The next (14) steps

It's that time again... the Babe is another month older! This time: 14. Can you believe it? I am not sure I can. Calista has had quite a month. Since her 13 month "birthday," she's learned to walk. The day before she learned to walk, though, she kept doing this:

Over and over again. Stand up in the middle of the floor, the slap her hands down on the carpet while making a funny yell. Over and over and over. I think she was experimenting with what to do when she fell? Who knows.

On Kyler's and my anniversary, we went to lunch, a movie, and dinner, kidlet-free. In between lunch and the start of the movie, we wandered around the mall with the cinema in it. And we found Beatles Rock Band for 8 bucks. Happy anniversary, us.

The result:

The girl loves to dance! And we're teaching her proper music appreciation early.

Some days are easier than others, which is life. The days that are hardest are the ones Calista decides she doesn't want to nap.

Which often end up like this. Her, asleep, way later than I'd like, and not in bed. At least she's cute, right?

Calista is also quite the little helper. She loves to feel like she's a part of the action.

Screwdrivers are for eating, right?

Kitchen drawers are some of the best toys ever.

Hmm, 1/4 cup? I really wanted the 1/3. Oh well, I guess this will have to do.

This is how you make food, right?

I discovered that I need to go through her laundry basket before I just toss it all in the wash.

Yeah, she just pulled a book out. And the other day, when I didn't check, a green megablok got a nice bath. Whoops.

Since she's starting walking, the park has gone from just a slightly fun place with an awesome swing

to an awesome place with an awesome swing and rocks!

We're still working on getting her not to eat the rocks. The best way is to accept them when she's offering them to you. If you don't let her give the rocks to you, she'll stick them in her mouth. What can I say? She's a baby who will have a healthy immune system?

I've been experimenting with Calista's hair. It's starting to get a little longer and fuller, so I decided to see if I could put pigtails in it.

I can! But she hates getting them done, and having me pull her hair taunt while I get the rubber bands in.

Do barrettes work better? Well... they work, and she is less grumpy about getting them put in. Success.

In the entry way, playing with the diaper bag and shoes. Silly baby girl.

Speaking of silly babies... we were folding laundry before Calista went to bed, and she took one of my (folded) shirts and kept playing with it. So I put it on her.

This was what she wore to bed that night. She loved it.

Since she's walking and getting taller, Calista can get into a lot of things...

Like flour that I, uh, left out within her reach. Oops. She tried to eat it. And then started coughing. And had to have a bath at 9 AM.

Calista absolutely loves to read. She will come up to you, a book in her hand, and then hold it out to you. Once you take it, she holds both arms out, asking to be picked up. Into your lap she goes, where she will gladly help you turn the pages on her book. Once it's done and you set it aside, she will slide off your lap, go get another book from her shelf or the library bag, and repeat the process. Sometimes over, and over, and over.

At not even 10 AM the other morning, this was our stack of books we'd already read that day. She's really good at following the direction to go get a different book. It's awesome. Actually, she's really good at following many directions. She will go to the bathroom if you ask her if she needs to use the toilet. She will go to the changing table in her room (stopping to pick up a toy on the way) and stand there waiting to be picked up if you tell her it's time to change her diaper. She will start heading for the door if you ask her if she wants to go outside. It's so cute, and also... almost a little sad. The Babe really is starting to grow up.

But sometimes, like when she's sick, Calista is back to being a baby again.

Including waking up every 2 hours or so. She had a stuffy nose and couldn't breath very well. Poor babe.

She's feeling a lot better today, though. Which is good, because she is 14 months!

Play a little birthday tune!

Definitely worth it!

I recently bought Calista overalls. It was a purchase I've been wanting to make for months (years?), and a found a really good deal.

 I am so glad I did.

I just can't get enough of seeing her in them. I'd dress her in them every day if I could.

But I can't. She... likes to feed herself if she can. So instead, she wears them at least once a week, until she gets them dirty. And then, repeat.

Walking on sunshine (and don't it feel good?)

This is a bit behind, since I'm that way lately - I think once I do this post, I'll be caught up, though! - but, as of the last day in August, I have a real toddler. As in, she can toddle. Walk. Fall. All sorts of fun things.
Kyler and I say she decided to walk, because we think she could've done it earlier if she wanted to, but she didn't have the motivation. The motivation she needed? Calista wanted to carry my hardbound book. It's too heavy for one hand, doesn't fit in her mouth, and doesn't work with any bum-scoot method of movement. So, she walked from the middle of the front room to the couch, and hasn't stopped since.

An example of her walking skills, although the first 30 seconds are me trying to convince her to walk, and she's actually generally more stable than shown. Oh well. I'll work on getting a better video at some point.

On the same day as her first real steps, we decided to graduate her to the bigger, more grown up carseat, and facing forward! Now she gets to feel the wind in her face as we drive. We learned the first trip to only put our windows down about half-way. Calista started making funny noises and, while loving the wind, couldn't quite breathe normally. She also had her hands out kind of like she was on a roller coaster.

