15 (and a half) Months Old

     It's been a while since my last post, and even longer since my last monthly update about Sara Beth. She is now 15 months old and growing up WAY too fast! At her check-up with Dr. Ritch this month, she weighed 22 pounds (50th percentile) and was 31 inches long (75th percentile). In the last few months she has gotten lots more teeth (all the better to chew with, my dear) and now has 12 in all. She is a great little eater, which I love! I'd list the things she eats, but it's pretty much everything now. Her tolerance for spicy foods is still pretty low, but we're working on it. She usually takes a bite and seems to enjoy it until a few seconds later the spice hits her and then she cries. A sip of milk helps put out the flames, and then she goes back for another bite.

     Sara Beth is becoming quite the little monkey lately too, climbing on everything. Her favorite places to climb are up into her highchair and onto the back of the couch so she can see outside. She can kick and run, dance and clap, but can't throw a ball quite yet. She's learning to ride her balance bike, slowly (VERY) but surely. She learned to build with blocks a few weeks ago. She was enamored with blocks for a while and that's all she ever wanted to play with. Now, she's moved on to books. Sara Beth is a book-aholic! She has always loved books, but since Adam built her some bookshelves that she could reach, she has been obsessed with books. If you can't find her, just go look in the corner of her room. There she'll be, sitting in a pile of books, quietly flipping through each one or naming every picture that she sees. It's pretty amazing, and entertaining to watch! She can even name a few of her favorite books:  There's A Wocket In My Pocket ("Pocket"), No, No, Noah ("No, no, no"), Mr. Brown Can Moo ("Moo"), Go, Dog! Go! ("Go, go, go"), and Uh Oh, Calico! ("Calico" most of the time, but occasionally she'll say the whole title).
     Sara Beth is a talker! I wonder who she got that from? Hmmm.... Anyway, she can parrot pretty much anything that you say to her. It only takes 2-3 exposures to a word before she's using it independently. Dr. Ritch asked us if she had a few words that we could understand. We said "Yes, quite a lot actually." He said, "Around 6?" Our reply. . . "Um. More like 100!" I love the way she says "happy", "yellow", "Zilla", and "Shelby". Her little voice just makes me smile! She is even starting to put 2 or 3 words together sometimes. Before we know it, she'll be spouting out sentences.
     This summer has been fun-- full of lots of play dates with friends, Gymboree classes, and swim lessons-- but it has been unbearably hot! We've been cooped up in the house for the last few weeks because it's sooo hot outside, even first thing in the morning. Here are a few pictures from the last 3 months to show you what our girl has been up to:

Watermelon was a summer favorite!

This is one of my favorite pictures. I love how SB looks like she's the queen!

Spray park fun!

Fourth of July boat ride

First time at the movie theater

Making music at the park

Watching Mommy and Daddy fly a kite

Reunited with her friend, Rivers, after way to long

Second haircut---- this time by our friend, Ashley, at her shop.

Camping Weekend

     I am way behind on my blog posts, I know. I'll have to go back and post about some of our other summer fun, but for now, here is a little about our first camping trip with the little girl. It was a short trip, only about 24 hours total, but one night in a tent with a 13 month old is plenty for now. We headed over to Lake Claiborne State Park, about an hour's drive from our house, Saturday afternoon. When we got there, Adam set up camp while SB and I watched. It was more work than Adam expected since we hadn't touched our tent in a while. Apparently, we loaned it out and the poles got broken. There were replacement parts, but they were too long. So poor Adam was sitting on the ground, shaving down tent poles with his pocket knife for a long time. Eventually the tent was up, but then we realized that all the waterproof tape was peeling up. Um. . . I think we need a new tent! Thankfully, no rain was in the forecast.

     Later on that evening, we took the kayaks out on the lake. SB rode in Adam's lap and "helped" him paddle. She did great for the first 5 minutes, but then she started trying to get out and worked up quite a loud cry/scream. So, SB's first kayak ride lasted a total of 15 minutes, but it was fun while it lasted

    
     Next, we walked over to the swim area where they had a beach. SB loved the water and called it a pool. Yep, it's just like a pool, only bigger and dirtier and full of fish and shells and bugs. Can you tell I'm not a huge fan of lake water? The sand wasn't as big of a hit, though. I guess Sara Beth isn't used to getting dirty (my fault, I'm sure). At first, she cried. Then, she started to get comfortable. She kept saying "dirty" and wiping her hands on her swimsuit. It was fun watching her figure it all out!

