18 Months :]

Rylee had her 18 month doctor visit with Dr. Wiley.

Her very nice doctor.

When we got into the room and the nurse was measuring her Rylee flipped out.

She didn't want this stranger anywhere near her.

And she definately didn't want to be on the little patient table by herself so daddy sat up there with her.

While we waited on Dr. Wiley to come in we taught her to say "Dr. Ben".

But ofcourse when he actually came in she was scared of him and she didn't want to show him that she learned his name.

This was an even huger flip out! because he needed to check her hips and Rylee was fighting him the whole time screaming like someone was torchering her.

Same thing happened when he tried to look in her ears.

She is at a very scared age. He said its pretty normal at 18 months.

But Rylee is scared alot of the time!

Before Jake would make a monster sound and come play bite her, now when he does that Rylee runs to me and says "mean", she used to love it.

I don't know if all of this started because of Halloween and scary costumes?

Also ever since I last blogged about Rylee still being on the bottle, I haven't given her one.

She has been drinking out of a sippy cup.

Not happily though. At first she wouldn't touch it.

Now she will, the only problem is that she will not drink milk out of it at all. Even if i put juice or chocolate milk in it, if she tastes a hint of milk she puts the cup down.

Her doctor said that this happens alot when you switch from a bottle to a sippy cup.

He said to just try to feed her more cheese and stuff like that.

It's really alot more pressure now to keep her healthy.

I have to make sure she's eating enough fruits and vegetables and now calcium.

It was so much easier when all she needed was milk or formula.

I'm still waiting for the day when she will drink milk out of her sippy cup!!!!

Rylee's 2nd Halloween!

My little BEE!

From the time Rylee woke up on Halloween I started trying to teach her to say "Trick or Treat".

She ofcourse didn't get why I was teaching her this yet, but she learned it.

We had so many places to go this year (very different from last year when she was only 5 months old.)

First we went to Jake's parents house. We rang their doorbell to trick or treat, but when Jake's mom opened the door Rylee just tried to walk in.

She didn't understand standing outside.

Jake's mom got her candy bowl and was picking out tons of things to give Rylee. But Rylee just kept grabbing out suckers, that was the only thing she wanted.

We stayed at her house for an hour while Jake dressed up his brother, Austin like a hobo.

He had a painted on beard and messy hair - this really scared Rylee.

She knew it was Austin, she just didn't get why he looked like that, she wouldn't go near him.

So I knew early on in the night that she would be getting scared alot by scary costumes.

When we were leaving their house Austin decided to come with us for the night.

The next stop was Chase Meadows neighborhood to go trick or treating with Lexie but by the time we got there Lexie was leaving to go to another neighborhood.

So we trick or treated at a few houses in the neighborhood including Amanda & Josh's house.

This was Rylee's first taste of trick or treating. While at these other houses she really didn't get why we were not staying to talk to people for a long time.

Once she got her candy she didn't want to just leave. She would stand there talking to them and looking at them. It was really hard to get her to leave.

She also thought she could take as much candy as she wanted. So it really wasn't good for the people that let you get your own candy, because Rylee took a ton of it.

And also at first, she didn't want to put her candy in her pumpkin (which I guess is understandable) she wanted to eat it already. And also she wanted her mommy to go with her and hold her hand every single time, she was very un sure about going up to all these doors by herself. Shes at a very insecure age I guess?

Once we left that neighborhood we let Rylee eat a couple of pieces of candy in the car to keep her happy until we got to My mom & dad's house.

My mom was the same way with Rylee as Jake's mom, she wanted to fill Rylee's bucket.

We didn't stay very long at my mom's house because at this point it was starting to get dark.

We trick or treated at 2 houses in my old neighborhood - just to people's houses that I knew my whole life & they were so happy to see Rylee.

We then went to our last stop that I was really excited about - it was to a neighborhood me & Jake had went to a few months back just to look at the beautiful million dollar houses. (Enclave) I knew this would be a great neighborhood because it had probably 100 houses and they were all so nice. I knew they would give out plenty of candy too haha.

