17 months old

Chillin' in the pool at Grandma and Grandpa C's.

Daddy says I have an engineering mind.

Big girl chair.

Floating with Daddy.

Reading a new book with Grandma Great.

Pushing the baby stroller like a good mommy.

I got very comfortable with Grandma after Mom and Dad left. She kept me safe when I was unsure about Grandpa.

A bath with a pool view.

Getting in some reading for pleasure.

Helping to feed Mindy.

Mom came back and we made the move to Grandma and Grandpa Mac's. Miller was there too! What do you think of our mohawks?

We practiced pouring together.

PJ time!

Bubble wands are great for sucking, even when soapy.

Run, Grandpa, run!!!

We're not getting out. Again! Again!

Swimming in the bay.

The water is nice and warm.

I tried it, but I didn't end up liking my life jacket very much.

Sand castles with Grandma.

Am I supposed to lick my fingers now?

Mom and I found a fun rock to play on.

Time to dry off.

I worked up a huge appetite at the beach, so I pounded this mac and cheese. Too hungry to use a fork.

See?

Straws generally keep me busy when everyone else is trying to eat.

Miller and I went climbing after dinner.

Race you to the top?

We made it. Now what?

We dumped out the Cheerio box and ate off the floor like Brody and Napoleon. Fun!

It was a big project, but Miller and I were the right people for the job.

Come on! Wagon ride time!

Miller! Grandma! I can't wait all day!

Buh-boh! Buh-boh!

Fewer and farther between... I'm sorry, people! This is a reality of my super busy life.

Between school and summer trips, I am really struggling to update this thing. And I must apologize because I'm about to take another 2-week hiatus. I'm going to T.C. to spend two weeks with my grandparents while Mom goes to training in Grand Rapids. I'm super excited. Mom is not. We will get to see each other on the weekends, but neither of us will see Dad or Brody for 13 whole days. :-(

I'm going to keep my grandmas on the ball and have them take lots of pictures of me. Then I'll send out another update when I finally get back home. Okay?

So I'm getting pretty good with forks and spoons. I demand to do everything myself. Mom and Dad keep saying something about "unproductive," but I just do my thing.

See? Right in my mouth.

I am awesome!

Spooning can be tiring. This is Plan B.

Grandma and Grandpa Mac came to visit and they brought my birthday presents that couldn't come to Chicago. This is the elephant that Aunt Sue gave me. Love it!

I'm a pretty happy girl.

I don't know why Mom put this in the closet. I need this thing.

Happy to be home from school! I get a report card everyday and my teachers always say that I was a happy girl. I eat at a big table with other kids and I sleep on a cot like a big girl. I cry a little in the morning when Daddy drops me off, but I recover pretty quickly.

I like to try and put both my feet in anything that will hold them.

Do both feet fit in my potty?

Yup!

I'm 16 months old now. This is my last week of summer vacation. Mom goes back to work on Monday, and I get to go to my new school.

Mom and Dad bought me this thing they are calling a "potty." I don't know what it is for, but they keep talking about how I should be getting comfortable with it.

I like the water slide at Uncle Trent's and Aunt Ginette's.

Mom and Dad made me wear a bunch of ridiculous stuff to go on a boat ride.

Uncle Trent drove fast, but Lexi and Olivia stayed on the tube. I held on tight to Daddy's neck. Lyla buried her face in the seat.

I can see a lot more riding up front.

So tired from swimming... boating... trampolining...

Not... going... to... sleep...

We got a special table just for me, and it sits in the most prime spot in the house. I get to look out the front windows and color AND keep an eye on what's happening in the kitchen.

My table looks nice and new in this picture, but you should see it now. I've decorated it very nicely. Who needs paper?

Brody likes to cool off behind the garage on hot afternoons.

Here, Brody, eat this stick.

Mom and Dad do not like it when I eat the foliage. Doesn't seem fair to me. Brody gets to do it.

Dad is teaching me how to kick. He says my best shot at going pro is going to be either in soccer or golf. I'll show you my golf clubs later.

I help Brody get his ball.

Thanks, Dad! I love my new reading chair.

"Millions of fingers. Millions of drums. Millions of monkeys drumming on drums. Dum ditty dum ditty dum dum dum."

Ready to take on the backyard!

"Eat this, Bubby." Let me tell you, Brody has had a hard time adjusting to our new place (not like me). He seems to really like the backyard, but he's not too sure about our house. First of all, it's old, so the floors creak. His food and water are in the basement now, and I'm not sure he always remembers that it's down there. He can't figure out where to sleep because Mom and Dad's closet is just not the same as in our place in Chicago, plus it's pretty warm upstairs most of the time. Then there's the mailman, who actually comes right up onto our porch to deliver the mail. Mom and Dad were happy because Brody slept through the night for the first time last night since moving here (ha, amateur), so we're hoping that he's starting to feel more comfortable. Maybe he's finally realized that this is where we live and we're not just on vacation.

Climbing on top of my sandbox can be just as much fun as playing in it. I stood up too, but you don't get to see that because Mom was busy catching me.

Different house, different drawer, same love for Tupperware.

Action shot. Check me out, Dad!

16-month-old videos

Exploring my new potty.

Playing in Union Lake with my cousins.

Learning how to jump on the trampoline.

Greetings from Michigan!

Apologies to those of you who wanted to see more pictures of our new house. Mom says that you'll just have to come visit, and I'm with her on that one.

... and lend a helping hand.

... and trade...

Cousins are supposed to share...

This is a great finish to our picnic in the grass. Mom and Dad had fun too, but they're pretty excited for our new patio furniture to be delivered.

My cousins came over for dinner. We got popsicles for dessert!

Mama was shucking corn. I was eating it.

Now I'm ready to come out.

Here's the other half. My room is all mine now. I don't have to share it with guests or the office. The best part? I have a ceiling fan!!! You have no idea how happy that makes me.

Here's half of my room. Mama painted my bookshelf this week. She said, "That's what garages are good for."

I am very happy that my bed came to the new house. I love it so much that I didn't want to get out right away after my nap.

Ha! That's better.

Towel please.

Moving on to my new sandbox. I don't like to get in the sand. I just play from the sides.

I can't quite figure out the motion on this thing so once in a while I move to the wrong spot and get sprayed in the face. It's the price of fun. At least it tastes good.

Yeah, that's right. Living the good life.

I have my very own sprinkler now!

Hello to all my friends and relatives! We've finally made the big move to Michigan and I have to say that I've been enjoying myself so far. Mom and Dad seem to be really busy and tired most of the time, but they still make sure to get some fun time in for Brody and me. I have decided that I do not like to "run errands." Also, I do not care much for stroller or shopping cart rides anymore, because I'd much rather walk myself. I LOVE that there are two sets of stairs in our new house, and the best part is that they're carpeted so I can do a shimmy-slide backwards and get down in no time. Brody and I love our new yard. He likes to wander and I like to climb up and down the stairs on the deck. I miss my friends in Chicago, but there's a nice boy who lives next door and he already shared his tricycle with me. Can't complain about that!