It's Official...

... my first word is "Dadda." I have actually been saying it now for several weeks, but Mommy has been so upset that I like saying Dadda more than anything else, I didn't want to post anything on my blog. But, enough is enough. First words are a huge milestone and I don't want to hide it anymore. I can say Dadda- shout it even- and I am proud of it. Sorry Mommy, you will just have to wait for me to learn how to make more sounds! Deal with it!

Going Down

I thought that crawling up the stairs was the best thing that ever happened to me, but now I know that going down the stairs is even better. In just the last couple of days, I have learned to turn myself around so that I am facing backwards and slowly crawl DOWN the stairs. Honestly, what can't I do?

Purple Sand

Look at this super cool purple sand Grammy and Grandpa Bob got for my sandbox! It makes playing outside even better!

Back from Montana

Although we have been back from Montana for a few days, I didn't want to update my blog until I had the pictures Grammy took. Unfortunately, Grammy hasn't been able to get to a computer and I don't want to wait any longer. I will be sure to add her pictures when I get them. Our trip was a lot of fun. Like last year, I went to sleep Thursday night in my crib and woke up Friday morning on the road to Bozeman. I love how that works (not quite as much fun on the way home when Mommy and Daddy drove through the day instead of the night). We met Grammy and Grandpa Bob at the 320 Ranch. In addition to hiking, we went into Yellowstone and saw a ton of bison, a couple elk, and Old Faithful. We also got to visit with the people who knew my dad when he worked at the Ranch- they always give me extra special attention! After two nights at the Ranch, we moved to a super cute cabin closer to Bozeman. It was during this part of the trip that we walked around town, visited Grandpa Kiemel at the cemetery, and met up with Daddy's ex-in laws in Livingston. A funny thing happened in Livingston- I caught a bee with my bare hands! It was fun to play with until Mommy and Daddy panicked and made me let it go. I didn't even get stung! Anyway, I had a lot of fun spending time with Grammy and Grandpa Bob in the beautiful state of Montana!

Bye, Bye Daddy!

Whenever Daddy leaves for work before Mommy, I stand at the window and wave good-bye.

Swinging Like a Monkey

Saturday afternoon, we went over to our neighbor's (Jeff and Anita) house for a BBQ. I wasn't at all interested in eating the food- all I cared about was swinging! Jeff built a super cool swing set that has a special baby swing for visitors just like me! I could have sat in that swing for hours! I hope that we get to go back again soon!

I LOVE Sand!

Daddy finally finished my sandbox over the weekend! I love playing in it! It is so much fun! Mommy bought some sand toys for me to play with, too! I have a couple buckets, a shovel, a rake, a crab maker, and a small wagon that I can dump everything into. The very first time Mommy and Daddy let me play with my toys, they filled one of the buckets up with water. Boy, was that a mistake. The first thing I did was dump the water all over my lap! What were they thinking?! Anyway, I wish it would get sunny so that I can play outside again!

I'm a Pirate!

Standing

Okay, don't get too excited, but I am getting really good at standing up without any help. What I mean is that I can be sitting in the middle of the room, move into a squatting position, and then stand without the help of a table or other sturdy object. I know that might sound hopeful, like maybe I am going to start walking at any moment, but... I still feel a little wobbly and often fall onto my bottom. Not to mention that it is still A LOT faster for me to crawl!

One Week to Montana

We are one week away from our annual trip to Montana. This year is a little different since Grammy and Grandpa Bob are going to meet us there! We will leave late Thursday night and drive straight through to the 320 Ranch in Gallatin Gateway where we will stay the first two nights in a 2-bedroom river cabin. I think that we are going to go to Yellowstone- Grammy and Grandpa Bob have never been there and I don't remember it at all from last year. After our two nights at the Ranch, we will move into a cabin closer to Bozeman. I know Mommy wants to take me to see Grandpa Kiemel's grave site. I think that we will also walk around downtown and maybe head out to Livingston. And, we will of course check-in on Daddy's property in Manhattan. Finally, we will head back to WA on Tuesday. With so many fun things planned, I can't wait!

Bathroom Fun

It is my new favorite thing to do- crawl into the bathroom, open all of the cabinets and drawers, and pull out everything inside. It used to be that I would just take everything out and leave it in a big mess on the floor. Now, I have figured out how to put everything away after I take it out. I never get tired of doing this! Bathroom, here I come!

Eight Teeth

I now have eight teeth- four on the top and four on the bottom. I can't tell you how much easier it is to eat with teeth! Especially when Mom gives me gigantic bites of food or food that requires a little more chewing- I just push the food to the front of my mouth, give it a few bites and then gum the rest. Not to mention that I can bite other things, too like my monkey ball, duck-duck, and every once in awhile Daddy's leg (straight through jeans!). Now, I can take things with me when I crawl- I just carry them in my mouth- Trev-dog was a good teacher!

Relay for Life

Over the weekend, I helped Mommy and Daddy participate in the Relay for Life. The Relay for Life is a 20-hour event that supports the American Cancer Society. Mommy and Daddy weren't sure if I would sleep through the night in a tent on the Issaquah High School football field, but I did! I was the best baby ever! It was so much fun getting to hang out with everyone! Can you guess our team name? Even trickier, what does it stand for?