A November Week in Pictures

This is my way of keeping up-to-date....a picture blog! Very few words, lots of pictures from our week. Forgive me, for I've been busy...I mean lazy. ;) I think we left off with last Sunday........

Hallie started off her day of rest like any other Sunday.....lookin' mighty cute. I must mention that her daddy dressed her (with a lil supervision).....

Style points for dada!

We had big plans to head to OKC that afternoon for cousin Aaron's 1st birthday bash. Unfortuntely these plans didn't pan out. Why, you ask. Because of this.....

Not even a "caca" could calm her down. (no, that is not Hallie's Dr. Pepper)

Good thing Nanny had a plan because it worked well in calming Hal down. Nanny and Carmen went for a walk with us....

This is how Carmen preferred to stroll

"I think I'll just stay put right here if that's ok with you Nanny."

Hal was looking like a big grown up girl in her jeans and jacket. Holding Carmen up next to her also makes her look like a giant these days. She's a growin' girl.....

"I be growin' momma"

The weather was so nice that I was feeling the need for another walk. This time we rounded up Riley to join us. Pushing got a little more challenging when they both wanted a ride....

This girl loves the playground. She isn't much into the actual playing part but just enjoys running around exploring. And she's guaranteed to meet a new friend everytime...

Monday night was nice and chilly. Perfect for a night in curled up with my favorites. I left to make a Sonic run and returned to find my girl dressed for bed and ready to snuggle. Oh wait.....

"We got her good dad"

 
Riley claims that this was the only thing he could find in her pajama drawer. I'll give him some credit....except that he pile of clean laundry was sitting right next to her changing table. It gave momma a pretty big laugh though! I never know what they will come up with!

Tuesday, our favorite day of the week, was the perfect day to stay inside and play all day. That's just what we did. After a morning of errand running we posted ourselves in play heaven and got to playing. First things first, figure out a way to open the monkey in a box without turning the handle. She figured out soon her mouth worked pretty well.....

Tuesday afternoon we could smell the yummy goodness of stew cooking in the crock pot. We had plenty to go around so we invited Papa over for dinner. Hallie was very intrigued by his footwear that he showed up in from the farm. She lugged both of them into the kitchen by herself. She kept trying to balance while holding onto one boot while trying to step in the other. With a little help we turned her into a cowgirl.....

"Please tell me that these don't have cow poop on them"

I might add that I one of the many reasons I'm so excited to move into our home and out of this rent house is so that I don't have to look at that horrible wood panelling in my pictures ever again!!! Scroll back up and check it out in the picture above....beautiful huh? ;)

Wednesday after a short day of work I hurried to relieve Nanny from Hal/Carmen duty so that she could leave for work. I was looking forward to having both girls at the same time to see what it would be like to have two little ones. I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous at the same time though. Although I didn't even get to see sweet Carmen because she did this for the entire three hours I was there......

Record long napper

She looked so cozy in her little fleece hoody and only stirred once but sucked on her hand for a couple seconds and was out cold again. While she did some afternoon snoozing, Hallie and I did some exploring. Somersaults on Nanny's bed were a must....

"See mom, I've been practicing"

Aunt Katie picked up her sleeping beauty and couldn't believe she'd been sleeping that long. Hallie and I made our way to finish up some work at my office, did a quick clothing change and made our way to help with serving Wednesday night dinner at church. There was no worker in the nursery so it turned into me chasing Hallie around and not being much help at all. Riley showed up and we stood back and laughed as we watched Hallie chase the big kids around as they played big kid games. You could tell she was taking it all in and wanting to play so badly. Soon, baby girl, soon! That night she was exhausted and it showed.....

Dreaming of playin' with the big kids

Thursday was another beautiful afternoon so we made a beeline for the park after work. She made it clear that she'd much rather see the ducks than swing.....

"Please make this ride stop?"

Thursday was a special day for our favorite man. It was the 236th birthday of the Marines. We made him a special dinner to celebrate and gave him a spectacular performance the following morning in honor of our Veteran. I spotted our flag in the corner near the front door. Hallie and marched while I waved the flag and we sang Grand Ol' Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. I helped Hal hold her hand over her heart while Riley watched us and laughed. I'm sure it was a sight to see with my hair a mess and Hallie in her diaper with a runny nose. I waved the flag as Hallie looked at me and clapped. Happy Veteran's Day to our favorite Vet...

I took the special man out to lunch before he went to the Veteran's Day program at the high school. After work we took a trip back to our favorite hang out spot and met Riley this time for a stroll around the park and some time with the "duhs."

Look at all those "duhs"

Hallie and I saw something that day that neither of us had ever seen before. All the "duhs" were diving toward the bottom of the pond for food. I couldn't help but snap a picture of the little white one with this booty up in the air.....

