Kitty!

Daniella LOVES her kitty towel. Whenever she gets out of the bath tub, she has to give it a big hug. If we try to put the kitty on her head she dances around like a dog chasing it's tail so it is nearly impossible to put it on.

We love having daddy home!

Wednesday, I drove Trent to work in the morning so that I could have the car. We were pleasantly surprised that he was able to come home just before noon that day. Whenever we go to pick him up she says "Dada, uh" (or in other words, Dad up). She was getting a little fussy because it was nap time, so sang her a song that she had not heard before. I sang one of our church songs, "I'm so glad when daddy comes home". I could hear little claps from the back seat, and she repeated the word "knee" (one of her favorite body parts) so I knew she was kind of understanding it. Then today being Trent's post call day, we tried it again so she could see me do the other actions. Though she loses interest at the very end, I'm quite impressed at my little 15 month old.

Jackson's last day

Last Friday was Jackson's last day at our home. We have since been packing and preparing for our move. Here is a video taken his last day. He is all dressed up in baby scrubs to show off to Trent. They were very cute.

In this video he has invented a game with Dani where they take turns laughing. However, when I turn the camera on, Dani no longer plays naturally and has to be directed what to do. Luckily, she will laugh on command, so you get the gist of the game even if it is not natural. I then try to get them to show off Jackson's other turn taking game that he normally initiates (shaking his head "no").

Typical Day

I find it interesting to watch Dani and Jackson interact. Here are a few videos to show what it is like with the two of them here. Dani is definitely a ham for the camera and Jackson loves to talk.

This was an attempt to record Jackson's monologue at snack time.

Jackson is currently mobile and this is why he is in the bumbo chair for all these videos. He is very quick and likes to play with things he shouldn't (such as the speaker wires, Dani's dress, the stroller wheels, and the air purifier). He is a VERY strong baby and I'm afraid he will one day pull something so hard it falls onto him. So, while my hands are occupied, he is temporarily immobilized by being in this chair . . .

. . . However, as you can see, he still seems to figure out how to grab things he shouldn't.

Dancing

This week Dani has been really interested in dancing to songs on the TV. If I even mention the word "Backyardigans" she says "baa" and starts to dance. I try to keep the TV off most of the time, but after a couple of hours trying to put her to sleep,I need a break. Dani is teething again, so naps have been short or nonexistent. Today for example, she had one ten minute nap even though I spent three hours spread across the day trying to calm her to sleep. She was exhausted, but she just refused to sleep. At these times, the TV is the ONLY thing that calms her down, keeps her from constantly hurting herself from falls and gives me a break. As you can see from the mess on the floor, she had had a particularly busy day already. Ironically, she seems to sleep less on days when I try to keep the TV off, but I still try. Anyway, here is the most exaggerated dance I've seen her do for the camera. Since she knows the camera is on, it is short because she wanted to show the camera her books, but it's still cute.

Happy Mother's Day

Just after I got off the phone with Nana, we heard a knock at the door. Nana and Papa had sent a gift to us for Mother's Day. So sweet! Dani was so excited to get the fruit and chocolate baskets that she did a little dance. I animated the pictures so you can see.



If the picture is having trouble loading in blogger, just click on it and it will take you to the actual file on the web.

Dani was thrilled to grab an apple as soon as I opened the basket. She carried it around until it was time for bed.

We Miss You Daddy!

This is Dani and Daddy's spot. Ever since she was a tiny baby they would go on walks and stop on this staircase to watch the cars. Dani still stops there

Prayers

A couple weeks ago we taught Dani how to fold her arms for a prayer. She has recently begun to "pray" during her play with her dolls and toy kitchen. Yesterday during our visiting teaching conference she folded her arms for the prayer without being asked. I am just awed at how quickly she picked this up. What else should I teach her at this age?