Summer Pool Fun

Zane, Everett, and Tiana came over today to have some fun pool time with you! The boys splashed around wildly while the girls floated around daintily!

After all that fun in the pool, you noticed Alyssa trying to sleep in her carrier. You immediately took to caring for her and rocking her back to sleep! You are going to be such an amazing big sister, I just know it!

Sushi with Tsaps

You had some delicious edamame and sushi with Katya and Lyonia today! We shared the news of your future sibling with them and they are so excited for you!

Then on the drive home you showed off your artistic skills, creating art with the focus of Picasso and telling us about your new favorite color "Pupple!"

First Circus

Today you took the whole family to your first circus! The amazing stunts, sitting tigers, kneeling elephants, acrobats, clowns, gymnasts, and even a human cannon had you intrigued for the entire 2 hours!! It really was the greatest show on earth!

Sunday Breakfast

We went out to breakfast today at Eggs n Things, our favorite breakfast spot. You delighted everyone there with your adorableness and artistic talents!

Yummy Cherries

You love cherries, especially when you get to eat them off the stem like a big girl!

Santa Barbara Zoo with Friends

You visited the animals in Santa Barbara with your friends Katelynn, Lola, Mario, Tiana, and your newest friend, little Alyssa. You and Katelynn had too much fun carpooling together so you only got a 15 minute nap on the drive over and a 50 minute nap on the drive back, but you had lots of fun with the animals and your friends at the zoo!

 

Dinner with Everett

Everett had you over for dinner today! You didn't eat much, as per usual, as Everett chowed down the delicious dinner his mommy, Tracey, and daddy, Corey, whipped up for us all! Then you and Everett and the daddies had a great time running and choo-chooing around the house!

Riley's Mama

Riley is not only your best buddy but also your baby! You love to cuddle with him, kiss him, and - most of all - feed him! Riley is not much of an eater, but you make him excited to eat every meal!

Bib Please

I sat you down in your high chair today for dinner and you immediately reminded me that I needed to put on your "bib"! Then whenever your chin got messy, you used your bib to wipe it right off! Such a big girl!

Happy 16 Months!

Not much has changed except you're growing more beautiful with each day!

You're Going To Be A...

Ball?

You've watched us roll balls out of your play-do so now you try to roll everything into a ball, and when it doesn't work, you look at us with pleading eyes and say "ball?" You are such the little scientist!

Potty Power!

Since you usually go at the same time each day, I have been letting you run around naked right around that time so that we can get you right on your new potty! (this means lots of pee-cleaning for Mommy) Today, you peed on the floor, I sat you on the potty, you peed on the floor, I sat you on the potty, and then you came and sat on your potty and did your business all by yourself! Your first potty success!!!

A Girl of Many Words

You are not even 16 months old and you already have an AMAZINGLY large vocabulary! Here are the words you have already:
* Mama
* Papa (you say Ma)
* Riley (iley)
* more (mo)
* ball
* book (bu)
* uh oh!
* phone (bo)
* bubbles
* milk (mi)
* music (mu)
* bath (ba)
* Popcorn (the neighbor's dog) (papa)
* pool
* Mickey (mi)
* baby
* allo (when you answer the phone)
* hi
* poopoo (you tell me when you go)
* peepee (you say when you see Riley go)
* peek-a-boo (boo)
* up (ba)
* down (ba)
* Elmo (mo)
* mermaid (meme)
* bird (bi)
* bow (for your hair)
* cheese (tee)
* open (you say mo, and when I repeat OOOoopen, you say Mmmmmo!)
* snail (may)
* ant (ma)
* thank you (fank)
* diaper (papa)
* potty (pa)
* upalo (papa)
(that's 35 words!)

You also know what animals say!
* duck = kak
* dog = oo oo
* elephant = mmm
* cow = moo
* owl = hoo hoo
* fish = you make a fishy face

You know your body parts both in English and in Russian!
* eyes/glazki
* teeth/zubki
* nose/nosik
* ears/ushki
* head/golovka (you love head, shoulders, knees, and toes - out of which you point to your head and toes!)

