And Now She's 1

Amy had her first birthday yesterday, and it was pretty much like any other day except she got to eat a big piece of strawberry cake and a dozen or so people sang "Happy Birthday" to her. Actually she seemed a little fussier than usual, but only her mother would notice that. Well in tribute to the birthday girl, here's the list of things she has or has not accomplished by her first birthday:

1. she can crawl
2. she can use a spoon to eat with
3. she has 4 teeth
4. she can almost walk
5. she doesn't like milk, therefore she still nurses full-time
6. she's learned to say "uh-oh," "da-da," and "hhhii" (drag out the h and the i sounds)
7. she can point that cute little finger at anything or nothing
8. she's learning to walk
9. a couple of times she has signed "more," but since the last time, laughs hysterically whenever mommy signs it to her
10. when she holds a baby doll, she rocks it back and forth and lays her head on its head--soooo cute!
11. she climbs on everything she can
12. she loves going up and down stairs, and every time I climb the stairs to our apartment, she whines to get down so she can do them herself

And the thing Amy does best of all is she puts a smile on her mommy's face!

Happy Birthday to Amy!

Windy

So we've been having some windy days, and it just seemed like the perfect excuse to buy a kite. So I did, and we all enjoyed our kite flying experience. Dustin and I hadn't flown a kite in years, in fact we really couldn't remember when we did it last. But we had a great time, even Adelynne had a chance to fly the kite too, but she and Minnie mostly enjoyed just watching and being tossed by the wind. Amy got tired of the stroller and got to crawl around on the grass while I was flying the kite.

Kite Flying

Sunny Day

Almost 1!

Well, Amy is only a few days away from her first birthday, and we can't wait!  We've planned a big party with friends (more like a glorified play-group).  However, she's developed another runny nose, so we hope that she won't be sick on her big day.  

Amy's top two teeth have finally poke through, and it won't be long until her smile is full of teeth, not just the bottom two.  I'm going to miss her little smile with just those teeth!  Her taste for food is steadily changing, and now she pretty much refuses to eat food that requires help from mom and dad (like oatmeal and yogurt).  Well, actually she will eat them if she can do it herself, which Daddy has allowed without my knowledge (which is okay), but it is just funny to come into the room and Amy is covered in oatmeal, along with the floor, the chair, and everything else nearby.  

Amy has also been practicing her walking skills, and is really improving.  She loves to cruise the furniture and push along bikes and strollers outside.  Today I caught her standing all alone without hanging onto anything!  I think that she surprised herself too because she gave off a nervous little laugh when I looked at her.  

Tagged by me

No one tagged me, but I thought I'd share anyway:

10 years ago I was a freshmen in high school anxiously waiting for my first year of torture to end.

To do list:

1. get rid of the excess stuff in my apartment

2. clean my apartment

3. read my veterinary technician magazines

4. finish Northanger Abbey

5. play Candy Land with Adelynne

5 snacks I enjoy:

1. cookies--any will do

2. curves strawberry and creme granola bar

3. apple slices

4. water

5. this one is hard, I really don't snack unless someone gives me a plate of food

5 foods I love:

1. white bread

2. cereal with milk

3. pizza

4. teriyaki chicken

5. cake, cookies, doughnuts, brownies, (anything in the baked goods section)

What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire:

Pay off all our debts, pay off all our families debts, set my dad up for retirement, by my in-laws house, send my in-laws on a cruise to Alaska, pay for my sisters wedding, and give her lots of money as a wedding gift, by a house in California, put lots in savings, set up college funds for the kids, go on cruise after cruise--see the world by cruise boat (you know, eventually).  Oh yeah, buy a hydrogen powered car.

Places I have lived (that I remember):

1. St. George, UT

2. Auburn, CA

3. Provo, UT

4. San Diego, CA (for the summer)

5. West Lafayette, IN

Favorite Quote:

"Love you, Mommy."  -Adelynne Belt

Not Again!

So we were at the mall today enjoying some nice indoor fun with our friends at the children's play area.  All was going so well, but then, da da da. . . . poor Adelynne fell down and smacked her mouth on the edge of the slide. . . in the exact same place she did on Tuesday, except this time she bit her upper lip really bad and was bleeding a lot.  And then her front right tooth was also bleeding again, but more this time.  Aaaaargh!!!!  So if that tooth wasn't going to turn brown by luck, it definitely will now.  Her lip began to swell immediately, and she now has a fat lip, her gums are purple and bruised, and she has what appears to be a bruise mustache.  (She received a bruise on the left side of her upper lip on Tuesday, and today one on the right side of her upper lip).  

