You Can Trust The News, Right?

This is crazy! I can't believe so many news stations were reporting their assumptions regarding the attacks in Norway. I guess it just goes to show you can't always believe what you hear, even from the nightly news.

19 Months

Heidi at 19 Months:

Loves and asks for family members all day long. When she is bored she likes to entertain herself by listing every single family member she can think of "Papa Gigi Nana Daddy Mama Nick Bagey....." over and over again.

Talks all the time pretty much nonstop. Most of it is jibberish, but her inflection is very adult like. She greets us whenever we walk into the room and then repeatedly afterwards "Daddy's here! (with great emphasis and cheering), Hi Daddy! Hi Daddy! Hi Daddy! Hi Mama! Hi Sa'na! (Savannah the puppy)".

Tells us she loves us "Ruv Roo Mama, Ruv Roo Daddy". 

Tries to get our attention by initiating games of Pikaboo. "Where's Heidi? Peee-da-doooo!!" 

Somehow can identify whoever it is I'm talking to on the phone, even when its not on speaker and shouts hello to whoever it is "Hi Gigi!!!"

Sucessfully predicts whoever is at the door 95% of the time. The doorbell will ring and Heidi will shout out who it is. Its actually really creepy.

Loves talking on her play phone. Even when her play phone is not readily at hand she will pick up random objects, most recently a  recently discarded clothing tag, and use it like a phone. "Helllooo. Halllo" I guess she has a vivid imagination.

Hates getting into her carseat. Especially now that its so hot.

Gets very grumpy when she does not get her naps or to bed on time. 

Asks to color whenever we go to a restaurant "Color!". Asks to color in her high chair. Calls pens and crayons "match" (I have no idea how that started).

Will give hugs and kisses on command but very rarely initiates them :( She's very independent.

Loves her dolly stroller and any toddler sized "car" that she can ride. She has two cars and a stroller and those are her favorite toys. All day long she requests them "Car!" "Stroller!" and sets off to find them. She tries to bring them with us when we are leaving the house. I will say "lets go!" and she will run off and find her stroller or car and then push it out the front door. Sometimes I don't have the heart to tell her no so I indulge her, but this usually results in a tantrum anyway when she realizes she cant have the car or stroller in her lap while sitting in her carseat. She doesn't want it in the trunk area or in the seat next to her, she wants it directly in her lap. She is obsessed!

Loves brushing her teeth and will walk around with a toothbrush in her mouth for hours if I let her.

Loves singing with her mama. 

Is almost always extroverted unless she is tired. At the park she walks right up to kids twice her age and tries to play with them. If she sees a little boy jump off of something she will go and plop down right next to him and laugh hysterically. She makes friends very easily. 

Is obsessed with dipping her binky into whatever Daddy is drinking, this includes whiskey and tequila. You'd think an 18 month old wouldn't care for whiskey, but not Heidi. She is her father's daughter! When we finally tell her no more she usually throws a fit. 

Loves dipping chips in salsa. This makes for very easy times at Mexican restaurants. We can literally zone out for most of the meal while she dips and sucks salsa off of tortilla chips.

Is very attached to her "Zebra" security blanket and her binky. We try to limit them to the crib, but somehow she is always managing to find binkies all over the house. 

Tests our rules all the time. Usually gets scolded about 5 or 6 times a day, which results in this face or worse:

Is potty training herself! See last post. 

Favorite foods: Avocados "Cado", Yogurt "Go-ga", Bananas "Nana", Apple Sauce "Sauce", Peaches, Iced Tea, Water. Requests "Cookies" and "Cupcakes" all day long and not just from us. I am told frequently "She keeps asking for cookies" by whoever is babysitting.

Is always giving us a reason to smile or laugh. We are so happy to have her in our lives!

Potty Training

My child is a genius. She has trained herself to use the potty at only 18 months old! I haven't spent any time whatsoever educating her about the potty but my MIL bought a little Disney Princess Potty Chair and Heidi has started using it without any prompting. She simply comes up to us, asks to go potty, and with a little help taking off her clothes, she pees in it and then wipes herself! This little girl does not need any "training", she's already figured it out by herself! I've never seen or heard of anything like this in all my years nannying. I'm definitely a proud mama today! (until the next temper tantrum that is haha). I just can't believe it! I love that little girl!

