"Hey, Hey, Hey..."

(Blog finished on Sunday, August 1st.)
The title of this blog is paying homage to my new favorite song, Drake's "Find Your Love", which starts out with "I'm more than just an option/Hey, Hey, Hey/Refuse to be forgotten/Hey, Hey, Hey...". Every time that song comes on in the car, I start singing the "Hey, Hey, Hey" part really loudly. Who knows, I may just be the next big thing in Hip Hop, so watch out Drake 'cause I've already got the gettin' low part down.

Speaking of...well...speaking; I am officially a chatter box, and I really love to chat on the phone. Watch for me rolling around Publix; I'll be the one with a mac and cheese box to my ear, deep in conversation. Moving on from my phone obsession, I am still referring to everything in terms of Livie, like "Livie highchair", "Livie choo choo", "Livie eat", etc. I think that everything sounds better with the word Livie in front of it. I also have found that it is a great way to claim territory; for instance, walk around the pool, grab someone else's toy, and then claim "Livie toy", and it has to be yours, right? But beware, you may do it too many times, throw too many fits when Mom tells you that the claimed toy is not yours, and wind up back at home before it is even nap time. I'm just saying because I may know from experience. I am not just partial to talking either, I have found my love of singing as well, and I really love to sing with Dada, who came up with the "Opie Oh" song. Mom and I also sing "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Patty Cake" before bed every night; sometimes we even throw in a rendition of "The Wheels on the Bus", "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider", or ""Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes". Here's a small taste for you music lovers out there:


This past week and the previous week were nice, normal, relaxing weeks. Mom and I enjoyed a couple of days at the pool with Mrs. Allison and Lucas the week before last, but we mainly stayed around the house to make our first attempt at the whole potty training deal, which didn't go so hot. I had a great time sitting on the potty about 20 times a day, but I had an even better time peeing on the rug 2 feet away from the potty chair, as well as the living room floor. Seeing as I never actually went in the potty, and I started to get frustrated with the potty by the end of the week, Mom and I are going to shelve the whole potty idea for a couple of weeks. The whole concept is way over my head right now; I'd much rather tell Mommy and Daddy when they need to go use the potty. On Friday, we left the potty chair behind and went to lunch with Grandma and Mrs. Sharon at Seasons 52 to discuss the final details for Aunt Steph's baby shower. Grandma was in a bit of a rush, so she had us sit outside instead of waiting the 30 minutes for an inside table. Let's just say that it was H-O-T; I do look awfully cute with rosy cheeks though! I ate almost an entire lunch of edamame beans - Yum! However, I did refuse the chocolate mousse and cake that Mom ordered for dessert; I was much more interested in running around the patio and entertaining the two other crazy people who decided to sit out in the sweltering heat of this Georgia summer. By the time we left, I was as red as a tomato, but Grandma made it up to me by giving me my own little soccer ball, football, and basketball set. I am currently learning the proper way to kick, throw, and dribble each one, and Dad is extremely pleased to see that I am partial to the basketball, for which I wake up asking. Oh, I've been keeping Opie quite entertained as well; we have a great time together, and I am even trying to teach him how to jump on the bed, or at least let him watch while I jump on the bed. I think I spend a little too much time with Opie though because I have now taken to telling Mom and Dad to "Sit!" and "Stay!" It works with Opie, so it should work for the rents. I do take care of my Opie and make sure that he gets at least one treat everyday: "Sit Opie!"

I've got to give a big shout out to Dada who made the weekend before last awesome while Mom attended her 10-year high school reunion. We made hamburgers together, went for a run, and even went to Sims Lake Park. Of course, Dada didn't take any pictures, but I know that we had a great time, and that is all that matters. We need more daddy/daughter weekends. Mom really appreciated it too; she was super excited to wear her new dress and see some old friends.

