23 Months Old

One more month... one more month until we hit the terrible twos!  I look back at pictures from a year ago and can't believe how much Izzy has changed.  Last year she was just starting to walk and she wasn't really talking.  Now she's a walking, talking machine.  

She's holding at 30 lbs; she feels like quite the load when I pick her up.  She's right around 36 inches tall; once again on upper end of the range for her age.  She's in size five diapers still; have I mentioned I'll be glad when those are a thing of the past?  She's holding pretty firm at 2T clothes.  Some pants she still wears 24 months in.  I have a feeling we might run into issues with pants for her this fall.  Some of the 2T shorts she has are too big in the waist, and end up being around her butt by the end of the day.  I'm guessing 24 month pants are going to be too short for her this fall, so we might have some pant falling down issues.  We've already encountered issues with dresses being too short... even though it's her diaper sticking out the bottom of dresses, we don't need to start that trend now.  

Izzy's amassing quite the shoe collection.  She ranges between sizes five and six for shoes.  Size six shoes are a little too big still, but she has some awesome size 6 boots to wear this fall!  This weekend, we are getting her two year pictures taken, and I'm totally excited!  Although, I really hope she cooperates a little better than she did with her first year pictures.  In her defense, we took those photos the day after getting back from vacation last year and she had been stuck in the car a lot, had too much fruit (hello upset tummy), and was working on a couple of teeth.  This year, we are only working on a couple of molars that have so far been a non issue.  Fingers crossed the happy Izzy shows up for photos! 

This girl loves music and loves to dance.  She isn't afraid to get her grove on and shake her booty.  She cracks me up; she can't sit still when a good beat comes on.  I often see her wiggling in her car seat while we are driving.  She also always has a book in her hands.  She loves to have me read to her, but she's starting to get particular about reading her own stories too.  Most nights when I pick her up from daycare, she sitting in the corner reading.  Speaking of daycare, she is doing quite well.  Now that summer is over, they are getting back to a curriculum.  Although she isn't in preschool yet, they are working with her the basics like numbers, letters and colors.  The other night she blew me away when she counted to three unprompted.  She still gets her colors confused, but she's cute when she shows me a red leaf and tells me it's purple.  They have also been working on potty training at daycare.  I'm not pushing the matter at home just yet.  As she becomes more aware of the concept, however, she has started announcing whenever anyone goes to the bathroom, so that's fun!  If you come over, prepare to have it announced when you go to the bathroom... you've been warned.   

I finally got Izzy's first dental appointment on the books.  Better late than never.  It's still a battle to brush her teeth, so I'm hoping the dentists office isn't totally traumatizing.  Luckily, the appointment isn't until October, so we have a little while to prepare.  Now that we are rounding the corner into September, I'm looking forward to all the fun fall things with Izzy in the coming months.  Hopefully we will enjoy another trip to the pumpkin patch in October, and some trick r treating at Living History Farms.  I hope we make it out to do some apple picking this fall too.  

Things at the house got a little crazy two weeks ago when my law school classes started.  I'm busy, but it's a good kind of busy.  I love being back in the classroom.  I love the mental exercise; I love the challenge.  The days are long with all the readings and trying to get time in with Izzy while putting in as much time at work as possible, but I wouldn't trade it.  I'm beyond grateful for the opportunity I have to chase a long time dream.  I know Izzy wont remember the long nights and the stacks of books covering the house.  Hopefully what she does remember is  mommy loves her and made time for her and to always chase your dreams even when the path isn't clear.  

22 Month Update

Again, I'm a week or so late on this update... it's getting harder and harder to get these things done on time, and life is weeks away from getting even crazier.  Izzy is constantly on the go these days.  I am grateful that she can entertain herself for a bit; it allows me to get some things done while she is awake.  Although, she is never too far from my side. 

She's grown a fair bit this month.  She shot up to 35" and is weighing in at just over 30 lbs. this month.  She is wearing size 5 diapers.  For clothes, she is mostly in 2T.  She has a few 3T things that she wears. Mostly tops for the length and dresses.  The 24 month items she wears are mostly shorts.  For shoes, she's in size 5's and some 6's.  I'm finding there is quite a bit of variation in sizing for the different brands of shoes.  I think for the fall, she will probably be wearing 2T and 3T tops and 2T pants. 

 That face!!!

Have I mentioned Izzy's love of all things water?  She loves splashing around.  I bought a bigger pool for her for the last part of the summer.  She loves it!  Every morning she looks out the patio door and says "bye bye splash splash". 

