August Update!

Let's see... where to begin...

We continue to be very very busy with, well, life. With Deanna returning to work and Dave returning to school, we have tried to cherish those precious weekend hours. We recently bought our ginormous toddler her first bedroom set (ironically, called "Delaney" at Target). The first pic is of us trying to put together a bookcase, while Delanie proceeds to climb in and out and on and off of it.

The second picture - we finally have a photo of her downward facing dog yoga sleep moves. Anyone with a child knows that a picture is worth a thousand words... unless of course, that picture wakes a sleeping baby. So, we have put off taking photos of her sleeping for, oh, 16 months or so. This has been her sleeping position since about 6 months old. Notice the baby appendages coming out from under her right arm...

Delanie's vocabulary continues to expand. Some of the latest words: tractor, lawn mower, trees, cheese, Nicky (neighbor's dog), kitty, mail, swim, peanut butter, bath, trash, clean, dirty, and phone. The one word that she has just about perfected - "NO!" She says it with a head shake and usually some sort of hand gesture such as pushing away from us. And she likes to repeat it over and over for emphasis...

Last week, Delanie got a little package in the mail from her Mamo (great-grandmother). Inside, two adorable little outfits! Here she is below, posing in her new outfit, accessorized by Mardi Gras beads. We cannot seem to coax her to keep any hair accessories on her head longer than 2 minutes, but she regularly wlaks around the house with some sort of necklace.

And, the last picture is just proof that we have morphed into parents - we took joy in taking photos and video of our daughter, looking miserable under a too-big bike helmet. Here she is riding her new bike for the first time. Since she has been a B-I-G girl her whole life, she really hasn't ever fit on those ride-on toys, her legs are just too long. So, we went ahead and got her a bike a little early, hoping she will be able to enjoy growing into it. We just have to work on her with the helmet.

We are off to a few weddings over the next few weeks - one in Virginia and one in Cape Cod. We are looking forward to seeing so many family and friends, and perhaps getting a little R&R in as well. We will surely have lots of pics when we return!

Delanie Footage!

Here is some video of Delanie with her baby! I know it's sorta long, but the grandparents will be happy! The cutest part is the last two minutes or so.

She's a B-I-G Girl!

Delanie continues to enjoy summertime! And, now that she is a full fledged walker, we are putting her in all those cute summer dresses! With her growing mass of curls, we attempt to do her hair, but hair accessories typically only stay in for five minutes. Delanie is starting to get the idea of "posing" for the camera, as evidenced by this photo!

Here is Delanie doing her version of the sign for "water" in her adorable ladybug dress (Thank you Papa Dave and Nana).

Unfortunately for our animals, Delanie is going through an aggressive stage with our pets. She tugs tails, pulls ears and pokes eyeballs. She has taken to chasing Bailey (our ornary cat) into a corner using her play lawn mower, then trying to ram right into her. With the dogs, she climbs on their backs or stomps on their tails, then laughs in delight when they jump up out of fear. We hope this stage will pass quickly and it is just an exploration into "cause and effect," not a future career in World Wrestling Federation!

And, despite her sometimes aggressive nature, she loves all three of her pets, no one can make her giggle more than her dogs or cat! (Thank you to our groomer Anda for dressing our two dogs in VT bandanas!)

Then there is the other side of this wonderful little girl - her new obsession with baby dolls. She has adopted two new babies since our last post. The first, pictured here, is Mommy's old half-naked Cabbage Patch Kid doll. Now, for a woman who grew up in the 80s, handing down a CPK is a dream come true! The other adoptee is a baby at daycare that actually belongs to her teacher's daughter, Georgia. Georgia accidentally left her doll in her mother's classroom. Well, Delanie hasn't been willing to part with it yet! So, the baby actually has joint custody - she spends each day with Delanie and goes home each evening with Georgia.

