14 months!!

I always like reading Auntie Sarah's monthly posts about Reed; it gives me a glimpse of what the next few months might look like! So I've decided to try to put into words what life is like with a 14-month Annaliese! I must say, she is getting to be more and more fun! She has such a little personality, a bit of a temper, and a very cute little smile!

We attempted a picture on the blanket...this is the best we could do!

So we tried one sitting up...

Wake up time: 6:30-7:00

Sleep schedule: Annaliese still takes 2 naps a day; a 2 hr nap in the morning and about 1-1 1/2 hrs in the afternoon. Bedtime is at 7:00 and she sleeps all night long!

Food: She doesn't appreciate eggs, but eats just about everything else we give her! At this point, we are giving her lactose-free milk, but she still eats other dairy products like yogurt and cheese with no problems.

Teeth: 7; 4 on the top, 3 on the bottom

Clothing: Mostly 12 month stuff; she has a few 9 month things still around- anything short sleeve still fits, but the long sleeve shirts have become 3/4 length sleeves! 

Shoes: Size 4...and she's not a fan. 

Things she likes: playing Mom's keyboard; carrying her toys around; taking her blocks out of the bag one at a time, and then replacing them, one at a time back into the bag; climbing; drinking out of Mom's water cup; bath time

Words: "Hi" "Yeah" She's constantly babbling, and her new favorite sounds like "tick, tick, tick" over and over...probably because Daddy always says, "Tickle, tickle, tickle" as he tickles her big belly! 

Mobility: While she is starting to do more walking along the furniture, her favorite way to get around is definitely still the little scoot, with her left knee down on the ground and her right leg up. There will be lots of celebrating when she finally attempts a step on her own!

My little helper

I was once told that when it comes time to make Annaliese a chore chart, it should be based off of the things that I really don't like to do. That being said, I always thought she'd need to learn how to fold clothes first. I don't mind washing them...but I hate folding laundry. Or do the dishes. Again, I don't mind cooking dinner, but I really don't like cleaning up afterwards. 

However, Annaliese has decided for herself that unloading the dishwasher will actually be her first chore. See for yourself. 

This isn't a guarantee that things will always end up in the right place, but it's a start. I did find a sippy cup in the bathroom cupboard...

It's the small things that matter

Lately, Kyle and I have joked that Annaliese is in a bit of a developmental rut. We say this because at 13 months, she doesn't really talk and she only walks if she's hanging on to our hands...both hands, in fact. She will babble all day long, say 'ya!' very enthusiastically and occasionally say 'hi' appropriately, but that's about it. Every once and again there's something that sounds like "Dada" but not consistently. However, I am so amazed by why she seems to understand. When asked to say goodbye, she waves. When asked where her socks are, she grabs her toes. When she wants more to eat at lunch time, she typically points to the food still sitting out on the counter. And tonight, while we were at a friend's house, she was heading towards the stairs, which she loves to climb. All I said was, "Annaliese, you need to stay down here for now." and she turned around and crawled back to the group! I guess she's busy observing and taking everything in, rather than talking and walking!

I'm also amazed by her fine motor skills. She finds the tiniest crumb on the kitchen floor and can pick it up! She's putting toys away (although usually not in the right place!), starting to figure out how to use her spoon and loves taking the blocks in and out of her little picnic basket. 

 Aren't those pretty cute little fingers!

 Yes, she dumps her cheerios out on the floor, puts them back into the bowl, and then eats them  one at a time!

All this to say, I guess Annaliese is just doing things on her own schedule. I'll just enjoy that I don't have to chase her down and focus on the little things that she's refining. That and the fact that when you ask her where her nose is, she no longer picks her nose, but simply points! 

Just a cute picture of Annaliese hanging out with Dad!

Christmas Party #4

Last weekend (Dec 29-30), Grandma and Grandpa Gillette came to our house so we could celebrate Christmas with them. Saturday night, they were able to feed Annaliese dinner and get her to bed before I came home from work. After I got home, we sat down to a delicious dinner of barbecued chicken...thanks Kyle!

Sunday morning we celebrated Christmas. They also brought with them gifts from Uncle Jon and Auntie Sarah, the great-grandparents, and Great Uncle Mark and Aunt Penny, so there were lots of presents for us to unwrap. A big thank you to everyone! We are so blessed!! 

 One of the most intricate pop-up books I have ever seen!

Grandma and Grandpa gave Annaliese a swing set for Christmas, so after a little clean-up, Grandpa Jay and Kyle headed outside to assemble it. Since cousin Reed also got a swing set and Grandpa helped set theirs up earlier this week, he knew exactly what to do and the set-up went very quickly! Annaliese is a big fan of both the swing and the slide! 

 The assembly...as mentioned, it went rather smoothly!

Swinging with Grandpa

 Trying out the slide

Someone's hiding underneath! Not sure- she's either watching her Daddy or Brodie!

Brodie likes the slide too!

This was the final party for Christmas 2012...and I must say, we are so incredibly blessed! It's amazing to have so much family to celebrate with! Looking back at Christmas last year, when Annaliese was just a few weeks old and very much unaware of the things around her, I can't help but smile at the changes that have happened this year. She is so inquisitive and you can just see her little mind at work. She may not be walking or talking yet, but she is taking everything in! I am excited to see what this next year has in store for us!

The New Ride

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that Annaliese gave her daddy a new bike seat for Christmas. I did quite a bit of research before deciding which one to get, and in the end, we (and by we, I really mean me!) opted for the i-Bert safe-T-seat that mounts to the front of the bike. Apparently it's very popular in Europe, and is just now starting to become more common here. It makes a lot of sense to me...now Annaliese can see what's going on! And Kyle can keep an eye on her too!

Knowing that Kyle was getting this for Christmas, it only seemed appropriate to give Annaliese a new helmet. She's not sure about it:) 

 Testing it out for the first time

I think she likes it!

This past weekend, while I was at work, Kyle's little brother (with Big Brothers, Big Sisters) came over and the three of them went on another ride. Bryce took quite a few pictures and she was all smiles! I'll try to add a few if I can get my hands on them.