And you know what motions match songs and words:
* yes (nod)
* no (shake - one of your favorites of course)
* Itsy Bitsy Spider hands
* clapping (especially for "If You're Happy and You Know it!")
* waving hello and goodbye
* blowing kisses
* and the ABC song always makes you dance!

What a smart baby you are!!

Clean Up, Clean Up

"Clean up, clean up, everybody every where! Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share!" I sing this as I clean your room every day before nap and sleep, and today when I sang it, you immediately started helping me to clean it up! Thanks, love!

First Pool Reunion

Last year on Matthew's birthday, you went swimming for the very first time! Today you were reunited with your first pool! You had a blast swimming with Daddy and celebrating Matthew's birthday!

Sisters for a Day

Your friend Lola came to hang out with you for the day! You sang to each other in the double stroller we borrowed from her mommy while we walked to the park!

You shared snacks with each other, you swung in the swings together, you explored the fun house together, you even had lunch together!

By the time we walked back and you finished helping Lola take her shoes off, you were both pooped and ready for a nap to unwind from all of the excitement of the day!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

You've waited over a year to figure out what that big black box in the living room is used for, and now you are finally allowed to watch TV! Every day after breakfast you ask for "mi" (milk) and then "Mi" (Mickey) because you already now it's that time! You just adore Mickey! You ask for "more" whenever he sings a song, you join in the hot-dog dance with him, and you wave and say "bye bye" to him at the end of each episode! After the show is over, you love to carry around your Mickey doll and to give him kisses!

Month 15 Photo Shoot

The Itsy Bitsy Spider... 

Blowing kisses! 

 Trying to get the shoe on your foot!

Look how much you've grown!

 Just like Mommy!

 Playing dress up!



Swimming with Everett

Everett came over today to go swimming with you! You two had a blast splashing around in the pool, lounging, snacking, and sharing your sippy cups!

Who Took Off with My Bread??

I made myself a sandwich, went to get some water, and came back to a sandwich with no bread...do YOU know you could have undressed my sandwich? :)

4th of July Anniversary 2011

It is Mommy and Daddy's 3rd wedding anniversary and the three of us celebrated together at the Santa Barbara zoo (with you all dressed up in your 4th of July ensemble of course)! The last time we were there you were 11 months old and you weren't very interested in the animals, but today you had the time of your life! You loved watching all of the animals and feeding the goats, sheep, and giraffe!

Afterwards, we stopped by Freebirds, Mommy and Daddy's favorite place to eat when they were going to UCSB. It is now your favorite place too!

Two-Word Sentence!

So far you have been speaking in single-word phrases, but today you put together a whole sentence! I was rolling balls out of play-do for you, and you asked for "more ball"!
We have been playing around with potty training, so everytime you have been going (I can tell by the wonderful faces you make), I have been asking "Are you going poopoo?" Today you said "poopoo" on your own as you were going!

M's and B's

All of your words start with an M or a B (whether they really do or not)! When you want "up" you say "ba", when you want "down" you say "ba", when you want "papa" you say "ma" and when you want us to "open" something you say "mo"! When I ask you to say "Ooooopen" you try really hard and say "Mmmmmo"! You have your very own special language, and Mommy (mama) is the only one who is special enough to understand! :)

First Shabbat Celebration

Today was your first shabbat at Adat Elohim! Rabbi Ted Riter and Cantor David Shukiar played their guitars and sang many wonderful songs and you had so much fun listening to the music and clapping along! Afterwards you asked the Cantor for "more" so he played "The Hot Dog Song" from Mickey Mouse just for you!

Tickles at the Piano

I was playing some music on the piano for you today when you came up and tickled me! I jumped and squeeled and you thought it was the funniest thing ever! Then you did it again and again and again! I would squeel, you would laugh, I would laugh, and then we would laugh together!