"Ba Ba...Yeshies...Pees?"

"Ba Ba...yeshies...pees" translates to "Barney...horsies (or horses)...please." Ben and I must hear this phrase about a million times a day. As I've previously mentioned, Lainey loves watching Barney and Friends. She likes all of the episodes, but the one about horses ("Ahora Mismo!: Spain") is her absolute favorite. She just loves it, and she'll even go so far as to hand us the TV remote so that we can find the episode on our DVR. Because she's seen it more than just a few times, she knows the sequence of the events pretty well and prepares herself for scenes that she knows are coming up. She has also started imitating the characters and actors on the show. For example, a little boy lifts his arms way up in the air to demonstrate how tall the horse is and Lainey will do this with him. He also points to show how far the horse can jump and Lainey will do this with him, too. She likes to hop ("ha ha ha") when Barney and his friends sing a song that involves hopping, and she'll twist her little body when Barney and his friends twist their bodies. The horse on the show "dances" as well, and Lainey likes to imitate the horse's dance moves by walking around and tapping her feet. All in all, it's pretty funny to watch her. I'm a little embarrassed that she knows this much about a TV show, but it obviously doesn't bother me too much... :)

dancing to the music

caught mid-air in a hop

"Yay!"

twisting with Barney

hopping with Barney

playing with her horse

Toothless Baby

So our day has been a slightly traumatic one! This morning we met some friends to play at a play center in Frisco and Lainey was running around, playing happily like kids do, when she tripped and fell face-first into the bottom edge of a giant blue plastic slide. I immediately ran over, scooped her up into my arms, and assessed the damage...it wasn't pretty. She had chipped her top right front tooth pretty badly, but thankfully, there was no blood. However, there were white and blue specks (parts of the tooth and the plastic slide) on her chin and I noticed that a piece of blue plastic from the slide was stuck in the broken part of her tooth! So of course she's hysterical and then I'm shaking and trying to figure out what I need to do. The wonderful, sweet girls who were there (my friend Kristen's friends, who I had only met that morning) helped me gather my stuff together and gave me the directions to pediatric dentist's office in the area. Lainey wasn't really crying from pain at this point, I don't think, but I could tell she was uncomfortable because she kept pulling out her binky and touching her teeth. We made it to the dentist and after doing a quick X-ray Dr. Ty (who coincidentally went to Austin College but graduated 5 years after me) determined that her tooth could not be saved and would therefore need to be pulled. It was broken in two places, all the way up to the root. I started crying at this point. (I'm blaming the pregnant hormones for that one.) Thankfully Ben was there - he had left his meetings in Irving to be with his slightly hysterical child and very hysterical wife. Sweet Lainey was then given some nitrous oxide (laughing gas), a Barney video, some numbing jelly and about 3 or 4 shots in her mouth. Ouch. Two dental assistants held her down with the help of Ben and me. She was not happy. Thankfully, Dr. Ty pulled out her little baby tooth quickly. It came out in two pieces. After it was all over, a crying Lainey held out her cute little hands, palms facing upwards, and repeated "ah duh" (all done) over and over. She was very ready to get out of that dental chair! The dentist did give me (what's left of) the tooth to keep, and after I asked him a million questions we were sent on our way. When she is about 2-1/2 or 3 years old, we can look into getting a fake tooth (called a pedo-partial) until her adult tooth comes in. Until then, she's going to only have one front tooth! What a day we've had. The last thing we need today is for me to go into labor...we do not need anymore excitement today!

An interesting thing to note is that when I was 8 months pregnant with Lainey, Reagan was attacked by the dog in the neighborhood next to ours. This stuff needs to quit happening when I'm about to have a baby! I do not handle stressful situations very well when I'm pregnant. I'm too emotional! Well, to be honest, I'm a pretty emotional person anyway but pregnancy turns me into an extremely emotional person! :)

Park Pictures

We took advantage of the beautiful weather and played at the park today with some neighborhood friends. I'm SO very grateful to have friends with kids in our neighborhood; it is great for the kids and of course I enjoy seeing the moms!