This past week included a great playgroup at Catch Air. It was just Boris, Tyler, Selina, and me, but we tore the house down. I stuck mainly with Boris this time. Mom is incredibly impressed with me. She no longer has to climb any of the jump-jumps, slides, or play sets since I can do EVERYTHING all by myself. A group of moms was even commenting on my fearlessness and climbing ability as they watched from outside one of the jump-jumps. There is no way that I was going to let Boris go without me. Tyler really enjoys the balloon room, and Selina just had a great time running around: That's right; she is running now. Catch Air got some great new toys, including a giant, clear ball that Boris and I enjoyed pushing around the room. The wagon was still a drawing point for everyone, but the multiple slides definitely kept me entertained for most of my visit, as well as the water fountain, of course, which causes quite a controversy between Mom and me every single time. I always leave soaking wet. I no longer pay any attention to the under 2 area; I'm a big girl now. Next time, I plan on mastering the rock climbing wall. I'll see you soon, Catch Air. That night, Mom and I baked cookies, which barely made it into the oven; apparently, you are not supposed to eat raw cookie dough, but I got in a bite or two. We then decorated them for our after-dinner dessert; we even made a special cookie for Daddy. The cookies may not have been completely homemade, but we are testing the waters with this whole baking hobby. Perhaps, this week we will move on to box brownies, and I will get to stir some batter. Sweet!

On Wednesday, we pretty much got a second playgroup when we met Boris, Madden, and Tyler at the pool. Mom and I made frozen, fruit flowers that morning to take down to all of my friends, and let's just say that they were a huge hit. Boris even asked for a second one. I also took the rest of my cookies down to share with everybody because I'm nice like that. The four of us had so much fun playing in both the big pool and in the little pool. I have finally come to terms with the little slide in the kiddie pool, and I like to slide down over and over and over again. However, I make sure to keep my eyes closed when I hit the bottom to avoid the dreaded water in the eyes. I'm also swimming so well. Mom can put me in the middle of the pool, and I can kick my feet and swim all the way to the steps by myself. I am so proud when I do it too. I did throw quite a fit over walking up the stairs of the big slide by myself, which landed me in timeout, but I've gotta test the waters, people. I also threw a huge fit when Mom tried to help me get into Boris' float, and that fit landed me at home for a nap. Alright, I think I've found the line now. It's always fun to go to the pool with friends who enjoy the water as much as I, and Boris, Tyler, and Madden are all really good pool buddies; it doesn't hurt that I love being just one of the guys too.

This past Thursday, Mom and I went on the search for the perfect rock during our daily run. I was a little confused about the reasoning behind the rock, but when all was said and done, it made the perfect turtle. I painted the rock and some craft sticks to make the shell and the body for my turtle; while painting, Mom and I went over colors, and at one point, I had to remind Mom that green and blue do not actually make purple. That Mom sometimes - she gets a little spacey. After painting my turtle components, I decided to keep on with the creativity, so I painted a picture for Daddy, which ended in my painting my arm and leg. Good times! I am much better at painting body parts than I am at letting Mama clean off those body parts. I want a green leg; is that too much to ask? I had to let my turtle dry overnight, and Mom went ahead and glued his shell onto his body before she went to bed, which allowed for the continuation of arts and crafts time on Friday morning. I got to pick out my turtles eyes - one pink, one yellow - and glue them onto his head. I shall call my masterpiece...Turtle - very creative, I know. Mom and I also made a wooden choo choo aptly named Olivia's Choo Choo. I love playing artiste!

I have found a new favorite position: upside down. I like to crab walk while upside down, watch TV while upside down, and even sing while upside down. I always make sure to say, very loudly, "Up-Side Dooown" while getting into position. It's good to get a new perspective on the world every once in awhile.

