Nice to meet you, Santa. NOT!!

Pretty sure of what would happen, we went on to take Paisley to visit Santa for the first time. She HAD to see him and have her picture made with him on her first Christmas, right?!? Paisley is extremely friendly, and waves, smiles, talks to, even reaches for strangers at times, however, "Winnie the Pooh" answered a neighbor's door on Halloween, and she about had a heart attack. SOOO, I didn't know how she would feel about Santa. She didn't mind him at all until we got close to him, and then we knew there was no way she was sitting on his lap! I tried anyway (for some reason), and she s.c.r.e.a.m.e.d. Reaching, climbing, nearly clawing, etc., but we had waited in line for a good 45 minutes with a toddler, so we wanted a picture. Jason and I jumped in and this is the *best* one we got. We did get a funny memory!

Shop (and eat) 'til You Drop!

This weekend we had the opportunity to spend extra time with Jason, so we soaked him up while finishing Christmas shopping. We also grabbed a late lunch on Saturday at Olive Garden, and after church on Sunday we went to Mimi's for brunch. I couldn't help but snap pictures because usually when we are out to eat, it's Paisley and I with friends, and I am too busy keeping her content to take pictures! But this time, I could take them! We successfully finished our shopping except for 1 gift, and 3 small ones, so we did pretty well. We had a great weekend together!

Nice 'do...

Paisley's hair has been growing so fast lately, and that has led to some pretty funny nap hair sometimes. On Friday, she woke up like this...

And from the back...

Still standing on it's end as you can see. Oh, and who needs toys when you have a box lid? That's the best toy ever!

LOVE this girl, crazy hair and all. :)

Monkeying Around

This girl is a "climber", there is no doubt. She climbs on boxes, toys, chairs, loves stairs...she climbs on anything she can get footing on. Now, I didn't *see* her get into this situation, but I am assuming she climbed over the railing...

(Yes, we still use the Bumbo seat because she is so little that I feel like it gives her a bit of a boost, and must be a lot more comfortable.) Here she is strolling around. Can't seem to get a good picture of her looking at the camera, because ours pre-flashes, which makes her blink for the real flash. Anyone know if you can turn that option off?

And here she was kissing her reflection in the stove. She is giving kisses a lot more often now! Mostly, when you least expect it, full on, open mouth, and goes for your mouth. She will not settle for the cheek. :)

More Gala Pictures

The Ortho Residents that were there

Another one of us

Abby and I

Here are a few more pictures from the Gala Saturday night. We forgot our camera, so we asked other people to take our pictures and share the photos. (Thanks Abby and Sarah!) The first group was Sarah's pictures, and this group is from Abby's camera. We had a great time!

Peek-a-Boo!

Running Around!

Occasionally, I take Paisley to the play area in the Mall and let her run around and she loves it! I know it's dirty and nasty, but I always practically hose her off when we leave, and she has the best time. Here she is running around the play house there. Enjoy!

A Night Out

On Saturday night, my parents came into town to keep Little Miss while Jason and I went to a Christmas Dinner. What you need to know is that Jason and I have only been out by ourselves 3 times since Paisley has been born! Crazy, I know, but with his schedule, and finding a babysitter, and overall making it work, it hasn't happened much. So for us, this was a real treat!

The dinner was at the Dayton Art Institute, including horderves hand drinks, a very nice Dinner, "entertainment" afterwards, and tickets to walk through the art gallery. It was very fancy! We had a good food, and a great time with friends. Thanks Grammy and Papaw for keeping Paisley (and Tyke)!

Look Who's Talking...

Paisley has recently taken off with her talking, surprising us all the time at what she can say! A few nights ago, I told Paisley to "tell Daddy night night" and to our shock, she looked at Jason and said "night night Dada". WHAT? It seems like no time ago she wasn't saying anything, now she says about 15 words! Another big surprise was "banana". I know, you probably think I'm crazy, but my Mom and Jason have both witnessed this with me! She didn't say it on the video above, but maybe I can catch it another time. A few of her words are hi, bye bye, night night, Momma, Dada, Popa, Papaw, Tyke (Ty), light, ball, puff, bite, duck, bath, and of course banana! We are loving this stage in Paisley's development as she continues to amaze us every day. She is also starting to follow one step directions, which is GREAT for helping Momma out. Have a good weekend!

Paisley's Christmas Things

Our house is all decorated for Christmas, complete with Paisley's own little Christmas decor. :) In her room, she has her very own small Noah's Ark Christmas tree (Thank you Grandpa Bill & Brenda!), and in the living room on the coffee table she has a "Little People" Nativity. While hoping she would enjoy these things as I put them out, I never dreamed she would love them as much as she does! I thought maybe next year when she was older, but she is thrilled to have them THIS year!