Lainey and Keegan

Lainey would pat the slide next to her and say, "Gee Gee, sit!" (Keegan, sit!) or "Sit, sit, sit." She did the same thing on the swings; she would point to the swing next to her and demand that Keegan sit there! :)

Lainey loves jumping on this bridge. In fact, she will happily jump anywhere at anytime. She likes to jump down off of curbs and anything slightly elevated (scary), and she'll jump, jump, jump while holding your hand in a parking lot. If I can encourage her to jump instead of walk, sometimes that takes the focus off of the fact that I'm making her hold my hand! She just jumps whenever she feels like it, no matter where we may be. :)

Ainsley and Gage

"Wheeeee!"

****
I took these pictures before we left for school this morning.

21 Months Old

What our busy, lively 21-month-old is up to these days...

before she becomes a big sister!

• She's started putting two (clear) words together. Phrases I've heard so far: "mo, pees" (more, please); "Bye, Ella"; "Bye, Gee Gee" (Bye, Keegan); "Bye, Yaygee" (Bye, Reagan); "Mama sit"; "my baby"; "dee dee, pees" (binky, please); "mo dee dee" (more binkies); "Hi, Mama"; "Uh-oh, messys" and "Hi, Baby." She doesn't use phrases very often, but sometimes she'll surprise me and throw one out there! Her dad is working with her on saying "I love you" but I think we have a ways to go on that one. She will sometimes say "mo dis" which sounds like "more this" but I'm not sure that's what she's trying to say.
• Lainey knows some of the hand movements to the song "Jesus Loves Me"...soooo sweet. So far we mostly get the self-hugs for "Jesus loves me" and her two open hands, palms facing upwards, when we sing "for the Bible tells me so." :)
• She likes to read books to her babies, and she helps the babies point out pictures and objects in the books with their little hands. She always wants to make sure that they can see the pictures! It's funny - when Lainey speaks to her babies, she uses a very high voice. It always makes me laugh. She also loves to feed them her pretend food and I've seen her try to give them her juice. I think she'd also like it if they could play Play-Doh with her, but they can't quite seem to hold the Play-Doh properly.
• Lainey will read books to herself and while most of what she says isn't clear to us, she'll occasionally say something that we do understand, like an animal sound or a real word. She'll say "shhhhh" when she sees a character in a book sleeping. She likes the book Ten Little Ladybugs and on the last page it brings all the ladybugs "home." She'll flip through the book until she gets to that page and then she'll happily say "Hooomeee!"
• We love to play hide-and-seek with her. She doesn't totally get it yet and the game never lasts too long, but it's still fun for all involved. :)
• She likes to "cawl" (crawl). She'll just plop down on all fours and crawl around the house, and she really likes it if you crawl with her.
• Almost any object can become a "choo choo" (milk cups, binkies, bath toys) and it can "choo choo" anywhere (on the side of her crib, the table, the bathtub).
• The girl is fascinated with "messys." She's very quick to point out messy things - particularly construction sites (?), dirt (even in flowerbeds?), puddles, crumbs, spilled liquid, stuff on her hands... She calls brooms and mops "messys" and just looovveess to use them. She also likes to help clean the floors with a cleaning rag.
• Pointing out school buses is one of her favorite things to do on the way to school in the mornings.
• She likes to run laps downstairs in the main area of our house. We'll sit in the living room and watch her run through the kitchen, take the curve to go down the hallway by the barstools, and then fly back into the kitchen again, ready for lap 2 (or 10). It's good exercise and funny to watch!
• Barney used to be "Bappey" or "Bobby" but now it's "Ba Ba." Oh how she loves Barney. She still likes Elmo, but I think Barney and Friends is her new favorite TV show. She particularly loves the episode about horses and specifically requests to watch it several hundred times a day. :)
• She still loves playing with Play-Doh and coloring. When we play with Play-Doh, she most often asks me to make peas (so she can put them into a bowl) or the letter O. When we color with her crayons, she mostly wants me to draw binkies and babies. Just yesterday, however, she asked me to draw Keegan! Cute. :)