This past weekend was filled with wine box races and errand running. While out running errands, I got to work a little on my athletic skills. I tested out a few bicycles with Dada, ran the racetrack at Dick's Sporting Goods, and even practiced my golf swing. Some little boy was nice enough to give me his golf ball so that Dad and I could take a few swings. After several misses, I wised up, picked up the ball, and placed it in the hole. Come on, people, golf really isn't that hard if you get rid of the club. After expelling some energy, I found a chair just my size and took a much needed rest. Errand running really isn't that bad when I get to run wild. I even found a new favorite show this weekend, Wipeout. It came on while I was getting ready for bed the other night, and I couldn't take my eyes off of it. The whole premise of the show is that people do these wild stunts that inevitably cause them to fall into waiting water below. Every time someone fell, I would grab my head or throw my hands in the air or kick my feet and scream, "Oh No!" It was hilarious; when the show went to commerical, I kept yelling, "Again, again" until it came back on. I even sat myself right in front of the TV and started exuberantly falling over onto the floor and laughing hysterically every time someone else fell into the water. My enthusiasm was so entertaining that Mom and Dad let me stay up until 8:45 to watch most of the action. I guess it is innate for people to want to watch other people fall; Cameron loves that show too, so I knew it had to be good. This past Saturday, Dada took me out to lunch with his friends, without Mama, for the very first time while Mommy attended Mrs. Heather's Sip N' See for Baby Avery Leigh. I think Dada finally realized that lunch with friends and me isn't exactly the same as lunch with just friends. Ms. Amanda was thankfully there to keep me entertained so that Daddy could actually eat. On Sunday, Grandma and Aunt Mallory came up for dinner and a visit with moi. Grandma snuggled with me on the couch before bedtime, and I was a little miffed at Aunt Mallory for not bringing Baxter, so I followed her around the house chanting, "Ba-xter, Ba-xter" for most of her visit. I hope you learned your lesson Aunt Mallory; you better bring Baxter with you next time. Oh, weekends go way too fast, and now, it is time for me to say goodnight and join my three bed buddies, Duck, Rosie, and the newest addition to the cool-sleep-gang, James, the choo choo. I may be the only little girl I know who insists on sleeping with two plastic trains, but they are my bestest train buds, and they keep an eye on me while I sleep. Have a wonderful first week of August, one and all.

Gettin' Back into the Groove

*Disclaimer: On the slide shows, you may need to hit the X to close the "Super Poke" adds so that you can read the captions.

The last couple of weeks really have been an exciting and crazy break from the normal routine. The last week in June/first week in July was full of last minute errands to get Mom, Dad, me, and the house ready for Mom and Dad's anniversary trip, during which would be Grandma's stay. It was so sweet of Mrs. Allison to have me over that Thursday so that Mama could run a few solo errands and get her nails done. By the way, I was totally fascinated with the new longer nails at first, and now, I am just waiting to get my own nails done. Anyways, back to my fun-filled day with Mrs. Allison and Lucas. It was like going to day camp; although, I don't really even know what day camp is, but that's what Mom keeps saying, so I'll go with it. If this was anything like day camp, sign me up! Allison let us help her bake cookies, and since my Mom doesn't bake at all, it was my first time getting to mix batter and break eggs. Mrs. Allison could definitely tell that this was my first baking experience seeing as before she could stop me, I threw an entire egg, shell and all, into the mixer while it was going; check out my face right after I did it. Lucas, Mrs. Allison, and I thought it was hilarious, and I like a little crunch to my cookies. While the cookies were in the oven, Lucas showed me to his stool by the bathroom sink, and I had way too much fun washing my hands over and over. By the way, this is my new obsession, even at home, and I am pretty sure that I currently have the cleanest hands in the neighborhood. Lucas and I then stayed very busy until lunchtime. He taught me how to climb up on his Daddy's subwoofer to jump onto the couch; we did some playdough molding and brush/finger painting; we played upstairs and destroyed his room; we put on our very own concert with his keyboard and then watched the cars drive by from the upstairs window; by the way, Lucas has a prime spot to see everything that goes on in the neighborhood, which is probably why he and his Mommy are always so well informed. I was having so much fun that I didn't really want to stop for lunch, and I did give Mrs. Allison a little attitude; sorry, Mrs. Allison. I finally gave in when Mrs. Allison and Lucas sat down without me. After lunch, we got to cut out our own cookies using cookie cutters, and we wasted no time shoveling them into our mouths. Those were some really good cookies, and I made sure to enjoy every bite. Eventually, Lucas crashed, and I played with playdough until Mom picked me up. I came home with a bag full of homemade, egg-shell cookies; a paper hat, which I decorated; and my very first refrigerator masterpiece - Mom better hang all of my masterpieces on the fridge from here on out! Thank you so much. Mrs. Allison! I had an awesome time; you are so creative and fun that now, my house seems a bit boring.

