What's Miss Nat Reading?

 ...well, she's not really reading anything, but she has an opinion on what is read to her!

(this kid has an opinion on most everything nowadays!)

 

I thought I would try a little something different with this post. Natalie has really been showing favoritism with some of her books/toys lately. Thankfully they are all ones that I really enjoy reading & playing with as well hehe!

These books (& puzzle) are great b/c they are interactive, & she LOVES them!

 

I have no shame when it comes to making silly voices & funny faces to tell a story. I swear this kid gets me! Her & I can look at each other and just crack up laughing. She starts showing off & being a little ham everytime I get to Grandma's to pick her up!

What can I say, she gets it honest!

Here are some of our "don't leave the house," without books. I always toss one of these in the diaper bag if we go anywhere!  Sadly, I have them all memorized, so if I am driving I will just tell her the story & she will laugh along with me.

 

 

I will get started with this guy first. Her Granny & Opa got her this last Christmas. The big wooden knobs are perfect for those little hands, & she is slowly figuring out how to place them back in their slots. She enjoys hearing me make the animal noises more than anything. Again, no shame!

I can "QuAcK" like a duck, & "mOOO" like a cow with the best of 'em!

 

Now for the books!

A friend of ours got her this for her 1st birthday. It has really helped in her learning "touch!" Having her learn that has made it click for her when we tell her "no touch," when it's something no bueno...like mommy's chocolate dog food bowls!

 

She flips back to this page constantly b/c she we call the dog "Ribby," b/c he kind of looks like our own beagle boy! She adores her fur brothers!

This book tricked me. I didn't grow up reading this book (which makes me sad b/c little me would have loved it I'm sure.) I bought this at a T.J.MAXX for like 3$. It is a little hard back book. Pefect for crazy baby animals that like to chew on everything. However, I was ShOcKED! to find out that there is more to this book. I saw it at Target in a full paper back version & the story is crazy LONG! Ours just ends at **spoiler alert** when they chicka chicka BOOM BOOM fall outta the tree! Hmph! Now I have to get the big version too!

I picked this book up at a children's thrift store one day. I love Mermaids & I love that the last mermaid of the book has "red/orange" hair like my little Mermaid Natalie!
She loves touching all the mermaid's fancy accessories!

 

I will let this book speak for itself!! I believe they carry it at Target. We may be needing to purchase another one soon. Aunt April bought her this, & OH MY has it been LOVED!

 

(Side Note: Blue duct tape does not come with purchase!!)

 

 

I will end this post with the book we end every day with! A must have in every child's library! Thanks again Aunt April!

My sis bought me this book when she found out we were preggo!

It may need duct tape soon as well ;)

 

I hope if you don't have any of these books for your little ones that you definetely pick them up!

OH & please recommend any books that you think we will love! We are building our library up!

 

 

puzzle: Melissa & Doug

books: Baby's very first touchy-feely animals book by Stella Baggott

            Chicka Chicka ABC by Bill Martin Jr & John Archambault

            That's not my mermaid by  Fiona Watt

            Peek-a-Who by Nina Laden

            Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

           

 



LATA

ALLIGATA-

~MELISSA

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...is over!

Is it just me or do you get the post Christmas blues?!!

 

I will miss walking through the stores hearing the holiday music playing, seeing all the red & green, & watching all the helpless men looking lost as they try to figure out what to get their lady friends!

 

Now that the holidays have quickly passed, I can sit down and post a few pics of our mini-"staycation!"

 

Here are a few pics of our visit to Santa! It was a dream visit! Miss Natalie acted like she knew that old man forever! I WAS SHOCKED!

 

 

 

 

 

 

FLASHBACK: ANDY PANTS & NAT AT SANTA LAST YEAR!

(look at that little tongue hehe)

 

 

 

& Now Andy Pants & Nat this year!

 

 

 

Christmas morning was pefect. It was the three of us, & a few prezzies! It sometimes seems so surreal looking at these pictures that this is my life. When I was younger I always daydreamed about what my own family would look like, & to see this amazing little red-head with a personality that will knock your socks off is more than I could have ever dreamed about. I have a hubby that not only puts up with all my crazy, but is THE BEST father!

I am beyond blessed!

Here is few fun pictures from our morning!

 

 ANOTHER FLASHBACK OF MISS NATALIE'S 1ST CHRISTMAS FIRST!

 

 

 

 

 

PRESENTS!!

 

THIS IS THE LIGHT UP DO-DAD WE PUT IN HER STOCKING!

 

 

THIS WAS HER BABY STELLA WE GAVE HER. SHE HAS A MAGNETIC PACIFIER I KNEW NATALIE WOULD LOVE....& SHE DOES!