Izzy's other favorite thing is bubbles.  I can't hind them from her; she finds them no matter where they are at!  She hasn't quite figured out how to blow bubbles.  She gets it every once in a while, but mostly we just drench the deck in bubbles. 

This month we also tried out a bath bomb that we got on Amazon Prime day!  She wasn't sure what to think at first, but loved it after it started to color the water.  It smelled amazing too!

We experienced a bit of my childhood with the Summerfest parade.  We actually made it to two parades this year.  She was better prepared the second time around for capturing candy.  Mostly, I think people loved her adorable face and just threw some candy her way.  I told her she might have to work for it at some point!

We tried our first corn on the cob this month!  The first bite she ate only the end, but she got the hang of it quickly.  She made pretty good work for it for her first time around!

 Izzy's first selfie!  

Izzy's room at daycare is working on potty training.  She's gotten pretty good about telling us when she has gone number two and immediately wants out of her diaper.  Seems like potty training might be in our future... HELP ME!!! 

Her vocabulary has really expanded this last month.  She started stringing words together and chats up a storm now.  I've started monitoring my words more because she has started to repeat the things I'm saying.  It's hard to believe we are rounding the final corner on two years old!  

This next month is going to get crazy!  Law school orientation starts on the 14th and classes start on the 20th.  I'm terrified, but excited!  It's been 8 years since I was in school, I hope I remember how to study... 

21 Months Old

This last month was filled with lots of activities.  Izzy took her first vacation at the end of May/beginning of June. Her first plane ride, first trip to the ocean, and her first interaction with Disney! 

We finally managed to get Izzy in for her 18 month checkup this month.  She weighed in around 29 lbs and 12 oz and measured about 35 inches.  She remains in the upper 90th percentile for her height and weight.  She is in size 5 diapers now, and is wearing 24 month and 2T clothing.  She still has a couple of 18 month clothing items she can squeeze into.  She is wearing size 5 and 6 shoes.  

Right after Memorial Day, we flew out to California to visit some friends who moved out there a few years ago.  Before the trip, I was super anxious about flying with a toddler.  Izzy did pretty well on her first plane ride.  The boredom was real with her though.  Luckily, she slept through one of the flights.  Thank goodness for water markers and fruit snacks.  We did end up purchasing a Britax stroller cart off Amazon for $70, and let me tell you it was worth EVERY penny.  We strapped her car seat to the cart, strapped her into her car seat, and easily wheeled her through the airport.  She loved it!  My tips for flying: have lots of snacks for the plane ride, distractions, take a patience pill before going through security and pack the diaper bag accordingly.  

 Here we go! She loved takeoff and landing! 

 Waking up from her nap as we land in California.  

Landing in Phoenix 

 Izzy's first look at the ocean! 

Sometimes she amazes me with the things she eats; she was mowing down oysters.  

Dinner with Goofy and friends.  She wasn't a fan of the characters coming up to her.  

I wanted a photo of her with the sign... this is what I got.  

Our trip to the ocean!  She loved the splash splash! 

Waving bye to California! 

A few weekends ago, we made our first trip to the zoo.  Of course we found all of the spots with water!  We finally had to pull her away so other kids could have a turn at the window. She loved seeing all of the animals, and I know will be going back again!  

That rounds out the highlights of month 21 for us.  Izzy is a happy, healthy toddler.  What more could we ask for?  She drives me crazy some days, but what mama isn't driven to the edge of insanity by her kids from time to time?  We are big into experimenting with emotions and getting our way right now.  Meltdowns happen over some of the craziest things... the wrong color fruit snack, the wrong cup, I took the banana out of the peel... you get the picture here.  Some days, I can only laugh and try to remind myself it is just a phase!  This child is fearless in her pursuits.  When she falls, she bounces right back up without missing a step.  She always reminds me to live each day to the fullest and love the little things in life.  

20 Month Update

Alright, so once again I'm late on this post... life has been a little crazy the last few weeks with a vacation thrown into the mix.  Just before my 31st birthday, Izzy passed the 20 month mark.  Is it possible we have already entered into the terrible 2's?  Meltdowns have ensued over pretty much nothing.  Offering the wrong snack is apparently the end of the world now.

Izzy hasn't grown at all this month in terms of her height, and has actually lost a pound.  I think it's from all the running around outside she does.  At daycare they tell me she is quite the busy bee.  They always ask if she ever sits still at home.  The answer to that is NO! 