Here's a link to Mrs. Allison's blog about our day; she tells all about it in more detail than I - just cut and paste:
http://abwheelerfamily.blogspot.com/2010/07/happy-fourth-of-july.html

On Friday, I woke up from nap to find Grandma had basically moved in, so I figured she was staying for awhile. My hunch was right. On Saturday morning, right after I woke up, Mom and Dad left for their anniversary cruise. They gave me tons of kisses, and I could tell that they were going to miss me bunches, especially Mom since Dad is used to going out of town quite often. Although I did miss them, I didn't miss them that much. Grandma and I had an awesome time! Here's a 'quick' synopsis of our incredibly busy week:

Saturday - Grandma and I hit up the pool before heading to Target to pick up a little stool just for me. I was so excited about my stool that when Grandma threatened to put it back if I wouldn't get in the cart, I immediately got in without another word. The stool did cause, and is still causing, a few tantrums when I am forced to get down; if it was up to me, I would stay on my stool and wash my hands all day long. I even copy Mom from my own sink when she washes her face now. Oh, the new found freedom of being able to reach the counter is beyond explanation. On Saturday night, Aunt Mal came up to play and left Baxter for the weekend. I am still, as of yesterday, asking for Baxter when I wake up from nap. Aunt Mal helped give me a bath and then we played my favorite game of chase me around the house, which I insist Aunt Mal play every time she is here for pretty much her entire visit. I force her to play by yelling my new favorite word, "Again, again!", and of course, she indulges me.











Sunday - Great-Aunt Marsha, Haley, and Cameron came over to go to my pool. I was so excited to see all of them, but of course, I was beyond excited to see Cameron: I just realized a couple of weeks ago that his picture is on our fridge, so I insist on talking about him every time I get juice now. After the pool, Grandma and I headed over to their house for a cookout. On the way, Aunt Marsha stopped and got me my very first ice cream cone from Brewster's. I handled it so well that no one even knew that it was my first ice cream cone until they talked to Mom the next day. Where are the pictures, people? Don't you know that there has to be a picture for EVERY first! At Marsha's, I played with Cameron and Haley, climbed the stairs about a billion times, played Cameron's drums with ping-pong paddles, learned to kind of hula hoop, and got licked from head to toe by their Dachshund, Oscar. You couldn't even tell that Grandma had let me skip my nap; shhhh, don't tell Mom. It was a wonderful July 4th, and I hope that everyone had just as great of an Independence Day as I.

Monday - Grandma let me do some finger painting in the garage, and we even made a tea party invitation, which we dropped off in Lucas' mailbox. I had a great time painting my body, but I was not so happy when Grandma made me quit painting and stuck me in the bath tub; I decide when I am done painting! I mean, the creativity was still flowing, Grandma. After our morning of arts and crafts, Aunt Steph, Uncle Ian, and Mrs. Sharon came up so that we could all go to lunch at Cinco's. I always love to see them, and I really cannot wait until Harper joins us. Aunt Steph felt really bad because after lunch, she walked around with me, and I somehow bumped my head on a table. She freaked out a little, which freaked me out, and I immediately wanted my, "Gwama". Don't feel bad, Aunt Steph; I bump my head no matter who is with me. Later that evening, Grandma and I headed down to the pool for a pre-dinner dip.











Tuesday - Grandma and I joined the Mom's group at the pool where I met up with my best pal and hand-holding companion, Lucas. Mrs. Allison was nice enough to take me down the slide a couple of times since Grandma is a big wuss and was too scared to take me down it herself. I also got to play with several of my other playgroup pals. After nap, we joined Mrs. Lindsi and Jackson, Mrs. Sindy and Selina, and Mrs. Allison and Lucas for a walk on the Greenway trail. It was so nice of the ladies to include Grandma, so thank you, moms. A special thank you goes out to Mrs. Allison who was so sweet and helpful while Mom and Dad were away; Grandma could not say enough about how great you are. On Tuesday night, Grandma's friend Mr. Denny came up, and the three of us went out to Mia's for dinner. I've been there once before, and I immediately remembered the Elmo that sits on the counter holding a pizza; Mr. Denny was very impressed. It was probably my cleanest meal ever since Mr. Denny wiped my mouth every time I got the slightest bit of food on it; I like your style, Mr. Denny.

