Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas!We celebrated our Christmas in Lake View with Grandma and Grandpa Blessington. Mila had so much fun. Between getting spoiled by Grandma and having presents and dogs to entertain her, she was in heaven. We let her open a few gifts after dinner on Christmas Eve. She LOVED the wrapping paper... and later, she liked her gifts too!




This picture was from earlier in the day. She was pretty wiped out from a morning of playing with dogs and cleaning out and rearranging grandma's cupboards. Grandma probably didn't know she'd have such a little helper on her hands! Oh, and Mila and Santa Claus (below) were quite the little buddies. He stood as tall as she did, but she was able to haul him around the house. It was really funny when she hit the button that made him chuckle. She put him on the ground and tickled him and he continued laugh and laugh. It was a pretty entertaining site.

Mila got a new sled and was anxious to try it out after her nap. While we waited for dad to get back, she got inside, buckled up, and was hoping Rocky or Rudolph would pull her around the house.

Luckily, dad and grandpa returned and it was time to go for a ride in the snow. She was pretty straight-faced through it all, but we think she was having fun.

After the ride through the snow, we went in through the garage and parked the sled. However, Mila was concerned about leaving her sled, so she took matters into her own hands and pulled it closer to the door.

Now on to Christmas Day. It was time to unwrap Mickey! We've been visiting him in the plexi-glass case at Target for months -- and now here he is... singing, dancing Mickey Mouse! She wasn't sure what to think at first, because there were so many distractions. Like the wrapping paper and twisties that secured him to the package, how fun is that stuff?! And there were also several cousins who were excitedly screaming over their gifts... so her excitement for Mickey has grown since we've been home. I'll have to get some video out here soon.



When we got back to Ankeny, we went over to celebrate with Aunt Jess and Uncle Todd.  We had a great dinner and had fun playing with Mila's new foam building blocks.

Another Christmas brings another pair of Chuck Taylor style shoes for Mila. This year, she's got some sparkly, hot pink shoes to grow into!

Hope you had a very merry Christmas! We're looking forward to another amazing year and wish you a great 2011!

One is fun!



Mila has a new fascination... fitting into small containers! She was a big helper when it came to unpacking the holiday decorations, and I think it was because she had her eye on the bigger picture. She kept emptying containers and climbing on in! She really liked this blue container, it was just her size.



What's next? Her little box of books. She tossed all of them aside so she could have a seat! Who needs toys anyway? She's got enough entertainment without them.



The next batch of photos are all from our visit to the park on Mila's birthday. We were so lucky to have such a beautiful day for pictures on November 1st! After pictures, we met Jessie and Todd for dinner at Tokyo for sushi. Ok, so the sushi wasn't for Mila, but she enjoys going there because the staff loves her and gives her loads of attention! Imagine that.



Its hard to believe this month will be over in just a few days, what a whirlwind of a month! After we got past Mila's birthday festivities, it was time for me to take my first trip away from Mila. I was gone for two nights and with the help of Aunt Jessie and dad, Mila survived it all just fine. There were a few rough moments, but it was a good experience for all of us.

We also survived our first major illness this month: hand/foot/mouth disease. The poor girl was just miserable. She was spiking major fevers for three days and had a very sore throat. We really missed her smiles and lively character through that week and we were excited for it all to pass!

And the month finished up with Thanksgiving trips to Lake View and Cresco. We just took day trips to both places and had great traveling weather. She did amazing in the car and stayed awake for much longer than expected on the morning stretches of the drive. Her aunts, cousins and grandparents wore her out and she was fast asleep for the drive back home.

As for her stats, she's still a little bugger. At her 12 month appointment, she was 17.6 lbs, so she'll be turned around in her car seat for awhile yet. She's on the 5th percentile for weight and 45th for height, which her doctor says is just fine for her. She's working on more teeth, number 7 just popped through on Saturday. Her interaction with books, toys and pets is more involved each day. She loves to fill her hands and carry around as many things as possible. She also likes to lift "heavy" things and move them around, it's pretty funny to see what catches her eye. She's still drawn to music and loves to dance and she seems to get quicker and reach further every day. I'm always amazed at how her little arms can reach so far!

