A Great Surprise

Matt surprised Baikal and I with a wonderful gift! He had the front and back yards landscaped while we were on vacation in NC. He even put in a play set, complete with slide and sandbox. It is so great we have been outside everyday since.







It has been really hot here, so we have to water everyday. We have a 30 day water exemption from any restrictions since we have newly planted greenery. Baikal's job is the water the plants. It takes her about 3 hours.

Birthday parties

Baikal was invited to two birthday parties this weekend. She only had enough steam for one of them. She enjoyed blowing bubbles, eating cake, and having a juice box. The next day when I asked her about the party, she replied the following three words: dance, bubbles, and cake. Sounds like the event made in impact.

Miss Independence

Now that she is fully in her toddler stage, Baikal asserts her independence wherever she sees fit. I am trying to encourage this, since baby #2 will take a lot of my attention. We are currently working on having Baikal walk next to me instead of me carrying her or using a stroller for outings such as the grocery store and going to the park. We went to the zoo a few days ago and I did not take the stroller. Keep in mind that I let her pretty much go at her own pace, so there were not too many power struggles. Below are some pictures of that outing. She has also really taken to self-feeding. I've included a picture of her trying to put cream cheese on her toast by herself. She calls this tubby toast.

Rockin' Girl Blog Award

My blog has been tagged as a rockin' girl blog. What an honor! I'd like to start by thanking the academy, god, my family, my dogs, my daughter, and mostly my husband.




To pass on the honor, I'd like to tag www.cederbaby.blogspot.com as a rockin' girl blog. It is hosted by my cousin, Lisa Cederbaum. She documents the adventures of her family, including her husband, Rob, and her six month old baby, Ella.

Lake Junaluska

Last week was our annual trip to Lake Junaluska. It was a great week and Baikal is getting to the age where she can really take advantage of all of the neat things it has to offer. Her favorite two things were the playground and the pool, until she fell at the pool and hit her head at the playground. Oh well, that is the life of a toddler. She was also able to enjoy her first meal at Joey's pancake house, a staple for the week.

Dress

Baikal is now interested in dressing herself. She still needs help, especially in the outfits that she selects. Her current favorite styles are: pants on head, overalls with no shirt, and mom's shoes. Here are some pictures of her fashion sense.