Isabelle: January/February 2016

 I wasn't planning on doing a blog entry, but it turned out there were too many little "Isabelle-isms" we didn't want to forget about. 

 

Words cannot describe how special it is for Joe and I to see her learn and grow and become her own little person. From day one, Isabelle has been determined to do whatever she puts her mind to; she is feisty and head strong (and as Joe would say to me, "Pot. Kettle."). But with that, she is also full of so much joy, smiles, love and sweetness. 

 

Many days, she does test my mental energy and patience as a parent, and I struggle with what the best way to parent her is. But when we look at how much she is growing and learning, it makes those hard days and doubts go away.

 

Here are some photos from Jan/Feb, and our list of "Isabelle-isms":

Playing out front in the garden. Modeling her little poncho I knit for her.

Always wanting to help/see what's going on in the kitchen. We got her a set of her own knives. They are made of plastic, but are still able to cut soft things.

Chasing bubbles with Lily.

Isabelle's first time at the Zoo. We went to the Santa Barbara Zoo.

Walking around the Zoo with Daddy.

Checking out the sheep and goats.

Elephants

Giraffes

Play date with Lily and Maris!

The other two girls loved sitting in the wagon. Isabelle sat in there for about 30 seconds and immediately wanted to get out to continue running around.

At the park in Solvang, CA

Playing in the garden again

Playing with water and bubbles out front

Trip to Avila Barn

Feeding goats, looking at pigs, horses and sheep at Avila Barn!

Isabelle's new "Learning Tower". She wants to be involved and learn about everything we're doing. This has been a life-saver from having to carry her!

 

 

It's a LONG list, but here are all the special things we want to remember about Isabelle at this stage:  

• 32" and 22 pounds 

• Obsessed with her belly button. We watch her on the video monitor during naps and bedtime, and she will just pull up her shirt and stare at it and poke it for 15 minutes straight. She also always wants to show it to us and remind us she knows where her belly button is.

• Has her own language and mumbles sentence upon sentence with it to us. Voice inflections and all :) We just nod our heads, smile, and say "Yeah!"

• Knows where her head, hair, nose, eyes, and toes are.

• Also knows what hats, shoes and socks are. Will bring us those items if we ask her to bring them to us.

• Learning different animals and the sounds they make. Her favorites: Kitten, dog, elephant, bear.

• Her favorite stuffed animals are "Mr. Snuggles" the Teddy Bear from Grandma Carole in North Carolina, and "Mr. Wiggles" the Penguin from her Aunt Jenny in Colorado. She sleeps with those every night and for nap times in her crib. She also talks to, sings, and hugs them before she falls asleep/when she wakes up. (We love our video monitor and have so much fun watching her entertain herself!)

• She also LOVES her baby doll from PopPop and GG in Colorado. We think Isabelle has named her "Diego", because that's what she says every time she holds her. 

•  Things she wants= "Dada" (and also uses that word for Joe)

• Things she is done with/doesn't want= "HOT". She understands what "hot" means, but has turned it into a word she uses when she doesn't want any more food.

• Favorite sign language signs:  "more", "bird", "all done"

• "Shay shay" or "gee jew" = "Thank you"

• "OOOO, Zee Zay!" = "OOOO, Pretty!" (to necklaces, earrings, bracelets, etc.) 

• Kisses "Mmm-AH!"

• Gives hugs and kisses to Finnegan and baby doll Diego (and us of course!). 

• Hugs: If we are sitting on the ground , she will just randomly walk up to us and put her arms around us, turn her head to lay up against us and say "awwww" while patting our back with her hand . (Every time she gives hugs, she says "awww").

• Loves bubbles and baths. "BUBBA!!"= Bubbles. Other than bathtime, one of her favorite activities is when we fill up the kitchen sink or a bucket outside with water, bubbles and toys.

• Still loves the outdoors, playing outside, and digging her hands in dirt and throwing it :-)

• Also loves dancing to music and singing. And we can't get enough of it!! I play music a lot at home during the day and in the car. I love it when she hears a song she likes, she will stop whatever she's doing and start dancing. Her dancing includes bobbing up and down to the beat, running in place, and either clapping her hands together, or waiving her hands up and down in the air.

• When we are working on different skills (wooden puzzles, stacking/nesting blocks) and she gets it right, she starts clapping for herself :-)

• She loves helping us in any way and wants to be involved in whatever we are doing and contribute...

• Puts objects back (in their EXACT spots!) after taking them out of cabinets and drawers, if we ask her "can you put it back?"

• If we give her something to throw in the trash and ask her "can you put it in the trash?", she puts it in the trash in the kitchen.

• She knows her dirty diaper bags go outside in the big trash and loves to help us take them out. She throws it in the big outside trash if we lift her up to throw it in. She gets really upset if we try to throw the bag in the trash ourselves.

• Will wipe down surfaces if we give her a paper towel and ask her to wipe/clean it.

Isabelle Updates: November- December

Isabelle's 12th Month+ : 1 Nov-31 Dec

November:

New words "oh hey!" And "hi!" Says and knows words "mama", "dada", and "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle" (in reference to a song we sing in music class)

Signing "milk" 

Loves exploring all over the house. Brings us things and has us tell her what it is. 

When she gets something in her hands she knows she can't have (like jewelry in drawers in mama's office). She looks at us and runs (FAST) in the other direction!

Learning body parts like "nose" "eyes" and "ears"

So good at being gentle with the kittens (Sophia and Finnegan). She walks up to each of them every morning when she wakes up and tells them "hi!" and pets them gently. 

