18month checkup

Kayla got her 18month check-up today and it was very good results. The doctor was really impressed by how "smart" she is. She is saying about 25-30 words now. If you ask her a yes or no question she can let you know how she feels. She'll try to imitate just about any word that we ask her to. He was also impressed with how many animal sounds she knew and how she likes to look at books. Here are some more stats.
Weight-50th percentile (24.5in)
Height-75th percentile (32 in)
Head- 90th percentile. (A large head runs in Chad's family)
Sleep- about 10-11 hours a night b/c we have to wake her up in the morning.
naps about 1 1/2- 2 hours once a day around 11:30 AM
She'll eat just about anything you put in front of her. She likes to eat the whole piece and bite it herself instead of cutting up her food into bites for her.
She's a very independent spirit (just like her mom), so I try to let her experience things and figure them out for her own. She is very silly and funny nowdays and very playful. She cracks me up on a daily basis with the silly things that she says and does.
We're attempting to potty train b/c she will say "diaper" when she messed her diaper, so we saw that as a chance to start letting her know to go to the potty. She's only gone once in about a month, but we still have hope. We know it might be a long road ahead. The new daycare will encourage it too.
We're also in the process of changing her room around to allow for all the toys and to transition to a "big girl" room. We will probably take out the changing table, rocking chair and one of the chest of drawers to allow for more room for bigger toys and a toy bin. Its sort of sad to give up the baby part of Kayla. We're trying to transition slowly so that there won't be too many tears.

Christmas 2008

She got squeaker shoes and this is her trying them out and a new dress. She was weirded out at first, but then got used to them and loved walking around in them. This way we can know where she is if she tries to walk off. She wore them in the mall a couple of days later and everyone in the food court were looking at her.

Checking out the tree at Grandma's house. At this point Kayla was pretty tired, but loved playing with everyone.

Kayla with her look alike, Amy (Chad's cousin). People say she could pass for her mom, but I wouldn't give her up.

The babies had fun playing on the swings in the back yard in their pretty Christmas outfits.

My family!! Its crazy how we've all grown up.

Sisters!! Our sister-in-law, Erin, is about 17 weeks pregnant in this picture. We can't wait to see him or her in May.

We got some pretty cute family pictures. Its difficult to get the babies to stand still now days and look at the camera.

We had to make her pay attention to opening her Elmo Live. She really likes interacting with it, but it keeps falling over and we have to pick it up or it will shut off. We like to play with her toys just about as much as she does.

Tristin got a 4 wheeler for Christmas, but Kayla loved to ride it in their house. I guess we'll get her one soon, but not till her birthday when it warms up outside.

Kayla and Tristin playing on Christmas Day. They both had loads of toys!!

Us infront of the tree after all the gift opening that morning. Then we had to get ready to go to my sister's house for lunch and gifts then on to Grandma's house for dinner and more gifts. Kayla was exhausted by the end of the day and really wasn't into gifts. She only got naps in the car that day as we drove across town.

She especially loved her Elmo t-shirt from Nan. She insisted that she wear it right away over her pajamas. She was so funny pointing to the shirt and saying "Elmo!!!"

Kayla was cute to watch on Christmas morning at Nan and Papaw's house. They got her a nice wooden rocking chair that she loved sitting in. She was pretty into opening gifts that morning and when she opened one she would get upset if we tried to take it away to open another one. She wanted all the gifts.

Kayla had fun swinging and playing on the back porch at Grandma and Grandpa's house on Christmas Eve. Everyone loved playing with Kayla that day as the adults did their last minute shopping and Chad and I went to a Christmas Eve service with some friends that evening.

Kayla crawling through her tunnel.

It was nice to spend a morning together as a family. Chad and I exchanged one gift also.

We did "Santa" on Sunday morning b/c we couldn't bring these big gifts to Louisiana for Christmas Day. This is how Kayla saw our living room when waking up that morning and she didn't know what to think. She was afraid of the lion at first but loved the tent and tunnel. Chad and I got her the kitchen as her big gift this year and she loves playing with it.

At my work Christmas party in her Christmas outfit. She was the life of the party.

MaMa and Kayla on Saturday, Dec 20, 2008. In front of our tree.

She likes to say "CHEESE" now when having her picture taken. This was a pretty good smile.