• Her dancing moves have evolved. She swings one arm, turns around in circles, and does a lot of hopping and stomping and jumping. She likes to dance to all sorts of music (including the songs that her toys play, songs on Barney and Friends and Sesame Street, songs featured in commercials, country music, hip hop, you name it). One of my former students, Caroline, gave her these adorable Christmas houses that plug into each other and light up and play music. She loves to dance to those Christmas songs! She also loves to make her babies dance - she holds onto her babies and makes them jump up and down to the music...very cute and very similar to how Lainey dances.
• Funny words: "pees" (please); "agee" (again); "dakky" (blankie/sleep sack); "wo wo" (water); "nah noo" (noodle); "Auk" (used for both Walker and walk); "bah pah" (a backpack or any bag that slightly resembles a backpack); "baf" (glove); "Yaygee" (Reagan); "ahh dees" or "ahh dis" (meaning "hold me" or "pick me up"...funny because her words sound nothing like either of those phrases)
• She likes piggyback rides. Unfortunately, her pregnant mom doesn't love giving them at this point in time!
• Sometimes she'll just call me "Mom" instead of "Mama." I think it's funny because it sounds so formal.
• Lainey likes to point out things that are "bue" (blue) and "back" (black). Sometimes she's right, other times she's not. I think that she can also identify pink. We are definitely still working on colors. :)
• She has developed a whiny phrase (it sounds like "nooooo aayyyeeee") that is inevitably followed by crying or frustration or more whiny sounds. Anytime I hear it, I cringe!
• She still loves her alphabet books and learning the letters. We're reading her shapes and numbers books and working on counting, too. Well, I count and she listens. :)
• We definitely see her developing a sense of independence. She especially likes to try to buckle herself into her car seat and stroller and gets very upset if you try to help her (which we always do to make sure it's done properly).
• The word "baby" finally sounds like "baby"; she no longer says "dady." Same thing goes for the word "bye" - it no longer sounds like "guy" or "die." She also now says "nauk" instead of "nah" for "milk" and she says "yuck" or "yucky" instead of making the funny guttural noise in her throat!
• She loves bubbles, both the bottle kind with the wand AND the ones you put in the bathtub. I think that is what gets her into the bathtub most evenings.
• Lainey likes to point out men and women who look like they could be a "mama" or a "daddy." She does this with anyone she sees on TV, in books, and in public places. I think this startles some people because she will point to a man in a store and yell "daddy"! :)
• I love the way she greets us in the morning or after naps. We'll walk into her room and she'll say "hi" in a cute little voice, peering at us through the slats of her crib.
• She still sleeps anywhere from 10-12 hours a night, and she takes a very good nap after lunch (usually 2-3 hours). She goes to bed around 8 or 8:30. On Tuesdays and Thursdays she does nap at school for a little bit (about an hour) and that counts as her nap for the day, but we do put her to bed earlier on those nights. Her binky and her sleep sack (her blankie) are her most coveted possessions. Thankfully, she's not attached to just one binky or one sleep sack - she will take whatever is available. :)
• She's getting better at holding my hand in a parking lot or while crossing the street. When we approach the street, she will actually hold up her hand so that you can hold it. She can still throw a pretty good fit, however, if she doesn't feel like holding your hand when you think it's necessary. I'm just glad that we're finally making progress!
• We're also enjoying Lainey's conversations that she has with us, other adults and kids, her babies, Reagan, and sometimes herself. :) She'll talk a lot while we're in the car. We'll catch clear words in there every once in a while - like "Ella" and "uh-oh" and "no" and "Yiyia" and "Emmy" and "yeshies" (horses or horsies) and "baby" and "messys" and "Daddy" and "Mama." She certainly knows what she's saying...if only we could understand her! :)
• She's starting to figure out that please really is a magic word. :) She will sometimes use it without us prompting her, but most of the time she needs a little reminder!

