Update: Words, Walks and Wows!

Her first Bookmobile!

Coming to get you!

Fall down!

What a cutie!

Words: Bethany has amazed us with her verbal abilities! She has an official working vocabulary. We wait until there is sufficient evidence that she truly associates her babbles with a meaning. So these are words we know for sure she says with a purpose (in order of them first being spoken!)

• All Done (Sounds like, Ah DA!). This is her one and only sign she'll do!
• Dad! (DA)
• Bye (Ba!)
• Uh-oh! (she says this for everything she drops or things she sees on the ground...bird poop included)
• Hi!

Despite the fact that I was the one who carried Bethany around nonstop for 9 months, I got to go through the joys of pregnancy (heartburn, backaches, lack of sleep) and I was in labor for 21 hours--She won't say Mom. How heartbreaking! In order to get my attention she goes "EH!" This is rather impersonal as it is the same noise she makes to get everyone's attention (strangers and all)!

Walks: Bethany has officially taken her first steps. We consider her first steps an unassisted step with a follow-up step with the other foot. This seems like a reasonable definition! She isn't always interested in walking. She recognizes the fact that crawling is so much faster! However, she does like to practice walking & is taking more and more risks! ;-)

Wows: This is for all of her other *amazing* abilities that we would like to brag about. One is that she has really figured out how to work a lot of her toys. She knows how to make them noisy and the action-reaction properties that many of them possess. Another WOW is her amazing ability to squeal!!! Good grief does this girl has some lungs on her. It is hard to imagine that she was sick when she was born when she belts out some of these screeches that makes your ears bleed! She is known as the ring-leader in her day care, causing the rest of them to start squealing obnoxiously, too!

(P.S. I would like to officially state that I did try on SEVERAL occasions to up-date the blog sooner! Our Internet has been acting fishy lately. We are working on getting a faster provider that won't cost us an arm & leg! But our dial-up has been having issues whenever I try to log-on!)

Upside down!

Daddy likes holding me upside down. I find it hilarious!

From this picture you can see my 3 bottom teeth. I got my two front teeth and one on the left of them. I also have 2 teeth peeking in from the top. But they aren't my 2 front teeth. It is one front tooth and one on the left of it. I am just an odd duck, not aren't I!

Books!

Bethany loves BOOKS! She has tons of toys that are always out and waiting to be played with. However, she always goes to her books. She gets them out of the basket and flips through them. She loves to take one book and push it around with her as she crawls around the house. It is rather cute! I think we will put away the toys and just keep the basket of books out. No need for the toys to collect dust! :)

Happy Easter

Today was my first Easter.

It was great. I started off 1 in the morning with a party in my crib. My teeth were bothering me, so I *politely* informed the folks. Daddy took care of me. HE IS THE BEST at middle of the night loving! Once we got up for good we let the Easter celebrations begin. First we went to church. It was a GREAT service. I learned all about Jesus and his resurrection. I also learned this will be the earliest Easter in my lifetime. The next time it is this early it will be 2200(something) After church we noticed that the bunny of all Easter celebrations came. I got a fun basketful of books and blocks. The blocks are pretty happening. They are clear and have fun things inside to look at. Mom and I were both pretty impressed with them.

Need a boost?

I got this cool booster seat today. Now I can go & eat at other people's houses and not get into everything while the folks are eatting. We tested it out today at Grandma's and Grandpas. It works GREAT! (do note that it doesn't really go on the table. This is just a trial run!)

All in a Day's work!

Here is a typical day in the Milles household.

What should I read? A Michael Crichton book or should I brush up on my Japanese. Perhaps, I should play a few rounds of soduku.

Crawling in circles around the stair case.

Good Grief. This wasn't here a couple of days ago. Perhaps, it should be known as the "Gate of wrath."

A Mess! My mission is accomplished. I successfully made a mess out of the living room and then my attention was diverted to something else & I abandon my post.

After a long walk around the neighborhood, I am wiped out. Instead of risking waking me up and taking me to my crib, my mom let me finish off my nap in my stroller. Notice how I sit. I love propping my feet up. After all, I am Princess Bethany!

It's a tie!

I caught wind of Mommy's post yesterday! How dare she claim to be the boss. So...you want to know what I did? I woke up EXTRA EARLY! That will show her!

Score: Mommy: 1 Baby: 1

(but I do think I should get an extra point for taking off my socks three times in a row...but she just put shoes on me...phewey!)

Baffling Binkie Behavior

We've been cleaning out some of Bethany's old things that she doesn't need anymore. She found a binkie. She abandoned all her binkies when she was about 2 to 3 months old. If you notice...she has NO clue how to work the binkie. Who know that they were all that difficult. But, evidently, they do require a little skill to maneuver properly! ;o)

So...just who IS the boss?

