Christmas Card Pictures

I took Alayah out to snap some pictures for Christmas Cards this year. I didn't get very many because she was not in the mood to sit still for me.



I can't believe she is going to be two so soon.

Happy Thanksgiving

We went to eat at a restaurant for Thanksgiving this year because we ran out of time to cook because of all the packing and moving this week. My mom is moving to Nevada in a couple of days, so I snapped some pictures of the girls together to have before she leaves.



Alayah is going to miss her Grandma when she leaves.

21 Month Wrap up

Your vocabulary kind of stayed the same this month, but that's okay because you are using the words you know much more. Have I mentioned that you love to dance? Well, you do and you are so good about watching others dance and then trying to imitate them. You haven't had any other ear infections since we put tubes in your ears. You love to do what mommy does and are always trying to copy me in everything. You continue to try new things everyday and rarely seem scared to try new things out. I'm so proud of you baby girl and I can't wait to see what you do next.

Happy Halloween

Alayah was a ballerina kitty this year. I had to throw this costume together at the last minute so this is the best I could do :)


Note to self: Face paint and two year olds...do not go well together



She was so excited to be a kitty and kept saying "mow". Once we got to the mall to trick or treat she freaked out about all the people in costumes and refused to be put down. She did get lots of candy and was definitely enjoying it eating it. After the mall, we went out to eat and came home to watch a movie. This year Nana and Grandma were able to join us which made it much more special.

Pumpkin Patch

I took Alayah to our sorry excuse for a pumpkin patch today, but she wasn't in the mood. The pumpkin patch was in a school yard so all she wanted to do was play and definitely, did not want me making her pose. I was a little dissappointed as I envisioned all these great pictures, but there wasn't even very many pumpkins. Oh, well. I did get this below shot which I really like so it evens it out right :)

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

Tuesday, Alayah had a little bump on one of her fingers. I didn't really think much about it because it looked like a bug bite or something. On Wednesday, she had another bump in the middle of her palm so I thought maybe we had some bed bugs. Today, she had all these little fluid filled blisters on her palms and the top of her hand. I thought she had been burned by some grease or something like that. I took her to the doctors and they said she has hand foot and mouth disease...just great. Why does this girl always get sick...Now she can't go to daycare tomorrow because they think she is contagious, which the disease is, but its only contagious before you get the blisters so the damage has already been done. They don't seem to care tho. I wish they understood that I really can't afford to miss work and I absolutely can't miss anymore days betweeen now and January or I could lose my job. I wish my job understood that being a single parent is hard and that when your child is sick you have to stay home with them. It's not like I'm out playing hooky you know.....*sigh*

20 Month Wrap Up

Your personality keeps coming out more and more every day. You are quite the comedian and oh so joyful. You get so happy about the smallest things and then insist upon jumping up and down to show your joy.




We are taking swimming lessons this month and you love going down the kiddie slide. You've also learned to kick and move your arms almost like doggy paddling. You are doing awesome.


I have noticed when you are trying to get your leg over something and it is just a little too high...you grab your toes and try to help lift your foot over with your hand. You are too cute.







New words this month include



"wa-wa" - water
"ca ca ewww"- your term for just ca ca always said with a look of disgust and wiping your hands
"cwhy"-cry
"baby chwy"-baby cry
"dah done"- all gone
"K"-okay
"two"- when we say 1 you say 2 and then we say 3 and you say 2...everything is 2 when it comes to counting.




You love the itsy bitsy spider song and try to do the spider part...its so cute. You also bend forward and pat your knees and yell "no" when you are wanting us to follow you. We need to work on the word come. :)

I love her personality. She is so fun and care-free, but so serious at the same time. I was trying to get some good pictures of her to enter in the gap contest this year.


She has been doing treally good since she got tubes in her ears and I am excited to see if her language skills start coming out a little more. I also hope that she doesn't get any ear infections this fall...that would be wonderful

Surgery

Alayah had her surgery today and we arrived at the clinic bright and early. All the nurses thought she was the cutest thing and kept telling other nurses to come in an get a look at her...which began to get a little awkward. They gave her some drugs to get her sleepy but all they did was get her wired. The surgery only took about 15 minutes but I was so anxious to have her back in my arms that it seemed much longer. They said she might be grumpy when she woke up but boy was she pissed! She screamed bloody murder for about 20 minutes after she came to the recovery room and she wouldn't settle down for anything. Finally, they let us leave and she stopped crying. She spent the rest of the day laying around watching Elmo and didn't seem to be phased one bit by the surgery or in any pain which was great. I hope to see some language improvement over the next couple of months.