First, I put out the Nativity. I brought her downstairs after a nap, and lead her over to the table. She saw the nativity, stopped about a foot away, stared, and did her little laugh which is actually "ugh, ugh, ugh!" She would look at me, look at Jason, and point, not sure if she could touch it or not. She soon learned she could in fact touch it, and play with it all she wants. So everyday, she plays and plays with her nativity. (Well carries it around the house anyway, or in her mouth. She usually has Mary by the head in her mouth). She recently started leaning over to kiss the different characters! It is the cutest thing. Yesterday morning when we got up, the first thing she did was walk over and kiss the cow, and then the camel from the nativity. I am so happy she loves it that much!

She also loves her tree. Every time we are in her room, she points and laughs to the tree. We walk over and look at the animals, and she points out the balls of course, saying her sweet little southern draw "baaawwwww" at every shiny ball on the tree. I took it out of her room the first day when I put her down for a nap because she wouldn't stop talking and pointing enough to settle down for a nap! She LOVES this tree!

We can't wait to see her face and hear her "ugh ugh ugh" laugh on Christmas morning. We have already received our greatest gift ever this year, it's Little Miss Paisley Lane!

Shopping!! Well, sorta...

Last weekend my Mom and sister came to visit, and we went shopping with Little Miss P. Here are a few videos from the attempt! We had a great time with Grammy and Erin!

"Bath!"

This is an older video but thought you might like seeing it too....

Blowing Kisses

Paisley just started blowing kisses and we love it! She is still pretty stingy with the real ones, but that makes then even more wonderful when we are lucky enough to get one. Enjoy!

Halloween Pictures

Paisley had a great first Halloween! She was a precious pink Daisy flower. (my most favorite flower!) She did a great job wearing her hood for the night. She loved socializing with the neighbors and walking around outside. She did get very spooked by the giant Winnie the Pooh that brought her a sucker (she screamed in terror) but other than that, she did very well. By the end of the night, she was exhausted, and conked out in her car seat, costume and all. Already looking forward to next year!

9/10 Months Update

Our little Paisley girl is growing and growing. She is such an amazing blessing to us and we love her more every day. (if that's possible!) She amazes us with learning new skills and her sweet personality. Can't believe she is already 10 months old. I am starting to plan her first birthday party. Looking forward to it! Here's what she has been up to lately.

• Paisley has said her first word, and a few more. She now says "ball" every time she sees one, even recognizes them in books. We were out shopping this week and we saw Christmas ornaments and she kept saying "ball" and pointing. Last Sunday I wore a polka dotted jacket to church, and she would point to the dots and say "ball". We thought that was pretty clever! She also says, hi, bye-bye, hello (sorta), bath, Dada, Momma, and just started saying Pa-pa working towards Papaw and Papa Ron. :)
• She took her first long stride walking at 9 months, 1 week. Now, she walks everywhere! She can walk room to room, maneuver around things, turn and go a different direction, etc. She's getting pretty good! I have to say it has been easier going out in town with her. When she needs a break from the stroller, I can put her down and let her a walk a little bit.
• Paisley has discovered the world of cabinets and drawers, and all the fun things inside them. Hoping to get locks on this weekend...
• She loves to wave at people everywhere we go. She is quite friendly!
• Happy to say that her dairy allergy is completely gone! Paisley and I both enjoy our cheese, milk, yogurts, etc, now! She just had macaroni and cheese last week for the first time and loved it.
• Paisley mostly eats what Jason and I are eating. I think she has some texture issues though, as she will eat vegetables smashed up (like baby food) all day, but if I give her cooked carrots, green beans, peas, she gags. Literally GAGS. I don't get it. Sometimes I hide them in mashed potatoes, soup, etc, and she's ok, but she refuses to pick them up and feed herself like she does everything else. She L.O.V.E.S. meat. She will eat all the chicken, turkey, beef, off her plate before touching anything else. She also likes bread/pasta, and of course fruit. Her favorite thing may be Baby Mum Mum rice crackers. She will go in the kitchen, open the cabinet, and get them out, and bring me both handfuls of packs. SHe also nurses 3 times a day.
• Still a little thing, weighing in at 15.5 lbs, and 27 1/2 inches long. That puts her below the 5th % for weight, and at 10th-20th % for height. Her doctor says she is growing at her own little pace and he's not worried at all. She's just going to be petite.
• Speaking of petite, she still wears size 1-2 diapers, although the next box will be size 2. She wears size 6-9 clothes, mostly, some 6 month, and very few 9 month. I am hoping she can wear all those adorable 12m Christmas outfits we have!
• Wear a size 2 shoe, and that's a problem for a child who walks. :) I have a hard time finding her size with no slip bottoms! The last pair I bought were size 3-6 months. I have found that Pedipeds work best (size 0-6 months!). I honestly don't know how she balances on that tiny foot of hers.
• Paisley has 4 teeth, 2 top, and 2 bottom.
  

Happy 10th Mirthday (month-birthday) Paisley! We love you very much!

