Hello everyone!!! In true Corrie fashion, it has taken me another couple of months to get on the ball and post another blog. Sorry for the enormous # of photos in this one. If I was more efficient with this, I would have category specific posts that include just a few shots. But because I can only force myself to do this every few months, I will be bombarding you with many pictures! Here is some recent information about sweet Isabelle.
She started walking a little bit after her 14 month birthday. It was so amazing to see the progression. First legs spread apart with the arms out to the side. Then the legs got closer, but the knees were still locked and the arms were out in front of her (very Frankenstein-ish!). Then the arms gradually came down, and now the legs and arms move like jello. I love this stage, even though she is in to everything! We have so much fun playing chase and climbing things. She loves playing in the backyard, too. The unfortunate part of this is that I have now assumed the job of picking up the dog poop (Brendan always used to do it) because we are out there all the time and she seems to be drawn to it like a magnet!
We are "practicing" for the arrival of baby brother in just 3 more months. I got her a pretend bottle, and we "feed" her baby doll and rock her. She also is learning to throw things in the trash when I ask her to, and pretty much understands everything I say to her so I think she will be mildly helpful to me once he arrives! :-)
For about a month now, she has been saying, "Bye!" at every chance she gets. First it was "bah bah" while waving, then Ba-ah, and now it's Bye-eee! Bye-eee! Bye-eee! every five seconds. I love it. I could listen to her say it all day. Wait...I do listen to it all day. But it never gets old.
She is a very picky eater, although I like to classify it as "knowing exactly what she wants." No veggies will make it in her mouth, but she loves fruit and drinking water and milk, so I figure she's getting the nourishment she needs from that. Give her a grilled cheese sandwich or a bowl of spagettio's and she's a happy camper. We are starting to learn how to use the spoon, but she needs just a bit more movement in her wrists to be better at it.
Finally, after 14 months of listening to wail after wail at nap time, she actually is enjoying going down for naps! We have a nice little routine. At 11 am while playing upstairs I say, "Want to go have a snack and watch Sesame Street?" She hops up, runs to the steps and we head down to eat a banana and cheerios in our high chair while watching The Street. Then around 11:20 I say, "Want to go upstairs and read a story?" She smiles and runs back to the steps and we head up to her room. We look through a photo album filled with pictures of her, and then I put her in the crib, she looks up at me, says "Bye-eee!", lays down to snuggle with her blankie and goes to sleep. She is still an excellent night sleeper; she goes to bed between 7 and 7:30 and I get her out of her crib at 8 in the morning. I know, I am kind of spoiled here but am hoping with having the same genes her brother will be very similar to her in this aspect!
Here are some pics from the last couple of months.
Playing around in the crib. This was the first time she realized she could stand up in it!!! But since I put her in a sleep sack for naps and at night, she rarely stands up in the crib.
Playing at the park with Meme in Corsicana.
Going for a ride in the baby doll stroller with her cousin Ella, 5.
Brendan's brother Jason and his family and us with Great-Grandmother Barto.
Tori and I showing off our baby bumps.
Some of those precious first steps!
Going for a "jog!"
In the ball pit at Annie's 1st birthday party!
First time walking with Daddy holding hands. So sweet!
Our little pearl sitting in the clamshell at the Heard Nature Museum.
Here she is throwing out her diaper. Big helper!
Feeding the goats at the pumpkin farm.
Halloween fun with cousin Ella. Go FROGS!!!!
Posing with the birthday girls, Ellie and Kate.
She's a big fan of the ring stacking toys!
Isabelle had a sleepover with her buddy Douglas. Here they are reading a story before bed.
Family photo at Douglas' Halloween themed birthday bash!
Isabelle wore her Halloween party dress and posed with her birthday buddy who was a Scottish Golfer.
Right before we took her trick or treating. She actually had a lot of fun being pulled in a wagon with her friend Chase. By the fifth house, she knew to take a piece of candy from the big bowl and put it in her pail. Other than a bite of a rice crispie treat and a 3 musketeers bar, Mommy consumed all the candy she collected. :-)
