What's that

Malorie has the cutest way of saying "what's that". She whispers it super fast and uses it in many situations. It's super cute. 

She also loves to say "uh oh". 

Finally, she has the "e i e i o" part of old macdonald down a little too well. I try to get her to do an animal sound and she says "e i e I O"

16 Months

Malorie is now 16 months! She has been walking for half her life and rarely sits still for more than a few minutes. She loves attention and does not want to share the attention. She is sassy, spunky, stubborn, and sweet. She waves hi and goodbye and sometimes blows kisses. 

One of her favorite things to do is dig through other people's bags. She loves to carry a purse. Everything is a phone. She loves to clean any surface and vacuum. She mimics what you do. If I wipe her nose, she wants to wipe mine. If I put lotion on her she wants to put lotion on me. If Jeff gives me a kiss she wants to too. 

She has two front teeth on bottom and two front teeth on top, with a few teeth about to break through. 

Here are a few stories to show this little girls spunk. 

Several weeks ago, I was distracted. I turned around and Malorie had sat down in her stuffed chair. She had her play phone up to her ear and was having a whole conversation. She was chattering away and would throw her head back and laugh. Keep talking and laugh again. This went on for several minutes. She has done this several times since. 

When we video chat with family she wants to hold the phone. She will walk around the room and show them different areas. (My guess is she is copying me. When we video chat I turn the phone so she can see the people and they can see her). This can make video chatting with us a little dizzying. 

Tonight, while video chatting with my family Malorie took them spinning in circles. She did this for several minutes. Luckily, part way through she let me hold the camera. 

We were at a restaurant. She hit the back of the booth in order to get the attention of the people behind us. Once they started to look at her she got all shy and coy. 

Today when I dropped her at the sitter she wanted the book the sitter's son was reading. I wouldn't let her take it, so she went and got another toy and played with it right in front of him. Her expression was almost taunting him. He then dropped the book and came to get her toy. She let him have it and picked up another toy. Once she was she he was distracted she picked up the book she wanted in the first place. 

Last week, Grandma Beth came up to watch her. Shortly after I left she grabbed her purse and walked to the door and waved at Grandma. 

Malorie loves to be chased. The best way to get her upstairs for bed is to have Daddy call out to say he is going to get her. She shrieks and races up the stairs. She loves to get upstairs first and shut the gate. She will then open the gate hair a little and shut it again. Laughing the whole time. She will then let us in one at a time. 

She is starting to love stuffed animals. She will walk all around the house with her stuffed animal. Although, it won't be the same one each day. 

She has discovered the Velcro on the bottom of her soothe and singing giraffe. She will sit in her crib and open it up and turn the switch to off

Thankfully, she is starting to be ok in her crib. She will play in her crib for a half hour in the morning (sometimes). 

She loves to push any and all buttons (she gets this from her dad). She has a natural honing device for all phones, controllers, really any electronics. 

She loves slides and swings. 

She loves to put things inside of other things and to take them out again.

Malorie has gotten adjusted to going to the babysitter. Last week, she and I walked to the sitters to drop something off. When the sitter opened the door, Malorie walked right inside. She saw her friend and they both squealed. They immediately starting playing together. I said it was time to go, so she turned to me, waved, and kept playing. 

Malorie has a stuffed chair that she loves. When one of us turns on the TV she will walk to her chair and sit down. If there is a blanket she will put that on with her stuffed animal next to her. 

She would much prefer to sit at the table. 

The McDonalds play set was Jeffs when he was little. 

She has started to do a cheesy smile. 

March 29, 2016

 

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

When I graduated from college I took a job that I thought would last a year, maybe two. Today, just shy of 5 years later, I walked away from that job. There were a lot of ups and down. Tons of stress and frustration. The anxiety that comes with a company that is failing and then acquired.  

I also learned and lot and developed great friendships. I had amazing managers who worked with me and let me work part time when I wanted to. For the first year of Malorie's life I was able to primarily work from home, only going in once a week. We were able to keep Malorie out of any kind of daycare for the first year of her life. (Thank you Beth!)

I never thought this job would last this long, but it turned out better than expected. 

I am sad to close the door on the MonaVie/Jeunesse chapter of my life, but I am excited to start a new one tomorrow with Stayner, Bates, and Jensen.

This is all a bit melodramatic for me, but I was trying to channel my inner Miriam and David. 

My Jeunesse desk all cleared out.