It was fun for me and Jake too just because every house we went up to we were admiring and talking about what we liked about it.

It was nice too because alot of the people giving out candy were dressed up as witches or vampires. It was a whole different experience for Rylee.

While she was scared of these vampires she saw that they had candy so she got over it pretty quick. lol

She started to get tired of walking, good thing we remembered to bring the stroller! we really needed it.

About half way through this neighborhood Lexie , Amanda, & Johnny came to trick or treat with us.

Rylee is always really happy to see Lexie.

We trick or treated for 3 hours total I think and by this time me & Rylee were wore out & we decided to call it a night. It was a great Halloween :]

SOLID FOODS

Well, about a week ago, Rylees friend, Lexie got a new sippy cup and it was alot like a bottle.

It gave me the idea to try it with Rylee, so I went out and bought her one.

Thinking I would be able to trick her into drinking it and thinking it was a bottle.

She knew right away it was a "Cup", I kept telling her, "no, it's a bottle", but she knew better.

She kept correcting me.

So I keep giving it to her with milk in it and she will not drink it consistantly like she does a bottle.

But when I put gatorade in it she drinks it all.

She just doesn't like milk enough to drink out of a cup.

She has been saying "hungry" alot more since all this started, so she is eating as much food as me.

Before when she was on a bottle, all she cared about was getting her food by a bottle.

Im amazed by how much she can actually eat now.

Im not sure how much milk she actually needs at this point.

Although I know it is bad for her teeth and I had actually already got her off of going to bed with a bottle before,

I now give her a sippy cup of milk to keep while she goes to sleep.

That's the only way I can get some milk in her, because she is desperate for something to drink.

And she knows she can either lay there and do nothing or drink her milk.

I will get her off of a night feeding once I can get her to drink milk in the day.

Yesterday I even tried giving her 1 part milk and 3 parts gatorade,

she still didn't drink it.

She's so picky.

One thing I really like about it is before she constantly had a bottle in her hands, when I was trying to take pictures of her I couldn't pry it away from her.

Now she isn't attached to anything.

I think she's even almost forgotten about the "BABA", she hasn't said it herself in a couple of days.

I just wish this was a little easier or I wish I was seeing progress.

I want her to drink milk!

Taking it day by day

Well. Rylee is just about a year and a half now and I still can't get her off the bottle!

This has been by far the hardest thing to transition her off of.

I have tried just taking all the bottles away and only giving her a sippy cup but then she just cries and cries for it.

And it makes me feel awful.

It has made her start wanting more solid foods though, which is a plus.

But by the middle of the day she is in the worst mood ever!

I have tried putting juice in her sippy cup and water in the bottle and she still picks the bottle and she totally does not like water.

So I think it is really just more of an attachment than anything.

The other day I put sprite in the sippy cup and she drank it,

But i worry about her getting enough milk.

And she definately doesnt care enough about milk to drink it from a sippy cup.

I just dont understand why she wont take the cup. Every time she drinks out of it I clap for her and tell her how much of a big girl she is, which is how she has always learned.

I was really stressing over the whole bottle thing for a while.

I just eventually started feeling like what is the point?

I mean, I dont want her to go to kindergarten with a bottle, but really its not the worst thing in the world that shes still on it.

So im not really trying to get her off of it anymore, but Jake complains to me about it all the time.

BLAH. Im with her the whole day. I think I will decide.

On to another subject...

We have been working on Rylee saying 2 words together.

And about 2 weeks ago she started saying things like, "up, please" or "bites, please" - she knows if she says please, we will do what she wants.

Because I really want her to learn manners.

She says please and thank you just about every time now, but who knows if she knows what she means or not?

Also if she wants something from the kitchen, she will grab my hand and say cmon please.

Its so cute, but a little annoying. haha.

Also, about a week ago, we found out that we are definately having a boy.

And we think we have decided on the name Aedyn, and we taught it to Rylee.

So now when shes telling my belly she loves him, She says Aedyn!

