Spring Fever

Spring is here!  We're loving the nice weather and Shae wants to get out of the house every chance she gets.  She has learned the joy of slides and swings at the park, and loves going for walks, especially when we take Duke with us.  We're trying to enjoy it before it gets too hot and we're stuck inside for the summer.

Yes, she's in her PJs at the park.  Don't judge me.

Cleaning is overrated

When I was pregnant, I received a great piece of advice.  My friend Kristin's mother-in-law, Saundra, told me "Don't worry about cleaning, just enjoy the baby".  She explained when her kids were small, she was always worried about keeping the house clean and constantly picked up after them.  One thing that drove her crazy was the fingerprints on the glass door.  She wished she could get that time back to just sit down and spend it with them.  I took that to heart and I really try to spend as much of my free time as I can enjoying Shae.

Whether we are playing, eating, or reading, I try not to worry about the mess until she's asleep.  I don't always succeed, but when I see my glass door looking like this, I smile and think I might just have my priorities right.

14 months and counting...

I am loving everything about motherhood, except the lack of time.  I have so much admiration for those moms with more than one child.  How do you find time to play with, feed, bathe, and love more than one?  I hope to find out...but am totally stressing about it.

Shae is so much fun now, learning lots of words, especially body parts, and will poke you in the eye to tell you those are eyes.  She hates having her diaper on and will take it off if you give her a chance.  Hopefully this means she'll potty train easily (let me dream please).  She loves to wave and blows kisses.  As soon as I get to daycare to pick her up, she starts blowing kisses as in 'I'm leaving!'.  So cute.

She is already an emotional girl who goes from happy, to sad, to angry, back to happy in about a minutes time.  Some days she loves her Daddy, other days she will hit him if he tries to kiss her (he puts his hand up and says they are playing the 'high five game').

She is getting into everything and her favorite place is the pantry.  She will empty cereal boxes (they apparently make great toys), and anything else she can get her hands on.  As you can see, she was not happy I was telling her the box of ziploc bags was not a toy.  I've now cleared out the bottom shelf and made it things she can play with.. but she's now getting tall enough to reach the next.  It's like a high water mark and everything needs to be above it.

Grandma and Grandpa S. visited in February, Shae loved having them here, I think she likes an audience:

Photo comparison

I think Shae looks a little like me, and a lot like Matt.  I see glimpses of both of us, depending on what she's doing.  She has a good mix of both.  A few photos for comparison, still looking for some others:

  

Words, words, and more words.

Shae loves to talk, point at things, and have you tell her what they are.  She's learning them so quickly, it's hard to keep track.  She knows where her nose, teeth, and tongue are, and is happy to show you her tongue if you ask.  Here is her full vocabulary, in order of when learned:

Mama (yay)
Dada
Dog
Duke (our dog)
That (while pointing, everything is 'that')
Dirt
Shoes
Yes (pronounced yesh)
Cat
Light
Up (as in pick me up)
Shae (while pointing to herself)
Eyes
Out (as in take me out of this seat)
Hi

Check out my chompers

Both top teeth are coming in at the same time.  Looks like they hurt.

Shae's First Birthday

I can't believe a year has passed.  I made every effort to enjoy all of the little (and big) moments, and I still feel like I missed so much.  Shae was sick and teething... and it's so hard when she's that miserable and there isn't much we can do.  She was a little trooper though and, with a few of medications, she was feeling better by her birthday.

She loves her gift, a little stroller that she can push her teddy around in.  

She's not walking by herself yet though.  

Having some good, old fashioned, fun with toilet paper.

First taste of cake, I think she liked it.