Abbie at 1.5 years

Wowzer.  Abbie is 18months!  She has grown and changed so much these past few months.  One of the biggest changes is she has teeth! Her first tooth popped through right at 15 months, the same as Hayden. Her front lower tooth came first, then an upper side tooth and eventually another front bottom and side bottom.  Right now she has five and I'm pretty sure 3 of those all came in at the same time...it was a rough 3 weeks, haha.

She's starting to talk more, definitely mimicking what she hears.  I think I have figured out what she calls Hayden (uh-dah), she clearly says ChiliChili, go, bite, no, mom, da (dad), where go, milk, HayHay, bath and her favorite one BuhBye! We've counted over 35 words. She constantly rattles and chatters, usually at such a loud volume.  I'm thinking that it won't be long at all until she's using her words a lot more and then our worlds will be changed! She's also ridiculously quick at learning routines.  She follows 1 or 2 step directions really well, and it continues to amaze me.  She's still very particular about where things go and always putting things up.  I sure hope that trait sticks!  She also quickly notices when something has moved or not where it's supposed to be.

Abbie still feels (more now that ever) that she is just as big as Hayden. She looooves to be involved with whatever Hayden is doing and honestly thinks she can do whatever Hayden does. And she tries her best.
I have noticed that she's doing things so much sooner and I wonder at times if this is why, from watching and following Hay all the time. In fact, just this week I caught her trying to use the toilet! She had taken off her pants and diaper and was trying to climb onto the toilet.   She also has become really good at using her fork and spoon - mastering cereal even! She definitely is watching us and picking up on everything we're doing

Hayden loves Abbie a lot  and often says it's because Abbie smiles all the time or that she's so silly. And it's true.  She's such a good hearted girl, loves to snuggle often and is learning to be ornery (she must get that from Ethan haha).  She is such a goofball, having learned to fake laugh she tends to randomly throw out a chuckle when you least expect it and then laugh when we laugh back.  She loves to play "i'm going to get you" and "where's Hayden?" or the all time favorite "tickle monster."

I can't believe that it's been 18months already. We're truly been blessed with an amazing little spunk of energy that's full of loving and ornery-ness when we got blessed with Abbie.

Hayden's First Day of PreK

Holy Moley - Can you tell that school's started back up again? Did I call it or what? Yeah, in the last post, I might have mentioned the foreseen blog absence.  

School starts = no more blogging.  Not sure what I was thinking when I had the brilliant idea to blog and blog often.  So keep it in mind that I forget about the blog...often, but will do my best to continue to update Life in the Cantrell House for those that don't follow on Facebook.  

Speaking of following....don't forget you can sign up to have updates sent to you via email. Look on the right hand side for the spot to do that.  Or you can sign up for bloglovin and follow me there.  : - ) 

Now onto what we've been doing.   When I went through my phone, I actually divided the pics up into 3 posts and will post the other 2 as they get completed.  So these next few posts aren't necessarily in chronological order but first things first....... 

Hayden started PRESCHOOL this year!  Fair Grove schools has a preschool program in the elementary and she goes twice a week.  She loves being at school, but she doesn't love that mommy and daddy aren't there.  I've realized even more of how nervous and scared she gets in unknown environments or around new/different people.  We're working on it. She's only gone 3 times. Loves it by the end of the day, but it takes her up until after lunchtime.  Thankfully, Ethan's able to drop her off in the mornings and picks her up.  

Let the pictures begin:

Meet the Teacher night, delivering her school supplies

The traditional 1st day photo at the front door.  Backpack and lunchbox ready to go!

Gotta show it ALL off! LaLaLoopsy lunchbox and Brave backpack

OOps, out of order. This is from Meet the Teacher

Trying to get the sister picture - it was HARD, but entertaining

Abbie had no idea what we were doing, but as long as Hay was there, she was content. 

And when Abbie finally looks, Hayden gets cheesy.  Of course.

Holding mommy and daddy's hand walking to school -- allll smiles here

Found her seat...you can see the uncertainty setting in

She was supposed to take her picture with Mrs Holliman ... but wouldnt get out from behind me. 

And there you go -- our big girl is finally at big girl school. 

Her favorites:  the big spiral slide at recess, playing with the baby dolls, and eating lunch with her lunch buddy.  I can't wait for it to get easier for her (and Ethan) and she can truly enjoy her school experience.  

Stay tuned....

Hayden's 4th Birthday

This year for Hayden's birthday, she went all out princess-themed.   Per her request, she had a princess cake, princess decorations, pink and purple everything, her friends and presents.  

