19 Months!!

So Loralai is now 19 months and a smart little turkey!

The other day when Loralai was at daycare (Loralai's sitter is her godmother and my cousin Carrie) she rounded up all the play plates, cups, and utensils and started setting the place settings for the kids table! Now keep in mind at our house we never set the table, we normally just put all the plates and utensils in a pile and just help yourself, so I am not even sure where she got the idea to do this from! Carrie said that she placed every spot (unaccompanied) with a plate, cup, and utensils! I was in astonishment and of course proud!

Loralai Fun Facts:

Loralai is just under 25 lbs
and is wearing size 18 months clothes and size 5 diapers.

She LOVES mint chocolate chip ice cream. I mean sit there in total silence for 20 mintues until it is all gone kinda love! For a busy 19 month old it must be good!

If you ask her after is she is finished eating at the table to 'clear her spot', she will take all of her dishes into the kitchen!

Loralai is totally mesmerized with her cousin Brandon (10), when he walks in the room her face just lights up, she will wait by the door everyday at lunch for him to come home, happily sit right next to him while is watching TV with a huge smile on her face, and even when we are at home and I guess being boring parents she will call his name! lol it is adorable! I hope she is not becoming boy crazy already! lol.

She feeds her baby a bottle, tries to change her diaper with a real diaper, and pushes her around in the stroller.

This is hilarious to watch and I have been trying to get a video, but she uses the toilet paper holder in the bathroom which looks kinda like a mircophone on a stand, and sings and dances like a rockstar!!

She has just started to point to the tv and say "my show" wanting Mommy to put her show on for her, which is normally the Wiggles or Thomas the Train!

Swimming Lesson Update

So far Loralai has had two swimming lessons and she LOVES it!
They have them kicking their legs, jumping off the side, sliding down the slide, singing songs, and we are finally at her nose for dunking her under; Loralai very much dislikes having water over her head, bath time is pleasant until I have to wash the soap out of her hair and then she screams! Hopefully eventually when we finally start dunking her, bath time will also get less tramatic!

The water is also so warm, it is definitely like being in a warm bath which is prefect for parents and baby, so shock to the system! The class is only a half an hour and getting Loralai out is a struggle! lol. I am glad that we have finally started, I feel that swimming is such a good life skill that could be a lifesaver!

Swimming Lessons

Loralai starts swimming lessons on Saturday! The program is called Splashers and is the very first in the programs series at the YMCA. The class will teach basic water skills, entering and exiting the water, blowing bubbles, and floating.

I have taken her to a much less formal swimming class before when she was 6 months old at a local salt water pool. The program only lasted 4 weeks and we missed 2 because Loralai got an ear infection one week, and then we went to Florida the next.

When we were in Niagara Falls at Christmas time Loralai loved being in the pool, so I am hoping she really enjoys her swimming class. Of course parent participation is a must, so Todd and I have decided to alternate weeks so that we can both share in this experience along with her!

Below is a picture of Loralai's very first swimming lesson when she was 6 months, and of course her now at 18 months showing off her new cool swim lesson gear that Mommy just bought for her!! Does she not look so grown up now? My little lady :)

Loralai playing dress up...

With Mommy's new undies that she found!

It was hilarious when Loralai decided to wear Mommy's undies like a skirt/belt/tutu? around her waist! She put them on and continued to play around like nothing was out of the ordinary! I am very much hoping that she turns out to be the pre-schooler that wants to wear a costume (not Mommy's undies of course lol) out to the mall or grocery shopping!

Loralai Fact:

Loralai has started to nod her head to say yes when you ask her a question and she wants something. I tell you it makes everything so much easier when she does not just say 'No' to everything even if she does want it!!

Niagara Falls

It has been a tradition for the last roughly 10 years that after Christmas all of our extended family on Grandpa's side of the family meets in Niagara Falls for a few days. Last year Daddy, Mommy and you did not get to go since Mommy had to work, so this was Loralai's first year away and her first time staying in a hotel. It was definitely not as relaxing as it normally has been in the past with a busy bee of a 18 month old, but it was still fun! We went to Buffalo shopping, swimming, we played A LOT in the hallway running back and forth, we went down to the Midway and played some games, and Mommy got the chance to go to the casino with your Grandpa one night.

It was a lot different not having Daddy there to help out but he had to work. Below are just some of the highlights of of our trip:

The first picture is of Loralai, Sarah, and Brandon having some fun swimming in the pool, then a picture of the falls, Loralai swimming with Grandpa, Loralai hitching a ride on the luggage cart, and last but not least since we shared a room with Grandma and Grandpa so Loralai and Mommy had to share a bed, we this is how Loralai decided that she was going to sleep right across the bed, not matter how many times Mommy tried to move you back! Mommy was left with only a tiny bit of bed! Good thing Loralai is cute :)

Christmas 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This holiday season started out a bit rocky since Loralai got pretty ill, and we ended up having to take her to the hospital on December 23rd. After over 4 hours of waiting with a very impatient crying 18 month old, 3 sets of stickers, 2 stuffed animals, and 1 popsicle, we found out that Loralai had a very bad throat infection and virus. Poor thing her entire face was runny, her voice was horse, she threw up, had an awful cough, and the reason why we took her to the doctors was that she would not sleep since every time she would fall asleep she would wake up choking. So there was a few sleepless nights for Mommy, which aided in Mommy's clumsiness and she fell down the stairs, and walked into the side of the bedroom door in the middle of the night which caused her to fall to the ground in pain. So although Christmas did not start out that ideal, it did end up being quite fun anyway!