TUBES!!!

I took Alayah to the doctor yesterday for a second opinion on her ears. I was really frustrated that her doctor didn't want to do anything about her monthly ear infections. The poor girl has had them every month for a year and all the ear infections are really affecting her speech. We saw an audiologist before the appointment with the doctor and they said that she had negative ear pressure in her left ear due to her euchastian tube not working properly. It took the new doctor all of five minutes to say she should of had tubes a long time ago since she has so many infections and her speech is so far behind. I am glad that something is going to be done for her and I am glad that she will be able to hear correctly and hopefully be able to start talking a little bit more. She gets so frustrated that she can't get across what she is trying to say. Please pray for peace for me as I am really nervous about her being put to sleep and even putting her through this to begin with, but I know it won't be any worse than an actual ear infection which they said she is on the verge of getting again. Pray for a quick procedure and a quick recovery for my baby girl too.

Going to the zoo

We went to Denver this weekend and took Alayah to the zoo. She really enjoyed it this time because she was more aware of the animals and all the things going on. She loved looking over the edges into the enclosures and pointing at all the animals.



Of course we had to take picture next to the polar bear statue like we do every year. Last year she could barely sit on the platform. We had to watch her to make sure she wouldn't fall over.

Alayah loved all the free roaming birds. She would just walk up to the animals and start talking to them. It was so cute.

Photography Practice

This is the before...


This is the after. I brightened the colors and removed the dead tree branches and the power wires. I can't wait till I figure the whole Photoshop thing out.
The next two pictures are straight out of the camera...I haven't had time to do anything with them yet.





I love watching her run...




She likes to take a break and sit down...it only lasts for a second and then she's on the move

Labor Day

We had nothing to do today so I took Alayah to the park and practiced taking some pictures and let her run around. Once we got home and she layed down for a nap I played around with photoshop. I have absolutely no idea how to use it so I just wing it haha I just keep choosing settings to see what I end up with. Hopefully I will figure out what I am doing soon.

I really like this one.


She really loves swinging....I get tired of pushing :)

I really like this one too....it would have been nicer had there not been power lines and houses in the background tho.

We went to the park today so I could practice taking pictures. I was in a hurry so I didn't have time to do her hair...so I chose to go with the dryed out fro look. If her hair is dry it looks so much longer, but if its we it shrinks and the curls are so small and tight it looks like her hair is barely an inch long.


This skirt is a 2T and it looks so small on her...



I tried to take one of us together by propping the camera on a rock and using the self-timer, but Alayah didn't want to cooperate.

19 month wrap up

New words

"dank-oo"- Thank you

"sheeze"- cheese

"o e o e o"- E I E I O

You do this really cute sashe run where you twist your hips while you walk and run. It's so cute.

Grandma and you were wrestling and she told you that you had better be nice or she was going to tell Papa and you ran into the other room to get grandmas phone and brought it to her because you know she always talks to Papa on it.

You love yourself some Elmo who you now call "Melmo". You come home everyday and get your Elmo movie and you will stand there and watch the whole thing over and over. You get so excited about Elmo that you start dancing and talking in long gibberish and are so expressive.

I love how you smother me with kisses at night and you've started to have me pretend drink out of your sippy cup. You will hold it to my lips and make smacking noises until I prentend to drink from it. You also learned how to jump with both feet off the ground this month too.

Panties

Alayah started wearing panites to daycare this week and has only had one accident. She had to have Elmo underwear and I had to go to three different places to try and find some in her size. She likes them and I really hope they help her want to go in the potty more.

