9 Months Old

Our little Azure is getting older, but not really getting bigger. She just keeps working her way down on the percentile scale.

Azure was so annoyed at me for this picture. First off I wouldn't let her take off her headband. She officially despises wearing one. And I made her lay down. Something else she rather dislikes unless she is asleep. But if you have been keeping up you may notice that she and the lamb are staying at about the same proportions to one another. It is a strange thing, but this little girl has slowed way way down. She's still losing weight even.

At 9 months Azure:
~ weighs in at 15 lbs 8 oz (the 12th percentile);
~ is 26.25 inches tall (the 6th percentile, this one shocked me, I thought all my kids would be super tall for their entire lives);
~ is all over the place. She loves to crawl and get into stuff;
~ has started pulling herself up on everything;
~ follows me around the house;
~ really isn't ticklish, except on rare occasion when she decides she is;
~ is always happy (except when she's not, and then she's really really not, but that's rare);
~ hates her carseat;
~ is not a fan of carrots, sweet potato, and other nightshade veggies;
~ loves her family, especially her brother;
~ flirts with strangers at every chance. Everywhere we go we get people admiring her. Ammon says we need to watch carefully because people are going to try to steal her. I don't blame them. I'd try to steal her if she wasn't mine;
~ isn't growing much, except for her hair. She is definitely growing hair finally. But it is blonde so you still can't see it. Blonde, thin, and wispy. Never thought I'd have a child with hair like that;
~ adores Cormac. A lot. He can get her laughing so much more than anybody else. And he usually isn't trying;

~ cracks me up all day long;
~ loves to get into things (she is so very curious about everything);
~ hates to have her diaper changed. I think it's the combination of having to be still and lie down;
~ is still always in motion;
~ does NOT cuddle;
~ hates having her nose wiped;
~ claps her hands and shakes her head along with anyone else, even waves occasionally;
~ is full of personality;
~ will not be deterred, she is determined;
~ can get out of anything. She's sort of an escape artist.

To illustrate the above point let me share a story. A couple days ago we had some errands to run. We ended up at Walmart where I put Cormac in the basket of the shopping cart and Azure in the front part as usual. But unlike usual Azure discovered she could turn around and stand up if she held on to the back of that front part. And naturally I had grabbed a cart with a broken strap. So I gave in and placed her in the basket with Cormac (it was super sweet actually, she was standing up at the front of the cart looking out and loving every minute, Cormac was sitting behind her looking in that direction also, but with his knee and his arm protectively around her so she wouldn't fall, he's a good brother, usually).

The next day we had a few more errands and ended up first at Target. I found a cart with a strap and got my girl all strapped in. As I was going through the store I got distracted by a rack of pajamas. When I turned back to my cart Azure had pulled her feet up onto the seat, was standing with the whole seat collapsing on her, and was wiggling her way out of her seat belt. So I sat her back down. And she did it again. So I sat her back down and held her in place long enough to tighten the belt. . . a lot. Crazy girl. The next stop found us at Costco. As soon as we walked in Cormac started asking for pizza. Since it was lunch time I agreed. We got pizza and were sitting at the table eating. Except for Azure who I left in the cart and would feed little yogurt bites to on occasion. I had been helping Cormac when I turned to feed Azure some more. She had stood up, turned around, and was bent over the back of the seat with  her head dangling towards the basket of the cart and her feet and bum clear up in the air. Scared me to death. I don't know how she managed it. She was strapped tight. I guess not tight enough.

She's a character I tell you. I sure love this little girl. She bring so much joy to every day of our lives. Can't imagine life without her.

Oldies but Goodies

I grabbed a whole bunch of pictures off my phone. Some of them are rather old, but I thought I'd share anyway. I thought a certain set of grandparents who are serving in Navuoo might enjoy them.

Back in August when she was just figuring out this crawling thing.

First ride in a swing, back in about July or so.

Not sure when this was exactly, but isn't she cute in her stroller?

Yes, you will be wearing one the rest of your life. Sorry dude. At least you don't have really long hair to deal with.