Fun Fall Weekend

Anna- 2 yrs old

Jayden- 3 yrs old

Busy busy girls, that's what we have been lately. Paisley is on the go, all the time, so pardon the pictures of her profile, instead of her smiling face, what can I say, she's hard to catch. :) Here are a few pictures from last weekend's festivities. My best friend came to visit with her two kiddos and we kept pretty busy trying to keep the 3 kids busy! Not quite what "girl time" use to be, but we enjoyed it just the same. Now we have 3 sweet personalities to brighten our time together. Regretfully, we didn't get any pictures of them together, but we got some cute ones of them separately. Have a great Halloween weekend!

Playing with Daddy! (Video)

Yet another video

Here Paisley is eating from her snack trap cup (Thanks Sonya, Aaron, and Braelynn!) and Tyke waiting by for dropped pieces. He actually licks her in the head at one point. So sweet!

All Done!

I have been working with Paisley since she was 4-5 months old on doing some Sign Language. Nothing much, I just want her to be able to tell me when she is hungry, thirsty, full, etc. I am hoping if we can teach her to communicate (before she can talk) it will cut down on the inevitable crying/fits, etc that comes with being a toddler. Especially if she can sign us her basic needs. She surprised me a few nights ago when I asked if she were "all done?" and she signed "all done" back to me! It was her own, modified way, but clearly, "all done". I was so proud of her! Here she is a few nights later, signing for us. Have a great Friday!

"Hi" and "Bye-Bye!"

I have been following Paisley around for the past several days trying to catch her walking, but as soon as she sees the camera, she drops down and crawls over to check it out. She is still mostly crawling, but walks short distances, and occasionally longer strides from time to time. Here she is waving away, and at the end, you catch a little "Bye!"

9 Month Picture Proofs

http://piankiphotography.zenfolio.com/p737623114

Here is the link to Paisley's 9 month pictures.

Perfect Fall Day

Just about to go to bed and I can't help but look back on this day and be so thankful for what it was. Woke up to an angel talking in the room a few doors down, and it was a beautiful cool Fall morning. A bit later, that same angel has had breakfast, played a bit, and is down for a nap, and Jason calls and says he's on his way home. (WHAT!?!? You mean MY husband is going to actually be in this house when it's daylight? Holy cow!) So Jason comes in and has me breakfast in his hand. A Hardees biscuit. And may I just remind you that I haven't been eating dairy in almost 8 1/2 months? I just started eating a few things here and there in September, but still have been to afraid to go all out that it will make Paisley sick. So a Hardees sausage biscuit was a big splurge for me (it's time to try something big, -says the Pediatrician) and boy was it delish. I mean I think I savored every last bite.

So picture this..

• Cool fall morning.



• Baby sleeping peacefully in her crib.



• Husband home and sitting beside me. (RARE)



• Hardees sausage and egg biscuit in hand.



• Coffee in other hand :)
  
  



• Mulled cider candle burning.



• College Game Day on TV.

Ahhh, perfection.

Later on, Paisley wakes up and Jason gets her out of her crib, and she is thrilled. I sit back and watch my baby girl play delightfully with her Daddy. For the 2nd time this week. She saw him Sunday, and not again until Thursday night for 15 minutes, and now today. She (and he) are both soaking this up. Next, Jason has to leave for a while, but my Grandparents who live in Northern Ohio stop by. We had the best visit, and I am just so happy they came over. By the time they have to leave Jason is already back. Paisley naps a while, and so do I actually, while Jason watches the Tennessee game. When she wakes up, we play a while, and she WALKS! SHe is playing by herself, and out of no where, she starts walking across the living room! Jason and I both about jump out of our seats and scream, in fact as soon as she gets to the pack and play, we do jump and scream! We are so proud of her! I predicted last week that she would be walking by Monday, and I was right! It was so amazing to see her walking, and I am SOOOO thankful Jason was here to witness it too. What an incredible moment. She was so proud of herself. Hope to catch it on video soon so you can see it too. :) Jason then leaves, and Pais and I have dinner, and start getting ready for bed. We are going up the stairs when we hear the garage door open and I am so surprised that Jason is home again! Call weekends are never like this! He is here for her bedtime, and then we even get a little time to talk once she's in bed, and he even gets a nap before being called back in. So thankful for such a great day! We needed it to be honest. Things have been quiet crazy lately with Jason's work, so I am so happy he was able to be here today, even though he is on call all weekend. Now, if he can get some sleep tonight, that will put the cherry on top.

Just a Swingin'

Paisley and I met Lacey and Kaitlyn at the park on Friday and had a great time together! We had a picnic, and let the girls swing a while. They loved swinging together! Here are a few sweet pictures from our day.

Busy Girl!

Paisley has been a busy little girl lately, which in turn keeps her Momma very busy! (Which I love!) I feel she is on the verge of walking. She has taken a step, but fell, so now I think she might be a bit afraid to try again. She stands alone for longer periods of time, and cruises all around furniture with no problems. I have predicted that she will walk at 10 months... We'll see! She will be 9 months old next week, so time is on her side. :) Happy Friday!