Happy Birthday a day late to Natali!! We had a birthday party Saturday night with the Edinger side of the family and had lots of fun. I made a ladybug cake and we had other "snacky" things and ice cream. Natali got some new vehicles which made her very happy. :)

Last night we went out to eat at Chik-Fil-A with my parents and enjoyed dinner and Natali played in/on the playground. Then we went to ToysRUs because they sent a coupon for Natali to use on her birthday and the card said that if she came in to the store, she would be treated extra special. So we had to see what that was about. She got a balloon, some candy and a crown to wear. She was SO CUTE walking around ToysRUs holding her balloon and Natali was in heaven - she looked at everything and pushed all the buttons on all the toys. Daddy was a softy and let Natali get a new dump truck that makes noises and all kinds of things. :0) That's what birthdays are for right??? Overall, we had a great birthday weekend and we are so happy to have our little 2 year old!!!

Vehicles and new race track

Natali is really in to "vehicles" lately. She will play with cars/trucks/tractors, etc. all day long and most of the time is spent lining them up, relining them up, and then puting them in a different line again. Sometimes they are right side up and sometimes she puts them upside down. She mostly does this on the couch for whatever reason. I took some pictures from a couple days last week of her playing with the "vehicles". (By the way, that is what she calls all of them - vehicles, but if you ask her what a certain one is, she will specify. EX: truck, hummer, Nissan Z, etc.) :)

Also, I got her a race track that I found at WalMart on the clearance isle. She enjoys watching them go around and around and she can actually catch them and then put them back on the track if she wants to. We had to get rechargeable batteries because she wears the regular ones out too fast.

she said..

On Sunday I was getting ready to put Natali's shoes on for church. But she saw a different pair of shoes on the rocking chair and said "These, I like"! :) It is so funny to us the way she keep putting things together. We can have pretty decent conversations with her and understand what she is trying to say to us.
She was playing in her room on Saturday and I walked in and talked to her for a minute. Then she looked at me and said "bye bye mommy". I said "Do you want mommy to leave?" and she said "yes". So I left and she kept playing in her room all by herself.
Gotta love it!!!

Finally - some pictures!!

I have had some complaints that there are not any current pictures or much of anything on this blog in the last few weeks. Yes, I have been using my time to do other things unfortunately. We have been very busy at work and at home so blogging has been on the back burner. And, it seems like I haven't taken hardly any pictures of Natali in the last few months because she is always moving - it is very difficult to take pictures at this age. But I managed to capture some good ones.

Natali being tickled by daddy.

Say "cheese" !

This is to show what a big girl she is getting to be in her chair - she used to look so small sitting in it.

Silly girl - she is giving a funny look.

P.S. Yes, her hair is very light, sortof sandy blonde I guess. People ask us quite frequently "Where does she get the blonde hair?" We don't really know - Josh's sister has blonde hair but other than that we all have brown hair. Who knows. Natali gets the blue eyes from daddy but who could figure I/we would end up with a blonde hair / blue eyed kid. :)

New saying

I was giving Natali a bath yesterday morning and I was trying to wash her legs and this is what I get - "go away". I kept washing her legs and then "go away Mommy" with a whine to it. Yeah, the whole getting their own will and opinions on things is for sure in fully swing. It's a challenge to deal with her right now - definitely a learning experience. :) Good stuff.

cookie bar and other Nat stuff

Natali is into "cookies" these days. Cookies include: fig bars, granola bars, and real actual cookies. Every morning lately she says "cookie... bar" and she would like either a granola bar or fig bar. She pretty intent when she wants a certain thing to eat. :)

Natali is also learning to sing. She almost has the alphabet song down and she'll say "Now I BCs". (Now I know my ABCs) and then"sing me" (sing with me). It's pretty cute. She also sings part of Old McDonald. I know this is sad but I watch American Idol on TV sometimes and their theme song has this certain sound at the end that changes from one note to another one a little bit higher. Natali does it perfectly with a "ooo...oooo" with the note changes.

Natali just amazes us every day on her ability to communicate and understand things. She is so smart and she isn't even 2 years old yet. She still likes to read and play with all her toys. She is still lovin' the pacifier but we will let her have it for a while longer. Overall, Natali is doing great.

outside

Natali the other day after it rained. She absolutely loves to go outside!! She doesn't care if it is dark outside, raining, freezing cold.....whatever the weather, Natali wants to go outside.

