McKenna 15 months

My little girl is 15 months old. Only 3 more months until she gets to enjoy nursery. Yeah! It won't really affect me that much since I am already in one of the THREE nursery's in my ward. Yes, I did say three! And there are about 15-20 kids in EACH one. So I don't have her anything during the last two hours of church. But it will be nice for Tucker, Doug, my mother, and now Kirstin who watch her while I am "working" in nursery.

She has grown so much mentally in the past few months. At 15 months she:
-understand so well. I can ask her to get me an item, lets say the phone, and she will go get it. Or I will ask her to give something to Tucker and she will go do it. Its just so amazing to watch her little brain working/thinking
-She's a climber. She can now climb on and off the couch. No one ever taught her how to get off the couch. She just picked that up on her own.
- She loves wearing her shoes. She will go grab them out of her room and bring them to me saying, "shoo, shoo" Its pretty cute
- Is starting to figure out how to use a fork.
- loves to color anything and everything. If there is a pen and a magazine she will sit herself down and color all over the pages. Now its not real coloring and it doesn't last that long, but its cute. I never showed her how to color she just did it one day. See she is smart!
-Loves to drink water, juice, milk. She has a sippy cup out on the table just about all day long.
- She loves phones and remotes
-She is starting to enjoy movies
- She has so much energy and is busy all day long
- She hands me her pacifier every morning when she gets out of bed. She knows she isn't supposed to use it during the day.
- She knows what her sippy is, her pacify is, what a phone is, smalls, daddy, mommy, bye bye is, juice, crackers. She definitely knows what she isn't supposed to do.
- She loves playing with her toys.
- She can say mommy, daddy, hot, me me , shoo(shoe), Hi, juice. I think she says eat and bite, but those are iffy.
-She is just started to draw out her "words" when she talks. Its really cute. Almost like she is whining, but cuter.
-She will tell you something and if you say what, she will repeat the exact same sentence over again. Sometimes 2 or 3 times. Its pretty amazing.
- She has found the piano and loves to play it.
- She has 8 teeth. 4 on the top, 4 on the bottom
- She weights 22 lbs and has for the last 4 months or so. Maybe longer. She is 32 inches tall.

She is developing so fast and growing up so fast. She is such a joy to be at home with. I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Day 19 - Day 24

Wow, I am really behind. I didn't think I was such a slacker.

DAY 19
Flip Flops
Nike flip flops are by far the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn. Amazing!

DAY 20
Reality TV
I love survivor and the amazing race. Plus all some other reality TV shows and dramas out there.

DAY 21
MY CELL PHONE
All modern technology is wonderful.

DAY 22
MEDICAL INSURANCE
Even though it can be such a rip off at times, I'm glad I don't have to pay the full for those big emergencies.

DAY 23
MOVIES
Not necessarily this movie, although it was quite good. But good movies in general.

DAY 24
MUSIC

Day 18 I am thankful for.....

......the time that I got to spend with my dad. He is such a great man and is missed greatly. I'm thankful for all the memories that I have of the time we spend together. Here are just a few pictures of him and I.

This was at the one of our family vacation we all took to Big Bear Lake. Summer 2006

We went to the state fair many years ago. Had a great time. Aug 2005

When we want on a cruise. April 2005

At my wedding. July 2003

This was at one of our outings to 6 flags. This picture used to always bother me because I wanted a nice picture of just Tuck and I. I even airbrushed my dad out one time. But not I like it just how it is. Oct 2006


Like father, like daughter. Kristin wanted to get a nice picture of my dad at Teaghan's baptizem. I thought it would look better like this. April/Mayish 2005

Things I am thankful for....

A few of my friends have been doing "things they are thankful for" on their blogs or facebook. I've been thinking about the things I am thankful for and thought I would join in. I'm going to start today and make a list of all the days I've missed. Then start doing one everyday for the rest of the month...hopefully. I'm not good at blogging every day but I will try!

1. I am thankful for my hubby, Tucker. Even though he is quite crazy at times.

2. I am thankful for my little girl, McKenna

3. I am thankful for Smalls.

4. I am thankful to have a roof over my head
5. I am thankful for ear plugs. They help me get to sleep while Tucker is busy snoring

6. I am thankful for my own bed and that McKenna doesn't get to sleep in.

(this isn't my bed, I didn't have a picture on my computer)
7. I am thankful for my family and friends

(I don't have many pictures of my friends and family on my computer)
8. I am thankful for Target.

I am a targetaholic. Tuck things I go there way to often, but I don't think that I do. I go there when I need something. Sometimes its 2-3 times a week, sometimes I don't go at all. It all evens out in the end.
9. I am thankful for Hawaiian pizza from Mountain Mikes. Yummy!!

10. I am thankful for my DVR/TV. No more commericals!

11. I am thankful for internet and my mini computer.

12. I am thankful that I don't get sick. I hope I didn't just jinx myself

13. I am thankful for soda. I LOVE soda!

14. I am thankful for my car. Its not the prettiest car, but it gets me from point A to B. And it was my dads car. So I like it.

(my car has 4 doors and isn't so shiny)
15. I am thankful for being apart of the LDS church.

16. I am thankful for the many days that McKenna makes me laugh.

17. I am thankful for Tuckers job.


That's all for now folks!

