Tent City-Memorial Weekend 2012

just arriving at the campground

hiding out in the tent during the rain

Listening to music by the fire and eating chili

Our first tent camping experience was a success!  Jolynn was such a great camper.  I was all prepared to be there one night because I thought for sure she wouldn't sleep well.  She did better than that.  She slept through a crazy storm with thunder and lightening!  She also napped through kids, trucks, and dogs passing by.  The mosquitoes weren't bad, but they still found the sweet nectar of Jolynn.  She is just like me in that when bit she just swells up, poor girl.  It was a bit too cool to do any swimming.  She was able to see lots of bugs, helping gather wood for fires, and danced to music around the campfire.  She was a big hit with everyone there.  She played soccer with some kids and we went for lots of walks, usually ending up in a strangers campsite (she saw other kids and had to say hi).

found a caterpillar on mom's shoe

helping gather wood for fire

Jolynn's Florida vacation

I'm a little behind in my postings.  While I was at BOW Jolynn stayed with Grandpa Moritz.  I returned late Sunday night, Sunday morning she was already on a plane with Grandpa on her way to Florida.  That's right, Grandpa took her by HIMSELF.  What a trooper.  They both did awesome.  I didn't get many photos from them, but they called every night so she could say good night to us.  Grandma Moritz was there too, for work.  So the days were spent poolside with Grandpa and then after work she played with Grandma.  I'm pretty sure Jolynn had lots of fun and didn't miss us at all.  For the next 3 days she was home she would wake up in the morning and call out for Gampa.

That was probably her last free flight.  Before the age of 2 she has flown 3 times - all times at least one direction was in first class.

23 Months

the months have been going by so fast I forget to track everything that happens.  Potty training is still going slowly.  I don't want to rush things.  No need getting her upset or myself.  She's not even two.  She goes when she goes and we try and do the every 20 min thing, but most of the time she just says she doesn't have to go.  We even tried regular underwear one day.  She thought she was hot stuff!  Strutted around in her little tighty whities.  Only one accident while wearing the underwear (poop at Grandma/pa Moritz's).

You can call her Miss Independent.  She puts her dishes in the sink, garbage in the can, if you help her she will pick up her toys (that's not quite on her own yet, but should be),  Jon also taught her to open the fridge, so now she gets her own snacks and milk if we put it on the first shelf.

The big girl bed is going well.  She generally doesn't get out once she is put to bed.  We've had some doosy storms here lately and some she sleeps right through, others she ends up in bed with us.  I love my snuggle time.  We've gotten used to her being between us so it doesn't bother us as much as it used to.

this past month she went with Grandpa and Grandma Moritz to Florida.  See different post for details.

The end of last month she had her first tent camping experience.  See different post for details.

Family celebrations for the July and August birthdays will be at the annual Moritz 4th of July party (held July 7th this year).  Invitations are about to go out for her 2nd birthday party!  Little smaller this time - just close friends.  It will be at the Oakdale Moritz house - food, friends, and pool fun!

22 months

CRAZY! I've stopped saying how many months Jolynn is when people ask.  I just say almost two.  I have to watch myself when I do things with her or tell her to do something, expecting that she will be able to do it.  She acts older than I think so I often have to remind myself that she isn't even 2 yet.  Like with potty training.  We have been letting her take the reigns on this one.  I didn't want to push it and everyone has told me that she is pretty young for it anyway.  This last week she has been going before bed and when she wakes up.  The other day she went 4 times on the big toilet.  At daycare, Mary was able to get her to go once also.  We are pretty busy the next 3 weekends, so full blown potty training isn't going to start until mid June.  I'm pretty sure she will be fully trained (fingers crossed) before she is 2.  My mom and I went shopping and she bought training pants - the kind that are like underwear but thicker (more absorbent than regular underwear).  Jolynn gets very excited when she doesn't have to wear a diaper.

Other than potty training, there hasn't been any big news.  She talks ALL.THE.TIME. And loves to sing and dance.  Choppy sentences are starting to form.