Cormac's birthday, a nice big ice cream Sunday.

Want some, Daddy?

Buzz to the rescue?

We got to take a ride on the Nightmare Express that our neighbor's do each year. So very fun.

Look at those eyes!

Happy Halloween

I was sort of waiting for the family picture that we took at the ward Halloween party to be sent to me so I could include it with these others. But alas, it hasn't come yet. Since it's almost Thanksgiving I figure I should just go ahead and share pictures of our little monsters.

Cormac was Buzz Lightyear (he loves Buzz). Azure was a pumpkin fairy? Not really sure, but it was cute and on sale so I went with it. She was really cute. Both kids were the life of the ward party. The youth divided the kids up into groups and then had the kids go around to various stations. In the gym the young women were teaching the kids a "monster dance." The kids were on the gym floor and the ladies were up on the stage. Cormac was really getting into the dancing. Then all of a sudden he took off. Apparently he decided he was advanced enough to take it to the next level. The next thing we knew he was up on the stage dancing with the ladies. It was so funny. I think he takes after his dad. Always wanting to be in the spotlight. It was awesome. He was only up there for a short while before it was time to switch stations. Ammon got a little short video of it. I'll post it soon.

Then little miss Azure was also a dancing queen. She was on the floor rocking out to the music; much to the amusement of everyone there. Everyone was getting pictures and video of her doing the "Monster Mash." I'll have to post that one as well. Once I figure out how to get it off the phone and on the computer. I'm a bit slow.

In the meantime, "To infinity and beyond," or as Cormac says it "Toooo-on!"

Cormac turns 3

I can hardly believe my baby is 3. He's such a sweet boy. A passionate, crazy, dramatic, but very sweet little boy. He has really changed the person I am today. I think for the better. At least I hope so.

At 3 Cormac weighs 30 lbs and is 3 ft 3 in. Isn't that fitting? So many 3's. He is in the 35th percentile for weight, and the 87th for height. Takes after his father before him.

Cormac loves trains. Still doesn't speak very clear English, but sure does talk a lot to those he knows well. Otherwise he's pretty quiet. And is into pretty much any type of transportation (but trains are still the favorite).

For his birthday we decided that the night before he could go on a date with Mom and Dad by himself. It's a new birthday tradition we're starting. We went to see "Brave" at the dollar theater. About halfway through he lost interest, and then we got a call from the sitter. Azure was inconsolable, so we decided to ditch early.

The next morning we all went to the zoo. It was truly awesome. Cormac had a blast. We all loved it. It's so much fun to watch your children get so excited and happy about things.

After the zoo we did presents and BYU football. Then a little trip to the park followed by Mac and Cheese for dinner and a train birthday cake (that didn' turn out nearly as cute as I'd envisioned it). Then we tucked our extremely tired little 3 year old down in his bed with his trains all around him. It was a wonderful day. I'm so glad Cormac is mine.

For your viewing pleasure, and because I have such mad skills in movie making, I have made the following to prove we did indeed visit the zoo and do everything else I just claimed. Happy Birthday Cormac!

Cormac's Nearly Finished Room

We do a lot of projects here at the Dahl House. In our defense our house needs a lot of love. Well, less so now, but we still have things to do. I spent so much time making Azure's room nice that I wanted to do Cormac's as well. His room was one that I'd been meaning to get to For.E.Ver. So it was time. I set out to create a fun little boy haven.

Now for those who may or may not have been reading this blog a while back, this is what Cormac's room looked like when we purchased the place:

Sorry about the blurry pictures (can I, too, blame Thelma?). I did love that pink carpet. The closet was a mess. We had to tear it out because of some dry rot problems thanks to some serious issues in the bathroom.

We had the house re-carpeted. But not Cormac's room initially. Not until some repairs could be made on that closet.

For a long time it looked like this:

Our first remodel of the room turned out like this:

 A cozy place for a baby. But over time it had evolved. Cormac had taken all the toys off the cute shelf then hung on the shelf until it had nearly come entirely off the wall. It was time to repair that dresser. The bed was new. And the super awesome train blanket had to come down before it was ripped down from over-eager toddlers. And we had to make room for toys!

