Coloring!

Raychel started coloring this weekend! I think she likes it, but I'm not sure that she has a clue as to what is going on! She tried coloring with her fingers but no color came out...LOL!

Our art teacher at school tells the kids that they shouldn't talk while they are doing their art work, as the right and left side of the brain are used while talking and drawing. So, to be GREAT ARTISTS, they need to be quiet! Well....maybe that is all she needs! LOL

She is also learning that she can't put them in her mouth! Did I mention that she shakes her head no? Hmmm...does that mean we have told her no and shook our head too much?? LOL

THE WORKS OF ART! =) Aren't they beautiful! We have them up on the kitchen cabinets and she looks at them and smiles while she eats! I think she is a proud artist!

Church and Kisses

So, Raychel has become MORE fun to take to church! Today, during silent prayer this was EXACTLY what she sounded like! Hey...at least she didn't yell bye bye like last week! Make sure you turn your volume up for FULL EFFECT!

I guess she is also blowing kisses! Someone else must have taught her that...but I won't complain! LOL

Pig...or Pink Hippo???

Saturday afternoon, Derek got an email saying that a garage sale was giving everything else away for free at 1:00. So, being the "conservative" parents we are,...we RUSHED down there at 1:00!! LOL

We found this pink pig or hippo...depending on how you want to look at it. We handed it to Raychel and she latched on, refusing to let go! It is really soft and has a rattle in it, who wouldn't love it??

So, we got the pig/hippo...pigpo? and a few books! She was thrilled and we loved the price tag!

First step!

Raychel took her first step today! She was standing next to me and saw the cat. She took one step toward him and then stopped, she thought about another step for about 30 seconds, then decided just to crawl to him instead!!

Watch out world, Raychel is getting CLOSE, CLOSE, CLOSE to walking!

Daddy, I hear you...

Daddy was in the office, talking on the phone. Raychel could hear him and wanted IN!!! She was yelling at the door and reached the door knob before I got the camera out! She knows how to get it, now she just needs to turn the handle! Uh oh!

Copy Cat! Raychel has hit the "copy cat" stage! Here she was clapping after me! She likes to cough, laugh, inhale like she is in shock, wave, and clap!

Daddy did Raychel's HAIR!!!

Her very first MOHAWK...complements of DADDY!!!! See...she DOES have hair!!! LOL

Mommy couldn't believe it!

Daddy was quite proud of his hair styling talents!

Daddy's Hat

Raychel loves Daddy's hat! She has learned how to pull up and then off, so no more frustrated Raychel pulling out instead of up! She kinda thinks it is fun to wear it backwards! We kinda think it's cute! LOL

She is just so darn cute!

I'm 9 months old!

Raychel is 9 months old...can you believe that? She has been with us as long as we were waiting for her to come now...seems like the waiting part was MUCH longer! This cutie-pa-tootie is so fun and so challenging at the same time!!! LOL

She sure knows how to share her feelings with us! Lately, she is not interested in doing much but crying if Mommy leaves the room. She follows me (and PREFERS to be carried) everywhere I go. Although, she cries more then she is carried...can't have a spoiled Raychel (well not TOO spoiled!).

She learned to say "Bye-Bye!" and wave, but she has no idea what it means! She sure smiles when someone says bye bye to her now though...thinking, "They can do that too???...WOW!"

Monkey was her first word and she LOVES her Monkey...she sleeps on top of him, plays with him while she waits to be picked up, hugs him tight when she is scared, and expects him to go EVERYWHERE with her! She recognizes the sign for monkey, but has only tried it one time! I think she must think it is easier to just say mon-Key! You can barely hear the "mon" and the "KEY" is much louder!

She is a BIG girl! She fits into 12 month clothes perfectly...we'll find out next Tuesday how big she really is! UPDATE: She weighed in at 20.9lbs (81%) and 29 inches tall (90%)! She loves to crawl everywhere and the speed changes depending on who is chasing her or WHAT she did! When she did something wrong and has been caught, she crawls REALLY fast toward Mommy! Silly girl! She LOVES to stand...all the time! She stands and walks along and ON the couches and chairs, stands in her crib (instead of sleeping!), stands at her table and stands next to you! She will walk with you, holding her hands, and has tried to get that first step going a few times! She has no fear and loves to be thrown in the air, do somersaults off our laps, and tried to launch off the changing table! Thanks Alaina, she stopped to check out your drawer pulls...allowing Mom to catch her and flip her back over! I was standing right there, but reaching into the drawer! EEEEKkkk!!