Other things we've been loving:

Woody Allen's latest, Midnight in Paris

Eating 5 Guys for breakfast lunch and dinner (and dessert)
 (ok i'm exaggerating a little)

Cadillac Margaritas

Heidi's hysterical tired laugh that she discovered after one too many pacifier dips in daddy's tequila

Family pool time

Family Bible Study on the balcony

Our new bedroom fans

Two new adorable pettiskirt dresses for baby Heidi (will post pics soon!)

No housing payment! Yay.

Moving Home

Well, we are officially moved out of the beach house. Its a little sad to leave behind the house where we first brought home our brand new baby. I usually am very sentimental when it comes to leaving behind houses as I tend to view them as chapters of our lives, but I think I might just be growing out of that. I feel surprisingly stronger then I did in times past, especially considering this house has probably seen the most defining chapter of my life so far - this is the home I was pregnant in, this is the home I became a mother in, this is home where I really learned what it meant to love someone more than you love yourself. But all in all I tend to be feeling more excited about the future than my typical longing for the past. 

I really love the house that we are buying (or should I say attempting to buy - a short sale is never certain I guess). I will be really happy if it ends up working out. It has everything we wanted and most importantly, its in an area where we will feel comfortable sending Heidi to school. Never thought I would be so concerned with something like that, but parenthood is full of surprises!

For now we are chilling with Austin's mama in what is definitely the nicest place I have ever lived in. We have our own wing of the house here with a balcony and a view that is TDF. Life is good. 

One con to living here - We are right next to our favorite bakery in the world - Elizabethan Desserts and our favorite burger joint in the world - Five Guys Burgers! Not great for our plans to get in the best shape of our lives this summer (plans we have every summer). Oh well. 

Here are some pics of our little monkey at the beach this past weekend with her Papa.

Brad

Baby Bradley is soooo cute!

Am I lucky or what to have it be my job to take care of this lil guy?

Love Letters

Dear House in Short Sale,

Please work out. I'm really starting to fall in love with you.

Wistfully Yours, 

Me

Dear All The Stuff That I Have To Pack, 

I hate you. I can't relax because I know what my obligations are towards you. 

You suck,

Me

Dear Terrible Twos, 

You aren't due for another six months, so why are you here? I will take your arrival as an indication that my daughter is wise beyond her months, but I'm still not thrilled about your presence here. 

I just want you to know that I will beat you. No matter what it takes. I will not allow you to possess my daughter in grocery stores, restaurants, and other public places. I will win. You will see.

Your Enemy, 

Me

Dear Animal Crackers, 

I love you. I am sorry that I neglected you for so many years, but I realize now that looks aren't everything. So what if you are considered primarily children's food? So are chicken strips but those are delicious too. I don't care what anyone thinks anymore. You are delicious and I will keep a baggy of you wherever we go from now on. I promise. 

Salivating for your touch, 

Me

Heidi

... According to my Iphone

Yosemite

We spent the past week in camping in Yosemite. It was more beautiful than I've ever seen it, but I'm so happy to be home. And clean. I spent two hours cleaning my shower yesterday. I find camping really helps me appreciate keeping a clean house. The down side is that I may have a sore throat from mixing and inhaling too many different bathroom cleaners. Ouch. Anyway.

 Here are some of my favorite photos from our trip. Enjoy!

This past winter was a particularly wet one for Yosemite and it showed in the waterfalls. 

You couldn't go near the base of Yosemite falls without getting soaked. 

Gigi and Papa were kind enough to babysit baby Heidi so we could hike to the top of Vernal Falls. Its an insane hike, but so worth the effort.

View from the top of the falls!

It was hot in the valley, but up at glacier point there was still snow. Out came the monkey hat! Of course Viking Daddy didn't even need to wear pants.

We couldn't resist taking some pictures in front of the sparkling Bridal Veil Falls.

(love that last one of my parents, don't you? heee heee)

And last but not least, an uber cute deer.

Why I Love Foxes

Untitled from Kerjack on Vimeo.

Untitled from Kerjack on Vimeo.

Newborn Heidi

Heidi is getting so big. Its hard to believe that only 18 months ago she was this small.