If you know much about us you know we are good at starting projects, not as awesome at finishing them. So we have yet to get the right tie backs for the curtains. And the awesome dresser that my dear Aunt Harriet gave us (thank so much!) is nearly finished. But I haven't decided on handles yet. Still working on that.

I made the signs for the wall by printing off pictures I liked, distressing canvas, and then modge podging it all together. I love how they turned out (and that they were cheap).

We needed more floor space. So I moved the old bookshelf into the closet to store his various large cars. Then I used these "art display" shelves from Ikea for books. I was worried he wouldn't keep the books up there, but actually he usually just gets down the couple he wants and then puts them right back. He's a good boy.

I painted the frame on the picture white because I was sick of the wood. And then we made the dresser nice and bright. I love color.

The best part of the room, or what I thought would be, is this wall:

I first painted it with magnet paint. Then I went over it with chalk board paint. Ammon made some trim and framed it in nicely, and there you have it. The problem is that the magnet paint is weak. I need to find some much stronger magnets. I had hoped to hang his artwork and stuff up there, but I haven't found any magnets strong enough to do that. But I'll get there. . . maybe.

So there you have it. The new look of the room (pictures as requested Mum:).

Azure at 7 and 8 months

I've been remiss in my efforts to keep up this blog. When Cormac was a baby I'd sit him on my lap and type around him. He would stay content for a little while. Long enough that I could usually blog or do other such things. Azure doesn't sit content. She tries to grab the keyboard. She is all over the place. I usually have to hold on to her with 2 hands to keep her from falling forward and smacking her head on the desk. So blogging just doesn't happen as often.

But despite my lack of recording it here, time has continued to march on and this little one has turned 7 months and now 8 months. So here I combine the two (poor second child; she's just not getting as much press as the first did).

At 7 months old Azure was 16 lbs 6 oz and was 26.25 inches long. Her growth has really slowed down. She's still getting long, but she's really not putting on much weight. And at 7 months she was really crawling backward very well, but not so much forward.

Now at 8 months old Azure has actually lost a few ounces. She's 16 lbs 2 oz (which puts her in the 14th percentile for weight), and she is 27 inches long (the 45th percentile for height, if you are wondering about the proportions I'll introduce you to her father sometime).

So now at this time some fun things about Azure.
~She has finally figured out moving forward. It was actually on October 11th. We were over at a friends house so I could do some Visiting Teaching and she finally started going forward. Despite having figured it out then, she really hasn't been on the move as much as I'd expected until about this last week. She finally is venturing around more.
~ With that venturing she has been discovering cords. She really loves to get into them. I have to keep a sharp eye on her.
~ She never stops moving. Still. Even in the middle of the night when I feed her, she moves the whole time even though she's mostly asleep.
~ She does not like cooked carrots, sweet potato, yams, or broccoli.
~ Azure has a very sensitive gag reflex. And she throws up a lot. Not so fun for Mom.
~ She is super curious and loves to see everything going on around her.
~ Azure will not be deterred. If there is something she sees that she wants, she will fight to get at it. And distraction does not work on this girl.
~ This little miss is a ham. She cracks me up. She'll purposely bonk her head on the back of her high chair and then pause and look at me waiting for the reaction. She fake coughs all the time and watches for my reaction as well.
~ She's almost always in a good mood. But when she's not she is really not. And nothing can calm her but Mom. Heaven help the world if something ever happens to me.
~ Azure likes to make fun noises which I have yet to capture on camera. I'm determined to get it though. She sometimes gets laughing hard, but mostly just gives a courtesy half laugh.
~ This girl still adores her brother, but has discovered that he's more fun at a distance most of the time. Cormac likes to wrestle, and she is not in favor 95% of the time.
~ When Ammon gets home from work she wants to watch his every move. She doesn't necessarily want him to hold her (unless Mommy won't and then she's okay with it), but she loves to see what he's doing.
~ So far the toys she's most interested in are Cormac's matchbox cars and his trains. I've tried to interest her in stuffed animals and dolls. She would prefer a car any day. Oh, and she loves squirty tub toys (they are excellent for little teethers).
~ I can feel 4 teeth that are close, but so far none have broken skin.
~ "Snuggling" is not a word that Azure identifies with. At all. In any way shape or form. And don't you dare try to restrain her arms or legs. Ever. When I feed her she has to be positioned so that she can still move. She's a fireball this one.
~ And really, I just can't imagine life without my sweet little baby.