But you should all know that Adelynne is such a trooper, and must have a high tolerance for pain, (or at least more than her mother does-I admit it, I'm a wimp).  When she fell today she did scream in agony, and she continued for several minutes as everyone at the mall stared at us. But soon she quieted down, and the bleeding was down to a minimum, and she said, "I'm okay now."  And once we got home I was checking her teeth and gums probably every five minutes because of my paranoia, and each time she would say, "I'm all better," or "I'm okay now."  Adelynne's just the kind of girl who's not afraid to get back on the horse.  (What that means to me, is that I'm going to have to pray that much harder for her safety and recovery).

The Dentist visit

On Tuesday we had a bit of a crazy day.  Let me start with some background information:  At the playground is a large mattress that some neighborhood kids dragged there.  Well, Minnie and Adelynne enjoy jumping on the mattress after they slide down the slides.   But on Tuesday the mattress had been moved to a spot next to a ladder.  Well, Adelynne and Minnie were jumping on the mattress as usual, when they bumped into each other and Adelynne fell onto the bottom rung of the ladder hitting her mouth.  When I checked her mouth to look for the source of some bleeding, I noticed some chipped teeth and some bleeding gums.  I decided that she needed to see a dentist ASAP.  

I called the dentist and they said to come right over.  I hung up the phone and started gathering my things.  I realized that my keys were missing, and thought they must be in my purse.  So I started looking for my purse.  I could not find my purse or my keys and realized they were locked up in the car.  Dustin wasn't home and had just recently left for school.  I asked to borrow my friends car, but her car was a stick--I don't drive sticks!  So I was running out of options that were close by and I decided to ask my awesome neighbors downstairs if I could get a ride.  They of course were eager to help me out.  Then of course I didn't know exactly how to get to the dentist office so I misdirected my neighbor until I could get better directions by calling the dentist office.  But we made it. 

Adelynne was very cooperative for the dental hygenist and for the dentist.  She held perfectly still for the x-ray too.  The dentist relieved some of my anxiety when he showed me the x-ray showed no fractures in her teeth.  However the roots on three of her front right side teeth were pushed to about a 45 degree angle instead of being straight.  So what might happen is that they'll turn brown until they fall out and her adult teeth grow in.  Three of her front teeth are also slightly chipped along the edges.  We have to keep a careful eye out for any abcesses or infection around the front right tooth.  

Adelynne is being a pretty good sport about it all.  I know that she does experience some discomfort, especially at meal times, but things are getting better.  Other than a little pain, she's herself, and thankfully isn't upset about her chipped teeth.  Mommy however is trying to recover from the damage done to Adelynne's smile.  But of course I still think she's as cute as ever.  We are definitely grateful that her injuries were minor and not any worse.  

And I just want to say a big thank you to my friends Christina and Doreen for all of there help.  

Birdie, birdie in the sky....

First, let me begin with a poem:  

Birdie, birdie in the sky,

why'd you do that in my eye?

Gosh I'm glad that cows don't fly.

So I was walking home from my friend's house yesterday, when as usual I walked under a large tree to get to my door. I felt a light thump on my shoulder and thought a twig fell from the tree, but I looked over my shoulder to see bird poop on my jacket and in my hair.  Yuck!!!!!  I have never been pooped on in my life, and I hope it never happens again.  So my warning to all my friends and family: be careful under the trees and watch out for the birds!  

Oh, and I really am glad that cows don't fly!

bike riding and walking

On Monday, Adelynne was finally able to pedal a bike (actually a trike) all by herself!  She did have troubles getting started when she stopped, but she was practicing really hard.  Yesterday she was doing even better and seemed to have no trouble at all getting started after a stop.  It is great to see her hit this "milestone" in her life.  She's been paddling with her feet for so long, I wasn't sure when she would actually use the pedals.  

Amy also has achieved a great accomplishment:  She's started using a walking toy and pushing that around while walking.  She's really taking off.  We borrowed a neighborhood toy to get her going, and today she grabbed a little stroller and was pushing that around.  It won't be long before she's off on her own.  I know I'm not supposed to be too anxious for her to walk, but I really am excited for her to walk.  Then she can chase after her sister and Minnie and really annoy them!  (Of course it will probably be more like I chase Amy around and she really annoys me).  

Today is an absolutely beautiful day!  We had playgroup outside with our friends, and I (Tracy) played hopscotch with Doreen, Christina, and Sarah.  Doreen and I were teaching Christina and Sarah how to play.  Well, we were trying--I think we were just making things up.  The kids drew on the sidewalks with chalk and kept us busy chasing after them as they wandered off to the playground.   I hope this weather lasts!

