Summer Update

While at the park today with a friend, I realized Penny is 21 months old already and only 3 months shy of 2 years old.  It is funny, logically I know she is getting older every day but she still seems like a "baby" to me until I realized today she is nearly a 2 year old!

I will post some pictures at the end of this entry but wanted to update with what we have been up to this summer and more specifically Penelope.  Penelope recently started watching tv and only really like Sesame Street, and mostly only "Elmo's world".  She calls it "She Sheet" but we all know what she means!  ;)

This summer we had many weddings for family and friends and the rush of weddings continues into the Fall with the marriage of our friends Alex and Matt in September and Ryan's cousins in October.   This summer we spent a lot of time with Grandma and Grandpa Connors.  Penelope stopped daycare in order to spend more time with them on days that I worked.  We also had a couple of visits from Grandma and Grandpa Lymangrover.   G&G Lymangrover stayed with us for a weekend in April while Ryan had a Bachelor party in Vegas and again earlier this month (Grandma) stayed with us for a couple days to watch Penelope while I worked.  We haven't gone out of WA on vacation but are planning to go to Ocean Shores the first week of September.  Penelope and I went to Friday Harbor in San Juans and stayed with our friends Amanda (Molly & Madelyn) a couple of times and Ryan, Penny & I also went on a day trip to Vashon Island.  While on Vashon we played on the beach, went out to lunch, visited a distillery and took a drive to see Ryan's grandparent's house.  They died many years ago and it is now owned by his uncle, who was not in town at the time.   It was a fun day!

During the week, Penelope and I have been spending our days checking out the local parks in our new neighborhood, visiting public markets and play dates with friends.  The Summer has flown by but I really am excited for Fall! It is my favorite season...all the smells and pretty colors changing on the leaves.  Below are some pictures of what we have been up to.
Penelope's 18 month doctor appointment was after my last post so here are her stats:
Weight: 28lbs. 95%
Height: 95%
Head circ: 50%

Her next doctor appointment will be in November or December and we may be changing to a physician closer to our new house, so I will post updates then!

Penelope's 1st ice cream cone!

The "Beer cake" I made for Ryan's Surprise 30 & 1/2 birthday party in June

Cousin Annie & I at her wedding

A solemn moment at the park

We had a great time at Remlinger Farms for my birthday

Penelope LOVES watermelon

Penny & Molly having fun in the sun at Roche pool

Madelyn's beautiful baby blues!

We had so much fun visiting with cousins Kisty & Michaela during their visit from Austin

Baby Camden 

Penelope and Grandpa Lymangrover at the Schmidt family reunion 

Cousin Kyler - the oldest girl cousin & youngest girl cousin :)

Picking berries!

We had SO much fun at cousins' Dani & Bob's wedding

On Vashon, sitting on the bench Jane donated in remembrance of her parents

This park is directly next to Ryan's Grandparent's old house, you can see it in the background.  I just love this stream of light looking down on Penelope.  I think it is her Grandma "Mama Mary" and Grandpa "Dom" looking down on her

This girl LOVES "She Sheet"

Penelope Jane is 18 months!

I cannot believe my baby girl is already 18 months old, she is now technically considered a toddler.  Wow!  I hate the sound like a cliche but what they say is true that time really flies the older you get. I am worried I will blink and she will be graduating from high school and off on her own adventures too soon.

Her 18 month well child doctor appointment is next Thursday so I don't have her weight or stats. to up date with yet.  I'll try to remember to post them afterwards but she is growing like a weed!   Sometimes I swear she has grown taller from the time I lay her down for an afternoon nap to the time she wakes up!  And her hair is really starting to grow and thicken up as well, I am excited for that!

We have a lot of fun plans for the summer including a few weddings of family and friends.  The first is this weekend; our friends Mike & Caroline.   Ryan will be a groomsmen in the wedding so we will all be going to the rehearsal dinner on Friday night and just Ryan and I to the wedding Saturday.

Ryan's Parents should be arriving from AZ later today or tomorrow for the summer and are looking forward to spending more time with little Penelope.

Penelope is learning to say and do new things everyday, she still amazes me on a weekly (at least) basis of the things she has taught herself to do or has picked up from Ryan or I.  She now clearly says: Yes, No, Daddy, Mommy, Doggy, Uppie, Wawa (water), Catty (cat), Uh-Oh, ease (please), icky (sticky or icky), "air me" (not sure yet if this means tickle/chase me or scare me?)  and she continues to regularly sign eat and thank you.  She is also loving to eat on a plate or bowl with silverware and will make sure to ask for it because she does not like sticky things on her hands.  She also has started trying to do the hand gestures with the song "the Itsy bitsy spider"and try to sing it is really cute!  She continues to like "head, shoulders, knees and toes" and knows all body parts except shoulders so far.  She also knows hair, chin, belly button and loves tongue (by sticking out her tongue and wiggling it back & forth).  She also continues to be obsessed with shoes, bags and make up.  She often wants to put shoes on right when she wakes up and goes downstairs, even when she has sock pjs.  She also knows how to pick out matching shoes and will often go pick out shoes for me after I get her shoes on in the morning and then walk to the front door and bang on it saying "side" (outside).

She loves to wave hello & good bye and blow kisses.  She is still hesitant to give anyone but me kisses (but that is okay with me!).  She recently starting grabbing my face and kissing me on the lips right before I lay her to bed.  The first time she did it I was trying so hard not to laugh because she had such a serious look on her face.  It is adorable!

Ryan recently bought her a training potty and we were so excited we set it up in her bathroom that night!   We made a big deal about her sitting on it that first night so now she loves to sit on her potty and does so throughout the day - still with her diaper and clothes on though.  I'm not sure we are totally ready to start potty training because she doesn't quite have the language.  I am just glad she likes her potty chair and enjoys sitting on it already, I think potty training will be that much easier because she is used to the chair.  She often will demand that I sit on the toilet across from her when she brushes her teeth at night, she is funny!

Her favorite books are still The Numbers book, Cuddly Animals, Brown Bear/Brown Bear and Peekabook I love you.

She is a very active girl and is constantly climbing on things.  She is now tall enough to climb onto the couch and chairs on her own.  She also enjoys sitting at the computer and playing with the keyboard and mouse.  She also enjoys watching children's music videos like Charlie Hope and Casper Baby Pants.  I posted her favorite at the bottom of my blog.  Here are some pictures of what she has been up to the last couple of months

Memorial Day on the Snoqalmie Historical Train Ride

 Waiting for food at the Playdate Cafe 

 She loves to look at herself in this mirror

 She tries to pile as many toys as she can find into this little ring with her

 Mt. Vernon Tulip Festival

 Woodland Park Zoo

 After helping to put laundry in the hamper she believes she gets a ride upstairs!

 She loves hangin' with her cousins in Sumner

 Penny loves giving hugs and snuggling.  This is little baby Kevin our friends Scott & Hazel's son

 Best Girlfriends!

 Mmm chocolate milk shake from Dicks

She loves driving (we are parked in the dicks parking lot)

...still working on the sharing thing ;)