Such a Smart Girl!

Bethie will be 2 in just a few months, and Jeff and I can't get over how much she is learning.  She doesn't string words together yet, but she does say "please" and "thank you" both in words and sign language.  She is pretty good at letting us know what she wants, and she can understand nearly everything we tell her.  It is nice to be able to tell her to pick up her toys and then watch her comply.  She loves to be helpful, and she loves puzzles and books.  A new favorite of hers is online games, like this one from the Fisher-Price website.  She wants to play it all the time, and it is easy to see that she is going to be needing her own computer before too long!

Halloween!

We had so much fun with Halloween this year! Bethie picked out her own Cinderella costume, and she is old enough now to really have fun with all the decorations and festivities. We were invited to a church festival that had bounce houses and games for the kids, as well as a 75-car “Trunk or Treat”. The kids and their parents went to each of 75 designated cars that were decorated and got candy, so they got to trick-or-treat without worries.

Bethie loved the bounce houses, but she only made it through about 10 cars before she was done. That was fine with us, as she didn’t need a whole bucketful of candy! She ate her first Butterfinger last night, and thought that was quite a treat. It was a terrific weekend and an awesome Halloween!

This was during our lunch at Panera. Bethie is getting very vocal, and it is fun to see!

This was in one of the bounce houses:

Catching Up

I can't believe how long it has been since I updated, and I apologize! The summer went by so quickly, although now that I think of it, I can't really remember anything major that we did since the trips to Chicago and Fargo. The video is from the other day, and it showcases Bethie's fake laugh. It is so funny, and I have no idea where she picked it up. My favorite part is where she puts her hand over her mouth. I know I do that, so she must have picked that up from watching me.

One thing we did enjoy this year was the weekend before my birthday. My mom, her fiance Jerry, and my niece Alivia came to visit us to celebrate. Livy and Bethie are 5 months apart, and they get along so well. I keep waiting for them to argue or get angry with one another, and it just doesn't happen. They play and make messes and follow each other around, and we just had the best time! This definitely makes me want to move closer to home. Bethie needs to be with her cousins! She has 7 cousins on my side and 5 on Jeff's side, and she just doesn't get to see them often enough. One of her cousins is only 12 days older than Bethie, too, and she's only seen him once, when they were both babies. Until we move closer, though, we are thankful for airlines, email, and Facebook! Here are a few pictures of Bethie and Livy:

Bethie's Fargo Trip 2010

I apologize for the delay in posting videos of our trip to Fargo, but I just realized that I hadn't posted for awhile. Bethie and I flew to Fargo to see my family the week of July 24 - 31. We had so much fun and got to see almost everyone. My brother Chris and his family couldn't make it and we missed them! Bethie got to play with Cousin Livy, though, who is only 5 months older than she is. The two had met once before, when Bethie was just 4 months old. This time, however, the girls were able to play together. A little shy at first, they quickly became inseparable. It was so nice to see, but it made it that much harder to come back to Texas. It's a little lonely at home after a week full of family and friends!

Newest Accomplishment

Our baby is such a big girl!!

Peek-A-Boo

Just because she is so darned cute, here's Bethie's latest game of Peek-a-Boo:

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa

Bethie and Jeff just got home on Saturday from a week-long trip to see Grandma and Grandpa and all of Jeff's relatives. She had a great time, although it took her a couple of days to warm up to people. She also got to go to the beach and play miniature golf, and then when she got home she got to buy some new toys! Jeff's family gave her a gift certificate, so we shopped on Sunday after she had a chance to rest a bit. I missed them terribly while they were gone, but this Saturday it is my turn! Bethie and I are going to fly to Fargo to see my family, and we can't wait!