Happy Halloween !

Halloween was postponed this year due to the early and first snow storm of the season ! Luckily Layna was visiting Daddy when the power was out for the first two days, and she was home for the last two days. When I finally took Layna outside to see the snow and get some fresh air, she thought it was funny walking on the snow and liked doing it.

Halloween came and went quietly. Layna was a Nurse In Training.  Nonna - not Nana - (Grandma Robidoux) and Papa bought Layna polka dot scrubs and we had stethoscope for the costume. The neighbors that we visited for some treats loved seeing her ! Layna did well, especially for one who didn't have a nap ! She was quiet, but would stood at the door and accept the candy and stare at the people waiting for more ! haha she was a doll, and I am surprise that none of the neighbors asked to keep her ! They just wanted to sit and talk with her ! I could tell that Layna liked the fact she was getting "stuff" (chocolate) from these people, and that they were willingly putting handing it to her and putting it in her basket. She only said "trick or treat" and "thank you" to the first house, and wasn't afraid of any "scary" decorations. One house had a ghost that made noise hanging from a tree, and she wanted to go over to it. Another house had a blown up spider and she wanted to touch it !

Because of napless day, she was getting a little cranky and wasn't up for photos, but here a few of her dressed up for halloween:

Happy Easter !

This past Sunday was Easter, and Auntie Rose and Cousin Connor came up to visit for the weekend. Mommy and Layna stayed at the hotel with them to keep them company. Saturday morning, Auntie Rose, Connor, Mommy and Layna went swimming. Layna loved the pool ! She would sit on the edge and kick her feet in the water. Mommy would hold Layna on her belly and say "kick" and Layna would kick her legs like a frog. Also, Layna blew bubbles in the water really well too !

So, Sunday was Easter. The Easter Bunny visited and left baskets for Layna and Connor. Layna got a Disney Princesses basket and other presents... the Easter Bunny had to make up for Christmas. Layna also did VERY well for her first Easter Egg Hunt. After finding a few eggs with Mommy, she quickly caught on and found the rest herself !

Daddy got Layna her first basketball hoop and (bubble) lawn mower for Easter !

The other day Layna got a VCUG test done, which is a test that they insert dye into her bladder to see if she has reflux or not, and she doesn't. This should be the last thing ever for her kidney. Layna didn't appreciate being held down at all for the to clean her and insert the catheter. She was screaming and crying, and pee went flying right into the doctor's face ! (like a boy !!) Mommy was in shock and apologized right  away and laughed silently with Daddy. The doctor didn't appreciate it, but realized she's just a baby...

Today Mommy, Grandma and Grandpa Robidoux had a yard sale. It was a cool day, but a good handful of people showed up. Not much of Layna's baby clothes and stuff got sold, but some other stuff of Mommy's and Daddy's did. Grandpa Robidoux made some money too.

Layna's Easter Basket 

drinking Mommy's strawberry smoothie.
once she has one sip, there was no getting it back !

first eggs she spotted by herself !

someone lost some eggs....

Mommy & Layna

Shooting hoops !

trying out her bubble lawn mower

                                   like mommy, like daughter

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy (belated) Valentine's Day !

For Valentine's Day weekend, Mommy and Layna head over Daddy's. It was a relaxing weekend with all three of us together. On Sunday, Mommy and Daddy saw The Lion King broadway show at Providence Performing Arts Center aka PPAC. Grandma and Grandpa Boyce babysat Miss Layna for the afternoon. They said she was well-behaved and kept active: going up and down the stairs. She ate most of a Healthy Choice frozen dinner that Grandma Boyce gave her. When Mommy and Daddy came home, Layna was fast asleep in her pack'n'play upstairs in the living room. Mommy's sleep training definitely helped with keeping her anxiety away from Layna down.

Layna has been loving books a lot more lately. She is always looking at them and you can see the wheels turning. She likes to have them for car rides to. Once Mommy, Grandma Robidoux, and Layna were out shopping and Layna would make Mommy read the picture book to her over and over and over from the front seat. Hey, whatever keeps her content and not screaming. :)

Layna is still not liking diaper changes... that's all that needs to be said there.

She tries to put her socks on by herself, but can't yet. She knows the top from the bottom and puts her little fingers in the top, but can't manage to get her toes in it; same goes with shoes. She likes putting Mommy's and Grandma's shoes/slippers on their feet when they are sitting on the couch.

Layna is doing a lot better with eating. Sometimes she is picking... or just not in the mood for what we feed her at the time, which can get frustrating. However, since we stopped giving her baby food or prepared toddler food she has been eating better.

Layna has learned how to go down the stairs safely... on her belly, but she lets herself slide down quickly. She is definitely going to be a risk-taker and like things that get her adrenaline pumping and probably will LOOOVE rollercoaster. (Mommy can't wait to see how she goes up!)