Loralai had no problem at all catching on the concept of opening up her gifts at all! It was so much fun to see her face. She definitely speaks through her expressions, and she genuinely loved everything that she got!

Our Christmas started Christmas Eve when much of our family came up to spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We ate appetizers, and played games. Then on Christmas morning the everyone came over to our house for breakfast, and because we are the only ones with a young child on that side of the family it just made sense. So Loralai got to open up her Santa gift and the ones from Daddy and I. Daddy made Eggs Benedict with hash browns for all 12 of us, which was delicious! The day then took us over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the traditional turkey and all the fixings for linner (lunch and dinner), and we shared in the spirit of Christmas of reconnecting, and of course opened up some gifts.


So after all the excitement Loralai's day ended quite early like this:



So Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

It is Christmas time!

I can not believe that Christmas is officially 8 days away!

We have gotten, put up and decorated our....We have bought gifts and wrapped them but because Loralai likes to ride, carry around, and throw the presents down the two steps, we have not placed them under the tree yet!

We have gone to a family Christmas Party....Where we played games, exchanged cookies, ate a yummy potluck, and finally caught up and shared stories with ones we to do not see often enough!

This month so far we have also played outside in the snow...and last but definitely not least taken pictures for our Christmas card this year. Of course I can not show the final card since not everyone has received one just yet, but I can of course show some of the fun outtakes/contenders that did not make the final card this year, but are just too cute to not show off!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

18 Months!

1/2 Birthday Fun Facts:

• Loralai is now 1.5 years old or 18 months!
• She weighs 24.12lbs and is 33.2 inches tall
• she can count 1,2,3!
• She has just started to call Daddy and Momma "Dad" and "Mom" lol
• She now sleeps in a big girl bed
• Her favourite food is anything protein (any kind of meat or eggs)
• If you ask her to pick up her toys she will, and then put the toy bucket away!
• Her favourite book is Thomas' Busy Day
• In the Christmas spirit she walks around saying Ho Ho Ho like Santa does
  
• She knows what sounds a Cow, Cat, Dog, and Duck make
• She says Thank you all the time, and has just started to say Help when she needs it!

Big Girl Bed!

Oh happy day!



Loralai last month (I know I am a little late) started to sleep in her big girl bed! Loralai had not slept an entire night (and I do not mean without waking at least once) in her own bed since she got her first cold at 5 months, she got used to Mommy holding her all night long. Then she stopped liking her crib because when she started to roll around she would hit her head or get her leg stuck in the bars.

So for the past 11 months Loralai had been sleeping in between Daddy and Mommy. Needless to say, as Loralai got bigger Mommy got less and less room to sleep on. So when we moved into our new house, we tried moving her crib mattress out of the crib and on to the floor beside our bed, but that did not work she would still get up crying. So I told Todd I had enough, and desperately needed a full nights sleep, and that we should try a twin bed for her.

I wish I had gotten the twin bed months and months ago, because from the very first night we got it for her she LOVED it! Loralai has slept in her new big girl bed every night since we got it! Mommy has actually had to have several uninterrupted sleeps for the first time since Loralai was born!

Taking a look....

At the last few weeks:

We will start with my convocation. I would like to say my final but when you are someone who loves to continue learning, upgrading, and never just satisfied in one career direction, final is too much of a permanent word. I do have to say that this is one of my most proud graduations since is was the most challenging. Yes I say this even after receiving my law degree, but I started this educational journey when Loralai was just 11 weeks old. It was hard but I persevered, I even volunteered, and I came out not only with a sense of accomplishment but a job I love, and on the deans list!!

We decided to leave Loralai with my cousin for the evening since a 2.5 hour long ceremony does not always agree with a very busy 16 month old!!

The next highlight was Remembrance Day:


It is always so important to remember our history and the reason why we all enjoy our freedom today, and this is why we pay special thanks to the ones who have fallen. But throughout this day I also remembered those family members who suffered the loss of their loved ones for us, and I also take time to remember those who have fought and lost their lives even during our current war.

I have the very special privilege to support our military members on an everyday basis because I work on at CFB Borden. So on Remembrance Day I invited my parents to come along with Loralai and I to the ceremony that was taking place on Base that day. Loralai was very busy and I did send most of the ceremony chasing her around, but it was still amazing to see everyone come together. They set off two canons but Loralai did not even flinch, she looked up as to say what was that and then continued on her merry way. Above is just pictures of the ceremony on the parade square, and of course Loralai running around in the leaves.