It's hard to believe that in three short months Lainey will be TWO YEARS OLD! We love you, sweet girl! We are so blessed to be YOUR mom and dad!

37 Weeks

Here we are at 37 weeks. How appropriate that there's a beach ball in the photo!

Update on Walker

We went to the doctor today for a sonogram and regular checkup. It was so neat to see Walker again on the sonogram! He was moving ALL over the place - as I've said before, he moves so much more than Lainey did. We can see him moving quite often, especially at night.

Here's what's going on...

-The sonographer said he currently weighs about 6 lbs., 9 oz. and is about 17.6 inches long.

-He's measuring between 36-37 weeks (right on schedule).

-I'm 25% effaced and 1 cm dilated.

-His head is down.

-He has hair.

-My doctor won't let me go much past my due date.

Hmmm...

Someone has figured out how to open the cabinets that are childproofed.

Funny Walk

When Lainey gets out of the bathtub, she does this funny little walk - it reminds us of a waddle. She lifts her head, bends down at her waist, and puts her hands on her knees and walks out of the bathroom and down the hall! It's the funniest thing. I tried to capture a couple of pictures, but these aren't very good ones. Hopefully I can get a good one that I can post.

waddle, waddle, waddle

breaking into a run

Lainey has started playing a funny game in the bathtub. She gets her ducks (the mama, the daddy, and the babies) and other various animals and "hops" them along the side of the tub. They "ha ha ha" (hop, hop, hop) all the way to the storage basket where they live with the other bath toys. Tonight she decided that her binky should also play, so it ha, ha, ha all the way to the storage basket. :) Of course, she retrieved it - her binky is not allowed to spend the night with the bath toys...it has to spend the night with her!

Baby Walker's Room

Here are a few pictures of the new nursery. I think that we are done decorating for now, but I hope to do more in the future as I find things that I like! His room is an odd shape so things are a little squishy, but I think this arrangement should work.

Reading to Baby

Do you think Lainey is holding the book at an appropriate distance from Baby's face? I'm not sure that Baby can see the pictures properly...at least without going cross-eyed. Each time Lainey "reads" to her, she gets a face full of book. :) I'm pretty sure Baby doesn't mind. She probably loves the attention!

Playdate

A couple of days ago we had Keegan, Ainsley, and Gage over to play. I attempted to take a few pictures, but the little ones weren't that interested in looking at the camera (no surprise there). They were all so cute playing with Play-Doh at the table; I had to try to snap a few pictures!

Remembering Nash

Happy 2nd Birthday, Nash.

Jan. 15, 2008 - July 1, 2008

Remembering Nash is remembering...

*yellow balloons

*his love for binkies
*a loving big brother
*sweet angel kisses on his little face
*tiny hands holding onto his mommy's
*warm bottles
*a contagious smile
*happy cries for attention
*adoring family members
*how he was a fan of sleeping on his tummy
*his first visit to Brinker with his mom, his grandmother, and his big brother Tate
*his sweet baby sneezes
*the way he tried to hold his bottle
*cherishing the way Tate says "Baby Nash" and points to his picture
*his entrance into the world, a day earlier than his parents expected

Nash, we remember you and cherish your memory. Your spirit lives on within each person who knew you, and you continue to influence the lives of people who hear your story. I know that today you would have been a happy and sweet two-year-old, doting on your big brother and enjoying all that life has to offer. I bet that you and Lainey would have been good friends, running and jumping and playing and asking Tate to do this with you or show you how that toy works. On this day and every day, my heart goes out to your parents who love you so very, very much. Tracy and Brad, may God's comfort and peace surround you and your memories of your sweet boy on this special day.

Fashionista

I know, I know...you only WISH you could pull off this look.

