The Prodigal Blogger has returned: Summer in a flash

Well, let's just say we took a summer hiatus from blogging.  It's not that we didn't say, "Oh we really need to catch up on our blog!" It's just that having fun and working in the yard took precedence (hopefully we will do a yard/home improvement post in the near future).  So, to give you a little smattering of what we have been doing all summer, I will break it down into Adventures and Abigail Growing Up.

Adventures:
After Abigail's first birthday, Daddy had a birthday too.  We were able to spend some time together as a family.  One thing we did was go to Seven Peaks (thank you Pass of All Passes for the free admission, though it did cost $7 for parking).  We didn't do much, seeing as Abigail was still a little tike, but we had fun in the wave pool, lazy river, and kiddo slides.

We were also able to go up to Clarkston, UT to visit Steve's cousin Aerika and her hubby Curtis.  Abigail loved, loved, loved their goats and dog.  We went to watch them play the roles of Joseph and Emma Smith in The Man Who Knew pageant (the Martin Harris Pageant).  It was a neat experience and we felt the Spirit testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  Plus, how many kids can say they got a picture with Joseph and Emma.

Abigail and mom have had some fun adventures around the Valley as well.  Here's a little photo journey through our fun times:

Park by our house. Abigail asks to go several times a day by pointing at the door and saying "wee"

Hogle Zoo giraffes

Hogle Zoo monkeys

Thanksgiving Point Farm.  She loved riding and petting the pony.

Thanksgiving Point Farm 

Cornbelly's.  She would have been content to dance to the music, pick up trash (handing it to me and saying "Tank You"), and climb on the hay

Cornbelly's

Wheeler Farm

Abigail Growing Up:

Abigail is certainly growing up.  It seems like every day she learns a new word, tries a new physical feat, or masters something that she couldn't do before.  She is walking and climbing over everything.  She is saying a few words independently and copying many that we say to her.  For example, she says "Tank You" when she hands us something or we give her something.  She also says, "Yeah" in answer to our questions.  She makes some animal sounds ("Wuh, wuh" for dog and almost anything else that moves, "baa," and "meow").  She knows several body parts, such as nose, eye, toes, feet, teeth, head, and sometimes ear and mouth. And daddy even taught her to copy him saying "b," "y," "u" (mommy is still working on U of U or Utah).

Abigail loves to do what mommy and daddy do.  She is becoming a big helper.  She especially likes to help make the bed by bringing us the pillows, and dust or sweep.  She enjoys playing the piano.  She also "brushes" her teeth whenever she can.

Abigail loves to play dress up.  Anything that can fit on her wrist is a bracelet, around her neck is a necklace, and on her head is a pretty hat.

Well, that's the quick version of our summer adventures.  We love our little girl and can't believe how fast she is growing.  Hopefully she is not driving before we write again!

One Year Old, and Getting Wiser Each Day too!

Well, it's hard to believe, but we are now living with a one year old.  It is so amazing to think of all Abigail has become over the past year and to anticipate her future growth.  We had a fun month.  At the beginning of June, we went to Ouray, CO with Steve's family (those who were able to come).  The drive way a bit long as Abigail is not content to be still for so long now that she can move, but she was a trooper and we made it.

She had fun hanging out with cousins (and Aunts, Uncle, and Grandparents), going on a hike, and going  swimming for the first time.

 

Mommy and Abigail have been on some fun play dates: meeting friends at the Thanksgiving Point Farm, where Abigail rode a pony for the first time; having lunch at Cafe Rio with friends, and going to the park.

 

We also celebrated flag day at Daddy's work with a flag ceremony and J Dawgs.

And one of the most exciting things we've done is celebrating Abigail's first birthday!!! We threw her a butterfly themed birthday party.  Mommy made her a special shirt with a 1 and some butterflies.

There were caterpillar eggs (Starburst jellybeans), caterpillars (Sour Brite Crawlers), and a butterfly cake and cupcakes.  

