Clara's First 100 Words

It took just over four months from one word to 100.  The theme was "food," from "yogurt" to "cinnamon."

At the risk of comparing my children, I think it's fascinating that though they said their first words at very different ages (17 months and 14 months respectively), it took them nearly the exact same amount of time to get to 100.

8/23/2013	Bear
8/26/2013	yogurt
9/5/2013	Ducky
	Mama
	Daddy
	Doggy
	Please
	Peek
	eat
	baby
11/12/2013	Socks
11/15/2013	(Ba)nana
	yuck (for diaper and trash)
	apple
	ball
	book
11/22/2013	Maggie
11/23/2013	hot
11/24/2013	jump
11/24/2013	no
	snack
	hi
	bye
	night night
11/29/2013	shoe
11/29/2013	water (wa wa)
11/29/2013	bonk
11/29/2013	truck
11/30/2013	potty
12/1/2013	sorry
12/1/2013	star
	meat
	peek
	stuck
	plug
12/5/2013	soup
12/5/2013	step
12/5/2013	Papa
12/6/2013	truck
12/7/2013	dump
12/7/2013	up
12/7/2013	hat
12/8/2013	blue
12/9/2013	back
12/9/2013	pop
12/10/2013	zip
	yeah
	eyes
	steak
	hair
	milk
12/12/2013	outside
12/12/2013	moon
12/13/2013	shovel
12/13/2013	hop
12/13/2013	help
12/14/2013	egg
12/14/2013	strawberry
12/14/2013	(avo)cado
12/14/2013	butterfly
12/14/2013	head
12/15/2013	snow
12/15/2013	owl
12/15/2013	dark
12/15/2013	Nana
12/15/2013	bacon
	fork
	some
12/18/2013	drink
	hug
12/21/2013	scissors
12/21/2013	brush
12/21/2013	sausage
12/21/2013	tunnel
12/21/2013	show
12/21/2013	bubble
	out
	hand
	walk
	on
	buckle
	boot
	snoopy
	happy
	toby (nana's dog)
	eggs
12/26/2013	happened
12/26/2013	purple
12/26/2013	slippers
12/26/2013	sticker
12/26/2013	juice
	puppy
12/28/2013	feet
12/28/2013	phone
12/28/2013	new
12/28/2013	friend
12/29/2013	dress
12/29/2013	why
12/29/2013	toys
12/29/2013	one

Christmas at Home

We begin our Christmas celebration at our home in Colorado, giving gifts between our immediate family. 

The infamous candles

Eighteen Month Stats

At 18 months:

your child is 23.375 pounds, and that is
at the 34th percentile for weight.

your child is 31 inches, and that is
at the 26th percentile for height.

your child has a head circumference of 19 inches, and that is
at the 89th percentile for head circumference.

Early December

The first part of December was a delightful celebration of advent.  It was really fun to have a kid old enough to understand just a little bit what a holiday was, and that it was Jesus' birthday, and why we give gifts. 

Andrew didn't totally understand the gift giving thing, though.  After Daddy took him out shopping one morning, he returned home after a strict discussion that gifts should be a surprise, and announced to me "Mama, we bought you candles!"  The favor was returned a few days later with "Daddy, do you want to see the tools we got you?"  Ah well.  He certainly was full of joy.

Mary, on a tractor

We went to see Santa at the Big R up in Conifer, which was really great, because there was virtually no one there, so the pressure was low.  Andrew didn't really know the process, although we've talked a little about who Santa is.  When Santa asked "What do you want for Christmas?" Andrew gave him a confused look and changed the subject: "Did you know there's a cowboy hat on top of that Christmas tree?"  They also had a discussion of some of the lawn equipment that was sitting outside the store.

Clara wasn't too sure of Santa at first, but agreed to sit on my lap and stare at him.

 

And then, of course, we had to try on some cowboy hats.  As you do.

 

Wood piles ready for winter

Watching the Charlie Brown Christmas Special

One Year Ankle Report

A year ago yesterday I fell down the stairs and broke my ankle - a trimalleolar fracture.

This morning I did the P90X Plyometrics workout, which is an hour of jump squats, jump lunges, and other generally high-impact stuff.

I had the thought back in March, after I started walking and at the beginning of physical therapy that I might never walk normally again.  This was a silly, overly dramatic thought to have, and compared to the physical issues that some others have to deal with, this was a super easy recovery.  Still the thought, the fear, was there, and I had no idea how I was going to get better.

But... I did get better.

And I strengthened and stretched.

And I lost over 30 pounds.

And now, I can only tell the difference between my ankles in a couple ways - balance postures in yoga and when hopping on one foot.

I'm so thankful for my health and recovery.  I don't take my ability to walk or run or jump or stand in Tree Pose for granted.

Christmas Tree Hunt

We had originally planned our Christmas Tree Hunt for the following Friday, but the weather forecast showed snow and a cold snap to the single digits... and below.  So we scrambled to rearrange some work schedules and headed out to Pike National Forest on a mild Monday morning.  It being a Monday, we missed Smokey the Bear (he only shows up on weekends), but we had the calm, quiet woods to ourselves. 

The kids were really into the hunt, running from tree to tree and generally having a marvelous time being set free to roam.

We left Clara's mittens in the car, so she had to borrow Daddy's gloves

Andrew helped with the sawing