And...

we have a name for Baby Boy Harris! It's official! I'm so excited. We've decided to call him Walker Gordon Harris. Walker is a name that both Ben and I like and Gordon is Ben's middle name. My due date has not budged; he's still expected to arrive around February 12th. I head to the doctor tomorrow (Thursday) and then I will go again next week. It's hard to believe that we're less than a month away from meeting our baby boy!

Bathtub Fun

serious

excited

surprised

happy

mischievous

Fun Times

Hm. I thought we were past the playing-with-toilet-paper stage. Apparently not!

not quite sure what's going on here...

Reagan's Visit from the DFW Dog Whisperer

Reagan is a barker. She's always been a barker but only recently has she started to become more aggressive towards Lainey. We know she'd never hurt her (really, I think that's true) but she certainly barks and snaps and snarls like she wants to. SO, in came the DFW Dog Whisperer to help us teach her how to behave. He taught us techniques to employ when she starts barking (at children, other dogs, the doorbell, etc.) and so far, so good. Here is a picture of Reagan with the leash and collar that she has to wear to help "remind" her what her behavior should be like. She's definitely pouting a bit because of her new accessories but she's not in danger or pain, I promise! The trainer told us that we could shorten the leash as Reagan starts to model better behavior and then of course we'll remove it when we're confident that she is in control of her behavior. :)

Elmo Hat

Last night at dinner we had a balloon artist visit our table and look what she made! An Elmo hat! Lainey has been happily playing with her Elmo hat since last night but we do fear that Elmo is about to pop because of all the love he is getting from Lainey.

Funny Words

Recently, we've noticed Lainey really trying to communicate with people. She's trying to say new words more and more often. While she definitely speaks and talks with purpose, we still aren't quite sure what she's saying most of the time. Some words are clear while others are not. When we ask her a question and she actually gives us an answer that we understand, it surprises and delights us. She's becoming a little person! Just last night Ben asked her what animal she liked to find in the book Goodnight Moon and she actually said "mouse." Very true - she loves that mouse! What's interesting is that in some words, the letters are used appropriately and then in other words, they are not (like she can say the word "bow" but "baby" is still "dady"). Here are some funny words that she's started using lately...

1. "yah yoh" - yogurt
2. "Danta" - Santa
3. "Bebo" - Bevo
4. "nah" - milk
5. The words Daddy, blankie (her sleep sack), and baby all sound remarkably similar. You have to listen closely and see what she's referring to in order to determine what she wants.
6. "ama" - lemon (She still loves to eat lemons.)
7. She still refers to any kind of rocking chair/rocking movement as "auk doo." So she'll point to rocking chairs and say "auk doo, auk doo, auk doo."
8. "Buh" is her cousin Brooke

Other facts to note at this time:

• Lainey still refers to anything "yucky" (cleaning supplies, dirty diapers) by making a funny guttural noise. It's so funny to hear her do this - it sounds as though she's trying to clear her throat!
• She's started chewing on her binkies. This is a slightly frustrating habit for me as a mom and I'm not quite sure how to tackle this problem. She'll chew on her binkies and create small holes in them...therefore ruining the purpose of the binky. While it might be a good time to wean her a bit from the binky, I'm not quite sure how to do that. I do know that I don't want to keep buying new binkies (too expensive). Maybe we'll just reserve a couple of good binkies for naptime and bedtime, and then give her the ones with holes in them at other times. Maybe she'll find that chewing binks is not a good thing!
• Instead of placing Lainey in a closed room for time out, we've adopted the "sit down in one spot" method. This is working for now! Whenever the undesirable behavior happens, we tell her "no" and immediately make her sit down on her bottom (wherever we happen to be in the house) for about a minute. She usually cries. Then we let her get up, give us a hug, and say she's sorry. Well, she can't say she's sorry but maybe someday she will. :) We haven't had to do a time out in public yet - I'm not quite sure how that would work. :)
• Lainey has started galloping when she gets excited. It's kinda like she's skipping across the floor. She's fast!

Happy New Year, everyone!