 

 

 

 

 

 

HER OPA, GRANNY, & AUNTIE KABOOM GOT HER THIS PHONE!

 SHE WAS VERY IMPRESSED!!

 

 

EVERY PRESENT SHE OPENED SHE RAN OFF WITH IT TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT ALONE. YOU WOULD THINK THIS KID HAD 5 OTHER SIBLINGS TRYING TO HIDE EVERYTHING!

 

 

THIS WAS HER DOING TWIRLS AFTER SHE OPENED EVERYTHING!

SHE WAS ON A CHRISTMAS HIGH!

 

 I've added a little video of our Christmas morning w/ Natalie. The beginning of the video is a quick snipit of her & Grandma (my momma) playing the piano!

ENJOY!

 

 

 

 

I hope everyone had a beautiful Christmas! I am getting together my New Years post & New Year resolutions! What's yours?!

 

 

 

LATA ALLIGATA,

 

MELISSA~



HAPPY DANCE!

I have really enjoyed starting this blog. I am still learning A LOT, but in the meantime I love using it as a journal. Or more like scrapbook without having to do all the cutting, gluing, placing of pictures, and & adding cute baubles.

That also left too big of a mess everytime I tried to drag my stuff out.

 

Tonight I let Natalie spoon feed herself.

This week, I swear, she has started using more words & really showing her BIG personality!
I LOVE IT!

 

Words she now says at almost 14months:

dada

mama

HI!

ball (over & over)

MOO

BAA

NEIGHHH

(are animal sounds considered words haha)

 

She says "itty" for RIBBY, our Beagle

 

I usually get called "itty" as well! Hmpf!

(unless she is saying Mommy is "itty bitty," well then that's ok)

 

& a couple of times she has said "tank you"

 

Here is the adorable video of her trying to spoon feed herself!

 

 

 

"Tank You",

Melissa-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



GOBBLE GOBBLE!

So, did ya'll gobble 'till ya wobbled?!

I hope everyone had a wonderful turkey day!

We really enjoyed ourselves. My mom always out does herself with all the fixin's. We went to my grandparents house that was an hour away for the day. My grandmother is having some health issues, so it was much easier for us to all come to her this year. I took some photos of Miss Natalie throughout the day, but it was actually a lot easier to just whip the flipcam out and video her.

She is a quick lil' thing nowadays! Much easier to just film her sometimes.

 

Enjoy the pictures & please check out the video at the end as well. The video is clips throughout the day & at the end is me gearing up for some black friday madness & also I show you all the goodies I picked up!

We had a great 4 day weekend in all. Natalie even got to help us pick out our Christmas tree at the tree farm. Ok, she slept during the actual cutting of the tree but she was there in her dreams :)

I am in the process of editing those pics/video now.

 

 

My Thanksgiving Turkey Bunny!

Silly Kids!

She was too excited about those sticks!

trying on momma's jewelry

Walking through the grapevines.

"You better watch my video," she says!

(I LAUGH EVERYTIME I SEE THE THUMBNAIL TO THIS VIDEO! MY FACE=HAHA)


LATA ALLIGATA-
MELISSA

CRABBY NATTY

I don't even know where to begin for this post. I guess I will just start with the facts.

 

Our daughter is part Crab.
 

Yes, you read that correctly.

She has the perfect little pinchers & she knows how to use them!

 

 Don't let that sweet little crab you see in that picture sway you!

Oh no no no! I am being completely serious right now.

You got me?!

 

Let's see if I can explain a little better. Andy Pants & I are not quite sure where this all began. Our little Crabby Natty earned this name early on. She has always had this weird fixation on rubbing on our arms or neck when we would rock her to sleep. It started as a "aww melt my heart" kind of thing. I mean what parent doesn't melt when their baby rubs on their arm with those soft little Johnson & Johnson baby hands?!

 

Well, from there she started getting control of those fat little baby hands, & learned how to use her fingers. Especially how to PINCH, & every day they got stronger.

 

Sure, pinching is a great tool to have as a wee-one.

 

-Picking up tiny puffs or food

-Turning pages in little books

-Pulling tiny threads on Mommy's sweater

-Being the Ultimate Competitor at a game of "Operation"

-Tightening those tiny screws in Grandma's glasses

-Picking up every tiny speck on our living room floor

 that Momma missed with the vacuum

 

You get what I am saying here?

This ain't no joke!

 

I mean even Andy Pants is scared to be shirtless around her.

Lord help him if she gets ahold of one of his nips! YIKES!

(FYI: this HAS happened...ever heard a grown man screech like a little girl?)

 

 

 

Here is a great picture as proof of what I have been trying to convey.

She is double teaming me with both hands in this pic. I went in unarmed, knowing good & well what I was getting myself into. Look at my red neck!

