Getting so big!

Hi everyone, sorry it's been so long. I have been busy planning a baby shower for my friend, Val, so I haven't had much time to sit down and write an extensive entry about Flora.
So here it is...
At her 1 year check-up, Flora weighed 20 pounds 8 ounces(44th percentile) and was 31 inches(95th percentile). The doc also said she looked great and we won't have to go for another check-up until 18 months.
Flora is discovering so much. She figured out that she can open the drawers in the TV amoire and the bottom kitchen drawer all by herself and explore their contents.

She is also broadening her vocabulary. She has been saying "baby" "da-di"(Guthrie or Daddy, if you ask Tom) and "na-night". She says the latter when she crawls up the stairs to go to bed and when she lays down in bed.
Flora has also been developing her dressing skills. She tries so hard to put on her socks, shoes, pants, shirts, and hats. She will get angry and cry if she has her mind set to do it and we do it for her. She will even go as far as taking her shoe off!

We have been getting out side when it's nice(also another reason I haven't posted in awhile) and going for walks when ever we can. Yesterday shoe got to play on her slide and seems to like it.

Flora has started to stand on her own and has also taken a couple steps! She still prefers crawling as it is faster for her, for now. We are pretty excited about her walking, but know that means a lot more climbing and chasing!

We have been going to a pop-in play group at The Mom and Pop Place on Monday afternoons. It's pretty nice to let her loose to play and I can have a cup of coffee, without worrying about her disturbing anyone or anything. She also gets a chance to make some new friends(and Mama does, too).

I will be putting more videos on my You Tube channel today.  If you click on the thumbnails on the right under "Flora-vision" you can watch them.

I have also put a new album on the right called "Spring 2008".  I have to start using my Picassa albums, because Tom's ran out of free space.

Happy Birthday Flora!

Here's the video of us singing "Happy Birthday" to Flora:

Happy Birthday Flora!

Today is Flora's first birthday!!!  Yesterday we had a party with lots of family, friends, food, and gifts!   Flora was taking a nap when all the guests arrived and was a little overwhelmed and not quite ready for all those adoring greetings.   But she quickly warmed up to them.  

After eating a delicious potluck meal, we sang Flora "Happy Birthday".  Our friend, Heather, and her boyfriend, Martin, were even able to join us via Skype to sing along(thanks you two!)  

Flora enjoyed her cake, but liked the frosting the most.  She wasn't too messy...

Then it was time to open presents!  She had a couple of cousins/friends to help her open/play with her gifts.  Flora received a lot of wonderful toys and clothes.  

Here she is with her biggest gift.  The rocking horse Grandpa Joe made for her(I like her expression in this pic. It's her "ohhh!" face).

Thank you to all those who came.  The presents and food were well appreciated!  We all had a wonderful time and hope you did, too!!

To see all of the pictures from Flora's birthday, click on the album on the right, titled "Flora's 1st Birthday Party".

Oh, I almost forgot, have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Flora's First Birthday

Hi everyone!  Thanks for all your prompt replies to Flora's birthday party.  We are excited about the big day.  It should be lots of fun!!

In case some of you are wondering what Flora might want/need for her birthday or what size she is or will be, here you go:

Flora is wearing size 12 months right now(that fits perfectly most of the time) and some 18 months stuff(although it is big in the waist and sometimes has to be rolled up once).  I expect that she will be able to wear 18 months through the summer since she is tall and slim.  Size 24 months would probably fall off her this summer(I would hate for her to not get use of cute summer outfits because they were just too big), so we will try that size this winter. 

She wears a size 3 in shoes and maybe will wear a 4 in summer.

Here is a little wish list:

Clothes:

2-piece PJ sets( the kind with shorts and a short-sleeved top)

-OR-

Short-sleeved night gowns(size 18 months for both)

A plain jean skirt or skort (with out other colors so it can go with anything)

Toys:

Shape sorters

Puzzles with knobs on the pieces

Stacking toys(not cups, we have those:)

Age appropriate toys

For more specific ideas, here is a link to Flora's wish list on Amazon.com.

Flora is wearing a hat I made her earlier this week(sorry it's not that great of a pic).  Like the buttons?  They make a flower!

It's Voting Day!

Today is Voting Day in Wisconsin.  So, I hope you all went out and voted to make your voice heard.  Flora went with me to vote this morning.  All the volunteers were checking her out.  We even met one of Tom's first cousins.  I didn't catch her name, but she is Marcy Enz's daughter.  In Flora news...

Flora received her first potty yesterday.  She has sat on it a couple times without success.  We will start to potty training/EC-ing her now and hopefully she will be potty trained by 18 months(that's how old I was along with most babies before the 1950's).  I think the fact that we're using cloth inserts in her gDiapers will encourage her to not want to feel that wetness.

Flora also wore pig-tails for the first time yesterday!  Tom thinks she will be wearing them from now on because I like them so much!  Not so, today she is wearing a barette.

I noticed this morning that Flora's right lower lateral incisor(sorry no photo yet, it's too little) has just popped through her gums(tooth #5!).  We didn't even know she was teething!  

That's all for now!