Laura is 1 Year + 8 Months!

Height: ?

Weight: 21 lbs. (unofficial estimate)

Likes: Coloring with markers, play-doh, playing babies, treats like "emma-emma" (M&M's), her cousins, CJ the daycare boyfriend, pacifiers, Ring Around the Rosie, Christmas board books from the library, 5:30 every day when "Fresh Beat Band" comes on, putting coins in her bank

Dislikes: Eating meat, constant suspicions that Daddy is trying to steal her food, us telling her to eat a particular food, sock fuzzies between her toes (she does an inspection every time we take off her socks)

Any new tricks? Laura can fill in words to songs now that are familiar to her, she is attempting to name colors and quantities - although she pretty much will always say "blue" and "two," she has learned about jumping (HILARIOUS! We have a good video of this that should be posted). Our favorite thing is just how conversational she is becoming - we can carry out negotiations, give directions, listen to her boss us, hear her requests for items (sucker? sucker?)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Time to reflect and say, "We are thankful for..." Not on my list...Minnesota football teams, yuck!

This Thanksgiving was a lot of fun because Laura was looking forward to it. Well, sort of. She was super duper excited to see cousins Lilly and Andrew. When either Mom or I had mentioned Thanksgiving, Laura's eyes would get wide, body shaking and say "Illee, Illee, Illee." The holiday doesn't mean turkey, stuffing, or any food to her. She thinks it means being with family.

Uncle Matt and Mike are in Italy right now. Hope they are having a wonderful Thanksgiving. Grandma and Grandpa M are in Wisconsin celebrating Thanksgiving with the White family and Great Auntie Carol.

Once again, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Humpty Dumpty

Boom = Fall

Snow and Other Details

First snowfall of the year! 10 inches of that heavy, wet snow...perfect for making a snowman, or should I say, "Papa with a hat" snowman.

Laura was interested in the snow this morning...I thought she'd be concerned and calling out "Oh no!" but she was more intrigued. Lots of looking out the windows this morning - and had to check all windows, as though a different window might have a different weather scenario. However that interest ended when the technicalities of encountering said snow came up. Daddy went out to shovel, and the mittens he put on FREAKED LAURA OUT. I had to take out my entire mitten stash and show them to her, putting them on and pulling them off until she was "okay" with mittens.

Also, the boots. She loves the fact that they're "Lilly's boots" but won't put them on. Ditto for snowpants. So, Daddy shoveled the driveway while four pink-coated neighbor girls played in our yard, building snowmen and snow chairs for Laura who would not get dressed to go out.

In non-snow related news:

A) I can't believe I forgot this in the 19 month post, but another word we hear way too often around here is "mine." EVERYTHING is Laura's. I think she also uses "mine" as an equivalent for "I can do it."

B) They have been working intensively on names and name games at daycare, and Laura loves talking about all her daycare buddies. Sometimes when I pick her up, she wants to walk around the room, pointing at each kid and naming them for me. Her favorites are "Baby Ah-na" (baby Audriana, who she is always checking out and trying to "help" with) and "CJ" (Her boyfriend. They tried to smooch when she had to go on Friday.)

C) Yummies. I have created a sugar-crazed monster. It's not like she gets treats 24/7 around here but if they're in the house, she knows about it and does not forget it. I made cookies Wednesday night and within 5 seconds of waking up Thursday a.m. the first thing Laura said was "Yummy." Tonight she threw a fit about me melting chocolate chips because she wanted to eat them, and when I was spreading the chocolate on the scotcheroos she was literally shaking in anticipation. She knows where the leftover Halloween Dum-Dums are, and I've heard her ask for a sucker probably fifty times this week (actual suckers she received: 2).