Playgroup and Biking

A lot probably has happened since Layna attended her first cheerleading competition, but Mommy has been a little to lazy, we will just say "busy" to share it with you guys ! Let's see... Layna is starting to let Mommy put her diaper on without having a wrestling match, but she still has those times where she doesn't want anything on... Thank God the summer is almost here !

Layna went to her first playgroup with some ladies from Millis (where Mommy went to high school). They are actually older sisters and a friend of one of the sisters of a girl Mommy graduated with. (try to see if you followed that.) Layna spent the afternoon with a 2-year-old girl, Lena (Angelina) and her 9-month-old brother James/Jamie, and their friend 18-month-old friend, Eric, and Lena's and James' cousins Nicky (just over 2-years-old) and newborn baby, Vinny. Layna behaved so well ! She was quiet at first because she is never around little kids and babies. Like always, she just stares and watches them: "hey, they're my size !" At the park, Layna played in the woodchips: picking them up and putting them down. She loved the slide, but would only go on it when Mommy placed her at the top instead of climbing up and sliding down. She scooted down the slide herself and Mommy just had to spot her, incase she leaned back. She kept wanting to go down again and again. We all know what Mommy is getting Layna for the backyard for these warm seasons ! She swung a little, which she always enjoys, too. We walked back to the house, Layna sat nice in the stroller, and the kids played in the backyard for a little. Layna played in the sandbox with Lena. Lena poured sand all over Layna, but she didn't mind! she was scooping up sand and dumping it out; similar to what she does in the bath tub with water. After getting out of the sand box, Layna was picking up dirt and rocks, and saw little James standing at the bottom of the slide, and did what Lena did: put it on his back. Oh ! Mommy told her "no" right away ! Mommy enjoyed spending a few hours outside of the house, outside in the nice weather and with other mommies. Layna didn't get cranky or tired at all, but the second we were on our way home, she was passed out !

This next little family adventure will make you laugh and think twice before taking a bike ride: Grandma and Grandpa Robidoux purchased a bike trailer in the fall, so they could take Layna on bike rides with them. Last week, Mommy wanted to go on a bike ride and use the trailer for Layna. So, while Mommy waited for Grandpa to wake up for the day and  Grandma to return from the grocery, Mommy decided to assemble the trailer. She was very successful, which people usually are when they follow the instructions. So, after lunch, Grandpa loaded the trailer on to the truck, along with the bikes. He informed us, "I checked the tires." We got to the bike trail, biked for three miles, and Mommy realized her front tire looked a little low... and they both were. On the way back to the truck, Mommy was really really struggling: her legs were sore, she couldn't go up hills... nevermind the hills; she could barely peddle! Mommy thought she was just extremely out of shape, she at the top of a hill, Grams, Gramps, and Mommy took a break (Layna finally fell asleep by now). Mommy was just looking around a the tires to the trailer caught her eye. She walked over and touched the tire.... it was FLAT ! Grandpa let Mommy bike on FOUR flat tires no wonder she was struggling ! Mommy made it back to the truck after a really really good workout.  Now, Layna LOVED the trailer ride ! The screen was down, so she wasn't cold from the wind and chill.  She sat there accompanied by her Fisher-Price Laugh&Play Puppy, cloth book, a blanket, and sippy cup! She was such a little princess!

Layna had her 15-month-old well-baby checkup today. She is doing wonderfully! She weigh 24 pounds and is 30 3/4" tall. Mommy can tell she is growing because you can't leave anything at the edge of tables and dressers and counters anymore !  Layna has had some dry splotches on her back and her legs have been really red and dry behind her knees (Mommy calmed heg legs down with lotion). Dr Reynolds said it looks like a little eczema: Lessen her baths, and use Olay lotion or a thick cream. Layna hasn't been really trying to say words, but she knows sounds. Dr Reynolds said "she is very smart. but being smart is different from speech." Layna hasn't had her 1-year hearing test done yet, and needs that asap. Hearing and speech go together.

She has been going great like always !

Pretty in Pink

On Saturday, Layna attended her first cheerleading competition with Mommy. She saw a few of the last of the UMass Dartmouth cheerleaders that Mommy cheered with. She was well-behaved and enjoyed watching the teams perform.