We had lots of family and some close friends who were able to come.  Abigail did great.  She had fun opening gifts, she was a little mystified by everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to her, and she hesitated, but then dug into her cake.  It was a fun celebration!

And finally, an update on all Abigail has been learning and doing since last we wrote: She can walk with a walker, can stand for ~30 seconds without support, loves to climb over or up anything, is experimenting with coming down the stairs on her own, is learning to put shapes into a shape sorter (still needs lots of help, but gets the concept), pushes balls through the hole on her toys, can toss a ball back and forth, and loves getting into anything and everything! Such a fun age!

10 months... and 11 months

Well when 10 months came and went without getting around to posting a blog of Abigail, I figured we'd just have to lump it all in one with her 11 month post.  It has been so much fun to see her blossom over the past two months.  She is a busy little bee, who is up, down, and all around.

Abigail has learned to crawl, and man is she fast.  It's like watching a little turbo-charged robot... a very cute turbo-charged robot.

But she didn't stop with crawling.  She is now pulling herself up on anything that is semi-stable.  She is starting to cruise around furniture... and her crib.  She has also figured out how to climb the entire flight of stairs.  We finally put up safety gates to contain, I mean protect, her :).

Abigail is also growing socially and intellectually.  She loves to interact with books (i.e. lifting flaps, feeling textures, and imitating sounds).  She is taking more notice of other's, especially children.  She is also talking and making new sounds.  She has had DADA down for a while.  Then she started in with ba ba, la la, wa wa, va va, ya ya, and FINALLY MA MA :).  She is still mostly just making the sounds for sounds sake, but seems to be recognizing the meanings of some words.  For example, when we say da da, she will point to Daddy's picture (though she doesn't point to daddy if he is there, and says da da quite frequently throughout the day, but she is getting there).  When we ask if she is "all done," she makes the ASL sign for all done.  And when we say hello or bye bye, she waves (which is the cutest thing ever!)  She loves imitating sounds and expressions, especially ones that dad makes.  Whenever he clears his throat or coughs, so does Abigail.  When he growls like Chewbacca, Abigail tries to also.  When dad sticks out his tongue, Abigail copies.

 

We have also had some fun adventures over the past couple of months.  Abigail has had some fun play dates with friends.

She has had her first exposure to the joy of swings and bubbles (kinda)

And Mommy and Abigail went to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point.

We love our happy, smiling, emerging independent girl with her cute two-tooth grin.  It's hard to believe she will be one year old next month!  I will definitely make sure to post about that.

9 months - She's on the move!

Now that Abigail is 9 months old, she seems to be more of a kid than a baby.  She has been working really hard this past month and has accomplished a lot. In the food department, she has learned to pick up finger foods and self feed.  She is also drinking from a cup with help (though I think more water ends up down her front than in her mouth). She is eating more of the foods that Mommy and Daddy eat as long as they are soft enough to gum.  Soon she will be chomping with a full set of teeth though, because she cut her first tooth this month.  We'd love to show the tooth off, but she is tight mouthed, so it is experienced more by touch than by sight.
Abigail has learned a lot of gross motor skills this month too.  She started by kicking her legs while on her tummy in an attempt to crawl.  With the right motivation (phones, iPad, light up toys, binkie, and almost anything we don't want her to get in to), she has now become quite the army crawler.

With her added mobility, she has learned to transition from sitting up to tummy and has almost mastered tummy to sitting.

Unfortunately her rolling and transitioning has carried over to the crib.  We have found her in many precarious situations.

Sometimes she will even fall asleep on her side or tummy (yeah the tummy still freaks us out, so we make sure to check on her when we see her face down on the monitor).

Other exciting developments include responding to hi by saying her best attempt of hi, problem solving to get toys that are out of reach, and banging items together and clapping her hands.

It is so fun to watch Abigail grow and learn.  We can't wait to see what the next month brings...