You Are My... Happily Ever After: Time's a flyin'...

...and that is not the only thing that is going fast these days!

It is getting increasingly difficult to get a good picture of this little girl!

Lucy is 14 months old now. What?! When did that happen. And with the absence of the monthly posts on her growth and accomplishments my "Lucy's accomplishments" note on my phone is overflowing with information I need to share!

All of the pictures in this post were taken this past Sunday after Lu woke up from an amazing 3.5 hr nap. I love lazy afternoons.

Lucy is walking! It became official on 7-27-11 - we are so proud of our little girl. It is so strange to see her walking around a corner and out of sight! She doesn't stay in one place for very long these days and nether do her toys! Clean up at the end of the day takes twice as long now, since she carries her things with her all around the house. :)

Her personality continues to bloom in front of our eyes. Her sweet spirit is evident to all she tries to "share" with and she is constantly cracking us up with her unexpected knowledge and adorable actions. For example, this morning after Lu finished eating her yogurt (with the combination of her fingers and a spoon) I said, "Good job Lu! You'll be a pro at this in no time!" and she clapped! lol I couldn't help but chuckle - hopefully this doesn't translate into a diva attitude... time will tell. :) But it is not all fun and games, we had our first "melting fit" at Best Buy the other day and I was so shocked I didn't respond very well - I laughed out loud (not the best mom-move). But I think I am prepared to correctly handle the situation if when it happens again.

Lu loves to look out the french doors and see the dogs - she smiles and points, sometimes even bouncing up and down when they come up to say "hi."

Some of her other accomplishments from the past two months:

Mommy Skills: Lu is so sweet to her dolls. Giving them bottles and feeding them with small forks and spoons. Her daddy taught her how to gently give kisses to her babies and not step on them (Hahaha!). She even found a stray Kix on the floor the other day and brought it to her baby to eat (afterward she enjoyed it herself, of course!). We are hopeful these traits transfer well to her new role as big sister. :)
Learning how to use utensils: I have been giving Lu her food in a dish (instead of putting it on her place mat) and encouraging her to use silverware for the past few weeks. We are making progress and although she is no where near pro-level yet I have high hopes that she will be an independent eater by the time Michael makes his appearance. P.S. I love Ikea dishes for kids - the ones we have are sloped higher in the back than the front to help kiddos succeed with their spearing/scooping attempts! Ingenious!
A love of the outdoors: Lucy LOVES being outside. We have enjoyed our pool this summer and have loved playing in buckets of water - no better way to beat the heat than getting wet! Playing in the front yard has allowed us to meet a few more of our neighbors - slowly but surely! Since she is walking now, Lu has become an explorer - walking around in the yard, finding rocks, sticks and trash (that has blown in from who-knows-where). I am pretty sure the "prickly" grass bothered her knees when she was crawling so she would stay put where I set her down - but no longer! We have taken a few toys outside and our outdoor collection is growing. Lucy can also walk out the door, get herself down the steps and crawl into the van! What a big help. She gets a bit distracted along the way, but we are working on listening and being obedient to mom and dad. :)
Climbing: I sat in the church nursery with Lucy a few weeks ago and it was so fun to see her climbing up the steps of the little slide they have and sliding down - all by herself! She enjoys the park, and since she has been walking so much better it is much more enjoyable for me too! I'm a bit scared of how much of an independent adventurer Michael is going to be since Lu is so active and self-sufficient (to a fault)!
Kisses: Lucy loves blowing kisses before bed-time and will sometimes give you a kiss when asked. :)
Bath time: Lucy's love of water transfers to the indoors too - she LOVES bath time. Often I will paint my toe nails or clean the toilet while Lu bathes (Brad brings in his lap-top when he has bath duty) - yeah for multi-tasking! Lucy needs to be reminded to stay on her bottom sometimes, but usually splashes down once she remembers! Definitely a great evening activity - especially when there is 45 minutes til bed time but mom and dad are ready to be done for the day! Free, safe and fun entertainment!
Fun noises: Grandma and Grandpa (Mom and Dad Kidder) were here last week and taught Lu how to pat her hand on her mouth to silence the sound and make a fun "Ah, ah, ah" sound. (I've heard it called an "Indian noise" but I don't know if that is offensive) Lucy enjoys making the noise and then pointing at me/Brad/whoever is around to let them have a turn! :)
Chloe Love: Lucy and Chloe cat get along really well - it is amazing to me how the cat is SO patient with Lu. A night a day difference to other kids. Brad called me cracking up about a month ago and told me that Lucy had been chasing the cat around the house with her play knife (from her Melissa and Doug cutting set) trying to "get" her. I guess the chase lasted a good 15 minutes. :) I'm glad Lucy is going to have a little brother, hopefully he can handle all the "love."
Traveler: Lucy and I recently flew to PA to surprise one of my best friends from college along with two other b.f.f's. :) She did so well on the flights (4 total) and even took a nap on my lap something she hasn't done since she was 2 mo old! I have a blog post floating around in my brain with some tips on how to travel with a toddler (from my immense amount experience - lol) hopefully it will be helpful if YOU travel with a little one soon. :)
"Thank you:" No, she isn't saying it yet, but she is nodding her head in acknowledgement! :) Very rewarding to mom and dad. Especially when she does it voluntarily without a reminder.
Favorites: Ellie remains the all-time favorite, but it has been fun to see Lucy's other preferences come to light. She was recently given a "Blue" (from Blue's Clues) and will walk toward her new doggie and give it hugs and kisses after naps. It is crazy to see how she prefers "new" things already - I was hoping that was a taught instinct, but alas, it is not. She still loves her necklaces and is rarely seen with a bare neck. Lucy LOVES reading and continues to occupy herself by browsing through her books. She really enjoys reading with Brad or I before her afternoon nap and evening bed-time - often asking for more ("dat" pointing to the books) - a highlight of the day for mom and dad since she sits still and cuddles. She loves her baby doll's bottles and often will bring me one and offer it to me. Lu has discovered "her" drawer in the kitchen (which houses her wash cloths, bibs, sippy cups and dishes) and will bring me an empty sippy cup if she is thirsty (super cute). If she is awake when Brad comes home, she is so excited to round the corner and see him coming in through the front door! She loves her daddy. :)

(I wish I could edit well enough to "cut" Lucy's stray hair! Lol)

A big "Thank You!" goes out to Miriam! She gave Lucy this dress before she was born and I have been awaiting the day she was big enough to wear it! I love how it is reminiscent of a men's dress shirt but still so very feminine. :)