She is still measuring in just shy of 34 inches and about 28.5 lbs.  She is wearing 24 month and 2T clothes.  She is in size 5 diapers at this point.  Her feet are between size 5 and 6 for shoes.  It depends on the brand and style of shoe.

This girl is into everything outside these days... she loved helping me plant flowers this year.  This included throwing dirt around, and helping us weed the flower bed. 

An unintended dip in the river.  She will find water wherever she can!  "Splash splash" she always says.  I guess the lesson here is always have a swimsuit on hand or a change of clothes. 

 Being her cute self.  She isn't always throwing a fit about something.  Sometimes she's cute and smiley!

 Girl getting her shopping on.  Teaching her from a young age! 

Those eyes get me all the time.  She has her daddy to thank for those (and her mama's DNA for not ruining her chances for blue eyes).

Her vocabulary is really taking off these days.  Many words, including "no" she is very clear on.  More is another word she knows quite well.  Please is a sometimes thing.  Mommy and daddy are quite clear these days.  There's nothing better than having her come running toward me at the end of the day when I pick her up from daycare as she yells out "mommy", it always puts a smile on my face!

This month has been filled with excitement so far.  Izzy took her first plane ride!  More on that in the 21 month update.  We actually go to the doctor for her 18 month checkup (yes, I realize it's a little overdue).  I hope to take in all the fun summer activities with Izzy this summer.  On our summer bucket list: take in a baseball game, play at a splash pad, go to the pool, visit the farmers market, go to the zoo, and eat lots of ice cream!!  She does have her mamas sweet tooth!

19 Month Update

Only a few weeks late on this one... April mostly seems like a blur and life around here is still odd without Buddy around.  Izzy still asks about Buddy, which hurts.  We try to explain to her that he went to sleep and is happy now; something a 19 month old doesn't really understand.  We know with time the pain will get better.  Maya is adjusting to the new normal remarkably well.  She and Izzy have become quite inseparable.  Maya has taken to guarding Izzy while she's in the bathtub and being her companion in the yard.  She also claims her spot on the carpet in front of Izzy's crib each night while I put her to bed.

Izzy shot up this month and is measuring in at 34 inches tall and weighs just over 29 lbs.  We are finishing out the last of her size 4 diapers and moving on to size 5.  She's still in size 5 shoes, and has been for a while now.  I'm fine with that because she still has a pair of sandals from late last summer that she can wear!  I have put most of her 18 month clothes away.  She still has a couple of 18 month dresses that fit.  For the most part, I'm buying 2T clothes for her now for the length.  Pants are a little long, but she will be in shorts most of the summer, so I'm not too worried about it.  Hopefully by the fall that length on the pants will be just right.

If there's one thing this kid loves, it's being outside.  You cannot tell her no.  The minute her feet hit the floor in the kitchen after coming home from daycare, she makes a mad dash to the patio door.  She and Maya would run and play for hours.  It's really about the cutest thing ever!  I'm glad they have each other although I do miss having the ever vigilant Buddy around to watch over all of us.  This last month, Izzy had her first skinned elbows at daycare.  The kid plays hard, and is afraid of nothing.  She gets her daredevil trait from Andrew.  She can be a total pistol when she wants to be, but we love her.  They love her at daycare too.  She provides them much entertainment with her array of facial expressions.

The big step this month for Izzy is moving to the toddler room at daycare.  It's a good move for her and she will be in the room with kids similar to age and slightly older than her.  I think this is where she learns and grows the most.  Right now, she is running the show in her room as some of the kids aren't even walking yet.  We do continue to love her daycare as does she, so that makes leaving her there easier.  Although, I look forward to pick up times and her excitement when she sees me walk in.  I miss that on days dad or grandma pick her up.

Just this morning I had a photo pop up from a year ago, and I'm amazed at how much she has grown and changed over the last year.  In addition to changing rooms at daycare this month, Izzy gets to take her first plane trip (help us all).  If anyone has tips on traveling with a toddler who has to be on the go all the time, please feel free to share them.  This kid does NOT sit still.  We are planning to bring her car seat to sit in.  She's good with car rides, so hopefully she will be alright on the trip.  We are headed out to California to see some friends who moved out there a few years ago.  I'm excited since it's a state I haven't been to.  Izzy is already becoming quite the traveler, but that's how we want it.  We want to expose her to new things and people and ideas as much as possible.

