went to see the trains at the Museum Center…

…made a gingerbread man with Nana…

…and in the evening took a drive with Nana to see the lights at Sharon Woods in our pj’s. What a fun and festive day that was!

When we returned home, we took advantage of having no plans and hung out with Daddy for the rest of the week. We wore our pj’s a lot. You played with all of your new toys quite contentedly. Some days you entertain yourself so well.

Other days require a project like painting { so focused! } or playing with water at the sink { messier than you may think }.

But you still love to color in your coloring books and are even trying to color specific areas instead of just all over the page. Nana would be proud.

In fact, most evenings before bed, this is what you’re doing:

Butt up. Tongue out.

Love you, Analiese!
Mama & Daddy

A further head turn, and there was this (notice her real milk in the background):

Then, I started roaming the rest of the house to see what else she had lined up and found this in her room:

My little organizer!

This evening, she came out of her room with her arms full of lovies. We have a collection of a few that didn’t make “the cut”, but she still likes to play with them. She also put on the headband herself.

It wasn’t too long before she was lining them up to take a nap on the floor. She’s telling the last one “night night” in case you can’t tell.

You have so many words in your vocabulary! We love hearing your sweet, little voice pronounce real, meaningful words. Communicating with you has recently gotten very easy and rewarding for all of us. You’re also using those words to imitate things you see us and others doing–like talking on the phone, reading a book, and praying. If we hear your rattle off a list of names and then a very clear “Amen!” we know what you were doing! “Night night” is a new favorite saying of yours and you are never shy to give a big “hi!” or “bye!” to whomever is coming or going.

You also love being around people and light up when we tell you we are going to see family or friends. You adore your Grandpa, Gigi, Nana, Poppa, uncles and aunts; You get so excited when you get to hang out with all of the big kids on Bible study night. Just this morning, you literally jumped out of bed when I told you we were going to go see some friends today. And on the way there, you repeated, “Friends? friends? friends?” the entire way.

Speaking of your bed, Daddy removed the side, so you are officially in a toddler bed! Thankfully, you’ve stayed put during naps. Occasionally, though, we find you on the floor in the middle of the night…completely fast asleep. You’ve always been a great sleeper and this transition hasn’t made you waiver at all.

As you near the age of two, however, we are definitely witnessing your burgeoning awareness of your independence in a variety of ways. As your world gets bigger, you are craving the comfort of familiarity. Recently, you’ve become very attached to your lovie and want to take it everywhere. Gone are the days when Cheerios would be the only distraction needed at the grocery store. We’re not sure if this is something we should just let play out or try to set up boundaries.

You are frustrated easily when things don’t go the way you want them to (not because you’re your mother’s daughter or anything). Whether we have to tell you “no” to something or a toy isn’t doing what you want it to, a little comforting and encouragement is needed to get you back on track.

We love getting to know more of who you are, Analiese. Your personality is starting to show as you line up your toys and dolls when you play (organizer?), help Daddy build things with tools (creative?), march around the room dancing to different songs (musical?) and jump at any opportunity to be around people (social?).

Also, you have the cutest bounce in your step when you try to run. And you love riding in elevators!

Love, Mama and Daddy

Dear Analiese,

The beginning of the month surprised us with some very warm, sunny days. We were outside as much as possible–parks, the zoo, Greenfield Village…anything to savor the last few days of warmth!

You are quite ambitious when it comes to climbing and exploring.

And you know how to give yourself a good laugh.

You are so very confident and independent, too. We marvel at how easy it is to drop you off at the gym’s child center, or the kid’s room at a new church. Most of the time, though, we find you playing by yourself, enjoying the bustling of other kids around you. We’re told this is totally normal.

Our trip to Washington DC marked your third time in an airplane. Now, whenever you hear an airplane, you pause and try to find it in the sky. A proud “there it is!” usually follows even if the plane is no where in sight.

Since you love to color with crayons, I introduced you to paint. You were SO focused on what you were creating! It’s beautiful!

We celebrated your 21st month in Bloomington, Indiana, where your Daddy, Mama, Gigi and Grandpa went to college. It was surreal to stroll the same paths we once walked as hurried students with a toddler in a stroller. Gigi and Grandpa bought you your first IU sweatshirt as well as a teddy bear with a little red hoodie. You affectionately refer to him as “hood”.

As the weather has begun to cool, you love wearing hats!

“Gigi? Papa? Gigi? Papa?” was what we all heard immediately after you awoke every day! It warms their hearts to know that you know who they are and you can’t wait to spend time with them.

Love to you, Baby Girl!
Mama and Daddy

The best word to describe this month is BUSY. Busy traveling, busy playing, busy climbing, busy coloring, busy learning, busy everything.

