Lena: 15 Months Old

Happy Superbowl Sunday Everyone!

 And happy 15 months to Lena Joyce!  Our little girl is a growing toddler and she does something new and amusing nearly everyday!  For instance, the other day I spotted her squatting in this tiny basket. So funny, so cute!

She is growing up and out!  She is in size three or four diapers, weighs about 18.5 pounds and is 28 inches tall.  She wears 12-18 month clothes, size 4/5 shoes and I'd say she wears size 12-18 month socks but the girl won't keep 'em on her feet!  She often struggles and moans in the carseat as she works hard to rid herself of her shoes and socks.  We recently had a cold spell and I noticed she is leaving her socks on occasionally. 

She is definitely a girl on the move!  She loves to ride her tricycle that we got her for Christmas and will often ask us to put her bike helmet on even if she doesn't want to ride her trike.  I find this incredibly funny because the second I put barrettes or a hat on her head she freaks out and rips them out but she will walk around with this heavy bike helmet and a bucket on her head for a long time!

She is a picky eater on a off.  Some days she won't eat much while others she does a pretty good job.  Her favorites are spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, and anything else with tomato sauce.  She also likes breakfast carbs like waffles, pancakes, and cold cereal.  I've started putting protein powder and fruit and veggie purees in these foods just to get more nutrition in her diet.  She LOVES juice and graham crackers, frozen yogurt, sliced cheese, and her newest favorite are yogurt melts.  I would say the girl is addicted to yogurt melts.  It is truly amusing to see how many she can eat in one sitting because she doesn't eat large quantities of anything else. 

She loves her play time and is attracted to things that have funny textures, things that sparkle, things that talk or sing, and things she can wear.  I bought some of those Marti Gras bead necklaces from the thrift store the other day and she really has a ball putting them on and off and wearing them around the house all day.

Lena enjoying our special roses from Grandma.

She is a very gentle child: she doesn't force things, she is very kind to our cats and dog and enjoys feeding them treats and giving them pets, she doesn't really throw things very often, and I don't know if this will change but she isn't very destructive.  She is reflective and observant and spends lots of time gazing at the pages of her books, collects things into piles, explores various boxes, baskets, and chests around the house.  I also recently noticed that she will look at the clothes I put on her in the morning.  She will check out the pattern on her shirt and finger her socks and accessories carefully looking at their shape, texture, and color. 

Putting on that sweet Lena charm!

One of Lena's new favorite pastimes, magnets!

Lena is becoming increasingly verbal and I am quite certain we will have a lively conversationalist on our hands before too long.  We have been watching our Baby Signing Times DVDs and she can sign a few words like more and all done but she can say many more words like: juice, bye bye, hi, da da, kitty kitty,Oh Wow!, thank you, what's that?, cracker, no....and the list keeps growing everyday!

In the ER- Nothing makes tedious breathing treatments better than being held by Daddy and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

 Right before her 15 month milestone Lena was diagnosed with pneumonia.  It came on so fast from the first cough till the time we were diagnosed in the ER was less than 48 hours.  It was the worst respiratory illness she has had to date and her seventh since she was born.  Her illnesses seem to be triggered by cold weather so I guess it is good we live in a fairly warm and dry part of California.  It seems likely that she has inherited asthmatic tendencies from her genetic father. 

Lena with her Daddy.

Life with Lena is full of laughter, wonder, challenges, Mickey Mouse, and lots of love.  As Lena recovers from her pneumonia we are extra mindful of how precious her life is and how thankful we are to be her parents.

Bye Bye! (Mommy and Lena at Pikes Place in Seattle.)