Date Night

I don't want to brag but we have a pretty good babysitting set up. Frequently Katie will make us go on dates just so she can babysit. On Friday Katie and Lucy got to hang out while Mike and I went to Portland City Grill to celebrate another year of Mike's hard work at a job that treats us pretty well. (Note the cute dog, courtesy of our other braggable Lucy tenders. More Lucy and Scout pictures to come...)

"no"

You would never believe that this cute girl's favorite word is "no" would you?!!

We Heart the Return of the Sun

This past weekend we watched a friend play rugby and then explored the antique shops in Aurora. Nothing like an afternoon of destruction mixed with daintiness.

Signing

We haven't done an amazing job at teaching Lucy a variety of signs but the ones she knows, she uses, and they really seem to help her feel empowered and cut down on frustration. That said, she still looks a bit desperate in these pictures as she signs *more*milk*please* (note she only uses one of her hands correctly for the sign).

more

milk

please

14 Months

Where she was growing physically fast before, now she is grow mentally at a pace I really can't keep up with. Each night when Mike comes home, Lucy will usually do something new, and Mike looks at me and asks if I taught her that today, and I wish I could say yes, but in honesty I have no idea how she learns everything she does. It is so strange and thrilling to see that she really understands what we are saying and beyond exciting watching her learn to communicate as well. She loves feeling independent a making choices. This also breeds frustration when she can't communicate what she wants or doesn't get it but that is part of character development, right?!

Miss Sunday

Lucy is the queen of Sundays. People just love a fluffy dress and when you add a little frankenstein running , disheveled hair, and plenty of loud yet happy trills you get a pretty solid group of admirers. I love it as much as Lucy; it reminds me to see the cute and not focus on the crazy that sometimes is. That said, while today did indeed include a cute dress it also included eating an entire piece of chalk during relief society and eating her way through the toole layer of her dress to get to her flower petals on the drive.

Side note: grandmas get ready for the best moment of your lives. Lucy now puts her arms around necks and squeezes for a hug. It is the best feeling ever. Ever.

Life

It is funny how life works. Once you are able to reach into the second drawer from the floor you are then pushing yourself to reach the third. I am finding this little gal on her tiptoes a lot these days. Her curiosity seems insatiable at times.

One Year Check Up

I just couldn't bear to leave that last post as the first thing one sees when they open the blog. Lucy had her one year check up (yes, two months late, blame the mom). Ironically it was one day before she got sick, could have used some help there, but alas. Yet in the end, I really didn't need a doctor to tell me how perfectly she is growing and becoming...

She can write her own name after all...

And totally pull off a daddy designed 70s get up...

And she has tackled the fine art of keeping a clip in her hair (our record is fifteen adorable minutes)

And she is a champion sportsman already, other hide-and-go-seekers don't stand a chance...

So dear doctor, while I love you for telling me she is indeed healthy and growing, I was already on to it!

Lucy was sick. Then Mike was sick. Then Lucy was sicker. Then Jen was sick. And I couldn't find one picture without snot on a nose or on a shirt and thus no blogging. But before my mom jumps on the plane from Malaysia to make sure we are alive, here you are. We are alive. Kind of.