The last time Bethany will ever pull down these baskets *hopefully*!

Since we have the week off...we got to spend more quality family time together. It's been a blast! However, Bethany has since decided that it is even more blast-ful if we pull things off the shelves. So this is documentation of Bethany's LAST time pulling those baskets off the shelves. We have been working on this new word...perhaps you've heard of it. It is called "No." So everytime the little stinker went to the baskets she, of course, heard no. And was moved to her toys (which are plentiful and more FUN than baskets). After about 3 times of this game. She went to her baskets again. This time...all it took was the word, "No". And she left. She was done! :)

Score: Mommy: 1 Baby: 0!

So...for now....it looks like Mommy's the boss!

Spikes???

Is this really necessary? Spikes???

My 1st Easter Celebration

Hey! And you all thought Easter came early this year. I got to celebrate it a whole week before the rest of you all. Grandma and Grandpa Milles got me this awesome easter basket. I am so lucky!

My first Car Keys!

What's Easter without a bunny on your head!

Hey...that's my blankie!

All this for me?

Daddy-Daughter Dance

Mommy caught me dancing with Daddy. He is a pretty good dancer. We love dancing to happy-up-beat music! It just makes me giggle like crazy. I do have to admit, I've got it good when it comes to daddies. Daddy helps take care of me and the house. He is the one that feeds me my 5 am bottle. He helps change my diaper, he does the dishes and laundry. When it comes to daddies...I've got 1 in a million!

Update: Stats, Teeth and Stairs

Stats: I went to my 9 mo. doctor's appointment today. It was fantastic. Here is what I learned.

• Weight=18 lbs and 11 oz
• Height=27 inches
• Head=18 inches

I also am allowed to start trying out table food. So, that is pretty exciting! I am really going to enjoy being adventurous and trying Mom's & Dad's cooking!

The best news is that I am allowed to try the cheaper formula. The doctor says we can try the soy for a month then try the normal-baby formula until I am one! So this is pretty exciting. We are just praying that this formula change won't hurt me like it did in the beginning!!!!

Teeth: I have gotten my third tooth. So now I have 3 teeth on bottom. Mom likes to call me a "three-teeth-freak". I don't think that is very nice. Perhaps soon I can grow another tooth to provide some symmetry in my mouth.

Stairs: Ladies and Gents...I have found the stairs case to heaven. Well, not quite heaven. But I did find the staircase to the upstairs. I have successfully climbed it to the top once. With Mommy following me the whole way up. Now whenever I get of out my parents' sight the run after me to make sure I am not going up the stairs. They have tried a couple of baby-gates...but with our banister they just don't work.

Easter Bunny

This is with 2 of my cousins. I am just about to break out and cry. Why would anyone in their right mind place their precious child in the hands of a hairy stranger? This is such a wierd practice! I hope that I at least get a decent Easter Basket out of this deal!

Foiled Plans!

Daddy installed these silly locks inside the cabinets. How am I to get in their now??? Notice the cabinets to the lock of an external lock, too. That is doubly-locked! What goodies hide in there I wonder. Hmm...I can't wait until I have better dexterity to find out what is now being held captive by these small pieces of plastic!

Mommy's 7!

Mommy had her 7th birthday Friday. We celebrated by Mommy and Daddy taking off work.

They got to go see a Movie. I got to hang-out with my Granny. It looks like she had a great birthday. Although, I heard her refer to it as "Week of Jo Ann". She used it to get her way with everything...saying since she doesn't have a birthday every year she gets to milk it when she does. I wonder if **I** could get away with a "Week of Bethany!"

What am I subjected to?

D'oh! I can't believe Simpsons are on again!

It is bad enough we own 6 seasons of the Simpsons, a Simpson-themed guest room, a Simpson's bathroom and a life-sized cut out of Homer....BUT I know must be subjected to playing with a Homer!!!

(Truth be told....Bethany LOVES watching the Simpsons on TV. When the music comes on she will make sure she has a clear view of the tv. It is amazing how her body can contort in order to get a glance. Of course, soon we will have to turn it off so she doesn't repeat what she hears--so don't worry!)

First Ouchie!

I got my folks really good last night. I wanted to see how fast they would respond to me when I needed them to. So I pretended that I wanted to stand up next to the wall. Then I let go and strategically planned it so my forehead will hit the corner of the wall with such force that will result in a nice bruise on my forehead. So instantly, it swelled up to the size of a nice walnut and it turned dark blue. It got my folks good and scared. Behind all of my crying and screaming, I was really laughing in the inside because I knew I was still in charge of the houehold. After they forced me to sit with Mommy and a freezing cold icepack, the swelling went down. I really think that ice pack is some sort of modern-day torture. But they said it would "help." Needless to say, I now got them good and paranoid when I start standing near the walls. My plan is falling into place.....Hehehehehehe!!!

