Leah seems so grown up!

I've been meaning to update for awhile now, especially to add a newer picture. Leah is now 22 months old. I can't believe how fast time is flying. The holidays will be especially exciting this year. I can't wait for her to see all the Christmas lights everywhere....oh yeah...she's going to love our tree!!  And probably try to tear it apart...haha.

I can hardly believe it is almost Thanksgiving. This is typically the weekend we take our tree and decor out of our shed so that we can decorate next weekend. How can this be?

So back to Leah....

She's running, climbing, and speaking more and more new words everyday. This week we've heard her start to say "mine!" Where did she pick that up? LOL!  And the "terrible twos" show up from time to time with Leah trying to demand what she wants.  Assert herself in this world...she's trying and we are trying to reign her in a bit.  But for the most part...she's lovable, a snuggler, I still can rock her....and she LOVES to be read to!!!  Everytime my mom comes over...she practically demands to be read to...tossing book after book into her lap. 

She can also say puppy, mommy, daddy, ball, bubble, hat, no, yeah, banky (for blanket), MeeMee (for NeeNee...Ken's mom), baby, eah (for Leah), beba (for Rebecca), ara (Sarah), sissy, pay (for play), hi, bye bye, B bir (for big bird), elmo, ernie, cookie, pizza, side (for outside) cupcake, nigh nigh (for night night), and many more I'm sure I can't think of at that moment.  But the cool thing is....we can communicate.  She definitely understands us, and we can pretty much figure out what she wants. 

She loves music, loves to dance & sing.  Loves when we sing with her.  Loves to eat!!!  Loves her "blanky" and thumb.  So adorable when sleepy....in goes her thumb as soon as she picks up her "banky."  Then she will walk and point to her crib.  LOL!  She really knows when she wants to sleep.  And thank goodness she still sleeps through the night.  We put her down at 7pm and she sleeps until 7am the next morning...it is a true blessing...especially since she is at such an active age.  Her sisters are a big help though.  And she sure loves it when they play with her!!  She loves playing outside on the patio...loves being outdoors.  She really liked the beach and boating this summer. 

She loves to watch these short 10 min nursery rhyme videos on our "on demand" channels which show little kids, animals and the rhymes are set to music, such as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and No More Monkey's Jumping on the bed...also likes to sing along with the ABC song, and a "rock rock" song I made up when I rock her.  She also loves elmo and Sesame Street.  And we are just introducing her to Bear in the Big Blue House....we have lots of VHS videos from when big sister Sarah was little and it was time to bring the "potty" video out.  Hope that happens sooner than later. 

Back near the end of July she finally got her helmet off FOR GOOD!!!! I can't even tell you how great it has been not to have to drive to Ft. Lauderdale EVER! I miss the time catching up with my mom on the drive down and back, but I do not miss the crazy traffic and the extra hectic-ness of our schedule due to driving down every 3 weeks.

Her hair is getting longer, still curly...and her screw has almost completely dissolved. The little bump on her right side of her head (pea sized) is a dissolving screw that is almost gone. I was told it was made of sugar molecules. She also has a dissolvable plate.

She goes back in late Feb/early March for a check up to see how her head is growing. It looks pretty good right now. There is one spot on her right side that still seems a little indented, but we are praying that God fills it in with all the right stuff. They have mentioned a 4% chance of a "touch up" surgery if it doesn't completely fill in like it should. We wouldn't know until she is at least 4 yrs old. I am praying that won't happen.

So here are a few new pics of Leah from this fall. Please continue to pray for her head to fill in with bone in all the right spots so she doesn't need another surgery. Thanks!!