First hair cut

Natali's first hair cut! I only was allowed by daddy to cut bangs - I couldn't even trim the rest of her hair. :) So I did a really quick job of the bangs while Josh was home Wednesday night. Natali was a little nervous about the scissors but we made it through. Then she got a bath which she loves.

An 18 month checkup finally...

(the shirt says "and no one gets hurt" under the big letters)

We went yesterday for Natali to have her 18 month visit and shots. We haven't been able to go because Natali has been sick the last couple months. But anyways - she looks good! Ears are still okay thank goodness. Everything else looks and sounds good. She got 2 vaccines and the flu shot.


Here are the Natali stats:


27 pounds 33 inches long/tall 19 1/2 inches head circ.


Overall, she is above average - in the 75th percentile. Dr.Roberts says to keep Natali away from cookies and french fries!!! :) Natali really doesn't get those that often but I guess that is a nice way to say she is a little pudgy? :) Oh well. She just eats so much at mealtime so we might cut her back some. Also, I am to make sure to brush Natali's teeth twice a day (right now it's probably like every other day). So I will do it after each time I give Natali her medicine.


We are happy to have a healthy little girl right now.

update

Well, Natali had her doctor visit last Monday and there is good news. :) Her ears look great right now - not redness or discharge! This is wonderful but we still go 2 more months on the 2 antibiotics. Natali's GI system is holding up pretty good - she had some diarrhea over the weekend but seems to be better now.

Natali is progressing very fast in the area of talking and understanding what things mean. She actually knows most of her alphabet and she tries to sing "Old McDonald". :) She can recognize letters anywhere. She saw a letter on a rug in a store and told us what letter it was. We are just amazed at how she can remember things she is taught.

Unfortunately Natali is becoming more independant. For example :
Natali is looking at her letter magnets on the refrigerator and saying her letters.
I go over there and say "What letter is that Natali?" And she tells me a couple.
Natali : "No mama" and proceeds to push me out of the way.
She does things like this quite often or only wants a specific person to do something for her.

Overall, we are doing well and enjoying Natali but also having some frustrating times with her and trying to figure out how to discipline her. Like when she doesn't come when we call her, when she screams in a store when I pick her up and it's time to go, or if I try to help her with eating food and she starts screaming at me. :) Fun stuff.

Family Christmas picture

This is our attempt at a family picture for Christmas. Yeah, Natali wasn't exactly looking at the camera when we wanted her to......seems to happen with kids huh? :)

Natali is finally letting me fix her hair sometimes. I have put pigtails a few times and she looks a lot different to me but it's pretty cute. It's hard to believe at this time last year she was just about bald!

Things are going pretty well. Natali is now on a 3 month regimen of 2 antibiotics together to try to finally clear up her ears. She had drainage again the week of Christmas and that's when they started the medicines. She had been on these 2 before, but only for like 2 weeks. The PA is saying it's possible the ear problems are from allergies, but we will see what happens. Natali goes to see her every 2 weeks now and we will go next Monday.

Natali is talking like crazy and is super smart. She understands so much now and puts 2 or more words together all the time. She also mumbles a lot too but she sure means something! We love the way she is growing mentally - it is amazing actually.

Here are some pictures of Natali that I took outside last week. She looks like a big girl. :)

Say "cheese"!

Christmas Tree Farm

So we went to cut down our Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving and I am just now getting pictures up. My grandparents who live in Florida were down and were able to come with us - we had lots of fun! It was a little windy and chilly but not as cold as it has been some other years.

In order to get to the trees, we had to take a hay ride pulled by a big tractor.

Uncle Mike and the bundled up Natali.

Great Grammie and Natali walking in the tree farm.

Yea - we found our tree!!


P.S. Our tree is up in the house but no decorations on it yet but hopefully that will happen today.

Ponytail

I finally got a ponytail in Natali's hair last week! She doesn't really like me to mess with her. Infact, she didn't really want to be still for me to take a picture either.. hence the off centered picture. :) Oh and pardon the mess. Natali's hair is getting so long we are probably going to cut her bangs soon. I can't believe it. Her hair will go nicely into pigtails if she would just let me........

These boots are made for walkin.....

Josh's mom got Natali these rain boots a few weeks back and the first time GramE tried them on her, Natali didn't much care for it. Well, a couple nights ago Natali brought me one of them and said "boots". So I put both of them on and she started walking around the house. :) The boots are too big but Natali didn't seem to mind this time. Here is the cuteness in her cool rain boots!!!!