I think she is going to be a great big sissy.

Jake has been working on counting with her, She will say 1-2-3 in order like that, but as far as holding up her fingers,

She will hold up 1 and say one, but she has a hard time holding up just 2 or 3 fingers, so she usually just holds up all her fingers for those numbers.

A couple of days ago we carved pumpkins with Amanda and Johnny and ofcourse Lexie.

Rylee and Lexie were more into going up the stairs together.

But Rylee got a little involved in it.

She kept saying Punkin Punkin.

We let her color on the front of the pumpkin, and Jake carved out as close to what she drew as he could.

We knew it wouldnt be perfect, but I really wanted it to be for Rylee.

We also got Aedyn a little baby pumpkin and I drew a little face on.

It was a fun family experience.

Rylee. Rylee. Rylee

It seems like she changes more and more everyday.
She knows words and names that nobody taught her knowingly.
She picks things up really quick. She knows all of her body parts. And she has got them down really good. Before she would mess up, not so much anymore.
She knows her hair, eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, ears, ninnys, belly button, knees, feet, toes, and hands.
She knows what get dressed means and take your clothes off and shoes and pretty much anything you say she understands.
She understands the meaning of no now, If you ask her if you can hold her, she will either put her arms up to you or she will say NO.
its so funny to me.
Also, when Lexie is doing something shes not supposed to she will say Lexie, NO! - but that is really the only 2 words she will put together.
When we have food she wants, she says please, but we have been working with her to get her to say bites please.
But it's not working yet.
I don't know if she is supposed to be putting words together by now or not but I feel like she could if she really tried.

She loves the baby in mommys belly now!
We will just be laying on the couch and she will say BABY!BABY!BABY! and she kisses the baby, and rubs the baby, just yesterday Jake was feeling the baby kick and she put her hands on my belly. Trying to be like her daddy.
I wish she could have realized that she was feeling the baby kick.
Also she loves to give the baby her baba.
Everything she does is sooo cute to me.
We got her halloween costume the other day. She is going to be a bee :]
I cant wait to get her out trick or treating, this will be her first year doing that.
Last year she was still little.
But I think shes ready this year :]

POTTY TIME!

The other day Rylee got a big girl potty.
So I kept trying to just take her with me when I went to the bathroom, and she would sit on the potty and say No.
And just get up.
So I took her diaper off and let her run around naked.
I told her to tell me when she needs to "Tee-Tee".
But she always just tells me as she is going.
But the the good thing is that if I see her peeing on the ground I just say No!.
And she quits, and we go to the potty and sometimes she won't go still.
And it will be another 5 minutes before she needs to go.
She tee-teed on the potty one time the first day and the potty sings a song when she does and she feels so proud of herself.
It is really cute.
It's very frustrating for me though because she only tells me when she's going.
I wish that she would just go to the potty when she needs to go.
She definately knows what it's for.
But it's still early, she's only 16 months. Most babies aren't even attempting this yet.
So I guess I just have to be patient and let her learn on her own time.
But we will be practicing every day...

Today she did the cutest thing.

Today while I was vacuuming Rylee fell down and put her arm up for me to help her stand back up.
About 5 minutes later she fell again and reached up for me again.
She realized that everytime she fell she was going to be helped back up.
So as I vacuumed I noticed her following me and just getting in front of me and falling to her knees.
She just waited around for me to help her up.
This time I didn't do it because I knew she was playing a game.
So she just kept on falling on purpose.
It was rediculously funny.
She is too smart.


Also a big milestone - We bought her a toddler bed the other night.
And the first night we put her in it and she went straight to sleep.
She adapted well to it really quick, I really thought that she would want her crib more.
At nap times she usually gets out of bed at first to play with toys, and then gets back in bed and falls asleep.
Its perfect for her because if you tell her to go get in her bed , she climbs right into bed and lays down with her teddy bear.
Now if only getting her off the bottle was that easy.
Next thing is potty training, I want to have her out of diapers by the time the baby is born.