Spring Has Come !

Layna visited Nana and Papa Robidoux this a couple weekends ago where she spent her time sleeping on the couch. We went to the doctors on Monday and found how poor babygirl had a double ear infection. She has been doing a lot better since the visit and starting her antibiotic. She is definitely herself again; she didnt want to go to bed last night. Daddy's Aunt Bev was suppose to watch Layna for the day, but her husband woke up and was sick, so Layna's first day of daycare was February 29th! Even though she was still tired this morning, she let me leave. She just kissed Momma goodbye and played with the toy she found.

Layna has been enjoying every day at "School".  She has definitely adapted well to her new schedule: no more sleeping in and lounging all day in pajamas. So, I wake Layna up around 7-7 15 unless she wakes up earlier on her own. I put on the television let her wake up slowly with a cup of milk while I finish getting ready/waking up myself and having my coffee. Then by 745 at the latest we head to school. She had a period of days where she would cry when I would try to leave her, but maybe she was sick but now shes happy and healthy and walks to Ms Braz for breakfast and lets me leave with ease. Its the best thing because all the other little girls say bye to me too when I wave by to Layna. At school, she gets breakfast around 8, plays, has lunch around 11 and is down for her nap between 11 45 - 2 sometiems she sleeps for an hour sometimes longer. She comes home hungry, so I have to have dinner ready to go by the time she gets home or shes craaaanky!  And so its dinner, Layna and Mommy playtime, bath time, and then bedtime.  I miss her so much, but it makes me love her and appreciate more when I thought I couldn't love her any more than I do. And she definitely misses her Momma !

We have been seeing Kaitlin and Aislyn once every a week if we can. It's good to socialize for both of us ! The girls get along great! Also, Kaitllin's friend Heidi watched Layna one Saturday for me, and as Heidi said they "really hit it off". Layna was definitely found of Heidi. They went to the park where Heidi - who does photography - took some photos of Layna (which you will see shortly).

Layna and I are doing pretty good despite the circumstances, and I know she does remember and miss her Daddy. We are going to go visit him Saturday and if not Saturday, Tuesday. They will both be excited !

Layna is definitely changing and growing faster than I would like ! I swear everyday she comes home looking more like a young child than toddler, her hair is longer, and way smarter. Daycare has definitely gotten her to be outgoing and way more expressive and vocal about things; she's always been expressive. If you get to see her again soon, you would know exactly what I mean, or for my family: she is definitely a Chamberlain !

This past week (third week of March), Layna seemed to have a little conjuctivitus, and when Heidi brought her to the doctors for me. We found out Little Lady had another double ear infection, and the drainage from her eyes could be from all the fluid and gunk/mucous inside, since she had the ear infection, stuffy runny nose, and her eyes were a little oozing.

One last thing before I show you the photos ! Layna and I went to Church this past Sunday. As I was taking her out of the car, I asked her "do you want to go play or sit in Church?" and she said "church!" I do not think I could have asked for to behave any better than she had. She sat when I sat, stood when I stood, and even knelt when I did even though she had 8 inches to go before being able to see over the pew in front of us. Layna would look at the paintings and say "Jesus" and nod her head. I honestly don't think I could ask for a more natural church-goer than that. If she could get there on her own I bet she would ! She even asks for the Bible as a bedtime story!

Anywho... here are those adorable photos taken by Heidi-Carolyn Photography. You'll be amazed at how much older just got: Enjoy ! (dont forget: if you click or double-click on the photo, it should open another window and display larger)

can she look any older !?

this is definitely playful ! 

peek-a-boo we see you ! :)

sitting like a lady

my little strawberry blond girl !
(the redness only shows in photos, I think its cute,
but its appears more dark blond in person)

CHEESE !

so freakin' cute !

Layna is always full of energy and playful !

sitting like a *lady*

definitely looks like Mommy here ! 

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

Tooth Number 9 !

Miss Layna has another tooth ! The bottom right tooth appeared in the gap. Mommy is not sure when, probably when she was having those diarrhea diapers and odd poops (TMI, sorry!), which was probably a two weeks ago.

No More Bottle :)

My almost 16-month-old no longer gets the bottle... YAY!  Layna has been doing SO well without her bottle. Mommy has been trying on and off to give Layna less milk every few days, but that has no been working. Hence, Layna still wanted her bottle. This past week Mommy has stopped giving Layna the bottle when it was time to go to sleep. Usually it is the bedtime bottle that goes last, but Mommy made it the first one to take away. And then the next day, Layna didn't get a bottle for naps. She will cry for about 5 minutes just because she is fussy, but sometime she will go down without a sound. Mommy has been sleeping on the couch for the past week, also, so she wouldn't be able to hear Layna wake up expecting a bottle and probably cry. Layna has been successfully sleeping through the nights. Mommy is so very proud of Layna and hopefully this will continue on for forever.   :-)

Also, Layna's sippy cups have been leaking more and more recently, so Mommy needs to get new ones. She has seen ones in OneStepAhead (a parenting catalog) that are very much like "big people" cups; they don't have a spout so the child has to put her/his mouth on the cup and tip it up. I think Layna will do good with these, so we will be trying these !

