A Visit from the Grandparents

We got a semi-last-minute visit from Leyton's Poppy and BB and Mommy's Grandpa this past week.  BB was recovering for knee surgery and therefore had some time off from work, so they hopped on a plane and headed to always sunny California.  They were able to drive to Tuscan for a couple of days and see where Grandpa was stationed for two years when he was in the Air Force in the 1940s.  The rest of the time was spent entertaining and being ever entertained by Miss Leyton, AKA Adorable Little Monster.
LC is definitely settling into her toddler stage.  She can be the funnest, sweetest, most lovable child in the world.  She loves to snuggle and be read to and to be chased around outside.  She still points at everything, wanting to know IMMEDIATELY the name of the thing she is pointing at, even if you've already told her 20 times.  She is not the most patient child.  Which leads me to the Little Monster.  Holy Smokes can she have a fit!  Over any little thing that is not 100% to her liking.  She currently HATES diaper changes, bathes, getting into the stroller, having her nose wiped, and being told that she cannot do something (she is currently melting down because I won't let her stand on her car....oh nevermind, now she is barking at a book with a dog on it).
Enjoy the pictures of the Adorable Little Monster!

One of the best things about grandparents... PRESENTS!

Snuggies with Poppy

Snuggies with BB

Rounding the corner and ready to rumble

BB had some great kid-friendly app on her iPad

Can't leave Grandpa out of the snuggies!

Poppy and BB took her to the park, which is one of her favorite things

She loves to play soccer and play in the dirt

The wagon is nice for taking a little break in the action

"I don't know who threw the ball over the fence.."

Resting up for Round 2

Teaching Grandpa her favorite Alphabet book

Poppy gives her WHATEVER she wants!

Daddy was gone for a week to pick up a new helo... it was great to get him back!

Kiss Kiss!

"Give me that, Mom.  Let me show you how to work it."

Love you, you Little Monster!

Things That Will Not Be As Cute in 20 Years...

Being a Pothead

Putting dirty things in your mouth

Sassing

Going to prison

Visiting friends in prison

Yelling

Flashing

And last but not least....

Fighting!  (You should see the other guy!)

A note on that last thing: she tripped and scratched her face.  It is healing nicely.

I Heart California

Leyton is SOO BIG!

So last week she was walking, and this week she is running.  Little Pants is all over the house, literally running circles around me as I type.  She still falls on a fairly regular bases, but she gets right back up and off she goes again.  It's really no harder than when she was crawling, but that's only in the house.  I've taken her out and turned her loose a couple of times and that's when things get interesting.  Like LC climbing stairs.  We were at the park and I put her down from the swings and she made a bee line for the jungle gym.  She hit the stairs and right up she went, no problem at all (yes, I was right behind her).  We don't have stairs at our house (thankfully) so this was her first shot at it, but from her skill, you'd have thought she climbed them daily.
In other Big Girl news, Leyton is no longer nursing.  I was waiting to ween her until we got back from our Thanksgiving and Christmas trips.  So last week we dropped the noon feeding, which was right before her nap and this week we dropped the feeding before bedtime.  She did great with both.  She cries briefly when you first put her down, but for less than a minute and then she's quiet.  I doubt she's asleep in less than a minute, but she is safe and quiet and that's all that matters to me.
Leyton has added a few new animal sounds.  She can now tell you what the elephant, frog and sheep say.  She is also obsessed with a couple of new books -First 100 Things that Go and Peek-a-boo Baby (both for which are from Aunt Phyllis.  Thanks!).  She has me read these over and over.  When she's not looking I hide them (seriously, she has me read them 50 times a day, there's only so much I can take).
And last but not least on the big girl stuff... yoga and eating with a fork.  She does Downward Dog, plank, and other yoga poses often.  Gotta keep your chi centered.  And this morning she started trying to eat with a fork and spoon (she would have tried this earlier if it were up to her, but Mommy was avoiding the inevitable mess).  She did surprising well.  She understands the spoon, and how to dip it in the bowl and then get it to her mouth, she just kept using the handle end instead of the spoon end - even when I turned it around in her around.  She can use the fork as long as I help her stab the food, though sometimes she still takes the food off the end and uses her hand to put it in her mouth.  Overall though I'm pleased with her efforts.
And enough typing... here's pictures of my kid.