OH, & let me forget to trim those little daggers she calls nails.

I swear she sharpens those things every night.

Why don't you swaddle her hands down you say?

This child has HATED being swaddled since the beginning.

She cannot stand to be wrapped up. What do I do?!!

 

Use Socks on her Hands you say?

HA! That only worked when she had no control of those pinchers.

 

I have even tried putting a silky blanket on my arms or around my neck to get her to get the affection for something else...& not human flesh!

 

So, now here is my new game plan. I'm a little scared she may find my eyes.

 

 

She doesn't only do this now when it's time for bed. She will even find that nice sweet spot on the back of your arm, while your checking out at a store, that will make you wanna scream & holler like a teenage girl at a Bieber concert.


 

 It has brought tears to my eyes.

(I look like Natalie Portman in Black Swan w/ those sock hands)

 

Can anyone out there help us? I am clueless on how to break this habit.

These pinchers are only getting stronger...& people at work are starting to question these bruises ;)

 

 LATA ALLIGATA-

MELISSA

 

I may have a problem...

 

Ok I will admit it...I am addicted to anything PUMPKIN!

 

This time of year always puts a pep in my step. I don't know if it's the cooler weather, the halloween candy galore in the stores, or all the pumpkin flavored crap goodies I can get my hands on!

 

OH YEAH! & my own little pumpkin was born this month as well!

 

 (grumpy pumpkin girl)

 

Sooo here is just a little evidence of the problem I "may" have.

(I type this as my pumpkin candle smells up our living room)

 

 

 

I mean really?! I may turn into a pumpkin. I wish I had more time in the day to try more pumpkin recipes. Right now my quick go to ones are pumpkin muffins & the

OHHH SO delicious PUMPKIN ROLL.

You may have to roll my my butt off this couch after I eat all these muffins.

 

I plan on making my pumpkin roll this weekend, after we visit the pumpkin patch first of course!! My pumpkin sized head may explode when we get there!! SO. EXCITED.

 

Do you have a go to pumpkin recipe I MUST try?!

I NEED THEM!!

(don't worry you won't be an enabler)

 

 

 I have to include this last ridiculous picture of me & my VERY PREGGO self!

Natalie's OPA still thinks this is the reason she was born a red-head. The orange paint must have gotten to her! hehe

 

I can't wait to tell you all about our Pumpkin Patch trip!

Natalie Momma is going to have so much fun!

 (# of times "pumpkin" is on this page: 23)

 

LATA ALLIGATA-

MELISSA

Party Hardy!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012

 

Little Miss Natalie is officially 1 year YOUNG!

I can hardly believe it. I took the day off so her & I could get our party on!

Her Aunt Kelly also took off of work to join in on the fun!

 

I decided to take her to the Aquarium. I mean what kid doesn't love big tanks of bubbly water with colorful fishies everywhere.......

 

Well, that would be my kid. Honestly it wasn't that she didn't like it. I just don't think she had any clue what the heck was going on.
It was like she woke up today knowing it was her birthday!

Total Miss Priss Attitude. 

Once I set her down....she would scream if I picked her up!

She turned into a little independent thing.

Mom, I gotta see these Lemurs!

So we crawled in with the Lemurs.

 

 

Mom, now I gotta make a friend!
(that poor boy:she was determined)

 

Back it up Mom, I got this slide!

 

We had probably been in the Aquarium for 15mins.

& she was already running circles around me.

Thankfully it was a early Wednesday morning, & we were practically the only ones there.

We may need to return this package!

 

 

 

Ohhhh ARE WE BORING YOU?!

 

Hanging out in a nest with Auntie Kelly. 

Look what I can do!

 

I finally wrangled her back into her stroller. Cheerios always does the job!

 

We are always prepared!

My heart will Gooo Onnn!

Do you see Any Sharks Natty-Pie?

 

 

 

We took her outside on this boardwalk to let her get the last bit of energy out!

The weather was Perfect.

 

...and then she was D.O.N.E! Down for the count.

She wore herself & her momma out. She was passed out before we even got out of the parking garage. It was perfect because Aunt Kelly &

 I were able to enjoy a nice lunch while she snoozed.

 

DUN DUN DUN....THEN THE KRAKEN AWOKE!

 

We just finished up so no worries.

 

HOW OLD ARE YOU NATALIE?

ONE!

(we gotta work on that)

 

....AND THEN IT WAS TIME TO GO!

WHEW! WHAT A DAY BIRTHDAY GIRL!

 

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU NATALIE.

 I AM SO PROUD TO BE YOUR MOMMA!

XOXO

 

 

 

I had to sneak this guy in here. He was just too cool not to share!

 

LATA ALLIGATA!

-Melissa