Labor Day 2013

Labor Day weekend was a fun-filled day for us.  My sister Ruthie came out on Friday from Phoenix with her family.  They camped out in our living room which made for a fun crowded house.  We were so happy to have them stay with us, even with being hot and crowded.  We just love visitors! And at least they came from Phoenix so they are used to it being warm.  Though, I am pretty sure they have AC, which we sure don't have...

On Saturday we headed out early in the day to the beach.  We went our favorite beach - Coronado.  We actually were with Ruthie and Cole and their family the very first time we discovered this beach! It was a super hot day so perfect for being at the beach!

Abby with cousins Lizzie and Nathan

Then just to make it a crazy full day, we headed out to Sea World after lunch.  Ruth and Cole had managed to snag a bunch of free tickets which was awesome!  They even included fast passes for the rides which was extra nice.

Abby went on her very first amusement park rides!

After another crowded night at our apartment, we all headed out on Sunday to Fontana to spend Labor Day with my parents.  Labor Day happened to also be my Dad's birthday this year so it was fun to celebrate with him!

Playing piano with Dad

 

She found an old rocking horse that she though was just awesome.

Little piano player

Took this picture when we were last at my parents.  My niece Lizzie had just finished giving a piano recital and Abby right away walked up to the piano and wanted up.  She started giving her own recital.  She wasn't even banging the keys but really seemed like she was trying to play!  Maybe we have a future piano player on our hands! :)

Abby - 15 months

Abby had her 15 month check-up earlier last week and here's the latest numbers for our little girl:

Weight: 20lb 1oz (10th percentile)

Length: 31in (70th precentile)

Head circumference: 17 3/4in (30th percentile)

She is staying right on track with where she has been, which wasn't a surprise. The doctor says she looks great and I sure agree! :) Funny, though, she was definitely afraid of the doctors and the shot guy.  Right when they would enter the room, before touching her or doing anything, she started crying and running and hiding her head in my lap.  She's never done that before.  And then she gave her a bunch of shots which I'm sure didn't help her fear.  Oh well, we only see them every few months.

At 15 months, Abby is a fun, active, often mischievous little toddler.  She is so steady on those feet of hers and runs around everywhere.  Lately she seems to like walking on her tippy-toes, maybe just because she can? She loves running around the apartment with me chasing her, still loves peek-a-boo - the more dramatic the better. 

On those tippy-toes!

She absolutley loves being outside.  She could easily spend every day at the park or beach.  I have to be careful which route we take when running, because if we pass in sight of a playground, I have a very sad girl on my hands if we pass it by. She loves the swings and slides.  She has recently started trying to climb up the slides, trying to copy those big kids. At the beach she loves the sand and will spread herself, tummy down in it.  She finally likes the ocean water and will ask to go stand in the water now. Yesterday we were at the beach and poor girl was shivering (the water is always pretty cold here, even in summer), but she did not want to leave the water!

Abby loves to color.  We got her a little toddler size table with chairs and she loves to sit or stand there coloring.  Either that or dumping her crayons in and out of their container, or walking around with them. 

She finally took a liking to her stuffed animals.  She has always been indifferent to them, but suddenly started playing with them and carrying them around.  She has a stuffed bear and monkey that she especially loves.  She gives them hugs and kisses and sits them in her chairs.  We even change monkey and bears diapers.  (I found that doing this makes her more willing to take her own turn for diaper change).

Since her birthday Abby has said her first few words!  Her very first verbal word was shoes, while her first sign was fan (this came before her birthday). 

Words she can say as of 15 months:

Shoes

Mama

Da (for dad)

cheese (?? we think, less sure this is an actual word)

Signs as of 15 months:

Fan

Milk

Shoes

Tree

Dog

Water

Fish

More

Eat

Another great development is that Abby started sleeping through the night at 14 months. Yay!  She suddenly seemed to be ready.  Around the same time, she finally became easy to put down for naps, like she used to before separation anxiety started at 9 months. It is so nice!  

It's so fun having a toddler running around!  Most of the time at least. :) We love our little girl!

A friends wedding

I'm a couple weeks late with this post, but when are my posts ever on time?  The first weekend in August Eric and I took a super quick day trip up to Fontana for my good friend Serena's wedding. We have known each other since elementary school and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding, and now I got a turn to be a bridesmaid in hers! I am so happy for her that she found such a wonderful man to marry and be a dad to her little boy and baby number two. It was a beautiful day and it was great to be there.

The wedding was moved up so dress finding happened super quickly which is why mine really doesn't match the others.  Apparently all the others chose to go with the other half of the color scheme.  Oh well.

 

 I even got to catch up a little with our group of friends from high school.  Wow it's been a long time since I've seen any of these girls besides Serena! We all met freshman year in band camp and were friends all through high school. And this year is ten years since high school so it sure feels like a long time ago!

Me, Crystal, Serena, Desiree, Veronica

Really fun day!  And Abby was sure a trooper through the whole day. The reception was different (and way longer!) than any I have ever been too, but it was fun and we got some super yummy Mexican tacos. Worth waiting a couple hours for. And then it was back to SD before night time. Quick day.  Busy day. But fun day!

Bath hair

Abby's hair is finally getting longer, as I mentioned here.  It definitely gets messy and crazy at times now.  Eric had fun with it during bath time a couple weeks again.  It makes us laugh at least.

A return to Cabrillo

One of my absolute favorite places in San Diego is Cabrillo National Monument.  We used to have an annual pass but its been over a year since we have been.  Then our good friend Cori mentioned she wanted to go before she left San Diego to move back to Arizona and so we jumped at the chance to show her around.  Love love love this place!

The girls - Me, Abby, Cori

Abby definitely wanted in on the exploring.  Here she is conquering the tidepools with Dad. 

Some more Dad time. (Love this picture!)  

And the fam. She somehow managed to sleep as Eric bumped her along a dirt trail in her stroller. I tried talking him out of it but he went anyways.  And she stayed asleep so what do I know?

Maybe we'll have to get that annual pass again. This place is just too pretty not to visit often!

Faces of Abby

Just some shots of some fun and adorable Abby expressions from the last little while. Enjoy!