Special Delivery

Cassidy was intent on packaging herself up in this box today. I don't know where her travels will take her, but I'm glad to know she won't be alone - Stripey Tiger is going along too! We are having a blast just watching Cassidy to see what she'll do next. Everything is a toy to her, and her imagination is blossoming and so joyful for us to experience alongside her.

And then one day...

...everything changed. The food set before Cassidy was eaten. It's been a week now, of solid food being consistently eaten at all three meals each day. It started one day with a baked pasta dish. I had given her a few noodles to play with, as usual, while I made her pureed food bottle. And as usual, she broke the food into 8,437 pieces, smeared it around, and tossed it on the floor. But this time, when only one tiny piece of a noodle was left on her thumb, the rest demolished under her highchair, she slowly put it to her lips and moved it around in her mouth. And then she looked at me with big eyes and said "mmmmmmm". Not sparing a moment, I put the bottle down and cut up more and more pasta for her to enjoy. She happily ate. She has successfully eaten chicken, peas, carrots, potatoes, kidney beans, bread, yogurt, bagel, and various noodles. Tonight it was whole wheat elbows with Mommy's quick tomato-herb sauce. Oh, and of course, Cheerios. We're trying to remain calm and not constantly pinch ourselves, but we have to admit it: this is downright exciting. We've been telling ourselves for months and months that one day, everything would change and she would E-A-T. And now we know it really can happen. Thank you, Jesus, for progress! Amen!

Adventures in snowshoeing

Today was a great day to introduce Cassidy to snowshoeing! It was about 37 degrees with almost no wind, so we got our girl all bundled up and loaded into Daddy's new backpack carrier. Cassidy loved riding around and getting to be outside for a change! Her cheeks got a little cold after a while so she got to come in and have them kissed by mommy. What a fun new adventure!

Hand-me-downs

Late last summer we gave Kayla a gift: a soft, luxurious, baby loungewear-style unionsuit. She immediately put it on and it fit her perfectly. Recently, we got the outfit back. In the washing process, it had shrunk considerably, and now fits Cassidy perfectly. Hand-me-downs are always wonderful; we just didn't expect this one handed down so soon! Thanks, Kayla! I love my comfy new outfit! Cassidy even has slipper boots that match

Discovering the bowl of apples on the kitchen table

Way too busy playing to look at the camera

A ponytail, if you please

After months of waiting, the back of Cassidy's hair is finally long enough (when you stretch out the curls!) to be pulled up with the rest of her hair into an actual ponytail, making her look, yet again, like a new kid to us! After a few minutes, I took it out. Seriously, it made her look too old to me. Maybe I'll get used to it by summer, when I'm sure she'll appreciate her hair off her neck and out of her face. I always dreamed of having a little girl, with whose hair I could style and play with to my heart's content. I just never imagined being able to do so almost right from birth! She's my favorite little dolly, come to life.

The kind of fun we have around here

Cassidy L-O-V-E-D her first ride on Daddy's shoulders!The walk-behind cart has morphed into a ride-on car!

Bigger, bigger, all the time

Cassidy is definitely still a baby. She recently hit the 14-month-old mark. She's totally dependent on us and baby-like in more ways than not. But it's easier every day to see her kid-ness emerging. She walks almost exclusively; crawling is out. She still doesn't like to eat much on her own, but has added clementine orange peels to her short list of "will-eats". She looks like a kid to us, not a baby. And she is verbalizing so much, now with recognizable (at least to us) words: mama, daddy, doggie, juice, cracker. She understands us a little more all the time, too. She responds to commands (that she likes...no is not a fun command to obey). She'll look for and go to get doggie, soft bear, or Mr. Stripey the Tiger when asked where they are. She has learned how to turn on the ceiling fan and light switches and loves doing so! She waves at every car that drives by. She helps to get herself dressed and undressed. She seemed to jump up a shoe size overnight. She is growing and changing and we love being here to see it every step of the way.

Curled up with a good book

It's great to see a love of books already developing in our girl. She loves to turn the pages and "read" aloud. And cuddling in daddy and mommy's bed is sure a comfy place to read! She's so smart, she can even read upside down.

Caught...Again

Turn your back for three seconds and Cassidy has the Cuisinart workbowl out of the drawer and she's in...again and again and again. Notice the MSU jammies, worn in honor of Uncle Aaron's birthday. I'm so big I can stand up in it, too!

Getting out is no problem either.

Another day in...baskets, drawers...

If a basket isn't available, fear not. A drawer will do! The toy basket is a great place to do some serious reading.

Basket Case

It's amazing how quickly a toddler can pick up a new "thing". The last few days, it's been climbing into various baskets. She sees a basket and she's in. No prompting from us, and no one showed her how; she just decided that baskets were her thing and she's so happy to find one to climb into! Here, a tour of baskets around our house:

A toy basket in the family room

A laundry basket in mommy and daddy's bedroom

Another toy basketAnd another laundry basket

Contraband

These days, Cassidy is into, well, everything she shouldn't be. She loves cell phones, computers, all electronics in general, but the most coveted item is the TV remote. We do everything we can to keep it out of her hands, but this girl is quick, creative, and a good climber. We fight the good fight, but sometimes, she wins.

Caught red-handedVictory is mine!
Mwa ha ha ha ha!!!