19 Months

You gotta be kidding me. 19 months? Just yesterday I was pulling her out of her car seat and kissed her cute face like I always do, and I realized that the chubby softness of babyhood are gone. Her cheeks felt more firm, more...toddler-esque. The past month has been the month of verbal explosion. She is a chatter box all day long and has to talk about everything she sees, touches, eats, hears...everything! Her faves as of the last few days are: lawnmower, moon, plane, ice hone (ice cream cone), train, man, burp, grapes, purse (even though I don't carry one she knows what they are...heaven help me), and my personal fave is church. Every time we pass a meeting house she says excitedly, "church!" And can I just go back to lawnmower? What 19 month old says lawnmower? She kills me. One of her favorite things to do almost everyday is to check the raspberry bushes - she could eat them all day if she could! Her personality is exploding too and I just love to watch how she reacts to things. At her 18 month check-up, the doctor kept asking if we had her birthday wrong because she is the size of a two year old, acts like a two year old, and talks like a two year old! I love my little toddler and am grateful everyday for her bright blue eyes and her open mouth smile. How could you not think life could get any better when you look at something so perfect?!

18 Months!

I can't believe it. 18 months!! How trite is it to say that it seems like just yesterday that she was born? But it's so true. The time has gone faster than I ever thought possible and I don't see my little baby anymore...I see a toddler. And isn't she beautiful?! Her vocabulary has exploded the past couple of weeks and she is a chatter box all day long. I love it. Her favorite words are "bus, digger, pray, and Bret." (Our neighbor she has a little crush on!) She loves going to the park and loves to help work in the yard - the hose is her favorite. Her new thing is to help me cook her eggs in the morning - she knows every step and likes to inform me what to do next...I think we might be starting a bad habit of her telling me what to do and how to do it!! It's been such a fun month to watch her learn and progress and I'm so humbled to be her Mommy. I asked Mark just today if there was a statute for child abuse for TOO much affection! I feel like I kiss her and squeeze her and tickle her constantly. I just finished putting her to bed and was so awestruck at this huge responsibility we have to raise her right. She grabbed her blanket and binky, looked up at me with her big blue eyes with her little blond bangs sweeping across her perfect forehead and I just started welling with tears. She is so perfect in every way and is everything I ever wanted. How did I get so lucky?

First Time Boating

Amelia LOVES being on a boat. What more can I say?! My sister invited us up for a quick little jaunt at Jordanelle, and I have to be honest...I was a little nervous about how Amelia would do. But she was fearless. She loved every minute of it! She got a kick out of playing with the steering wheel, hanging over the edge, standing on the swim deck, and lounging around in the bow. She's hilarious and kept yelling at the other boats, although she's still confused on her moving vehicles. She calls airplanes buses and she would yell at the other boats saying "plane!" It's the funniest thing. We had a great time and can't wait to get her out there on some waterskis herself!

Silver Lake Sunday

I think we've started a new tradition. At least I hope so. Sunday drives have always been special to me, but even more so with a little family to include! Today we headed up to Silver Lake, one of my favorite spots up Big Cottonwood. The weather was perfect! Amelia loved walking along the boardwalk looking for squirrels and when she would see one she would say,"woof woof!" So adorable. And every time she hears a helicopter or airplane, she points to the sky and says "bus!" We'll work on that. She loved looking at all the water and all the other people that were there. I think she's turning into a "people-watcher" like her Mama! It was a great afternoon and I savored every minute. What precious days these are.

Sunday Drive

So it was a gorgeous day, Amelia had a super nap, and Mark and I were both home on a Sunday at the same time! We decided to hop in the car with my Mom and just start driving. Those who know me well know that this kind of drive is my most favorite activity. Sunroof, sunshine, music, and the open road! We headed South not having a particular plan and ended up having a perfect Sunday drive. We headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon where the views of the river were awesome. There is something about watching the flow of water rush by that is so calming for me. The steep mountains were so lush and green and just so serene. The road led us up and across Guardsmans Pass. We felt like we were driving on top of the world - which is such a cliche' but I don't know how else to describe it. That feeling also created quite a panic with my Mom so I had to be sure to drive nice and slow, but that made it even more breathtaking. We continued down through Deer Valley, ending up in Park City to walk around Main street for a while. It was perfect in every way and just what we all needed! I couldn't help but think of the lyrics to my favorite hymn while trying to write this post to describe how I felt. "When through the woods and forest glades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees, when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze, then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee, how great thou art!" Perfect Sunday drive.