11 Months Old

Today my little girl is 11 months old. It's amazing how the time flies. I have a hard time believing that in one short month she'll turn a year old. It's true that she acts older than she is and most people that meet her are surprised to find out how young she is, but to me, she is and always will be, my little girl, my little monster, and my little angel.


Here are 11 things that she's discovered and learned in the past month . . .

11- How to use a spoon/fork
10- Tomato worms explode when squished too hard
9- How to climb down the stairs
8- How to drink from a straw
7- That the sand is fun, but the waves are not
6- How to feed the dog treats
5- That babies are fun to play with; especially real ones
4- That brushes sink when put in the toilet
3- How to climb down off of and up onto beds couches, coffee tables, end tables . . .
2- That uncles and grandpas are almost as fun as dads
1- How to say stop (Jordyn stop pulling books off the shelf; Jordyn stop biting; Jordyn stop pulling hair; Jordyn stop throwing your food on the floor . . .)

Our Trip

Jordyn and I are finally home from our trip. I don't think that I'll ever take that long of a vacation (just over two weeks) alone again. Don't get me wrong, we had a good time, it was just challenging to handle my very active little girl by myself in a house full of strangers (I knew everyone, but they were all strangers to Jordyn). Here is how we spent our two weeks (detailed post will come at a later date, after I've had a chance to go through my many pictures).

July 17 -- Flew to Vegas then drove to Hurricane (a 3 hour flight + a 2 hour drive = a long day for a 10.5 month old little girl)

July 18 -- Extended family arrived in town; Grandpa's viewing

July 19 -- Grandpa's funeral; discover tomato worms

July 20 -- Church; extended family leaves

July 21 -- Clean house; go to Dr. appointment; go swimming

July 22 -- Run Errands and pack for trip; go swimming

July 23 -- Finish cleaning house and packing for trip; go swimming

July 24 -- Drive from Hurricane to San Diego (not suggested with a small child)

July 25 -- San Diego Wildlife Park; Beach

July 26 -- Beach Day

July 27 -- Visit with Grandma Stratton's Aunt & Cousins; Tour USS Midway

July 28 -- Sea World

July 29 -- San Diego Zoo; Sea World night shows & rides

July 30 -- Day at the beach, hotel and hospital (details to come)

July 31 -- Drive from San Diego to Vegas; stay at Stratosphere hotel

August 1 -- Fly from Vegas to Houston (YEAH!)

Tribute to a Great Man

Early this morning, my Grandpa Wahlquist lost his battle to cancer. He put up a long, hard fight but in the end he was not able to over come the illness that had taken over his body. We are glad to see that he is free from the pain and discomfort that was constantly with him for the past few months, but we are still very sad to see him go. I grew up with my grandparents living close by. For the first few years of my life, they lived down the street, and then they moved to the next town, a few miles away. I was was always very close with them, and that bond grew even stronger when I was able to live with them for 6 months before Erik and I got married. Not long after Erik and I got married, my grandparents moved to Logan so my grandpa could be closer to his doctors. With them living so far from my parents, it's been hard to visit them when I fly home. However, I was able to make the treck last November and they were able to meet Jordyn. This was the last time I saw my grandpa, and now that he's gone, I regret not making more of an effort to go and see him when I was in Utah earlier this year. It makes me sad to think that my little girl wont be able to get to know the man that I called grandpa, the man that I loved so dearly. Yet, I am so thankful that my little girl was able to meet my grandpa, even if she doesn't remember. I am so grateful for the bond that Erik had with my grandpa, and the times that they spent sitting around sharing military experiences. I'm grateful for being able to get to know my grandfather better, and getting to hear him tell stories about his childhood, and his years of marriage to my grandma. I'm grateful for the gospel and the knowledge that it gives of eternal families, so I know that I'll be able to see my grandpa again, and that he is now with his parents and his twin brother whom he missed so dearly. I hope that I can live worthy of this great blessing of eternal life and that I can live up to the standard set by my grandpa, that I will make him proud in all that I do. I Love you Grandpa Wahlquist, and miss you dearly. Until we meet again...