Layna got a dress from Ellen and Mike (Auntie Rel's parents). It is so cute ! A little big but here are some photos of it on:

throwing a tantrum in her pretty dress

shoveling.... again .... in a pretty dress...

(almost the face that Mommy wanted to capture)

lounging

wanted her baseball hat on;
this is what she does when you say "say cheese"

Baptism and Spring Photos

Layna got her Baptism photos done today, which went very unexpected. Layna cried hysterical the second she was in the door way to the studio/photo room. It could've been a variety of things: the photographer (Layna didn't warm up to her at all), the black background (which made the room seem very dark and small), or those white umbrella light things. After trying to get her to calm down for 10 minutes, we switched photographers (thank the Lord). Ashley was very patient, sweet, and quiet with Layna. After a few minutes Layna started warming up to her and by the end of the session Layna was laughing and smiling. We didn't get good Baptism photos because those were in the beginning of the shoot. And Layna's big, beautiful smile wasn't captured because she was back to herself after the session.

Mommy definitely needs to get a better camera so she can be the one capturing Layna's beautiful facial expressions for the rest of her life. Mommy LOVES doing photo shoots of Layna, especially outside when the weather is nice. The benefits of Mommy taking Layna's photos are that Mommy is completely satisfied, Mommy can get exactly what she wants (if Layna cooperates), the atmosphere is more relaxed when it is just Mommy, Baby and Camera, and if Layna is cranky or not feeling like doing photos, Mommy isn't wasting any time or energy and can try again "tomorrow".

Hopefully by summer Mommy can upgrade her camera.

Here are some photos from today: enjoy (or try at least, and they are not in any specific order).

"aaa-vvaaa"

Layna says "love".... kind of. Mommy slowly says and pronounces "laaa--aa-vaaa", so Layna sees how her mouth moves to make the sounds and it comes out "aaa-va" from Layna's little mouth. She is SO cute ! She is still not saying Mommy which is weird because she's been inseparable from Mommy since birth (almost).

Mommy made chicken parm tonight for dinner, and Layna ate her whole dinner all up, except for the few pastas that she deliberately threw onto the floor.

Layna's cold has finally gone away. She got a runny nose and cough a week or so ago, and it just went away magically. yay ! The snow is slowly melting and even though it has been warm lately, it is still very wet out ! With all the snow we have plus the rain, the backyard might be wet for a while. Hopefully it is somewhat dry for Easter so Layna can have an Easter egg hunt outside.

Layna is communicating pretty well and learning good too. Mommy and Layna went to visit Daddy the other day, and Layna pointed - correctly - to what Mommy said: head, eyes, nose, mouth. She is doing good with objects-sound relations, but when Mommy tries to add a couple more into her vocabulary, she can't remember the new words/sounds and kind of forgets the old one. Everything animal that she doesn't know, she says "awf awf" (a dog: woof woof) to. When she bumps her head she says "outss" (ouch). She doesn't say "this/that" but she does have her own word that means "this/that" (can't think of it at the moment).

Grandma sings and dances "skip skip skip to my lou" with Layna, and she loves it. Layna laughs and is entertained by Grandma Robidoux skipping, and she tries to skips ! Mommy is teaching Layna "ring around the rosy", "the hokey pokey", "pat a cake", "itsy bitsy spider" and other dancing-like songs. Mommy does all the motions with Layna and Layna just smiles and laughs and lets Mommy control her body to do what the songs says.

The other day Mommy and Layna were outside on the deck getting some fresh air, and Layna started kicking a piece of ice around. Just kept kicking it. She was doing the same today with a ball inside. Before she was walking by herself, Mommy would hold Layna's hand and tell her to kick a balloon. Layna would walk to it and kick it, and walk to it and kick for like 5 minutes. Maybe Layna will be a soccer player ! We got a postcard flyer in the mail from an indoor soccer facility for toddlers and young children soccer program. The youngest group is 18 months - 2 years (or something like that). Maybe in the fall Layna will start soccer.... and gymnastics .... and dance, when she is two.... maybe. Mommy is pretty sure she will be an active person and pretty athletic !