Update: Ice, Spills and, Butts!

ICE: Today we all had a snow (ice) day. We didn't find out until we were all packed up in the car on the HWY to work. By the time we found out we have already witnessed one accident and were in creepy, crawling traffic, presumably due to another accident ahead of us. So after a half an hour of *trying* to get to work, we learned that we had no school and found a safe place to turn around. Luckly we all made it back safely!

Spills:Today was pretty uneventful, outside the valuable lesson I taught my parents.
Baby Lesson #146: DO NOT LEAVE DRINKS ON THE END TABLE! (especially those 42 oz. "hugo" drinks from McDonalds)

I pulled up on the coffee table and reached for a sip of iced tea to help quinch my thurst...but darn that gravity! It spilled all of the wall, table and carpet! Now, I am going to have to wait a little longer to get a taste of iced tea. My mom refuses to put it in my bottle! HOW RUDE!

Butts: I have had this horrible rash on my bottom today. I have started fighting my folks to change my diaper. It is NO FUN! We think it might be one of 2 things. Suspect #1: Apples. We have questioned apples for a while now. We tried them again last night and botta-boom a rash! Interesting, huh? Suspect #2: Pampers Cruisers Diapers. My sitter last week noticed that she became allergic to me. Runny eyes, runny nose everything! We eventually learned it wasn't *ME* she was allergic to, but the new diapers I was using!

SO, we have stopped using the diapers and the apples. Perhaps, one of thse will help my bottom clear up! BUT only time will tell!

Forget the Hippo!

Mommy spent all of 2 minutes putting this toy together for me. But forget it! I don't need no stinkin' toy. I can walk while pushing the box around. Why use a toy made for walking? That don't make no sense!!!! But for some reason, when I woke up this morning the box was gone! Now I can use the Hippo to help me meander from one place in the living room to another! I am learning pretty fast how to control my speed, so I don't fall flat on my face! Every now and then I get adventurous and let go of the handles to stand all by myself!

Jumping Around!

Cruising!

You better watch out! Here I come!

Valentine's Days!

As you may notice, we had a couple of Valentine's Days at our house. The first Valentine's Day (the 14th) Mommy and Daddy had to work ALL DAY! I didn't get to see them at all day long. They went to work at 6 a.m. while I was still sleeping and had silly parent-teacher conferences in the evening. So, I was in bed by time they got home (10 at night!!) I do hear that Mommy snuck in and held me while I was sleeping. Poor Mommy, she missed me so much & hated missing my first valentine's day.

Here are pictures from our Milles Valentine's Day. This occured on the 15th of Feburary. We got to go out to din-din. Texas Roadhouse...yummy! I can't wait until I have more teeth, that way I can get my own Sirlon! :o) After din-din, we came home and opened Valentine presents and cards. I got more cards that my Mommy & Daddy! Aren't I lucky!

Daddy liked helping me open my presents. He is so nice to me!

Here I am with my goods! Mom and Dad gave me a crazy-looking elephant. Daddy also snuck out and got me this cool book, "Llama Llama Red Pajama!" It is a fun read!

I also got some stuffed animals and cute fuzzy heart blankets from both Grandmas and I got a cool kissy frog from Great Grandpa (AKA Gr8 1) I am sure loved. I just hope NEXT Valentine's Day, the folks don't have to work!

Getting into Daddy's Brief Case

I was trying to help Daddy with his papers. Reading 7th grade homework is far more interesting than my toys!

the culprit!

As you can see, and not to your suprise, the backwards diaper culprit was DADDY! Who else? Seriously, without Mommy, we would be lost! Aren't we cute and matching?

Notice that I am wearing a Christmas outfit. This is my second time wearing it. Mommy thought it was a waste of money to wear it only once, so she put me in it a couple of days ago. No need to act like Paris Hilton...wearing an outfit once and throwing it out!

pulling up!

Pulling up! I like to pull up on everything now! I especially like to pull up and walking up and down the couch or coffee table. It is my FAVORITE thing to do.

Guess who did it!

Notice my diaper. One of my loving parents put this diaper on me a couple of days ago. Do you see something wrong??? The tabs are on the back! This "loving" parent diapered me completely wrong. The excuse was that the diaper was already laid down the wrong way, so instead of flipping it over the diaper was put on BACKWARDS!

My other parent put this diaper on me. Notice the tabs IN FRONT! :)

Now it is up to you to vote. Who puts diapers on me backwards....Mommy or Daddy!

Making my way UP!