Moving on...

Another transition - always exciting and yet quite a bit of work (to narrow a whole house down to what fits in a single car and pack and clean). I kind of thought that after the floors were steam cleaned and we left the house I would feel instant relief or the excitement of change. I don't know if it was because we drove straight to family Christmas time or that there is still a bit of work before we get Aaron and my dad on the road to Washington or that I will be working full time until early March? Or maybe it isn't really feeling real yet - or maybe it is more routine than I would like to admit . We have packed up a home and moved 5 times in the last 4 years.

On our drive to Glenwood Springs last night Aaron and I tried to wrap our heads around what the next 18 months will hold. Getting to spend some precious and rare time with my best friend from grad school, taking Autumn overseas for the first time, and preparing to and hoping to grow our family of 3 to 4. One foot forward into the adventure - we really hope to fully enjoy and appreciate each step of the journey.

Here we go.... Aaron leaves tomorrow and Autumn and I will join him in Washington Tuesday!

15 Months

Autumn - you are growing into quite the fun and energetic little girl! Everyday you act and look more like a little girl and less like a baby! We are so proud of your determined, busy, curious and loving little self!!

Foods - you pretty much eat everything that we do if it is safe for you. You still prefer fruits, yogurt and cheese - you even loved the pomegranates and cranberries the other day. Right now you prefer to eat about 1/2 your meal in your booster and then 1/2 of it while sitting in our lap. This works with the cleaner food and not so well when you have sauces, peanut butter or anything else messy all over you and us. You also think it is very funny to feed us your food! You are still quite the eater some days and it is surprising that you are still only 19 pounds! Guess it is all that running around that you are doing!

Potty - this month you peed and pooped in the potty!! Sometimes you give indication that you might be needing to use the potty and so we put you up on it. You now enjoy flushing way more than sitting on the seat - might as well get you familiar with the idea!

Bath time - you are a very clean little girl. You love to be in the water and get a bath most nights and then if you can, you insist on crawling in the tub to play with your toys while I shower.

Your favorites!
Babies, babies, babies - real ones, little ones, big ones, doll ones, every color and shape - they are your babies!! We let you sleep with bitty baby - a very small one that I don't worry about getting stuck near your face. But the other night you screamed and screamed and screamed because you didn't get to go to bed with all 3 babies you had been playing with - so I caved and let you fall asleep with them and then removed 2 of them! Right now we are in Estes Park with the Carver family and you are having so much fun looking at and bring things to your cousin Eric!


Zippers - getting into bags, your diaper bag, running the zipper on our duvet cover and shams, pulling zippers down on our sweatshirts and coats...

Books - you have just started a book (AKA ba) phase - you bring them to us and then turn around and sit on our legs, allow us to quickly read/turn through the pages and then go get another. Your favorites are Brown Bear Brown Bear and Shapes with Abigail.

Coloring/Pens/Pencils - unfortunately this often ends in tears because you get a hold of dangerous pens and pencils or start coloring on things that are not to be colored and we have to take them away )-: The other night you went from spot to spot laying down on your belly with a coloring book and crayon - I got pictures and then left that SD card in the reader at Safeway )-:



Music and River Dancing - you have the cutest little dance - it is stomp dancing, but still with a little rhythm! It gives us giggles and smiles every time! We have 2 toys on the refrigerator that when you push their buttons you get farm songs or the ABC's - you push them over and over and over and dance dance dance!!!

New words I can think of - even though we may be the only ones that know what you are saying - you are repeating us more and more! Orange, Copper, Grandma, Open, Down, Ban (banana)...

Opinions - so I'm not sure that 14 month olds should have opinions about what they wear - but sometimes I go to put an outfit on you and you shake your head - so we go pick another.



Agenda - you usually have a plan, we are not always sure what it is - but for example the other day you carried 2 blankets to a spot, went and got 3-4 babies to put on the blanket and then relocated them over and over. You also still enjoy taking things in and out - of anything - purses (now that the zipper is as easy!) , buckets, boxes, baskets... You also like to climb and get in a climbing mood to climb the chairs, on the coffee table, on boxes, steps...



Well... that is about it to describe this month! You also enjoyed your second Thanksgiving with your great grandparents!

We love you Autumn Bear!

Momma and Dada