20 months

At 20 months old, Blaykleigh ... 

• has loved playing with her shopping cart that she got for Christmas! She is very good at organizing all the "groceries"- I think she must have picked up that lovely trait from her momma!
• spent her first night away from me EVER! Jason and I went to Iowa to look for our new home and she got to spend the weekend with her Great Aunt Jeanie, Great Aunt Jill and Nana. She had a blast, I missed her every minute. 
• fed some really big cows over in a pasture by our home! 
• has a new found love for singing and serenades me several times a day. She's gonna be a show stopper! Her hit single - twinkle twinkle little star.
• totally face planted into a HUGE mud puddle at the park. I am talking head to toe mud!!! I tried to stop her but she insisted in upping her speed, running away from me faster and then in s.l.o.w.m.o.t.i.o.n. she tripped into the ginormous mud puddle, paci and all. Lots of tears on her end but I couldn't help but giggle a bit, it will be a good story 10 years down the road. 
• had lots of play-dates as we prepared to say our goodbyes in the following weeks to all of our good friends. 
• cracks me up when she asks for a fruit snack. Blaykleigh - <insert crinkled nose> and in a nasally voice "sna-na". 
• is getting awful close to those "terrible two's" and knows how to throw quite the tantrum. 
• tortures poor Mannie. Yet Mannie still seems to like her best out of all of us and puts up with the tail pulling, face slapping and full bodied smothering?! Strange cat, that one. 

American Idol Debut!!!

Lately Blaykleigh has been fascinated with "singing", here is a snippet…

…so much emotion in her song for a 20 month old. Lol.

19 months

At 19 months old, Blaykleigh …

• got to decorate her first round of Christmas cookies with her friend Jade! Although, there was more eating of the sprinkles and raw dough than decorating but she had fun nevertheless. 
• spent a good chunk of the month of December in Colorado visiting family; it was our second trip there since she was born. 
• joined in on a little "tacky Christmas sweater" partying! 
• stayed in a cabin up in Silverthorn and got to experience snow and sledding firsthand. 
• was sick a lot - cold, double ear infection, another cold and then got a nasty virus while we were in Colorado. We even had to make two trips to the Children's Hospital ER in one day -- that was definitely a first! 
• had her first ER visit x's 2. 
• loved getting to spend so much time with her cousin Kailyn while we were in Colorado! Those two together were so darn cute … until they fed off each other's tantrums, that wasn't so cute. 
• took her very first trip to a Children's Museum while we were in Colorado. Had it not been New Year's Eve, perhaps it would have been slightly less crowded and more enjoyable. 
• was completely spoiled from all who love her for Christmas, she got so many wonderful gifts from all of our family and friends! Definitely blessed. 

Colorado Christmas

It's official ...

... we're moving!!! 

Des Moines, Iowa here come the Stowell's! 

(courtesy of pinterest) 

Yup. Our little family of three + our four fur children are taking a leap of faith and starting afresh in a brand new state! Jason was offered a really great promotion (I am so proud of him) within his company and after weighing the options we feel this is where we are supposed to be. It is definitely going to be hard to pack-up our lives here in Corpus Christi and say goodbye to family and friends that we've made along the way (hardest part by far!); perhaps we will leave it at a "see you later" because let's face it, everyone knows goodbyes stink! With that said, it is merely an understatement when I say that there is SO much to be done between now and January 21st - Jason's first day! Nothing like a little chaos to spice things up. These next few months will undoubtedly be a whirlwind of crazy but we've got each other and the grace of God on our side. 

As hard as it will be to say our "see ya later's", there is also a lot that we are looking forward to in this new chapter of our lives. For one, we will be closer to more of our immediate family than we are now, which means a lot! Jason will get to eat Chipotle as often as his heart desires and me, don't even get me started on how many SuperTargets there are to choose from! I am only slightly kidding. No, but really, after our short visit to Iowa we really fell in love with all it has to offer! 

OH! and one more thing, whether it was a mere coincidence or a sign from God, this may or may not have played a little roll in our final decision process...

In the midst of our decision making process this little piece of paper was torn out of one of my decorating books by our naughty sweet daughter! After getting myself ready for the day, I came out of the bathroom to Jason and Blaykleigh in the living room. Jason watching t.v. and Blaykleigh doing what she does best, getting into stuff she shouldn't. After fussing at her and then Jason for not watching her, I grabbed this piece of paper out of her hand. Of all text that could have been written on that torn page, there it is folks, printed clear as day ... Des Moines, Iowa. 

Just a little odd don't ya think?! 

Well there you have it. 

We will soon be "Iowans". 

18 months

At 18 months old, Blaykleigh ....

• weighs 24.15lbs and is 31 inches in height.
• is really starting to develop quite the personality, we've got a little miss priss on our hands!
• knows several letters (o, m, d, b) and can identify them when you point and ask her what they are. 
• loves her bathtub crayons.
• is all about "dipping" her food in sauce. 
• has had 3 double ear infections (that we know of) within the last 9 months and if she keeps getting them will most likely need tubes put in. 
• can climb on and off the couch without any assistance, miss independent.
• is starting to get rather familiarized with her "time-out" spot and ends up there the majority of the time for throwing things she shouldn't, i.e. - her toys and food off of her high chair tray. Such a pill! 
• got her very first set of Duplo Legos from her granny and grampy for Christmas and boy does she l-o-v-e them!!! 
• would eat bananas all day everyday if I let her. Whenever I ask her if she is hungry her response is "eat, nana" ... it's never a pretty sight on those days we're banana-less!
• loves playing and cuddling Mannie which is really cute, especially since Mannie seems to hate all kinds of affection except from Blaykleigh. 
• loves getting her "boo-boo's" kissed and then kisses yours. 
• still gives me eskimo kisses and butterfly kisses! Melts my heart. 
• is definitely going through an attachment phase. She gets so sad when her momma leaves! 
• started sticking her finger up her nose!!! Gasp. So was not looking forward to this bad habit. 

                   Her words

                       dada

                       mama

                       uh-oh

                       tenk you (thank you)

                       ba-ba (bottle)

                       kee kat (kitty cat)

                       choooose (shoes)

                       maaaow (meow)

                       baiiiiii (bye)

                       haiiiiii (hi)

                       no, no, no - yes she already knows the word "no"!

                       po-pol (purple)

                       naaan (nani)

                       doooug (dog)

                       bau-bo (bubble)

                       turt-o (turtle)

                       jeh-jeh (Jade)

                       nan-na (banana) 

                       bay-bee (baby)

                       yewwo (yellow)

                       doooous (birds)

                         -not sure how she got "dooous" from b-i-r-d-s?

                       peaz (please)

                       ha-ha (hot-hot)

                       nuna (nuni aka paci)

                       eye

                       mous (mouth)

                       aer (hair)

                       ear

                       yet meh seee (let me see)

                       sou <insert chinese accent> (sock)

                       tenkle s-kah-i (twinkle in the ski) 

                       boo-boo

                       buffly (butterfly)

                       ya-yee (huggsie) 

                       buh-bee (beep-beep)
                       oh wow

November Photo A Day & Thankfulness

Day twelve ....

drink. 

nothing like a good dinner and a glass of vino with the mamma! 

sure do miss her -- 32 days and counting!!! 

****

I am thankful to have such a close relationship with my mother. She is my person! <3

Day eleven ....

night. 

a little bit of sparkles. 

****

I am thankful that there are so many opportunities in life and that you never know where the road might lead you. 

Day ten ....

can't (won't) live without.

coffee.

lovin' the french press.

****

I am thankful that I received my nursing school acceptance letter!!! 

(doin' a little jig)  ;)