Even the ducks know I take too many pictures

Our little lady took her own stroll across the bridge to her favorite play area. But we had to stop a few times to inspect the bridge like always and stick our hands in the holes....

Saturday was a big day full of traveling to see some special people (which I'll write about in a separate post). Gman and Hal got in a few quality bonding minutes while we were at the hospital visiting Meme....

"I think it's this way Gman"

Which leaves us at Sunday morning again. And yet another Sunday fashion shot of my little doll....

There you have it folks...another week in the life of Hallie. She's got it made in the shade if you ask me. Parks, playtime, family time and basically running the show around here.....and it's working out quite well.

Word of the Day

Hallie has been on an exercise kick lately. Nope, she hasn't been doing squats or baby pushups in the gym....instead she's been exercising her vocal cords almost constantly when she's at home. I stress the phrase "at home" because she usually transforms into a mute munchkin once we leave the house. I'm like the momma who cried baby talk! I swear the girl won't stop talking when we are running around the house. She has been adding at least one word every couple days lately. It's no secret that I like to leave no detail unmentioned....so why not write about her new words each time her little self says something new? That way I can keep track of how she really began to talk. She does this adorable thing where she'll "practice" a word before by mouthing it before she will let the sound come out. I'll say a word to her and wait for her to mouth it and when she has it down right the silly girl will blurt it out and give it her best attempt. We were on a special Sonic drink mission yesterday and I asked her if she was still a baby. She immediately moved her lips up and down and then said it back to me and it sounded something like this....."bebe." Once I clapped for her then she really got on a roll. Everything was a "bebe" from that point on. I couldn't wait to get home and show her the real "bebe"......

Sucks to be you "bebe"

Another word that rolled off her tongue yesterday was "cup." No need to change the spelling because this words sounds just right. The part that makes me giggle is how fast she says it like she's trying to put emphasis on it. We couldn't say "cup" without figuring out what's inside of it....."jew", of course. Somebody loves "jew" a lil too much. Lately she's been sucking it down faster than we can pour it. I've had to start diluting it with a lot of water otherwise she'd have a belly ache. She's going to turn into "jew" soon if she doesn't learn the word milk to balance it out. You are probably thinking "well she won't know the difference, just give her milk or water when she asks for juice." I'm shaking my head at you because it won't work. I've tried it and she knows. If you want to see an angry Hallie Grace just give her water instead of "jew." I dare you. ;)

We might have to put a baby yamaka on her soon if don't learn to put the 'c' in juice. ;)

Cup is either in her hand or very close by

One word that I am puzzled as to why she has not said yet is "binky." I can honestly say that it's probably on our list of top 3 words spoken each day.

"If only I could say it then I wouldn't have to stand here and scream for help!!"

My absolute favorite word to hear come out of her mouth is puppy. She has about three names for her beloved friends...."dah", "pup" and "puppah." Puppah comes out very sweet sounding with a very high voice at the end of the word. So sweet! She has also started to look at me and mumble a phrase as if we are having a conversation. She then will sit and look at me while she's waiting for an answer. Baby girl, I wish I knew what you were saying because I'm sure it would give me a good laugh. You will call me by name to get my attention which I am a bit obsessed with. I could listen to your voice on repeat saying "mama" all day long.

Right now we are working hard on shoe.....oh wait, I mean "chew."

Non-stop Laughs

We've been laughing at Hallie for fifteen months now. But never have we been laughing this hard. She wakes up each morning with some new things she's magically learned overnight. Ok, I lie. Sometimes it is no mystery where she learns these new tricks. For example, here's a classic clip of Riley teaching Hallie how to flush the toilet....

Just for the record I was out of town while this trick was being taught. I think that's our water bill I just heard shoot through the roof! It's officially time to put a safety latch on the toilet....that is unless I want to find that my watch and hair brush are missing. ;) Although this is only something a man would teach his tomboy, I was laughing pretty hard as I watched the video. I was still smiling when I received a second video for my entertainment. This one had me wishing I hadn't left for the evening. My girl was on a roll with her comedy and I was missing it all. Well, kinda. This is the part that I was able to see of her putting Riley's sandals on and taking a stroll......

Her frustration was clear but the whole hitting her head thing is nothing new. She hits her head with her cup, spoon, tv remote, plastic bat, telephone, etc. You name it, she uses it as an object for self-inflicted pain.

Bathtime has always been a favorite of hers but now it's also becoming a favorite of mine. It's a time I look forward to because I know she will be putting on a show. However lately we've been having trouble making it all the way through her beloved bathy without meeting a certain obstacle. And that obstacle would be poop. My sweet girl keeps pooping in the tub. How is this funny, you ask? Well the only thing funny is the way she lets me know that she's had an accident. Riley taught her how to say "uh oh!" So not only do I look up to find her with one leg nearly out of the tub but she repeats "uh oh, uh oh." Uh oh is right, baby girl.