We made trips to Indiana and Ohio this month. Wherever we go you keep yourself very busy doing anything and everything you can think of. Like, for example, giving yourself a chilly bath in the lake. You even exfoliated yourself with sand. Your hands are never idle. New textures and things to hold are always of interest to you.

I wish I was there when you held a frog in your hand! Gigi and Grandpa said you were intrigued!

We experienced chilly mornings at the lake that called for a warm fire while we played in our pj’s and ate breakfast.

We all marveled at your ability to focus on what you were doing. Whatever it was–mostly moving toys from one place to the other–it was obviously of utmost importance to you. Every once in a while you would take a break before you were on the move once again–moving the same toys to a different location, but always in a very orderly fashion. When you did rest, you found that the best way to do it is propped up against someone you love.

Again, in Ohio, you were all over the place! We spent a lot of time outside on the deck, which you loved. You were busy going up and down the deck steps, bouncing your new ball and playing with Hoagie.

Hoagie is your sweet friend. He’s so patient with you and you love to say “hi!” to him and pet him.

It’s no wonder you need snuggle breaks from time to time. Believe me, there is always a set of arms ready to scoop you up!

The ABC’s are your favorite song to sing these days. Between anything LeapFrog we own, your “AlphaBerry”, and your humming it so sweetly and in tune, it’s stuck in our heads from morning until night. You certainly know the song well! But you really know the letters, too. You know the sounds that each letter makes and you recognize them by sight and sound.

Your vocabulary is growing, too. I think I heard you say “help” for the first time today…that’s been one we’ve  been working on for a while.

One of your toys plays the song, “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”. So, I did the gestures along with it a few times and now you pretty much know all of those body parts. You just pick things up so quickly!

It makes us stop and think often about what you see us doing and hear us saying through out the day. We want to be good examples to you, Analiese. We can try to be perfect parents for you as hard we can. But we know that we are still sinful people who need to rely on Jesus and grace every day.

Gigi bought you your first coloring book and some crayons. Coloring is now your favorite thing to do. And, you figured out how to hold your crayon perfectly. In both hands.

It is wonderful to live in a place that has so many parks nearby because you LOVE climbing play scapes and sliding down slides. Sometimes, though, you’re more interested in cleaning off the pieces of wood chips that find their way onto the steps. I have no idea where you got that inclination from…

Your night time routine consists of Daddy reading a story from the “Jesus Storybook Bible”, turning off the light, and calling Mama in to pray together. As soon as he’s done reading, you’ve started calling, “Mama!” (So cute, but this is where it gets weird.) And when I come in, you stick both of your index fingers out for each of us to suck on. We’re not sure how or why this happens. As strange as it is, we love the little quirks that make you, you.

And we love how you end prayers with “Aaaa….Beee…” instead of “Amen”. Thank you, ABC’s.

Randomly, you started calling Daddy by his first name! How odd to hear “Ross!” come out of your little mouth!

We’re ending this month with a cough that you’ve had for a few days. I hope it goes away soon. There is much to be explored, Analiese!

We love you!
Mama and Daddy

Hi sweet girl!

You really love to laugh. Funny faces, Parker, others laughing and even your own little thoughts running through your head can cause you to giggle. Sometimes you even create a fake laugh to join in the fun when others think something is funny.

But as social as you can be, you insist on some down time to catch your breath. You are a lot like your mom in this regard. We love the company of others, but we need our alone time to thrive.

Mama and Daddy love how you love to cuddle.

We were both sick this month, which meant we spent more time at home than we usually do. We didn’t go to the gym as often, but we did have a few play dates with new friends, which is fun, but also a learning experience for you. I can see your wheels turning as you try to navigate the idea of sharing with others.

Your independence astounds us. Of course, there are many times when you want a companion or play mate, but it is not out of the ordinary for you to occupy yourself for quite a long time. You “read” your books and play with your toys on your own incredibly well, which means Mama has it very easy.

You’ve also become a pro at going down the slide by yourself at the park.

We’re proud of you for being so brave when we leave you with others. Most recently, you stayed with Grandma (Gigi) and Grandpa (Papa) for six days! We met Grandma about half way, buckled you in, and off you went…no tears. From what I hear, you were a busy little bee while you were away. You met Grandma’s friends, had dinner with your aunt, uncle and great-grandma (Baba), got some new toys, went to the lake and learned how wonderful pockets are!

Our reunion was a sweet one. Mama and Daddy woke you from your nap and you didn’t know what to think. You gave us a shy smile and a giddy giggle. You were happy to see us and we were thrilled to be back with you.

You clap when a song is over and you smack your lips when you offer a kiss. You call for “Mama” when Daddy is done reading your story so we can all pray together before you go to bed. We love this time in your dark room, all cuddled together. For some reason, you think this is the best time to put your index fingers in our mouths–one for each of us. Did I mention that you are silly, too?

You are musical.

You are comfortable.

You are inquisitive.

You are creative.