Loves pulling everything out of drawers and off of tables/shelves she can reach

Favorite foods are anything that we are eating and anything she can feed to herself with her own hands. Working on spoon control. She enjoys mostly finger foods (including pickles and pickled asparagus!!), and her other favorites include cottage cheese with salsa and red beans and rice.
 

Bangs toys and instruments together with hands

December: 

1st birthday wellness exam: weighs 22lbs and 30 inches long. 65th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height.

Very strong separation anxiety with Daddy (Joe) lately. She cries every time he leaves for work, and many times wants to constantly be held by only him. So sweet!

Brings us items and says "what is it?" (Very mumbly, but we understand it!)

Learned when we say, "What does Santa say?" she says "hohoho!"  

Loves, loves, loves exploring outdoors! Plays with dirt, rocks and sticks, feels leaves and grass, picks flowers and runs around.

Learning so much so quickly! Understands statements like "where are your socks/shoes/water bottle?...etc" and she will bring them to us.  

Becomes VERY frustrated when we don't understand what she wants or what she's trying to communicate to us. 

Loves dancing to music and singing (she sings to herself in her crib and around the house). 

Also learned a new dance move: spinning around in circles. Which after about two spins, she gets dizzy.   

LOVES cuddles and hugs lately! She understands the word "cuddle", so when we ask her to cuddle, she walks up to us and turns her head to lay her cheek up against us and hugs us. Sometimes, she'll just walk up to us and randomly hug us. We love this so so much!! 

Her favorite song from her Music together class is "Sweet Potato" and we love singing it to her! We sing it "sweet potatoes... and green tomatoes!" Because she loves picking the green tomatoes in our garden. 

Also enjoys pulling chairs around the dining room and pulling laundry baskets around the house (sometimes with Finnegan inside!) 

Photos from November/December:
 

Learning about sharing with Lily

One of Isabelle's favorite meals..Tofu marinated in balsamic vinegar with garlic and other spices. Love how she's such an easy eater!

Walking into music class. Love this little sweater dress.

Love this smile. She really enjoys going shopping with me.

Another Lily/Isabelle play date!

Cuties!

Our tree before the Kittens and Isabelle got to it

New winter coat! Now we just need some pants.

 Isabelle's First Birthday!

First birthday "One" shirt and tutu made by one of our talented neighbors!

Joe and I worked together to make this cake from scratch. It is just a yellow cake recipe handed down to us from Joe's grandmother, and we made cream cheese frosting.

We had fun with all the colors!

Experiencing sugar for the first time

Opening birthday presents. I just love her emotions/expressions. She was having a "moment" because I wouldn't let her play with scissors.

"Reading" a new book at her new table

Opening a present from Auntie Elizabeth and Uncle Matthew

Opening a present from Auntie Robin

Practicing scribbling at her new table.

I love how her little feet dangle. Still a lot of room left to grow into.

At the park.

I am always so amazed at how independent/confident she is. Running away from me on a soccer field on base. She, of course came running back with smiles on her face!

Picking grass and flowers on the soccer field.

Sophia loves the new table as well.

Isabelle Updates: September-October

Isabelle's 10th and 11th Month: 1 Sept- 31 October

• Interested in throwing things and seeing where they go. (Out of crib, off high chair, etc.)

• Loves playing peek a boo. Even puts her hands over her face and copies us.

• Loves feeding herself. Her favorite snacks are her kale cereal puffs.

• Loves opening and closing doors (can't reach doorknob, but will open and close the door when door is cracked open)

• Started to discover how to open cabinets and drawers (we have given her a few of her own cabinets and drawers and we put random toys and treats in them to encourage her exploration, and it also keeps her mostly out of other cabinets). 

• Walking more every day! Almost running by the end of October.

• Lots of "Ma ma ma's", but hasn't quite attached the word to the person.

• Trying hard to speak sentences (lots of mumbling and different sounds)

• Learned how to wave "Bye bye"!!! It was so precious to see her do this for the first time. She learned it from her friend Lily.

• Learned how to clap her hands together

• Dances (bounces up and down while standing) and pats her hands on her legs to the beat of the music.

• We're able to see her comprehend what we say when we talk in sentences to her. So amazing to see her brain grow!

• Pointing at things and grunting or saying "ooooh!"- wants to know what specific objects are.

• Her FIRST WORDS were "go go go!" and "hi!"

• Her first signs were "all done" and "more".   

Some photos from September/October:

Watching Daddy wash the cars

Helping wash the Corvette

Testing out the driver's seat in the Corvette

Having a picnic dinner at Babcock Vineyard

Kale snacks!

Granddaddy Joe and Grandmom Judy came to visit!

Grandmom Judy and Granddaddy Joe showing some Broncos spirit while watching Isabelle!

Starting to get into stuff! "Helping" empty the dishwasher

Isabelle's cabinet where we keep/hide stuff for her to find and play with.

Music Together class. All the babies gathered around the drum.

Playing with her basketball

Waiting for the Fire Safety Parade on base to come by our house.

Getting into the wipes. Her face just cracks me up.

Playing with Lily at the park across from our houses.

At the local ice cream shop. Isabelle was pointing at the train on the ceiling.

Walking out front to pick green tomatoes!

Green tomato picking

Showing me what she found. So cute!

Helping prepare a pumpkin to be roasted.

Halloween! Mario, Luigi and their little Toadstool  (she was scared of the photographer because he was dressed as a zombie)

Here's a smile!