Developmental Screening

Alayah had her second developmental screening today and again she tested above her age in everything except language. She is doing things at about the 21 month level and higher in most areas, but when it comes to her expressive language she is only at 13 months. At her 13 month screening she was at 11 months for her language and now she is 19 months and even further behind. Her infections are what the speech pathologist is blaming the delay on because she gained several words during the two months she went without an ear infection. She is starting to get ear infections again and I am afraid she is just going to continue to get further behind. We have an appointment with her pediatrician next week and I am going to push the topic of tubes. The speech pathologist and I both agree that it would help. There is no point in her getting therapy if she can't hear the words we are trying to teach her. Her doctor kept saying wait till summer and then they will go away. Well its summer and she still has them so I'm tired of waiting. She has had an ear infection every single month since last September. I am tired of them and I am sure Alayah is too.

Flashback (stolen from Gracie's mom)

My happy baby girl 8/9/2008

Her Classic Look 8/9/2008

My Toddler Girl 8/9/2009

I can't believe how much different she looks now. The outfit in last years pictures was 6-9 months and it was too big for her all summer long, so I finally stuck it on her and took pictures since she wasn't going to get any use out of it. Now she is wearing 2T...she is so tall. I don't know who she gets it from. I miss my baby, but the world of the toddler is so much fun too :)

Potty Happenings

Alayah tried pulling her pull-up off tonight and then pointed to the bathroom. I asked her if she needed to go potty and she shook her head yes. We went into the bathroom and she sat down on her potty, but she got right back up and ran out of the bathroom. I went to go get her some pajamas to put on and she ran back into the bathroom and sat down and immediately went potty. She stood up and clapped and I cheered for her. This is the first time that she has initiated going to the bathroom and actually gone. I am so excited for her. She is really starting to understand the concept and now she is realizing when she gets the urge to pee. Woohoo!

Sesame Street Live

Floor seats for "Elmo's Green Thumb

$27.00 each

One stuffed Elmo doll
$25.00

One Elmo ballon(out of camera's view but she was laughing at it)

$8.00

Snacks and Drinks

$10.00

Seeing your daughters face light up when she sees her beloved "Eh-mo"

PRICELESS

Alayah did so great at the show. She was a little overwhelmed at first as we were very close to the stage and the characters came right out to stand by us, but she didn't cry. She danced in my lap and continually pointed to Elmo. She even gave the count a high five. She really enjoyed it and I really enjoyed spending the time with her. I wish she was old enough to remember it, but I will always and can tell her about it when she is older. Afterwards, I took her to McDonalds and let her play which I haven't done before and she really enjoyed that to. All in all an awesome day.

18 month wrap up

New words this month are boo and "peeze"- please, and "dat"-that

You are starting to combine words like in the morning if we see birds outside you will say "mommy dat". You are starting to understand that mouths are for eating and you feed your babies and your bears and mommy's statues. Everything needs to eat. Dancing is still your favorite thing to do and you are starting to listen to the words and understand if the song says to do something like put your hands up. You are still doing very good with potty training at daycare and you only go through one pull up a day which is awesome. Your hair is starting to grow out in the back finally and you got another tooth this month. We've officially made it 18 whole months baby girl! :)

Mommy and Me day

I took Alayah to the park today and let her play while I took pictures. She was happy to oblige. It was nice to have a day solely based on her and what she wants to do. She is napping now and tonight I am taking her to see the movie "UP". I hope she enjoys it. I wish I could have more days off during the week to spend with her. It seems so unfair that life is spent working. I want to spend all my time with my girl.

Punky Girl

Attitude. That is the only word to describe my girl lately. It is her way or the highway and Patience is not a virtue of hers. She wants to do things herself and when she can't she gets super frustrated. I bought this shirt last year when she was just a little baby with images of a punky photo session dancing in my head. I thought it would be perfect for her 18 month pictures.


The pictures turned out so good even though she wasn't a very willing participant.
My girls is growing so much lately and it's like I'm being introduced to a different person as the months go by. I love you baby girl!



Now I need to figure out how to use my photoshop to add some cool effects to this pictures.

4th of July

Alayah and Mommy

We had a great day together. I took Alayah downtown to take some pictures in her red, white, and blue. She wasn't very cooperative but I got some cute ones. We went to our local football game and then found a spot to watch the fireworks. She wasn't very awake when they finally started, but she wasn't scared of them which was good.

Peace and Love

If only she had been smiling..

So happy

Alayah and her buddy Elyjaah