The Ring Leader of Noah's Ark Daycare & 10341 Shakamak Way

Apparently Ayla is the ring leader of her room these days.  She's one of the only kids walking in the room and she spends the whole day walking around and checking on all of the other babies.  And when the occasional older kiddo comes in to play for a bit, they run around the room together and play hide 'n seek.  These are the kind of moments that make me sad I work.  I wish I could see my baby playing games with other kids.  The all say that she's just the sweetest little thing.  Here are some of the latest photos of our Little Abe the Babe.

She stole a pickle off of Miss Cheyenne's Jimmy John's plate and started eating it.  Apparently she loves pickles...

 

Blowing kisses at whoever will accept them!

We dressed her to the 9's for Valentine's Day.  She just had to run around the house a little bit that morning before she would let her daddy take her to daycare.

Wild Child!  Notice that she's running through the house these days...

Ayla peeks through doors, opens them, and closes them.

Making it as difficult as possible for Daddy to get on her coat to go to daycare

Would you agree that Ayla's "Daycare Mommies" love her so?

She might be a bit overprotective of Miss Melissa

Yes - we still like to put things that we like on top of our head - even if that thing is food and we have to smash it into our hair

Able stole Miss Melissa's shoes the whole day on this day at daycare

Darling Angel

Ayla has decided that she's done nursing - about 2 weeks shy of our 1 year goal - so we're moving right into sippy cup training!  I would say she's doing pretty darn well!

Conning Daddy into watching Elmo with her.  She gets the chair all to herself and he can kneel down beside her.

KK & Ayla Have Bathtime

This past weekend we went down to Salem to celebrate Lesley's and my birthdays.  We got down early Saturday morning and had Lesley drop off KK before she went to a meeting so that Ayla and her could play together.  They ran around with each other, built puzzles, and giggled.  Kinsley is getting so big.  At one point when Blair was showing here where to put a puzzle piece, she said, "Ohhh Man!  I was thinking about that!"  She sounds so big for her age.  That evening, we ate a Big Dog dinner - the usually delicious, way too fattening dinner with everything you could imagine - and then Ayla and KK took a bath together.  It was so fun to see Ayla interact with Kinsley this trip because in the past, she has just stared at KK and watched everything she did.  But this time, Ayla got right in on the fun and played along with her!  Kinsley would talk, and Abe would talk too, KK would splash in the water, and then so would Ayla.  At one point, Ayla got splashing so hard in the tub that Kinsley said, "Hey Ayla!  You're getting my hair all wet!"  It's just so fun to see Ayla getting big and playing along with others now.  They got their baths and then ran around with each other for a little bit before it was bed time for Abe.  We went to church the next morning and she showed off to anyone and everyone who would watch her.  We spent the afternoon with family and then headed home about 4:00 Sunday afternoon.  I so enjoy weekends like this because it feels like a mini-vacation.  We eat good food, catch up with our family, and it just feels good.

KK and Blair Bear deep in conversation about where the next puzzle piece should go

Silly girl

Ayla will sit with anyone who will watch Elmo with her on the laptop.  Looks like it was my lucky day!

....and Pappaw's too!

She blows raspberries about everything now

Ayla and Kinsley playing in the bathtub

Kisses for Baby Ayla

It's a bathroom party!

11 Months Old

Ayla you have been such a joy.  It's hard to believe we've had you for almost a year now!  You're the sweetest, most opinionated baby I know.  But you're gentle and compassionate at the same time.  We couldn't have asked for a better blessing from God.  At 11 months old, sweetest baby girl Ayla, you:

• Play with the door stopper every time you get out of the bath tub
• Are starting to close doors almost all the way, and then you swing them back open again (we’re so afraid that you’re going to smash your fingers sometime soon)
• Giggle and run away from us when we chase you
• Drink from a straw (you still don’t have a sippy cup figured out just yet)
• Got tubes in your ears
• Are sticking your finger in your nose
• Pull your bow out of your hair, look at your mom, and giggle
• Hate getting your diaper changed
• Love running around nako after bath times
• Like flipping off of Mommy and Daddy’s lap
• Are staring to say “yeah” to answer a question
• Your favorite toy right now is the pink singing dog that Cousin KK gave you
• Like to have the whole piece of food & to break off small pieces to eat all by yourself
• Put yourself to sleep at nap time - you won't go down if we stay in the room with you
• Blow raspberries if you don't like something that you ate
• Try to pick up objects that are much bigger than you and walk with them - and if you have trouble, you keep trying to pick it up until you get it! (determined child)
• Watch everything to figure out how it works
• Love giving kisses to everyone and everything
• Like trying to tickle Mommy and Daddy's feet
• Lay still and smile the whole time Mommy does "Around the World in 80 Days" on your back
• Are starting to identify eyes, nose, and mouth on peoples' faces
• Got Pink Eye for the first time