     Back at camp, we had dinner and then got ready for bed. Two hours later, SB was still running around the tent, climbing on top of my face, and having all kinds of fun. Adam and I were pretending to be asleep, thinking maybe she would get a clue. Needless to say, it was a very rough night! On top of that, I've been sick for a week and I woke up with pink eye on Sunday morning. Fun times.

     The next morning started with breakfast, breaking down camp, and then meeting up with some of Adam's mountain biking friends for a get-together at the pavilion. Adam rode a lap on the bike trail while SB and I went on a hike. It was pretty short, only about 30 minutes, but in this Louisiana heat, that was plenty for me! The state park is really beautiful! The last time we visited was for my 30th birthday when I was pregnant with SB. That was in the fall so we didn't get to explore the lake much. We really enjoyed it this time! Here are a few pictures of our family camping trip:

Exploring the tent with Daddy

The first of many rocks that we had to keep her from eating

Bedtime? What's that?

Bedhead at breakfast-- yummy almond butter sandwich!

Bananas are my favorite!

Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear

Ready for our hike

Kayaking with Daddy

Where are my feet?

Building sandcastles

Dirty!





A Cure for a Case of the Grumps



Sara Beth and I were both in a weird mood today. I'm sure it had something to do with getting to bed later than usual last night. So, after a long morning of trudging through with each other, I decided to get out of the house. I packed our lunches, loaded SB in the stroller, and we headed to the park for a picnic. I love living so close to the park! It's literally just a 5 minute walk from our house. We set up the blanket underneath "our" tree-- the same place we hung out together last summer when she was just a baby. After we filled our bellies, we walked all over the place. SB kept trying to jump into the drainage ditch and eat all of the sticks, rocks, and flowers (no surprise there). That little trip really turned our moods around. I guess sometimes you just need to climb out of your yuckiness and get out there and do something!

Here she is last summer under our tree at the park, sleeping the day away.

Here she is today, under the same tree, at almost 13 months old, being too big for her britches. She stole my apple!

And my water bottle!

 She's taking off on her own.

 Look at those big teeth!

 I told you she tried to eat the sticks.

 My heart!

The Big "B"-day Party! (Part 2)

     I am so proud of the little bubble outfit that I made for Sara Beth to wear at her party! It's just a simple pattern, but I appliqued a cute little bird on the front, added bows to the legs, and even made a hair bow to match. She looked so pretty in it. It was even good for playing too (which is important, you know). I was one proud mama!

SB in her B-day bubble

     After all the guests had their fill of the outside activities and yummy food, we headed inside to do the traditional birthday singing and cake smashing. I expected to see SB with cake all over her face and hands, but that's not exactly how it went. We put on her birthday bib and hat, lit the candle, and started singing, "Happy Birthday to you. . . . " She seemed to be enjoying hearing us all sing to her. When it was time to blow out the candle, she reached for the flame. Adam blew it out as fast as he could, but SB grabbed the wick the instant that the flame went out. It was still blazing hot, so she burned (pretty badly) her finger. Que the song: "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!" She was hysterical for a few minutes and never really took to the cake after that trauma. We tried to stick her hand in the icing and put a little cake in her mouth, but she wasn't interested at all. Poor thing! Check out the sequence of events in the picture collage below.

Here, Papaw. You can have the cake instead!

I have to give big thanks to everyone that helped me pull this party off. I'm sure I'll forget somebody, but here's my attempt. Thank you. . .

• Adam-- for designing the invitations, building the barrels and signs, climbing up into tall trees to hang my paper pompoms and lanterns, and for everything else you did!
• Mom-- for making those delicious nests, picking up the cake, and helping me set everything up!
• Mrs. Jonell-- for the gorgeous flower arrangements, allowing us to use your home, washing all those dishes, decorating her birthday wreath, and blowing up the balloons!
• Mr. David-- for hauling all my stuff back and forth and for grilling the burgers!
• Daddy-- for helping Mr. David grill the burgers!
• Carol-- for being the party photographer! You got some really good shots!
• Diana and Stephanie-- for letting me borrow all your party stuff!
• All our family and friends-- for coming out to celebrate our little girl on her first birthday. Thank you for the books and gifts that you gave to Sara Beth! But, most of all, thank you for being a part of our lives! We love you!

