Ohhh, wow-wee!

Our sweet little almost 16 month-old baby doll has started chatting up a storm.  Mum was the word for so long, so we are thrilled to hear her chatter all of the live-long day.  My very favorite is, "Ohhh wooow-weee." This most commonly occurs when I open the pantry or refrigerator doors and is accompanied by a huge surprise face.  Sister likes to eat.

Here's what i'm remembering her vocabulary to be as of late..

momma
dadda
Hattie
fumble (I know, right?!)
baa (bath)
ball
eat
oh, wow-wee
nana (banana..her favorite)
tain too (thank you- she thanks me after every diaper change)
haa (hot)
mo (more)
Papa
hi
bye

In sign language she will still sign 'more' and 'all done'.  For yes and no and give us an over-exaggerated nod in the appropriate motion.  Cute stuff.

Hattie has been so sweet lately. We are thrilled that she is a baby doll girl.  Oh she snugs and hugs and loves all of her babies all day long.  She's usually always carrying a baby and a ball around the house. We've been working on going up and down the stairs this month.  I've kept the gate down and am trying to give her a little independence now.  She's free to go up to the toy room and grab some babies all day long.  She has done really well and been very careful.

Something i've started to notice about our girl is how observant she is.  She's like her biggest brother in this way.  If I add some decor element to the house or switch something around she will notice almost immediately and point and say, "Oh, wow."  This happened recently with a rug and a wreath.

This girl loves to read.  She adores books.  We read a lot with her and she will sit still for a long time to turn the pages and look at all of the pictures. She also love to dance and sing.  Any time music comes on she will stop in her tracks and dance.  She still has the sweetest little voice too.

Hattie has loved socializing lately.  She's loved the kid's area at the gym and the nursery at church.  It's so nice to not have to wonder how many minutes I have until someone comes to get me to retrieve my upset child.  Knowing she's happy where she's at is a blessing.

Sleep has been wondrous the past few months.  H is sleeping from 7:30p. to 8:30a every night.  She's also taking 2 hour naps lately.  It feels so good to have all of our children sleeping through the night.  At last!

We experienced our first bout with the flu.  Happy New Year to us.  Apparently the flu-shot was dead-on this year, so if you got the shot you will not get the flu.  Of course we did not get the shot.  I go back and fourth every year, and just chose not to this year.  That will NEVER happen again.  I have never felt so close to death in my life (natural birth was a close second).  It was so brutal.  Everyone but Dallas got it (smart boy got the shot), so that poor guy was our caretaker for the better part of a week. It was like hospice over here. Every time I cracked my eyelids open he was washing someone's sheets, medicating someone, or emptying a puke receptacle.  I literally did not eat or leave my bed for 5 days straight.  Brutal.  Bleckh.  Hattie was a trooper, though.  She was the least affected by the flu, and got over it quickly.  Thank goodness.

Here's some shots of my girl.  She's blurry because she.runs.everywhere.  It's nearly impossible to keep her still lately without a book in your lap.  I need to get more intentional about taking photos.  I haven't taken many lately.

Look how big:(