Little Ballerina !

Last week... or two weeks ago, Layna had two appointments: 1) her 15-month-old well-baby checkup. Layna is 24 pounds and .... 30 3/4" tall, and 2) the follow up to her ultrasound with Dr. Ellsworth. She said everything looks great and now we have to do the VCUG or whatever it is to make sure she has no reflux. Mommy cannot wait until these trips to Hasbro are done !

Mommy can't think of anything that has happened for those two weeks in between but....

this morning, Mommy stood Layna on the floor and took her hands and danced with her. And now, Layna will start going in circles laughing and saying "daaa...da..daaaaa" (as if it were music) ! Mommy will try to get a video of this along with her animal noises/recognitions, and cheerleading skills. When Mommy says "heel stretch" to Layna, she stands on one leg and puts it behind her. She doesn't know the difference between "heel stretch", "aerobasque", or "scale" yet... but she is learning ! She is learning that when something smells it is called "stinky" which is when she pinches her nose ! hahaha Layna has started to say "oink oink" for pig while scrunching her nose also along with scrunching her nose and moving her mouth open for "rabbit". hahaha

Oh! Dr.  Reynold's (Layna's pediatrician) said "no more bottle". It's hard because Layna never got the bottle to fall asleep and Mommy gave in when they moved into Grandma and Grandpa Robidoux's house. However, Layna has been doing pretty well with this sleep training and getting rid of the bottle. She has finally slept through the night, and if not sleep, soothed herself back to sleep without the bottle. She has only needed the bottle a few times. However, when we go to visit Daddy, Layna's sleep gets all messed up, but once we our back home, she knows the drill now. Since, the midnight snacks are gone along with 2 bottles of Layna's - Mommy threw them out: "out of sight, out of mind" - it is time to start getting rid of the "go to sleep" bottle. She has only been getting about 4-5 ounces (which she technically doesn't need... she wants. Mommy has to teach her the difference. haha), and then she plays or relaxes in the crib until she falls asleep. Mommy will try to put her down with probably half of that this coming week. Grandma Robidoux has been doing a little bedtime routine/sleep training when she watches Layna when Mommy is at work, which has helped the whole process :)

Layna has been eating a lot better. Mommy realizes snacks fill her little belly up quickly ! A couple of crackers and some juice or water pretty much replaces lunch. When Mommy isn't giving out crackers like they are going out of style and doesn't let Layna's sippy cup chill around the house, Layna eats better when it is meal time. She  does get a little snack sometimes around 3 if she seems hungry. Her favorite snack is a banana, which she doesn't like to share with Grandma Robidoux anymore and prefers to hold the banana...also, she won't eat a banana if it isn't in its peel. In addition, she is doing better sitting in her high chair...specially when she is fastened in. Who would've thought ?!

The weather has been nice lately, so Mommy has gone for some walks and let Layna play outside. However, it IS snowing right now in the beginning of April. (just had to record this unusualness for Layna).

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 !

"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 !

Just a little update :-)

Layna has been growing so quickly ! Every day it seems like she is learning new things quicker and quicker. She plays on the stairs and goes up them when she wants attention. Also, she is learning to sleep in her crib wonderfully (tonight Mommy is going to attempt to put Layna back into her crib when she wakes up). She is starting to feed herself more and more with a spoon and fork. She definitely knows the difference. She stabs her food with the fork and tries to scoop with the spoon. She is walking more and more instead of crawling. Grandma Robidoux and Mommy took Layna to the mall where she could practice walking in her new beginning walker shoes.

Today Layna had her post-op appointment with the urologist. Every one in the office was at awe with Layna and her outfit ! Her big, cream sweater with black leggings and her "cute" had. She was ready for the slopes ! The urologist said that the incision healed beautifully. We go back to get the stint out (a little piece of something that is put in the ureter so the scar tissue doesn't close up the hole to the bladder) .. we go back January 14, and she has an ultrasound February 9th to see how the kidney is functioning.

Layna LOOOVES chocolate just like her Momma ! Every time Mommy would open her little piece of chocolate, Layna would come running to her, making her "Hum..." sound, which mean "share?" or "more". She is definitely communicating with sounds and pointing. We are just waiting for her to start saying some words instead of sounds. She is babbling a lot though with different sounds.