We love fall!! Crunchy leaves. Candy corn. Crisp sunshine. Conference weekend. Time with family and friends. and Laila's 8 months!!!!!
I love love love Conference weekend, an opportunity to meet as an entire congregation of the church, across the entire world to "Come and Listen to a Prophet's Voice". Growing up, we took several trips to Utah, as a family and as a church youth group. Actually attending those meetings in person, and the beautiful spirit about Temple Square was addicting and testimony strengthening.
Mom and dad came up to spend the weekend with us. It was nice to all be together. Chelsie and Dallin (our favorite neighbors :) ) spent the Saturday day with us as well. Complete with a delicious Saturday morning Conference feast! And honestly, I think when Laila woke up Monday morning she was disappointed to see it was just her and I again. She looked all over, as if looking for someone, like, " Where'd the party go???"
In between the different sessions of conference we escaped to catch some fresh air. And we lucked out with a beautiful, dry weekend. Here are some pics....
I think this is just after a bite of that leaf in her hand disappeared into her mouth. Hence the sour lips. It was impossible to leave her sitting in the grass without leaves, twigs and insects at risk of being eaten.
I LOVE these pictures. Just like her daddy. The prettiest, bluest eyes!
This is such a Laila face. It is usually accompanied by this fake laugh/ screeching thing she does.
Story time with Lala, life doesn't get much better!
I really am growing to absolutely LOVE Seattle! What a view! and just a short drive away!
So this weekend also marked 8 months for Miss Laila! 8 months! ahh! That's like 4 months away from a year! Crazy crazy. Here are Laila's TOP THREE's FOR 8 MONTHS!
Top 3 Cutest Things
1. Booty dance! She loves to shake her little bum. The second music comes on, even if its a commercial, or something quick and random...cue the booty dance!
2. Her giggles.
3.Whenever she gets upset or something is wrong, she checks around the room to find me, gives me this look like, "Mom, is everything okay?" I love that she looks to me for reassurance. What an incredible thing, and in the grand scheme of things a horrifying responsibility! Ha!
Top 3 Least Cutest Things
1. Throw a fit. Yep. Already. Even with a little foot stomp and everything sometimes. I swear this is much earlier than I was expecting this to start. But this girl has some attitude already! Heaven help us! But she is the cutest thing with her little arms folded across her chest. I'm not sure she is getting the whole "Time-out" concept yet, but it will come, oh yes it WILL come.
2. Spit her food. She thinks its the funniest thing.
3. Pull all the books and DVD's off the shelves.
4. I am going to add a bonus one here. We are re-adjusting our sleep training. We are moving from 3 naps to 2. Yikes! This has been a lot of fun let me tell you. She started waking up in the night again, ya not OK! And her naps were progressively getting shorter. So we decided, alright, let's cut the 3rd nap and try and lengthen the 2nd. It was been such a struggle with a lot of crying and screaming. And I have been second guessing it since we started. But I have to say this, today is officially a week since we started and she finally slept through the night again last night. Took a 2 hour nap this morning and is going on a 3 hour nap this afternoon! Hallelujah! Let's hope this continues.
Top 3 Funniest Things she does
1. You know the little metal circle at the front of your tub, under the faucet!? Laila will find her reflection in it and just crack up. So funny!
2. She sings! Well I like to think she does. Whenever I start singing to her, she starts "singing" along with me.
3. It amazes me how fast she can turn on and off a really impressive cry. Its like slamming on the breaks, you know, when you come to a complete stop, not a sliding, semi-gradual stop, but really quick and abrubt?! That's how she rolls. Drama queen!
Top 3 Favorite Things
1. So Cameron got me these really light hand-weights for Zumba. They shake a little bit like there might be rice in them. Laila love's them. Some mornings, they are the first things she goes to.
2. She loves hide and seek. You jump out at her and she will laugh and laugh.
3. Still loves to bounce. Jump and jump and jump.
Top 3 Dislikes
1. It is amazing to me how quickly these little ones start to learn the concept of cause and effect. We have a book shelf where the shelves go all the way to the floor. Laila loves to rip them off and play with the pages. I have been trying to teach her NO, that she can not touch those. I will see her crawling to the book shelf and say, "Laila no", and you know what she does???? She looks at me and crawls FASTER. The little stink! I grab her in my arms and fold her arms against her chest, a little mini time out (which I have to say is the cutest thing ever. It is really hard to be "mad" at her when she is just so cute.) Sometimes though, you take that book away and cue the fit. Ya, not so cute.
2. Her bib. They are impossible to keep on her. She just rips them right off. And she let's you know she is not happy about them when you put them on her. I have added it to my project list to make some bibs that are, well, more difficult to get off; button, zipper, super glued! ;-)
3. Strangers. I think she is kind of in the stranger-danger phase. She's all fine and dandy until she looks up and sees an unknown face cooing and smiling at her and she looses it. I feel so bad for all of the people she has introduced to her high-pitch screams.
Top 3 Accomplishments
1. We have a crawler! And she is everywhere! I LOVE it!
2. Chewing really well. She loves small pieces of fruit or cooked veggies to chew. Graham crackers and rice crackers. I made the mistake of sharing my roll with her last Sunday. I think that's a new favorite. I'm not as paranoid about her chocking now. I don't mean I'm ready for her to play with marbles, I just mean she is starting to get the hang of the whole eating thing ! :)
3. Crawls to mommy. I will hold my arms out for her and she will scurry across the room into my arms.
Cam had his first concert this week with the Seattle Ensign Chorus and Symphony. It was absolutely fantastic! I am so glad I was able to attend. And I am so grateful, that even with his busy schedule Cameron has been able to find time for this opportunity. It is so fun to watch him up there doing something he absolutely loves. A couple friends from his pharmacy class attended the concert as well. Way sweet! 
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