Wednesday - Grandma and I headed downtown to join Aunt Stephanie and Mrs. Sharon at the Children's Museum of Atlanta. It was so much fun, and I can't wait to take Lucas! I was an expert at the rope climb, of course, and I impressed everyone. I adamantly refused to wear the apron while painting; even though, every other kid around me had one on - it's all about fashion, people. After some prodding, I agreed to milk the faux cow; however, as soon as it mooed, I was out of there. I patiently waited to play on the tractor; although, waiting is not my favorite activity, and I even got to pretend to drive a boat and a big yellow Bobcat, which is my favorite kind of truck, besides the yellow dumptruck that always sits in the driveway before you turn into our neighborhood. I just know that Mom loves to hear me chant, "More yellow truck" during every car ride. Back to the museum, there was an area where kids were putting on little skits, but I would not put on a costume and join them; I mean, I don't know who's worn that costume before me - yuck! They had a super-sized water and sand table with two separate play areas; the under 2 area was far too boring for me, but I loved the under 5 play area. In the pretend grocery store, I started to buy some milk, but then I saw the cash register, and it was on. I had a hard time waiting for the little boy who was playing cashier to finish up, especially since he was waiting for me to pretend to pay for the milk, so I finally kicked him out and took over the register. Of course, one of my favorite things was the play sink, in which I made sure to wash my hands more than once. I even got to do a little fishing and play some music before it was time to leave. I did start to throw a fit because I wasn't ready to go, as if I would ever be ready to leave that awesome place, but Aunt Stephanie bribed me with a gift from the gift shop, which got me out the door. The whole museum was so neat, and Mom has promised that we will go back very soon. Uncle Ian met us for lunch, and afterwards, I zonked out pretty much as soon as my butt hit the car seat. With the promise of seeing Aunt Mallory when I awoke, I agreed to lay down for a bit longer when we got home. Sure enough, Aunt Mal was there when I woke up, and the three of us went to the pool before dinner. Aunt Mal even brought me a really big 4th of July popsicle that stained my mouth so horribly that Grandma had to use cold cream to get the red off. Aunt Mal, you are awesome! I like to ask for Aunt Mal at least once a day in the hopes that she will come up, feed me more treats, and chase me around the coffee table.

Thursday - Lucas and Mrs. Allison came over for a tea party. I got to help Grandma set up my little table, make the sandwiches, and set out the snacks. Then I got all dressed up, and Lucas and I drank tea, i.e. warm apple juice, from real tea cups.We are going to let Grandma slide on the outfit, but I did look like a St Pauli's girl; all I needed was the beer stein, and I could have been at Oktoberfest. Anyways, the tea party was lot fun, and we loved drinking from the real tea cups, but it only kept our, i.e. Luke's, interest for so long before we wanted to play. There was a little fight over the drum set, in which Lucas pushed me off the stool and got timeout. At that point, I decided that I wanted timeout, so I started to go down the stairs, which I know is a no-no, and then I sat myself in the corner. If Lucas is doing it, it's got to be cool! We finally agreed to share the window so that we could watch the Bobcats and trucks move dirt on the hill behind our house. Lucas and I are starting to act like siblings, which just shows that we really are best friends. After the tea party and an ice cream dessert, I shed the crazy dress, and Lucas and I headed downstairs to take turns sending my babydoll down the slide and climbing up it. Thanks for coming, Luke; I had so much fun, and great idea, Grandma!

It was such a packed week that I didn't even have time to miss Mom and Dad too much; Grandma said that I only called for them during the night while I was asleep. That being said, I was really excited to see them when they got back on Thursday. I kissed Mama several times and gave Dada tons of unsolicited hugs. They brought my maracas from Mexico, a handmade dress, about which I couldn't care less, and an Elmo, which was the best present by far! Grandma went out to dinner with us before packing up and heading home. I'm going to miss seeing her everyday; I am even more attached to Grandma now, if that is even possible. Thank you so, so, so much, Grandma. I had a great time with you, and Mom and Dad appreciate it more than you know. You are an awesome Grandma! Oh, and thank you for the continual addition of balloons throughout the week; you know the way to my heart.