Well, less than a month until Christmas. Looks like another busy month ahead!

First Birthday Weekend

<> 

Incredible. That about sums it up! Our baby girl is turning one and we had an amazing weekend with family and friends. We had such a fun weekend. It all started off on Friday night when we had our good friends over for her first party. Mila had a great time showing off her pretty dress, opening gifts, playing with all the kiddos, and smashing into her first little (cup) cake. By the time the family party rolled around on Sunday, she was a pro at tearing into her gifts... and her cake.

Thanks to all of you who spent time with us this weekend, we couldn't have asked for a better time! Below are just a few pictures of Mila's wonderful weekend.

 

She loved the Mylar balloons... who needs toys anyway?!

Ooh! Pink tissue paper, my favorite!

  

Aunt Jess and Mila admiring the pretty wrapping paper.

What's better than one balloon? Two! Thanks for playing Grandma Sally.

Grandma and Grandpa helped "Moo-la" hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters.

Five generations celebrating the youngest turning one.

Time out, I've got to listen to this card.

What?! This one sings to me?

I LOVE my barn, thank you Grandma Lori!

Cake time! Thanks for making it so pretty, daddy!

Alright! Now this is fun stuff!

Success! She destroyed the bear... it was fun while it lasted.

 

We took a trip out to Howell's Pumpkin Patch last weekend with Aunt Jessie and Todd. It was in the low 80's and just beautiful. Mila really enjoyed the chickens, goats, and all the other kiddos on the farm.




















They had a lot of photo spots with wooden cut outs. Dad decided the hat would work for him since the scarecrow already had one!

She loved the straw, but she wasn't quite sure what to do with it. She kept picking it up and even managed to get a few pieces in her mouth (imagine that!). There were piles to climb on, but she wasn't ready for those yet. Maybe next year.

 

The pretty mums really grabbed her attention. She thought the flowers were there for her to pet. And yes, she did think they were pretty enough to eat as well. She didn't pick any--but she did stick out her tongue and lower her head to the flower tor taste. This girl will eat anything!

 

There were signs that said not to sit on the pumpkins... but we didn't see anything about the gourds! Todd lifted her into the wagon full of the little beauties and let her pick a few out.

What a great photo op in our small wagon of pumpkins.



One last shot as we finished up the day. The guys went inside to pay and and we waited by the pretty display outside of the barn. All in all, it was a great day. I think next year will be even more fun. Now, let's just hope the weather is just as nice next year too!



Eleven Months Old

 

Our little girl is nearing the one year mark! Notice she's wearing the bracelet that Grandma Lori got for her. Surprisingly, she left it on for the photos. It did distract her for awhile, but I think she's beginning to  realize that she's into accessories.



She still loves to walk and dance. She was in love with this manhole in the sidewalk. I think she could have stood there and played with it for hours. She felt all of the squares and tried to brush out all of the grass clippings. Such entertainment. 

She came up, paused and smileed for the photo. I think we trained her well.

Her newest accessory is this little hat. She wore it around the mall, out to  lunch, in the car and around the house. It's her new wardrobe staple.



Happy birthday daddy!

Mila is a handyman in training. She may not be ready for a hammer yet, but she loved helping her dad put together our new stand. She beat her hands on it and while daddy hammered, so she really did help.

Daddy's little racer

For about a week now, Mila has been walking/running as her main mode of transportation. Crawling is a thing of the past! And, not only can Mila race round the house, but she can also fit into her racing suit pj's! I think it was a proud moment for Jens. We bought these about a year ago and it's been patiently waiting for her in the closet. (And yes, she still think shoes are toys!)

Apparently, she also thinks gates are toys! I like her perspective on things.

I was trying to get video of Mila, but she swiped the camera. She turned around and sat down to check it out. She's a techie, there's no denying that!

Ten Months Old

Mila has hit the double digits, she's 10 months old today! It amazes me how each month gets better than the last. This is such a fun stage. She's curious as ever, loves to giggle, jabber and dance. She gets more steady with each step and she walks a little further each day. I can't wait to see what the rest of the month brings!

Here are a few more pictures from today, enjoy.