She has an overwhelming fascination with my bathroom drawers. So many great things to string through the house. But best of all, it houses her "toofbrush" and "toofpaste." We've been working very hard on learning those two new words. Although the words aren't ready to come out now, she has the toofbrushing thing down for sure. Like a purse is a woman's accessory, her toofbrush is her finest accessory. I never know where I'm going to find it which means that it undergoes a lot of sanitizing. But let's be clear about this hobby of hers......she has to be the one doing the brushing. One taste of that yucky toofpaste and she locks up her mouth and throws away the key.

"I've got this mom.....see, I'm getting the back molars really good"

She is getting excitingly close to doing a full-blown somersault. She can be found in a tripod stance on any rug in the house quite often. I actually got down in the same position beside her the other day to see the world from her perspective.

"Glad you decided to join me!"

When she's not bathing, brushing her teeth or banging her head on the floor, she can be found helping with dishes......

Snacking on an entire breakfast sandwich....

 Or just kickin' back and watching some Sunday morning cartoons....

Our little comedian is learning new words at an alarming rate. I get an amazing amount of joy when I hear a new word, or any word for that matter, come from her sweet little mouth. Along with adding new words she has perfected her old words and is now saying mama, dada, bye bye, hi, dog, cracker, bite, uh huh, uh uh, love you much more clearly and much more often. My heart nearly exploded the other day when I called to check on my two favorite people. Riley held the phone up to her and she said "hi mama" and then told me "bye bye." She will randomly holler out "hi dada" as we walk past Riley on our way into the kitchen. The dogs get the best greetings though. The moment we get home to let them out in the backyard she is walking around frantically yelling "dah, dah, dah!" She has this funny way of high stepping and turning in circles when she gets really excited. Usually food is her motivation to start running in place and squealing. Big shocker, I know! ;)

She is quick to give a wave and a big ol' "hi" to any stranger passing by. No stranger danger here yet! I'm not sure who is more offended when she doesn't get a hello back. Me or her? Though I'm convinced that they are so surprised that such a little girl is offering up such a happy greeting that they don't know what to say back. Or maybe they can't understand her Hallie language! ;)

"Hi friend!"

Holy warp speed!!!! Time must slow its roll or my baby is going to be a baby no longer before I know it!! I want her to keep her clumsy toddle walk forever, and have to ask for help to climb up on something, and need to hold my hand to get up a step. Even though I can't stop Hal from growing I know we'll always be able to laugh at her.....and I have NO doubt that she will be providing us with plenty of laughs forever and ever and ever no matter her age.

The week's end & the Weekend

We survived another busy week and lived to tell about it! Last time I wrote was Tuesday. So here's what we were up to the rest of the week. On Thursday I met Nanny and Hallie at the park after I got done with work. They were busy escaping the geese who were threatening an attack in the play area. ;) We had a blast watching Hal go down the big girl slide by herself several times. Did I say down? Ok, I meant up....

We got a call from Aunt Katie who lured Hallie over to visit with the promise of some "cacas." Say no more, Hallie will be there! While she ate her yummy animal crackers we chatted and Carmen took a snooze in her swing. I couldn't help but get a picture of her doing her Superwoman pose......

Friday flew by thank goodness because I was very ready for what was in store for that night. I hurried home to pick up my baby girl and get in some extra hugs and kisses which she was giving freely as she was in a spectacular mood. She helped me pack and made sure to let me know that she wanted to go with me. But I have plenty of evidence that she has plenty of fun with her dada. Plenty. ;) I made it to Enid later than I'd planned but just in time for dinner. I showed up at my dad's to meet Heather and Bailey. We took a ride to dinner in Aunt B's new ride and risked our lives in doing so. Haha, I'm only kidding if you're reading this Aunt B! Our trio met dad, BC, Deann, Aunt Lisa and Uncle David at the Flamingo for some burgers....and beer for the boys. I was loving every second of the relaxation and "baby free" time. Usually I have these creeping feelings of guilt pop up when I'm away from my girl, but not last night. Duh, my night away was part of my birthday gift, remember? ;) We had a good time with some big laughs!

From dinner we made our way up to the hospital to see Meme. She was awake and able to talk with us for awhile. She was obviously worn out and hasn't been sleeping very well lately. She has also been placed on a "nothing by mouth" status which has left her begging for water and food. It breaks out hearts to say no but it's obviously for the best. She has been dealing with a right lung that continues to fill up with fluid even after they drain it. She's been having lots of ups and downs so at the moment we are still waiting for a definite plan from the doctors. It was great to have a funny chat with her and hear her joke around with us.

