Thursday, January 2, 2014

15 Month old Aleana!

Here are some cute pictures from her 15th month and so 15 month pictures.  
So we kind of taught Aleana that stickers go on faces and now she only wants to put them on hers or our faces. We are trying to show her that they go on paper but she will usually take them off and put them on someones face. Silly little girl. 

The excitement of the tree never wore off if the lights were not on she would have me come over and plug them in or try to plug them in herself.  She also enjoys playing with all the toys under the tree:) 
She loves this little dog but has not figured out how to pull it and make it walk so she just pushes it like a car. 
Aleana does not like to wear little bows or head band but she thinks it is funny to take the big flowers off the ribbon in her room and wear them. 
I attempted to take pictures of her with a 15 month sign but she was too quick to rip up this one and a previous one before I could get a picture, apparently she thinks it is a fun game.  So I decided to try the white board and it worked pretty well.  Aleana's birthmom likes to have her holding the sign to track her age so I am going to try to take pictures every couple months until she is 2 and then every year until she wont let me anymore. 

My little crazy girl with her penguin hat and classes.  I love this little girl!  

Here is an update on Aleana.  When we took her to the doctor for her sinus infection after Thanksgiving she weighed 23 lbs. and I don't know how tall she is currently.  She has 8 front teeth her 2 bottom molars and her 2 top molars are half grown in, poor little girl has been in quite a bit of pain lately.  Her hair is getting longer and curlier in the back and she is starting to our grow her baby mullet, but she has a major widows peak.  Her hair is staring to turn more auburn it is going to be really pretty when she gets older.  Aleana has also figured out how to get down the stairs, I still like to follow her down because she has tried to fall a couple of times but most of the time she does really well.  She love so scoot down and look at her self in the mirror. 

This poor little girl has allergies she is often sneezing, rubbing her noses and eye, coughing and being driven crazy by her runny nose.  The place she is the worst is at my parents house, we think she is allergic to their birds (darn we will never own birds). Also being out in the cold always make it worse. luckily allergy medicine works.  Also she will throw up when she eats eggs I don't know if she has a sensitive stomach or if she is allergic.  No more eggs or food with eggs in it for a while, she does not really like baked goods any ways so that is not to hard. 

When we got back from her Christmas we took away her bottle and replaced it with a sippy cup.  We have had a couple rough nights and we ended up giving her the bottle the first night because it was just to much for her and she will only take the bottle if she wakes up in the night, but for the most part it has gone really well. Now we just need to have her realize that she can drink milk other times then just before bed and just before naps.     

She is getting pretty vocal and is learning to communicate with us a little better. She has got mom down really well, if she wants out of her crib, high chair, wants helps just wants my attention she say " mom, mom, mom" until I come.  She says mum mum if she wants a snack and stands under the cupboard the snack are in and tries to climb up.  She has still got dog, hi, and blanky and done down.  She uses baby signs to say more, please to wave good bye and often to say done.  She also she likes to copy us.  She has this favorite book "Good night moon ABC"  when we get to the part that say and the quite old lady whispering hush she will say "hush, hush, hush" and when we get the the end where is say "good night stars, good night air, good night noises every where Zzzzzzz"  will make the "zzzzz" sound.  I think it is so cute that I read the book to her at least once and day.  She is also working on the animal sounds for horse, elephant, and cow. They all sound pretty similar just the intonation is different.  Still all animals and dogs.  It is funny we will say "woof woof' and she will say dog, but if we ask her what sound a dog makes she will make an elephant sound.  Some day she will figure it out but right now it is so cute! 

Some of her favorite things are her broom, stuffed animals, magna-doole, balls, sitting in laundry baskets, boxes, or on the couch, helping cook, and helping do the laundry.  She is such a good little helper.  I hope she stays this way when she gets older.  

We are excited to see her grow up but she is no longer our little baby.  It is bitter sweet. 

Happy 2014!

2013 was a great year for us and if 2014 is even half as great we will be really blessed! 
Aleana eating chips and salsa and rice.

 As we often have done in the past we went up to the Hicken house for New Year to hang out with; Chelsea Moore and her son's Andy and Ezra, Nicole and Talon Anderson and their daughter Addalyn and Son William, Josh and Lindsie Boucher and their son Ethan and their soon to be son her in a few weeks, Erin and Scott Lofley and their daughter Ashlynn, and Chase and Yeon Mi Hicken and their little girl Brooklyn.  We had 8 children under the age of 3 it was a bit crazy and we had some crying but all together it was a lot of fun.  All the kids went down for bed except silly little Aleana she just screamed if we tried to put her down.  We left at 11:00  and she fell asleep with in 3 minutes of being in the car and slept until about 9:15 the next morning.  It was nice to be able to sleep in what a way to start the new year!  
Us with Chase photo bombing.

 Review of 2013

 I turned 26 and have enjoyed spending this year home with Aleana who has grown up way to fast. I did just agree to watch my neighbor Sheena's boys a few time a week so I could help save up money for another adoption.  We enjoyed another Easter with Aleana. In April Aleana's adoption was finalized and we took her to the temple to be sealed to us for time and all eternity. She was also blessed and given a name by Curt. April was a great month for us.   Aleana turned 1 years old and learned how to walk.  Curt turned 30 and has been applying for lost of jobs and interviewing for quiet a few but none of them have been the right job for us.  We just celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Holidays are so much fun with a toddler you can tell she does not quiet understand but feels the excitement and enjoys all the fun.  We are still in the same condo in black hawk and Curt is still in his same job at the hospital. He did apply to be a BYU online professor so we will see if that will help us out until a career opportunity comes along.  We have been enjoying spending time with our Logan friend but had to say good bye to my sister Debbie who graduated and moved home to do an internship.  I will missing having her close and having a babysitter.  I will have to call on my Logan friends more often now. Although she is coming up tomorrow night to watch Aleana while we go see "Ender's Game" with Steve and Damaris Kjar.  Yeah for date night we have not had too many of those this past year.  All is all we have had a great year and so glad that Aleana, Jesica, Brooke, Jeremy and Cindy have been a part of it! 

Here are some project I would like to accomplish in the up coming year

( we will see how many I get done :)

Organize my craft stuff
Print all past blogs into a photo books
Make a book of Aleana's finalization, Sealing, and blessing.
Type up about Aleana's Sealing and her birth and placement. 
Finish Aleana's baby book. 
Start and complete her 2 Year photo book. 
Make my black skirt that has been sitting in my sewing pile for a few years. 
Make Curt and myself aprons (which I have had patterns and material for a few years as well :)
Review and fix up past scrapbooks.
Stay on top of blogging    

Personal Resolutions/ Goals

Exercise twice a week. 
Make healthier dinner and have healthier snacks around the house 
Help save up for another Adoption 
 Listen to or Read lessons for church
Deiced what to do with school money maybe start taking classes.  
Review info from college classes. 
Go to the Temple 2 times a moth (try to set a baby sitting trade with neighbors)
Learn to Index and try to index 30 mins a week. 
Be a better member missionary