And we love you for all of those things and so much more that we don’t even know about yet.

Love, Mama and Daddy

Really? You’re an 18 month old? I’m not sure when the transition from baby to toddler happened, but it did. You are a sweet little girl with such a friendly demeanor and smile.

And you completely play it up for the camera and an audience whenever possible. You are, clearly, no stranger to having your photo taken.

As I was sifting through pictures from the past month, I realized how easy it is to make good, want-to-hold-on-to-them-forever, memories with you. I enjoy how the excitement of our travel adventures–which happen often in the summer–balance our homey pleasures so well.

Lately, you’ve been content to play independently with your toys, books, or anything else you may come across. You define your own challenges of emptying, sorting and carrying your treasures–whatever they may be–in every room of the house, especially the ones that Mama and Daddy are in. You want to be close and you want to have a purpose in your coming and going.

You have a fascination with your belly button (or “bee-bo” as we call it from time to time), nose, ears and mouth. You also are quite interested in the same body parts on other people.

You are affectionate and loving towards your family and friends. As you walk around the block with Daddy and Parker or watch strangers pass by, you greet them with a wave and a quick “hi”.

“Please” is the word of the month. :)

A friend of your grandma’s purchased a little chair for you at one of my baby showers. I remember thinking how it will be so long until you’re old enough to use it. But sure enough, it’s one of your favorite things right now. You tote it around and plop down wherever you want.

Earlier this month, our church held a carnival that we attended with you. It was one of the hottest days of the summer, so you and your smart little self found the one game with water and stayed put. Once you realized it involved a plastic ducks, you were sold.

Of course, we couldn’t stay away from the lake too long, so we returned for a weekend away with Grandma and Grandpa.

Our familiar routine is met with a whole host of summer experiences.

Wind in your baby blonde hair.

Fresh air and water as relief from the heat.

Being brave in a huge lake of water.

Naked lake baths and homemade ice cream. IN THE LAKE!

The month came to a close with a visit from Nana, Poppa and your Uncle Erik and Uncle Greg, who brought with them a bubble wand set. We took you to the park and you made it your mission to pop them.

Surely, the wedding photographer didn’t mind the background of bubbles we were providing… :/

We had your 18 month appointment today. It’s confirmed. You’re smart, beautiful and capable, Baby Girl. And as far as stats go, you’re 21.5 pounds (petite for your age) and 33.5 inches long (tall for your age).

Love, Mama and Daddy!

• Playing with rocks in the water and with new toys
• Spending time with Grandma (Gigi), Grandpa, Uncle Ryan and Aunt Angie
• Bathing in the lake
• Taking pontoon rides (on which Analiese hardly ever sat still and made Grandpa very nervous as she walked from front to back, back to front, etc.)

• Great naps and sleeping in a little later than usual
• Blowing bubbles with Grandma
• Playing with Ross’s old Fisher Price cars and people
• Celebrating my birthday with mixed-berry crumble and homemade ice cream (we tweaked the crumble recipe a bit based on the kinds of berries we had, but it was still delicious and a great summer substitute for birthday cake!)
• Watching fireworks go off across the lake to celebrate Independence Day

Of all of the pictures we took this week, this is one of my favorites:

Oh dear…you are growing up so fast! The past few weeks seemed to fly by as most warm, sunny, summer days do.

We have so many pictures of you that it’s no wonder that you know exactly what to do when a camera starts flashing away at you.

Since the weather has been warmer, we’ve ventured to a few parks where you love to explore. There’s always a new adventure at hand (as well as large openings from a few feet up that make Mama slightly nervous).

You really love to be outside and take in your natural surroundings–flowers, leaves, sticks, rocks–you want to touch (and eat…and organize) it all.

You LOVE water! You love taking baths, splashing in puddles and the pool, and you’d much rather get wet in the rain than have that scary umbrella open up to protect you.

Parker isn’t always willing to stay still long enough for you to pet him. (I’m sure it has nothing to do with your spastic version of petting.) Hoagie, on the other hand, was extremely patient with you and you’ve begun to understand “gentle”.

{You can pretty much get away with anything with the grandparents…}

{Grandma got a few 1.2 second pedicures from her favorite grand-daughter this week.}

It’s amazing to us how much you comprehend and respond to positively. You understand the words we say and you mimc what we do. You’re learning to give hugs, you beeline to your bedroom when we say “nap time”, you tug at your diaper when it’s dirty, sign “all done” when your food is gone as well as when you’ve finished a task you set out to do, and you can now say “shoes” and “duck” quite confidently. But when it comes to saying someone’s name, EVERYONE is an enthusiastic “baba!?” (yes, it sounds like a question.)

Speaking of responding positively…we’ve begun working on the concept of sharing. Usually, you’re willing to give a toy or whatever you’re holding to someone else, but you’d like it back right away!