Silly baby loves to face forward!

With her walking and being in a big girl carseat, forward and everything, I'm sometimes wondering where my baby has gone. And then, sometimes, after she's fallen asleep in my arms while nursing, I know she's still my baby for a while yet.

Lucky #13

So this is a little late. When Calista turned 13 months, we were in Lethbridge, having way too much fun to post. But it is better late than never, yes?

She loves food. She loves books. She loves to sleep, but not going to sleep. She loves to nurse... still four times a day. And until very recently, still once a night. Let's not dwell on that too much, shall we? Let's not talk about the fact that I haven't been able to sleep all night, straight through, since... July 23, 2011? Yeah, let's not talk about that. Instead, let's talk about these things:

Calista continues to love music. 

Whether she's playing piano, xylophone, singing (rather listening to me sing), or dancing, she is one happy babe.

She enjoyed watching olympics this month, too, as I previously posted.

Calista enjoyed being a bum and watching TV basically all day, but we've moved on from that back to our normal routine now that Olympics are over.

Baths are still a big hit, which is good, because she usually needs one after dinner.

She is trying to drink out of the faucet. Every time, she tries to choke, but she keeps going back. Silly babe.

Calista is also quite the little kitchen helper...

She enjoys pulling things out of drawers and the pantry, and trying to steal my potatoes (and succeeding) while I make dinner.

She also loves to play peek-a-boo.

 Although sometimes it is her ears instead of her eyes? Go figure?

A couple more pictures (taken by one of the girls while we were babysitting)

 Post-bath baby!

 Hello, little tongue.

Happy 13 months!

+3 Chitlins!

At the end of August, Kyler and I got the opportunity to spend a week and a half as parents of four while Kyler's sister and brother-in-law went backpacking. Transitioning from one child to four, overnight, is quite the experience. We had Calista, obviously, Katelyn, who's three, Paige, who's five, and Brooklyn, who's nine.
Honestly, the girls were as good as we could have possibly expected. There were some squabbles, but that's to be expected. No one ended up in the ER, no one did permanent damage to the house, and Kyler's back seems to have healed nicely...

Calista loved having three older kids to play with, and they loved having her. I have several dozen pictures of Calista on my camera that one of the three took. Paige, in particular, would take a picture of her and then say, "She's so cute!" over and over and over again.

The first morning, they took Calista on a blanket ride through the kitchen,

She loved it.

Two examples of picture by Paige

Who needs all of Kyler's head in the frame? Calista's the important one.

We rode our bikes to the park.

 Brooklyn climbed all over everything.

 Katelyn climbed up the slide,

 and then went down it with Paige.

Paige also enjoyed swinging.

 And Calista...

ate rocks.

 Yum.

We played Twister and told the girls about the Calgary Temple Open House for FHE.

Kyler and Brooklyn all twisted up.
Calista just liked the feel for the rug.

Kyler and I have been thinking about getting her something for her room, since she liked this one so much.

We jumped on the trampoline a lot. Calista loved when we let her on, but we didn't let her jump too often.

How does this thing work?

She was fascinated by the springs.

And Paige.

Fuzz head, trampoline-style!

Disadvantage to lots of trampoline access? Kyler was a silly boy and, when Brooklyn asked him to jump with her like he jumps with Calista, carrying her, Kyler actually tried to do it... and then his back hurt for the next few days. Lesson learned, though, I think... a 9-year-old weighs more than a 1-year-old.

Wet fun on the trampoline!

(No Calista allowed!)

Katelyn wasn't into the wet trampoline, either. The pool/slide (and garden) was her thing.

Seeing Calista this week, I wish we had a big window she could look out of.

It would make her so happy.

I also wish she could be with her cousins (all of them!) more often.

Then they could dance whenever they wanted and have a grand old time.

At least she and I can have dance parties on our own (and do! Friday was Abba's Change Your Mind!).

More pictures by the girls...

Peekaboo!

Enchilada face!

As always, Calista was quite the helpful child.

Thanks for rearranging the pantry, babe!

My favorite part of the week was just spending time with the girls. They were so much fun. For example, Brooklyn was looking at my cookbook and asked, "Did you make up any of these recipes, or are they from books?" When I told her I hadn't invented any of them but borrowed them, she said, "Let's make up a recipe!" So, we did. We made Secret Double (Triple?) Chocolate Cookies.

The girls all helped put ingredients in.

Except Calista. She just looked cute until she started trying to get into things, and then Kyler took her away.

Mesmerized by the mixer.

Smile for the camera, ladies!

Kyler and I learned some important lessons this week, and had a lot of fun. And if anyone wants the Secret Zemp Family Double (Triple?) Chocolate Cookie Recipe, let me know.