During our 7 month "photo shoot" she was really hamming it up. I got some fun photos. So I wanted to share a ton of them. But I wasn't sure most people were that devoted. So I decided to make a little 8 month recap of her life with mostly pictures from her little monthly shots. I hope you enjoy.

Goodbye September, Hello October

To send out the last of September Ammon and I went to a BYU Football game. Well, it wasn't really planned, but about 2 hours before the game a good friend offered us some amazing tickets. We were on the 5th row at the south endzone. It was awesome. Finding a babysitter was difficult, but it worked out. It was the first time I'd left Azure for that long. But she did great. I guess it's time for us to start having regular date nights.

Then to ring in the Fall we went up to Bridal Veil Falls this past Sunday. It was a gorgeous day.

We are ready for autumn. And soon our little man with be 3 years old. How time flies.

September Wrap Up

Just a few pictures I wanted to share to sum up our September.

At the beginning of September we were able to go out to Starr Valley to see the our newest nephew, Omar, blessed. The Cobians were very good to us while we were there. They let us invade their home. It was very sweet of them.

While we were out there Cormac was rarely seen. He loved being one of the 6 boys roaming around the Cobian home. Even now as I type this he is looking at these pictures saying, "trains, go trains, go trains." Just to help you interpret that, whenever Cormac wants something he says "go" followed by whatever it is he wants, "go drink," "go sush a teesh (brush my teeth)," "go side (go outside)." Azure was the bell of the ball. She was admired by one and all.

And enjoyed napping with anyone willing to offer a soft arm. I think Robert is getting a bit of a nap in too. They were a good pair.

Later in September we were able to host a Fisher-Price House Party. It was awesome. Fisher-Price sent us a bunch of new toys. Then we had a bunch of friends over to help us enjoy the toys.

Azure's favorite part was the paper that wrapped up the toys. It made tons of noise, ripped, and was light weight for throwing around. She loved it.

I made these cute little critters for the party. Everyone loves an edible caterpillar.

She was pretty tired at the party, but she loved watching the kids run around. September was a lovely month, but I'm so excited that October is here.

6 Months Old

Our baby girl is growing up. She's a lot of fun. And she's getting big. I can't believe how much she has grown and changed. You would think that it wouldn't phase me as much, her changing like she is, since I've done this before, but alas, I find myself in shock over how fast it goes. 

At 6 months Azure:
~ weighs in at 16 lbs 3 oz, and is 26 inches long.
~ is a pro at sitting up on her own, and she is very offended if you don't have her sitting up and in the middle of all the action.
~ is so very alert. She's very sharp and observant.
~ loves to get into everything she can reach; much to her brother's dismay.
~ gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth. She always goes backward; usually to her dismay.
~ has started solids and is doing pretty well with them.
~ is still not sleeping through the night consistently.
~ seems to be teething, but I can't feel anything yet.
~ always wants Mom to hold her. If she can see me and she's not in my arms then there's a problem in her mind.
~ absolutely adores her brother.
~ watches Ammon everywhere he goes the second he walks in the house. She loves her daddy.
~ has amazing eyelashes.
~ is a really happy baby. She's very amiable all the time.
~ is the prettiest baby I've ever seen.

She wouldn't leave the sign alone. It was so hard to get a picture. Then her brother started doing crazy things off to the side:

She was going to share with him I think, but he was in his own world.

I know, enough pictures already, but I just love that face. I always tell her it's her own fault I kiss her so much. With cheeks like that? What else am I supposed to do.

Love you sweet girl.