Life goes on

I realized I handn't updated our blog in awhile so figured may I should do so.  I guess I haven't updated it because there isn't much going on.  We've settle back into our post-holiday schedule and life.  Monty had a birthday and turned a big 3-1.  We just had a little family party and then had some friends over for ice cream cake.

Don't mind the runny writing

That's the only real exciting thing going on lately.  Mia is still growing like a weed and growing more and more into her sassy pants personality.  She definitely knows what she wants and is willing to do about anything to get it.  She's loves making messes, climbing on things, eating, shoes, books, and just going a million miles an hour.

For Christmas Nana made her a pillowcase.  Aunt Trina and I were clowning around the other day and decided to put her in it.  She had a blast running around.

Mia does great feeding herself with finger food but we're still working on using utensils.

One of her favorite messes to make is the pots and pans.  She pulls them all out and then tries to stand on them.

She's definitely enjoys having a chair that's just her size.

Like I said, just boring regular life at our house right now but it's kind of the theory no news is good news.

The story of Violet

This is Violet. 

Mia got Violet for her first Christmas.  Violet knows Mia's name, favorite food, favorite color, favorite animal, and much more.  Violet has traveled to Salt Lake, Idaho, Colorado, even Hawaii with Mia.  Everywhere Mia goes so does Violet.  For about 10 months Violet sang Mia to sleep every night and it wasn't uncommon if Mia woke up in the middle of the night for her to play with violet and they'd have their own little conversations in her bed (It's true I've heard it in the middle of the night).  Around October Violet's batteries died.  It took me a couple weeks to replace them but sadly the batteries lasted less than 2 weeks.  A week or so later I replaced them again and the same thing happened.  I came to the conclusion it was Violet and not the batteries (they were from 2 different packages and 2 different brands).  I had determined Mia's friend would now just have to be a silent stuffed animal.  However Violet still went everywhere Mia did.

When we went to Idaho for Christmas of course Violet came along.  On the morning of the 26th we woke to a sad sight.  Mia had thrown up in the middle of the night and as you can see Violet was one of the targets.

It wasn't that much and it was already dry because Mia sadly slept in her own vomit (I promise I'm not a bad mom she just didn't let us know there was a problem).  That morning Mia clearly didn't feel good and was carrying Violet around with her.  As gross as I thought it was I didn't have the heart to take her dog away to clean it.  I figured I'd clean it up at nap time.  Like I said it was all dry.  Mia climbed up on Monty's lap with Violet and started grabbing at her paws.  Clearly she was trying to get her friend to talk to her.  It was kind of sad to watch but I was also impressed that she remembered the days when Violet talked since it'd been a couple months.  She started to grow frustrated and then grabbed Monty's hand, put it on Violet's paw, squeezed again and then looked at Monty with the look of "Daddy help me."  That was all it took.  Monty looked at me and immediately said, "We need a new Violet."  After she was spoiled for Christmas we head out the day after Christmas to get her a new dog.  Sadly, we couldn't find one in Pocatello.  We checked 3 different stores and they were all sold out.  However, the first thing we did when we got home the next day was go to Walmart and get a new Violet. 

 In the past year Violet apparently got a little bit of a makeover.  It took a few days for Mia to take a liking to the new Violet but eventually all the singing and fun times took over and she realized she had her old friend back.

The old Violet quietly slipped away never to be seen again and Mia once again has a friend to sing her to sleep and talk to in the middle of the night. 

Happy New Year!

Christmas

For Christmas this year we went to Idaho for 5 days.  I was a nice and relaxing get away and we had lots of fun spending time with family.  We had a wonderful Christmas and Mia was definitely spoiled.  We kind of knew that was going to happen since she really didn't have many age appropriate toys.  She's definitely loving all the new toys and books.

So Mia is totally obsessed with shoes.  She tries to put on all shoes she sees and loves walking around in shoes that are 12 sizes too big.  Growing up instead of stockings our family had boots.  My parents still have them and Mia recognized them as shoes.  She kept playing with them and trying to put them on so finally we stuck her in two of them.  Needless to say she couldn't walk but she thought it was pretty cool.

Christmas Eve Mia got to open one present.

 It was new jammies! Mia also enjoyed playing with the toys Grandma had saved from when I was growing up.

 After Santa came

 Mia coming out Christmas morning.  Notice the change of clothes...she soaked through her diaper and her new jammies were all wet so she didn't get to open presents in them.

 Checking it out.

 She was pretty excited and kept smiling, squealing, and even giving hugs.

 Her very own flashlight for camping.  (She actually got too flashlights and the one from Nana and Grandpa is much cooler cuz she can turn it on herself and it growls).

 Our little family Christmas morning.  Monty makes the rest of us look like slackers.

 Mia got a phone and she knew just what to do with it.

 Mia liked ripping paper but didn't quite get the whole concept of presents yet.

 Told you this girl was spoiled.

Santa and the Christmas Village

This year I took Mia  to see Santa Clause.  Because I'm too cheap to buy pictures my mom took some for us. 

Mia sat on his lap and stayed nice and calm. 

 Santa sang her Jingle Bells and then gave her a coloring book.

Mia and I met Monty in Salt Lake one day after work and we went to see the lights at Temple Square again this year.  Sadly I forgot the camera.  The following week we got all bundled up again and went to the Christmas Village in Ogden.  I took the camera but only remembered to take a couple pictures.

 Mia was all bundled up and stayed toasty warm.  She didn't complain once and just enjoyed being outside and seeing all the lights.

 My mom was in town so she went with us.  We tried to stay warm with hot chocolate but I was wishing I was in a bundle like Mia.

One happy frozen family.

Chairs vs Toys

Mia has decided that instead of toys she wants to play with the kitchen chairs.  She pushes them around the kitchen and will seriously spend an hour climbing all of the legs of them, over, under through.  Initially I would try to stop her and she fell on her face a couple times but it didn't stop her.  I finally gave up and let her just have at it and she's gotten pretty good.  I tried to get a video but every time she'd see I had the camera out she would stop climbing around and pose for the camera so I had to settle for a bunch of still pictures, but it gives you the idea.

I sure hope Santa brings her some fun toys to play with so we can have our chairs back.

Thanksgiving (A little late)

For Thanksgiving this year we went and spent a few days with Monty's family.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and it was nice to spend time with family.  Mia loved her spending time with her cousins, aunts, uncles, nana, and grandpa, but most of all she loved her Thanksgiving pie.  We gave her her own little piece of chocolate pie in a bowl and let her have the spoon.  I figured it'd be good practice eating with a spoon since it was something she really liked.

 She eventually gave up on the spoon and just licked her bowl clean.  I have now idea where she got that from.

For Christmas last year the grandkids got a big blow up ball that you can roll around in.  Mia being the youngest never got to play with it...until now.

 We put her in it and I thought it would scare her once they started rolling her.

 Nope she loved it, even when she was tumbling head over heels she didn't mind.

 Somewhere along the line she's also learned it's cool to drink from the milk carton. (Monty!?!)

We had a wonderful time and we are so thankful to be a family and for this adorable little girl.