Mom and Dad had a decent time on their cruise to Grand Cayman and Cozumel, but they are telling everyone that they probably wouldn't do a Carnival cruise again; it didn't help that they had cruddy weather, that the boat rocked horribly, that it wasn't quite what they expected, and that the food was less than superb. Live and learn, I guess. They did have a great time in Cozumel, despite the rain, and they made a couple of new friends named Stacie and Jason. I'm sure they are glad they went, but I think next time they will most likely pick a destination. Happy 5-year Wedding Anniversary, Mom and Dad, which was actually on Friday the 9th. Here's a quick photo montage of their trip, minus the pictures with too much "Dad Juice" as I like to call it. I know their trip would have been better if they had taken me...

Grandma told Mom that I couldn't have behaved better and that I was an angel. However, I'm not really happy with Mom for leaving me for a week, and I made sure to get that point across for the first few days that Mom and Dad were home. I threw a tantrum at the pool, and we had to leave; I threw a tantrum at Harry's, and we had to stop shopping: I have never thrown a tantrum in public, but it serves them right for taking off without me. I also got in trouble for biting Mom for the first time when she wasn't paying attention to me in the grocery store, and I basically just whined nonstop for 3 days. I wasn't really mad at Dad since I'm used to his traveling, but I bet Mom will think twice before she leaves me again! Mom and Dad were really amazed at how much my verbal skills grew in just one week; at this point, I can pretty much verbalize most of my thoughts, and I talk constantly now. I have also taken to talking in 3rd person - "Livie, slide", "Livie, pee", "Livie, timeout", and so on. Oh, and Grandma was so careful to not let me get any bumps or bruises the whole time the rents were gone, and then, on the first full day they were home, I fell head first off of their bed. When I say head first, I mean head first; I landed on my face. Dad had his eyes closed on the bed, and Mama was standing in the bathroom right next to the bed, but neither got to me in time. I busted my poor little nose, scrapped the side of my cheek, and bumped the top of my head. It was really scary, and I probably cried the hardest I have ever cried from a boo-boo, including the stitches ordeal. Mom and Dad checked me over really well, watched to make sure that I was walking okay, made me read a book to make sure I was talking just fine, and checked on me several times while I napped. When I woke up out of sorts, they even called the pediatrician, who assured them that I was probably fine and to just watch for a few key things. By dinnertime, I was back to normal, or as normal as I was being after they left me for a week. Mom and Dad also came back to discover my new obssession: my own stool in the bathroom. Whenever they can't find me, rest assured I'm in the bathroom washing my hands and playing in the sink. Mom thinks it is funny to watch me copy everything she does while getting ready. I love to brush my teeth and wash my face in my own sink while she does the same in her sink. I think the stool was my best acquirement over the week with Grandma.



















The Saturday after Mom and Dad got back, I got up and painted Grandma a thank you picture before Dad, Mom, and I met Uncle Ian and Aunt Steph over at Grandma's house to help her clean out the upstairs loft so as to get the house ready to put on the market. It's going to be a little sad when Grandma's house sells because that is the house that Mom grew up in from the moment she was born; however, I did get an awesome playhouse, which used to be Aunt Mal's, out of the deal, so I'm cool with it. After helping Grandma, we went out to lunch with Aunt Steph and Uncle Ian, who so nicely drove all the way up to our casa because we couldn't fit my new playhouse in our car. Harper was moving around in Aunt Steph's belly, which is pretty cool and means that it won't be too much longer until I get my new cousin. Mom and Dad set up my playhouse while I took a nap, and Mom even filled it with dishes, pots, pans, a phone, a chair, and fake food, so I'm ready to host whenever you are ready to visit. Even with all of that, my favorite part is the sink and empty hand soap dispenser; it's going along with my hand washing obssession. It's a pretty nifty new hangout, so thanks to everybody who made it possible!
























