Apple Orchard

We took a trip to Tuttle's Orchard this week with Kendra and John Hunter, Katie and Macie, Katie and Addie, and Tessa and I. It was really fun and the kids loved it.

Tessa completely understood how to find an apple on the tree and pick it. She did really good with not picking too many and only getting good ones.


The fruit of her labor!

In the pail.

She was also a great helper with the wagon, she didn't want me to touch the handle!

We finished the trip with a Caramel Apple...yum

Notice the cute shirts...Kendra made them for the kids. too cute

Enjoying cider slurpees.

John Hunter, Addie, and Tessa

(not pictured...Macie ;() )

22 Months Old

Tessa is quickly approaching 2 years old!! She is getting so independant with everything...she wants to dress herself (including picking out her outfit), pick out her own cup for drinks, wants no help with anything not even a finger touching her, buckling her carseat....just about everthing!

She loves to swing and hang on the bar...we lowered it and now she can reach it herself! She can go down the slides by herself. She now likes to jump off things. She will roll down the hill in the backyard....you probably get the idea that she is on the move!! She loves to follow her older friends and does a pretty good job of keeping up.

Tessa has a lot of new words and is repeating most things although they are still hard to understand when she says them. I am somewhat of her interpreter these days. Still uses a lot of her own signs for things, which get her point across well. Her most recent was turning her arms in a circle to have grandma turn the puzzle piece around. Her favorite word by far is.....NO....she says it about everything and to anything! Some nights we can hear her through the monitor...no, no, no, nooooo, no, no, noooooo.

She is such a character, and has the best sense of humor! Love her to pieces!!

Tessa's Neighborhood Friends

Macie (same birthday as Tess) and John Hunter (almost 4)

Saugatuck Family Vacation

We took a family vacation to Saugatuck Michigan with my parents and Janelle and Matt. The week was the perfect balance between doing things and just relaxing. We went out dancing one night, painted pottery at "The Art Barn", golfed, swam, sang karaoke, went out to dinner, biked, visited South Haven's Blueberry Festival, Holland's farmer's market, and just spent great time together.

Saugatuck is a very artsy town, even the park has some art in it!

We rented a pontoon boat one day and road out to Lake Michigan where we turned around due to the crashing waves!! This was Tessa's first boat ride, she was pretty entertained. She mostly wanted to throw bread to the ducks (which she symbolizes by waving her arm in a throwing motion).

Tessa is really starting to repeat sounds and trying to say more things. One of her new words this trip was Matt!! He was so proud!

Grandma and Grandad's little girl

Enjoying her FIRST ice cream cone....she had one more before the week was over. It was pure delight!

Such a little lady

Breakfast in bed...another first.

We rode our bikes about 1/2 mile to town quite a bit. It was an easy way to get around, get some exercise, and Tessa enjoys it!

Tessa also turned 21 months while we were there. Like I said she is starting to put together more sounds, repeat some sounds, and really listen like she is figuring it all out. I think it will be true that she will just start talking in sentences one day soon.

She is constantly yelling "mama mama" and never really wants anything but to know that I'm paying attention to her. The other day Dan asked "Does she do this all day long?" my response "Do what? Oh that? Yea I don't even notice it anymore." :)

She is a really good swimmer, she swims in the big pool with just arm floats and DOES NOT want you to touch her AT ALL. Continuing with the independence.

Our challenges this month are...

1. Getting frustrated because she can't communicate with words, so wines or cries

2. Is taking her diaper off at night...Dan found her in the morning with jammies off, diaper off, and wet bed; smiling I'm sure! We try to use button onesies and pants as a barrier, this is very frustrating to her. We purchased pull ups today and we really are going to try potty training soon. :)

Still loves babies and really plays dolls with them feeding, rocking, talks to them, etc...

She starts child's day out in 2 weeks!!!

That's it for now!! Oh yeah, today she has started licking me like a dog! Wonderful huh? :)

20 Months Old

Our little girl is growing so big! She is 20 months old!!!

We have so many laughs when Tessa is around, she is hilarious. I don't have any idea what I did with my time before Tessa was here, she is my joy, love, and entertainment!

I did a little photo shoot today to capture my little girl!

Here is an update of what Tessa is doing at 20 months:

• the largest milestone....Tessa has learned how to pee in the potty!!! It is sporadic at this point, but probably sometime this month we're gonna try panties and see what happens!!
• saying more words (although most don't sound like the real word) she has a "Tessa" word for: Dora, backpack, map, night night, lovey, there, that, mama, dada, zayne, cow, chicken, crab, cat, pig, alligator, hot, boom, Hunter (her neighbor friend)
• has "Tessa" signs for potty, drink, swimming, rub her back
• she LOVES to dance, especially to Dora songs, Zac Brown Band, and Michael Jackson :)
• her favorite shows are Dora and Backyardigans
• favorite foods: all fruit, corn on cob, butter noodles, milk, shredded cheese, yogurt. Many have described her diet as a zero calorie diet :)
• she naps for about 2-21/2 hours and sleeps 11 or 12 hours a night. She has started to go to bed around 8:45/9 and get up later like 8:15/8:30
• very independent about everything, always wants a choice about things
• we've started counting 1-2-3 to get her to listen and make a choice about behavior; which is working
• her favorite activities: SWIMMING, cooking, playing babies, and dress up
• she can swim with her swimmy float all on her own, jumps in from side, goes under, swims in circles

I guess that's all for now, we are just loving summer!!

Summer Fun

We are having a fun filled summer so far. We go swimming almost every day! I am going to take pictures of her swimming soon!

Otherwise we try to spend time outside without getting too hot! Here are some cute pics of Tessa enjoying summer!

Watercolor painting

Girly girl in her dress up shoes

I love this pose...booty out!

Tessa enjoyed a watermelon feast yesterday. I stripped her down to a diaper and let her go at it! It was dripping all over, she loved it, then straight to the bath!

Mouth full of melon :)