New Functions

Today while Jordyn napped, I read about all the different functions on my camera. I'm trying to learn all of the functions and options that it offers so I can take better pictures. The following are a few of the pictures I captured of Jordyn playing on the porch with her rocking chair this afternoon, and then again while she was playing with the neighbor boys this evening.

New Orleans Baby

Things She Can Do...

Jordyn is now 10 months. It's amazing to me all the things that she has learned in her short little life, and all the things that she is still learning.

~she can feed herself, and knows that she eats in her high chair so she walks over to it whenever we're getting her food ready.

~she walks EVERYWHERE (No more crawling for us!)

~She can wave bye-bye; and knows that if we're going bye-bye she needs to grab two shoes and head out to the car (she doesn't always grab a matching pair of shoes, but she always grabs two of them and heads out the door).

~she loves to give kisses
~She knows that her icees are kept in the freezer (and whenever we open the freezer she runs over and tries to grab one out). She also knows that icees are to be eaten outside, and when we do give her one she heads out to her rocking chair on the porch.
~she is learning the signs for eat, drink, all done and more. She can do the sign for all done when you ask her to.
~she is learning to drink from a sippy cup, and does quite well.
~she knows that her room and playroom are upstairs and heads up there when she wants to play or is really tired (she loves to sleep in her crib and usually does so for two 1-2 hour naps, and for 12 hours at night. I love having a good sleeper!!)

Jordyn is very chatty and loves to make noise. She is learning to play very well by herself, and often I hear her "talking" to her stuffed animals in her crib before she falls asleep. She will also tell her Daddy "stories" when he gets home from work. She follows him into the bedroom and talks up a storm while he changes. It's probably the most talkative she is during the entire day. Jordyn definitely loves her Daddy and is so excited when he gets home from work. She is a sweet little girl with a giant personality. She loves to laugh, and loves to make others laugh. She has become good friends with the boys across the street and squeals with joy every time she sees them. They frequently come over and bring her popsicles or just to play. We love this little girl and enjoy watching her as she continues to learn and grow.

July 4th

We had a very busy, very enjoyable 4th of July. To start things off, we woke up early to work on the yard (we've FINALLY moved the old fence posts from when we moved the fence 2 months ago).After that, we settled into enjoying the day by having Erik's parents over to our house for a BBQ (which we ended up having inside because it started to rain). We ended the day by going to "Chevy's Freedom Over Texas Concert with Fireworks by Shell". Once at the Concert, we wandered down to the "Liberty Park" they had set up, which displayed military vehicles and equipment, and took some pictures for Grandpa Zugner (who recently left to serve in Iraq).Then we settled down to listen to the concert which showcased country singers Jo Dee Messina, Miranda Lambert, and Sara Evans. We chose a spot towards the back of the concert area so Jordyn could have room to wander, and wander she did. Erik and I had to keep taking turns chasing her down. Since she has her new found freedom of mobility, she thinks she's free to wander where ever her little heart desires (or where ever her little legs will take her). As you notice the change in clothing, let me explain. Jordyn got a hold of a water bottle that had been left without its top on. And as is customary when she tries to drink from a cup or water bottle, more water got down the front of her than in her. When searching through the diaper bag for the extra change of clothes that I usually keep in there, we discovered that it hadn't been replaced after the last use (oops!). This sweater was all we had available, and I decided that it was better than keeping her in a wet dress. Towards the end of the night, Jordyn was starting to get a little cranky so we laid her in the stroller and gave her a bottle (hoping she would fall asleep). However, as soon as she got finished with her bottle, she popped up and decided to play peek-a-boo from inside the stroller. After the concert, we enjoyed the largest fireworks display in the country, and it was amazing. Jordyn was a little trouper and stayed up the entire time, though she did quickly fall asleep as we headed back to the car. All in all, it was a great day. We enjoyed being able to celebrate our freedoms and give thanks to those who help us to keep those freedoms. After becoming a "military wife" and having close family still serving in the military, I've gained a greater appreciation for the freedoms that I have, and all that goes in to keeping this country safe and free. I am grateful for those who laid down their lives for this country, and for those who are still fighting for us. May God bless them and their families. WE LOVE YOU GRANDPA ZUGNER!!! (seen here with Erik, Jordyn, and Great-Grandma Gallagher)