Practicing to be a Big Girl!

Mailee is getting to be so interested in everything that we do. I guess it is time that she start eating like a big girl too! I am letting her experiment with utensils when eating (although I am spoon feeding her still while she "practices")

Here she is very busily attempting to eat her eggs with her fork! Notice the fork goes from left hand to right hand - Sneaky!

Silence is Golden

OK, so mothers know that by the time you realize that the noise from the next room where your kid is playing has stopped, sometimes it is too late! Silence is scary, you instantly wonder, "Oh Gosh! What is wrong???" You have visions of your beloved baby drinking Drano (even though you have 16 child locks on that cabinet) or floating in the toilet (could the lid have been left up?)

This happened to me the other day. Mailee went from her normal "chatty" self to suddenly silent. I freaked a little, had a small heart attack and frantically ran toward the hallway. Mailee, however, was in the room right next to me and was very busy... READING!

She pulled this book out of her toybox, sat down and was reading it cover to cover! (Notice the box of DVDs in the background that she used as a stool to boost herself up enough to reach the book!)

What a dream!!!

Growing and Growing!

Yesterday was Mini Miss Mailee's 15 month check-up. She is growing so much!!! Dr. Tanya said she is doing very well.

We are up to:

32 inches long - 90th%

(WOW! She was 5th% at birth!!!!)

&

23.6 pounds - 50th%

Amazing!

The doctor's only "helpful hint" was to cut Mailee's milk intake. This milk machine was drinking upwards of 36 ounces a day!!! She just loves her new sippy cups too much! We could have much worse problems!!!

Fa La La La La!

Since Johnny showed me that I can get streaming (commercial free) Christmas music on my computer, and since I work all day on the computer, I pretty much have Christmas Carols going all the time.

Mailee was sitting in her high chair having some Cheerios while I was working. I looked up to catch her dancing and singing along to the carols. She loves to sing along, though she has no words yet. I love that she loves music as much as I do! And she seems to be just as into the Christmas season - Hard to Believe!

(We'll work on not singing with food in her mouth later!!!)

It is Better to Give than to Receive

Yesterday we continued a Christmas tradition that I started last year. Mailee picked out a toy that she likes for a child her age and we donated it to a 1-3 year old boy in a foster care home. I want to grow the spirit of philanthropy in her, especially at Christmas. Each year she picks out a toy for a child her age and gives it to someone in need!

This year she chose a Discovery Toys electric guitar (of course, it would be something musical) We hope that it brings happiness to a little face on December 25th!

Mailee Meets Santa

I promised her that she will grow to love this guy! She doesn't believe me right now!

Gingerbread Party!

Our church hosts an annual Gingerbread House making day as a children's outreach event. We have over a hundred excited children, packed into the sanctuary, busily making candied treasures. Last year, Mailee spent the party cradled in people's arms (Mommy is the MC for the event) This year, she was able to join in the Christmas Treat Fun!!! Grandma came to help her build her own house, but Mailee had demolition plans. She ripped her house off its frosting "glue" base and started eating it right away, even before she got any candy on it!

She is so fun. This year, the Christmas season has so much more meaning. Everything is better through the eyes of a 1-year-old!