SMILE, SMILE, GIGGLE, and LAUGH....the FUN part of Raychel! She LOVES to be scared....but you don't have to work too hard...just surprise her with a loud, "BOO!" She is definitely the highlight of our life!

Sign language...here she is telling me that she has a dirty diaper! She claps her hands together two times...which is a variation of the correct message. She can be hard to catch though, she just assumes you are watching her at all times and she doesn't need your attention before she tells you! Other signs she will do: stars, more, eat, diaper change, play, all done, and bye bye. Her actions show me that she understands other signs: Mommy, Daddy, Raychel, monkey, duck, drink, no, and kitty (I feel like I'm forgetting something, so I may add more later!) Words she says: Monkey, Duck (ducky), Da-Da, and bye-bye.

For those of you wondering...YES, this is her baby book! When I finally get time to scrap book all of this and fill out her actual baby book, I want to know and remember EVERYTHING! LOL

I know...it isn't the best picture...but I tried! She has 6 teeth now! 4 on the top and 2 on the bottom. Some more must be starting somewhere because she has sure been complaining!

Bye Bye

Raychel learned to say Bye Bye this weekend! She said it loudly in the middle of church, sorry Pastor Larry but your sermon is over in this girl's eyes! Of course I couldn't catch her saying bye bye and waving at the same time...but how about separately? I love that she waves at herself but, if you think about it, that is what it looks like from her point of view! Such a silly girl!! I am quite certain she has no idea what it means, but it is fun to say!

She also started saying, Da-Da, Du (Duck), and she attempted Shoe (but doesn't form her lips correctly...VERY FUNNY THOUGH!), and she is still saying Monkey! I will try to catch these on video, but she clams up when the camera comes out! Why can't she just perform?? GEEZE! ;)

A post by Raychel...well, I think this is what she would say!

My Grandpa Rod and Grandma Sherry bought me "The Original Rubber Duck"! Actually, they bought TWO! I LOVE my ducks! I squeeze them and they makes noise, I chew them and they taste so good, and I carry them all around the house just for fun. Oh, they are great in the tub too!
Would you like to read a book with me? I love my books! I dig through them, find my favorite, and read away. Sometimes I ask Mom to read them too me! My favorites are the Peek-A-Boo books, the duck book, and my first colors book! They are so cool!

My Daddy is tickling me...Oh boy, Oh boy...I laugh and laugh! LOL Don't touch my feet though...those are sooo ticklish!

hahahha hahaha

Need a Smile...we've got plenty!!!!

No words needed....these are Raychel's smiles from last week!!!

Our First Tantrum

Raychel had her first tantrum today... It's a funny story, really!

We received her Easter dress in the mail (Yes, eBay!) and Daddy said, "Let's try it on!" So, we put it on! She immediately started crying, then screaming, and then shrieking!!! Apparently, that was NOT what she wanted to be doing at that time! To make matters worse, we couldn't get the dress off of her! It is not stretchy, AT ALL!! She was a mess of flailing arms and legs, which did not help (imagine that)!

Finally, we removed the dress. We tried to console her, tried redirecting her attention, and tried ignoring her...but to no avail. When she wouldn't stop screaming, we put her in her crib. She spent the next 45 minutes wailing in her room! At one point she stopped, so I went in to get her. She had fallen asleep and my entry woke her up and she started screaming again...so I walked back out!

FINALLY...........she stopped and seemed perfectly happy the rest of the night!

What started it all...this sweet little dress!

I had to edit and add to this note! We got her 9 month pictures taken in the dress. AFTER the pictures I pulled REALLY, REALLY hard on the zipper and it came down further making it a SNAP (err, zip) to take off the dress! So...here is a picture with her in the "tantrum dress" minus the tantrum! LOL