              

Here are a few links to some websites that I used for inspiration:

• The Tissue Paper Pompoms that adorned the trees:  http://www.partyblog.mygrafico.com/diy-party-pom-poms/
• The Birthday Hat: http://www.tinysproutphoto.com/blog/2010/09/01/diy-birthday-hat/



The Big "B"-day Party! (Part 1)

     Sara Beth had a great first birthday party a couple weekends ago! Even though the weather was drizzly and overcast, I think everyone had a good time. I was just glad it never really rained. That would've been a disaster for this outdoor party. We celebrated at Adam's parents' house on Cross Lake. I'm so grateful they allowed us to take over their home for the weekend! It's beautiful out there! The party was "B" themed (as in the letter B). I did my best to have everything start with B, from the games to the food. The theme came about because we realized that all of Sara Beth's favorite things, and most of her words, start with B. Also, little birds have been a constant theme for her, from my baby shower, to her nursery, and now for her first birthday party. I think it came out really cute! See what you think. . .

I LOVE the invitations! Adam designed them and I wrote the wording. We must be a great team or something!

A fabulous cake by Kathy Cubley, adorable little edible nests made by my mom, and a few handmade touches by me. The pennant banner is made out of felt and ribbon. The birthday hat, which matched her outfit, is repurposed from scrap fabric, ribbon, ruffles, and a Christmas gift box. The SB pictures that hung from the chandelier were from her photo sessions with Nicole Spikes (newborn, 6 months, and 9 months).

The food, play areas, and my favorite part of the party-- a clothesline of pictures, one from each month of her sweet little life.

The Menu: 

Burgers, BBQ chips, Bowtie Pasta Salad, Berry Spinach Salad, Bean Salad (of the Mexican variety), Berry Kabobs, Baby Bites (little food for the kiddos), Beverages (sweet tea, pink lemonade, and water), Birthday Cake, and Birds' Nests

By far, the most popular play area of the day-- Balls. We borrowed Tristen's ball pit and also had other balls to throw and roll around the yard.

The Blocks center--- SB and her cousin played hard after the party. We used some of SB's blocks from home and a wooden set that I found at a consignment store in town.

Ah, the Barrels! Our original idea was for box tunnels, but we didn't have any boxes. We did have these plastic barrels sitting in our backyard though. Adam did a fabulous job converting them into fun tunnels for the party!

To round out the "B" activities, we had a little bounce house (once again borrowed from our friend Tristen) and a bubble table. My attempt at homemade bubble solution was not very successful, so there weren't too many bubbles to be had. It was really messy too! I had pipe cleaners and cookie cutters so the kids could make their own bubble wands. A good idea, in theory. . .

An "Egg"cellent Easter

It was a beautiful day outside on Easter Sunday this year. First, our family joined us for the Easter worship service at church. Then, we headed over to my parents' house for a delicious lunch and some egg hunting (sort of). Mostly, Sara Beth just sat in the grass and played with the eggs, but she certainly had fun doing it. Later that afternoon, we went to Adam's parents' house. Adam's brother, Travis, his wife, Carie, and their little boy, Charlie joined us too. Sara Beth really stepped up her egg hunting skills for the second round of egg hunting. She had fun walking over to the eggs and putting them in the basket. Putting something IN the basket is a feat in itself! Usually, she just takes things out. All in all, it was a wonderful day!

At Nana and Papaw's house

Roly Poly lesson

At Nonni and Opa's house

My favorite picture of the day

Cousin Charlie

Nana and Papaw

Nonni and Opa

Just us!

Heartbreak Duathlon

     I don't usually post pictures from Adam's races, mainly because they would all look the same- guys and girls in tight shorts captured in mid-run or mid-pedal stroke. . . You get the idea. We got some good shots this past weekend in Tyler, TX at the Heartbreak Duathlon though. It was (I hope I get this right) a 2.5 mile trail run, 10 mile mountain bike ride, 2.5 mile trail run. Adam did a great job and finished 5th overall and 1st in his age group. Go Adam! The weather was beautiful so SB and I came to cheer him on and hang out with our friends, the Reneaus and the Skyles. After the race, we all joined in for an easy hike on the trail. Enjoy the pictures!

And they're off!

Good job, Adam!

All the girls with their babies: Sara Beth and me, Tristen and Diana, Ryder and Katrina

SB walking with Tristen's alligator push toy

Adam with 2 little cuties-- Sara Beth seems to be a little jealous. What do you think?

Peek-a-Boo! I see you!

Sweet, sweet kids- Tristen,  Sean, and Brianna

Adam's cheering section!!!!!

Post-race hike- All the guys with their babies: Rodney and Ryder, Adam and SB, Justin and Tristen