18 months

This little bug turned 18 months old last week!

I swore last year that I would throw some kind of party when she turned 6 months old, and when that didn't happen, I swore again that I'd do something special when she turned 18 months old. I just wanted to celebrate her half-birthdays just as hard as her yearly ones. 

{I should probably clarify at this point that we didn't celebrate all that hard on her 1st birthday- I couldn't even pull it together to do a "part 2" on her birthday post... I just celebrated hard in my mind. Mega hard.}

Anyway, no party. Again. No pink, sparkly shoes like I was planning on getting her, like my friend Dayna did for her little girl. Just a cold. We actually did get a visit from Aunt Keena, but that is a whole separate post.

If you will allow me just a moment, I want to be a little sad about my baby growing older.When she was teeny, we just took it a day at a time- enjoying being with her, laughing at her faces and noises, taking a million pictures. Now she is way more little girl than baby (although all little kids anywhere still call her "baby," and try to pick her up and carry her around.) While we are totally enjoying everything about her right now, I can't help but be a little sad about the little baby she used to be. Why? Why do I feel silly about that? I remember how so freaking many people told us how fast time flies when you become parents, and to "enjoy it." I kept telling Spencer, "how in the world do I enjoy this any more than I already am?" I felt like I was enjoying my baby, and would allow myself several moments to look at her and reflect that we, the two of us, had a special bond that would last our whole lives.

I digress. She is so special, and we love her so, so much. Right now, Abby is:

• 23.8 lbs (42%)
• 32.56 inches (75%-- she had a total growth spurt-up from her last appt at 15 months old, she was only in the 13th % in July)
• Head circumference 18.3 inches (48% does anyone care to hear about the head circumference?)
• Wearing size 4 diapers
• Loves to carry things to collect-my purses, baskets. We're thinking we'll have to get her some kind of little purse for Christmas.
• She loves to eat, but only what she wants to eat. She has excellent junk food radar, as Spencer says. Thanks to the cousins to introducing her to chips, by the way!
• Regardless, she does love to eat some good things too-broccoli, grapes, apples, and any and all berries. Loooves berries.
• Loves to read, and be read to
• Gets into everything, all the time.

 She is such a little clever monkey. We are amazed at everything she knows and can properly identify. Of course there is so much more to say about her, but I'll leave it at that.

I also thought I'd throw out a random video that was taken exactly a year ago, today. Of course, that would make her 6 months old in this video. I think she looks like such a little doll.

I got the tunnel

Blerg.

I've heard about other mothers getting a type of carpal tunnel or tendonitis when they pick up their babies. I've been picking Abby up a little differently than I usually do, and I am going to have to stop. I have some kind of carpal tunnel that I've had going on for a few days. That, combined with my working in the pharmacy (unscrewing stock bottles, counting, twisting on lids, typing) has me hurting.

I'll wear the brace if it means I can keep picking up this little bug.

18-monther

My baby is 18 months old. What?!?
She actually has a cold right now, and Aunt Keena is in town, so I'll talk more about that later.
I just thought you should celebrate with me. Come over for brownies if you want!

Time for a Wreath

I kept seeing all of these wreaths on different blogs and on Pinterest, and I finally deluded myself into thinking that I could make one too. So I did!
Just fyi, my porch has terrible lighting. These pictures would have actually turned out better on my carpet inside with natural lighting than on the door with the flash, but whatev.

I started with some pipe insulation that I found at The Home Depot. I opted to buy the insulation there for $1.18 and cut it, and hot glue the ends together to the size I wanted rather than buy a wreath form at a store. The ones I saw at JoAnn weren't the size I wanted, but even if they were, they were around $6 to $8.

Wrap in burlap, embellish with yarn, and make felt flowers. You are done!
 

I sort of extemporized with the felt flowers and this is what I came up with.

I like it! It makes me feel fall-ish.

I made a mini Halloween wreath for our pantry door with the left over piping, too.

Linking up to Sugar and Dots, My Girlish Whims, 30 Handmade Days, (buttons on bar), 36th Avenue, and Made by You Mondays.

It's kind of a big deal.

So maybe it's not a really big deal, but we took Abby to the zoo for the first time on Monday.

Now, as some of you know, Abby doesn't talk. She said a few words here and there several months ago, but not only is she just not interested in talking, she also refuses to repeat any of the words that we know she can say. She wants us to tell her what everything is instead and she has found that she can communicate fairly well by just pointing and whining. It kind of sucks, because she knows so much. Just say it, lady!
The point of all of that is while I knew we wouldn't be hearing any animal sounds out of her, she still had a good time looking and pointing at all of the animals.

We also went on her first carousel ride. She had a lot of fun, once the ride started. {She didn't want to stay on her animal at first.}

 

This is what she did when she saw the giraffes. I don't know why.

We had delicious burgers beforehand at Hires, and we saw some friends of mine the minute we got to the zoo (what's up, ladies!)

It was a good day.

Crash

Spencer took this video while I was at work one night. He said she was laughing so much more before he turned the camera on, but you get the idea. She likes the crash better than the car itself.

It's long, over 3 minutes, but I figure that those who care won't mind the length!

P.S. Happy October!