We had already semi-celebrated with family back at the Rufenacht camping weekend so this party was going to be more low key.  Hayden still had a blast as it was everything she had asked for.

Guests this year included Grandma Diddle, Aunt Heather, Ty, and Talyn, Grandma Rhonda and Papa Ronnie, and Josh and Andrea Mueller. She enjoyed having everyone there, even though she spent most of the time locked in her bedroom with Talyn.  Two days later and she's still playing with her new toys so I'd say they were a success ;-).

Hard to believe she's four.  Shell be going to preschool two days a week next year and is super excited.   

Happy birthday, sweet Hayden!!

She's a Walking Machine

As promised, a better video of Abbie walking. It's amazing the change in just ONE week. She walks more than crawls now and her balance is pretty amazing at times! She does really good at self-correcting and turning.

Abbie is Walking!

Here it is! Video of Abbie walking! She's been taking steps every now and then buy actually walking places more so now. She still crawls most times, as it is faster. 

We tried to get a good video but this was the best one.  I'll try to get another one when she's got more oomph in her. :-)

Sweet Abbie...now if she'd only get some teeth, haha!

This One is Dedicated to Abbie Reece

 Today is our little girl's last day being a "0"... her last night before she turns 1....I can't believe that a whole year has gone already.  Wow.

*Bear with me on this one...I'm not writing for an audience, just writing as I think.  It could get sappy*

So much has changed this past year. Abbie is a beautiful compliment to our little family and definitely brings some punch to the calmness we once had. She has already grown into such a little person, fully of feisty personality, and a very curious mind.  It's hard to believe that at this time just last year, we were a little family of 3, unsure what Miss Abbie would have in store for us.  I've been thinking back to June 8, 2012 all day...the events leading up to her delivery, those few hours afterwards, the 2 nights in the hospital - just me and her, and then our coming home.  Wow. It's already been a year. 

I honestly thought she wasn't a pretty newborn, and it's true. She was a wrinkly, bald baby...and I thought she looked like an old man. Funny though, others thought she looked like Grandpa John, haha.  She took all morning on the 8th to get here but when she was ready to meet us, she didn't waste any time at all.  I still remember calling Grandma Rhonda to come watch Hayden at 3AM, walking around the hospital for TWO hours, being dismissed, crying in the car not knowing what to do, Ethan grabbing breakfast but the thought of eating made me nauseous, getting out to walk at the park and knowing it was a bad idea, returning to the hospital - barely able to make it to the check-in office, then it's a blur but there was Abbie....  She was different from Hayden already, so different.  

Since then, she has definitely made herself a part of our family.  I can't imagine our family without her.  She is, for the most part, easy going and very content as long as she can see what everyone is doing and you give her what she wants.  :)   She really is stubborn and "strong willed" (to say the least) and has learned to throw her own little pity party recently .  

Here she is at one year: 

• weighs rougly 20#
• seems to be right-handed
• still no teeth (no shock there)
• sooo close to walking; seems to think she has to hold onto your fingers in order to walk
• LOVES Hayden and wants to be wherever Hay is and play with whatever she's holding
• she loves music
• too stinking smart: knows how to turn on/off her cd player, brush hair, tries to put on necklaces, can work the fridge ABC magnets, 
• can say momma, dada, go, bye-bye, almost says up
• signs bye-bye, all done, almost has "more"
• loves to be outside and especially loves the slide right now. 
• not a big thrill seeker as in heights...doesn't like to be up high without support yet
• however, really good at climbing...both up and down safely.
• nicknames: Abbie-gator, Abbie-cakes, Abner, HooDabs, PooDabs, DabDabs, Slabbie (grrr, Ethan...and Slabner...more grr), 

Hayden loves Abbie (thankfully). Although she's getting to the stage where she realizes that Abbie wants her stuff at inconvenient times so there is a lot of "teaching" happening in the house.  Hay loves to go into Abb's room and see her after she wakes up, singing silly songs.  She will entertain Abbie or distract her when we need a good distraction. Hayden wants Abbie to be big enough to play with her and it can't happen soon enough.  She wants to help Abbie walk - loves to sit across from me and get her to walk back and forth.  Hay is fairly gentle with her -- it's adorable hearing her talk or sing or read to Abbie when no one is listening.  

 

Tomorrow we're having her birthday party here at the house.  It's a watermelon theme and should be pretty cute. Definitely stay tuned for pictures from the party --- but it might be late Sunday night before I get a post up.  

Until then, here are some of our favorite Abbie pics taken June 3,2013. 

Happy Birthday to our sweet Abbie Reece!