Then last Sunday, the rents and I hung out at the pool, and I finally let go and floated all by myself with my water wings. The cheers from Mom and Dad definitely helped since I love attention and to be praised. I was so proud of myself; I was smiling so big, and now, I won't let anyone hold me in the water. I like to keep my feet behind me, my head held way out of the water, and my eyes mostly closed when I float, so with the addition of a huge grin, I am quite a sight to be seen. I'm pretty good a kicking my feet under the water, and I am learning how to move my arms; I was even able to swim all the way to the steps twice without any help. I'm turning into a regular little fishy.

Last week was all about getting back into the groove. I was beyond excited to see Mrs. Suzana at the grocery store. We had a great playgroup at Mrs. Laura and Madden's house. Now that most everyone can walk in the group, we are starting to fight a little more over toys. Last week's hot items were the vacuum cleaner, the train tent, and the sleeping bag. Luke took the vacuum while I was playing with it; I in turn screamed as loud as I could and made my muscle face before getting it back just so Boris could wrestle it away from me. Oh, the life of the toddler. We were much better about sharing the tent and sleeping bag. Gotta love playgroup though; these are my best buds, and we've grown up together, so we are allowed to battle it out every once in awhile. I did share my fruit with Tyler; even if, I was a little disgruntled after I offered it up. Selina is walking now, and Jackson is on his way to running. Good time! Good times!

We have to say a special "Congratulations!" to Heather and Dirk Lamb, who welcomed Avery Leigh Lamb on Friday, July9. She was born at 10:23 p.m. weighing in at 6 lbs., 7 oz. Although Avery was 3 weeks early, she and Mrs. Heather are doing great! Again, congrats Lambs, and we can't wait to meet Miss Avery. (Just so you know, I am totally cheating because these pictures were actually taken when she was 6 days old, the day that we met her.) The babies have definitely started rolling in, and we know of 9 more due between now and January; it looks like I'll be visiting a lot of babies in the next several months.

It was an awesome couple of weeks, but it is good to be settling back into normal life.

Some Add-ins (since we still haven't published this post):

On Thursday, the 15th, Mom and I headed into the perimeter to meet Mrs. Heather and Mr. Dirk's new bundle of joy, Avery Leigh Lamb. She is so tiny and so beautiful! Baby Avery stayed awake for a little while to meet us, but then she drifted off and made tons of cute dreaming faces. I was very excited to meet her, and I kept saying my normal, "Hi, Baby" over and over. I even gave her a couple of kisses and checked out her room. I mean, someone had to test out Baby Avery's toys to make sure that they were fun. I did look at Avery like 'I've already seen tons of babies in my day' at one point, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't super excited to meet her. Baby Avery's Grandma was so sweet, and she let me follow her around, watch her do the laundry, and play with the mirror in the bedroom. She kept saying how cute I am, which, of course, makes me very happy. Baby Avery is super cute, but I think that Sadie, the doggy, was a little more excitingat this point. She can bark really loudly, which I think is an amazing talent. While Baby Avery slept, Mrs. Heather and Mr. Dirk received an Edible Creations arrangement with chocolate covered strawberries. Along with the apple that Avery's Grandma nicely cut up for me, I sampled one of the strawberries, and it was really yummy. Thank you for sharing with me, Mrs. Heather, and thank you for letting us come visit. I am so glad that I got to meet beautiful little Avery, and I cannot wait until she is old enough to play house. Again, Congratulations Lambs! After visiting Baby Avery, I got to meet Aunt Stephanie for lunch and say hi to Baby Harper, who is still in Aunt Steph's belly- Geesh, this baby growing takes a long time. Aunt Stephanie has been getting a few Braxton Hicks contractions, so she hasn't been feeling great. However, we did have a nice lunch at a French restaurant where I coerced Aunt Steph into continually spreading butter on my roll so that I could lick it off. I can already tell that you are going to be an awesome mom, Aunt Steph. Seeing Baby Avery made me even more excited to meet cousin Harper.