Amy

Now at 11 months Amy is quite a character.  (Well, she's been one all along).  I am always amazed at how she attempts to do everything her big sister does, whether its dressing up with necklaces, or standing at the window to look outside.  She loves to participate in everything going on, including picking up toys and putting them away.  Amy has also learned how much fun it is to climb.  She loves to get on the little chairs that are children sized, and from there onto the table.  She then proceeds to dance with joy at her accomplishment.  Like her sister, Amy also enjoys a good game.  Her favorite game is "pull out all of the diapers from the basket."  She will grab one diaper and turn to look at mommy with that adorable little grin on her face.  When I smile back at her she throws it on the floor and then grabs another one.  

Amy is great at crawling and cruising along furniture.  We're not sure when she'll start walking. Although yesterday she happened to stand all on her own for a few seconds!  She was climbing on mommy and holding onto her Easter bucket.  She let go of me but was still holding her bucket so I don't think that she realized she wasn't holding onto anything stable.  

Amy really does have the sweetest temperament.  She loves to smile and flirt with anyone willing to look her way.  Though she doesn't like to be far from her mommy. She's definitely more of a "mommy's girl" than Adelynne ever was.  It takes her some time to adjust when mommy's not around.  But Amy loves it when people talk to her, which is much different from her big sister.  Adelynne becomes very bashful when people talk to her, and usually won't say anything back.  But Amy is the opposite.  It is quite interesting to see the different personalities in our girls.  

So one more month and our baby will be one year old!  Its so hard to believe.  This year has really gone by fast (at times).  Unfortunately, Adelynne and Amy don't always get along, and it will probably be quite some time before they will, but we have experienced some sweet sisterly moments in the past year, and we look forward to many more.  

Adelynne

Adelynne's newest enjoyments are games and puzzles.  She has mastered a 24 piece cinderella puzzle, and four 16 piece dinosaur puzzles.  So we thought she should get a few more for Easter. She is learning to master them now.  Can you take a guess at what her favorite game is?  What child doesn't love the classic game of Candy Land.  She loves the game, and always requests to be the yellow gingerbread cookie.  She doesn't really care about making it to the candy castle as much as she cares about getting all of the special cards like the gum drop (which she so cutely calls "gum drum").  Her favorite of course is the ice cream cone with Princess Frostine.  If the game ends to quickly by chance she gets quite upset and cries to play more.  And regardless of who wins when, the game does not end until the cards run out.  (Which actually works out for the best most of the time).  After Candy Land an immediate request is made for another classic "Memory."  

Now when we started Adelynne out on Memory, we picked out ten matches.  She has been playing Memory with those ten matches for over a month now.  Well on Saturday I decided to play Memory with the other 28 matches, and then combine all 38 together.  Adelynne seemed to adjust rather well.  Okay, so yesterday when Adelynne asked to play Memory she didn't want to play with the old 10 matches that she used to play with.  So we had to go through the pile and sort them out.  I showed all the matches to Adelynne one at a time, and she would say "no" or "yes" to each match.  When we got through the stack she had picked out all the original 10 matches that she originally learned to play Memory with.  I have to admit I was quite amazed. She really does have a good "memory."  

Adelynne also enjoys playing Hi Ho Cherry-O!  And her favorite spot on the spinner is the one with the tipped over bucket.  She loves spilling that bucket.  It is so fun now to play all of these games with Adelynne and to see her skills get better and better.  She's growing up so fast!

Easter Sunday March 23, 2008

Adelynne and Amy woke up to new books and puzzles which were immediately enjoyed by all.  And then the girls put on their beautiful Easter dresses, (made by Grandma Biggs), and mommy started snapping pictures.  

After church, the Easter bunny hid some eggs for the girls to find.  Although it was sunny outside it was still cold, so the girls were warmly dressed.  Adelynne had a great time hunting for eggs and was just chatting up a storm.  It was so cute!  Even Amy crawled around grabbing a few eggs in plane site.  

Once we got inside it began snowing.  Yes snowing--on Easter Sunday no less!  Indiana has crazy weather!  But we were glad the girls got to enjoy an egg hunt outside.  We had a great day together and it was wonderful to be able to share the Easter story with both the girls, and to remember what a wonderful gift our Savior Jesus Christ has given us, and to reflect on the miracle of Jesus rising from the grave.  We are grateful for our knowledge and testimony of our Savior and we hope that all our friends and family know that we believe our Savior does live and He loves us all!