"Oudoe"

We have spent LOTS of time "oudoe" (outside) this week. Jenna can literally spend hours just walking around the yard exploring. She starts at the rocky area and picks out a rock which she keeps securely in her right hand until we go inside again. She now says, "gwass" (grass) and "pla" (plane - but, imagine the "pla" ending with some spitting, raspberry style). The last few pictures are of Jenna in her special corner outside. She loves to sit in this corner for some reason and point out the bricks. She has a great narrative that goes along with pointing out the bricks. It goes something like this, "Abudaby, dabudabee, datda, dodowat."

Week in Review

Here's the awaited picture of the new tooth. Her bottom left.

Last Friday, Kevin arranged for a surprise date for us. He got our favorite babysitter to come stay with Jenna. This babysitter also happens to be Jenna's 3rd cousin and they both have red hair. We figured out the relationship when Jenna was born and announcement emails went around the family. It turns out that these cousins live near us and we never knew. Jenna and her babysitter Sarah have the same great-great-grandparents and their great-grandpas were brothers. Pretty cool and rare to know your 3rd cousin!

Sarah was amazed at how meticulous Jenna is, always wanting to put things "back." I'm afraid maybe I've warped my child. Nature or nurture?
Jenna got this bear for her birthday it plays "Happy Birthday." She re-discovered it this week and LOVES it. She says, "Hap Boo."

Tuesday we were getting ready to leave for Ladies Bible class and I said, "Come on Jenna, let's go to church!" She beat me to the door and was excited to go. I was putting on my shoes and then all of a sudden she ran (toddled very quickly) back into the living room. I was wondering what in the world is she doing? So, I called for her to come back. Pretty soon she came rushing back with her purse! It was so funny - she needed her purse to go to church! She loves that purse so much and even had a fit last Friday when her friend Mallory wanted to play with it.
We use this cabinet in the living room to store some of her toys and this week she started climbing in. She loves to get in (with her blue Lego friend, of course) and shut the doors and hide! The longest so far is about 15 seconds and then she'll push the doors open and say, "Hi!"
Kevin taught her to say how old she is this week. "Jenna, How old are you?" She puts up her one so proudly! (and yes, she's holding a Tylenol bottle - her latest security item)

Kevin and Jenna also have a new game just in time for Halloween. He says "Boo" and she says "Ahhh!" Yesterday she woke up early and we put her in bed with us to see if she might go back to sleep. She was excited and started talking a lot. Part of her repertoire that morning was, "Boo, Ahh!, Boo, Ahh!" over and over.

Yesterday, was also her first, "quack."

First Home Game

Music from Genesis, Phil Collins, and Peter Gabriel. How many of you know what these 3 have in common?

Jenna's "I just got up from my nap and I'm not so sure about this" face. She eventually really did love the music. There was lots of conducting, dancing (almost jumped out of my lap), clapping, and cheering.

Here she is looking much happier and ready to go with her purse from Grandma! Mima made this cute ACU outfit and there's another one. Stay tuned for pictures of that one after the next game (you'll have to wait until October).

Words and General Silliness

With all the new teeth coming in, Jenna started requesting "nynol" (Tylenol) last Wednesday. I'm not sure if a 15 month old really understands enough to request her own pain medicine. What do you think? I'm thinking it would be an interesting thing to research.

Thursday - she started saying, "ap" for apple when Dada let her share some bites. She also kicked a ball a few times but hasn't really done that since. She kicked with her right foot - maybe a sign.
Sunday - she says, "boo" for spoon. We've been practicing. She prefers holding it in her right hand and banging it against the bowl while she digs in and grabs the food with her left hand. We have made some progress today, though. Also on Sunday, she finally made a word for sunglasses (instead of calling them "hat"). She says, "a-gee." Or something like that.
We've been practicing coloring. Monday - she says, "ca-go" for color.

Tuesday, her 10th tooth poked through: the lower left lateral incisor. It's still too painful to photograph.
Also, Tuesday, she says, "mao" meaning mail.

Now for the general silliness (she gets really silly when she's tired or anytime really):

A duckbill that quacks when you blow in it. She loves this thing!

Random headstand

The past few days, when she giggles she covers her mouth like this! Also, she's been "reading" to us and it sounds like pure gibberish. So funny!

New things

Jenna's new friend (almost as big as she is) - she loves carrying this baby around when we visit. Can you tell this girl loves babies?

New tooth! (Bottom right lateral incisor). She has been really clingy to Mama lately, I guess this might be why.

Working on the next tooth! - The bottom left is almost here, too.

Yesterday, she started calling her bendy bunny "Elmo." She has this Elmo book and an Elmo toothbrush and that's all she knows of Elmo. But, she saw the bunny in her bag and kept saying "Elmo." I couldn't figure out what she was talking about until she pulled out the bunny and carried it all around the house saying "Elmo."
Does anyone see the resemblance?

Other new things: "bl-a" means blueberry and blanket and bless you (pretty much anything that starts with bl). She helps put her toys away. When she sees her stuffed Jayhawk she starts singing the Rock Chalk Chant; she says, "Raa, Raa" with the exact pitch of the chant. We talk about nap time or night time and she'll walk back to her room (we'll see how long this lasts).

It's getting hard to keep up with all the new things. I'm sure I've missed some.