They are looking at the moon.  LC loves to look at the moon, sun, and stars on her books and toys.  She can point them out, even in books that are new to her.

P.S.  we got a fancy new camera.  It takes nice pics, even though I have no idea how to really use it.

Walk This Way!

Wanted to share these two short videos of our little walking machine. Sorry they are tilted to one side. We will work on taking future videos in the landscape layout. You're going to have to turn your monitor on its side to view :)

So long 2011

As we set to say 'see ya' to 2011, it's always fun to do a little recap of the year and see how it went.  I would say it was a doozie.  LC started the year off in Virginia, living with Papa and Grammy.  LC was a whopping 12.5 pounds and was into her grabbing her feet and laughing.  We took our first of several plane rides - to Oregon to see uncle Ben, aunt Sonya and cousin McKinley.  Ryan was still in Africa.
In February, we drove to Florida to see Aunt Hillary and then we picked Daddy up at the airport on Valentine's Day.  A week later we flew to California to find a new place to live.  LC learned to roll over and got a new cousin -Chesney Jules.
The first part of March, Daddy leaves for Africa again.  Mid-March LC got sick and we couldn't go on our planned trip to Europe.  So Mommy decided to move to California instead.  We pack for a week and then when LC was exactly 5 months old, we hit the road.  We stopped in Memphis to pick up Miss Brittany and then trekked across the country.  LC does great!  March 30 is Leyton's first trip to the beach... she tries to eat the sand.
In April, LC turned 6 months old, tried solid food for the first time, learned how to sit up, and got her first tooth - a big month for her.  Mommy got settled into the new, albeit temporary, home.
May 14th Daddy got home for good!  Gramma C taught LC how to eat like a big girl, and she was 15.5 pounds.  We enjoyed finally exploring around our new home in San Diego.
In June, LC turned 8 months old, she learned how to feed herself Cheerios and she gave kisses -especially to her fluffy bird book.  So sweet!
In July, Grammy and Papa AND Poppy and BB came to visit.  We enjoyed showing them around.  Leyton also learned how to crawl and started saying Mama and Dada (Mama first though!).
In August we moved AGAIN.  Not as far this time though, just across the island into a much bigger house which a playroom for LC.  She learned to pull up and how to push the buttons on her toys to make them sing.
In September, LC went swimming at the big pool and loved it.  She also learned to wave, clap and point at everything.
October 22 was LC's first birthday!  We got visits from Aunt Hillary, Poppy, BB, Grammy, and Papa.  Leyton was 20 pounds and 31 inches - long and lean as ever.
In November we made the trip back to Virginia for Thanksgiving (and Leyton threw up on the plane).  Leyton was standing by herself and taking a step or two.
Which leads us to December and to the present.  Leyton is now walking.  Up until Christmas Day she could take about 5 steps before switching to four wheel drive.  Now she can walk across a room, especially if no one is looking.  Crawling is still her primary mode of transfer, but not for long.  Her vocabulary is ever expanding, including 'Thank you.'  Of course she can understand much more than she can say.  Like 'No' for example.  She knows what it means, but mainly thinks it's funny.  We are now tackling the never ending task of obeying.  Disciplining a 14 month old is completely fruitless, but none the less we have her sit in 'time out' (screaming in our lap) for one minute whenever she is 'bad.'
Leyton can tell you what the cow, horse, fish, bear, and snake say and she can correctly point out several of her animal magnets.  She scoots all around on her car, she now loves her horse, and playing in her wagon.  She loves books and will bring them across a room to us for us to read to her.  She still points at everything, wanting to know what everything is called.
Leyton is finally a pretty good little eater.  Her favorite foods are cheese, eggs, pears mixed with spinach, yogurt and bananas.  She also drinks her water and milk, using sign language to ask for it.  She feeds herself for the first portion of her meal, until she starts to play with her food, and then we feed her to finish up.
LC is sleeping from 8pm to 8am straight (most nights, probably once every two weeks she'll wake up and cry) and goes down for a 1 to 2.5 hour nap daily at noon.  In Oregon, she slept horribly, and woke us up several times each night crying.  Thankfully she didn't continue that once we returned home.
So you are all caught up on Princess Leyton.  Now here are some recent photos.

Happy New Year!