She shows such care and attention to the babies, offering goldfish crackers or wrapping them in blankets. One is always with her, and there is even a seat reserved at the dinner table. She has started brushing their teeth with her toothbrush and brushing their hair with her hairbrush. She makes sleeping noises after she puts one to bed on her old Boppy pillow. And, anyone who knows Delanie, knows that she never has a shortage of things to say, so she narrates the entire sequence of events for her baby!

15 Month Update - The Jolly Blonde Giant!

That is the nickname that Dr. Durand has given to Delanie after her 15 month check up today. And once again, both the doctor and the nurse looked me up and down then confirmed that no, my husband is not tall either. At Delanie's last appointment, Dr. Durand said she thought Delanie might slow down for a bit, allowing her peers to "catch up." But, instead, she continues to grow at the same pace. And with each appointment confirming her growth, the doctor is becoming more certain that she will be a tall child (and maybe even a tall adult). Dr. Durand even pulled out her growth chart to show me how impressed she was. If you look at a standard growth chart, there is this large shaded curve that represents "normal." Delanie's growth follows the shape of the curve very precisely, except she is well above the shared area. So, here are the 15 month stats (drumroll please):
weight: 26.5 lbs (93%)
height: 33.5 in (>97%)
head: 18 1/8 (52%)

Delanie is right on target developmentally, although her parents (and grandparents!) think she is also way above the curve in that area also. She is at the most fun stage, Dave and I are so happy to be around her and watch her little mind work each day. She continues to be a chatterbox, mixing gibberish with words. She will try to parrot back just about any word you ask her to, and does a pretty good job with sounds and syllables. She is also becoming a great mimic, repeating motions and gestures. Delanie has also recently become attached to her baby. The baby sleeps and eats with Delanie, and they spend most of the day together. If Delanie gets involved in play, after a few minutes she will get a concerned look, hold her hands out with palms up, and say, "Baby?" And, in terms of mimicking behavior, she hugs, kisses, feeds and holds baby much like she's witnessed Mom and Dad do with her.

Here are some of the cute things Delanie did TODAY:

- While waiting for Dr. Durand, she placed the baby on the rolling chair and rolled her around the room, saying, "Whee!"
- When I got out of the shower, I found Delanie with a pair of my shorts on her head and my sunglasses on her face.
- While playing hide-and-go-seek with Dave, Delanie peered her head around the corner and said, "Boo!"
- When I went in Delanie's crib this morning, I found Delanie and her baby with heads on her pillow (new addition to the crib as of yesterday), blanket over them and Delanie talking to baby.
- As I type this at 9 pm, Delanie is singing to baby in her crib and her parents are beaming at the baby monitor!

So, bottom line, if we could freeze time right now, I think we'd jump at the chance, we are just loving this time with such a happy, silly, smart girl!

Delanie on Vacation Part III - WI

Delanie had lots of fun in the cabin playing on these stairs!

Here is Delanie chillin' with Ethan (Dave's cousin) on the hammock

4th of July Celebration at The Point - Delanie had fun with these volleyballs

Funny thing about boats - toddlers find them MUCH more entertaining when they are tied to the dock and Grandpa gives a gentle ride. (Of course, we know this from experience as she threw a tantrum about 2 minutes from shore because she didn't want to wear a lifevest)

Delanie on Vacation - Part II Hershey Park

Delanie and Daddy on the Carousel - she was a little scared of the horses

Riding the antique car with Daddy

Riding on the train with Mommy

Admission into Hershey Park: $37.00
Total cost for a greasy lunch $23
Seeing Delanie burst into tears upon seeing a life size hershey kiss... priceless
(To be fair, it WAS scary)

Delanie on Vacation Part 1 - PA

Lounging by the pool LaFleur-style!

At Crayola Factory - she was a little young to do any of the arts and crafts, but we had fun looking at other children and searching for Jon and Kate Plus 8 Gosselin (they had an episode that featured Crayola Factory)

Doing crafts with Daddy

Delanie in front of the Dansbury Depot - a restaurant that is a former railroad station - she loved watching the trains go above her head.