I had been extremely excited for a movie night with the fam and had every intention of staying awake for two whole movies. After all, it didn't matter how late I stayed up because the next morning I would be sleeping in. Oh it's the little things in life. ;) We all found our spots and got comfy to watch Crazy Stupid Love. This was my third time to watch it and the movie is so dang good that it was even better the third time around! Lisa and David partook in movie night with us as well. We had a good time oogling over Ryan Gosling while Spencer, Dad and David bantered back and forth about why he wasn't as hot as we had proclaimed. Sorry guys, you won't be changing out minds anytime soon. The girls loved the movie and I think dad even enjoyed it despite all of the "hot guy" talk from us. We aren't sure about what David and Spencer thought...though it's probably obvious looking at these pictures.....

I was eating up the family time and loving even more that I didn't have to go to bed dreading my early wake up call. Yay for girl time!!!!

I rolled out of bed at 9:48. I'm confident in saying that I've only slept in longer than that one time in the last fifteen months. You know how you don't mind getting up early as long as you aren't forced to get up by an alarm clock or a crying lil person? I am perturbed by this phenomenon. I found myself awake at the exact time Hallie usually crows. Luckily I was able to take advantage of the opportunity and fell right back asleep. I contemplated getting up for a long run but then mentally kicked myself for thinking such a ridiculous thing. ;) I hurried and got dressed for a busy three hours ahead of me. That was exactly how much time I had to pack in a lot of stops before I had to head back home. Here's where I'm going to be completely honest....I don't think the morning could have been more depressing. I had mixed feelings about my trip out to visit momma at the cemetery. On one hand, I was anxious to see the stone that had finally been set but on the other hand I was feeling the sting of her absence more than usual as I drove up the road to where she lies. I had seen a picture of it and helped give input into the design and colors of the stone and vases.......but I was honestly blown away by the beauty and perfection of it. My dad deserves every bit of credit for this amazing stone. He designed it down to the last detail and put in numerous special touches that make it the most unique stone in sight......

He had the vases made with special rings around the bottom with their wedding date on one and childrens' names on the other......

The fall flowers and pumpkins looked great.....

Here is a shot of the angel that has been sitting out there for months now. She's weathered it all....

Job well done Dad. I was in awe. For some reason I couldn't find any tears today as I stood there. I keep telling myself that it's not what mom would want so instead I just smiled. The wind was a blowin' today and the wind chimes were doing their job making peaceful music.....

My next stop was to spend some more time chatting with Meme. She was resting comfortably in bed but had her breathing mask on. She was still talking non-stop about how hungry and thirsty she was. It was everything I could do not to go get her a sandwich and a big glass of water. I hate seeing her like that. She asked me to find something good on tv so I flipped the tube on and wouldn't ya know it...the Food Channel was on. We quickly turned it!!! Her PT popped his head around the corner and asked if she'd like to get out of bed. Rule #1: never ask. Meme of course shook her head no. After some convincing from her "home PT" (as she refers to me) and her nurse, she agreed to get up in a chair. Thank you Jesus!! She needs to spend as much time out of bed as she can tolerate to keep her lungs clear. Continued prayers are appreciated as we don't have an definite answers about her prognosis at this point. She's a tough as nails, sweet as a peach kinda lady is all I know!

Lunch with Aunt B, Spencer, Heather and Dad was next on my list. We had a fine dining experience at Taco Bueno. What's that you say??? It isn't fine dining?? I beg to differ. I sure do miss me some Bueno! Although I'm fairly certain that my tummy didn't miss it as much as I did. We finished off my solo Enid trip with a girl's only shopping trip to Hobby Lobby to help decorate Heather and Bailey's kitchens. I fired up my creativity and we moved quickly and found some pretty great stuff. Somehow, someway, by the grace of God I emerged from the store with the same balance in my bank account. Yes, that's right. I didn't buy a single item. Thanks Heather and Bailey for letting me spend your money. ;) Luckily I had time to stop by Aunt B's house to see the progress they've made on it! It was all ggorgeous! I'm so proud of her and Spence.

I walked in the door at home to find an adorable, happy girl running toward me with her arms opened wide. She gave me a larger than life hug. She still hasn't figured out the art of slowing down once she gets to me so it usually ends in her banging her head into my shoulder. She doesn't seem to mind though. We helped Riley pick out his gameday gear and said "bye bye" as he headed to Stillwater. We had a very, very low key girl's afternoon which involved lots of playing in the living room, practicing her xylophone playing skills, showing off her dare devil moves on her slide, watching some football, cooking and sneaking in some cuddling time. I've gotta say, I'm loving this quiet time with my feet up in the recliner, cozied up with my fuzzy blanket, watching some football and doing my second "job"...blogging. Alone time is good for the soul. Quiet time is good for my sanity. My tank is no longer on "E". While I've got some fuel to spare I've got lots of funny new stories to share about my favorite little girl....stay tuned!!

"Why can't we do this everyday?"