Halloween

This years halloween was a bit more exciting than last years. McKenna was Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz. She turned out real cute. I enjoyed myself. I wanted to get the most use out of her costume, since they are so expansive! So we went to our old wards trunk or treat and my wards trunk or treat and Tucker's aunts Halloween party. She had a great time. She would giggle and walk a little faster in between the cars. It was real cute. Next year should be even more exciting since we will be able to go door to door. I thought it would be silly having me say trick or treat at the door since she doesn't know how to talk yet.

Jen and McKenna at the first trunk or treat.

McKenna and I at the Halloween party. I was a witch. Not a very thought out witch, but one none the less. She never got scared of me with my green face. Just gave me a smile and walked away. I just love her.

At the picture station at the party.

Enjoying her treats. This girl loves candy and anything sweet.

On Nov 1, McKenna thought it was a good idea to put her hand on a light bulb! This picture was taken about 3 or 4 days after it happened. This was the day I took her into the doc because it didn't look very good. This was the worst that it got. It looks so much better now. I do have more pictures but they are on my phone and I can't seem to get them off. So one day I will be able to post them. But after 2 weeks, it looks so so much better and almost completely healed. The doctors seem very positive about its healing. We have been going to Shriner's hospital to their burn center. They are great there. So nice and helpful. And best yet....its free!

Here is McKenna's winter coat! I think she looks so cute. It makes me laugh when I see her in it. She is so funny. Speaking of funny...this little girl has so so much energy. She bounces off the walls all day long. There is never a dull moment at the Dowd house. She laughs, tries to jump, climbs up on anything she can get up on. She just makes me happy! She is such a card and has quite the little temper. Right now I laugh at her because its cute when she gets up set. I just love her! I'm glad she is in my life.

What have we done lately??

This month hasn't been to eventful. In terms of McKenna and her development she is now 14 months. Where has the time gone? Can gets into everything, and I mean everything! She knows when she is doing something she isn't supposed to be doing. She understands me amazingly well. I don't know how kids at this age usually are, but she seems awfully smart to me. and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom. She is to smart for her little age. She is on the go from the time she gets up in the morning, which is 8:00am btw, to the time her head this the mattress at night, which is 8:00pm. This girl loves her sleep. She still take 2 naps per day and can range from 1 hour to 2 hours. Its wonderful. She is starting to climb onto things and gets in to things, such as suitcases and laundry baskets. She can say Mommy, Daddy, hot, outside, no, yes, cheese, hi, bye, eat, night night. She will also copy what you say and what you do almost exactly. She has 8 teeth. She is finally starting to go to bed without her bottle. She loves going through my purse and snacking on my gum with the wrapper still on. She is a biter. (any ideas on how to stop that habit?) She is definitely a people watcher and looks at everything. She will stick her arms and legs into her clothes now and will pull her shirt off her head. Helps in getting her dressed and undressed. She LOVES her shopping cart. She will push it all around putting different items in it, usually her diapers. I can't really think of anything else, she has stolen my brain and memory. I just can believe how big she is and how much she has grown mentally and how much she can do. I didn't think her little brain could hold so much. I love her!

I don't usually let her run around naked because I don't want any accidents to happen on the floor, but I thought....why not? She would run from the front room to her bed room and back again and smalls would follow her smelling her behind. It was quite cute.

McKenna loves to rub her food stained hands through her hair, so I thought this might do the trick! But she HATES and I mean hates having things on her head so it didn't last long. She may look happy here, but she was really miserable.

Lately she has been really mesmerized with the TV. She will stare at it for a few minutes. Its quite funny. I'm gonna have to start paying attention to what she is watching here in a little bit.

This picture is a little dark but you can see her on the far left side of the picture staring at the TV.

Yeah for Halloween!! This year is really her first Halloween. Last year she was just 2 1/2 months. This year she(really I, hehe) can enjoy it more plus I get to eat some candy! What could be better? This year she is Dorothy. I think she looks pretty cute. She wouldn't hold still long enough to take a picture, so Tucker had to hold her down for me.

This was at the my old wards Trunk or Treat. She didn't like Jason very well, plus I just took a piece of candy away from her. I know, i'm a terrible mom.

Doing what she does best, getting into everything!

I just think this is the funniest picture. She had just woken up for a nap and was resting on my moms shoulder. She was trying not to smile at me and was making just these funny faces. I think I'm the only one who thought it was funny. I guess its the mom in me.

A few weeks ago we got on a plane and heading to Indiana for Tuckers 10 year HS reunion. She did awesome on the planes. She was awake the whole way there and fell asleep as we were landing in Indiana. We had to get up at 5:30am to get to our plane in time. She was a trooper. Just looked out the window pretty much the whole way there. And she slept the whole way home on the plane. Tucker enjoyed his reunion and seeing all his old friends. There won't be a post of that part, because I didn't take any pictures. Silly me!

Lately she will put her blanket over her head in the car when she is trying to sleep. She is a funny girl.

While we were in Indiana, we stayed at Tucker's brothers house. They have stairs. Yeah for me! She LOVED the stairs. She even fell down them when no one was watching her and hit her head on the nice and hard floor at the bottom. Even after that, she still continued to climb them.

Tuckers brother has a dog and Mckenna decided it would be fun to climb into the cage. I did open the door, but she climbed in and closed the door.

We went to the Sacramento Zoo on free day. We had a fun time. Here are just a few pictures.

And NO blog would be complete without my smallers! I love her too!