PINK LAUNDRY: 18 months and the promised video, well sort of...

Can I just tell you that our lives are NEVER dull? They may be a lot of things, but dull or boring- nuh uh! Miss Anabelle has definitely added her own brand of excitement for the last 18 months! And I have to say it because she's my last- has it REALLY been 18 months?! Wow! I'm remembering how much fun and unique each stage is, and I really do want to treasure each one. Even since I wrote the chatterbox post a month or so ago, her vocabulary has picked up so much. She literally does not stop talking. Most of it is unintelligible toddler jabber, but she does throw in a good many words and phrases too.

So indulge this somewhat haphazard version of a milestone post (I'm not so good at the organized diaper size, clothes size, sleep pattern post...) knowing that it's especially for my memory and her family back in the states. And I haven't forgotten that in another post, I promised a video of Anabelle singing, "Jesus". Well people, don't think that's going to happen! The day after I said that I started trying to get a video. She really does sing this all the time to random baby dolls, stuffed animals. Usually we encourage it a bit and she picks up the last word of phrases, but I promise she sings.

At least she did until I started trying to video it..

Now she shakes her head emphatically and says, "no, no, no" or else climbs in my lap while I'm trying to video so she can "see" the picture of herself, which doesn't exactly make filming her easy!

We've rediscovered the playmobile stuff in the last few weeks and I've let Naomi leave the house set up on the little table in her room. Anabelle has LOVED playing with it. We have to watch her closely because there are little pieces, but she is going to be like her oldest sister in that she seems to like things very orderly, so (unless she gets frustrated as you'll see in one video), things pretty well stay in place...

This first video is also one of our many failed attempts to get her to sing

I love this one because it shows her just jabbering away.... and also a bit of her temper at the end

And one more attempt at singing...

Like I said, not very good at the milestone post- I figure I'm doing good to get a picture or 2 up every few months and say something about how I can't believe how much time has passed. Because I can't. And then again I can. Know what? I held a precious little newborn this past week and I really think it was the first time in FOREVER that I've held a baby (after my current baby is more than a year old) and haven't had the thought that I want another. Huh. Anyway, back to my baby.

In summary, AB is our little peanut. First time I've ever had a baby low on the growth charts. She's about 25% for weight and maybe 40% for height, but I promise what she may be lacking at this point in size, she more than makes up for in overflowing personality. So expressive this one! But how could she not be with a house full of girls to learn from?!

And speaking of girls- she ADORES her big sisters- Abbey, Mami, and Nomi can do no wrong in her little mind! Looks like she's thinking WHAT exactly is happening now?!

(and I'm truly not sure what WAS happening but it sure was fun!)

If I were to ask you to pray for anything for Anabelle it would be sleep for sure. The amazing babywise baby who started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks and was truly the EASIEST baby EVER for the first 8 months of her life had a little bump in the road as far as sleep starting last January in the form of ear infections and has never completely gotten her sleep groove back. We're working on it though.

We had a good spell this summer (thankfully! since we traveled so much) but got back to Jordan and started having trouble again in September. She has not had another infection but has constant fluid on her ears so please pray this will resolve itself. We've had about 4 good nights in a row so I'm thankful for that and hoping it will continue. She naps very well during the day so that helps. We just in the last month moved from 2 naps to 1 nap and most days she'll sleep for 2.5-3 hours. Works out well and gives me a few hours just before the big girls get home and things wind up again.

She is definitely an extrovert. We had house group at our home on Friday and everyone was hanging out in the kitchen and she comes walking in and says, "HEWO!" then grins really big as everyone laughs at her. Little mess.

Favorite activities these days? Well I mentioned the playmobile house, she also LOVES playing with Naomi's collection of Toy Story toys ("tato", Woowy, and Jessie are favorites- oh and Boos Eye and Buzz I Ear- ok she likes them all!), loves playing hide-n-seek with the big girls and LOVES "Bob and Wary". Veggie Tales remains a favorite in our house! Oh, and I can't forgot books. I love how much Anabelle loves to read both to herself and being read to. She will sit for the longest time in front of her bookshelf pulling out books and flipping through the pages usually with a running commentary of jabber. Her favorites are Goodnight Moon ("nigh, nigh, hush"), Wheels on the Bus, anything Maisy, most any Sandra Boynton but specifically Barnyard Dance, and Brown Bear (which she can practically recite at least which animal is coming next)

I mentioned hide-n-seek. She'll cover her eyes and "count" to 10 and then come looking. Whoever happens to be found has to have a "tiss" and gets lots of hugs. Then when it's her turn to hide she runs about 3 feet away and flattens herself against the wall until you open your eyes from counting. Then she says, "Oh! There she is, Anabelle!".

Oh, that's another thing. She says her name emphatically and loudly whenever she's doing something she knows she shouldn't. Like climbing on the table (yep, she figured that one out this week), or throwing something in the trash, or picking up someone's electronic device or a remote. Anyway, it's pretty cute and quite helpful at this stage if my eyes happened to be diverted elsewhere for that nanosecond. Occasionally she'll even throw in a "no, no!", but usually it's just "Anabelle!".

Here's a picture sequence of another favorite thing...

Notice the brooms in the middle of the floor and where Mia is...

Miss Anabelle loves to raid the pantry in search of cheerios!

So she cleans out the "broom closet" in order to indulge in her mid-morning snack...

In the process of playing playmobile this week and trying to get a video 58 times, Abbey noticed that she was sticking Playmobile people under her chin to walk around the table and move them from place to place...