Our little cutie next to the tree. She's grown up so much from last year. She's getting to look like a little girl, but she's still my baby. I love this in between stage. Its hard to let go of all the baby ways we do things. We're in the process of rearranging her room and making room for big girl toys and furniture in her room. It will be a transition though.

Kayla liked to play with the tree decorations sometimes. It was nice to be off together for the weekend before Christmas. This week she turned 18 months and we started her at a new daycare. This daycare is called Coleman's Children's Academy and I had checked it out a few months ago. We had been thinking of starting her at a place where they had more of a set curriculum to teach her and fun activities all day long. This daycare is very attentive to her care and has a structured schedule everyday. The other one we were at didn't really have a set learning curriculum and just let them play all day.

The bad thing is that she got scratched on the neck and face the first day and got bit on the arm the second day. They soon moved her to the 2 year old class with more girls and she is doing well in her class. The only complaint they have is that she's a "escape artist" when they get out of their classroom. She does that to us too.

Early December 2008

We all went out to Red Lobster to celebrate my birthday. We ended up getting a room in the back and they sang happy birthday to me. I got my hair done the day before for the occasion.

Meanwhile, Chad and Chris were putting out the Christmas lights on the outside of the house. Kayla wanted to play by the light up tree when we got home.

My sister and family came in town the weekend of my birthday (Dec. 8th). Tristin and Kayla went to visit Santa and were surprisingly really good. They just sat there and froze with astonished looks on their faces. It was fun for us to have them together this weekend. They are beginning to play with each other, but still they do their own thing, but often fight over toys.

Kayla is absolutely IN LOVE with Elmo these days. She watches at least one Elmo video a day and is very intranced by them. I don't like to play them too much b/c I like her to play, but it is nice to put one on when we're eating or when I'm trying to get things done around the house b/c it keeps her still and relaxed. She has since gotten alot of Elmo clothing from Nan, Elmo books, and Elmo stuffed animals. (TMX and the Elmo Live) She loves all of them. We've since broaded out to Abby Cadabby and all the other Seasame Street characters. At least its not something really annoying and they are teaching her a lot about numbers, letters and animals.

November 2008

We're all looking under the tree.

I had to work the day after Thanksgiving and that Saturday. It was so tired when I came home both days. I really just wanted to stay home with my family who were in town. They helped us put up our Christmas tree that weekend. Its always a big ordeal at our house. Kayla loved checking out all the new things to be seen.

That night we went to see the Fayetteville town square Christmas lights. Its always really pretty there and a great place to take pictures.

MeMaw reading to Kayla.

My dad used to be a barber, so I asked him to bring his kit and give Kayla her first haircut. She was pretty good and didn't mind it. Now her hair isn't in her eyes so much, but she really has a mullet now b/c her hair dosen't grow much on the sides. Oh well, she'll grow into it. Her mom did. :)

Kayla had a blast eating Thaksgiving lunch. We let her go all out by getting food all over herself and her hair. I just wish we didn't dress her up in nice clothes. After that, we just stripped her down and put her in the bath. We were planning on cutting her hair after that anyway.

Here is what half of the table looked like.

My mom got to come in for Thaksgiving dinner too and stayed till Saturday. It was cool having my mom and dad there at my house. I like to host Thanksgiving lunch and use my nice china plates and silverware. Its alot of cooking and cleaning up though.

Kayla loves to play outside on her slide and wagon. She can even say "outside" now.

And looking at his glasses and nose.

PaPa came in early for Thaksgivng to have some one-on-one time with Kayla. She loves playing with him.

We didn't have any gloves for Kayla to wear that night and it was really cold, so DaDa let her borrow his. Little big, but they worked for their purpose. She liked to clap them together to the music that was playing.

Us at the first night and lighting of the Bentonville town square Christmas lights.

Kayla's hair is getting long and we finally cut it to give her bangs at Thanksgiving. She looks cute in her new coat and pigtails.

In the middle of the month, Chad was really great and treated me for my birthday to a weekend in Little Rock to do some shopping and surprised me with going to the Reba and Kelly Clarkson concert for my birthday. It was really fun to get out of town and see the parents. They were nice enough to come up to keep Kayla while we went to the concert. It was a fun trip that was really great get-away for my birthday that wasn't till December. These are pictures of Kayla with the grandparents in the Riverwalk Shopping center in Little Rock.