Izzy is chattering much more these days.  "Bus" is currently her favorite word.  There's a school bus that goes by her daycare room each morning, and she loves looking out and waving as it goes by.  She says mommy and daddy clearly now.  She knows Maya, night-night, bye, apple, pickle is gherkle, cheese, cracker, and several other words.  She can identify most of her major body parts, and knows a couple of her colors.  Her little mind amazes us!  She loves to read and would let us read every book on her shelf before bed each night if we let her.  She continues to be an amazing sleeper, and for that we are grateful.

As if life wasn't chaotic enough, I'm striking out on a new adventure in the fall.  Earlier this year I took the LSAT with the hopes of going to law school.  In April, I was accepted into Drake and will be starting in the fall.  It's been eight years since I was in school, and I'm scared out of my mind, but I'm excited for this opportunity.  All the details are still being worked out.  It will flip life upside down for a while, but in the end the sacrifice will be worth it.

Forever In Our Hearts

A week and a half ago, on a rainy Sunday afternoon, we said goodbye to our first baby, Buddy.  It's taken me this long to get to a point where I feel I can even write this post.  It's amazing how much a twenty pound creature can become such an integral part of your family.

We adopted Buddy from the ARL in February 2012, five months after we were married.  He was eight when we adopted him, and I knew that meant our time with him would be limited.  He was a breeder reduction, and I knew we could show him a love he hadn't known.  We had no business even going to the ARL to look at dogs.  We were living in an apartment at the time and they didn't allow dogs on our floor.  But, I twisted Andrew's arm and off we went.  Little did I know, my heart would be stolen.  Buddy drew me in immediately as I watched him drag his bed over to the door of the kennel so he could see better.  He was a people watcher, and I knew I had to have him.  Yes, the way in which he joined our family was a little outside the rules, but he became ours.  I remember sitting with him in the living room the day after getting him thinking, "what the heck have we done".  I had a dog growing up, but that was when I was really little. I didn't know the first thing about taking care of a dog.  The first night we had him, he slipped his collar in the apartment parking lot.  I thought for sure we was gone that night.  Luckily, we caught up with him and got him safely back inside.  After only a few weeks in the apartment, we realized we had to get out of there before we got kicked out of there, so we purchased our first home and gave Buddy a home to call his own and a yard to run around in. 

Eight months after we got Buddy, we added Maya to the family.  Buddy had a friend, and we could tell he loved it.  They bonded almost instantly and were really quite inseparable. 

Buddy was my shadow and would follow me anywhere.  The love he showed us was pure and endless; all he ever wanted was to be near his people.  We loved him more than I thought was possible, and the hole he has left in our hearts will forever be there.  When Buddy started having problems with his neck and back a few years ago, I thought our time was coming to and end.  He hung on and fought to get better.  Through medications and acupuncture he pulled through.  However, each battle he had with the pain, I could tell was slowing him down more and more.  Each time he had an episode, I wondered if that would be the end of our journey on this earth together.  In the end, it was his heart that took him from us.  Buddy had a heart murmur for several years.  About a year and a half ago, we started him on meds to help his heart function a little better.  He instantly had new life and was playful again.  We knew it was only buying us time.  How much time was anyone's guess.

  

Slowly, Buddy's heart murmur got worse.  At Easter this year, he was wheezing and coughing a lot.  I knew something wasn't right.  The Friday before Easter, he followed me up the stairs and collapsed.  I panicked.  I thought we lost him.  He jumped back up moments later as if nothing had happened.  In my gut, I knew the end was near.  We took him to the vet the next morning.  Confirming my fears, his lungs were filled with fluids.  We started him on medications to eliminate the fluid.  However, he had no appetite.  Which, for anyone who knew Buddy knew wasn't like him.  He loved food.  I tried everything; hamburger, rice, ham, eggs, hot dogs, wet food, and none of it worked.  He didn't want to eat.  He was throwing up from the stomach acid building up.  I was desperate and called the vet begging for a solution.  We could try medications to stimulate his appetite, but this again wasn't a fix, it was just buying time.  I told myself if the medications didn't work, I knew it was time to let him go.  Ultimately, Buddy stopped eating.  He wouldn't take his medications any more, and at that point I knew he was ready.  He was tired.  He spent his last years with us as part of a family; something he hadn't known before us.  I still wait to hear his footsteps coming down the stairs.  I miss his monkey noises as he ran across the yard.  I miss his snuggles.  I miss his food dance.  I miss his big brown eyes.  I miss his tail straight as a stick as he sniffs across the yard.  As much as I wanted to keep him with us, I knew the right thing for Buddy was to let him run free.  I know the hurt will heal in time, but for now I feel a piece of our family is gone.   Gone, but never forgotten.