Here are a few photos from a recent session through my work (Lifetouch).

21 Months

Today Jolynn is 21 months.  I just happened to notice it was the 18th.  I just can't believe how time is just flying by.  3 more months and my baby will be 2.  I don't think you heard me...TWO!

Sentences are starting to form.  Bubbles Pop means: blow bubbles, I want to pop them.
Her manners have also formed this past week.  I have to give the credit to daycare.  We do use it a lot in our home, but I think it is emphasized more at daycare.  She now says Thank you for EVERYTHING.  We reply with you're welcome.

Potty training hasn't gone full force yet.  We toy with it here and there.  I let her run around for a while with out a diaper.  She can say diaper too.  However, everything is poopy.  If she goes potty, she says poopy.  If she farts, she says poopy.  When I do finally buckle down and do the training deal, I wish I could have a veteran with me.  Someone who knows the ropes and can anticipate the action (eliminating some accidents hopefully).

My mom recently posted a photo on Facebook of me when I was 2 years old.  I weighed 23 pounds and was 33 inches.  Not a far cry from Jolynn.  Gee, I wonder who she is taking after. :)

20 months

Wow, bad mommy. Time just flew by between 19 and 20. Somewhere around 20 months, maybe a week or two later, Jolynn just started repeating everything you say. I stopped counting how many words she knows. She doesn't repeat many on a regular basis, but if you say "say this..." she will repeat it. So cute the way it comes out sometimes. And now we REALLY have to watch what we say.

She is so adventurous. She loves to be outside. March has been a crazy month for weather. We had a week of 70+ and then a couple 80 degree days. All she wanted to do was be outside the whole time. One day we spent 3 hours outside, then went in for a nap and she slept for 4 hours!

Jolynn has also been going to Grandma and Grandpa's a lot lately. She spent a night with my parents, then a whole weekend with Jon's. She will be with them again for the whole weekend coming up. I feel a little guilty shipping her off for such long periods of time. I know how hard it is to get up every morning and constantly be moving until she goes to bed. Then wanting to go to bed yourself but you have things to do yourself. I'm sure they love having her, but at the same time what a relief that it is temporary.

This month we took Jolynn to a studio to try out for a modeling agency. Her pictures were gorgeous. It was so hard to choose so M&M ended up buying the CD. I'm so glad they did because the photos truly look like a model. Unfortunately she did not win the modeling gig. Since Jon's aunt is in modeling I thought of asking her how to get Jolynn in the biz. Not sure I want to take that on either.

We have hit the almost terrible twos. One of the reasons I don't exactly want to get in the modeling biz yet. One minute she is up and happy and the next she is crying and sprawled on the floor. Nothing a nap doesn't cure however. Her behavior is so like me. If I'm hungry or tired my mood is exaggerated.

19 months

Part of last month and into this month we experienced our first health scare. We both had been sick for weeks. I took Jolynn in the morning of our game night and they said she had a slight ear infection. She was put on amoxicillin. She was on it for 7 days when all the sudden she developed a rash around her midsection. We called the on-call doctor and she said to stop giving her the medicine. Not knowing if her ears had cleared up, we took her back to the doctor on Monday. This doctor said her ears were not quite cleared up yet and it sounded like she had bronchitis. The doctor also marked her down for being allergic to penicillin. She was put on two different medications, one for the ears and a steroid for the bronchitis. A week later I brought her back to check on the ears. Everything was cleared up. Her cough and runny nose were still causing her to not sleep, so the doctor gave us a sample of Nasonex. That did the trick! Her nose cleared up within 5 days.

She has actually known her body parts for a month or so, but now she is starting to say the parts. She says eyes and arm. She even knows where her knees are. She sticks out her tongue when asked where that is. I think one of the first parts she knew was nose and belly.

New words: arm, big girl, Avery (friend at daycare), Mary (daycare lady), wawa (water), party, Jon. There have been many times that we think we hear her say something and can't get her to say it again. I also have not been as diligent in adding them to the draft during the month.