Even though Layna isn't speaking yet, she is learning sounds of things:

(object = sound = Layna's pronounciation

car = vroom vroom = vrm vrm

dog = ruff ruff = arf arf

elephant = = she puts her bottom lip out and blows

bee = bzzzz boink = bzzzzzzz (and a pitch sound)

snake = ssssss = ssssss

(and a couple other things I can't think of right now).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !

Layna's "first" (actually her second) Christmas was wonderful. Layna and Mommy woke up at Grandma and Grandpa Robidoux's house and headed to Daddy's house bright and early. (Santa visited Layna Christmas Eve when she was taking her evening nap... and she opened presents then.) When we got to Daddy's we all opened presents, and then headed over to Auntie Bev's and Uncle Donald's for the "Roe" family get together (Grandma Boyce's family). Afterwards, Daddy, Mommy, Layna and Grandpa Boyce headed over to Aunt Sheila's for the "Boyce" family get together (Granpa Boyce's family).

It was a long day but Layna behaved very well. She had some meatball at Aunt Sheila's along with sharing Mommy's dessert: cream puff pie and cheese cake. Layna definitely has a sweet tooth !

Mommy and Layna have been staying at Grandma and Grandpa Robidoux's for the passed couple weeks. Layna has been adjusting pretty well. She prefers to be with Mommy at all times but sometimes Mommy can sneak away for a little while Layna plays with Grandma and Grandpa. She definitely loves Grandpa. They are always playing and fooling around. Layna sits best at the table while Grandpa is there; she likes the attention he gives her and his goofiness.

At Grandma and Grandpa Robidoux's, Layna can take baths (she usually takes showers, which she doesn't mind at all.) She was SO excited and loved splashing in the water the first few baths. Layna got sneakers and boots for Christmas, which she has been practicing walking everywhere in ! She is doing pretty well, but still prefers to be barefoot or with socks on.

Also, Mommy has been doing some sleep training again with Layna. She has been doing very well, and Mommy is very pleased at the progress and proud of her baby girl. Layna takes about 30-40 minutes to fall asleep on her own in the crib. She doesn't scream and cry anymore. Her progress has gone to just standing and whining every minute to try to get someone's attention, to sitting and whining every once in a while, to just sitting there....sipping her bottle, and finally falls asleep after a few bites on her blanket.

The sleep routine Mommy has Layna on goes something like this: while Layna drinks a small bottle (3 ounce of milk and 1 ounce of water mixed), Mommy has her puppy that plays lullaby songs on it on, and reads a book or two to her, and then sticks her in the crib with the rest of the bottle. Sometime she'll go in without a fight and other times, she will accept the fact she has to be in the crib. That is another thing... Layna knows when she is going in the crib and starts crying before she is even put in it. She knows when Mommy is getting the crib ready and gathering her blanket and pillow and bottle to put her in. Layna is becoming a very smart baby... smarter every day !

Tonight is New Years Eve and Layna is already asleep. Let's hope this New Years will bring a lot more great memories and adventures for us !

Happy New Years !!

Merry Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas everyone !

Layna and Mommy get to celebrate Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Robidoux's house, and tomorrow will be heading down to Daddy's to spend the holiday with his whole family. Hopefully Layna will be in a good mood for the day visiting family in Fall River and then off to Weymouth.

Lately Layna has been wanting to feed herself every once in awhile, so Mommy believed it was time for toddler spoons and forks. Today Layna had pasta and tomato meat sauce for lunch and used a fork for the first time. She did so good ! She got some pieces on her fork and would make it to get mouth ! She looked like such a big girl sitting there with a sipping cup full of milk and feeding herself pasta with a fork!

This morning Layna skyped with Uncle Andre and Nicole, and got to open her presents from them: some really cute clothes from old navy ! She liked Skyping and would say "hi" to them and wave to them through the computer. Mommy was surprised that she knew that they were people talking to her and not a like a TV.

Today Mommy took Layna out on the deck for a short 5-10 minutes. Layna wore her boats for the first time and was bundled up in her winter coat and hat and mittens. She seemed to walk pretty good in her boots even though she preferred crawling. Once on the ground, she would find ice frozen on the deck and lean over and lick it... what are we going to do with her?! hahaha

Tonight Layna will be trying some tradition Ukrainian Christmas food: perogies and beet stew with some bread and some veggies. Hopefully she will like it ! The Christmas feast has became smaller over the years and is now a dinner.

Happy Fourth of July !

Happy Fourth of July !

Layna is celebrating her first July 4th tonight. Mommy, Daddy and Layna are going over to Daddy's friend's house for a little BBQ, fire, and to watch the fireworks across the Lees River in Fall River.