Two big milestones: The Munch rolls 18 months, and the Bull completes his 100th post

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  18 months and 4 days (HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!?!?!?!?!?)

Family,

A big moment for the Sneetch - her first
time climbing to the top of the slide all
by herself!  Way to go, Munch Munch!

And a good Monday afternoon to you from the Queen City, where the Bull is finally over his cough and trying to stay healthy and hydrated in the run-up to his next half marathon (this Saturday in Davidson).  This post is a milestone for the Bull, as it officially marks the move over triple digits.  Considering that I wasn't sure if I was even going to do a blog about being a parent - to say nothing of the fact that I was unsure whether or not I would be able to keep up the weekly pace of writing - I am feeling quite chuffed at the moment.  Now I know that I'll complete K's second year, and if we're lucky enough to get pregnant and have another little rug rat, my goal is to carry that blog through the first 2 years of that one's life.  However, beyond that I make no promises.  In a perfect world I'd write until they were both (all? :-)) through college, but realistically I'm thinking Kindergarten is more like it.  Either way, as I type today, I am SO HAPPY that I decided to do this and have stuck with it.  Going back through these posts is a walk down memory lane, and it's been amazing to watch the pace of development (which is exponential at this point).  I would hate to think that we didn't have all this growth and achievement documented, and speaking of that - we should turn to that topic now. :-)

So K has done the unthinkable, ladies and gentlemen - she has REACHED THE 18 MONTH MARK.  Honestly, I cannot believe we have a girl who is now more of a toddler than a baby.  In fact, I'll go one further, as I returned from Vegas to find more than just a little toddler - she had transformed into a little girl overnight!

This past week was big, as it marked K's first ever dentist appointment.  Now the good news is that K LOVES brushing her teeth. Truth be told, she loves the flavor of the toothpaste (non-fluoride!) and the pressure against her gums since she's teething, but she actually does a good job brushing them.  We do it at least once a day, and Jenny has come up with the theme song for the event:

"We're gonna brush, brush, brush, brush the teeth..."
"We're gonna brush, brush, brush, brush the teeth..."
"We're gonna brush the little teeth, 'til they sparkle and they shine,"
"We're gonna brush, brush, brush, brush the teeth."

"It's go time, mommy!  Check these toupins!"

"Big chair next time!"

Yes - it is incredibly profound.  To quote Ozymandias:  "Look ye mighty and despair..."

"Ballah, shot callah, 20 in blades on
the Impala..."

The appointment went well.  They actually didn't use the dentist chair but instead had K sit in Jenny's lap while they checked her out.  All went well, and Jenny said the entire staff was amazing - a few were even owners of Bubbles the learning whale! :-)  And on the tooth front, the Sneetch continues to teeth.  The canines (apparently the worst in terms of pain while breaking through) are still not visible, but the fact that she puts her fingers in her mouth and bites down tells us that they are swimming around in there, causing some discomfort.  It's hard to tell whether or not it's impacted her appetite, as it is up and down.  However, it has made for quite a bit of Advil lately (which both the Peds and the dentist have confirmed is normal, expected, and totally appropriate).  Fingers crossed she's able to keep sleeping!

In terms of other development, the child is getting stronger than a bull moose.  She can now pull herself up onto almost any couch and chair, and she's become fond of standing in the chair that JT and I sit in to feed her.  Also, her syllable count has EXPLODED, as she is a crazy babbler now, uttering collections of syllables with no discernible meaning.  She is definitely saying a few words, and she continues to understand more and more of what we say.  Matt (Matt and KJ came to visit this weekend) asked her to turn the page of a book at one point, and she happily obliged.  One thing that is funny is that, when she sees something she really wants, she will do the "please" sign so vigorously that I fear she's going to rip a hole in her chest.  And while we know this means she really wants something, the problem is that she has no follow-up or vocabulary to tell us what's perked her interest.  However, she is learning, as evidenced by Peppa Pig.

So while not her most flattering, this is about 14 billion
times better than other photos we tried this weekend.
Case in point is the next photo down. :-)

So K has finally taken a vague interest in television, with Peppa Pig being the most watched show (probably because that's the only one we tape for her).  Well, she can't say Peppa of course.  However, she can give us the please sign and snort (which is what Peppa does during the opening credits) - TOO CUTE.  Now granted, it's a lot cuter mid-week than when she's asking for it during College Gameday, but still - it's pretty funny.


Also, for the first time ever, we let K sleep with a stuffed animal this week.  We only did it during the nap, but she seemed quite contented and enjoyed it.  It was "Herrod's bear," and I do think that might be her fave at present.  She napped with Sophie the teething giraffe today - not quite as cuddly.

LOVE this.  

Head of the table!

Something else that's been cute has been watching K slowly grasp the concept of why diapers need changing.  She's still not shy about the fact that she needs to poop, but when she's done she's progressed from holding her nose to saying "Dipe, dipe!", which is what Jenny and I have called diapers for the last year and a half.  She's not started bringing us the diapers yet, but we do think it's time to start considering potty training and next steps.  Again - perfect timing with the peds appointment coming up tomorrow.

K did have the other big milestone of climbing UP the slide for the first time ever this past week!  I was working when JT texted me a shot of K at the top of the slide - all smiles.  She can go down on her own as well, but she likes to slide feet first on her belly.  At least this week she doesn't clang her head


on the slide, but we're working on having her go down on her bum.  It's a work in progress. :-)

The weekend was great with Kim and Matt in town, and we spent Saturday hanging out with friends and family.  We had breakfast with Nanny and Grandpa (as well as Matt's dad and stepmother), and then we spent the afternoon and early evening with Lauren and Phillip (friends of Kim's from law school who we'd met several times previously).  The whole day was a blast - just went by too fast!  Same with Sunday, which was filled with football and utter lethargy.  No complaints here!

So there you have it - another great week and a milestone post in the books.  It's been an INCREDIBLE first 18 months - can't wait to see how the catalogue of the next 18 months reads!

Love,

Sam and Jenny