On, Friday, the 16th - yes, I know that I need to go ahead and publish, but I haven't added the pictures yet - Mrs. Teri came to spend the night since Mr. Justin is out of town. I was so excited to see Mrs. Teri that I willingly left Catch Air to take a nap so that she would come and play. Mrs. Teri is so much fun; although, I did call her Steph a couple of times; I mean, she is pregnant, and she has brown, curly hair, just like Aunt Steph. It gets very confusing with all of these pregnant ladies around. Mrs. Teri insisted on seeing what I look like with a bow, so we got out the bag of bows that Great-Aunt Marsha gave me awhile ago. I know, I know; I'm still trying to work on the hair. I must say that the bow actually looked pretty good, so I checked myself out and did a few spins in front of the mirror. I can pull anything off! Although, I think Dad looked pretty cute in his bow as well, but for some reason, he was being camera shy. I gave Mrs. Teri a tour of my new playhouse, and then I showed off a little at dinner before calling it a night. Of course, I was super excited that Mrs. Teri was still here when I woke up, and thinking back to our fun the previous night, I immediately pointed to and asked for the bag of bows as soon as I came downstairs. Mrs. Teri then entertained my while I ate my Coco Puffs, and she even made Rosie the choo-choo jump really high whenever I ate a really good bite. You are too much fun, Mrs. Teri, and I always love when you spend the night.



















I really need to publish this blog already, but alas, I didn't have time today, Saturday, the 17th, because Mom and I met Mrs. Lisa, Baby Monore, and Mrs. Melissa at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens while the guys played golf. The Botanical Gardens were actually a lot of fun; they have a huge new kids' area that includes lots of things with which to play and touch, as well as a a very exuberant storyteller. One of the neatest things was the metamorphosis exhibit that started in the head of a caterpillar, curved its way through the body, and ended up going through butterfly gates. I also saw a cow brushing his teeth, measured my height against a bunch of flowers, walked behind a waterfall, slid down a windy slide all by myself, explored Peter Rabbit's tree trunk home, and walked through an edible garden, complete with lots of my favorite, to-ma-toes! It was incredibly hot but totally worth it to see all of the flowers, plants, and butterflies. Baby Monroe was even interested, and he stayed awake most of the time to check out the new surroundings and touch some pretty flowers, which smelled pretty good if you ask me; although, I thought that the leaves of the tomato plant smelled way better. Mrs. Lisa tried to get me to smell the different herbs, but I do things my own way, and I preferred to smell the leaves on the tomato plant. After the gardens, the 5 of us went for sushi, and I got some calamari, which I love. It was a really fun Saturday with the girls and Baby Mo! Thanks for inviting us, Mrs. Lisa, and thanks for hangin' with us, Mrs. Melissa.

Oh, and guess what! I am going to learn to use the big potty! This week, Mom and I got a book about Elmo using the potty, which we have read several times a day. This past Sunday - I know this blog is getting ridiculous - Dad and Mom took me to pick out my very own big girl underwear. I chose Tinkerbell underwear; Aunt Steph, you should be proud. I have also been talking about all of the people I know, including Elmo, who use the big potty, and I watched a few videos of Elmo using the potty on YouTube, so I think I am ready, and I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully, by the end of this week, I'll be wearing big girl underwear and using the big girl potty. "Hooray, Livie!" At lunch, after we went to get my big girl undies, we saw a trailer of horses in the parking lot. I kept saying, "Neigh!" really loudly so that they knew I spoke their language. I refused to touch them, but I was super excited about seeing real horses. I could not stop neighing as we left the restaurant, which is what is pictured to the left, and during the entire car ride home. Mom says that someday I may even get to ride one; we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. After nap, Mom took me to her good friend Brandon Tang's house where Aunt Mallory and Chris were hanging out. I got to show Aunt Mal my big girl panties and my Elmo potty book. Aunt Mal was very impressed. I was a little shy around Brandon at first; even though, I've met him before. However, he was quickly able to win me over with his disappearing ball trick. We also threw the ball around and dribbled the basketball before he and Aunt Mal taught me how to play foosball. Brandon was really impressed with how well I can throw a ball, and I decided that I was able to play foosball much better while singing, "Doo, doo, doo". Mr. Chris seemed a little tired, but he did watch the Fresh Beat Band with me. I'm always excited to see Aunt Mal, and it was fun to hang out with Mr. Brandon, especially since Mom has literally known him since birth and been friends with him since kindergarten!

Sorry, readers, this blog got a little out of control, but now, we are caught up - I hope!